After another long summer with no basketball in the Dragon Dome, it was finally time for the start of the 2025-2026 Pro B season for the Dragons Rhondorf. With a new head coach with Max Becker and relatively new team with only a few guys back from last season, the team wanted a good start into the new season under the watchful eyes of their diehard fans. There was also some joy about the possibility of ex Dragon Janne Muller appearing back in his old stomping ground. He had left the club to Hamburg and had a double license with BBL team Towers and Pro B team SC Rist Wedel. However Janne Muller was not fit and was only a minor side note as the story of the day was when the Dragons announced that team captain and veteran Daniel Mayr had suffered an Achilles rupture that would sideline him indefinitely. That was very tough to digest, but after 40 minutes, the Dragons Rhondorf had displayed an incredible team performance where 6 of the 11 players were teenagers. 17 and 16 year old kids Remi Voelkers and Dusan Ilic had combined for 20 points in the absence of Jorge Mejias who was with BBL team Bonn and helped lead the team to it´s first win of the season in the Dragon Dome 82-67. Plus Kenan Reinhart (194-SG-2007, agency: Octagon Europe) led them in scoring with 20 points and young German Benjamin Sadikovic was a rock at both ends with a 12/8 game and 3 blocks while veteran Juhwan Harris.Dyson added 13 points and 9 boards and 3 steals to round off a more than satisfying first team win. “We played 40 minutes with a lot of intensity and fight. We gave a full effort and played for Daniel Mayr. Plus the youth stepped up big, They give their all each day and it showed tonight”, smiled Juhwan Harris Dyson. SC Rist Wedel were without easyCredit BBL double license players Janne Muller and Jarrod Grey, but that was no excuse as they had to play pick up basketball all night long and couldn´t get over the hump after getting down in the first quarter. “You have to give a lot of respect to Rhondorf. They did a great job compensating the loses of Mayr and Mejias. They played with a lot of heart and we didn´t. We were unable to match their intensity all night long”, stated ex BBL player Linus Hoffmann.

Bejmamin Sadikovic with the dunk

Both teams found their offensive rhythm quickly as 16 year Dusan Ilic did a great job setting the tone and running the Dragons offense as he found and distributed dimes to Harris Dyson and Sadikovic for baskets but the guests stayed close and even got the lead and only lead of the evening as Canadian Lincoln Rosebush made a lay in and dunk for the 6-4 advantage. However the Dragons Rhondorf got the lead back and would never trail again as ex RheinStars guard Kenan Reinhart found his shooting touch early with 2 jumpers and ex University of California (NCAA) guard Harris Dyson scored twice and kept the 13-10 advantage. The Dragons had problems taking care of the ball, but showed high intensity on the glass getting 4 offensive rebounds that allowed them extra chances. However a big plus was simply how well their youth stepped up from the bench. 18 year old 195cm forward Fynn Dobiecki came up huge scoring 2 baskets while finding his spots well. Rosebush supplied another dunk, but the Dragons Rhondorf simply had more spunk and overall depth that allowed them to secure the 21-16 advantage after 10 minutes. “Dusan Ilic did a great job right away showing a lot of pace and getting us into our sets. He handled the ball really well and attacked the rim relentlessly. We also rebounded well. Everybody did their job crashing the boards. We wanted to play fast whenever we could”, stressed Juhwan Harris Dyson. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 56% from the field and 33% from outside and had 13 rebounds and 8 turnovers while SC Rist Wedel shot 33% from outside and 0% from outside and had 6 rebounds and 4 turnovers.

Alexander Postic at the FT line

The second quarter was a battle of little runs. One team would attack, but the other never laid down, but came back stopping the pressure and starting their own run. The Dragons Rhondorf began quickly adding high intensity at the defensive end that SC Rist Wedel couldn´t come to terms with. The Dragons made 5 stops with 2 steals by 17 year Remi Voelkers and on offense executed with a Harris Dyson dunk and Reinhart lay in. Reinhart had been known in his young basketball life as a 3 and D player, but this season he wants to be more versatile and showed it in the first game of the season as his attack game would sparkle. Rhondorf led 25-16, but Wedel finally got on the board at the 7,36 minute mark as ex Hanau guard Niklas Krause made a lay in. Now the guests would start a little run as they scored 6 unanswered points led by Krause again with a lay in and German Al_Fayed Alegbe also made a lay in as the Dragons only led 27-23. However the Dragons had an answer something that would continue until the end. They went on a 6-0 run to lead 33-23 as Reinhart led the charge again as he stayed away from the three point line making a runner and jumper and letting his mid range game take over. The Dragons bench continued to be big as 18 year old David Boning made a 10 footer. Both teams would trade buckets until the end as Krause scored again while Rosebush continued to be active on the glass with a tap in and put back as the guests had improved their rebounding in the quarter. Mamadou Diallo added a trey and Reinhart another lay in as the Dragons Rhondorf led 38-31 at halftime. “Basketball is a game of runs. They were able to get close, but we always had an answer and withstood it. We always got big baskets and never allowed them to get a big run”, added Juhwan Harris Dyson. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 53% from the field and 29% from the three point line and had 20 rebounds and 13 turnovers while SC Rist Wedel shot 32% from the field and 0% from the three point line and had 21 rebounds and 12 turnovers.

Juhwan Harris Dyson at the FT line

In the third quarter the Dragons Rhondorf were able to lead by as much as 10 points, but allowed SC Rist Wedel to cut the lead down to 2 points only to see their lead grow to 9 points at the end of 30 minutes. Rosebush and Ilic traded baskets in the first minute, but the Dragons still led 40-33. Rhondorf continued to play with a lot of intensity and got great energy by Harris Dyson as he scored on a put back and on transition while Reinhart scored again on the penetration this time with his left hand to lead 46-36. However the Dragons Rhondorf continued to have high and lows as suddenly Niklas Krause scored 8 unanswered points that began with a technical against the Dragons bench. Krause scored a lay in and 6 free throws as Rhondorf only led 46-44. “Krause did a good job getting to the rim and foul line. We pressured him as best as we could”, said Harris Dyson. However the Dragons Rhondorf never had a serious lull as they closed out the third quarter well with a 11-4 run to lead 57-48 after 3 quarters. In the run, the Dragons Rhondorf continued to remain aggressive as Ilic scored 4 free throws while Diallo added another clutch three pointer and Harris Dyson a lay in. “We continued to be hungry and keep the lead. We really wanted to win and prove that we are a good team. Our defensive pressure was very good. They couldn´t hit three´s and we forced a lot of turnovers”, commented Juhwan Harris Dyson. “We had runs and then played our game, but then they did the same. We couldn´t find real consistency. They really hit a lot of tough shots and we didn´t have an answer”, commented Linus Hoffmann. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 48% from the field and 23% from the parking lot and 32 rebounds and 20 turnovers while SC Rist Wedel shot 32% from the field and 0% from the parking lot and had 19 turnovers.

Linus Hoffmann with the fade away jumper

In the fourth quarter SC Rist Wedel were able to cut the Dragons Rhondorf lead down to 6 points, but the home team slammed the door going on a massive run to decide the game. Krause began the last frame with a lay in, but the Dragons responded with a swift 5-0 run as Reinhart showed his sniper qualities again with a trey and Voelkers made an off balance shot for the 61-52 lead. Linus Hoffmann then finally connected on the team´s first three pointer of the game at the 7,11 mark to trail 61-55. However the Dragons Rhondorf then decided the game with a brutal 15-2 run to lead 76-57. The first 6 baskets was the Voelkers and Sadikovic show as Voelkers made 2 great lay in´s and a pull up jumper as his quickness allowed him to score while the big man was a beast with a lay in, dunk and free throws. “I was a bit nervous in the first half. I was out of rhythm. In the second half, I noticed I needed to attack more for myself than on the pick and roll. That opened the floor for others more”, stated Remi Voelkers. Reinhart continued to be consistent hitting another trey. “Kenan played great. He stepped up on defense pressuring the guards and hit big shots. He also attacked the rim great and was vocal”, added Juhwan Harris Dyson. The guests did close out the game with a 10-6 run with a trey by Nelson Martin, lay in by Rosebush and lay in by Theo Sigmund, but it was too little too late. “We rebounded great, got stops and executed on offense. Remi Voelkers stepped up huge for us. He does that each day in practice. We have a lot of confidence and trust in him”, said Juhwan Harris Dyson. “We gave up way too many easy baskets in the fourth quarter. We didn´t rebound well. We didn´t do the basics needed to win”, stressed Linus Hoffmann. The Dragons Rhondorf were led by Kkenan Reinhart with 20 points. Juhwan Harris Dyson added 13 points and Dusan Ilic and Benjamin Sadikovic added 12 points a piece while SC Rist Wedel were led by Niklas Krause with 20 points and Lincoln Rosebush added 14 points and 15 boards. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 48% from the field and 21% from outside and had 45 rebounds and 21 turnovers while SC Rist Wedel shot 32% from the field and 9% from outside and had 48 rebounds and 23 turnovers.