Toru Dean (183-PG, college: Langston) is a 183cm guard from Miami Florida playing his rookie season overseas with the TSV Bargteheide Bees (Germany-Regionalliga). He began his basketball career with South Miami High School and then played 3 seasons at Barry University (NCAA2) averaging 8.8ppg, 2.6rpg, 2.3apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 41.4%, 3PT: 32.9%, FT: 65.1% and in his second season averaged 12.0ppg, 3.6rpg, 4.0apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 39.2%, 3PT: 34.5%, FT: 46.2%; and in his third season averaged 9.1ppg, 4.3rpg, 4.1apg, 2.0spg, FGP: 39.9%, 3PT: 31.7%, FT: 62.9%. He then finished at Langston University, OK (NAIA) averaging 10.3ppg, 4.2rpg, 3.5apg, 1.9spg, FGP: 46.5%, 3PT: 37.1%, FT: 81.0% and 9.4ppg, 4.3rpg, 4.1apg, 2.1spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 29.3%, FT: 69.4%. He teams up every week with eurobasket.com to talk basketball.

Congrats on the big 103–80 win against Bergedorf. The winning just continues. Is it difficult not getting into that “this will continue” phase, or is the team 100% focused that every game can be difficult?

I appreciate it. Winning definitely feels good, but we’re trying not to get too comfortable. Every game in this league is couningt now that we added more teams, if you take anyone lightly, you’ll get punished. So we’re just staying locked in, preparing the same way, and making sure we bring the right energy every night.

Bargteheide won by 23 points. Talk about the 40 minutes. Was this a game that you controlled from the start, or did the opponent have some runs?

I think we set the tone early and played our style from the start. But Bergedorf’s a good team — they had a few stretches where they made shots and put some pressure on us. We did a good job staying composed, moving the ball, and tightening up on defense when we needed to. Once we picked up the pace again in the third quarter, we were able to create some separation and control it the rest of the way.

Defense continues to be vital for the team’s success, but how key was aggressiveness? The team got to the line 34 times.

That was huge for us. When we’re aggressive on both ends attacking the rim, playing physical, and forcing the issue it changes the whole game. Getting to the line like that means we’re putting pressure on their defense and not settling for jumpers. That’s a big part of our identity

What was it like battling veteran point guard Jordan Rose? He filled the stat sheet just like you.

Jordan’s a good player he’s been around for 7 years, he’s crafty, and he knows how to control the tempo. You’ve got to be locked in defensively the whole game because he can hurt you in a lot of ways. I’ve got a lot of respect for him, and I enjoyed the matchup. It definitely brought out my competitive side.

Yngve Jentz had a huge game of 17/6/3/3/1. How valuable was his versatility in the win?

Yngve was awesome. He just does so many little things that help us win — defending multiple positions, rebounding, moving the ball, and hitting shots. When he plays with that energy, it lifts the whole team. He was definitely one of the keys for us tonight.

You had a very good game yourself — 18 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, shooting 7-of-12 from the field. How content were you with your game?

I felt good out there. I tried to stay aggressive but also make the right reads. My teammates were finding me in good spots, and I just focused on taking efficient shots and impacting the game in different ways. There’s always room to improve, but overall I’m happy with how I played within our system.

It was the fewest two-point shots you’ve taken and the most threes this season. Were you happy with how you chose your spots?

Yeah, I was. It’s all about reading the defense. They packed the paint a lot, so I just took what they gave me. I felt good from deep, and the spacing was great, so it made sense to let it fly when I was open. As long as the shots are within the flow of the offense, I’m comfortable with that mix.

You next play 4–2 Lichterfelde from Berlin. What will be key to getting the win?

Lichterfelde’s a solid team,they play fast and move the ball around really good. they’re well coached. For us, it’ll come down to defense and focus. We’ve got to control the tempo, limit their transition game, and stay aggressive offensively. If we bring our usual energy and play our style, we’ll put ourselves in a good position to win.

Thanks Toru for the chat.