Zyon Patterson (201-SF-2000, college: HSU) is a 25 year old 201cm forward playing his second season overseas with German Pro B team EB Baskets Schwelm. He began his basketball career with Crossett High School. He played at 2 Juco schools with The Arkansas State University Mid-South (JUCO) averaging 3.5ppg, 2.3rpg and with Eastern Oklahoma State College (JUCO) averaging 12.7ppg, 6.1rpg, 3.2apg, 1.3spg, 1.1bpg, FGP: 53.6%, 3PT: 36.2%, FT: 71.7%. He then played 2 years at Henderson State University (NCAA2) averaging 8.0ppg, 3.6rpg, FGP: 46.0%, 3PT: 36.4%, FT: 68.3% and 15.7ppg, 7.0rpg, 2.0apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 48.2%, 3PT: 35.6%, FT: 68.2%. He played his rookie season with NTD BH Baku (Azerbaijan-ABL) averaging 9.9ppg, 4.9rpg, 3.1apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 49.4%, 3PT: 17.9%, FT: 69.4%. He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball.

Thanks Zyon for talking to germanhoops.com What has been your coolest experience as a basketball player overseas or in the States that you will never forget?

I would say probably one of the coolest experiences I had in basketball was in junior college. It was a group of boys that were really big fans of me and one of their parents made them a Twitter page just so they could message me and tell me that they love me as a player and they hope I make it to the NBA and then after junior college they’ve kept up with me so it’s been about 4 or 5 years now and they still message me asking me how I’m doing And that’s a really cool thing to me is just having you know random support and they really do have a deep regard for me as a person and a player.

Your playing your first season with the EN Baskets Schwelm. What kind of an experience has it been for you? What have you enjoyed most about it?

It has been a really good experience for me so far. I love the atmosphere and the dedication of our fans and support here. It’s a very homey feeling because it’s a smaller town and everyone you know puts a lot of thought into the team and the players and that would probably be the thing I enjoyed the most is just the crowd and the atmosphere of the fans, especially for home games.

The team is having a solid season. It defends well and does a good job taking care of the ball. The team seems to be very disciplined. How vital is head coach Falk Moeller for achieving this?

#Coach Falk is very important to our success. He gives us the game plan and it’s really up to us to execute. He’s more of a coach that allows players to play and he prefers us to be player lead so I feel like that builds a closer bond between each and every one of us.

A big success of the team is the defense. What is the biggest strength on the defensive end?

I feel our biggest strength on defense is just playing team defense. We all just play our parts and help one another, which allows us to get stops on that end. We try to be aggressive defensively but I feel like this year when we run our matchup zone, It has been very vital to us, especially if we’re having trouble defending 1 on 1 or playing a poor shooting team, just the versatility of our group allows us to be a solid defensive team.

The team has a real good leader in German Marius Stoll. How defined are your leadership skills in this setting?

I feel like I have a pretty important role as far as being a leader with me being our leading scorer a lot of the decisions I make affect my teammates, not only me so I try to be the best version of myself so that they have the motivation to be the best versions of themselves. My teammates allow me to play my game and be a very aggressive player offensively and defensively which has helped us thus far this season.

Let´s talk about your game. You’re a 201cm player. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would best fit the description?

This one is a tricky question. I have been compared to quite a few players one being Brandon Ingram another Kevin Durant another Paul George I’ve even been compared to Shai at times. My favorite comparison is Kevin Durant because that’s my favorite player, but I feel like my game looks more like Brandon Ingrams than anybody else’s.

Usually the American import player is the main scoring threat on a Pro B team and has to do everything for the team. Would that classify your role this season?

I would say I have a important role like that, majority of games I have to be the offensive leader and a lot of times I guard the best player from the other team as well just because I am able to be a two-way player and I take being a two-way player seriously I enjoy scoring and dominating offensively as well as stopping my match up. I developed this in college under Coach Elgas because almost every game. I always guarded the best player and I also was our leading scorer in college as well.

You fill the stat sheet very well. How big of a staple is versatility in your game?

I feel like my versatility as a player is a very big staple in my game. I enjoy the responsibility of having to defend top players as well as still contributing offensively as our leading score. It can be challenging sometimes, but I enjoy it.

You were a pretty good three point shooter at Henderson State at 35%, but have dipped the last years. How would you classify the development of your three pointer at the moment and where do you still want to bring it?

I would say the selection of threes that I have shot in recent years has caused a dip in the percentage, but majority of this season I have shot close to 35%. I have had a few rough games three point percent wise here recently, but in the coming days it will rise again. I just have to prepare myself better before the shot and remember my mechanics even the smallest things like holding my follow through.

You’re a defender that can guard many positions. What kind of a defender are you now and what kind of a defender do you still want to become?

I feel like I’m a very versatile defender as of right now I think I can guard one through five. I use my mind a lot more than I use my body. I’m very athletic and have a great timing whether it is steals or blocks. I play passing lanes very well and I play help side good as well. I wish to improve my on ball skills so that offensive players find it hard to breathe when I’m guarding them.

On what areas of your game are you working on most now so you can continue to keep improving as a player?

-My three-point percentage has dipped so that’s been a very important factor when preparing here recently especially with me being a very ball dominant player this year I’m trying to improve not only my catch and shoot threes, but my three is off the dribble as well. I’ve also been working on reading the game better and understanding it, studying it. I understand that mistakes come with the game, but the more comfortable I become with making reads and the better I understand the game the less of those I will make.

You have had many great dunks in your career. What has been your favorite?

My favorite would probably be against Southwest Oklahoma State University. I did a Euro step dunk and dunked on two people.

Last season you played with NTD BH Baku (Azerbaijan-ABL) winning the cup averaging 9.9ppg, 4.9rpg, 3.1apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 49.4%, 3PT: 17.9%, FT: 69.4%. What was your wake up call to being a rookie overseas where you knew that you were far away from home?

My wake up call honestly was when I got off the plane and I made it to my apartment. I come from a very small city called Crossett Arkansas and a lot of people don’t exceed outside of Crossett so just me being in a new country for the first time ever was a wake up call for me not being able to go see my mom or dad at the blink of an eye and everyone else speaking a different language will definitely open your eyes.

How vital was it having so many Americans on the team for your adjustment time? Did you have a mentor last season? Guys like Allen and Campbell were ultimate veterans.

I feel like those guys definitely were important to me as a player and having other Americans around, definitely helped me mentally not only on the court. A mentor that I would say I talk to a lot especially pertaining to basketball was Detrek Browning. I also talked to the other guard, Tyree Boykin, and the big Kevin Allen as well. Honestly, all of our vets were very important for my growth mentally as a rookie.

After your high school career, you played a season at The Arkansas State University Mid-South (JUCO) averaging 3.5ppg, 2.3rpg. How tough was this season? You had real growing pains as a player. What did you learn about that season?

The season was a very tough one for me. I found it very hard to gain confidence as a player, and I was rather intimidated from where my other teammates had came from even though I could compete with the best of them. I didn’t know how to adapt my first year of school, which ultimately made me perform at such a poor level.

You then moved to Eastern Oklahoma State College (JUCO) averaging 12.7ppg, 6.1rpg, 3.2apg, 1.3spg, 1.1bpg, FGP: 53.6%, 3PT: 36.2%, FT: 71.7%. Was this one of the best basketball decisions in your life?

Going to Eastern was definitely a very good decision for me especially during this time I grew as a player and as a young man and Coach Scott Edgar allowed me as well as my teammates to be ourselves and just to play basketball. Which also helped me continue to grow as a player because it’s important that you never stop growing.

Every guy I have interviewed who played Juco have said that it was a real grind, but one that they wouldn´t have traded the world for. How was it for you?

Whoever told you that was not lying I say the same thing as well. Juco is definitely a grind and it will really show you if you love the game or not it can be very difficult. Especially where I was because we were in the middle of nowhere but the bonds I created and the level I gained in my game I wouldn’t trade for the world.

How key was Scott Edgar in your basketball development there? How did he help you grow as a player?

Coach Scotty was very important in my development mostly physically when I arrived there I was roughly 167 pounds and when I left, I was close to 190, but also as tough as he was as a coach, he made it easy to play for anyone else he will probably be one of the toughest coaches I ever played for, and even though he was very hard on us he would always take care of us.

You then played 2 years at Henderson State University (NCAA2) averaging 8.0ppg, 3.6rpg, FGP: 46.0%, 3PT: 36.4%, FT: 68.3% and 15.7ppg, 7.0rpg, 2.0apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 48.2%, 3PT: 35.6%, FT: 68.2%. You made huge strides as a player there. What kind of a player did you become there?

My first year at Henderson was an adaptation. I didn’t really understand how to be the player. My coach was wanting me to be off of the bench but later in the season, I think the last seven or eight games my average went from 8 points per game to 18 points per game. I led my team in a first round upset as well with 22 points and 8 rebounds it was a period where I had to find myself again. As far as my senior year I understood before I came in that I would be our best player and one of our leaders so I tried my hardest to be that throughout the season I was our go to guy which allowed me to put up the numbers that I did, but I also did other things, especially from the wing position I was a very good rebounder.

You had many great games at Henderson State, but you how special was your 38 point explosion against ECU in the slim 89-86 win? What will you always remember most about that game?

It was definitely a special moment and very exciting. We really needed that win in order to stay in playoff contention so the fact that we were able to win it and I was able to perform so well made a special moment for me. What I will remember most about this game in particular is my mom pacing up and down the bleachers throughout the whole game.

How did head coach Jimmy Elgas give you that last push in preparing you best for a pro career?

Coach E helped me most of all in becoming a better man and a better leader. He always was on to me about being verbal and being vocal, which really helped me prepare for my professional ventures. I didn’t understand it at the time, but as I’ve played, and I’ve grown it all started to make sense.

Who won a 1-1 in practice you or Ryan Boyce?

Haha Me for sure.

Who was the toughest player that you ever faced in your career that reached the NBA?

Probably the best player I’ve played at on any level would be center Daniel Gafford who plays for the Mavericks. We used to always play them in high school. Also in college I would have a big matchup with a draft pick from this past year Taelon Peters who was drafted by the Indiana Pacers in the second round.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

Detrek Browning Nigel John Tomislav miholjcic Kevin Allen Jalen Lynn

Please list your personal NBA Mount Rushmore?

Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant

Who is your GOAT?

Kevin Durant