Pic credit: Angel Media

It was the last game day in the German Pro A and the EPG Baskets Koblenz were on the road in Giessen. Having to hit free throws at the end where the Giessen fans are chanting is always a real challenge for the opponent. It was more than obvious going into the contest that the EPG Baskets Koblenz were the underdog and it showed on the court as they were destroyed 88-69. Koblenz lost the battle on the boards and at the free throw line. A little less than 2 months earlier, it looked like the turning point of the EPG Baskets season had occurred in Crailsheim where American Julian Larry won the game with a spectacular buzzer beater. Instead of taking that superb momentum and riding with it into the next games and having a winning streak, the team underachieved finishing the season mostly with loses. There were many factors why the team couldn’t finish the season strong. One player who was instrumental at both ends of the court was 2 way player Devonte McCall (198-F-1998, college: Post) who finished the loss in Giessen with 14 points, 5 boards, 2 steals and 2 blocks. He as usual gave all he had making an impact at both ends and was one of the leaders in the last weeks holding the team together as best as possible together with Julian Larry. ‘I just wanted Koblenz to remember me in a good way, hopefully I left a good impression’, warned Devonte McCall.

Pic credit: Angel Media

The athletic forward who is a mix between Jaylen Brown/Kawhi Leonard came to the EPG Baskets Koblenz and observed how the team finished the season in 14th place with a record of 13-20. One also has to wonder what would of happened in the Koblenz season had the team had the services of Ohio native Tim Smith Jr who played his last game in Crailsheim in mid March. It was a season of what if’s. ‘I think every season has what if’s, the last 2 months were a whirl wind’, said Devonte McCall. After the incredible buzzer beater win in Crailsheim the EPG Baskets Koblenz finished the season losing 7 of 8 games. The team lost close games against Paderborn and Tuebingen. Could the club have reached the playoffs had they received a few more breaks? ‘ I think the team had a rough stretch, but there was a time in the season I thought we’d be in Playoffs’, remembered Devonte McCall. There were too many games during the whole season plus in the last 8 games where the defense was unacceptable allowing 90 points per game. Why couldn’t the team be more of a successful defensive teams seemed to be a mystery. ‘I’m not really sure, I think we were just an offensively minded team’, said Devonte McCall. The club was a great offensive team and really shone in that area averaging 85 points per game. It must have been really joyful playing offense for Stephan Doehrn? ‘It was a lot of fun. He gave us a lot of confidence offensively. Not too many bad shots in the offense’, stated Devonte McCall. The mental side was also an issue for the team. Too often when the opponent made runs, they couldn’t punch back as a team. Did runs get inside the players heads to a degree that it couldn’t be fixed? ‘BasketballI is a game of runs, I think it had more to do with letting calls get into our head’, remembered Devonte McCall.

The American who played 2 seasons at Post University (NCAA2) had already had great teammates with Phoenix Hagen and the wiha Panthers Schwenningen and it wasn’t any different with the EPG Baskets Koblenz. He won’t forget being teammates with team MVP candidate Calvin Wishart who’s play was infectious. ‘Calvin is a dog. He always came with heart. Would’ve been nice to play a whole season with him’, added Devonte McCall. American Julian Larry gave the team scoring, speed and added defensive pressure. ‘I loved Julian’s game. He is a hard worker and was a real gym rat. He is going to be a great professional’, warned Devonte McCall. Another player that was a real work beast was DJ Jeffries who scored in double figures in 16 games and left a real lasting impression on him. ‘DJ Jeffries was a real work horse. He is one of the best players I have ever played with, I think he was super underrated this year’, said Devonte McCall. The team had many talented Germans. Would a guy like Alex Moeller be a good candidate for unsung hero award? ‘Alex did a ton of dirty work that went underappreciated. Same goes for Marlo Bacak’, remembered Devonte McCall. Moeller didn’t only do the dirty work, but at times carried the team in difficult phases and scored in double figures 9 times. Badu Buck is a guy that could get hot at anytime as well as make big plays on defense. He is also a very jovial guy. Who could forget his 18 points in the big win over Wolmirstedt? ‘Badu always kept the energy up no matter what was going on. Great guy to have as a captain, jovial is a perfect word’, stated Devonte McCall. One guy who made big strides was German Jannis Sonnefeld who averaged 4,8ppg and 3,0rpg after averaging 1,7ppg 2 seasons ago with Pro A teamTrier. ‘I would say Jannis Sonnefeld was our most improved player. He’s going to be good’, warned Devonte McCall.

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and Devonte McCall in Koblenz

The ex Westminster student averaged 10ppg and 4,3rpg in 22 minutes per game. It was his third season where he averaged double figures in scoring after averaging 7,9ppg last season with Phoenix Hagen. ‘I thought I played okay. I could have finished better around the rim, didn’t have my best legs’, remembered Devonte McCall. It is never easy to fully show one’s offensive skills where any player on the team can score 15-20 points per game. Was he able to take full advantage of his opportunities on offense? ‘Yea I just took the opportunities that came to me. It’s always tough in Pro A, there’s always so many great scorers on a given team’, said Devonte McCall. He has always been a player that made a big impact on the defensive end and it wasn’t any different this season in Koblenz. ‘I could communicate better, be better off the court breaking down offenses, it’s a team game, not just individual’, expressed Devonte McCall who lists the buzzer beater win in Crailsheim ending their winning streak as his fondest moment this season. He knows exactly what 2 areas of his game he will work on most this season so he will be best prepared wherever he lands in 2026-2027. ‘My jumper always, and my off the dribble game, which I didn’t get to show too much of’, added Devonte McCall. It will be interesting to see where he plays in 2026-2027. It would only be logical that he remains in Germany. He will never forget the EPG Baskets Koblenz fans. ‘I loved the fans in Koblenz. I would love to see them be successful and be a basketball city’, stressed Devonte McCall. Any fans for any basketball team especially in Germany would appreciate the hard-nosed game of Devonte McCall at both ends.