Tom Quarry (201-F-1999, college: Johns Hopkins) is a 26 year old 201cm forward from Bensalem, Pennsylvania that completed his third professional season and first with BBC US Heffingen (Luxembourg-Nationale 2) averaging 26,7ppg, 7,5rpg, 2,2apg and 1,7spg. Last season he played with KK Euro Nickel 2005 Kavadarci (North Macedonia-Prva Liga) averaging 10.8ppg, 4.9rpg, FGP: 57.3%, 3PT: 36.2%, FT: 80.5%. He played his rookie season overseas with SC Vasco da Gama Porto (Portugal-Proliga) averaging 17.1ppg, 6.4rpg, FGP: 49.0%, 3PT-2 (49.2%), FT: 84.0%. He began his basketball career at Father Judge High School and then played at John Hopkins University (NCAA3) from 2018-2023 an din his last 2 seasons averaged 13.1ppg, 4.6rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 45.3%, 3PT: 42.9%, FT: 80.7% and 14.6ppg, 3.9rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 41.6%, 3PT: 34.2%, FT: 83.9%. He spoke to germanhoops,com during the season about his basketball career.

After playing in Portugal and North Macedonia, now your playing your first season with BBC US Heffingen (Luxembourg-Nationale 2) What kind of an experience has it been? What have you enjoyed most about it?

It has been a wonderful experience so far. Luxembourg is a great place to live and play basketball. I’ve really enjoyed playing for Heffingen and becoming a part of the community. I live in the town right near the gym, so I get to interact with many of our supporters in my daily life, which is very rewarding and really makes playing in front of them even more fun. When I first got here, everyone told me that this club is like a big family, and I think most clubs in the world would say that, but when I experienced the support, enthusiasm, and selflessness that our supporters pour into the club, I knew it was the truth.

You’re living close to many countries like Germany, Holland, Belgium, France Etc. Have you been able to explore a bit on off days?

Yes, I love to travel and explore. Luxembourg is actually the 20th country in Europe that I’ve been to, and I wish I had visited sooner. It has so many scenic views and landscapes, I’m always impressed. My brother lives in Ireland with his wife so I’ve been to Dublin to see them and they’ve come and visited me here which is really great. I’ve also been able to go to Germany and Belgium since their borders are very close to Heffingen, and I’d like to go to Amsterdam even though I haven’t yet. I’ve been to Metz and I’ve been to Paris twice since I’ve been here and I really loved travelling in France. I’m a big football fan and was able to see a Champions League match at the Parc des Princes, which was amazing.

The team is having a very good season. It has only lost 3 games. What has been the secret to the success?

We are very focused on going one game at a time and doing everything it takes to win. We play freely in Coach Kreps’ system and are always encouraging each other to play harder and more together than our opponent. I really value our team’s selfless commitment to collective improvement. We are a strong unit that is always trying to find solutions during the game, and when we do make mistakes, we resolve to do better the next play, for the team, for our club.

Do you see the opportunity for a title?

Yes, we want to win every game left on our schedule. It will take effort and sacrifice, and we’ll have to put everything into achieving it. The games are there for us to be won, but we have to be focused and prepared for each game we have left.

You have an interesting teammate with Austin Parker who is in the Air Force and is older and playing his first time as a pro. How much potential does he still have at his age?

Austin is a great player and it is amazing this is his first time playing as a pro. He does so many things well and can put anyone on a poster at any moment in the game. I think he has immense potential; he’s so skilled and athletic, but the best thing about him is that he’s a great teammate and a great guy to be around. I think those things in combination with his ability will give him a long career in basketball.

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

I’m not sure, I’ve had to play a few different roles since I’ve been playing in Europe and the style of basketball is very different. This year, I’d probably describe my role as more of a Shooting Guard so maybe Kon Knueppel. He’s a very efficient shooter with a quick release so I’d like to think there’s some comparative attributes there.

You’re a player that can score and rebound really well. What other attributes does your game have on the offensive end?

I feel like I am a really good decision maker on offense. Working for the best shot for the team, passing up good shots to create a great shot was a big philosophy of my team in college and I think it represents my overall basketball philosophy very well. Not forcing and not letting the defense dictate the quality of your looks on offense is one of the hardest things to do in basketball, but all the best teams who win do it. Moving the ball and trusting each other is so important so I try to encourage that through my actions on offense and I think I have the basketball IQ to do that really well and get tons of high-percentage looks.

Talk about the development of your three pointer. You eclipsed 40% at John Hopkins and in Portugal and this season your at 38%. How big of a weapon is your three and can you become a stable 40% shooter down the road?

I think being able to shoot makes me really hard to guard, other teams have to choose how they’re going to play against me and if they overcommit to stopping me from the three, I’m able to get downhill and score and make plays that way. For someone as tall as I am, shooting is really an X-factor that can allow you to score more and win more, and that’s why I’ve always treated it as such an important part of my game. I love to shoot, I shoot threes, free throws, midrange, floaters, every day in my workouts and for me, shooting is really enjoyable, it’s my favorite pastime. I’d love to shoot 40 percent or higher for the rest of my career, that’d be great, but during the game I’m just thinking is this is a good shot, can I make this shot, and get us 3 more points, and if the answer is yes, then I shoot it and don’t worry too much about the percentages. You’re going to have good shooting games and poor shooting games, being able to trust the work you put in to keep shooting is the real prize.

Talk a little about your defensive game. What kind of a defender are you now and what kind of defender do you still want to become?

I’ve had to guard many different positions since I’ve started playing basketball and I think I’ve improved in my ability to guard all of them. Previously, I was guarding a lot of forwards and centers so my positioning and my timing to block and affect shots had to improve. This year, I’m covering guards mostly and I’ve gotten more steals this year than I’ve ever gotten. I’d like to improve guarding quicker players because I think I’d be even more valuable if I can consistently guard the shiftiest point guards and the quickest shooting guards, especially at the higher levels in European basketball.

On what areas of your game are you working on most now so you can continue to move up the ranks overseas?

I’d say my focus when I’m working out now is shot creation. It’s a lot of dribbling, footwork, and body control alone in the gym and in practice so that when I’m playing against defenders during the game, I’m able to find windows to get my shot off no matter what. I’m always watching basketball trying to learn from good players and there’s so much good content available now online, it’s really a great time to be working on my game.

Last season you played with KK Euro Nickel 2005 Kavadarci (North Macedonia-Prva Liga) averaging 10.8ppg, 4.9rpg, FGP: 57.3%, 3PT: 36.2%, FT: 80.5% What kind of an experience was that for you. The team lost quite a few close games.

It was a great experience for me and I have a lasting respect for the people of North Macedonia and their basketball culture. Our team had four import players so the shots and playing time are more evenly distributed and the games are always very competitive. This is good because it really makes every game full of pressure and important to win, so I was able to grow so much personally and as a leader there. We did lose a few close games but we also won a few close ones too and those are some of my best memories. Knocking down 2 free throws with 5 seconds left to win at home in front of 1000 ardent supporters, it’s an experience I would dream about when I was young playing in my driveway.

You played your rookie season with SC Vasco da Gama Porto (Portugal-Proliga) averaging 17.1ppg, 6.4rpg, FGP: 49.0%, 3PT-2 (49.2%), FT: 84.0%. What do you remember being your wake up call to being a rookie overseas where you knew that you were far away from home?

Playing for Vasco da Gama was such an honor. The club was founded more than 100 years ago and the people cared so much about their team, it made me incredibly proud to wear their jersey during my rookie season. I did not know what to expect living outside the United States, I had never done that before for any real extended period of time, but it was incredible. Porto is probably my favorite city on Earth and my teammates from my time there are some of the coolest people I know. I’m still very invested in the club’s success, I watch all of the games and wish the best for them always. I spent Christmas that year in my apartment alone and was able to FaceTime with my family, whom I really love spending time with, so I’d say not being able to be with them physically for the first time was a reality check of just how far away I was from home.

You had that incredible 36 point game in your pro debut. Is that a game that you will never forget? What memories do you have of that game?

Yes, I will never forget that game. I was pretty nervous for my first professional game, and I didn’t know exactly what to expect. As the game started however, I think I just forgot to be anxious and my teammates kept finding my open for threes and I kept hitting so it was easy to get into the flow of the game. I made an and-one three at the buzzer of the third quarter and as I was on the ground, the entire stands were shaking as the supporters yelled their famous “Vasco! Vasco! Vasco!” and it couldn’t have been more fulfilling. To see my hard work from all the years I spent playing basketball translated into people in Portugal cheering me on because I was playing well for their team, I could not have been happier in that moment.

You had a great career at Johns Hopkins University (NCAA3) playing 5 years there. Were these some of the best times in your life so far? You ended your career there with 1000 + points and one of the schools top scorers ever.

Yes, playing for Johns Hopkins gave me some of the best times of my life and I reminisce on that period often with nothing but great memories. Choosing to go to Johns Hopkins was the best decision I’ve made in my basketball career and it has directly led me to where I am today. Getting to play on a team with 15 of your best friends and for one of the best coaches in the US was nothing short of an actualized dream for me. When I was graduating high school and getting recruited, I wanted to go somewhere the staff believed in me and the team was who I wanted to spend my college years with. Both of those surpassed even my greatest expectations and I look back so grateful that I was able to express myself and become who I always wanted to be, thanks to my teammates and my coaches.

You won 2 Contennial conference titles. Which one was sweeter?

Impossible question to answer, they were both so sweet. My sophomore year, my good friend Conner Delaney, hit the Centennial Conference’s most memorable shot in its history, a buzzer-beater to beat our biggest rival, who was undefeated and the #1 team in the country. My senior year, we got to win at home so maybe I will edge it to that one because we were able to win and cut down our own nets. Getting to play in front of a huge student section, my parents, both my brothers, the year after our entire season was cancelled, was another one of the best experiences of my life.

You had many great games against McDaniel, Gettysburg and Franklin Marshall. What was your fondest moment there?

Firstly, I love Goldfarb Gym, our home gym in Baltimore, and I really like all three of these teams’ gyms as well. I always seemed to have really good games against Gettysburg and I developed a personal rivalry with them as my career went on and I don’t really know why. They were always a very competitive team right on our heels so it felt great to always beat them. My fondest memory was probably getting a technical after getting a steal and a dunk at home against Gettysburg when I was a senior. I wasn’t happy I got the technical but I don’t think I’d change anything about the play and I look back on it and laugh.

How did head coach Josh Loeffler groom and prepare you best for a pro career?

How long can I make this answer? Coach Loeffler is one of the best coaches I’ve ever had and even though his basketball acumen and the way he sees the game is elite, I’d say his best qualities are his personability and relatability. He’s someone who makes you always want to play hard, encourage your teammates, and do your absolute best to pay back how much belief he has in you. For me, we share so many of the same interests and he’s someone I loved being around and spending time with, so I credit him for getting the most out of me as a player and helping me improve the most. He believes in his coaching and the players he recruits so much that it almost felt like an inevitability that under him, our team would succeed. He also attracts some of the best coaches in the game to be his assistants because they know he believes in them in the exact same way. Ricky Hernandez, Matt Colpoys, Conor Dow, these guys are so underappreciated and some of the best people out there coaching basketball and deserve so many more plaudits than they get. Every player on our teams while I was at Hopkins worked with these guys who were available all day everyday, and every player got better, and that’s what you can expect from a Loeffler-coached team. That’s what building a culture is, that’s why it’s not just a couple people they coach who have success, it’s every single one. I’m so happy I got to play for Coach Loeffler for 5 years and I’m so proud to tell people that I’m one of his players. I told him at the end of my last year that I think I want to explore playing professionally and he called so many agents and talked to so many people in this world on my behalf and for that, I will always be indebted to him. He really cares about all of his players and all of our lives, and I really couldn’t run out of good things to say about him.

Who won a 1-1 in practice you or Sidney Thybulle?

I don’t think I’ve ever played Sid 1-on-1 honestly, but it would be a very fun game. He actually came to our home game a few weeks ago in Heffingen and it was so great to catch up with him, I’m so glad Hopkins basketball brought us together.

Who was the best player that you ever played against in your life that reached the NBA?

There’s a few now, the area I’m from in the United States is known for producing really good basketball players. In high school, Izaiah Brockington was really good, just so clear that he was better than almost everyone else at that age. He played with the Pelicans and now in the NBL in Australia. Collin Gillespie is having a great season with the Suns, Seth Lundy with the Hawks, Isaiah Wong played for the Jazz and now in Spain. Derrick Jones Jr, Quade Green, Andrew Funk, Eric Dixon, the list goes on!

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

5 best is impossible but I’ll give you my five most underrated from each team I’ve been on:

Father Judge: Drew Riley

Johns Hopkins: Brian Johansson

Vasco da Gama: Ruben Nobre

Tikves: Todor Zlatev

Heffingen: Frank Jacoby

Please list your personal NBA Mount Rushmore?

Lebron, Steph, KD, James Harden

Who is your Goat?

Lebron James

Did you see the sequel to the classic Coming to America movie? Shouldn´t they have left it alone?

Didn’t see it! But I love film and Eddie Murphy is hilarious so maybe I’ll watch it tonight.

Thanks Tom for the chat.