Pic Credit: Zibart.de

There was a time in the history of the Skyliners when they were occupied in international club competition on a regular basis. Heck 10 years ago, they won their third club title and first international title with the Fiba Europe Cup. In their 27 year history, they have competed in many different kinds of international competitions like Saporta Cup, Uleb Cup, Euroleague, Eurocup, Fiba Euro Cup, Eurochallenge and Basketball Champions League. In 27 seasons, they competed 15 times in these illustrious competitions. But as of late they have been in a massive drought last having played in an international cup in the 2018-2019 season with the Eurocup. The waiting is finally over as this season they are listed again in the Eurocup. The joy and excitement for the season and Eurocup is huge for simply everyone affiliated with the Skyliners organization. “The excitement is there, but I would say that the joy is greater. To be able to paly Eurocup is great. We have very attractive opponents and some even have Euroleague calibur. It is very important to play Eurocup. The Skyliners have always had a vision to play international and be successful. It has been a long time since we have played in a competition like that. It was some tough years even having to play Pro A. The club wants to continue to establish themselves at this current level”, warned Skyliners lead assistant coach Sepehr Tarrah.

I always had a big smile on my face this past summer, every time I read a press release by the Skyliners concerning new player signings. Of course I was also very happy that they also held a core of last seasons players especially their most important players. This roster is stronger than last season and one of the most potent teams in many years on paper. “I have a good impression of this team. We held a good core from last season with German players as well as Christmas, Swope and Alleyne. We added good puzzle pieces that I feel all fit well and compliment the other guys. We have had a good pre season and one saw our potential against Jena. But we know still that we have a lot of work to do as we will have many challenges this season”, warned Sepehr Tarrah. The club also has a clear vision of how they want to play. “This season we want to be even more aggressive on the defensive end and on transition. We want to add early pressure and take the tempo away from our opponent. That style will add extra possessions and we want to take quick shots and tag up”, said Sepehr Tarrah. Is a question mark that the team will be too small and will they be able to defend better this season? Last season switching was the norm, How will it be this season? “We are happy with the players and size we have. We have different types of Bigs. With Till Pape a very dominant big man. Race Thompson is a bit undersized, but has the inside out game while Roman Bedime is a very interesting and exciting player. He is very mobile and lives from his athleticism and agility. Plus we also have Jacob Knauf who will be back very soon. He is a specialist and a very good shooter. We won´t switch as much as last season. We want to be aggressive in the pick and roll. Our structure is to have good 1-1 defense and defend as a team. We want our defense to dictate and gain capital on offense”, warned Sepehr Tarrah. This season 2023 world champion Klaus Perwas has the opportunity to show just how good of a coach he can be when he has a great roster. Does a coach like him feel any pressure? “There is always pressure on this level. He brings experience and calmness. He just knows how to deal with things. His experience in his career has helped him hold up against pressure”, stated Sepehr Tarrah.

The club did a super job forming an incredible competitive roster. They brought in experienced BBL player Thomas Klepeisz who brings 10 years of BBL experience. He may be 35, but can still hit the three pointer and be that creater if needed. The biggest signing just from the name was ex NBA player Ryan Arcidiacono who played 7 years in the NBA and won the 2016 NCAA title with Villanova and was teammates with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart. He may be 32 and not the player he was 8 years ago, but will still be a very valuable piece for the team. “Ryan was in the NBA for many years and played at a top college. He brings valuable leadership and experience. You notice right away that he has an impact on the team even if you don´t see it on the court. He is calm and tough and is a good spot up shooter and playmaker on the pick and roll”, warned Sepehr Tarrah. Another great pick up was ex Syracuse guard Judah Mintz who is in his third season after playing in the G-League and Turkey. He played point guard in school and the G-League, but last season played the 2. This season he will have a big challenge to run the show with the Skyliners. “He isn´t a classical point guard, but a modern point guard. He is always aggressive and gets down hill and to the free throw line. He is similar to Jena´s Terrence Edwards. He always finds a way to the hoop. A positive thing about him is that he has a fine knack for making the kick out and putting the shooters in good position. He is a scoring point guard that can make an impact at both ends. He has much upside”, warned Sepehr Tarrah. Another really interesting pick up was young German Roman Bedime. He has 2 years of BBL experience with Chemnitz and showed in his first Skyliners performance against Jena that he has game chipping in with 12 points and showing his 3 level scoring ability. “He is a very exciting player that started to play basketball very late. He was discovered playing street ball in Berlin. He plays free and is a creative player. He has a good shill set and is a modern big man that can guard some quicker guards. He is also good on the ball screen and defense. He will gain more experience with us and can make the next step”, commented Sepehr Tarrah.

A very interesting player to watch this season will be Isaiah Swope (178-PG-2003, college: St.Louis). The ex Indiana State point guard had a very good rookie season overseas last season with Skyliners averaging 15.7ppg, 1.9rpg, 4.5apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 45.1%, 3PT: 34.2%, FT: 79.3%. He won a few games for Frankfurt last season displaying his amazing iso skills. But this season will hat role be a bit diminished simply because there are so many more lethal scoring options in comparison to last season? “Isaiah is an exciting young player. He had a potent rookie season. I have noticed that he has become more of a certain passer this season. He is a more effective passer. He will have a different role this season. We have two point guards now with Mintz and him. He will be more of a two player, but will be able to bring up the ball. We want Isaiah to be more in a scoring role. He has a good shot and good first step. He has less pressure on his shoulders this season, but can still be a dangerous scorer”, added Sepeher Tarrah. 2 other very interesting players to watch this season will be young German players Jamie Edoka and Ivan Crnjac. Will they be able to get more BBL minutes and make the next step? “Jamie is also an exciting player. This season his total focus is on the BBL. It was difficult last season as he still had school. He is a pro now and his top priority is the BBL. We have so many more games this season with Eurocup that he will get his chance. He was injured for a long time and missed the summer with the youth national team. He has to get in shape again. He will go step by step and earn his minutes. Ivan is a very natural player. He has a good IQ and good feeling for the game at both ends. For him it is all about getting used to the physicality and athleticism. He is a good teammate”, expressed Sepeher Tarrah. With such an incredible roster, the goal can only be the playoffs. “We have high goals and want to challenge ourselves. Our goal are the playoffs and top 10. But we can´t forget that the BBL is a very competitive league. First we want to stay in the league. We saw in the last years how the way can go with teams like Heidelberg and Braunschweig. We have respect for the BBL: We were on a good way last season, but didn´t end the season well. Our goal is to stay in the league, establish ourselves in Europe and reach the playoffs”, warned Sepeher Tarrah. This is the season where the Skyliners can get back on the easyCredit BBL map. Making the playoffs is finally a big reality again and they ould even land as high as 5-6th place. The Skyliners could very well be one of the big surprise teams of the 2026-2027 season.