Author: Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

Basketball journalist and play by play commentator

Gordon Herbert Wins Round One Against Larry Brown As The Fraport Skyliners Surprise Fiat Torino 88-85 In Eurocup Play

 

The Fraport Skyliners are in their 20th professional season that has boasted three titles and over the years seen  NBA players enter the Fraport arena on a regular basis with the likes of a John Leuer, Nick Johnson, Jiri Welsh, Darius Miller or a Deandre Liggins. But for a real basketball legend to be in the arena is something that doesn´t happen so often as over the years fans saw guys like Dejan Bodiroga, Svetislav Pesic or a Hansi Gnad play or roam on the sidelines. But having that basketball legend in the arena is one thing, but also having a two NBA champion at the same time is something that is as rare as Lebron James losing a one on one duel on the court with anyone. Before any easyCredit BBL team had entered the Fraport arena for the new season, fans were given a super duper treat seeing the first game of the season an international game in Eurocup action against Italian squad Fiat Torino. Fans weren´t only given the experience of watching two time NBA champion James Michael Mcadoo from The Golden State Warriors make his debut in Germany who is related to NBA legend Bob Mcadoo who put up shooting clinics in the 70´s and 80´s on a regular basis, but NBA legend Larry Brown. Brown isn´t a player anymore, but a coaching master mind that is known as one of the greatest basketball teachers of all-time. His NBA consistency speaks for itself as he coached an amazing 27 years in the NBA for teams like Denver, New Jersey, San Antonio, LA Clippers, Indiana, Philadelphia, Detroit, New York and Charlotte. He is also known for turning losing team´s into winning teams which he demonstrated with the Clippers, Spurs and Pacers. His two biggest highlights was winning the 1988 NCAA tournament with Kansas grooming star Danny Manning into a top player and winning the 2004 NBA title with the Detroit Pistons as he got revenge against the Lakers after losing to them in the final in 2001 with the 76ers. One could only be wondering what kind of thoughts Fraport Skyliners head coach Gordon Herbert had the days leading up to the clash as well as during the game as he must of seemed like a little boy looking up to the Godlike coaching guru. Herbert didn´t go through a hard fought 40 minute battle, but an extremely tight 45 minute duel where he escaped as the Fraport Skyliners surprised Fiat Torino 88-85 in OT. After the huge win a very ecstatic Jason Clark seemed like a little kid after playing pick up with Lebron when he raved about meeting legendary Larry Brown seconds after the huge win. “I told a guy after the game that I got total chills when I talked to him. He shook my hand and said. That was a great game. You’re a hell of a player. Pound for pound he is the greatest coach ever. It was a cool experience, because you don´t play against a legend every day”, stressed ex Georgetown(NCAA) guard Jason Clark. After the big loss, ex NBA player James Michael Mcadoo reflected on the game and showed that he had learned good manners over the years as he accepted the loss like a real winner. “It was a tough game. This was one of those games where you want to come out with that first win. Frankfurt is a great team and played with a lot of desire to win. Even if we haven´t been together that long, at the end of the day it is 5-5. They deserved to win. We will continue to get better the more we play together”, stressed ex North Carolina(NCAA) center James Michael Mcadoo. One of the big winners of the game was ex NBA player Erik Murphy who broke out in the second quarter displaying his precise outside shooting and was relived that his team was able to pull out the win. “This win feels really good. They are very talented, very athletic and well coached. We knew that it would be a battle. Both teams went on a bunch of runs and after 40 minutes, it was 0-0 and we were able to pull it out at the end. We wanted it more. We made mistakes today and will need to clean it up. Our fans had great desire today and gave us a huge boost”, stated ex Chicago Bull Erik Murphy.

picture perfect 2483

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber meeting NBA legend Larry Brown after 88-85 Fraport Skyliners win against Fiat Torino in Eurocup play

The Fraport arena saw a great turn out as many fans stormed into the arena on a Wednesday afternoon as Germany was celebrating it´s unification holiday. Fraport Skyliner Quantez Robertson will be turning 34 on December 16th, but the American who now calls Alabama home now started off right where he ended last weekend in Ludwigsburg where he had a stellar game despite the loss and going into the Eurocup game one could see that he was extra motivated as he scooped up a Brady Heslip miss and made the put back. For those fans that had forgotten the Coke to help wash down the greasy food and ran to get a nice cold one and came back a minute later suddenly saw Frankfurt down 9-2. Fiat Torino hadn´t been impressed by the Robertson effort and rattled off three straight three´s. Two were made by ex Maccabi Fox Tel-Aviv (Israel-Winner League) forward Victor Rudd who relied more on his shot on this night than his athleticism and the other by ex Los Angeles Clipper Jamil Wilson. Clark did rattle home a trey, but the Italian side continued to score with ease as Mcadoo scored on transition and ex NBA player Tyshawn Taylor sped to the rim and finished with his left hand as Fiat Torino led 13-7. However Fiat Torino was scoring, but not generating any real healthy offense as most points resulted from 1-1 play. Fiat Torino were wild at times and allowed Frankfurt back in the game as they went on a 7-0 run to take their first lead 14-13. Canadian sharp shooter Brady Heslip who put up the big goose egg in Ludwigsburg last weekend finally broke the ice hitting his first three which was followed by a Clark lay in and he then executed on a pull up jumper. Then there were three lead changes, but the Italian squad were able to finish with class better as Taylor scored twice as did ex Penn State(NCAA) stand out Tony Carr. Murphy hit a three, but Fiat Torino led 26-19 after 10 minutes. “We didn´t have a good start and didn´t really know what they would do. We had some lapses and they hit three three´s at the start. We battled back into the game”, stressed Fraport Skyliner Brady Heslip. Fiat Torino shot 38% from the two point range and 57% from outside and had 9 rebounds and 0 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners shot50% form the two point range and 50% from outside and had 7 rebounds and 4 turnovers.

In the second quarter the Fraport Skyliners rallied back and both teams were at eye level. One could see that Fiat Torino were still a bit rusty as they hadn´t played an official season game yet and looked more like a pre-season team then a top team. The Fraport Skyliners didn´t waste anytime jumping all over Fiat Torino going on a blistering 8-0 run to recapture the lead 28-27. In the run, it was Murphy connecting twice from the parking lot and ex Alba Berlin guard Akeem Vargas made a lay in. The Frankfurt defense was getting into groove and just making it difficult for the Italian team to wheel and deal in the paint the way that they would have liked. Frankfurt played like a threatened animal while Fiat Torino played with no real urgency. Fiat Torino got the lead back and kept it despite having Vargas control Taylor better as he couldn´t generate any real offense. The Italian squad was going inside more and got success from Mcadoo and Rudd. Despite getting points in the paint, Fiat Torino had problems all day long getting the lob pass in to Mcadoo. If they had been a bit more consistent on this play then they most likely would have won the game. “I didn´t expect Frankfurt to control my low post touches so well and making it so tough. They really scouted us well. They also did a good job slowing down our transition”, stressed 2 time NBA champion James Michael Mcadoo. The Frankfurt defense continued to make it very tough for the Italian team to generate any solid offense and went into the break with a lethal 9-2 run to lead 45-37. In the run Frankfurt got much needed production from Jason Clark who scored twice inside including on transition, a lay in from Murphy and Finish national player nailed a trey. “We figured out how to slow down Mcadoo and Murphy made big shots. A few three´s can change the game and we got going”, stated Brady Heslip. The Fraport Skyliners shot 47% from the two point range and 46% from the three point line and had 22 rebounds and 6 turnovers while Fiat Torino shot 32% from the two point range and 50% from the three point range and had 16 rebounds and 5 turnovers.

picture perfect 2480

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber interviewing two time NBA champion James Michael Mcadoo after dropping 17 points in the 88-85 loss to Frankfurt

The Fraport Skyliners held the momentum going into the third quarter, but couldn´t hold it down the stretch as they allowed Fiat Torino to hang around and crawl back into the game,. The inside woes of Mcadoo continued in the first few minutes, but he would slowly get going. Heslip hit a pull up jumper and showed that when he has space and has a good look that most times good things will happen as Frankfurt led 47-39. However Fiat Torino went on a quick 6-2 run as Mcadoo hit all three baskets. He showed his whole versatility getting a tap in, dunk and fade away jumper over Murphy. Murphy connected on a hook shot and Frankfurt led 49-45. Frankfurt continued to defend very aggressively and Fiat Torino who seldom finished off any set plays had to continue to rely on 1-1 plays, but couldn´t execute as Frankfurt continued to force them to tough shots. On offense Frankfurt got key baskets from Heslip who dropped a trey and ex Giessen German Marco Voeller made a lay in as Frankfurt led 57-47. However basketball is a game and run and Frankfurt lost their intensity and rhythm and allowed Fiat Torino to hang around going on a crushing 10-0 run to dead lock the game at 57-57. In the run, they got vital aid from Jamil Wilson who dropped two trey´s, Taylor made a runner who had great court vision and knew how to pick his spots well and Carr hit free throws. Carr made a lay in briefly before the buzzer and Fiat Torino led 59-58. “We didn´t move the ball enough during their 10-0 run and we were stagnant. It is always easier to go on transition when you get stops”, added Brady Heslip. “We went back to basics in that run. We played the extra pass and made them defend more and got a better chance to score”, stressed James Michael Mcadoo. Fiat Torino shot 41% from the two point range and 50% from the parking lot and had 25 boards and 11 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners shot 46% from the field and 36% from the parking lot and had 26 boards and 12 rebounds.

picture perfect 2482

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and e x LA Clipper Jamil Wilson after he led Fiat Torino with 19 points in the loss against Frankfurt

The fourth quarter was a real tight affair where no team led by more than 4 points. The Fraport Skyliners led for the majority of the time, but couldn´t win the game on the last possession. Frankfurt played long ball nailing three trey´s to keep the 67-63 advantage. Heslip wasn´t always open so Quantez Robertson filled the void nailing two three´s while Huff also connected. It looked like Frankfurt had control of the game, the momentum and had the energy of the fans on their backs. But as so often is the case, one play can change a game. With Frankfurt on offense, Jason Clark was careless bringing the ball forward and suffered an 8 second violation turning the ball over. This one play seemed to spark Fiat Torino as they went on a 6-0 run to regain the lead 69-67. The Italian side played smart basketball getting a coast to coast lay in from ex Ludwigsburg American Tekele Ctton and another trey from Wilson. However Clark redeemed himself scoring in the paint and making a free throw for the 70-69 Frankfurt lead. At 1.44 of the fourth quarter, Frankfurt led 75-71 as Huff made a tap in and Heslip dropped free throws. After Carr free throws and a Murphy miss, Fiat Torino was very fortunate to get a heads up play from Mcadoo who fired a touch down pass to Taylor to tie the game at 75-75 with 12 seconds to play. Quantez Robertson had the chance to be the hero, but missed on the last shot as he had a good look, but the ball just didn´t want to fall sending the game into OT: “We were disorganized. That was a great play by Mcadoo and Taylor leaked over”, stressed Brady Heslip. “We made a run in the fourth. I hit Taylor who was butt naked. Between the many turnovers and bad shots we took, we just weren´t focused enough to win”, added James Michael Mcadoo. The Fraport Skyliners shot 40% from the two point range and 37% from outside and had 37 rebounds and 15 boards while Fiat Torino shot 40% from the two point range and 46% from outside and had 36 boards and 13 turnovers.

picture perfect 2481

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber interviewing Fraport Skyliner Jason Clark who finished with 16 points in the big win against Fiat Torino

The overtime period experienced 4 lead changes, but the Fraport Skyliners simply executed better on offense and played better defense wanting the win more. Clark and Wilson had their own little shooting clinic as they both hit two shots apiece as Fiat Torino led 80-79. Jason Clark had recovered very well from his bitter 8 second violation turnover mid way through the fourth quarter and got Frankfurt going in the fourth and overtime. After the huge win, he was relieved that the turnover in the fourth quarter didn´t cost Frankfurt the game and didn´t hurt his self confidence. “I wasn´t aggressive enough at that point of the game leading up to the turnover. I knew that a mistake like that could change the game. I didn´t want that mistake to rest on my shoulders. It motivated me more and set me on fire”, added Jason Clark. Murphy and Taylor then traded buckets, but Fiat Torino still led 82-81. Then came a great example of how Fiat Torino had made bad decisions all game long. Taylor made a steal and with a basket would have led by three and he attempted another lob pass to Mcadoo that failed a lesson that wasn´t learned after many failed attempts earlier. Huff punished Fiat Torino with a trey giving Frankfurt the 84-82 lead with 1.32 left and they would never trail again. Frankfurt gave the Italian side no good shots which made Wilson take two tough shots that missed and he coughed up the ball on another possession. Frankfurt retaliated with Bell Haynes and Heslip free throws. Cotton hit a deep trey from the corner with 2 seconds remaining, but is was too little too late as Frankfurt ruined Larry Brown´s debut in Germany 88-85. “We got big stops at the end and made a few more plays than they did”, added Erik Murphy. The Fraport Skyliners were led by Erik Murphy with 19 points. Jason Clark contributed 16 points and Brady Heslip 15 points. Quantez Robertson and Shawn Huff added 14 points apiece. Fiat Torino was led by Jamil Wilson with 19 points. James Michael Mcadoo produced 17 points and Tyshawn Taylor had 16 points. The Fraport Skyliners shot 45% from the two point range and 37% from the three point line and they had 40 rebounds and 17 turnovers while Fiat Torino shot 43% form the two point range and 42% from the three point range and they had 38 rebounds and 16 turnovers.

28 Years After Michael Jordan The Next Real Basketball Legend Arrives In Frankfurt With Larry Brown

 

picture perfect 2483

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber meeting NBA legend Larry Brown after 88-85 Fraport Skyliners win against Fiat Torino in Eurocup play

 

In 1990 basketball in the United States was still living its glory off the NBA Showtime of the 80´s where in Boston and Los Angeles the streets in some areas would be barren when Larry Bird and Magic Johnson faced off on the court, but in Germany basketball was just there and nothing else, a sport that was worlds behind the number one game soccer. Back then shortly before Michael Jordan would begin his quest for 6 NBA titles and become the greatest player of all-time, the ex North Carolina(NCAA) standout belonged to the best players in the NBA having scored 69 points in the NBA the season before and in the off season visited  Germany doing promotion for Nike and landed in the Ballsporthalle now named the Fraport arena about 15 kilometers away from Frankfurt in the suburb of Hochst, but with that growing skyline always in eye sight. Back then the arena that was brand new and had been built in 1988 wasn´t even sold out something that would be unheard of today if a Lebron or even long retired Jordan came back in 2018. It was August 28th 1990 and only 4,000 fans were on hand to watch Air Jordan play with top German team Steiner Bayreuth against a team from the US Military.

The most known players from the German squad were 1993 European champions Michael Koch who would later coach in Germany with the Telekom Baskets Bonn and Kai Nurnberger who played with Frankfurt from 1999-2003. Jordan was supposed to play with each team, but in the end played the whole game with the German club scoring 25 points and leaving fans with a memory that they would forever have bolted in their minds even if he seemingly fled after the game quicker than any fan could blink an eye or a Usain Bolt could run backwards down the track abstaining from signing autographs. Having had superstar Michael Jordan play a game in the now called Fraport arena is without a doubt the greatest basketball player that ever graced the floor. Granted over the years the Fraport arena has seen many great players like Dejan Bodiroga, Luis Scola, Marcin Gortat or a Jose Calderon to name just a few from Europe and even American players like Dorell Wright, Darius Miller or a Casey Jacobsen to name just a few. Well known coaches have also come and gone in the arena like a Svetislav Pesic with FC Bayern Munich, Ettore Messina with Kinder Bologna, Dusan Ivkovic with CSKA Moscow, Sergio Scariolo with Unicaja Malaga over the years so the arena has seen a lot, but nothing as great since Michael Jordan. That changes October 3rd as legendary head coach Larry Brown who is 78 years old will arrive with a lot less fan fair than a Jordan, but with the most utmost respect from all who know and understand basketball. “It is great for European basketball that he will be in the mix here. It just shows how much he loves coaching and how dedicated he is to still be coaching at that age. He has won so many titles. Most coaches wouldn´t come back to coach at that age”, stressed Fraport Skyliner Erik Murphy.

DoRhOQlXcAQD75L

Larry Brown Head coach with Fiat Torino

(more…)

Reco McCarter Was More Of A Defensive Minded Player Growing UP And His Offensive Game Developed As He Grew Older

Reco McCarter is a 27 year old 198cm forward from Goldsboro, North Carolina that is playing his fourth professional season and first in Germany with VFL Stade (Regionalliga). He played the last three seasons in Spain in the EBA league. As a rookie he played with CB Cazorla Jaen Paraiso Interior (Spain-EBA) playing 15 games averaging 10.3ppg, 5.5rpg, 1.7apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 62.9%, 3PT: 25.5%, FT: 52.9%. He played the last two seasons with Agricola Villarrobledo CBV (Spain-EBA) and last season played 31 games averaging 9.4ppg, 3.8rpg, 2.1apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 56.5%, 3PT: 29.3%, FT: 63.1%.He began his basketball career at Virginia Commonwealth University (NCAA), but played only 10 games. He then moved to Campbell (NCAA) in 2012 and played there three years amassing 91 NCAA games and as a senior played 28 games averaging 10.2ppg, 4.3rpg, 2.0apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 54.5%, 3PT: 29.3%, FT: 55.8%. He spoke to germanhoops.com earlier in the summer about basketball.

Reco thanks for talking to Germanhoops.com Where are you at the moment and how has your summer been?


I am back home in Goldsboro, North Carolina, trying to spend as much time possible with my family and friends, on top of staying in basketball shape. I spend so much time with family and friends over the summer because I am away for 9 months out of the year.

Congrats on signing with German regionalliga team VFL Stade. After playing your first three professional seasons in Spain, was the biggest reason for coming to Germany for getting a taste of something new?

I wouldn’t say something new, it just happen to be that Germany is the location basketball has taken me. After talking with my agent, coach Fernandez, Sonke, and my family, I felt like Stade was the right fit for where I am in my career.

You played three solid seasons in Spains fourth league EBA. You must have had ambitions to move up to the Leb Silver. Was there any interest this summer and how confident are you that you could of continued to make an impact in a higher league?

Yes of course, like you said previously I played my last three season is Spain so playing in Leb Silver were my expectations. I feel like with my skill set I can make an impact on any level as long as the opportunity is there. 

(more…)

The Fraport Skyliners Juniors Squeeze Out 74-68 Victory Over TG s.Oliver Wurzburg

Last Weekend a new star was born in the Pro B with Swedish shooting star Elijah Clarance who hit the Dragons Rhondorf on the road for 21 points and really demonstrated his wide array of offensive skills, but what really stood out was his amazing and unending athleticism that the opponent was unable to come to terms to. His shooting which tends to be off the radar functioned well as did his rebounding and passing game, but his dunking most likely remained in the minds of many. At the start of the third quarter, he scored back to back buckets in a span of 30 seconds. His second basket was a lay up, but the first one was a hard left handed dunk with authority that captured the attention of his teammates on the bench as they jumped off their seats so quickly after the jam as if someone had secretly filled their seats with hot coals. His quick first step and getting around his man paved the way for the “good night” feeling right before he flew to the basket with the dunk. He didn´t score 40 points, but just the way he played and handled himself displaying  a type of special self confidence and finishing so strong at the rim made his performance really stand out. Even though he is mainly seen as playing for the farm team, one has to honestly ask how long it will still be before he makes his BBL debut for Gordon Herbert. He has had some very good test games for the BBL game and sky is the limit for the 20 year old. After he helped lead the Fraport Skyliners Juniors to their first win of the season on the road, he returned home to the BCM to show the home town fans some more added stellar play. Not only was Clarance a theme to the game, but also Wurzburg head coach Eric Detlef who was returning to an old stomping ground as he had coached the Fraport Skyliners Juniors from 2012-2017. After 40 minutes the Fraport Skyliners Juniors had squeezed out a hard fought 74-68 win against TG s.Oliver Wurzburg. After the match Swedish shooting star Elijah Clarance was happy the team got the win, but one could sense in his tone and body language that he wasn´t pleased with the play of the team. “They came out with a lot of energy and played well. We matched their energy well in the first quarter, but not so well in the second and third quarters. We picked it up at the end of the third again and kept it a bit in the fourth. We took care of the ball well and executed at times, but made mistakes”, warned Fraport Skyliner Junior Elijah Clarance. Wurzburg head coach Eric Detlev was smiles after the loss, but was also content how well his team kept up with the much stronger Frankfurt team on paper. “I was happy to be back. I had good times here. I told the guys if Frankfurt plays well together then nobody can beat them, but if they don´t play well together than there is a chance. They had 22 more shots. Usually you would lose by 20 points when that happens. Guys like Clarance and Freudenberg are too good for the Pro B. This loss was a good lesson for us. Our mentality is very good. One could see that we were frustrated. With a little luck we could of won, but we couldn´t handle the pressure”, stressed head coach Eric Detlev.

picture perfect 2468

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber interviewing Swede shooting star Elijah Clarance who led the Fraport Skylimers Juniors to 74-68 win leading team with 17 points

(more…)

Jett Speelman (SC Rist Wedel) I Never Had To Correct My Shot And Was Able To Become A Good Shooter Faster Than Others

Jett Speelman is a 24 year old 201cm forward from Granville, Ohio that is playing his second professional season and first with SC Rist Wedel (Germany-ProB). Last season as a rookie he played with FSU Selfoss (Iceland-D1) playing 12 games averaging 22.9ppg, 8.0rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 52.5%, 3PT: 44.2%, FT: 84.2%. He started his basketball career at Newark Catholic and then played 35 games with Ashland (NCAA2) from 2013-2015. He then played at Denison (NCAA3) from 2015-2017 playing a total of 55 games and as a senior played 27 games averaging 18.3ppg, 6.0rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 0.0%. He spoke to germanhoops.com  earlier in the summer about basketball.

Hi Jett thanks for talking to germanhoops.com  Where are you at the moment and how has your summer been?

At the moment I am at my home in Ohio. My summer has been great! July has been a very busy month. 

Before we get to the meat of the interview please tell me how you got this out of the ordinary name Jett? Did you have more positive or negative experiences with this name?

Well I must give all the credit to my parents. I believe they picked the name Jett from an old movie character. I have had a lot of positive experiences with the name, one common mistake people make is calling me Jeff instead. When I was born, the doctors incorrectly wrote ‘Jeff’ on my birth certificate and it had to be changed. 

(more…)

When Will The Always Competitive MHP Riesen Finally Achieve A Title?

Ok so legendary German coach Dirk Bauermann was already sporting the man in black suits in the 90´s with the Bayer Giants Leverkusen and kept the trend in Bamberg more than 10 years ago. Bauermann was briefly back in the easyCredit BBL with Wurzburg, but vanished again, but one guy who has kept the Bauermann look alive and kept in trendy over the last 10 years has been MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg head coach John Patrick. The only difference is that there is no black and grey hair matching the suit as was the case with Bauermann, but light hair that match his yellow Riesen tie nicely. Patrick without a doubt belongs to the most consistent and best coaches the BBL has seen in the last 10 years even if he won only one title while other guys like Chris Fleming and Andrea Trinchieri could fill their living room shelf with hardware. The reason he belongs to the best is because he has been so consistent everywhere he has coached from Goettingen to Ludwigsburg via Wurzburg having a limited budget in Goettingen and bringing along unknown players that would reach the next levels as professionals. He totally turned around a weak franchise in Goettingen bringing them to the BBL and topping off his run with the 2010 Eurochallenge title. In Wurzburg he was only active one season, but there reached the playoffs kicking out Alba Berlin and having a John Little who stole the limelight from the 2010 BBL MVP Dashaun Wood who couldn´t lead his team past Wurzburg. In Goettingen and Wurzburg, he was able to achieve success despite having a limited budget and really one of his secrets to success was simply having that killer instinct for reeling in the right type of player for each position with playing skills and character being at one level. His coaching consistency and brilliance continued now in Ludwigsburg where he came to in January 2013 and was a fireman saving their season and keeping the club in the league and the rest is history. The MHP Riesen have without a doubt belonged to the best teams in the BBL in the last five years after the big three of Bamberg, Berlin and Munich. His track record in the last five has been excellent as he had three eighth finishes, finished fifth once and last season had their best regular season finishing in third. The club also reached the semi-finals of the playoffs for only the third time in their history. Another huge accomplishment last season was reaching the Basketball Champions League final 4 where they simply had a rough weekend finishing in fourth place. Granted with the MHP Riesen, the American who played at Stanford(NCAA) has had a lot better budgets given to him in Ludwigsburg and had many top players like DJ Kennedy, Jack Cooley or Coby Karl over the years, but that last step and winning a title has eluded the coaching mastermind. When will the Man in black suit finally be rewarded with a title? As is the case for so many other BBL teams, the best bet will be in the cup. Patrick and Co will travel back to his old stomping ground Goettingen. If he can escape with a victory, he will only need three more wins for the title. He surely will have his team ready again for the Basketball Champions League and should get far and in the BBL, he has delivered on a consistent basis. His style of playing aggressive full court terror agitates most teams and it works for him. The only road block could be that he lost many key players from last seasons success and will have to begin from scratch. He guarantees success each season and just following the club this season will be worth the while, because he will be successful again and for that title to happen only the basketball God will know if it will finally become reality.

picture perfect 2033

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and John Patrick in Frankfurt in 2018. Schmidt-Scheuber has been covering his teams since 2008 when he arrived in the BBL

(more…)

The Fraport Skyliners Will Trust In Real Canadian Shooting Fire Power Again For Success

Not only has Fraport Skyliners head coach Gordon Herbert trusted in Canadians in the last five years like an alert mother eagle on it´s young, but he also has relied on those Canadian sharp shooters to help assist the offense really take off in every game. It all started in the 2013-2014 season when ex NBA player Andrew Rautins was hauled in and his bombs away attitude and consistency with his shooting not only fascinated fans, but also helped the club win games on a regular basis. It was only too bad that injuries cut his season short a few days after Christmas. In two of the last four years, Herbert did it again trusting immensely in real Canadian sniper attacking in reeling in Philip Scrubb who for many critics is considered the best Canadian college player of all-time. In two seasons, the Carleton legend was a very vital role player helping the 2000 BBL cup winner win their third club title with the Fiba Europe Cup in 2016 and last season was an instrumental part of the team being successful and taking the future 2018 BBL champion FC Bayern Munich to an exciting and hard fought five game series before running out of gas. His beautiful shooting touch, almost perfect step back mid distance jumper and his unbelievable feel of where the rim is with his shot is something that will always be remembered as he attempts the next step in his career with Zenit of Russia. Herbert´s keen success rate of bringing in feared shooting snipers has continued this season as he has reeled in ex Baylor standout Brady Heslip who owns the G-League record with most three´s dropped in a game with 13. One has already seen the precise accuracy of the talented Canadian in pre-season as he dropped three after three at the Gezeiten Cup. He is an interesting player that has those chiseled good features coupled with a deadly shot that will give all fans something to swoon about at games. In a way the Herbert trust in real Canadian snipers is like the famous saying in God We Trust that every American has read on the one dollar Bill and wondered what does it mean? This phrase was scrawled on the famous Mayflower Compact as the first European settlers arrived in the new world which is now the United States. Back then the saying was supposed to reassure people that they had to trust in God as they would need his trust when they encountered many of the problems like malnutrition. Critics on the other hand have opposed this saying that this saying is an insult to the roots of the country. The reason is the people born and raised in the States never had to face that kind of turmoil and want the words done away with. All in all, it is never negative to have faith in God, at least those that believe in it or to believe in the success rate of very very good shooters that Herbert has. If the basketball God will always be on the side of the Fraport Skyliners is more than unlikely, but the Fraport Skyliners could use that term simply because they will trust in real Canadian shooting fire power again for success.

picture perfect 2418

Post game interview with Fraport Skyliner Brady Heslip who dropped 18 points in the 99-36 win against the Dragons Rhondorf at the 2018 Gezeiten Cup

(more…)

Jordan Brangers (Eisbaeren Bremerhaven) I Feel Like I’m One Of The Greatest JUCO Players To Never Play NCAA D1

Jordan Brangers is a 188cm guard that was born in Radcliff, Kentucky and attended North Hardin High School. He is playing his professional rookie season in Germany with the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven. He began his basketball career with South Plains JC (JUCO) and in his second year played 30 games averaging 16.0ppg, 2.9rpg, 2.3apg, FGP: 44.2%, 3PT: 39.9%, FT: 74.4%. He left school after only two years and could be the first player ever to come out of JUCO and reach the easyCredit BBL. He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball before he made the journey to Germany.

Jordan thanks for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how has your summer been?

I’m currently in Daytona, Florida working out and getting ready for the upcoming season. My summer has been very good. A lot of workouts and playing a lot of basketball.

You recently played in the Miami Pro League and scored 43 points. You were dropping shots from all over. Was this as much as you have ever been in the zone and was the hole like the ocean on this day?

Wouldn’t say it’s the biggest zone I’ve been in. The biggest was pretty big, but I’ve gotta credit my teammates for getting my good looks and making the right passes to me in my spots.

Congrats on signing your first professional contract with German team Eisbaeren Bremerhaven. Would it be fair to say you are one of the greatest JUCO players that never played in The NCAA but could have with Colorado State or Texas Tech?

Yeah, I would definitely say I feel like I’m one of the greatest JUCO players to never play NCAA D1 and I say that as humble as possible. I’ve put in a lot of work up to this point to be as good as I am and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

(more…)

Raekwon Miller (Dragons Rhondorf) I See The Game Very Well It’s Almost Like I´m Two Steps Ahead

Raekwon Miller is a 22 year old 191cm guard from Marion, North Carolina embarking on his professional career in Germany with the Dragons Rhondorf. He played his NCAA career at NC-Asheville from 2014-2018 playing a total of 91 NCAA games. In his senior year he played 33 games averaging 11.2ppg, 4.6rpg, 3.3apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 48.9%, 3PT: 47.9%, FT: 76.2%. He spoke to Germanhoops.com earlier in the summer about basketball.

Raekwon thanks for talking to Germanhoops.com Where are you at the moment and how has your summer been coming along fresh out of school?

Right now I am currently back home enjoying my summer but also staying in the gym and working on my craft as I know its more important now than ever.


Before we get into the meat of the interview, I have to ask you about your unusual name. Does it have a special meaning and how did your parents come up with it?

My name was actually given to me by my brother, he listened to Raekwon the Chef apart of Wu tang Clan back in their day when it was really popular. My parents liked the name so they went with it.

Congrats on signing with German Pro B team Dragons Rhondorf. This was your first summer experiencing the professional transfer market. How was it for you and did you have a fair amount of offers or was it a tough go around?

The experience had me very anxious I mean I was basically putting all trust into my agent who is wonderful enough to get me the opportunity to play at the professional league. The waiting around for offers to come in got to me a little bit but it was all worth it in the end.

(more…)

The Fraport Skyliners Grind out Tough Pre-Season 76-73 Victory Against The Telekom Baskets Bonn

Recently a special old friend of the Fraport Skyliners was training at the BCM facilities and it didn´t take long for the secret to be reveled as it was ex Seton Hall(NCAA) standout Jordan Theodore who has had a whirlwind of a summer as months ago it was leaked he would go to Turkey, but then in September he was officially still part of the Milano team, but having the desire to play elsewhere as he and Milan weren´t the best fit, but they weren´t letting him out of his contract just yet. It would have been the announcement of the year and the best news since their 2016 Fiba Europe Cup title had they been able to sign Jordan Theodore, but the money demands must have been so high that Skyliner head coach Gordon Herbert most likely didn´t want to think about it, because so severe head aches would have needed extra extra strong pain relieving pills to digest the sum. For the Fraport Skyliners the pre-season has been less of a whirlwind, because for the first time in many years the club had picked up all their pieces early something that hadn´t been the norm as guys like Jordan Theodore and Andrew Rautins had been picked up very late in recent years. The Fraport Skyliners also didn´t have the most optimal pre-season conditions as numerous players were away for a time playing with their national teams for World Cup qualifying, but as always the club made the best out of the conditions. Less than a week before the begin of the 2018-2019 season, the Fraport Skyliners had their last test of the pre-season inviting their BBL neighbors Telekom Baskets Bonn over into their living room for a friendly battle and the full packed BCM crowd wasn´t disappointed as it was a dog fight in the second half which Frankfurt grinded out for the 76-73 win. The first half was a tale of two stories as the Fraport Skyliners dominated the first quarter while the Telekom Baskets Bonn fought back in the second quarter to get back into the game while the second half remained as tight as a full blown up NFL football as Bonn had the last two shots to send the game into OT, but were denied. After the last second win ex NBA player Erik Murphy reflected on the win and the pre-season. “We started slow the last games and this time wanted to come out with more energy. We played well on defense and executed on offense. They are a good team and we knew that it would be a battle. Our fast start helped us. We had foul trouble, but we locked in at the end and got the win. We are still learning how to deal with end of game situations, but we showed good things tonight”, stressed Fraport Skyliner forward Erik Murphy. The Telekom Baskets Bonn played a solid game that had it´s highs and lows, but just were unable to execute properly in the last two minutes. “The first 5-6 minutes of the game put us in a big hole. We showed resilience fighting back, but it´s hard to win in the BBL when your down by 15 points. Important was that we were able to stick together”, stressed ex Giessen 46er TJ DiLeo.

picture perfect 2443

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and Josh Mayo of the Telekom Baskets Bonn in the BCM training facility of the Fraport Skyliners in Frankfurt

(more…)