On a cold Saturday afternoon in Mid November or better described at midday when it´s a BBL game day, you will find most Fraport Skyliners going through their regular game day routines with finishing with the pre game shoot around and if you’re a Quantez Robertson possibly getting a last short sweat in the weight room as that freak athlete is still in top shape at 33 and then spending some quality time with his kids before it means taking the short 10 minute ride to the Fraport arena for the 6:00pm battle against ratiopharm Ulm. However if your a Philip Scrubb you most likely will be in his second living room the BCM watching a Pro B game or a NBBL game as he is one of the most faithful Skyliners that follows and watches the lower teams of the Fraport Skyliners. In the NBBL(U-19) league you don´t have the usual luxury that professional players have of spending the whole day preparing mentally for the evening clash against a formidable opponent, but more often than not have to get on the floor at 12 or 1 in the afternoon which presents totally different kinds of pre game preparation than would a professional player who plays the bulk of their games in the evening. The 3-2 Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners had a midday tip off against the 3-1 TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen who came into the game with a solid 3-1 record and were giving up only 48 points per game. The Frankfurt side went into the season having lost their big 3 from last season with Isaac Bonga who could still play, but is concentrating only on the EasyCredit BBL as well as Konstantin Schubert and Cosmo Gruehn who were too old. The Frankfurt team now had to rely on other pieces like Niklas Pons and Maxi Begue who have to take over the heart and soul role of the club. Against the Leverkusen team, it looked for a long time like Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners would leave the court as the losers, but they never gave up as a furious first half-second half comeback rewarded them with a hard fought victory and the guests from Leverkusen like the unfortunate losers who seemingly gave the game away. After the win, Frankfurt head coach Miran Cumurija looked content, but also knew that he had some luck on his side, but his defensive adjustment in the second half proved to be the correct decision. “We played our standard big man defense in the first half, but in the second half we changed it and played more switching which gave them problems. We also fought the whole game and played with heart which factored in the win”, stressed Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners head coach Miran Cumurija. On the other side, Leverkusen head coach Hansi Gnad was disappointed of having let the game fall out of their hands in the second half. “We gave up a big lead. They played more physical and we couldn´t adjust to that. We have two very big players, but we couldn´t get the ball inside on a regular basis. Frankfurt did a good job taking that away from us”, stressed Leverkusen head coach Hansi Gnad.

A few minutes before the game started Leverkusen head coach Hansi Gnad took a short break form reviewing his game plan and actually looked like he could moonlight as a sewing specialist as he put together a jersey with number for 18 year old 191cm guard Jan Philipp Merkens who had forgotten his jersey. The first quarter had two stories as both teams played at eye level in the first five minutes, but down the stretch run, Leverkusen made a run and had the comfortable 24-13 lead after 10 minutes. Leverkusen started off hot as 17 year old small forward Lasse Branding got a pair of buckets already putting Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners early on their heels and having to be in comeback mode. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners got big production from ex TV Langen guard Niklas Pons who found his stroke early hitting two three´s and tying the score at 8-8. But then all of a sudden their stellar defense that was giving up only 48 points per game and had a very functional zone began to halt Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners on offense and in their offense climbed out on a 12-2 run to take the commanding 20-10 lead. The Leverkusen defense also sparked their offense getting two easy transition baskets from 17 year old 200cm Maximillian Marcus and 17 year old 185cm point guard Simon Muller-Landsvik from Norway. Then came the unbelievable three point shooting clinic from 18 year old 185cm guard Leutrim Ebiballari who entered the game averaging only 4,3ppg and was shooting 16,7% from outside suddenly had 8 points on his basketball account nailing two trey´s and making free throws and totally shocking the BCM gym. That wasn´t enough as he stroked home a third for good measure as did Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners guard Leon Pullen. At the end of 10 minutes Ebiballari had 11 points and was leading the game in scoring as Leverkusen led 24-13. “We had a bad start and then the Leverkusen big run hurt us”, stressed Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners guard Niklas Pons. TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen was shooting 57% from the field and 50% from outside while Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners was shooting 33% from the field and outside. Leverkusen had the 9-5 rebound lead and five turnovers while Frankfurt had seven turnovers.

The second quarter also looked like a tale of two quarters as Leverkusen continued to extend their lead to huge proportions leading by as much as 21 points, but a much needed 11-0 run in the second part of the quarter not only brought Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners back into the game, but also was the start of their massive comeback that would go until the end of the game. Leverkusen started the second quarter with a bang going on a 8-0 run nailing consecutive three´s as Ebiballari hit his fourth in a row and kept giving Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners fits and Muller-Landsvik also connected from outside and from inside giving the guests their biggest advantage of the contest at 32-13. Frankfurt was doing a good job on Leverkusen´s bigs Thiemann and Selimovic limiting them to little touches and no points, but didn´t have the guard Ebiballari on their scouting report as he was a menace with his shot. The Leverkusen zone was giving Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners headaches as they had no rhythm on offense and Maxi Begue was no factor yet. 15 year old huge German talent Len Schoorman stopped the Leverkusen run with a pretty runner, but then it was time for Leverksuen to show how lethal scoring in bunches can be as they went on a mini 4-0 run getting a Marcus and Merkens fast break points as Leverkusen had their biggest lead of the game 36-15. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners didn´t lay down and die, but fought back showing life as they closed out the second quarter with a furious 11-0 run to claw back into the game and trail only 36-29 at halftime. In the run, Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners was led by Niklas Pons who hit his third three of the game in as much tries and also Maxi Begue who nailed his first field goal and added another one while 17 year old 180cm guard Cem-Turkay Akbayir who started his career at EOSC Offenbach snuck inside making a back door layin and 16 year old Risto Vasiljevic who started his career at BC Darmstadt also scored. A big factor in this run was the Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners defense that was led by 18 year old 200cm forward Antonius Douloudis who was active in the paint. “We woke up after the time out and defended more aggressively and showed more quality on defense”, added Niklas Pons. TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen was shooting 37% from the field and 40% from the three point line while Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners was shooting 36% from the field and from the three point line. Both teams had 18 rebounds apiece, but Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners had 15 turnovers and Leverkusen only nine turnovers.

Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners continued their improved play in the third quarter continuing where they had left off in the second quarter working on their run and extending it to 17 points in a row as they added 6 points in the first minutes cutting the Leverkusen lead to only 36-32 as they had once trailed by as much as 21 points in the second quarter. After getting his rhythm on defense in the latter part of the second quarter where Douloudis was a huge spark, he let that carry over into his offense as he scored twice in the lane as his aggressiveness and athletic cleverness haunted Leverkusen. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners remained very aggressive in the paint area as 16 year old 180 cm energy package Alvin Oniya also snuck inside for two points. However Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners lost a bit focus and intensity and couldn´t totally get over the hump as they allowed Leverkusen to go on a 10-2 run to lead in double figures again 46-34. In the run Leverkusen finally got on the board for the first time in the second half at the 6.29 minute mark as 17 year old 190cm guard Moritz Finke scored. Leverkusen also got a basket from 17 year old 195cm forward Justin Peplinski who started his career at BBV Koln-Nordwest and two baskets from Marcus who carried the team as their two bigs Thiemann and Selimovic continued to be no factor in the scoring department. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners closed out the third quarter not getting lost in the Leverkusen run, but getting back into the game with a key 9-3 run as their comeback was still in full throttle as they trailed 49-43 after 30 minutes. In the run, Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners got some production inside from Douloudis and 18 year old 196cm forward Dennis Machlab that scored inside, Begue free throws and a clutch trey at the buzzer from Akbayir. “We continued to fight and never gave up. Guys like Oliver Babitsch and Alvin Oniya took more responsibility on the court”, added Niklas Pons. TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen shot 39% from the field and 35% from the parking lot while Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners shot 37% from the field and 31% from the parking lot. Leverkusen had the slight 28-27 rebound advantage, but only 13 turnovers while Frankfurt had 18 turnovers.

 

In the fourth quarter Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners kept fighting and annoying Leverkusen with their defense taking control of the game as the guests couldn´t buy a basket at their will. 17 year old 208 cm German Lars Thiemann entered the game averaging 11,3ppg and 12.3rpg, but had been held scoreless for the first three quarters, but finally got on the board with an off balance shot to give Leverkusen the 51-43 lead. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners continued to defend hard and with passion getting two stops which led to two buckets from 18 year old 193cm guard Oliver Babitsch who started his career at TG Hanau and from Begue as both Germans dominated in the paint as they were taking advantage of the penetration, but Leverkusen led 51-47. Leverkusen now had a small phase where they got Thiemann better involved which led to free throws and another basket inside as Leverkusen stayed strong trying to defend off the Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners comeback as they led 55-49. However Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners didn´t back off as they continued to go inside as their penetration was working as Akbayir scored. After Marcus free throws, Oniya tested his 35% three point accuracy and passed finding nothing but net as Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners suddenly trailed only 56-54 with 3.28 left. A Douloudis block led to Oniya free throws as the game was deadlocked at 56-56. 18 year old 203cm 135 kilo beast Dezemal Selimovic had been quiet all afternoon long but got fouled and hit free throws as Leverkusen led 58-56. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners came back strong as Pons made a very difficult and risky pass, but it was perfect through traffic finding Pullen back door for the easy layin as the game was deadlocked again at 58-58. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners clamped down on defense now and also got some fortune as guard Muller-Landsvik stayed true to his 33% free throw percentage missing both and Oniya made a steal which led to Pons and Begue free throws as Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners led 60-58. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners then stopped Thiemann forcing him to a miss and Begue came back at the other end taking responsibility and hitting a clutch runner from the corner giving Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners the 62-58 lead sealing the win. “I didn´t start so well and I continued to fight to get a rhythm. I got my defense going and then got my offense going as I got to the basket more. I had a lot of confidence making that last shot”, stressed Maxi Begue. After a Finke miss, Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners  scored one more bucket and had the very hard fought 65-58 win. “Begue had a bad start, but was strong at the end. Our physicality was key at the end. We had better luck with the 50/50 balls and just wanted it more”, stressed Niklas Pons. “Frankfurt was more clever at the end and deserved to win”, stressed Leverkusen head coach Hansi Gnad. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners were led by Maximillian Begue with 13 points and Niklas Pons added 12 points. TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen were led by Leutrim Ebiballari with 14 points, Maximillian Marcus added 12 points. And Simon Muller-Landsvik had 10 points, five assists and seven steal. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners shot 39% from the field and 27% from outside while TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen shot 32% from the field and 30% from outside. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners won the rebound battle 42-37, but had 21 turnovers while the guests had 16 turnovers.

Back in the day when a third grade school kid had produced good work on a math quiz of testing one´s division and times skills, one would get a small star plastered to your forehead and you would run home to mommy and be gleaming with joy while possibly being rewarded again with a tasty twinkie after a hard school day. In basketball it´s no different, if Kameron Taylor would have been rewarded with every amazing game and shot he had completed so far in this young season for the Dragons Rhondorf, his forehead would be hidden from site. The play of the Maryland native and ex Seton Hill(NCAA) standout has been brilliant again and brought joy again to the energetic Dragon Dome after two poor seasons where the club was clobbered in the Pro A two seasons ago winning only two contests while last season had to battle in the playdowns to secure a spot again in the Pro B this season. Taylor was averaging 23,8ppg, 6,0rpg and 4,1apg coming into the KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe  game and has totally dominated the Pro B leading his club to a refreshing 7-2 record this season. Even if he did play in the higher Pro A last season for Ehingen where he averaged 10,8ppg, you sometimes have to take a step back to make a step forward. He wooed fans three weeks ago with a spectacular buzzer beater against the Fraport Skyliners juniors at home and in the last two weeks has been brilliant as he combined for 69 points in the two wins at home against the EN Baskets Schwelm netting 37 points and the nail bitter win in Coburg where he dropped 32 points and help ice the cake with free throws in the last seconds preserving the 68-65 victory. Rhondorf went into the contest having found a consistent rhythm on defense again allowing an average of only 70 points per game in the last two and wanted to register their fifth home win of the season while Taylor was gunning for his third 30 plus game in a row of the season. The Dragons Rhondorf kept their winning ways, but Taylor didn´t reach his third 30 plus game of the season, but nobody noticed as the club pounded  KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe as 24 year old German Patrick Reusch had the game of his life pouring in 18 points while Kameron Taylor was derailed a bit in his minutes and points because of foul problems. After the big win, Taylor was raving about the fine effort his club displayed as he played only two minutes in the first half plus minus Kevin Thomas, the club still led 41-39 at the break. “Everybody stepped up today and it was a great team effort with great team basketball minus Kevin Thomas. We knew that we had to rebound well with Thomas and we did. We played solid defense forcing the opponent to many turnovers doing a good job keeping the man in front of us”, stressed ex Seton Hill(NCAA) standout Kameron Taylor. KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe totally fell apart in the third quarter and could never get back into the game after head coach Jaivon Harris was rejected and Rhondorf cruised out on a 22-7 run. “We played ok in the first half, but it wasn´t our best basketball. They came out more aggressive in the third quarter and forced us right away to two turnovers and scored. Then our coach was thrown out and they had the momentum. When Rhondorf has the momentum then they are very hard to beat at home”, stressed ex BG Karlsruhe guard Aaaron Schmitz.

A big key in the game was that everyone stepped up on the Dragons Rhondorf squad as Kameron Taylor was hit with two early fouls. It was the Germans Valentin Blass, Thomas Michel and Yannick Kneesch that carried the team along with 24 year old Patrick Resuch. The young German Reusch started his career with Bayer Uerdingen and came to Bonn in 2014. He worked his self up slowly playing two solid seasons in the Regionalliga averaging 10,5ppg and 12,9ppg and arrived in Rhondorf last season. Last season was also a process as his minutes increased more in the second half and he sparkled with his aggressive defense and timely offense especially in the playdowns. This season he was struck with a tough injury that held him back and it took him a while to reach his rhythm again. In the last weeks he was making some progress on the court as he got into the last three games. The early foul trouble from Kameron Taylor was like a blessing in disguise as the German jumped up from the bench and not only fulfilled his role, but much more scoring nine points in eight minutes in the first half. His consistent production didn´t end there as his magical play continued in the second half as he scored nine more points in eight more minutes finishing with 18 points in 18 minutes while Taylor finished with 16 points in 18 minutes. After the big win the German was thrilled with the big win and modest with his own achievement on the court. “It really helped me that I hit my first two shots. That raised my confidence to want to keep taking and making shots”, stressed Patrick Reusch. The instant production was no surprise to Taylor as he has seen it over and over in practice. “He plays so hard in practice and he was coming off an injury. He came in and proved he could produce. He saw me in foul trouble and knew the team needed scoring and stepped up”, stressed Kameron Taylor. Despite the foul trouble, Taylor was on triple double course, but because the game only has four quarters and not five was denied as he finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and two steals in only 18 minutes. “I was mad about the fouls in the first half. I had my head down at half-time, but my team told me i´m good and I should just play my game. They gave me the confidence to execute in the second half”, stressed Kameron Taylor.

The Dragons Rhondorf were without Kevin Thomas who was home in Canada spending time with his sick dad. Both teams came out hot from downtown as KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe took the quick 6-3 lead with two trey´s from Croatian sniper LuKa Drezga and ex Speyer guard Aaron Schmitz as Rhondorf tallied with a Thomas Michel three. The first quarter remained a tight affair as there were four lead changes and no team ever led by more than three points. Michel gave Rhondorf their first lead 9-7 after he followed a Andreas Moeller basket. Drezga regained the lead for KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe with a trey only to see it melt with two buckets in a row by Michel who gave Rhondorf the 13-11 lead as Rhondorf were getting easy bucket after easy bucket inside as KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe was lacking physicality and good 1-1 defense. KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe got the lead back on Florian Rothenberg free throws 19-18, but in the last few minutes Patrick Reusch sparked Rhondorf with five points and Kneesch made a lay in keeping Rhondorf in front 24-22 after one quarter. “We did a good job compensating the foul trouble of Kameron Taylor and Kevin Thomas absence. We were attacking well and got easy baskets”, stressed Dragons Rhondorf assistant coach Max Schamborn. The Dragons Rhondorf were shooting 58% from the field and 25% from outside while KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe was shooting 43% from the field and 57% from outside. The Dragons Rhondorf had the 10-5 rebound edge and both teams had two turnovers apiece.

In the second quarter despite a slow start, the Dragons Rhondorf would control the quarter and lead by as much as eight points, but KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe clawed back and trailed by only two points at the break. KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe upped their intensity and aggressiveness on the defense end stopping Rhondorf on their first five possessions, but got only two buckets in the paint by German second Bundesliga Veteran Jeremy Black who averaged 13 points and 8 rebounds in six Pro A seasons. Taylor was hit with his third foul and left after a few seconds. However Rhondorf stuck together and were tough as nails as their two imports were off the floor and it was the Germans and Latvian Lion Ronalds Elksnis who brought the club back on a potent 13-3 run to retake the lead 37-29. In the run, Rhondorf totally crushed KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe in the paint area as they scored 11 points there. Viktor Frankl-Maus carried the team with his aggressiveness and crafty play netting eight points. Moeller made an offensive rebound and put back and Kneesch connected on a pretty running hook shot. Rhondorf also displayed their immaculate transition offense as KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe lost focus and intensity. KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe got out of their funk riding into the locker room at halftime with some momentum going on a 10-4 run to trail only 41-39. Dutch player and ex Tennessee State(NCAA) center Chaed Wellian hit a trey and scored inside while ex Speyer guard Banjamin Kaufhold made a pull up jumper while using Reusch´s body to flick the ball at and get back as he could find no teammate open in the inbounds pass and Drezga nailed a trey. “The second quarter wasn´t pretty. We didn´t have a good start as they stopped us on our first five possessions. But there were 2-3 situations where we rebounded well which led to transition baskets and helped us back into the game”, added Rhondorf assistant coach Max Schwamborn. The Dragons Rhondorf were shooting 44% from the field and 11% from the three point line while KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe shot 54% from the field and 58% from the three point line. Rhondorf had the 22-12 rebound edge and five turnovers while KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe had 10 turnovers.

The turning point of the contest occurred in the third quarter as KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe head coach Jaivon Harris was kicked out of the game and the Dragons Rhondorf launched a brutal 22-7 run to open up the game and the club would never look back. The Dragons Rhondorf got off to a quick start right away and went on a 8-2 run before Jaivon Harris was ejected. Kameron Taylor was back on the court and got very aggressive on the offensive end and scored twice as did his playmaking side kick Frankl-Maus as the home club led comfortably 49-41. Then came the ejection of KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe head coach Jaivon Harris. He had been at odds all game long with the referees and despite being warned by, he didn´t get a second warning as he was ousted from the game. This rattled KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe which propelled the Dragons Rhondorf to an unstoppable 21-7 run as three´s rained down for the basketball heaven as the club led 70-48. When the damaged had ended, KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe had witnessed six trey´s as the Dragons Rhondorf didn´t miss as the basket looked as big the ocean. Rhondorf got three point support from Michel with two and also from Frankl-Maus, Taylor, Blass and Kneesch. The Dragons Rhondorf kept up the pressure on offense as Taylor scored two more times inside and Reusch hit another trey as KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe trailed 77-54. “Coach Adelt told us at halftime that we had to improve our three point shooting. He said shoot if your open, but also go inside. We were open and shot and mostly scored”, smiled Kameron Taylor. “We had big problems trying to stop them in their run. We gave them too much room and let them score to easily”, added Aaron Schmitz. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 53% from the field and 33% from the parking lot while KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe shot 49% from the field and 44% from the parking lot. Rhondorf had the 31-18 rebound edge and had seven turnovers while KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe had 15 turnovers.

In the fourth quarter there were no let downs by the Dragons Rhondorf as they finished strongly and also got solid input from players like Joe Kaschade and Fabian Vermun who got some extra garbage time. The Dragons Rhondorf started off quickly going on a 6-2 run to extend their lead to 83-56 as Reusch continued his stellar play with two drives inside that resulted in layins and a Michel layin. Both teams continued to score at ease while the defense took a break. Rhondorf had the huge lead and wouldn´t lose any more on this evening. The fans saw a pretty Kameron Taylor tap in alley-oop in which Geretzki dished him the perfect pass. Young German talent Anton Geretzki also hit a trey and  Alexander Moeller hit a jumper who had a solid game with nine points and five rebounds as Rhondorf led 92-67. Down the stretch KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe German Marcel Davis scored inside and Taylor added some fine tuning to his stat sheet with free throws closing out the 98-73 Rhondorf victory. “We never let up on the court. Our bench did a good job keeping the energy up and closing out the game”, expressed Kameron Taylor. “It is hard to come back when your down by 25 points. The mental part played a big role. Rhondorf continued to play their game and we couldn´t stop it”, stressed Aaron Schmitz. The Dragons Rhondorf were led by Patrick Reusch with 18 points. Kameron taylor added 16 points.  As did Vikto Frankl-Maus. Thomas Michel added 13 points and Yannick Kneesch had 11 points. KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe were led by Luka Drezga with 20 points. Chaed Wellian supplied 14 points and Jeremy Black and Florian Rothenberg added 10 points apiece. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 52% from the field and 34% from outside while KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe shot 49% from the field and 39% from outside. Rhondorf won the rebound duel 39-27 and had only eight turnovers while KIT SC GEQOUS Karlsruhe coughed up the ball 19 times.

At the end of September head coach Rick Pitino was dismissed of his basketball duties at Louisville and where exactly ratiopharm Ulm guard Trey Lewis was when he had heard of the news over the social media, CNN or a phone call from an ex teammate is unknown, but any basketball fan would have loved to have been caught in his personal thoughts about the matter and a phrase like “Good riddance” or “That for sure didn´t surprise me” could easily have been in his mind. According to si.com Pitino´s employment contract and that allegations in the federal government complaint “insinuate a scheme of fraud and malfeasance'” in recruiting gave the school a reason to put Pitino on unpaid leave.  The short basketball career of Joseph Lewis has had his highs and lows as he played his first three years for two schools Penn State and Cleveland St. (NCAA) where he put up very strong stats and as a senior averaged 16.3ppg, 4.4rpg, 2.9apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 47.4%, 3PT: 42.3%, FT: 75.7%, but two Horizon League Tournament Semifinal runs denied him every player´s dream of playing at a NCAA tournament. Despite graduating from Cleveland State, he still had a season of eligibility to play and chose to play at Louisville a school that had captured two NCAA titles in the 80´s, but then dipped into obscurity until 2005 since then the school has reached two NCAA Final 4´s, two NCAA Elite 8´s and won it all in 2013. In the 2015-2016 season, Lewis and the Cardinals had a great season and a record of 23-8 and were 12-6 in the ACC, but it all didn´t matter, because shortly after the college basketball season started, the school announced that they were ineligible to play in the NCAA or ACC tournament on account of a recruiting scandal. After not winning anything at Cleveland State or at Louisville despite averaging 11.3ppg, 3.4rpg, 2.3apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 46.9%, 3PT: 35.1%, FT: 79.5%, he left Louisville with a big chip on his shoulder and probably unending thoughts in his mind and numerous “why me´s”. It didn´t help matters either that he couldn´t make any impact for his own cause on the court at the NBA Pro Summer League in Las Vegas (Cleveland Cavaliers) as he hardly got a chance in 5 games averaging 1,4ppg. His chip on his shoulder was growing and continuing to be an annoying reminder each day about his career and as heavy as if Terrance “pot Roast” Knighton was resting on his shoulder. The American from Garfield Heights stayed calm and let his agency Priority Sports go to work and prompt found him a good situation in Germany with medi Bayreuth last season. He was the main offensive force on a team that hadn´t been to the playoffs since the 90´s and brought the small Bavarian city back to life and back on the map since 2011 where there was the funny Kevin Durant rumors of him going to play there during the NBA lockout. Last season Lewis was brilliant as a rookie averaging 15.3ppg, 2.6rpg, 2.1apg, FGP: 46.7%, 3PT: 44.7%, FT: 93.8%. He had no problems adjusting to the European game. Last season he took almost six three´s per game, but not only his shooting was adored by the fans, but also his drive and free throw accuracy. He came on a mission with a chip on his shoulder and delivered. The club lost in the playoffs to a strong and confident Oldenburg team, but he did his share averaging 19,0ppg and shot a massive 11-24 from outside. A couple breaks here and here and medi Bayreuth could have been in the semi´s. This season Lewis has made the jump to top team ratiopharm Ulm and has the difficult task of replacing ex NBA player Chris Babb, but so far he has done a fine job as his stats are up, but the only negative thing is the team started off slowly. His stats might not be as high as last season as he is simply engulfed with more scoring options but he is being effective. Averaging 12,8ppg, 1,9rpg and 2,1apg and really been great in the Eurocup averaging 13,8ppg, 1,0rpg and 3,0apg while shooting 42,4% from outside. Lewis will make the next step in Ulm and improve once again just because of the vast talent on the team, but one thing won´t disappear so quickly. He continues to play with an urgency and angriness that really has propelled his game to another level. He had his lows in the NCAA and really was robbed at Louisville and it just will take some basketball time for that to heal so in the meantime he will take it out on his opponents. His chip will still be clinging on his shoulder and feeling like it could physically maim him sometime as it won´t get any lighter even as his team is crawling out of it´s hole clinging on to a three game winning streak in the BBL at the moment.

Sometimes things change so rapidly that one forgets just how wonderful basketball times were last season. Last season ratiopharm Ulm didn´t lose their first regular season game until April 8^th against FC Bayern Munich where they pulled out 27 victories in a row setting off a new kind of excitement never witnessed before by a team other than a Bamberg or Alba Berlin or the Bayer Giants Leverkusen back in the day. But the club was unable to finish the job last season in the playoffs as all were expecting a Bamberg-ULM final, but instead lost a hard fought five game series against the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg. Their unstoppable offense fascinated everyone last season and rebounding helped them get out of jams on many occasions, but without their arsenal of offensive weapons, they would have landed farther back in the playoff places on account of their inconsistent defense. This season has been a nightmare so far for ratiopharm Ulm as they started off 1-5 and for anyone that took a three week vacation to the outback and were offline and came back and saw the BBL standings wouldn´t have believed the 1-5 start something that just seemed impossible on paper. Nobody expected the club to start as well as last season, but these horrible start shows just how valuable the loses of ex NBA player Chris Babb, top center Raymar Morgan, Augustine Rubit, Braydon Hobbs and Karsten Tadda was for the overall team chemistry. Their offense is far from reaching their peak and defense continues to be their achilles heel as they allow 80 points per game. But they have another potent offense as always and now it depends on just how good a coach Thorsten Leibenath is to get out of this black hole. In the last weeks, it has gotten better as the club is quietly climbing up the BBL ladder with a three game winning streak and currently in 10^th position.

Besides keeping their talented young Germans like David Kramer, Joschka Ferner, Bjoern Rohwer and Hungarian Marcell Pongo, the club also held on to Per Guenther, Da´sean Butler and Tim Ohlbrecht. Guenther is a 185cm point guard that will be turning 30 this season and is wedged between Rickey Paulding(since 2007 in Oldenburg) and Quantez Robertson(since 2009 in Frankfurt) as he arrived in Ulm in 2008 from Hagen and is the club´s absolute identity figure. His back problems have been persistent, but the ex German national player still belongs to the best point guards from Germany. He is trying to find his lethal three point accuracy from 2012-2015 where he averaged an amazing 47% and last season played 38 games averaging 8.0ppg, 1.2rpg, 3.4apg, FGP: 38.6%, 3PT: 35.2%, FT: 88.0%; In the Eurocup, he played 7 games averaging 9.1ppg, 1.0rpg, 2.9apg, FGP: 36.8%, 3PT: 50.0%, FT: 84.6%. The German now has the task of not only leading his team to success, but grooming Ismet Akpinar and helping him reach the next level., Da´sean Butler is a 201cm forward from New Jersey that played at West Virginia(NCAA) and was drafted by the Miami Heat in 2010 and is playing his third season with Ulm. He has experience having played in countries like Latvia, Belgium, France and the D-League. Last season for ratiopharm Ulm he played 28 BBL games averaging 10.4ppg, 4.8rpg, 1.7apg, FGP: 53.7%, 3PT: 35.5%, FT: 79.7%; In the Eurocup, he played 13 games averaging 9.0ppg, 4.0rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 51.4%, 3PT: 32.9%, FT: 60.0%. The versatile American who can play both forward positions will be relied on to help carry the team since he has been a consistent contributor the last two years and be a good role model for the new players. Tim Ohlbrecht is a 30 year old 201cm forward/center playing his third season with the team. The ex NBA player who played 3 games with Houston is the most experienced player on the squad playing his first BBL game at age 16 with Leverkusen and also played for teams like Bonn ,Frankfurt and Enisey Krasnoyarsk (Russia-VTB). Last season the two time D-League champion was plagued with injuries and played only 16 games averaging 12.4ppg, 4.4rpg, FGP-2(69.1%), 3PT: 43.8%, FT: 88.9%; In the Eurocup, he played 8 games averaging 9.1ppg, 3.1rpg, FGP: 55.8%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 72.2%. His inside out game and experience will help the team most this season.

Besides Joseph Lewis, the team also brought in five new players with ex NBA players Luke Haragody and Toure Murray as well as Ryan Thompson, Isaac Fotu and Ismet Akpinar. The club has been known of liking to haul in ex NBA players and with Harangody did just that. The 29 year old 202cm undersized forward is an ex Notre Dame(NCAA) standout who averaged 21,8ppg and 9,1rpg as a senior and was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 2010 playing 70 NBA games for Boston and Cleveland. He has had a solid European career since 2013 playing in Russia, Spain and Turkey and the last two seasons balled for Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul (Turkey-BSL) playing 23 games averaging 8.8ppg, 4.9rpg, 1.6apg, FGP: 66.7%, 3PT: 38.2%, FT: 74.1%;In the Euroleague, he played 28 games averaging 3.9ppg, 2.5rpg. His 62 Euroleague games will help the team as well as his consistent scoring and rebounding and should be that Jack Cooley type dominant player in the BBL. Murray is a 29 year old 196cm American that can play the positions 1-3 and is in his second season in Europe. Last season he played with Yesilgiresun Belediye (Turkey-BSL playing 6 games averaging 8.3ppg, 3.7rpg, 3.0apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 41.4%, 3PT: 26.3%, FT: 78.6%. After playing only 75 NBA games for teams like New York, Washington and Utah and playing with 5 G-League teams, the American is concentrating on Europe. He could easily be an impact player overseas, but so far hasn´t found his place in the Ulm rotation. His defense, scoring and creative impulses will only help ratiopharm Ulm get back on track if he gets the chance. Ryan Thompson is a 29 year old 198cm forward playing his eighth professional season and third in Germany after stops in Bamberg and Bonn. The ex Rider(NCAA) standout has extensive experience having played in Italy, Belgium, Serbia and Turkey. Last season the Belgium cup winner with Ostende played with the Telekom Baskets Bonn (Germany-BBL) playing 35 BBL games averaging 13.7ppg, 2.1rpg, 3.1apg, FGP: 60.3%, 3PT: 40.3%, FT: 84.2%; In the FIBA Europe Cup, he played 12 games averaging 9.6ppg, 2.4rpg, 4.9apg, FGP: 58.2%, 3PT: 28.0%, FT: 72.7%. The American could be the X-factor this season as the exceptional one on one player who can also shoot the three will be able to decide games in crunch-time. Isaac Fotu is a 24 year old 203cm forward that has the Tonga/New Zealand citizenship that played at the University of Hawaii (NCAA) and the last three seasons in the Spanish ACB and last season with Tecnyconta Zaragoza (Spain-Liga Endesa) played 32 games averaging 9.5ppg, 5.7rpg, FGP: 66.9%, 3PT: 8.7%, FT: 58.9%. The physical big man will bring the needed muscle and be a consistent scorer, but also an impact player on the defensive end. Ismet Akpinar is a 190cm point guard that is playing his fifth BBL season and is only 22 years of age. He made his breakthrough with Alba Berlin as Sasa Obradovic believed in his abilities and in the last two seasons got more responsibility and grew as a player and became a German national player last summer. Last season with Alba Berlin, he played 37 BBL games averaging 4.4ppg, 1.4rpg, 1.1apg; In the Eurocup, he played 14 games averaging 3.6ppg, 1.2rpg, 1.2apg. The German with Turkish roots is a good scoring point guard that likes the floater and can find his teammates will be a suitable back up to Guenther.The club recently brought in big man Jerrelle Benimon for inside insurance who is a 26 year old 203cm forward from Warrenton, Virginia playing his fourth professional season. After not getting a real chance at Georgetown, He finished at Towson (NCAA) and had a stellar senior season playing 32 games averaging 19.0ppg, Reb-3(11.6rpg), 3.7apg, 1.3bpg, FGP: 55.3%, 3PT: 28.6%, FT: 72.3%. AS a rookie he played one NBA game with the Utah Jazz, but stayed the rest of the season with the  Idaho Stampede (D-League) playing 44 games averaging 19.8ppg, 11.0rpg, 4.4apg, 1.1spg, 1.0bpg, FGP: 63.6%, 3PT: 20.0%, FT: 62.9%. He chased the bucks the last two seasons in China and last season played with Qingdao Double Star Eagles (China-CBA) playing 17 games averaging 18.9ppg, 10.4rpg, 2.4apg, 1.5spg, 1.5bpg, FGP: 58.3%, 3PT: 10.0%, FT: 72.3%. He will make an impact in the paint for the club.

So where will the journey of ratiopharm Ulm go this season?   On paper they are just as deep as last season, but with their immense loses especially with Babb and Morgan is lacking in having kept that dominant team chemistry of last season. When looking at the first nine games and 4-5 record, one could say they are underachieving and it can only get better. Their offense is only average and their defense so far is horrible which has resulted in the less than satisfactory start. In four of the first five loses they averaged giving up 85 points and played under expectations on offense. The season is still young and ratiopharm Ulm is going through a process that will only get better. New imports Ryan Thompson and usual consistent player Da´sean Butler are still searching for their groove while Toure Murray has been a bust. Those are three players that could help give the team between 30-40 points. Ratiopharm Ulm won´t win as many games as last season, but they will still reach the playoffs. The club will find their rhythm on offense and be an 80 plus scoring team, but their major goal will be to get some sort of defensive consistency which will be the difference between a longer playoff stay or a three and out playoff run. Ratiopharm Ullm will finish between 5-8 and in the playoffs anything is possible with a team like ratiopharm Ulm that has the personal to beat any team in a playoff series which they demonstrated over the last years reaching the final.

 

 

Michael Holton JR is a 26 year old 185cm guard from Portland, Oregon that is playing his second professional season and first in Germany with  RSV Eintracht Stahnsdorf (Germany-ProB).Currently he is averaging 19,6ppg, 4,7rpg and 3,4apg and shooting 44% from outside As a rookie two years ago he played with ECE Bulls Kapfenberg (Austria-A Bundesliga) playing 38 games averaging 8.4ppg, 2.5rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 42.3%, 3PT: 34.1%, FT: 75.7%; He also played 6 FIBA Europe Cup games averaging 10.7ppg, 2.7rpg, 1.7apg, FGP: 46.4%, 3PT: 27.6%, FT: 87.5%. He started his basketball career in 2010 at St.Michael’s (NCAA2) and as a senior played 17 games averaging 14.9ppg, 3.8rpg, 2.3apg, FGP: 55.0%, 3PT: 34.7%, FT: 79.6%. He spoke to German Hoops late in the summer about basketball.

 

 

 

 

Michael thanks for talking to German Hoops. It has been almost 16 months since your last professional game against Wels. Please explain how hungry you are to get back on the court in a professional game?

 

Hey Miles, thanks for having me I appreciate it. It’s been a long 16 months since that last professional game and I am extremely hungry to get back out on the floor and compete at a high level again.

 

 

You have signed with German Pro B team Stahnsdorf. How difficult was the last season not playing the game you love? Did you ever have doubt that your career would continue?

 

 

Watching this last season come and go without being on a team was a really difficult challenge for me to navigate. I’ve been on a team year after year since I was very young. There were definitely a lot of moments of frustration, but I never let doubt fully creep in and used my situation to fuel me to keep getting better and preparing for another opportunity.

 

 

You played your rookie season in Austria and now are coming to the German Pro B league. Do you feel pressure to have to really make a statement in your game or are you the type of player that just let´s the game come to you and let the rest fall in place?

 

As a competitor you always want to go out and make a statement with your performance, and for me that has always been important especially with trying to crack my way into the pros. Overall I am more of the type of player to let the game flow and have it come to me. Any pressure I have is never external and only internal as a driver to keep pushing forward and improving.

 

 

 

What was the main reason for you joining Stahnsdorf? What sold you most on coming to play for them?

 

I’ve wanted to play in Germany for some time now and the opportunity with Stahnsdorf is a good one for me. They believed in me enough to give me an opportunity after a “year off”. With the way their season ended last year and coming into this year you could say that some may have counted them out. I see my situation as a similar one, and think it’s a good fit for both the team and myself to go out there and turn things around this year.

 

 

You have been impressed by the motivation of the club in the early going. The club has two Americans with you and Josh Smith and talented Germans. What has impressed you most about this bunch of guys in the early going?

 

Everybody has been working really hard early on here in the preseason and I can really tell that we have a great group of guys who are ready to train hard and go out and compete.

The club has a new Head coach Denis Toroman who has coached in 8 countries. Have you felt his experience come through in the early going and what has impressed you most about his coaching style?

 

I really like Coach Toroman’s approach. He has a lot of on court experience and it’s clear that he knows a lot about the game, especially from the players’ perspective. With him playing previously at a high European level it comes out in his coaching style and he’s able to coach and take us through a lot of situations on the court as well as talk about the mindset you need to have as a player.

 

 

 

Let´s talk about your game. You are a point guard that demonstrated that you could score in college. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player to whom would you do that?

 

 

I like to think that everybody has their own game and playing style including myself, but Damian Lillard is one of my favorite guards to watch and if I could model my game after an NBA player it would be him.

 

 

What other strengths do you have? You never averaged more than 3,6apg. Do you feel like you could really heighten your playmaking this season and not be relied on so much to only score?

 

I shoot the ball very well and this has been a big part of my game and has also often enabled me to play off the ball for previous teams I’ve been on. Increasing my playmaking is definitely something I’m conscious of and want to continue improving in.

 

 

 

 

You’re a player that can really fill up the stat sheet, but what do you feel is a hidden strength in your game that doesn´t get noticed right away on the court?

 

 

My ability to set other guys up by keeping good spacing.

 

 

AS a rookie you played for ECE Bulls Kapfenberg (Austria-A Bundesliga) playing 38 games averaging 8.4ppg, 2.5rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 42.3%, 3PT: 34.1%, FT: 75.7%; You also played FIBA Europe Cup: playing 6 games averaging 10.7ppg, 2.7rpg, 1.7apg, FGP: 46.4%, 3PT: 27.6%, FT: 87.5%. What was your wake up call to being a rookie in Europe where you knew that you were far away from home in Portland, Oregon?

 

I’d say the biggest wake up call for me as a rookie was seeing the business side of the game. Before reaching the professional level you don’t see guys on your team being sent home or new guys being added in the middle of the season as well as on the other teams in your league that you’re playing against. So just adjusting your mindset for that and being steady in your routines and controlling what you do was a big learning piece for me.

 

 

 

 

How vital was 35 year old veteran Shawn Ray in your rookie season. Did he take you under his wing in the early game and what did you appreciate most by his presence?

 

I’m extremely glad that I had Shawn Ray as a veteran on my team in my first season. He definitely took me under his wing as a rookie and we’re still close today and talk to each other pretty often. I learned a lot from him and really admire how he has turned coming from a smaller college into a lengthy and successful professional career abroad. He embodies what it is to be a pro from his professionalism on the court to his consistency in his routines off the court that have always kept him in shape and ready.

 

You had some big games in the Austrian league and also hit Cantu and Boras for 20 plus points in the Fiba Europe Cup. Will you keep these highlights in the back of your mind this season when you continue your quest of climbing the basketball ladder in Europe?

 

Sure. I think that you can always use experiences and learn from both the good and the bad. So I look at the moments where I wasn’t at my best and keep working to improve on those areas and situations, and then with the highlights I use them as confidence for myself that I belong and that I can keep climbing and moving forward in my career.

 

 

Your dad played in the NBA in the 80´s with teams Phoenix, Chicago, Portland and Charlotte, coached at the college ranks and is a color man for the Portland Trailblazers at the moment. How was it growing up with an NBA dad and what special NBA stories do you have?

 

 

What stands out most for me having a dad who played in the NBA and coached in college is that I’ve always been able to be around the game and continually watch and learn. I’ve been in gyms for as long as I can remember and have observed a lot. He played in a golden era of the NBA with and against a lot of legends, there’s just too many stories to tell one. His path wasn’t clear cut and he bounced around a bit with the CBA and was on a couple of 10-day contracts at times but he turned it into 6 years in the league. I’ve always admired the drive he had to keep pursuing his career.

 

 

 

You played at ST Michaels from 2010-2015 . You had many memorable games, but was your 36 points game in the win against Bentley your most memorable experience on the court?

That was a special game individually for me, but my most memorable game at Saint Mike’s would be one from my sophomore season on the road at Southern Connecticut State. We were the underdog and it went into 4 overtimes, we pulled out the win, and had 3 guys score over 20. A lot of big time plays were made from everybody on the team to pull out the win and the feeling afterwards was really special.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How did head coach Josh Meyer groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career?

 

 

Coach Meyer took over as head coach for my last 2 seasons and he really helped me mentally to mature as a player and a leader especially at a time when I went from being an underclassman to being in my final years.

 

 

 

Who won a one on one in practice you or Corey Crawford?

 

 

Corey Crawford is one of the hardest working players I know and we spent a lot of time preparing together in the off-seasons. We had a mutual admiration and respect for each other’s games. I’ll tell you that I would win one on one every time against him, and he would tell you that he’d win one on one against me every time. That’s just how we are as competitors. So, me. I would win.

 

 

Who was the toughest player you battled in the states in high school or college time that is in the NBA or in Europe now?

 

There’s a lot of guys I could mention. Avery Bradley and I were on the same AAU team for a brief period in high school, on the Portland Legends. He was a killer on both ends of the floor. Going against him consistently in practices getting ready for tournaments, I saw why he’s an elite defender and starter in the NBA now.

 

 

 

 

 

If you had to construct your own NBA Rushmore which 4 heads would you chose?

 

 

 

Jordan, Kareem, Magic, LeBron.

 

 

 

Lebron James failed to win his fourth NBA title and is still three away from Michael Jordan. Where does Lebron stand right now in your opinion in the never ending debate of who is the best of all-time?

 

Jordan is the best to ever do it. LeBron is also unlike any player we’ve seen before and his career is far from finished. Depending on how he ends his career he could end up being the greatest.

 

 

 

 

There has been criticism of Russell Westbrook to be focusing more on rebounding to help inflate his stats and possibilities of getting triple doubles instead of focusing on his defensive assignments. Do you feel that this is a fair assessment to the player Russell Westbrook?

 

 

I think that people have always and will always have something negative to say about Westbrook for some reason. Do you realize how special you have to be to inflate a stat like rebounding? I think that’s silly. The guy is incredible and anybody who averages a triple double is doing something valuable for their team. He deserved MVP.

 

 

 

 

How do you summarize the 2017 NBA Draft. What sleepers do you see playing a role in the NBA?

 

 

 

This year’s draft was loaded with talent and exciting players. I think maybe 2nd rounder Jordan Bell will find his niche. He plays great defense and has a good motor. He could end up being another valuable piece for the Warriors.

 

Where will the journey of the Houston Rockets go this season with Chris Paul and James Harden in the back court. Do they have enough to make a serious run at the title or is something missing?

 

I really don’t know what to expect from this situation. They’re two of the top guards in the league with the ball in their hands. It will be exciting to watch how they share roles on the team and see how it will elevate the players around them. Rockets have some good defenders and shooters which makes them tough, but the West is just going to be really hard to get out of.

 

 

 

 

How do you rate the Kyrie Irving-Isaiah Thomas trade? Who got the better deal and which team will profit better in the long run?

 

I was shocked when I saw this trade go through. Both teams lost and received value. Cavs got more in the short term, and a lot obviously depends on if LeBron remains there for a while or not. If Kyrie fits well in Boston they could be in a great position for some years to come due to the young talent that he will have around him.

 

 

 

 

What was the last movie that you saw?

 

Get Out.

 

Thanks Michael for the chat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eniel Polynice is a 28 year old 196cm guard from Sarasota, Florida that has played six professional seasons and gathered vast experience having played in countries like the states, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Uruguay, Argentina, Puerto Rico and France. His uncle is 17 year NBA veteran Olden Polynice and his cousin is Euroleague player James Nunnally.  Last season he played with Saint-Quentin Basket-Ball (France-ProB) playing 8 games averaging 9.4ppg, 4.8rpg, 1.9apg, FGP: 45.0%, 3PT: 39.3%, FT: 66.7%. He played at  Mississippi (NCAA) from 2006-2010 playing a total of 99 NCAA games and in his last season played 33 games averaging 8.8ppg, 4.1rpg, 3.9apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 41.9%, 3PT: 24.2%, FT: 67.9%. He played his last season of NCAA ball with Seton Hall (NCAA) playing 31 games averaging 3.8ppg, 2.8rpg, 2.0apg. He spoke to German Hoops about basketball.

 

 

 

Eniel thanks for talking to German Hoops. Where are you at the moment and how has your summer been?

 

 

I am in France now. I am working out with a team and just waiting for the right call.

 

 

You are still unsigned. Your 28 years old and have six seasons of professional experience. Last season you also got signed late. Do you get a bit more uneasy each season as you get older about getting another job?

 

Every year is a new year and I am just thankful to still being playing the game I love.

 

 

 

 

You played in North and South America for your first five seasons and moved to Europe last season for the first time playing with Saint-Quentin Basket-Ball (France-ProB). Why do you feel did it take you so long to get to Europe?

 

 

I played in South America and kept going back because I was chasing the money.

 

 

Last season with Saint-Quentin Basket-Ball you came in mid season playing 8 games averaging 9.4ppg, 4.8rpg, 1.9apg, FGP: 45.0%, 3PT: 39.3%, FT: 66.7%. You didn´t seem to need any real adjustment period. With your age and having played only one season in Europe so far do you feel an extended hunger for basketball in Europe like a rookie?

 

 

My hunger is the same each season. My goal is to play professional basketball for 10-12 years.

 

 

 

What is your biggest strength that will continue to help a team in Europe?

 

 

My strength is that I am versatile and can play many positions. I have filled up the stat sheet wherever I have played. In France I played close to 20 minutes averaging 10,0ppg, 5,0rpg, 2,0apg, 45%fgp and 40% from outside.

 

 

You’re a guy that can fill the stat sheet very well, but what do you feel is a hidden strength in your game that doesn´t get noticed right away on the court?

 

I feel that my defense doesn´t get the credit it deserves. I guarded the best players in college from Chris Lofton to John Wall.

 

 

 

 

If you could describe your game and to why you could help any team now how would you explain best in a few sentences?

 

 

I can help any team now because I am the type of player that likes to play up and down, pick and roll and am versatile.

 

 

After playing your whole career in North and South American what was your wake up call to your first season in Europe in France. Was being in a place like ST Quenten a good place where you could totally focus on basketball?

 

I was able to focus well in France at ST Quenten and kept my passion for the game.

 

 

You played your rookie season with the  Los Angeles D-Fenders (D-League) playing 16 games averaging 6.3ppg, 2.6rpg, 2.1apg, FGP: 55.9%, 3PT: 30.0%, FT: 58.3%. What kind of experience was that for you and when you look back at that experience how could you really measure how far you really were from the NBA in terms of what you had on talent?

 

Playing with the Los Angeles Defenders was a great learning experience being able to go up against NBA type guys on any night. I averaged close to 7,0ppg, 2,0rpg and 1,0apg in 16 minutes per game.

 

 

What vital things could you take from head coach Eric Musselman. Just how much can players profit from a coach in the D-League? How valuable is that player coach relationship in the D-League?

 

 

Coach is a great coach and has been for a while. He always made sure we were best prepared for every opponent.

 

What memories do you have of highly talented Courtney Fortson who at that time was between call up to the Los Angeles Clippers and now is making millions in Asia. Did his height limit him from an NBA career?

 

 

 

Courtney and I are best friends. Heck we are like brothers. I am proud of him that he came from nothing like me and is making millions now.

 

 

You played at Mississippi(NCAA) from 2006-2010. You played with many great players there like Terrico White, Chris Warren or Zach Graham just to mention a few. From what player did you profit the most from in that time on the court?

 

Playing there was great and amazing. I didn´t profit from anyone there. I have continued to keep watching film and continue to keep learning from others wherever I have played after.

 

 

 

You played with three very talented guys with Herb pope, Jeremy Hazell and Jordan Theodore. Theodore had tow brilliant seasons in Germany and Turkey and now will play in Italy with Milan. He told me earlier in the year in an interview he is ready for the NBA. Could he be the next Malcom Delaney and make to the NBA after some years in Europe?

 

 

Jeremy and Jordan are great guys that always worked hard. Everybody is trying to prove themselves while putting in the work year in and year out. We aren´t here to compete against each other, but too inspire others that you can do others things in life outside of the NBA.

 

Who won a one on one in practice you or Jeremy Hazell?

 

 

We never played, but that would be an interesting battle.

 

 

 

Who was the toughest player you battled in school that made it far as a professional?

 

 

John Wall.

 

Thanks Eniel for the chat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

James Nunnally is a 27 year old 201cm forward from California that is playing his sixth professional season and second with Fenerbahce Istanbul (Turkey-BSL) whom he helped win the 2017 Euroleague title averaging  5.6ppg, 2.0rpg, 1.7apg, FGP: 43.2%, 3PT: 45.1%, FT: 87.0%. In the Turkish league he averaged 11.9ppg, 1.6rpg, 2.0apg, FGP: 57.8%, 3PT-1(57.1%), FT: 86.2%. He started his professional basketball career in 2012 with  Enosi Kalathosfairisis Kavalas (Greece-A1) playing 2 games averaging 9.0ppg, 6.5rpg, 1.5apg; Balkan League: 1 game: 11pts, 3reb, 1ast, then signed with the Bakersfield Jam (D-League) playing 51 games averaging 10.3ppg, 3.1rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 46.3%, 3PT: 39.7%, FT: 88.6%. In the 2013-2014 season he made the jump to the NBA playing with the Phoenix Suns (NBA) playing 9 games averaging 2.6ppg, 1.2rpg, played with the Atlanta Hawks (NBA) playing 4 games averaging 4.5ppg, 2.0rpg, played with the  Bakersfield Jam (D-League) playing 25 games averaging 18.4ppg, 4.6rpg, 4.1apg, FGP: 48.8%, 3PT: 42.9%, FT: 84.8%, played with the Frisco Texas Legends (D-League) playing 10 games averaging 17.3ppg, 4.2rpg, 2.2apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 60.3%, 3PT: 36.7%, FT: 78.1%, and played with the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) playing 9 games averaging 2.6ppg, 1.2rpg. In the 2014-2015 season he played with Tuenti Movil Estudiantes Madrid (Spain-Liga Endesa) playing 7 games averaging 9.4ppg, 2.3rpg, 1.3apg, 2FGP: 58.1%, 3FGP: 31.8%, FT: 75.0%, and also played with Maccabi Ashdod (Israel-Winner League) playing 24 games: Score-4(17.1ppg), 7.8rpg, 3.1apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 47.0%, 3PT: 38.1%, FT: 80.0%. In the 2015-2016 season he played with Scandone Avellino (Italy-Serie A) playing 40 games: Score-3(18.4ppg), 4.2rpg, 2.5apg, FGP: 52.1%, 3PT: 41.2%, FT-2(90.8%). He played at UCSB (NCAA) from 2008-2012 playing a total of 122 NCAA games and as a senior played 30 games averaging 15.7ppg, 6.0rpg, 2.7apg, FGP: 52.0%, 3PT: 37.2%, FT: 79.8%. He spoke to German Hoops  before the Euroleague game against Brose Bamberg in Bamberg,

 

 

 

 

James thanks for talking to German Hoops. Welcome back to Germany. Last season you swept the series against Brose Bamberg. Had that been your first time in Germany or had you been there before?

 

No that had been my second time. My first visit to Germany was when I played with Italian team Avellino and we played in a pre season tournament in Hagen. I remember a couple of good games. The fans were crazy there. It was a good experience.

 

 

 

What do you know in general about the country Germany and it´s basketball. Do you have any friends playing here?

 

One of my good buddies is Peyton Siva who plays for Alba Berlin. I also played briefly with Dennis Schroeder with the Atlanta Hawks and my sister in law is German.

 

 

 

Last season you won a nail bitter at home by one point and won on the road in an also tight game. What memories do you have of last season´s victory in Bamberg?

 

 

The fans were crazy in Bamberg. We actually had quite a few Turkish fans in Bamberg so the fan support seemed even. It got really loud in that arena when the game got tight. Bamberg had great fans.

 

 

What was your impression of Bamberg last season? They had a very good team and with some breaks might have gone farther in the Euroleague. Did you see that also?

 

They were a talented team. I remember Darius Miller who was their best 1-1 scorer and also Daniel Theis who is a big time hustle guy that always brought great energy.

 

 

This season they are struggling with the BBL and Euroleague as the team had a big facelift. What kind of game can we await and what will be key to winning?

 

Every game in the Euroleague is a fight. You battle each game and have to fight for everything.

 

Has Brad Wanamaker told some interesting stories from his time here? How have you sensed his demeanor coming back to an old stomping ground?

 

 

 

 

He hasn´t talked so much about the basketball side, but said the city wasn´t big, but just chill. You had to find things to do. I do sense that he wants to play his old team again though.

 

 

If some bold person had told you in the summer of 2009 after your freshman year at UCSB that 8 years later you would have played in the NBA and won the Euroleague what would you have thought? How blessed are you with your life?

 

I don´t know. I probably would have believed those words, because I was confident in myself. I always knew what I wanted to do and playing professionally was it. People dream of these things happening and sometimes dreams come true. Dreams happen when you put in the work and I did that .Even if I have won titles and reached the NBA, I strive for more. I am always hungry.

 

 

 

After playing NBA Summer League from 2012-2016, you didn´t play this past summer after winning the Euroleague. Are you content now at age 27 to be a high profile Euroleague player and seek titles and put the NBA on the back burner?

 

 

 

I never want to say no. I am fine where I am now. If the opportunity presents itself then I would have to think about because the NBA is the best league in the world and has the best players. But the Euroleague has a great history, great competition and has good players also.

 

 

What was really the key component last season in the Euroleague win that allowed this special team to win it all?

 

 

 

 

We were an experienced team that was healthy and played together at the right time. The struggles we did have during the season helped us turn things around and play our best basketball when we needed it most.

 

The club kept a majority of players from last season title team and added Brad Wanamaker and Nicolo Melli. Does the team feel much pressure to repeat and is the “we believe” feeling in your minds already now?

 

The season just started and we are still feeling each other out and still trying to gel with each other. We did get new players that have to learn a new system. That takes time.

 

 

 

After coming from the NBA in 2014, you got your feet wet again in Europe in Spain and Israel and the season after moved to Scandone Avellino (Italy-Serie A) playing 40 games: Score-3(18.4ppg), 4.2rpg, 2.5apg, FGP: 52.1%, 3PT: 41.2%, FT-2(90.8%). Do you feel like this was your true breakout season in Europe which was something like your Euroleague screen test?

 

 

My time in Italy with Avellino made me like basketball again. I wasn´t enjoying basketball before that. I wasn´t treated well in Spain, but then I moved to Israel and I loved my time there. But I loved Avellino. That was a very special place for me. I got a chance to show there what I could do on the court. We had a lot of veterans which made it easier increasing my learning speed. I won the MVP there and I give a lot of credit to the coaching staff and my teammates.

 

 

 

How important was it having a guy like ex NBA player Alex Acker around who had seen it all in the NBA and returned back to Europe and has had a stellar career. Did his experience from having to make the transition back to Europe rub off on you?

 

 

Alex helped me in many different ways like with certain strategies on offense and defense. He was a good veteran to have and was a good friend off the court.

 

In the 2014-2015 season you came back to Europe and split time with  Tuenti Movil Estudiantes Madrid (Spain-Liga Endesa): 7 games: 9.4ppg, 2.3rpg, 1.3apg, 2FGP: 58.1%, 3FGP: 31.8%, FT: 75.0%, in Dec.’14 moved to Maccabi Ashdod (Israel-Winner League, starting five): 24 games: Score-4(17.1ppg), 7.8rpg, 3.1apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 47.0%, 3PT: 38.1%, FT: 80.0%. After moving from Spain to Israel you really blossomed. Was Israel a good example of how important a certain situation can be?

 

 

 

Yes Israel was a very good example of how important the certain situation can be. In Spain, I didn´t understand why the coach didn´t want us playing more than 20 minutes a game when all we had was one game per week. Spain simply wasn´t the right fit for me. Israel on the other hand was a different style and that fit the team best. We had very good players. We might not have had the best record, but made a great turnaround. When I arrived the team was 1-11, but when the season ended we were one game away from the playoffs. We were successful at the end because we talked things out and had to figure things out on our own.

 

You spent a season in the NBA and D-League in 2013-2014 with the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers and played with the Bakersfield Jam and Texas Legends. You had 10 day contracts and played 9 games with the 76ers and 4 games with the Atlanta Hawks. When you look back at your NBA gig, what did you appreciate most about the experience?

 

 

I appreciated how hard I had to work to reach the NBA. Dreams really can come true when hard works really pays off. I didn´t have the best opportunity to showcase my skills, but all in all the experience was a big blessing.

 

 

With Atlanta you saw the early development of German Dennis Schroeder who has kept developing. How far do you see a guy like him getting down the road? Could he become a top 5 NBA point guard?

 

 

Dennis has game. He could be a top 5 NBA point guard depending how hard he works. He still has a lot of upside. He was a gym rat. I remember going to the gym with him after games.

 

 

 

What did you learn about the NBA process? There are probably many less talented players than you that have stuck in the NBA. Has it bothered you that over the years despite showing your craft in the NBA Summer League that you didn´t get an another chance?

 

 

That is a great question. It has bothered me. I will not watch the next guy. I feel that I wasn´t in the right place at the right time. Some get in the right situation and then get a great chance.

 

I know you have played with hundreds of players and against thousands, but let´s see how good your memory is. In 2014 you played 5 NBA Summer League games with the Miami Heat and your teammate was German Danilo Barthel. Do you have any memory of him?

 

 

I don’t remember playing along with him in summer league maybe I missed him since I played with Indiana in The Orlando summer league prior to switching from Dallas to Miami in Las Vegas.

 

As a rookie you played briefly with Enosi Kalathosfairisis Kavalas (Greece-A1). What was your wake up call to being a rookie in Europe where you knew that you were very far away from home in California?

 

 

I had no wake up call there at first. I wanted to go there, but my agent told me not to. I should have listened to him but I was thinking to much of the money. The club didn´t pay a big portion of my money and I eventually left. After going from practice to practice, playing games, and taking 16 hour bus rides to Bulgaria, I was just fed up and angry. I decided not to play the next game and threatened to leave, but the club wanted to keep me, but after still seeing no money, I left a few days later and flew back to San Francisco. Soon I was playing in the D-League with the Bakersfield Jam.

 

 

 

You played at UCSB from 2008-2012 winning two Big West tournaments. When looking back which one was sweeter?

 

 

The first one. There had been a huge drought at UCSB for years of losing and not reaching the tournament.

 

 

 

How did head coach Bob Williams groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career?

 

 

He was a hands on coach. He made you responsible for your mistakes. Also his assistant coaches played a big role as did he in getting me ready for professional ball.

 

 

What memories do you have of Orlando Johnson? How competitive was playing with him and going into your senior year, did either of you two ever mention the NBA being a possibility?

 

 

 

Yes we talked about the NBA. He is one of my best friends. Every practice with Orlando was very competitive. Coach always had to switch up the lineups, because when we played on the same team, we always won. He brought out the best in me and I brought out the best in him. He had a plan and reached the NBA playing three years there.

 

 

Who won a one on one in practice you or Orlando Johnson?

 

 

 

We also train together in the summer. He won his share and I won my share. He is a great one on one player that is very hard to stop.

 

 

 

 

Who was the toughest player that you battled in the NCAA that is in the NBA now?

 

 

The fastest was Ty Lawson. He played with the great North Carolina teams with Tyler Hansbrough, Danny Green, Wayne Ellington, Tyler Zeller, Deon Thompson and Ed Davis. I remember that was my freshman year and my third game as we were in the  game and even led before halftime. Another tough player was Evan Turner who played with Ohio State.

 

 

 

If you had to construct your own NBA Rushmore which 4 heads would you chose?

 

Lebron James, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Shaq

 

 

 

 

 

Lebron James failed to win his fourth NBA title and is still three away from Michael Jordan. Where does Lebron stand right now in your opinion in the never ending debate of who is the best of all-time?

 

 

 

My list now is 1.Jordan 2 Kobe 3 Lebron

 

 

There has been criticism of Russell Westbrook to be focusing more on rebounding to help inflate his stats and possibilities of getting triple doubles instead of focusing on his defensive assignments. Do you feel that this is a fair assessment to the player Russell Westbrook?

 

 

Yes it is a fair assessment. He was on a bad team and was stacking his stats. I am big on winners like Tim Duncan who is one of my favorites of all-time.

 

 

 

 

How do you summarize the 2017 NBA Draft. What sleepers do you see playing a role in the NBA?

 

 

I didn´t follow the young boys much. Lonzo Ball will have a hard time because he has a target on his back. But Ball is very good. Ben Simmons will win rookie of the year.

 

 

 

Where will the journey of the Houston Rockets go this season with Chris Paul and James Harden in the back court. Do they have enough to make a serious run at the title or is something missing?

 

 

 

I don´t know. I think that they are missing a dominant big man.

 

 

How do you rate the Kyrie Irving-Isaiah Thomas trade? Who got the better deal and which team will profit better in the long run?

 

 

The deal was great for Kyrie Irving. I think it was messed up how Isaiah Thomas was treated. He did great for them and they just traded him. The deal is great for the Celtics long term.

 

 

Where will the journey of the Oklahoma Thunder go this season with Westbrook, George and Anthony? Can they make a serious run in the west?

 

No they can´t

 

 

 

 

 

What was the last movie that you saw?

 

 

 

I have been watching the TV series 24. It´s a great show.

 

 

Thanks James for the chat.