Author: Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

Basketball journalist and play by play commentator

Kris Douse(Westfalen Mustangs) Our Goal Is Not To Lose Any Games And Ride The Wave As Long As Possible

Kris Douse is a 30 year old 198cm forward from Toronto, Canada that is playing for for the Westfalen Mustangs (Germany-2.Regionalliga) this season. He played at Laurinburg (N.C.) Institute while Fraport Skyliner Quantez Robertson also played at Laurinburg (N.C.) prep. He started his college career at  Nebraska (NCAA) and then played two seasons at Delaware State. As a senior he played at Point Park (NAIA) playing  27 games: 20.1ppg, 12.6rpg. In 2011-2012 he started his professional basketball career at Liverpool Mersey Tigers (United Kingdom-BBL, starting five): 18 games: 15.9ppg, 7.1rpg, 1.6apg, FGP: 47.0%, 3PT: 13.6%, FT: 54.6%; then agreed terms with Keflavik (Iceland-Express League): 6 games: 9.5ppg, 4.2rpg, 1.7spg, 2FGP: 44.7%, FT: 69%.In the 2012-2013 season he played for Turi Svitavy (Czech Republic-NBL): 2 games: 0pts, left in Oct.’12, in Nov.’12 moved to BG Aschersleben Tigers (Germany-Regionalliga) playing 17 games: 14.1ppg, 8.4rpg, 1.9apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 50.6%, 3Pts: 10.0%, FT: 50.4%. In the 2013-2014 seaosn he played for EVL-Baskets Limburg (Germany-Regionalliga) playing  25 games: 26.2ppg, 11.6rpg, 2.2apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 58.4%, 3Pts: 32.1%, FT: 59.1%. In the 2014-2015 season he played for the Plymouth University Raiders (United Kingdom-BBL): 3 games: 5.3ppg, 3.3rpg, 2.0apg, 1.3bpg, in Nov.’15 moved to Omonia Nicosia (Cyprus-Division A): 6 games: 1.5ppg, 1.7rpg, in Jan.’15 signed at SG ErftBaskets Euskirchen (Germany-Regionalliga): 9 games: 21.8ppg, 8.4rpg, 1.7apg, 1.7spg, 1.1bpg, FGP: 49.2%, 3PT: 16.7%, FT: 62.9%. Last season he played for  Rot-Weiss Cuxhaven (Germany-Regionalliga). He spoke to German Hoops about basketball.

Kris thanks for talking to German Hoops again. Where are you at the moment and how have you been enjoying your fifth season in Germany as a professional?

Hello Miles I am currently playing for Westfalen Mustangs which is located in Wiedenbruck. So far it has been a great start to the season being undefeated and excited to build on the franchise winning streak of 112 straight wins.

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Jack Cooley(MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg) The Attention To Detail In The NBA Is Always Over looked But It Had The Biggest Impact On Me

Jack Cooley is a 25 year old 206cm forward7center from Evanston, Illinois playing his fourth professional season and first with MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg (Germany-BBL). Last season he played with the  Utah Jazz (NBA), released in Oct.’15, later that month signed at Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA), released later that month, in Nov.’15 signed at Idaho Stampede (D-League): 6 games: 14.5ppg, 11.8rpg, 1.3apg, 1.8spg, 2FGP: 58.3%, FT: 63.0%, in Dec.’15 moved to Unicaja Malaga (Spain-Liga Endesa): 27 games: 5.5ppg, 3.7rpg, FGP: 57.0%, FT: 62.3%; Euroleague: 14 games: 6.3ppg,059, 4.3rpg, FGP: 60.0%, FT: 63.6%. He started his basketball career in 2009 with  Notre Dame (NCAA) where he played until 2013 playing a total of 123 NCAA games and as a senior played 35 games averaging 13.1ppg, 10.1rpg, 1.2bpg, FGP: 58.1%, 3PT: 50.0%, FT: 70.3%. He started his professional career in 2013 with Trabzonspor Basketbol (Turkey-TBL): 29 games: 12.5ppg, 6.8rpg, FGP: 61.5%, 3PT-1(66.7%), FT: 68.8%. In the 2014-2015 season he played with the Utah Jazz (NBA): 16 games: 1.7ppg, 1.6rpg, in Mar.’15 agreed terms with Idaho Stampede (D-League): 20 games: 16.8ppg, Reb-1(12.5rpg), 1.1apg, 1.3bpg, FGP: 60.5%, 3PT: 21.1%, FT: 69.0%. He spoke to German Hoops recently about his basketball career.

Jack thanks for talking to German Hoops Your playing your first season in Germany and first with the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg. You are having a great season stat wise in both BBL and Champions League. Did you feel any pressure coming in to fill the shoes of ex NBA player Jon Brockman?

I did not feel any pressure coming in to fill Brockman’s shoes. He is a great player, who’s game I respect greatly, but I have not felt pressure to fill take his place. I came to this team because it is a great opportunity for my career going forward.

Early in  the easyCredit BBL season the team could have two more wins after narrow loses to BG Goettingen and the Fraport Skyliners. Recently you lost big to Bamberg and Ulm. Why do you feel is the team still so up and down on paper. One game the defense shines giving up 60 points to Bamberg, but then gives up 87 points to Bremerhaven?

We have had some close losses in the BBL, which has been frustrating, but it highlights how our team always fights out on the court. The defensive fluctuations are just typical of a season, different match ups can lead to different results. 

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Murphy Burnatowski(Cytavision Apoel Nicosia)The Scrubb Brothers Are Both Great Teammates And Know How To Play The Game The Right Way

Murphy Burnatowski is a 25 year old 200cm forward from Waterloo, Ontario, Canada that is playing his third professional season and first with Cytavision Apoel Nicosia (Cyprus-Division A). He started his basketball career with  Maine (NCAA) in 2009 where he plyed two seasons playing 56 NCAA games. He then moved to Colgate (NCAA) where he played two seasons and 62 NCAA games and as a senior played 30 games averaging 14.2ppg, 4.2rpg, 1.6apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 45.5%, 3PT: 37.9%, FT: 76.8%. He started his professional basketball career in 2014 with  WKS Slask Wroclaw (Poland-TBL): 12 games: 1.2ppg, 1.4rpg, left in Jan.’15, later that month moved to SLUNETA Usti nad Labem (Czech Republic-NBL, starting five): 21 games: 11.5ppg, 5.4rpg, 2.1apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 44.5%, 3PT: 30.4%, FT: 67.2%. Last season he played with Starwings Basket Regio Basel (Switzerland-LNA, starting five): 30 games: Score-3(20.5ppg), 7.5rpg, 1.7apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 53.4%, 3PT: 34.1%, FT: 72.0%. He spoke to German Hoops before a Fiba Europe Cup game in Bonn against the Telekom Baskets Bonn.

 

 

 

Murphy thanks for talking to German Hoops. Welcome to Germany. What experiences have you had here? You played in the Czech republic as a rookie and last season with the  Starwings Basket Regio Basel (Switzerland-LNA)

I have been to Germany many times. Most recently last season when I was playing in Switzerland. Basel was only about a five-minute drive from the German border so I would go frequently.

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JJ Mann(Belfius Mons-Hainaut) My Favorite Phoenix Hagen Memory Was When Everyone Got In The Zone And We Would Just Rain Threes

JJ Mann is a 25 year old 198cm forward from Smyrna, Georgia that is playing his third professional season and first with Belfius Mons-Hainaut (Belgium-Euromillions League): He started his basketball career in 2010 with Belmont (NCAA) where he played until 2014 totaling 140NCAA games. He started his professional career in 2014 with the Redwell Gunners Oberwart (Austria-A Bundesliga) playing  38 games averaging  13.4ppg, 4.5rpg, 1.2apg, Steals-1(2.0spg), FGP: 46.6%, 3PT: 40.7%, FT: 82.1%
Last season he played with Phoenix Hagen (Germany-BBL): 30 games: 11.3ppg, 3.5rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 49.7%, 3PT: 38.2%, FT: 91.3%. He spoke to German Hoops recently when he was in Bonn preparing for a Fiba Europe Cup game against the Telekom Baskets Bonn.

 

 

 

 

JJ thanks for talking to German Hoops. Welcome back to Germany, but before we talk about Fiba Europe Cup and the Telekom Baskets Bonn let´s talk about food. Wiener Schnitzel can be found all over Europe, but where have you had it best in Austria, Germany or Belgium?

The best Wiener Schnitzel I have had so far was in Austria. Havent seen as much of it in Belgium but I would have to give the top spot to Austria.

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It´s Another Normal Day At The Office For Bryce Taylor And FC Bayern Munich Toppling The Fraport Skyliners 77-57

He still has that bushy beard that started as a routine playoff beard a few years ago, but with time Danilo Barthel has seemed to have developed a fascination with the facial hair something that his mother may still be coming to terms with. But what is different, the Hedielberg native isn´t sitting on the bench next to the X block in the Fraport arena, but on the right side and the colors of the blue and white have turned into the bright red and even if the beginning letter to his team does begin with an F, many Fraport Skyliner fans have had  a hard time adjusting to the FC instead of the Fraport. After 167 games in the jersey of the Fraport Skyliners from 2011-2016, Barthel made the logical step last summer and joined Germany´s most famous sports brand FC Bayern Munich where he got two things he couldn´t get with Frankfurt with more dough and BBL title aspirations. In his time with the Fraport Skyliners, fans will never forget his poster dunk over Patrick Ewing jr in 2012 or his neverending hustle under the boards where he received more elbows, bruises and bloody noses than any other Skyliner in the last years. This season with FC Bayern Munich, Barthel has seen less action than with the Fraport Skyliners, but done the best out of his minutes as he was averaging 8,1ppg, 2,9rpg and 1,4apg in 11 minutes and 16 minutes per game coming into the Frankfurt game. The German has received stiff competition from other German national player and power forward Maxi Kleber and so far has had to be second fiddle as the ex Wurzburg player has the starting job position. The 25 year old 211cm power forward who had his taste of the NBA in the summer of 2014 where he played NBA Summer League with the Miami Heat returned back to his old stomping ground and living room of the Fraport arena and helped his team round out another normal day at the office by toppling the Fraport Skyliners 77-57 as they rebounded nicely from their embarrassing loss in Bonn where they relinquished 95 points.

After the huge victory, most of FC Bayern Munich was already on the bus, but Barthel was still making the rounds of greeting old friends and well wishers and finally reached the locker room 35 minutes after the game had ended and was elated about his return back to Frankfurt. (more…)

Jordan Talbert Gets Revenge Powering PS Karlsruhe Past The Fraport Skyliners Juniors 77-72

PS Karlsruhe forward Jordan Talbert has had some huge games in Germany in the Pro B last season as well as this season, but so far in three tries against the Fraport Skyliners Juniors has come away on the short end of the stick in two different uniforms. Last season Talbert was wearing the Giants Nordlingen jersey well as he averaged 17.5ppg, Reb-1(11.0rpg), 2.4apg, 1.7spg, Blocks-5(1.5bpg), FGP: 48.5%, 3PT: 27.5%, FT: 73.4%. and he scored in double figures 28 times and registerd 19 double doubles. However he lost a bitter 73-71 contest in Frankfurt steering 14 points and then got smacked around at home 78-56 as he produced 26 points and nine rebounds. This season in a new jersey, he was unable to take the season opener at home with PS Karlsruhe as they lost a nail bitter 61-56 as he was controlled well scoring only seven points on eight shots. He was looking to break his 0-3 negative streak as PS Karlsruhe entered the contest having lost a nasty 76-63 game to the Bayer Giants Leverkusen while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors rode into the game with enormous self-confidence having continued their masterful winning streak to two games having won a tough road game in Rhondorf 74-69 as the savior BBL license player Mahir Agva had been on board for a second consecutive game and was a big factor in the Frankfurt squad winning again. The game pitted two of the leagues best defensive teams as PS Karlsruhe came into the battle leading the league in points given up with 69, while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors were the third best defensive team giving up only 73 points. Despite losing the first game at home, PS Karlsruhe did manage to keep Frankfurt at 61 points and wanted to supply another superb defensive performance and did stopping the Fraport Skyliners Juniors 77-72. After the victory, a pooped Jordan Talbert was just happy to finally get that Skyliner monkey off his back. (more…)

Brandon Lockhart(ScanPlus Baskets) I Believe We Can Defend Better And We Just Have Too Many Mental Breakdowns Throughout The Game

 

Brandon Lockhart is a 26 year old 185cm guard from St Louis, Missouri that is playing his third professional season and first with German team ScanPlus Baskets Elchingen (Germany-ProB) As a rookie he played for BK Levicki Patrioti (Slovakia-Extraliga) playing 34 games: Score-5(16.7ppg), 3.8rpg, Assists-5(4.3apg), Steals-1(3.0spg), FGP: 50.2%, 3PT: 28.5%, FT: 78.9%. He played at Drury (NCAA2) from 2009-2013 and as a senior played 35 games averaging 12.5ppg, 3.9rpg, 6.1apg, 2.9spg, FGP: 50.9%, 3PT: 48.3%, FT: 77.1%. Last season he played for the Giants TSV 1861 Noerdlingen (Germany-ProB) playing 29 game averaging  16.8ppg, 4.1rpg, 5.7apg, 2.5spg, FGP: 49.6%, 3PT: 26.8%, FT: 81.1%He spoke to German Hoops after the tight 95-92 victory against his ex team Nordlingen..

 

 

 

 

Brandon congrats on the 95-92 win against your ex team Nordlingen. Did this game have any meaning for you since most guys were gone from last season?

 

Danke Miles! It was a special game since I played for the Giants last season. Since most of the guys from last year are also playing for new teams, I was able to approach it like it was just another team in the league. (more…)

Elijah Allen(Gotha) My Goal Is To Be Aggressive In The Time I Get And Find Ways To Help My Team Win

Elijah Allen is a 26 year old 195cm swing man from Columbus, Ohio that is playing his first season with Gotha in the Pro A. Ke played the last two seasons for Lich and last season played 27 games averaging 13.0ppg, 5.0rpg, 1.9apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 49.5%, 3PT: 36.2%, FT: 69.3%. He started his basketball career at NW Missouri St. (NCAA2) in 2007 where he played until 2011 playing a total of 103 NCAA games and as a senior played 26 games: 14.9ppg, 6.5rpg, 1.1apg, FG: 44.8%, 3Pts: 23.1%, FT: 74.8%. He came to Germany in 2012 and played his first two seasons for the VfB 1900 Giessen Pointers (Germany-Regionalliga) and in the 2013-2014 season played 26 games averaging 20.0ppg, 6.4rpg, 1.3apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 58.7%, 3PT: 30.7%, FT: 68.4%. In the 2014-2015 season for the Licher Basket Baeren he played 28 games: 10.4ppg, 4.1rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 54.9%, 3PT: 20.0%, FT: 72.2% He spoke to German Hoops after the big 64-56 win against Heidelberg last weekend.

 

 

 

Elijah congrats on the 64-56 win in Heidelberg. How good did it feel to win on the road again after 4 straight loses on the road?

Thanks a lot. It was a good feeling. We must continue to build off this.

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Danilo Barthel(FC Bayern Munich) Continues To Progress From Frankfurt To Munich Moving Up The Basketball Ladder

There was an instance in Danilo Barthel´s third season with the Fraport Skyliners where a rumor was leaked that the big man who had found a liking to facial hair in his tenure with Frankfurt was not remotely amused by having any kind of confrontation with the insect that has eight legs and at times franticly moves about as nervously as a Paris Hilton does at home in her walk through closet when she doesn´t find the matching outfit for her nightly engagement at some kind of fundraiser. Even if one would have to be very unlucky to meet a tarantula in the Nord west centrum mall where Barthel lived during his 5 year tenure, the little creature surely could of found bondage to the German´s hairy beard. Sometime in the 2013-2014 season, the 207cm forward who has made dunking a normal daily occurrence as much as it is for an Anthony Davis to get a double double found a spider in his mail box, but it soon was revealed that it was a fake rubber spider and the secret of his dislike for the quick runners was slowly lifted. Who the prankster was that placed the spider in the mail box of Barthel was never revealed, but I would have bet my special George Gervin autograph on prankster Jacob Burtschi or the silent and innocent looking Johannes Voigtmann. One thing that Barthel was not scared to present was his sharp and improving basketball skills on the court as he continued to develop since coming to Frankfurt in 2011. Barthel may be the first guy that will be half way to Siberia by the sight of a spider before a Quantez Roberton can be on the break from Frankfurt to Auburn, but if Beko BBL teams came upon the idea to place a spider on a rim to keep Barthel away, they better think twice, because despite his fear of the little creature, the rim is the best friend of the German on the court. That is probably the only place where Barthel will forget how disgusting a spider really is because nothing in safe around the rim when the 25 year old German is on flight. Barthel has made some crashing dunks over his years as he continues his career with FC Bayern Munich this season, but before he could sign on the dotted line and be able to meet Uli Hoeness on a more regular basis and pick his brain about FC Bayern Munich basketball, one has to remember that there was a reason why he was able to move to the charming city of Munich and woo fans there with his skills and that was his development with the Fraport Skyliners from 2011-2016.

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Preston Medlin(Kirchheim Knights) We Might Not Have The Deepest Rotation But When We Need Guys To Step Up They Have

Preston Medlin is a 25 year old 193cm guard that is playing his third professional season and first with the Kirchheim Knights in the German Pro A. He started his basketball career in 2009 with Utah St. (NCAA) where he played until 2014 playinga total of 102 NCAA games. As a senior he played 32 games averaging 12.4ppg, 2.7rpg, 4.1apg, FGP: 41.1%, 3PT: 42.4%, FT: 78.0%. He started his professional basketball career in 2014 with BK Saldus (Latvia-LBL): 29 games: Score-4(14.7ppg), 3.1rpg, 3.0apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 49.5%, 3PT: 42.7%, FT: 75.8%. Last season he had limited duty with Enosi Kalathosfairisis Kavalas (Greece-A1): 3 games: 3.7ppg, 1.0rpg, 1.3apg. German Hoops talked to Preston after the tough 90-72 loss in Trier.

 

 

 

Preston thanks for talking to German Hoops. You came into the game with Trier with a 11-1 record and had won 8 times. As a professional basketball player does a time come when one has won a lot that you just think it will go on and on?

 

Going into the Trier game we felt like we were rolling and nothing could touch us and we got a reality check, which I think in the long run, will be good for us.

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