Author: Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

Basketball journalist and play by play commentator

Prince Obasi (I Know My Game Is Perfect For Europe)

Prince Obasi is a 25 year old 193cm point guard from Reseda, California that has been a professional basketball player since 205. He started his basketball career with Saddleback CC (JUCO). Then he moved to Seattle (NCAA) and as a senior played 29 games averaging  8.2ppg, 4.6rpg, 4.4apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 46.3%, 3PT: 27.4%, FT: 55.3%. He started his professional career in 2015 with Patriotas de Tunja (Colombia-Liga DirecTV) playing 24 games averaging 11.7ppg, 4.3rpg, 4.0apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 38.6%, 3PT: 37.0%, FT: 70.4%; Liga Americas: 3 games: 10.0ppg, 4.7rpg, 2.0apg, FGP: 23.5%, 3PT: 40.0%, FT: 50.0%. He also played with Bucaros de Bucaramanga (Colombia-Liga DirecTV) Liga DirecTV-1) playing 35 games averaging 9.3ppg, 3.5rpg, 3.7apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 51.4%, 3PT: 28.7%, FT: 67.2%. He started this season with a try-out with German pro A team Kirchheim Knights, but left. He spoke to German Hoops about his basketball career.

 

 

Prince thanks for talking to German Hoops. Where are you at the moment and how have you been keeping busy since your Kirchheim experience?

 

I am in Irvine, California and I have been trying to contact different teams in order to get signed again. Even tried out for Ludwigsburg 2nd team but they didn’t sign me.

 

How tough was accepting the fact that the Kirchheim Knights and Prince Obasi had to go separate ways?

It was very tough because I know how good I am and believed I could do great in the league plus help the team receive the playoffs once again.

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Antonio Graves Has Ice In His Veins Powering The Fraport Skyliners Past The MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg With Buzzer Beater 65-63

It seems like it was yesterday, but the last time that MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg head coach John Patrick departed the Fraport arena with a victory was almost three years ago as the last two times, he had to witness a 13 point creaming and last season a tough four point loss. But going back to that 90-78 win almost three years ago, it seemed like that game was going to be one that would forever be remembered as a new star  being born on to the BBL stage with Kevin Bright. Despite the Frankfurt loss, he dropped 23 points netting six three pointers which in a way was overshadowed by the Keaton Grant and CJ Harris sniper attack combining for 48 points. Despite having a brilliant game, the German who had just returned back to Germany after having completed only his freshman year at Vanderbilt(NCAA) where he still led the team in rebounding, the Bright Ludwigsburg masterpiece would remain one of two as the other occurred at the end of the season as he dropped 23 points and seven trey´s in a road win at Vechta where he won the game with a buzzer beater as Kevin the light is Bright. Bright would play for Frankfurt for two seasons before moving on to Nurnberg where he played in the Pro A last season. Three years later only two players remained on the Frankfurt roster from that game with Quantez Robertson and Max Merz. Merz is one of the rare Frankfurt German role players that has carved his special own kind of niche with the 2016 Fiba Europe Cup winner as he  currently has the greatest longevity on the team as he has been with the team since 2011 and has outlived many of the other German players who have come and gone. After the game, both Max Merz and John Patrick were asked about that Kevin Bright performance almost three years ago. Patrick made it more than clear after the Antonio Graves 65-63 buzzer beating win, that since Gordon Herbert has been on board as coach, he has always had very tight affairs against the Fraport Skyliners. “There was a buzzer beater in Wurzburg by Frankfurt and three years ago the buzzer beater by CJ Harris to send the game here into OT. I have had most games in Frankfurt that have been decided in the last 30 seconds”, stated John Patrick. After the victory, Max Merz was stretching and was between captain Quantez Robertson and game top scorer Shavon Shields and was just thankful for getting another opportunity to start, but also reflected on some old time history against Ludwigsburg. “I don´t remember that game against Ludwigsburg that much from three years ago, but remember more that Kevin Bright was shooting out the lights. I remember more the game four years ago when we were battling Ludwigsburg on the last game day to remain in the league. I had the advantage today  that we had some injuries, but I always try to give the team energy every minute I play”, stressed Max Merz. After the big win, game hero Antonio Graves was surrounded by the Frankfurt press and was just thankful that the team was able to rebound after their lousy first quarter. “I have to give the team credit that we stuck together. We should have been down 30 at halftime, but we had this confidence to come back. Shavon Shields carried us in many moments and I am grateful that it came down to that last shot where it meant either the win or OT”, warned ex Artland Dragon Antonio Graves. After the heartbreaking loss Ludwigsburg head coach John Patrick stayed diplomatic as best he could. “You can look at this loss in two ways. We could of done things differently after the big lead running or plays differently and playing team basketball or you can say that Frankfurt deserved to win. Frankfurt played very well scratching and clawing their way back and never giving up”, stated John Patrick.

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Torey Thomas (AEK Larnaca) You Can Win A Title One Week And The Next Week Can Be Searching For A New Job

Torey Thomas is a 31 year old 178cm point guard from White Plains, New York that is playing his 10th professional season and first AEK in Cyprus after starting the season with KK MZT Skopje Aerodrom (FYR Macedonia-Prva Liga). He started his basketball career at Holy Cross (NCAA) in 2003 where he played until 2007 playing a total of 125 NCAA games. As a senior he played 34 games averaging 13.7ppg, 4.7rpg, 4.7apg, 2.8spg, FGP: 37.5%, 3Pts: 40.3%, FT: 77.1%. Last season he played for Aris Thessaloniki (Greece-A1) playing 31 games averaging 10.2ppg, 3.9rpg, 3.4apg, Steals-1(1.8spg), FGP: 47.0%, 3PT: 34.5%, FT: 75.4%,He is a basketball globetrotter as he has played in 13 countries since turning professional in 2007 and AEK is his 19th professional team that he has laced up his sneakers for. He is still looking for his first professional title, but has demonstrated his basketball craft on both sides of the court as he was top assist man in Holland, scorer in Sweden and steals in Sweden, Holland, Russia, and Greece. He is a a true °pass-first” point guard, but that can lead a game in scoring on any night. Unselfish player. Makes everyone else better and on the defensive side an absolute lockdown defender that is a great on the ball defender. Like Quantez Robertson can fill up the stats sheet. Last season he helped Rosa Radom (Poland-TBL) win the Polish cup playing  43 games averaging  12.0ppg, 5.3rpg, Assists-5(4.5apg), Steals-4(2.1spg), FGP: 40.6%, 3PT: 31.0%, FT: 80.8%; FIBA Europe Cup: 12 games: 11.3ppg, 4.2rpg, 4.3apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 54.8%, 3PT: 36.2%, FT: 78.9%. He spoke to German Hoops after his release from KK MZT Skopje and got an interview that was to help him search for a new team, but half way through the interview he was signed by AEK. The Interview was done in accordance to the questions he was presented with. There was speculation that the Fraport Skyliners might be looking for a new point guard so some questions were dealing with the German team´s situation.

 

Torey thanks for talking to German Hoops. Where are you at the moment and how have you digested the release at KK MZT Skopje Aerodrom (FYR Macedonia-Prva Liga)?

Thanks for having me Miles. I am in Dubai at the moment enjoying a few days to myself.

You played three games this season with KK MZT Skopje Aerodrom (FYR Macedonia-Prva Liga) averaging 3,3ppg, 4,3rpg and 4,0apg in 22 minutes. You stated it was a mutual agreement. Why from your point view was your stay so short?

It was mutual there was pressure from the beginning on the coach and we didn’t make the results the first three games so they needed to make a change. I am happy I won a Supercup with them.

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Alex Ruoff Is Leading The Charge With The MHP Riesen As A Top 5 BBL Player That Nobody Is Really Aware Of

When you see Alex Ruoff shuffling to the bus after a BBL game one might not think right away that he is a top professional basketball player, but moreover the Spring Hill, Florida 198cm point forward seems like a normal twenty something guy that would spend his free time rooting on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Lightening after a hard working day rather than having to explain to out of town friends where exactly  Weeki Wachee Springs is and if he could actually get some back stage passes to meet the mermaid which is home to the famous live mermaid show there. However he is actually a professional basketball player playing his third season in Germany and first with the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg and possibly a top 5 BBL player this season that no one is really aware of. The Lebron fan who lists Russell Westbrook as the toughest guy that he battled in the NCAA actually has something in common with ex Alba Berlin player and German national player Johannes Herber and NBA legend Jerry West. Ruoff and Herber played one season together at West Virginia(NCAA) and the American left the school as the all-time leader in most three pointers made despite having had such prominence like Jerry West attend West Virginia, but then again West scored his points there before the invention of the parking lot on the basketball court. Ruoff is playing his eighth professional season having played three in Belgium, got his D-league dose with the Canton Charge and Iowa Energy and last season made the jump to the best league in Europe in Spain playing with Dominion Bilbao Basket. He was a solid player in his first four seasons in Belgium and in the D-league, but didn´t really break out until his first season with BG Goettingen in 2013 where he and fellow American Harper Kamp helped the team get back to the BBL winning the Pro A title. It wouldn´t be wrong to say that both guys benefited from each other and helped each other make their coming out as professionals. “Harper Kamp is such a dominating player and has a high basketball IQ. He plays at the skill level of a guard at the forward position”, stressed Alex Ruoff. In his second season with BG Goettingen and first in the BBL, he quickly displayed that he could play at a higher level finishing fifth in scoring averaging  14.8pp, 4.1rpg, 5.1apg, FGP: 48.7%, 3PT: 36.8%, FT: 83.0%. Last season he was rewarded and moved to Dominion Bilbao Basket (Spain-Liga Endesa) 32 games: 6.3ppg, 2.3rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 48.2%, 3PT: 30.0%, FT: 90.5%; Eurocup: 16 games: 9.6ppg, 3.2rpg, 1.6apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 53.9%, 3PT: 43.3%, FT: 76.0%. Ruoff is a player that has the complete package and is a fighter on the court that has a great shot, is an underrated passer and has a high basketball IQ. “I have the ball in my hands so often that I think that my passing gets overlooked. I passed more in college and now am playing more the position two. I loved watching Steve Nash. He was so good passing on the pick and roll”, stressed Alex Ruoff. Due to his overall great versatile game, he also has a very good shot selection which has shown in the early going this season. In John Patrick´s system where there are many scoring options, it isn´t always easy to sparkle in the scoring department, but that isn´t his role, but moreover to be a leader and do many things well on the court. He has found hid Eurocup shooting touch from last season and this should be the season where the “nobody is really aware of” phrase becomes a “Alex Rouff belongs to the top 5 best players in the BBL that everyone is aware of. At least now we know where Ruoff got some of his basketball IQ from. “The intelligence of Joe Herber brought his game to another level. He was one of the smartest players that I ever played with”, warned Alex Ruoff.At least now Johannes Herber knows that he did his good deed as a senior at West Virginia(NCAA).

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Jacob Parker(Gotha) I Have Never Been A Guy That Worries About Statistics Because It’s All About Putting Your Team In The Right Situations To Win Every Game

Jacob Parker is a 23 year old 198cm forward from Bixby, Oklahoma that is playing his second professional season and first in Germany with BiG Oettinger Rockets Gotha (Germany-Pro A). As a rookie he played for KK Tajfun Sentjur (Slovenia-Telemach League) playing 13 games: 6.9ppg, 3.7rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 52.6%, 3PT: 41.4%, FT: 87.5%; FIBA Europe Cup: 6 games: 7.8ppg, 6.3rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 60.0%, 3PT: 21.1%, FT: 71.4%; Adriatic League: 26 games: 5.9ppg, 4.2rpg, FGP: 54.5%, 3PT: 38.3%, FT: 75.0%. He started his basketball career at Stephen F. Austin (NCAA) in 2011 and played 128 NCAA games in a four year period. As a senior he played 33 games averaging13.7ppg, 5.7rpg, 1.7apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 56.5%, 3PT: 42.9%, FT: 83.9%. He spoke to German Hoops about basketball after signing with Gotha.

Jacob thanks for talking to German Hoops. You are in Gotha, Germany now. What have been the most distinct differences between Slovenia where you played as a rookie and Germany in the first days that have really stood out?

The unity of the organization. Everyone here is eager to take the next step, and excited for the season to start.

You played a solid rookie season with KK Tajfun Sentjur (Slovenia-Telemach League) and this summer got signed quite late into the transfer period. How did you experience your second signing summer? Did you have more offers than expected?

Everything happened very quickly. I weighed my options and felt that this was the best opportunity for me.

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Jacob Burtschi (I Don’t Think I’m Still 100% Ready To Retire But It Seems Like The Best Move For Now)

Jacob Burtschi is a 32 year old 198cm forward from Chickasha, Oklahoma that can look back at a 6 year professional basketball career and has decided to retire. He played at the Air Force from 2003-2007. In his senior year, he played 35 games averaging 13.5ppg, 6.0rpg, 2.3apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 49.7%, 3Pts: 39.0%, FT: 77.3%. As a rookie in 2010-2011 he played for ). He played as a rookie for Phoenix Hagen in 2010-2011 averaging 14.2ppg, 6.9rpg, 2.5apg, Steals-3(1.5spg), FGP: 56.0%, 3PT: 44.2%, FT: 82.2%. In the 2011-2012 season he played for CAI Zaragoza (Spain-ACB) playing 9 games averaging  2.6ppg, 2.4rpg; left in Nov.’11, in Dec.’11 moved to Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt (Germany-BBL): German League: 22 games: 8.2ppg, 4.5rpg, 1.4apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 36.3%, FT: 87.5%; EuroCup: 2 games: 5.5ppg, 3.0rpg, 2.0apg, 1.0spg. In the 2012-2013 season he played for the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven (Germany-BBL) playing 33 games averaging 9.8ppg, 6.2rpg, 1.7apg, 1.3spg, 2FGP: 45.9%, 3FGP: 40.3%, FT: 89.3%. He returned back to the Fraport Skyliners in 2013 where he would play two more seasons and played a total of 63 BBL games for them. Last season he played for the Bisons Loimaa (Finland-Korisliiga): VTB League: 19 games: 6.9ppg, 3.1rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 37.5%, 3PT: 41.2%, FT: 72.7%; Finnish Korisliiga: 15 games: 10.2ppg, 4.1rpg, 1.1apg, 2FGP: 42.3%, 3FGP: 43.7%, FT: 94.4%. He then played with Soles de Mexicali (Mexico-LNBP) playing 13 games: 8.5ppg, 4.8rpg, 1.4apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 64.3%, 3PT: 31.5%, FT: 88.9%. The American spoke to German Hoops quite a few times in his professional career and in his 20th interview for the sight gave one last farewell interview.

Jacob thanks for talking to German Hoops. Where are you at the moment and how was your summer this time around? Was there more reflection around for you as you were thinking about your future and basketball career?

I am currently in Oklahoma where I am spending time with the family and letting the body heal. I´m not getting any younger and being away from family for 6 years is tough.

You have decided to hang them up. How did you tackle this summer in terms of possibly continuing your basketball career. Did the good basketball situations just not pop up the way you had liked?

I continued to train and prepare for next season. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a ton of opportunity to return.

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Brandon Spearman (Romerstrom Gladiators Trier) I Love Leading And This Is A Long Season And Being Consistent Is Key

Brandon Spearman is a 24 year old 190cm guard that is playing his third professional season and second with the Gladiators Trier. He started his basketball career in 2010 for Dayton(NCAA) where he played 36 NCAA games. He then moved to Indian Hills CC (JUCO) and finished his last two seasons at Hawaii (NCAA) and as a senior played 26 games averaging 11.2ppg, 4.4rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 57.8%, 3PT: 33.0%, FT: 52.8%. Last season with the Gladiators Trier (Germany-ProA) he played 37 games: 12.4ppg, 3.5rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 41.6%, 3PT: 30.1%, FT: 61.7%. He spoke to German Hoops after the 84-46 mauling of the MLP Academics.

 

 

 

Brandon congrats on the huge 84-46 victory against the MLP Academics Heidelberg. The Romerstrom Gladiators Trier are 3-1. How good does it feel to have gotten off to such a great start.

Feels great to start off this season like this but we also we know it’s early in to the season and much more work needs to be done. So far so good.

The Romerstrom Gladiators Trier gave up 46 points. Can you remember the last time you gave up that little points in a pro or college game?

Well I can’t remember a game that I played in where very few points was given. We played good defense.

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David Sturner (Dresden Titans) It is Important That We Keep Moving Forward And Not Letting Those Losses Get Us Down

David Sturner is a 206cm power forward/center playing his second season in Germany for Pro A  team Dresden Titans He started his basketball career with Oregon State playing 13 NCAA games and then moved to S.Oregon (NAIA) and as a senior played  31 games: 14.6ppg, 9.2rpg, 1.2apg, 1.5bpg, FGP: 56.2%, 3PT: 36.4%, FT: 56.2%. He started his professional basketball career with the West Adelaide Bearcats (Australia-Central ABL) before coming to Germany. Last season for Dresden he played 27 games averaging 13.1ppg, 7.0rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 54.7%, 3PT: 31.7%, FT: 65.4%. This season he is averaging 17,3ppg, 8,3rpg and 3,0apg. He spoke to German Hoops after the tough 92-90 loss in Ehingen.

 

 

 

David thanks for talking to German Hoops. The Dresden Titans could easily be 3-1 now, but instead are 0-4. How have you been coping with the early season nightmare?

Hey Miles, always good talking with you. It hasn’t been the start we had hoped for, but I wouldn’t call it a nightmare. We’ve had the lead in the fourth quarter of 3 out of the 4 games but have really struggled to finish strong. It’s just been hard knowing that we let those games slip away, but important that we keep moving forward and not letting those losses get us down.

Has it been more a question of just having had misfortune or do you believe that the problem lies more with in the play of the team?

Honestly it’s come down to giving the other teams second chance possessions, and not being smart with our play in the final minutes of the games. When you give up 20 offensive rebounds, or turnover the ball 20 times you can’t really blame anything on misfortune or bad luck.

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Aaron Nelson (Dragons Rhondorf) As Much As I Like To Pass The Ball To Viktor Frankel-Maus I’m Pretty Sure He Likes Passing The Ball To Me A Lot More

Aaron Nelson is a 203cm power forward from Bloom Township, Illinois that is playing his third professional season and first in Germany with the Dragons Rhondorf. He started his basketball career with SW Illinois JC (JUCO)and then moved to S.Indiana (NCAA2) and as a senior played 29 games averaging 19.3ppg, Reb-1(12.7rpg), 2.3apg, 1.4bpg, FGP: 60.4%, FT: 63.3%. He started his professional basketball career in 2014 with Los Leones de Quilpue (Chile-Liga Nacional, starting five): Liga Americas: 3 games: 24.0ppg, 10.0rpg, 1.7apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 54.5%, FT: 80.0%; Chilean Liga Nacional: 28 games: 21.1ppg, Reb-4(11.6rpg), 2.0apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 55.2%, 3PT: 28.6%, FT: 63.7%. Last season he split time with Atletico Tabare (Uruguay-LUB): 4 games: 15.3ppg, 7.3rpg, 1.8apg, 1.0spg, in Dec.’15 moved to Salta Basket (Argentina-TNA). He spoke to German Hoops after the 81-69 victory against Nodlingen.

 

 

 

Aaron congrats on the 81-69 win against the Giants Nordlingen. How proud are you of the team that they were able to bounce back from last week´s blowout loss against Lich.

Thanks Miles. I am very proud we were able to get back on track this weekend. I felt like it was a must win game for us.

When I say how ridiculous it is to yell Blake Griffin to Chris Paul for the alley-oop dunk, it isn´t strange to yell Aaron Nelson to Viktor Frankel-Maus for the alley oop dunk. When is Viktor going to invite you for dinner after all that passing love that you show him?

Haha me and Viktor have already went and got dinner a few times. As much as I like to pass the ball to him, I’m pretty sure he likes passing the ball to me and the rest of the guys a lot more.

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David Kramer And Weissenhorn Share Three´s A Charm Disposing The Fraport Skyliners Juniors 75-65

Almost six months ago, the Weisenhorn Youngsters were battling in a do or die playoff game against the Fraport Skyliners Juniors, but on this night three pointers were flying around the BCM gym with accuracy as if the recipients of adding to their three point scoring stat could have been guys like Ray Allen or Reggie Miller something which would have been a dream for the fans, but in reality on this night, the farm team of BBL team Fraport Skyliners didn´t need these legends or any others as they had fine shooting specimens with Canadian Travis Thompson and Lithuanian Tomas Dimsa who added the most damage and at the end of the game the club had dropped 17 trey´s. The 109-93 loss sent Weissenhorn home for the summer, but many of the BBL license players still had their season prolonged with their success in the playoffs where they reached the final. Weissenhorn fought very hard and never gave up, but the Fraport Skyliners Juniors just had one of those games where everything they released found the netting as if it had been released into the ocean as the ease at which they were going in was apparent. German U-20 national player David Kramer did all he could dropping 28 points in the loss and probably didn´t forget this crazy game so easily either. Kramer returned back to an old point stomping ground, but he didn´t leave the building as a winner last season losing twice and now finally wanted to get that monkey off his back and depart as a winner. Both the Fraport Skyliners Juniors and Weissenhorn Youngsters entered the game with 1-1 records whereas Frankfurt belonged to the top defensive teams in the league, while Weissenhorn was averaging 80 points on offense and belonged to the top half of best rebounding teams. Weissenhorn was looking for revenge from last season while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors had many of their veterans from last season and biggest German talent since Dennis Schroeder so expectations were high for both sides. However Weissenhorn had their noses in front all game long and always had to succumb to Frankfurt comebacks, but their hard edged rebounding and timely shots in the fourth quarter helped them win 75-65. After the win, an exhausted David Kramer was laying on his back and must have been reliving some of his past misfortune in this adorable gym, but when he got up, he was all smiles as he had finally won there. He finally had his three is a charm as he had had misfortune the last two years in Frankfurt. “I always like coming and playing in the BCM, because I know that there will be exciting games here. After they kicked us out of the NBBL two years ago and last season out of the Pro B playoffs, we finally got revenge here. Frankfurt always has quality teams and for us to get this win today will give us a lot of self confidence for the next games”, warned Weissenhorn guard David Kramer. Nobody could question the fighting qualities of the Fraport Skyliners Juniors, but they had many phases where they lacked concentration and were torn apart under the boards. “A big problem for us so far this season has been not being able to all practice together as a team. The systems are the same, but we just need to practice more and we will get better. Rebounding was our biggest problem today and that is something where each player has to work on”, stressed ex Ehingen center Mahir Agva. “We controlled the game and were able to play our game. We rebounded very well and played good defense. We did have some lucky breaks, but that belongs to the game”, added David Kramer.

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