Author: Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

Basketball journalist and play by play commentator

Daniel Berger (Ehingen)Frankfurt Can Be Dangerous With Any Lineup

Daniel Berger is a 25 year old 203cm forward from Medford, Oregon playing his rookie season with Team Ehingen Urspring (Germany-ProB). He started his basketball career with Chemeketa community college an dthen moved to Utah State(NCAA) where he played 59 NCAA games from 2011-2014. As a senior he played with BYU-Hawaii (NCAA2) playing  20 games: 14.2ppg, 4.3rpg, 2.5apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 52.9%, 3PT: 48.4%, FT: 79.2%. He spoke to German Hoops before the Pro B final against the Fraport Skyliners Juniors.

Daniel congrats on reaching the Pro B final sweeping the Giants Nordlingen. After winning the first game 69-60, did you expect such a nerve wracking game 2?

 Thanks Miles. I expected the game to be a battle. It was do or die for them so I knew it would be a tough 40 minutes.

Ehingen had the comfortable 45-31 lead at halftime. What was key for getting the comfortable advantage at halftime?

Our offense was flowing so well in the first half. We played together and were able to get some easy baskets. Also getting stops usually leads to a more productive offense.

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Andrew Jones (Dresden Titans) Frankfurt Didn´t Ruin My Birthday Because I Am Able To Play The Game I Love

Andrew Jones is a 32 year old 191cm shooting guard that has been a professional basketball player since 2007 and has returned back to the Dresden Titans this season. He played at Miles(NCAA2) and has played in Germany for most of his professional career with four seasons with the Dresden Titans and three seasons with the BG Aschersleben Tigers (Germany-Regionalliga). He also gained experience playing with teams like Marietta Storm (SEBL), BC Celtics (SEBL), C.B. Aridane (Spain-EBA) and Universidad Tecnologica Equinoc. Quito (Ecuador-National League). Last season he played for BG Aschersleben Tigers (Germany-Regionalliga) averaging 19,9ppg, 6,5rpg and 3,9apg. He spoke to German Hoops after the tough 98-96 loss to the Fraport Skyliners Juniors ending the Dresden Titans season.

Andrew thanks for talking to German Hoops. A tough 98-96 loss to the Fraport Skyliners Juniors to end the season. Does the fact that the Dresden Titans came back from 19 points to almost win the game ease the hurt somewhat instead of having been blown out?

Yes it was a tough loss. However, those young guys came to play and you have to give them credit. It hurts to lose an important game like that no matter score.

I came back from my training run in Chalon, France to check the score and was shocked to see that Frankfurt was up by 20 points in the second half. Did the Dresden Titans wake up on the wrong side of the bed?

I had a good feeling with our team the week prior. So, we definitely didn’t underestimate their ability to win.

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Jordan Talbert (Giants Nordlingen) I Think My Physical Presence On The Court Improved

Jordan Talbert is a 25 year old 198cm forward from Little Rock, Arkansas that is playing his second professional season with the Giants Nordlingen. He came to Germany as a rookie last season and played with the Giants TSV 1861 Noerdlingen (Germany-Regionalliga) playing 26 games: 21.6ppg, 9.6rpg, 3.2apg, 2.0spg, Blocks-4(1.5bpg), FGP: 51.7%, 3PT: 28.9%, FT: 78.4%. He played his college career at Missouri SO(NCAA2) from 2010-2014 and as a senior played 31 games averaging 11.7ppg, 7.4rpg, 2.9apg, 1.1spg, 1.7bpg, FGP: 44.8%, 3PT: 37.0%, FT: 70.1%. He spoke to German Hoops after the season ending 78-77 loss to Ehingen.

Thanks Jordan for talking to German Hoops. A tough 78-77 loss to Ehingen to end the season. Head coach Mario Matic told me 5 hours before tip off that he was very confident that his team would win. How confident did the team feel that it would give a lot better effort then in game one?

We were definitely confident that we would come out and play better than we did in game 1. Unfortunately they came out just as motivated to elevate their game also.

Does the bitter loss effect lessen a bit when you think how hard the team fought from 15 points down in the first half to almost winning the game at the end instead of being beat by 20 points to end the season?

Any type of loss hurts. I think the close ones cut a little deeper but it’s better than losing by 20.

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Jordan Theodore Felt Take Over Time And Leads The Fraport Skyliners To 2016 Fiba Europe Cup Title Over Varese 66-62

After the hard fought and down and dirty Fraport Skyliners 59-56 victory against Russian team Enisey heaving them into the Fiba Europe Cup final where the only thing missing had been a Delroy James vs Danilo Barthel stare down in the paint area, Jordan Theodore was stretching after the duel when suddenly a media representative cleared up the Englewood, New Jersey native that he had seen him play when the good spirited point guard had played with Antalya Buyuksehir Belediye (Turkey-TBL). After some small chit chat, both had smiles on their faces for the short break down of memory lane. It had been another normal day at the office for Theodore even if it took him and the club some deep soul searching in the fourth quarter to grind their way into the final. In his first three seasons as a professional in Europe, Theodore had very solid stats, but in the end that didn´t mean anything as he always played on losing teams and went home early to Englewood, New Jersey to catch the NBA playoffs. However this season with the Fraport Skyliners everything has changed as his scoring, assist and steal rate is back up to his rookie season, but the massive difference this season is that he has become a real leader for a winning team and MVP candidate in the German Beko BBL. And a little side note, he has dominated not only the country league and been consistent, but also belonged to the top guards in the FIba Europe Cup competition, the first time in his career that he has played in an international club tournament. He also finally has broken out of his outside shooting slump as he is near 40% while he shot only 25% in his first three seasons. Plus all season long he has matched up against the top point guards in both competitions and looked real good. In the FIba Europe Cup, he battled against guys like Thaddus Mcfadden, Earl Calloway, Mark Lyons and Tony Taylor and stepped off the court as the winner. In his quest to win his first professional title in Chalon, France in the Fiba Europe Cup, the pride and joy of Englewood, New Jersey had to face one last dirty confrontation not with one, but against two strong ex NBA point guards Maalik Wayns and Chris Wright who he also knew well from the NCAA with Villanova and Georgetown as he had played against them with Seton Hall. Theodore put on that last mean Fiba Europe Cup face of the season and went to battle for the title with the Fraport Skyliners and really had to do some serious soul searching and just break out of his shell in crunch-time as he had been taken out of the game well for three quarters, but when it counted most, he stepped up once again winning the battle against the guards of the opponent and led his team to the title. “We didn´t play our brand of basketball in the first three quarters. They played harder and wanted it more. When we were down by nine points after three, my teammates told me not to worry that I would pick up my game. We have played team basketball all season long and showed it at the end. Morrison and Robertson picked it up and we got tougher as a team. We just didn´t want to lose and I knew that we would come back. This is my first title in Europe. It feels so amazing. It is great when hard work pays off. I am so excited. It´s great for the city of Frankfurt and I know Englewood is tearing it up now”, stressed Englewood, New Jersey native Jordan Theodore. Italian team Varese played spectacular for 30 minutes and pretty much gave the Fraport Skyliners a taste of their own medicine playing their brand of defense and beating them with their kind of ball movement, but just couldn´t hold down the fort for 40 minutes as Frankfurt made that last amazing run. “I am so disappointed. We were so close and too lose it like that at the end was very tough. They are a good team and played great. Congrats to Frankfurt”; added ex Philadelphia 76er Maalik Wayns.

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The Fraport Skyliners Have Belief And Canadian Know How To Win Third Club Title Against Varese In Fiba Europe Cup Final

Canadian national player Aaron Doornekamp and Mr Canada Phillip Scrub are very special players something Fraport Skyliners head coach Gordon Herbert felt very early. These two amazing humble players could form their own special group and if they were real cheeky and off their rockers could name it “We produce titles the way cows do milk so don´t mess with us”, but since they are true professionals and born team players, they would not only never even dare to be so rude towards their teammates or even be capable to dream up such a bizarre name for a group. However one thing doesn´t lie, these two complete players that on the court think like brothers know how to win titles as between them won 8 CIS championships with Charleton as Scrubb made his nickname Mr Canada and for many the greatest college player ever to play in Canada won 5 while the elder statesman Doornekamp won three. When looking at their teammates on the team, there are very few that have won anything besides John Little who won the 2010 Eurochallenge with BG Goettingen as most players like the German big 3 of Johannes Voigtmann, Danilo Barthel and Konstantin Klein are still searching for their first professional team title, while Jordan Theodore is so hungry for that first taste of champagne that he might be liable to do anything to get that chip even part with his favorite sneakers while guys like Florida native Mike Morrison is still without a title in his fourth full season and Quantez Robertson the identity figure and Mr franchise who is in his seventh season with the Fraport Skyliners and has run up down the floor like no other player in the Beko BBL isn´t getting any younger could put a stamp on getting his number next to Skyliner legend  Pascal Roller in the Fraport arena when his playing days are over with a win. Not to forget head coach Gordon Herbert who last was close to winning a title with Frankfurt in 2010 when he lost a bitter game 5 against the Brose Baskets Bamberg. The hunger and thirst for finally getting a title back to Frankfurt which last happened in 2004 as the curse of the bambino was still alive with the Boston Red Sox from 1918 to 2004 before finally winning another World Series in October as they had been without a title for 86 years. 12 years since having won their last championship  may be nothing compared to what Boston Red Sox fans went through, but if you look in the hardcore fans eyes and players, you can sense one phrase keeping their thoughts preoccupied day in and day out and that is “It´s time for club title 3”!

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Johannes Voigtmann Fuels The Fraport Skyliners Into The Fiba Europe Cup Final Slipping By Enisey 59-56

Basketball players usually remember their first and maybe even second professional games especially when they gave a good effort. It seems like it has been ages since Fraport Skyliners power forward Danilo Barthel was a rookie in the 2011-2012 season, but he got on the right track in his first two games at home against Oldenburg and on the road in Tuebingen scoring 8 points in each contest in limited minutes, but at once letting the German basketball world know that there is potent basketball coming from the historical city of Heidelberg. For Barthel playing on the front line squeezed between the eccentric ex NBA player Jermario Davidson who will be remembered for playing with his cell phone on the bench while being injured and possibly studying new rap lyrics at an away game in Tuebingen and the talented young German Tim Ohlbrecht who had already played his first Beko BBL game at age 17 with Leverkusen, won the German league title at age 19 with Bamberg and played at the 2008 Olympic games at age 20. After that his career stagnated a bit and seemed at a low point when he came to the Fraport Skyliners in 2011. After the wasted season in Frankfurt where he never really got going under the hard nosed head coach Muli Katzurin where he averaged 6,0ppg and 4,0rpg and was even humiliated having to play 4 Pro B games with the farm team. After that season, he knew he had to make a change in his career as it was going nowhere, so he decided to go to the United States and try his luck even if that seemed like a reach at the time. He worked hard during the summer of 2012 in New Jersey and then made it to the NBA via the D-league. He played 3 NBA games for the Houston Rockets and won 2 D-league titles with Rio Grande and Fort Wayne which was no easy feat. Last season he came back to Germany and laced up his sneakers with ratiopharm Ulm and averaged 12.1ppg, 5.3rpg, Blocks-5(1.2bpg). This season he took the bucks and went to Russia to Enisey and has been a key figure in their success as he is averaging 11,3ppg and ,4,0rpg while shooting a strong 65% from the field. Last season the 27 year old German played solid games against Frankfurt with Ulm posting 17 and 15 points. Ohlbrecht probably won´t remember the first two games of the 2011-2012 season where he put up the goose egg in the first two games against Oldenburg and Tuebingen, but Barthel will surely never forget those first two games where he put his first mini stamp on the Beko BBL with his rugged play. Ohlbrecht was looking for another title while Barthel was still looking for his first title and both were motivated to help get their teams going and into the coveted final on Sunday as the Fraport Skyliners needed a strong fourth quarter to grind out a dirty 59-56 win over Russian team Enisey and will face off against Italian team Varese on Sunday as they dispatched home team Chalon 91-82. It was another game where Ohlbrecht didn´t fair so well as he notched only three points in the loss. One got a feeling very quickly that it would be a grind out game as both teams focused on defense and just couldn´t get anything going on offense as players had a new obstacle to contend with the ball. “It was a dirty game get down fight to the end. Both teams really wanted to win, but it was difficult playing in a totally new gym and it was hard adjusting to the Molten balls since we are used to the Spaulding. We didn´t play well for three quarters. We were too excited in the first three quarters and we are supposed to be under control, but we missed too many easy lay ups and free throws, but in the fourth quarter we stuck to our principles moving the ball and playing great defense”, stressed ex Seton Hall guard Jordan Theodore. Enisey fought hard for 40 minutes, but in the fourth quarter got an extra dose of aggressive defense thrown in their face and were unable to tame the Frankfurt inside out game. “It was a real grind out game and the Frankfurt good team defense really helped them. They also did a good job getting fast break buckets and our transition defense hurt us. Frankfurt hit big shots at the end and we couldn´t make the plays which was the difference”, stressed ex George Washington(NCAA) guard Tony Taylor.

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Andrew Jones (Dresden Titans) We Have To Play Like It´s The Last Game Of The Season In Game Two Against Frankfurt

Andrew Jones is a 32 year old 191cm shooting guard that has been a professional basketball player since 2007 and has returned back to the Dresden Titans this season. He played at Miles(NCAA2) and has played in Germany for most of his professional career with four seasons with the Dresden Titans and three seasons with the BG Aschersleben Tigers (Germany-Regionalliga). He also gained experience playing with teams like Marietta Storm (SEBL), BC Celtics (SEBL), C.B. Aridane (Spain-EBA) and Universidad Tecnologica Equinoc. Quito (Ecuador-National League). Last season he played for BG Aschersleben Tigers (Germany-Regionalliga) averaging 19,9ppg, 6,5rpg and 3,9apg. He spoke to German Hoops after the tough 94-81 loss against the Fraport Skyliners in game one

Andrew thanks for talking to eurobasket.com. A tough 94-81 loss to the Fraport Skyliners Juniors. How tough was the long bus ride home?

The ride was ok. We are very positive about the upcoming games. We started the playoffs against Rostock just like this. So we understand what needs to be done.

What did you reflect most about the loss on the ´long bus ride home?

I thought we didn´t play at our full potential. The loss was against a good team who plays well inside and out.

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Ilian Evtimov (ES Chalon-Sur-Saone) It Would Be Awesome To Be Able To Play The Fraport Skyliners In The Fiba Europe Cup Final

Ilian Evtimov is a 33 year old 201 cm forward that is playing his sixth season for ES Chalon-Sur-Saone (France-ProA). He has the French-Bulgarian citizenship and played at North Carolina State from 2001-2006. In his senior year, he played 31 games averaging 10.4ppg, 3.7rpg, 2.5apg, 1.2spg, FG: 45.3%, 3PT: 40.8%, FT. After a short stint with Estudiantes Madrid in 2006, he played at VidiVici Bologna in the 2006-2007 season. He played FIBA EuroCup playing 15 games averaging 6.3ppg, 2.4rpg, 2FGP: 65.4%, 3FGP: 47.1%, FT: 72.2%; and playing15 games in the Italian league averaging 3.1ppg, 2.1rpg. In 2007-2008, he moved to The Deutsche Bank Skyliners playing 10 ULEB Cup games averaging 14.5ppg, 3.4rpg, 1.7apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 48.3%, 3PT: 40.7%, FT: 85%; and in the German League playing 44 games averaging 13.1ppg, 5.1rpg, 2.1apg, 1.3spg, 2FGP: 41.4%, 3PT: 33.9%, FT: 86.2%. In 2008-2009, he continued playing in Frankfurt playing 10 EuroChallenge games averaging 8.3ppg, 3.5rpg, 1.7apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 45.2%, 3PT: 28.6%, FT: 70.0%; and in the German League playing 34 games averaging 8.5ppg, 2.5rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 43.6%, 3PT: 38.3%, FT: 74.6%. In 2009-2010, he played for BC Levski Sophia (Bulgaria-NBL): 1 game: 6pts, 5reb, 2ast, 3steals; Balkan League: 1 game: 3pts, 1reb, 1ast, 2steals; in Oct.’09 moved to Proteas EKA AEL Limassol (Cyprus-Division EuroChallenge: 13 games: 10.9ppg, 3.3rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 46.8%, 3PT: 45.6%, FT: 83.3%: FT-2(90.9%). He joined ES Chalon-Sur-Saone (France-ProA) in 2010 and in his six seasons has won the France cup twice being named MVP in 2012 and the won the Pro A title in 2012. He is looking for his first international club title and spoke to German Hoops before the FIBA Europe cup final 4 in France.

 

Thanks Evti for talking to German Hoops. Since the loss on the road in Strassburg over Easter, Chalon rebounded and had a 5 game winning streak, but got it snapped with a 100-83 loss against Le Mans. That was the most points Chalon gave up this season. How can one explain a breakdown on defense like that at near the post season?

We are a team that is great on offense. We have been developing great chemistry and confidence on offense. Against Le Mans, despite still being able to score over 80 points, we played very bad defense. Anytime you let a team score 100 points, it becomes very hard to win. That is how most teams feel about us.

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Brandon Lockhart (Giants Nordlingen) We Have To Excel On The Defensive End So We Can Get Out And Run In Transition In Game Two

Brandon Lockhart is a 25 year old 185cm guard from St Louis, Missouri that is playing hiss econd professional season and first with German team Giants Nordlingen. 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%. He spoke to German Hoops after the 69-60 loss in game one against Ehingen.

 

Brandon thanks for talking to German Hoops. A tough loss to Ehingen in game one 69-60. With the short bus trip back home to Nordlingen, what play or aspect of the game had you most preoccupied?

During the trip home, I would say I was focused on what we can do better next game since not much I can do about a game already completed. We had a bunch of careless mistakes that led to them getting easier baskets than us in a really good defensive game.

When you look back at the final score and 40 minutes, was this a game where Nordlingen could have done more with the good defensive performance that the club practiced for 40 minutes?

There were many opportunities for us to capitalize on good defense but we just failed to do so. But we know that and we can go into game 2 knowing that.

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The Fraport Skyliners Will Need Skyliner Basketball For Success At The Fiba Europe Cup Final 4 In France

The Fraport Skyliners meet Russian team Enisey in the semifinals on Friday and come into the tournament with a lot of self-confidence riding a nine game winning streak from the Beko BBL.Their latest coup was a dandy 80-64 masterpiece against 8 time Beko BBL champion Alba Berlin on the road which was their first win in Berlin in the last four tries dating back to game 4 of the Beko BBL 2010-2011 playoffs when Frankfurt won 83-74. “. It was a win we needed. I’m overly satisfied with my team. We grew together all season and we’re ready to take what’s ours”, stressed Fraport Skyliners guard Jordan Theodore. In the Fiba Europe Cup, they were the best team, but needed three games to dispose of Israeli team Maccabi Rishon as they let game 2 slip away on the road in OT 88-84. In a do or die game three in Frankfurt, the Fraport Skyliners found to their old self again winning 91-75 as they were led by Mr Canada Phillip Scrub with 20 points and six guys scored in double figures. The team displayed their classical Skyliner basketball which is a mix of amazing ball movement coupled with the great pass outweighing the good pass and great defense something the team has prided their game on as they are the top defensive team in the Beko BBL and Fiba Europe Cup allowing the least points of 65 in each category. The Fraport Skyliners are led by the basketball conductor Jordan Theodore as well as the German twin towers Johannes Voigtmann(11,4ppg, 5,7rpg, 2,3apg) and Danilo Bathel(8,8ppg, 4,7rpg, 1,9apg), Canadian national player Aaron Doornekamp(9,6ppg, 4,8rpg, 2,2apg), and freak athlete Quantez Robertson11,6ppg, 4,0rpg, 2,8apg). The club has a very solid bench where any guy can step up at any time in a game and make big plays and shots like Mr Canada Phillip Scrubb(14,0ppg, 2,4rpg, 2,3apg), Konstantin Klein(7,3ppg, 1,6rpg, 2,3apg), the minister of defense John Little(5,2ppg, 2,4rpg, 1,1apg) and big Mike Morrison(8,2ppg, 4,2rpg) and the judge Johannes Richter(2,6ppg, 2,8rpg who head coach Gordon Herbert calls his best offensive rebounder.

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