Eric Kibi is a 25 year old 198cm forward from Ontario, Canada that recently played for the the Hertener Loewen Basketball (Germany-ProB). Last season he completed his second season in Germany and first with Basketball Club Rendsburg (Germany-Regionalliga) averaging 20,5ppg and 15,0rpg. He started his basketball career in 2008 with Jacksonville College (NJCAA) where he played until 2010. He then played a season with UALR (NCAA) playing 29 games: 4.4ppg, 4.2rpg. He finished his college career in 2012 with Abil.Christian (NCAA2) playing 20 games: 8.2ppg, 5.7rpg, FGP: 60.0%. In 2012 he started his professional basketball career with Abil.Christian (NCAA2) playing 20 games: 8.2ppg, 5.7rpg, FGP: 60.0% He then played with Ottawa SkyHawks (NBL Canada): 29 games: 4.4ppg, 4.7rpg. He spoke to German Hoops about basketball.

Eric thanks for talking to German Hoops. You came with such big hopes to Herten and showing the Pro B what you got. How disappointed are you that your stay in Herten ended after only 3 games?

It is very disappointing a little drastic after 3 games but it’s part of the business.

How surprised were you with the release, after having a great pre-season where you put up some big stats of 20 points and 10 rebounds against Pro A team Finke Baskets and being such a dominant player at Rendsburg last season?

I don’t take it personal but it’s more about what have you done for me lately. I was surprised because I thought I had shown enough to earn more time to adjust. Nevertheless I respect my head coach because he was always honest and fought to keep me there but I lost a lot of respect for other people in that organization or associated with them because of things that have nothing to do with basketball. Regardless I still wish them the best.

Do you feel like you have been put a bit as an escape goat on account of the 0-3 record?

A little bit but I appreciate the opportunity regardless.

The team was only averaging 64 points and giving up 83 points. You were averaging only 4,7ppg. How responsible do you feel about the sputtering offense?

I didn’t perform how I wanted but I don’t think one person can be blamed. I feel like I just got cold at the wrong time.

You averaged only 4,7ppg, but 8,0rpg. If you were averaging 15,0ppg do you feel that you would still be on the team?

Most likely yes, but everything happens for a reason. I feel like eventually I would of got it going, it was just an adjustment thing.

Lets talk about your shooting. You shot only 17,6% from the field and 0% from outside not attempting a shot. In the past you shot 47% at Pinneberg and 48% at Rendsburg and now 17%. It has to be more than just shots aren´t falling?

Yeah I think I’ve proven in the past and even in the pre season that I can score, but these past 3 games felt like a nightmare it was frustrating to not perform to my capabilities, I have no excuses I just didn’t perform.

Did your first game 1/12 shooting against the Artland Dragons get in your head?

Not really, it’s basketball these things happen. I was back in the gym that next day trying to get better.

Have you looked at film? Maybe its on mechanics?

Yeah I looked, it was some technical things that I could improve on as a player.

Are you longer in the gym? How are you correcting the problem?

I watched film as much as possible to find the problem and then try to apply the corrections in practices and extra sessions.

You are such a talented player and deserve to play in the Pro B. What is the next step for Eric Kibi? What do you feel that you could give any professional team now? Would you be willing to play for a Regionaliga team?

The 3 bad scoring games doesn’t erase the kind of player I am and what I’m capable of doing. I’m going to stay in Germany for a few weeks and keep working out trying to wait for a new team. I would love To stay in the Pro B but I’m also willing to play in the ReG1 if that’s what I have to do, willing to try another country as well.

What did you learn in your short stay in Herten?

I learned a lot about myself as a person because my character was tested a lot especially off the court. For me this was probably the lowest of lows in my career but I was able to still be an everyday guy and not let negative things affect my character and my faith.

Derrick Rose is injured again. Is there a curse on him? Do you ever see him playing a full NBA season again?

I think he will eventually he’s too good of a player not too.

What was the last movie that you saw?

I watched a movie called million dollar arm.

Thanks Eric and all the best in the future.

Jeremy Black is a 29 year old 203cm forward from Tampa, Florida that is playing his fifth season for BG Karlsruhe. He played at Tampa (NCAA2) from 2004-2008 and in his senior year played 30 games: 18.7ppg, 11.0rpg, 1.6apg, 1.1bpg, 1.5spg, FG: 49.3%, 3Pts: 30.8%, FT: 72.1%. He turned professional in 2008 and since then has always played in Germany except last season. He has only played for four teams with Science City Jena and last season with AB Contern (Luxembourg-Total League) 4 games: 12.8ppg, 10.3rpg, 1.8apg, in Nov.’14 moved to BCKE Wallabies (Switzerland-LNB). He spoke to German Hoops after the 74-59 win against the Giants Nordlingen.

Jeremy thanks for talking to German Hoops. Congrats on the 74-59 win against the Giants Nordlingen. The team is 4-0 now. Does one thinking more about the potential of how far one can take that undefeated record with each new win?

Thanks. We focused on the next opponent and of course we would love to extend our winning streak.

It was a tale of two halves. Nordlingen was the better team in the first half leading 39-32 at the half, but BG Karlsruhe buckled down on defense giving up only 20 points in the second half. Was adjustments did the team make?

We pride ourselves on defense and in the first half we didn’t play defense like were capable of! We played with more energy and got really aggressive in our defense schemes in the second half!

How vital was it for BG Karlsruhe taking advantage of the height and winning the rebound battle?

Limiting our opponents to one shot is our goal for every game.

You have been a professional for 8 seasons now and is it still exciting to go up against a player like a Jordan Talbert that you have never played against before?

I love the game; I’m excited just to be on the court still playing.

You had 17 points and 13 rebounds and before the game was averaging 19ppg and 10,3rpg and 2,7apg. After six years in the German pro A, you now are playing your first season in the Pro B. Do you have high expectations at almost 30 years of age on yourself of having to put up even bigger stats because you are playing in a lower league?

I have high expectations for our team but not me personally! I feel like I have a lot of experience and my stats are a reflection of team ball. The league is an adjustment but I feel like we have a team where on any given night someone else can step up and lead the team.

Are you in your best basketball age? Despite averaging double double stats what do you feel can you still improve on your game at almost age 30?

I do feel like I’m in my prime but I’m averaging way too many turnovers! Taking care of the ball and raising my free throw percentage is areas where I feel I can improve.

Your teammate Marcus Smallwood was for many years a top rebound monster in the Pro A. How content are you that in time you guys could be the most lethal 4-5 punch in the Pro B?

Marcus is a great rebounder! We both pride ourselves on rebounding well for the team. Over time I feel like we can, with our experience, dominate the Pro B in the paint!

BG Karlsruhe is 4-0 now and very talented. How much better can this team still get?

We still haven’t played our best basketball yet. The season is very young and we have still a lot of room for improvement.

Can the team average more than 90 points or is it more likely to be able to give up less than the current 71 points per game?

Giving up less than 71 points a game for sure! Our Defense creates our offense. Averaging 90 points a game is also possible but not important as long as we play defense like we can.

This is your fifth season with German Rouven Roessler. What do you continue to appreciate about his game with each new season?

He’s our leader. Its been a lot of ups and downs throughout the years but what I appreciate the most about Rouven is his experience! He is a great at knowing what the team needs! He can play multiple positions and can play inside and out!

What is the state of Lebron James in 2015? Do you feel that he will ever be mentioned in the same breath as Michael Jordan?

Lebron is the Michael Jordan of this generation. He may not have the rings that MJ has but he will be remembered as one the greatest to play the game! The east as always is not as strong as the west but I can see lebron back in the finals next season against the spurs or clippers.

Derrick Rose is injured again. Is there a curse on him? Will he ever be able to play a full NBA season again?

I really feel bad for him because he’s a really great player! I don’t think its a curse more so bad luck in my opinion! I think eventually he’ll complete a full season.

What was the last movie that you saw?

Southpaw.

Thanks Jeremy for the chat.

Richard Williams is a 28 year old 178cm guard that is playing his first season with the Kirchheim Knights averaging 18,3ppg, 8,5apga and 4,0rpg at the moment. He recently played for the Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt (Germany-BBL): EuroChallenge: 2 games: 9.0ppg, 3.5rpg, 6.5apg, 2.0spg; German BBL: 9 games: 8.2ppg, 2.0rpg, 3.0apg, 1.4spg, 2FGP: 40.6%, 3FGP: 48.0%, FT: 70.6%, in Jan.’15 moved to SC Rasta Vechta (Germany-ProA): 12 games: 4.6ppg, 2.7rpg, 3.3apg, 1.0spg. He is a very fast guard that can play either one or two. Great at pushing the break. Can score by shooting the three or using his explosiveness to beat his man. Gets to the basket and scores in traffic. A specialist in steals that uses his quickness to intimidate on defense. Great ball control. Gets the whole team involved when playing the point but can takeover a game at any time. He started his basketball career at San Diego St. (NCAA) in 2005 where he played until 2009. In his senior year he played  36 games: 7.2ppg, 4.3rpg, 3.5apg, 2.1spg, FGP: 40.9%, 3Pts: 37.5%, FT: 64.2%. In 2009-2010, he started his professional basketball career for The San Diego Surf (ABA), in Jan.’10 moved to FSU Selfoss (Iceland-Express League, starting five): 8 games: 27.5ppg, 8.1rpg, 3.4apg, 2.8spg, FGP: 51.6%, 3PT: 46.2%, FT: 72.7%. In 2011-2012, he played for  UBC Hannover Tigers (Germany-ProB) 33 games: 18.3ppg, 5.1rpg, Assists-4(5.7apg), Steals-2(3.2spg), FGP: 48.1%, 3PT: 36.1%, FT: 75.8%. In the 2012-2013 season he played for SC Rasta Vechta playing 38 games: 15.6ppg, 5.2rpg, Assists-1(6.7apg), Steals-1(2.5spg), FGP: 45.6%, 3PT: 35.2%, FT: 79.9%. In the 2013-2014 season for Vechta he played 34 games: 14.6ppg, 4.7rpg, 4.4apg, Steals-3(1.9spg), FGP: 46.0%, 3PT: 29.3%, FT: 82.7%. He spoke to German Hoops before the game against the Hebeisen White Wings Hanau.

Richie thanks for talking to German Hoops. You are back in the Pro A. Was the Beko BBL a step to early or was your first opportunity in Frankfurt just a collection of bad luck with injuries?

Injuries. I couldn’t get rid of the injury bug. Everyone knows what I’m capable of doing when I’m healthy. If they don’t, there’s film they can watch.

You obviously have a new situation now, but you didn´t play bad with the Fraport Skyliners. In your two Eurochallenge games you averaged 9.0ppg, 3.5rpg, 6.5apg, 2.0spg. Do you ever think what could have been had you been 100% healthy?

No. I try not to think about “what could have been” but focus more on what I have going on right now.

You are playing with your second Pro A team after SC Rasta Vechta with the Kirchhein Knights. What kind of experience has this been for you in the first two months?

It has been a good experience thus far. I’m playing well, I’m healthy, the team is getting better. I can’t complain.

You obviously had great times with SC Rasta Vechta helping the team move up to the Beko BBL and then playing a strong first BBL season, but how good was it going into the always loud Rasta dome winning and dropping 26 points and dishing out 10 assists?

It’s always good for my self esteem with the individual performance but it was much sweeter to get the win. Vechta is a quality team so to get a win on their home court was very good for our team confidence.

Considering the circumstances and all where do you rank this single performance in your professional career?

I’ve had better performances but this one of my sweetest wins.

The Kirchheim Knights have been up and down through four games. What have been the main problems for the inconsistency? Is the team still developing the right team chemistry?

Injuries have been our issue. Because we can’t get everyone on the court together for practice, it affects our chemistry. Things are starting to come together for us.

Kirchheim is averaging 76 points while giving up 74 points a game. Can Kirchheim be a team that consistently scores 80 plus points?

We have a lot of weapons so 80 points a game is possible but we need to be more consistent defensively.

How much potential does Kirchheim have? With the return of American Dennis Tinnon, the team gets that extra presence under the basket. How happy are you to be his teammate?

Dennis is a work horse and unstoppable getting to the ball. Having him back is crucial if we want to be as successful as we plan to be.

The biggest surprise has been German Tim Koch who is averaging 14,3ppg and shooting 48% from downtown. He is only 26, but already played BBL in 2008 with Ludwigsburg. Do you see him making the full break through this season?

I hope so. He’s a very good shooter but hasn’t been able to see the court as much as he’d like, in the past seasons. It has been a pleasure playing with him.

The next game is against the Hebeisen White Wings Hanau that are 0-4. As a experienced point guard have you already stressed not to underestimate them this weekend?

Most definitely. Every opponent should be respected regardless of their record.

How nice is it to be reunited with head coach Michael Mai again? He gave your first job in Germany in 2011 with Hannover?

It’s a good feeling to be working with someone that I am familiar with. We have had success together as well, so the plan is to have that same success again.

How much credit do you give him for you having such a great start in the Pro A averaging 18,3ppg, 8,5apg and 4,0rpg? Do you get the ultimate freedom under him?

A lot of credit goes to him because he trusts my instincts and allows me to be a playmaker. I believe this trust comes from many nights after practice talking strategies and breakdowns to where we understand one another.

You have never averaged so many assists as you are. How much fun is it being a point guard at the moment? Has finding the right balance between scoring and passing come easier this season with these players?

The balance has always been there. I’ve always been able to get in gaps and finds guys, but I’ve never been surrounded by this many shooters. Shooters open up lanes for me and what I do best is create opportunities. There’s no lane without shooters and shooters can’t shoot without someone that can find them. They go together.

Derrick Rose is injured again. Is there an annoying curse on him. Do you ever see him playing through a season healthy?

I hope so. For fans he’s entertaining to watch and the NBA misses him, but for his sanity it would be nice to see him out there again at full strength.

What was the last movie that you saw?

The Equalizer

Thanks Richie for the chat.

Dwayne Evans is a 23 year old 198cm forward playing his rookie season with the Gladiators Trier currently averaging 13,8ppg,7,8rpg and 2,5apg in the German Pro A. He started his basketball career with Bolingbrook, IL / Neuqua Valley in 2007 and as a senior averaged 16.9ppg, 12rpg, 3.2apg; 26-3 record; set school’s career rebounding record with 737 and finished second all-time in scoring with 1,122 points. He then played with St.Louis (NCAA) from 2010-2014 and as a senior played 34 games averaging 14.0ppg, 6.5rpg, 1.2apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 49.4%, 3PT: 27.8%, FT: 74.9%. He spoke to German Hoops after the 72-65 win against the Finke Baskets.

Congrats Dwayne on the 72-65 win against the Finke Baskets. After taking a step back from scoring in the second and third quarter where Trier scored 25 points, you found your team scoring touch in the fourth making 28 points. What adjustments did the team make in the fourth quarter?

The only adjustment we really made was to be more aggressive going towards the basket, since some of their key players were in foul trouble. Once we got into attack mode our scoring came much easier.

The Gladiators Trier were trailing up to mid way in the fourth quarter, but how key were the back to back three pointers from German Benedikt Breilling and yourself?

I think they were definitely momentum builders. We have a lot of guys who can make shots and once everyone started clicking at once we really started rolling.

The Gladiators Trier closed out the game with a strong 6-0 run as the team hit clutch free throws. What was key on the defensive end for you to stifle Paderbron in the last minute closing out the game the way you did?

Our game plan at that moment was just to not give any open looks at threes and to control our boards. We were able to do that and ended up with the victory on the road.

How satisfying was it winning a close game after losing the first two games by a combined score of seven points?

It was very satisfying. We’ve been right there in a few games this season already and closing out a game early in the season on the road I believe can be a turning point for this team.

The Gladiators Trier are 2-2, but could be 4-0. What expectations do you have of this team? The Pro A is very competitive, but what can the team achieve?

I have very high expectations for our team. We believe we can be one of the best teams in the league this year and once we start putting full games together of high level basketball I believe we’ll be tough to beat on any night.

The playoffs are a good possibility, but is a title a reach this season?

In no way is it a reach, its our ultimate goal for this team. We believe we have the pieces, especially once some of our injured players return, to compete for a championship.

After the first two loses, how do you feel has the team improved over the last two weeks?

I think were just becoming more and more resilient as a team. I don’t believe in moral victories but there is a lot to learn in those close loses and I believe were starting to put those things together.

After four games young German Benedikt Breilling leads the team with 9 three pointers. Do you see him taking on even more of a scoring role as the season progresses?

We have a bunch of guys who can score the ball and Bennie is definitely one of them. I think it will change from game to game but we will absolutely rely on B and his shooting.

The team has some talented Americans, a few experienced Germans and the rest younger inexperienced Germans. Do you see yourself of being a consistent go to guy and leader despite being a rookie?

Absolutely. I may be a rookie here but I’ve been playing high level basketball for a long time now and look forward to helping lead this team on the court the rest of the season

After sitting out a season after finishing at St Louis, you are a rookie now with the Gladiators Trier. You won the Atlantic 10 tournament and was MVP in 2013.How difficult was it sitting out so long. Did you ever lose hope and what kept you going?

Sitting out for a year was one of the toughest things I’ve ever been through. Not being able to play the game I love for that long was tough but ultimately I believe it will benefit me in the long run. What kept me going was the desire to get back out on the court and begin my lifelong aspiration of becoming a professional basketball player.

After four games you are really filling up the stat sheet averaging 13,8ppg, 7,8rpg, 2,5apg, 1,5bpg and shooting 40% from outside. Despite these good stats, what is something that you are still adjusting to on the court?

Yeah I am versatile on the court so I feel as though I can help my team in a ton of different ways. Mostly, I’ve been adjusting to how the game is called and getting back to constantly being in attack mode.

You can fill up the stat sheet, but what is a hidden strength in your game that doesn´t always get noticed right away on the court?

I think I do a lot of the little things on the court. I am a pretty heady player and I know how to get guys open, how to adjust to different defenses among other things. A lot of things I learned from Rick Majeras back in my college.

Do you see yourself developing your three point shot now as a professional and incorporating it more into your game?

Yeah definitely, it was one of coach and I’s goals for the year to shoot 35% from 3 this year and if I am open I’m going to shoot it. Its part of my arsenal out there on the court.

How much fun has it been sharing the floor with American rookie Eric Anderson who is averaging 13 rebounds the last two games?

Its been great. E is a hell of a rebounder and player and we knew that coming into this season. I am still waiting on him to hit 20 boards one of these games.

You had a stellar career at ST Louis(NCAA). How proud are you of leading the team in rebounding all four years? Has rebounding always come natural and how has your game on the boards developed?

Rebounding has always been something I prided myself on and that has carried over to the professional ranks. Its been mostly natural but there is also a certain mindset you need to have to be an effective rebounder as well.

You had many great games in college, but where do you rank your 24 point, 11 rebound effort in the 67-56 win against Butler?

Its probably pretty high up there. That was one of my favorite teams and I believe I went on to win MVP of the tournament that year. Beating a ranked Butler team 3 times in a row wasn’t too bad either.

How did Rick Majerus prepare and groom you best for a professional basketball career at St Louis?

Man over the last few months I’ve been realizing how fortunate I am to have played for him. There is so many little details to the game that make sure a big difference and make the game easier that have stuck with me over these years. Those 2 years with him made a huge difference.

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

I’m not sure if he’s in the NBA right now or not but probably Nolan Smith from Duke. We went there my freshmen year and started 4 freshmen and I think he gave us 30 something.

Derrick Rose is injured again. It seems like there is a curse on him. Do you ever see him playing through a season?

Injuries are tough and out of his control so I’ll definitely give him the benefit of the doubt. There is no curse and I’m prepared to see him do some big things for the city of Chicago this year.

Thanks Dwayne for the chat.