Virgil Matthews is a 30 year old 188cm guard from Federal Way, Washington that is playing in Germany in the PRO A for Erdgas Ehingen now in his fourth season. He played at Montana (NCAA) and in his senior year played  31 games: 10.1ppg, 4.6rpg, 4.0apg, 1.7spg, FG: 49.8%, 3PT: 48.4%, FT: 76.1%. In 2006-2007, he turned professional and came to Germany and played for KICKZ Muenchen Basket (Germany-2.Bundesliga): 29 games: 18.0ppg, 6.1rpg, 5.2apg, 2.6spg, 2FGP: 57.3%, 3FGP: 31.8%, FT: 66.5%. In 2007-2008, he played for Tacoma Jazz (IBL). In 2008-2009, he returned back to Germany and played for Schwelmer Baskets (Germany-Regionalliga). In 2009-2010, he played for Olympia Reign (IBL, starting five): 21 games: 23.1ppg, 7.2rpg and for Seattle Aviators (NABL).In 2010-2011, he played his first season for Erdgas Ehingen playing 32 games: 11.6ppg, 5.3rpg, 3.6apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 57.6%, 3PT: 29.4%, FT: 71.3%. In 2011-2012 for Ehingen, he played  28 games: 11.4ppg, 3.9rpg, 3.8apg, Steals-3(1.9spg), FGP: 54.5%, 3PT: 42.1%, FT: 77.1%. Last season for Ehingen you played  Erdgas Ehingen/Urspringschule (Germany-ProA, starting five): 33 games: 11.5ppg, 4.2rpg, 4.5apg, Steals-4(2.1spg), FGP: 57.3%, 3PT: 35.7%, FT: 70.5%. He spoke to German Hoops before the start of the 2014 Pro A playoffs against Nurnberg.

 

 

Congrats on the 83-75 victory against Heidelberg. How important was it riding into the playoffs with a win and what was key for getting the win? The game was pretty even going into the fourth quarter, but Ehingen had more steam and cruised to the win.

I think our key was getting stops at the end and keeping our heads, we felt we got out of character in Magdeburg.

Heidelberg was a pretty strong team this season, but finished the season poorly losing three of its last four games and missed the playoffs. Are you surprised that they missed the playoffs, or is it more a thumbs up to the very very competitive German Pro A this season?

Its very surprising they had a rough second half and unfortunately for them no teams except the top two pulled away from the pack. So they ended up having to play every game with the pressure button on which is tough.

Erdgas Ehingen go into the playoffs having won four of the last six games, but the two loses were very close as you lost combined only by six points to Chemnitz and Magdeburg. How ready are you for the German Pro A playoffs?

We are very ready. Playing more games not having to wait a week. I think we were lucky that those two losses didn’t end up hurting our standings. So now we just learn from them and move forward.

Erdgas Ehingen plays Rent4office Nurnberg in the playoffs. Nurnberg won with 21 points at home and lost by 18 points in Nurnberg. How happy are you about having home court advantage?

It was very important, it is not always our goal at the beginning of the season but as we saw it could be more and more possible so we began to shoot for it. And we got it. Especially against this team we haven’t beat them there since I’ve been here and I think likewise them here, but we aren’t just relying on home court.

Nurnberg killed Ehingen on the boards in their win and shot over 50% from outside in both games. Ehingen forced Nurnberg to 24 turnovers in their win. This looks like a very interesting series. What will be most vital for Erdgas Ehingen of advancing?

We have to rebound. That is one of our keys to every game rebound and don’t turn it over and we will be competitive in every game.

You have played against Ahmad Smith for years. He only scored 8 points combined in both games, but fills up the stat sheet. How vital will it be keeping him in check for the success of Erdgas Ehingen?

He is critical to their success, he doesn’t need to score to affect the game that’s his strength. Keeping him contained will be a big part of our game plan, but we have to be careful not to dedicate too much to him because they have a lot of talented players.

The bench will be a huge factor in the game. Mahir Agva had solid games in both games against Nurnberg. How has he developed this season? He is only 17 and a German U-16 national player that has averaged 13 minutes this season.

Mahir has had a good season he’s incredibly talented for such a young guy still is learning a lot but its great to have a young guy that can come in and be effective. He is getting better everyday so there are still breakout games for him to have possibly this season.

The 2014 NCAA Final 4 is Uconn, Florida, Kentucky and Wisconsin. Who will reach the final and win it all?

I think I picked Florida in my bracket so they will. I really don’t watch much tho so there’s no value in my pick.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

Law Abiding Citizen.

 

Thanks Virgil for the chat.

It is always nice to see a player reappear in an arena after a very long time where he has seen many teams and developed his game further. The last time Bamberg center D or Fischer was in the Fraport arena, his head coach Chris Fleming was still coach with the Artland Dragons without a title, teammate Jared Jordan was a senior at Marist, teammate Elias Harris and future NBA player was still a rarely unknown young player with SG Bad Duerkheim/Speyer (Regionalliga), line drive shooter Anton Gavel was making his first experience outside Germany with Polaris World Murcia (Spain-ACB) and Fraport Skyliner guard Quantez Robertson was playing his second season at Auburn. It was the 2006-2007 season where the then Deutsche Bank Skyliners swept the EWE baskets Oldenburg 80-70 and 76-70. During that season some of his teammates were German national player Heiko Schaffartzik, Americans Doron Perkins and Dan Grunfeld and current Artland Dragons head coach Tyron Mccoy. Playing against Fischer for Frankfurt were guys like Skyliner legend Pascal Roller, current Oldenburg center Travon Bryant, current Wurzburg guard Jimmy Mckinney and 2002 bronze medalist for Germany at the World Championships Nino Garris. Since then, Fischer has been all around the basketball globe and reached his height playing with Macabbi Tel Aviv and Real Madrid two teams that not many players can say they played for. He also played in countries like Belgium and the Ukriane after starting his basketball career with West Virginia(NCAA) and being a teammate with ex Skyliner Johannes Herber. Fischer might have to ask some Germans who read the new book of Herber called Almost Heaven, if he was mentioned during his West Virginia recap. With so much history having happened in the last seven years, the Philadelphia native wanted to make some sweet history in the Fraport arena in hopes of winning for the first time there and he was an instrumental part in the 64-54 Bamberg win scoring eight points hauling down 11 rebounds and blocking three balls. “It was nice to play in Frankfurt again. The league is different now and the quality is better. My job is too be vocal and play good defense. My game was ok. Voigtmann made a hook shot over me and I remembered it and frustrated me, but I moved on quickly”, smiled Philadelphia native D or Fisher. Frankfurt had their problems against Fisher and Dane Watts could observe his play from the bench. “He is a great shot blocker and alters shots so well. He has a good touch and makes shots and its tough to play defense against him”, stressed ex ratiopharm Ulm forward Dane Watts. Bamberg knows exactly what they have with the big man. “Even if he doesn´t get the block, he usually can alter the shot. He is so important in protecting our basket. Before he arrived, we had problems often keeping players in front of us, but if it happens now, we know that we have big fish behind us. On offense he is so vital on the pick and role”, warned Bamberg guard Jamar Smith.

Sometimes after a bitter weekend like the Brose Baskets Bamberg had being shut out of a title in Ulm losing to Alba Berlin and even beating the mighty FC Bayern Munich in the game for third place was never as meaningless for the defending champion than last weekend, so in order to forget this hardship, it was beneficial to get right back on the court and get that feeling of success with a new win. Alba Berlin won 83-67, but that was helped with a rapid surge in the fourth quarter by Alba Berlin too easily seal the win. Except for one lead change late in the first quarter, Alba Berlin led in the whole game. Where was the usual Bamberg dominance? How could Alba Berlin pull away in the fourth quarter in a do or die game against the usual so unstoppable Bamberg? One rule that is becoming more and more visible in the Beko BBL is playing just ok won´t cut it and that is what happened to Bamberg. Both teams shot poorly from outside, but Bamberg couldn´t compensate it from the field. It was no secret that Alba Berlin have the advantage inside and Bamberg was killed on the boards.  11 turnovers for Bamberg is ok, but allowing only seven Alba Berlin turnovers will make it harder to get extra possessions especially when you need more and more in a comeback. Anton Gavel stepped up as usual and Bamberg got nice production inside from Maik Zirbes and Jamar Smith, but where were Casey Jacobsen a Rakim Sanders or Jared Jordan? Bamberg that gell as a team didn´t play as a team. Jordan had eight points and five assists in 32 minutes which are stats that he might have at halftime during a stellar game by him. When you see Bamberg manager Wolfgang Heyder roaming around an arena before a game, you often get the feeling he is cherishing old memories with his team that once happened or in deep thought about what can make his team better tomorrow. Before the game against the Fraport Skyliners, the German had some time to reflect on the cup weekend. “We weren´t as stable as we wanted to be in Ulm. We have had many new guys coming in with Fisher, Harris and Jordan are still finding ourselves and that is why we are a bit inconsistent. We have many young guys and with Smith and Sanders they can be up and down and when Casey Jacobsen is in a hole then it is tough to win. You can always lose against Alba Berlin. Sanders didn´t have a good game against Alba Berlin, but played well against FC Bayern Munich. Jordan still needs to be integrated. He has only been here four weeks and when you always get pressured, it isn´t easy to always play well. Everything just needs to fit together. We have to be more consistent and play team basketball. When each guy is helping each other, then we tend to play well”, warned Bamberg manager Wolfgang Heyder.

The Brose Baskets Bamberg entered the game in second place with a record of 22-4 and were coming off the semi final loss in the cup game against Alba Berlin. Bamberg played an all around solid game and were to heighten their defense each step of the way especially in the second half as the Fraport Skyliners had huge difficulty getting into their sets as they were not accustomed to fighting through their pressure defense. “This was a very big win for us coming off the cup weekend and gave us much self confidence. We locked down as a team on defense and on offense we cut hard, moved the ball well and made the extra pass. Jared Jordan made it so much easier for us as he gave us easy shots through his passing of both hands so well”, stated ex Boston Celtic Jamar Smith. The Fraport Skyliners came into the game with a 11-14 record and in 11^th place and wanted to start a new winning streak after their bitter one point loss to the Walter Tigers Tuebingen last weekend. The Fraport Skyliners played a strong first quarter and were behind only by a bucket at half time, but in the second half were unable to get any scoring power as Bamberg locked down on defense. “We had a good first quarter and started to let down in the second and third quarters. We made  a push in the fourth quarter, but they hit some big shots and our mental mistakes allowed them to pull away”, stressed Oklahoma native Jacob Burtschi. It wasn´t only the aggressive Bamberg defense that forced costly turnovers, but it was also the mental lapses that really ate away at the Frankfurt game. “We had many turnovers and as a result our intensity dropped. You can´t play like that against  a team like Bamberg. They took advantage of it”, expressed ex Tuebingen forward Dane Watts.

On a rare Wednesday game where Borussia Dortmund was playing Champions League soccer in Madrid, only 3,580 fans wanted to see the game. Frankfurt was without Dane Watts while the Brose Baskets Bamberg were without American Sharod Ford and Anton Gavel. The Brose Baskets Bamberg got on the board first as ex Real Madrid center D or Fisher hit a mid distance jumper, but Frankfurt quickly got on the board as Quantez Robertson spun inside and no Bamberg player even had the audacity attempting to get in his way. Bamberg continued to roll on offense as Fisher connected again from 15 feet for the 5-2 advantage. Skyliner Johannes Voigtmann then battled inside getting the offensive rebound and putting the reverse lay up into the hoop as Frankfurt trailed 5-4. American Rakim Sanders then showcased his pretty shooting stroke hitting from downtown, but Frankfurt kept up the pressure as American Ramon Galloway made a fade away jumper at the shot clock buzzer and Voigtmann made a baby hook to tie the game at 8-8. Sanders and Danilo Barthel exchanged baskets as the game stayed even 10-10. However the Fraport Skyliners then inserted the turbo closing out the first quarter with a big 10-3 run to lead 20-13 after one quarter. Robertson and konstantin Klein hit back to back three pointers and Galloway connected on an off balance shot. Sanders closed out the first quarter with a buzzer beater three pointer. “Frankfurt was defending very well and they hit some big three pointers. Sanders kept Bamberg in the game with big shots.”, stressed Phoenix Hagen assistant coach Steven Wriedt. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 67% from the field and 100% from outside while the Brose Baskets Bamberg were shooting 50% from the field and 50% from outside. Frankfurt had the 6-4 rebound edge and three turnovers while Bamberg had six turnovers.

In the second quarter, the Fraport Skyliners relinquished their lead and let Bamberg back in the game. Bamberg started the second quarter with a powerful 5-0 run as Maik Zirbes made a 20 footer after getting a quick pass from John Goldsberry and Sanders  once again fired from outside connecting on an open three pointer as Frankfurt led 20-18. Aziz Ndiaye entered the game and quickly jolted the arena with a massive dunk as Robertson sneaked a quick feed inside, but Bamberg was able to execute on offense and retook the lead 23-22 as Zirbes nailed a 20 footer and Smith stole the ball form Klein and went coast to coast for the easy bucket. Frankfurt suffered many lousy turnovers in the quarter as they mostly resulted in easy scores. Galloway did give Frankfurt the lead back stroking home a three ball as Frankfurt led 25-23. Bamberg then went on a 6-0 run taking advantage of more Frankfurt turnovers as Smith made a jumper, Sanders scored on  a lay in after a Fisher block on Barthel and Elias Harris made free throws as Bamberg led 29-25. Frankfurt did close the second quarter with an enormous Voigtmann two handed jam as Galloway found the trailer. “Bamberg stepped up their defense which was more aggressive forcing many turnovers. Sanders continued to make shots. Frankfurt was defending well as it was a typical Frankfurt game in the 60´s, but they couldn´t get anything going on offense”, added American Steven Wriedt. The Brose Baskets Bamberg were shooting 48% from the field and 50% from the three point line while the Fraport Skyliners were shooting 48% from the field and 38% from the three point line. Frankfurt had the 14-13 rebound edge and both teams had nine turnovers a piece.

In the third quarter, the Fraport Skyliners offense stalled like an old beat up 1975 Volkswagon beetle that needed some movement again after being holed up in the garage for two years as the Brose Baskets Bamberg slowly pulled away on a 15-3 run to lead 44-30 as it took Frankfurt almost five minutes to score their first field goal. On the run, Bamberg got rolling as American Jared Jordan tested his ankle after hurting it in the second quarter and ran around the court and around all Skyliners before weaving inside and scoring off balance as Voigtmann was a step to slow, Sanders and Fisher made free throws and Smith made two bombs form the parking lot for the damage. Bamberg was doing all the little things, making big defensive plays and just playing smart while Frankfurt looked a bit puzzled on the offensive end and made bad decision after bad decision which usually resulted in a turnover. American Jarred Dubois finally made the first field goal for Frankfurt with a three pointer as Frankfurt trailed 44-33. Down the stretch, ex TBB Trier center Maik Zirbes made two buckets inside and Dubois closed out the third quarter with only the second field goal of the quarter as Bamberg led 49-37. “Bamberg did a very good job taking away our entry on offense. We also held the ball too long letting the shot clock wind down too often. You can´t let that happen against a quality team like Bamberg”, warned Missouri native Dane Watts. “We came together on defense and forced many turnovers and got easy buckets”, warned ex Los Angeles Laker Elias Harris. The Brose Baskets Bamberg were shooting 44% from the field and Frankfurt 35% and they had the 24-23 rebound edge, but 15 turnovers while Bamberg had 12 turnovers.

In the fourth quarter, the Fraport Skyliners continued to battle back, but Bamberg was always capable of having an answer on offense to keep the lead near 10 points. Klein started the fourth quarter with a pull up jumper and Ndiaye made a free throw to cut the Bamberg lead to 49-39. Harris then made a three pointer, which seemed to have been after the shot clock expired, but the refs let it go as Bamberg led 53-39. “I think that shot and call deflated us, but that is part of the game. Not everything can go your way. We had to be mentally tough in that situation, but weren´t”, stressed Dane Watts. “That Harris three pointer hurt us and next time down I rim out  a three pointer. They made the shots when they needed to and that is why they are the defending champions”, stated Jacob Burtschi. Frankfurt then was caught sleeping as Jordan zipped a bullet pass from the inbounds play finding German national player Karsten Tadda for the easy basket as Bamberg led 55-41. Frankfurt continued to have bright moments as Voigtmann made a tip in off a Robertson miss as Frankfurt trailed only 55-44. However Bamberg was always able to react as ex NBA player Casey Jacobsen nailed a three pointer to keep Bamberg at 58-44. With time running down, Frankfurt had one last push going on a 6-0 run to cut the Bamberg lead to 58-50 as Voigtmann made a mini hook shot over Fisher, Robertson went coast to coast for the lay in and Galloway showed all his athletic ability moving in form the wing for the simple penetration bucket. However American Jamar Smith sealed the Bamberg win with two consecutive three pointer as Bamberg extended their lead to 64-50 with a minute to go. “You could say that Sanders and I supplied the knockout punch tonight. My teammates have a lot of confidence in me and found me and I feel always comfortable taking those kinds of shots”, added Jamar Smith. Frankfurt closed out the game with a 4-0 run as Galloway made free throws and Voigtman made a lay in. The Brose Baskets Bamberg were led by Jamar Smith with 18 points and Rakim Sanders added 16 points. The Fraport Skyliners were led by Johannes Voigtmann with 15 points and seven rebounds while Ramon Galloway added 13 points. Frankfurt had a miserable shooting day with 37% from the field and 24% from outside while Bamberg shot a respectable 43% from the field and 41% from outside. Frankfurt did win the rebound battle 34-28, but had a weak 18 turnovers while Bamberg countered with 15 turnovers. Team basketball was a problem against Bamberg and Frankfurt will need to find that again when they tangle with the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg. The Fraport Skyliners don´t have much time to ponder over the loss as they play in Wurzburg in 48 hours.

 

Jason Boucher is a 33 year old 180cm guard from Menominee, Michigan that just completed his eighth professional basketball season in Germany with Rattelsdorf. He started his basketball career in 1998 for  Grand Valley State (NCAA2) where he played until 2002. He played a total of 106 NCAA 2 games and as a senior played  28 games: 8.6ppg, 2.8rpg, 5.3apg, 2.4spg, FG: 40.4%, 3Pts: 39.8%, FT: 81.9%. He came to Germany in 2004-2005 and played for  TB Weiden (Germany-Regionalliga). From 2005-2007, he played in the minor leagues in the States for Grand Rapids Flight (IBL), Michigan Mayhem (CBA), Battle Creek Knights (IBL) and  Albany Patroons (CBA). In 2007-2008, he returned back to Germany to play for the Coocoon Baskets Weiden. From 2008-2010, he played for Heimerer Schulen Basket Landsberg (Germany-Regionalliga) where he tore up the league averaging 28,0ppg in those two seasons. In 2010-2011, he played for the  BiG Oettinger Rockets Gotha (Germany-ProB) playing 17 games averaging 15.6ppg, 2.5rpg, 2.5apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 60.7%, 3PT: 36.5%, FT: 84.5%. Last season he played for the  Dresden Titans (Germany-ProB): 22 games: 19.0ppg, 3.0rpg, 2.8apg, 1.8spg, FGP: 53.8%, 3PT: 38.8%, FT: 83.2%. He spoke to German Hoops about basketball.

 

 

As I recall at the end of the 2012-2013 season you were content on retiring from professional basketball if you didn´t get a good offer. You decided to come back in January 2014 and joined German Regionaliga team Rattelsdorf. Why did you come back at the age of 33 to play Regionaliga ball?

 

I never really wanted to quit playing, I had a couple offers in different countries fall through at the last minute. I was then going to play in Canada and as luck would have it that fell through too, so I was back in Michigan contacting every team I could and season already started so I had to wait until xmas break. Rattelsdorf was struggling and needed a player like me and I am thankful they gave me a chance to come and help them out.

You came to a team that was 1-10. What were the main reasons why the team was struggling? It seems like they were young and were lacking an experienced head?

Yeah they struggled before I got here, main reasons I was told was because they were young and no experience at the point guard position and turnovers were killing them in games.

You played many years of Regionaliga ball playing in Weiden, Landsberg and Dresden. After also playing Pro B ball, was there anything you had to get used to again?

For me it doesn’t matter the league I play in, I play the same way every day and every game. I had to come in this season ready to play 40mins a game and be a leader and do the majority of the scoring right away. They counted on me to make smart decisions with the ball and help our young guys get confidence and play hard every day.

After you came to Ratteldorf, you led the team to a 7-4 record. What are you most proud of that the team was able to accomplise once you came on board?

I think what I am most proud of in my time here in Rattelsdorf is not how many points I scored but the way the team changed. Every person on our team played hard the whole game and they were not doing that before I got here. Even though they had a rough first half record, I got my teammates to believe in what we were doing and play hard and give it all they had reguardless of our record. We had a lot of big wins in the 2nd half of this season!

How much of a challenge was it coming to a very young team with some guys 13-14 years younger than you?

It was a big challenge having some guys on the team that is 16 and 18yrs old, I mean when I was that age they were not even born yet haha. but they wanted to learn and get better so it was nice to see the improvement and how they work to get better every day.

With so many young guys on the club, did you sometimes feel like an assistant coach? Is coaching something you might want to do after your playing career?

Yeah most of the time that’s what I felt like on the floor and even at practice. Our head coach gave me the freedom and opportunity to coach the guys whenever I wanted and we worked together on and off the floor to make this team the best we could. When I am done playing I would love to have the opportunity to coach either in Europe or back in the states!

What young German player impressed you the most on the team that could move up some levels once he continues to develop?

I think Max Theim has a really good chance to move up leagues in the future. He is a point guard/shooting guard with the right work ethic and skills to do some good things in his career. He always working and asking questions on how to get better. I am looking forward to seeing how he develops his game in the coming years!

In 11 games, you averaged 32,1ppg which was the most you have ever averaged in Regionaliga after your 28,8ppg at Landsberg. How happy were you with your play?

I was pretty pleased with the way I played this season. Yeah the 32pts a game were nice but what I like the most about this season was how we finished the season. I mean we won 7 games while I was here compared to the one or two before I got here. Our team changed a lot and improved a lot in the 3months I was here and I am most pleased with that!

You finished your last game scoring 48 points and knocking down nine three pointers. Did you feel like a man playing with boys in this game?

It was just one of those games for me, I was in a groove in the 2nd half and guys set a lot of good screens for me to get open. I have had games like this before even in higher leagues so I never feel like a man amongst boys when I am playing, I just play my game and know I put the work and time in to be successful at any level.

You had very good stats, so I presume you want to keep your basketball career alive. You have played only in Germany in Europe. Would another country interest you now so late in your career?

Basketball is my life and my passion for almost 30yrs now, I love it here in Germany, but I will play in any country if that is what it comes down too. I would love to stay and finish my career in Germany but if another opportunity comes in a different country then I will play!

You will be turning 34 in May. What can you still offer a team at your age? Is there anything in your game that could help any team besides your scoring?

I think most importantly I can offer a team is my leadership and I a veteran player that knows how to win. I can be a scoring point guard/shooting guard or I can be a point guard that runs the team and gets teammates open shots. I make all my teammates better and I think that is a good quality to have. My basketball I.Q. is very high and I know the game inside and out.

If you could describe in a few sentences why any team should hire you for next season how would you describe it?

If a team is looking for a guy that knows the game and knows how to win and is a competitor in every sense of the word then I think I am a great fit for any club. Like I said before I can score and can shoot. but I also take care of the ball and make my teammates better. I have been told my every club I play for I am an exciting player to watch and I am also good with helping the younger players develop. I get the fans into the game and make the want to come watch our team play!

Basketball players usually admit that they have to work extra hard as they get older. How will your summer work out session look like in your hopes of returning to the floor?

I am in the best shape of my life, like you said I will be 34 in May, and I am not gonna do anything different in the summer. I workout on my own with shooting drills, ball handling and my fitness. I also work a lot of bball camps for the youth throughout the summer, I am in the gym every day.  I am never satisfied, so I always have something to work on and get better.

You lived a few months in Rattelsdorf the town where NBA superstar Dirk Nowitzki comes from. What was the most interesting story that you heard about him there?

I didn’t hear many stories about Dirk while I was here besides that he comes back in the summer time and runs some camps for the kids. Its always nice to know a player of that stature comes back and helps out where he from.

What is your NCAA Final and winner pick for the 2014 NCAA tournament?

Well now that is down to the final four, my team Wisconsin is still in it. so I hope they win it all. But I think Florida is going to be tough to beat. So my pick is Florida beating Wisconsin in the finals! Go Badgers though

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

The Hangover, always good for some laughs Thanks for your time Miles really appreciate it

 

Thanks Jason for the chat.

 

A decade ago the Opel Skyliners ended the seemingly unending dynasty of Alba Berlin who had won 7 Beko BBL titles in a row where winning seemed as common then for the German capital team as Macabbi Tel Aviv did in Israel. Who could forget the wide smile by Skyliner captain Pascal Roller while hoisting the trophy that lit up the Ballsporthalle arena in Frankfurt  and blended in well with the spot lights glaring in all colors. Back then you had fewer dominant teams, more scoring, less high profile name players, less Germans getting minutes and the competition level was on a lower plateau than it is today. With the arrival of boss Jan Pommer in 2005, the league has come a long way and really developed in all areas with more high profile players coming to the league, Germans playing more of a role in their teams and the skill level and competition within the league seems to have risen each year the way a hot air-ballon slowly does from the ground moving up and up into the sky. In what other basketball league in Europe can you have in a span of seven hours in four games, four upsets. On Saturday,  Medi Bayreuth went to Weissenfels and won in the always difficult wolf den beating one of the hotter teams at the moment, league doormat Walter Tigers Tuebingen growled their way to Frankfurt defeating the 2004 champion after they had disposed of the two bests scoring BBL teams the last two weeks and at the cup weekend, 8 time Beko BBL champion Alba Berlin upset Bamberg while massive underdog ratiopharm Ulm totally dominated FC Bayern Munich from the start where one had to ask if Germany´s most famous sports team had had too much Kholodets to eat on their Euroleague trip to Moscow as at times they looked as sluggish on the court as a very well conditioned NFL guard or tackle. It was a weekend full of surprises in the Beko BBL as the only thing missing for the perfect weekend would have been for ex teammates John Bryant and Per Guenther entertaining the fans at halftime with a three point shooting contest, but all in all it was a weekend with the cup of the underdog.

After winning the Beko BBL cup three times in a row, the Brose Baskets Bamberg had to surrender their reign on the coveted trophy last season to Alba Berlin who had finally won a title again after winning their last title the cup in 2009 in Hamburg. It was a nice change last season and in a way this season if one had more gone with their own feeling and the current state of both teams Bamberg and FC Bayern Munich, one may have predicted at least one upset, but in the end, it is always the big clubs that prevail while the little meaningless underdog sits and obeys like a dog does his master. Despite a 22-4 record and second place in the Beko BBL standings, Bamberg has become more and more suspect the last two seasons as winning easily has become an understatement. In the end all that matters and counts is winning, but breaking a sweat was not always on the program with Bamberg. They did blow out their last two opponnets Ulm and Ludwigsburg, but lost to Alba Berlin and won very close games to less competitive teams like Bayreuth Bremerhaven, Tuebingen and Braunschweig by a combined point total of only 11 points in the last six weeks. In the past losing to the same team twice in a row was as uncommon as ex Bamberg guard Brian Roberts not hitting a clutch shot, but there is always a time for a first and Alba Berlin managed two wins in a row. Alba Berlin won 83-67, but that was helped with a rapid surge in the fourth quarter by Alba Berlin too easily seal the win. Except for one lead change late in the first quarter, Alba Berlin led in the whole game. Where was the usual Bamberg dominance? How could Alba Berlin pull away in the fourth quarter in a do or die game against the usual so unstoppable Bamberg? One rule that is becoming more and more visible in the Beko BBL is playing just ok won´t cut it and that is what happened to Bamberg. Both teams shot poorly from outside, but Bamberg couldn´t compensate it from the field. It was no secret that Alba Berlin have the advantage inside and Bamberg was killed on the boards.  11 turnovers for Bamberg is ok, but allowing only seven Alba Berlin turnovers will make it harder to get extra possessions especially when you need more and more in a comeback. Anton Gavel stepped up as usual and Bamberg got nice production inside from Maik Zirbes and Jamar Smith, but where were Casey Jacobsen a Rakim Sanders or Jared Jordan? Bamberg that gell as a team didn´t play as a team. Jordan had eight points and five assists in 32 minutes which are stats that he might have at halftime during a stellar game by him. Alba Berlin played better team basketball and the key heads of David Logan, Reggie Redding and Leon Radosevic led them to victory. Don´t count out Chris Fleming and his team yet, because he has displayed in the past that his team is always ready for the playoffs and they are still defending champions. The Cup is a two day affair while the playoffs are a six week adventure. Jordan and co will be a new team come the playoffs.

Who knows where FC Bayern Munich legend Uli Hoeniss was on the morning of the cup semi final game against Ulm and FC Bayern-Hoffenheim soccer game, but possibly he was getting in one last round of golf or getting a jump on easter egg goodies for his family, but if someone had whispered in his ear prior to the two games that the basketball team would lose and thus be denied their first title in the city where he is from and that the soccer club would engage in a boring, tiresome 3-3 against ninth ranked Hoffenheim, he probably would have given a surprised look and created a mountain of a wrinkle on his forehead as big to be able to place a peanut between the crease. It isn´t often that both the basketball teams and soccer teams don´t have a win on the same weekend, but what the FC Bayern Munich team experienced against ratiopharm Ulm wasn´t just a loss, but it was a humiliation of the worst kind. Despite only having 48 hours to recover from a Euroleague loss and trip to Moscow, most experts would have still picked FC Bayern Munich over ratiopharm Ulm even if it was in Ulm.  However it was a game that ratiopharm Ulm controlled for 40 minutes never allowing FC Bayern Munich to get a lead. The mighty FC Bayern Munich that predicted before the season that hardware would be coming to Munich this season weren´t the mighty FC Bayern Munich, but more like a helpless Scar from the Lion King after Simba takes control of the kingdom. Nothing FC Bayern Munich did was typical, but instead were playing catch up basketball all night long and it really looked like the teams had done a role reversal only not exchanging the jerseys. Where was the usual so dominant FC Bayern Munich? Has the Euroleague gotten the best of the strongest 12 man roster in the Beko BBL? One has to ask, if the club already has reached their peak earlier in the season and it will be interesting to see if head coach Svetislav Pesic can get them back on the road of glory that they predicted they would achieve. It doesn´t matter who you are, but if most shots aren´t falling even if the ball was taped with a wish bone and Ulm are hitting contested after contested shots from Neu-Ulm than even an FC Bayern Munich will struggle to win games.  Ulm shot 54% from the parking lot while FC Bayern Munich shot 17%. That stat was a back breaker, but what broke the neck of FC Bayern Munich was the boards. Ratiopharm Ulm outrebounded Munich 48-29 and you have to ask yourself was FC Bayern Munich content on watching a new Ulm DVD being made on how to rebound as on most occasions they were standing around as the very much lower paid guys like Matt Howard, Will Cylburn or Daniel Thesis were scooping down rebounds as if their life depended on it while the FC Bayern big men actually forgot what effort stands for when balls are bouncing around the rim. Will Clyburn and Cameorn Long had great scoring games, but the team as a whole had a great supporting cast as Matt Howard got big buckets late as did Rick Pitino student Edgar Sosa to keep FC Bayern Munich at bay in the fourth quarter. One has to give a lot of credit to Ulm head coach Thorsten Leibenath who had his team more than prepared. John Byrant and Deon Thompson supplied the fire power, but they kept Malcolm Delaney under control. One really notices that when the Maryland native isn´t in his comfort zone, FC Bayern Munich can´t get in that groove. FC Bayern Munich didn´t get that team effort that Ulm got as Germans Yassin Idbihi, Heiko Schaffartzik and Robin Benzing combined for only 11 points. It will be interesting to see how FC Bayern Munich recovers from this cup weekend disaster as they also lost the third place game against Bamberg. I am more sure that Bamberg will recover better than Munich. Svetislav Pesic has a lot of work in front of him.

The final pitted defending cup champion Alba Berlin against 2013 runner up ratiopharm Ulm. For many neutral fans, it was already a very nice Sunday not only because of the beautiful spring weather, but because a title wouldn´t have the name FC Bayern Munich or Brose Baskets Bamberg on it. This was a game that despite Alba Berlin sweeping the season series 2-0 didn´t really have  a favorite since ratiopharm Ulm had upset FC Bayern Munich and had overwhelming momentum coming in and a see of orange in the stands that could of filled up half of the English channel. Alba Berlin was the defending cup champion and ratiopharm Ulm had a crazy feeling of revenge for getting the win especially finalists like Matt Howard who never could win a NCAA crown being  a two time finalist with Butler and German national player Per Guenther still looking for that first win. The first half was very close as there were nine lead changes and one could say that ratiopharm Ulm had their nose forward   a tad more than Alba Berlin. However in the third quarter, the turning point came where at the score of 45-45, Alba Berlin went on a huge 21-6 run to lead 66-51 and ratiopharm Ulm could never fully recover until the last two minutes where they cut the lead down to six and could of cut the lead to three with 20 seconds, but missed two open three pointers. Alba Berlin shot much better and totally dominated the boards 37-25 and were all around the more cool team in pressure situations and after 40 minutes were clearly the better team.  Lots of respect has to be handed to Alba Berlin for clamping down and sticking together and not letting a David Logan rumor that FC Bayern Munich is interested in his services next season ruin their team chemistry and spirit in Ulm. Logan only had 5 points in the final, but Alba Berlin showed their vast ability to share the ball as they had five players in double figures with Clifford Hammonds with 19 points and Leon Radosevic with 15 points. Walter Tiger Tuebingen manager Robert Wintermantel knows exactly what he lost when Reggie Redding went to Berlin and was confident that they would win it all before the game against Frankfurt. Without a doubt without Reggie Redding on the floor in Ulm, Alba Berlin would not have won a second consecutive cup. Redding brought them to the 2014 Top 4 on a buzzer beater against the Telekom Baskets Bonn  and was their MVP as he had 23 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds in the two games and led the team in the final with seven assists and rebounds.  Much respect also has to be given to head coach Sasa Obradovic who came to Berlin in the summer of 2012 taking over a team that was yearning for a title and had unending question marks about the future of the team. He built two very competitive teams and in two years have won two titles. This season he has let FC Bayern Munich and Bamberg do the talking and he quietly has done his work and was rewarded with his fourth coaching title in Germany. If you look back between 2003-2012, and Alba Belrin was able to win only three titles, so the hard disciplined Serb who only seemingly only smiles when no one sees it has to be credited with much responsibility for the current success. All in all, it was a great basketball weekend in the German Beko BBL and with the massive level of competition in the league, who knows, but possibly May and June could have traces, bits or even large pieces of the playoffs of the underdog?

For most of Beko BBL Germany this weekend, it was time to follow which top German team, Munich, Berlin, Bamberg or Ulm would hoist the seasons first title in the air at the cup weekend in Ulm. Just following the incredible matchups of a Jared Jordan against Clifford Hammonds, an Anton Gavel vs David Logan or seeing a Per Guenther tangle against a Malcolm Delaney was worth the time to just chill back and enjoy stunning basketball. For all the other teams that were off this weekend, it also was a time for players to catch up on the March Madness action and see how top teams like UCONN, Michigan, Michigan State, Dayton or Florida are playing and to observe top players like Nick Johnson, CJ Fair or Casey Parther strutting their stuff on the NCAA catwalk. However with all this excitement going on, there was also make up games to be played between teams like medi bayreuth and the Mitteldeutscher BC or the Fraport Skyliners and Walter Tigers Tuebingen on a very rare Saturday afternoon tipoff even before the German soccer Bundesliga had commenced. It might not have been the Beko BBL cup weekend or NCAA March Madness, but  fans still had the opportunity to see ex NBA player Daequan Cook and his 367 NBA games experience battle against the likes of Quantez Robertson and Danilo Barthel. A game is a game no matter what else is going on and the players were as focused as if it was a normal Beko BBL game day even if it was spring out with beautiful sunshine, a cool breeze and weather that would warrant pulling out a lawn chair and an enjoyable book like Drive: The story of my life”, by Boston Celtic legend Larry Bird. Despite all the action being in Ulm this weekend for the Beko BBL cup Top 4, fans in Frankfurt saw a very exciting game down the stretch as Tuebingen slipped by Frankfurt 71-70 giving basketball fans a more than suitable choice for spending two hours on a Saturday afternoon. “It was difficult to be in Ulm for the weekend since we had a game in Frankfurt, but it was a normal game for us. I had no problem being in Frankfurt for a game when there is exciting basketball in Ulm. I am very biased towards Alba Berlin since Reggie Redding plays there so I will go with Alba Berlin while I think that the Munich/Ulm game will be very close”, predicted Tuebingen and ex Skyliner Robert Wintermantel. “We just worried about our game and not where everyone else was this weekend concerning the cup. We were just focusing on ourselves. I think that Bamberg and Munich will play in the final”, warned Ohio native Quantez Robertson.

It was the debut of ex NBA player Daequan Cook in the Fraport arena and had he had his usual game of shooting out the lights, then the arena still would have been relatively bright, because of the rare early Saturday afternoon game, but the Cook spotlight was robbed from the presentation of the dynamic hair duo of Americans Quantez Robertson and Ramon Galloway. If one wasn´t too close to the court and only had a side view of both players, one might not have had the easiest time differenciating  between the two players, because both had similar hair cuts with braids. Both had very solid games and both combined for 27 points as Robertson had 17 points and hit big shots and filled up the stat sheet as always and Ramon Galloway made some tough shots, but also led the club in assists with six. Despite the bitter loss at the end of the day talk of their similarity in hair styles remained present after the game and also erased some of the focus on the tragic hero Jacob Burtschi that coughed up the ball on the last play,  the question remained with what hair style would Galloway surprise fans next against the Brose Baskets Bamberg this week? “People said I looked like the little brother of Tez. I decided to switch up hair styles as in the last game it was Bryson Johnson and this game Tez. I think next I will have the bald head Jordan look”, smiled Ramon Galloway. “Ramon has been twisting and untwisting his hair the last games. He has changed his hair now three times, but I think that he will have same look in next game”, stated Quantez Robertson. “Galloway has really been changing his look often. Maybe my hair will be his next look”, laughed ex ratiopharm Ulm forward Dane Watts.

The Walter Tigers Tuebingen came into the game in 17^th place with a record of 5-21 and it was a sort of new experience not coming into a game as the doormat of the league. Tuebingen was coming off a big 74-67 win against TBB Trier and had nothing to lose except their pride. Tuebingen came into the game challenging Frankfurt who were back to back winners against Munich and Ulm and played their hearts out. After the game, Serb coach Igor Perovic looked very relived, but also was the good sport and lauded the Fraport Skyliners and especially three people. “We had a chance the whole game to win and we took it. We showed great character and played very organized defense throughout the game. I thought that we controlled the game for 40 minutes. We didn´t deserve to win as it could have gone either way at the end. Frankfurt not only did a great job today, but the whole season. They have a great coach that play excellent and you see his hand is behind their successful play. Danilo Barthel and Johannes Voigtman are two of the top players at their position as well as the best passers at their position. These two players are a big reason for their success this year”, warned Tuebingen head coach Igor Perovic. Even if Tuebingen still has a long way to go to stay in the league. They started a new Tiger trend that has been hidden all season long. “This was a big win and most important so far this season as it was the first time we won two games in a row. We have momentum, confidence among the players, playing good defense and we need to build on that. We made the big plays when they counted. It wasn´t a perfect game, but we got the big buckets when we needed them”, stressed Oklahoma native Josh Young. The Fraport Skyliners entered the game in 11^th place with a record of 11-13 and had a huge two game winning streak having defeated Munich and Ulm and knew that they couldn´t underestimate cellar team Tuebingen, but all in all didn´t incorporate that deadly focus and intensity from the last two games and were unable to pull away in the third and fourth as they let Tuebingen cling to their backs and then had everything in their power, but lost the game on the last play. “Tuebingen was desperate and hungry to win here. They wanted to win more than we did and showed more energy for the loose balls. You cant allow that when you play at home. It was a pity that we couldn´t build on the wins from the last weeks”, warned Missouri native Dane Watts.

With the Beko BBL cup weekend in full swing and abnormal 20c for late March, only 3,920 patrons were in attendance seeing both teams find their rhythm quick as Tyrone Nash and Konstantin Klein exchanged three pointers. Then the future of German basketball took a hack at displaying who has the most beautiful touch from the mid distance as Johannes Voigtmann and Bogdan Radosavljvic traded buckets as the game was locked at 5-5. Cook then fed Bane Ratkovica on the fast break for an easy lay up and then it was Voigtmann again  scoring inside as Galloway got the assist. The Walter Tigers Tuebingen then went on a 6-0 run as Cook and Radosavljvic connected on back to back three pointers. This didn´t scare Frankfurt as they roared back going on their own 6-0 run to tie the score at 13-13. Galloway supported some fire and energy with a two handed dunk and Quantez Robertson who seems to be feeling more and more at ease from outside drilled home a three pointer. Both teams were executing well on offense, but were taking a step back on defense as open shots were as prevalent as are the first trees blossoming early. Jonathan Wallace and Klein then traded three pointers and Jarred Dubois made free throws and Russian Anatoly Kashirov hit a mid distance jumper as the first quarter ended at 18-18. “It was important that we got into the game from the start and started to score. We played solid defense and we got support from many different players”, added Tuebingen manager Robert Wintermantel. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 40% from the field and 38% from outside while the Walter Tigers Tuebingen were shooting 44% from the field and 50% from outside. Both teams had nine rebounds and five turnovers a piece.

The Walter Tigers Tuebingen took a solid first quarter offense and shifted up a few gears in the second quarter continuing to hit jumpers on a consistent rate and getting  a few more stops to go on a 14-5 run to lead 32-23. In the run, Rathkovica drilled a three pointer, Alex Harris hit a runner, Kashirov a turn around shot, Wallace a three pointer and Kashirov another jumper. Frankfurt didn´t come to terms with the Heightened Tuebingen defense which was bringing the Frankfurt pick and role to problems and turnovers. The curious thing also was that this run was a recipient of Non Cook play as he was sitting on the bench. Frankfurt closed out the third quarter with a 8-4 run to trail only 36-31 as Barthel made a few buckets and big monster block shortly before halftime on Rathkovica. “We moved the ball even better and continued to shoot very well. We made some bad unforced turnovers, but forced good turnovers. Our centers played good pick and role defense and just got Frankfurt out of their comfort zone”, expressed ex Skyliner Robert Wintermantel. The Walter Tigers Tuebingen were shooting 47% from the field and 46% from the three point line while the Fraport Skyliners were shooting 38% from the field and 27% from the three point line. Tuebingen had the 16-13 rebound edge and both teams had nine turnovers a piece.

The third quarter got very exciting as there were six lead changes and no club was capable of fully pulling away as Wallace kept the TIgers in the game with 14 points and four three pointers. The Fraport Skyliners continued to manufacture their impressive comeback going on a 9-3 run to recapture the lead 40-39. Frankfurt did a good job scoring in the paint as Robertson and Galloway used their athletic ability scoring and Voigtman also added spice inside with a lay up. Wallace as usual on this afternoon supplied three point punch.  Then both teams fought back and forth getting the lead back as Voigtman, Ratkovica, Robertson and Radosavljevic  scored, but Frankfurt held on to the lead 49-48 despite back to back three pointers by Tez and Wallace. Barthel then hit a big three pointer, but quiet Tyrone Nash scored inside as Frankfurt led 52-50. Galloway then penetrated inside and set up Aziz Ndiaye for the monster dunk as Frankfurt led 54-50. This dunk was a momentum puller as it seemed, but Tuebingen shocked the Fraport arena with a lethal 8-0 run to close out the third quarter leading 58-54 as Wallace was in the zone connecting on two consecutive three pointers. It seemed like the hole looked like the ocean for him. “It felt good.I didn´t have  a good shooting game last week, so I entered this game wanting to be more aggressive and attack more. We have many guys that can shoot and tonight it was my turn to get hot. Harris and Ratkoviva did  a good job finding me”, added Jonathan Wallace. “We were unable to put them away, but Tuebingen has good players and Wallace hit big shots”, stressed Fraport Skyliner forward Jacob Burtschi. “Wallace was our unsung hero. One could see that he really wanted to win this game”, added Oklahoma native Josh Young. The Walter Tigers Tuebingen were shooting 53% from the field and 53% from the parking lot while the Fraport Skyliners were shooting 42% from the field and 33% from the parking lot. Tuebingen had the 22-28 rebound edge and 14 turnovers while Frankfurt had 12 turnovers.

In the fourth quarter, fans would witness six more lead changes and the Fraport Skyliners came out on a mission going on a 7-2 run to retake the lead 61-60. Robertson who is known as one of the top defenders in the Beko BBL and has had to take more responsibility on offense this season nailed a three pointer and Galloway hit a clutch jumper. Then it was Robertson again who loves to fly to the hoop whenever possible and delivered  a nifty finger tip role lay in that would even have had Tina Archibald smiling. However Tuebingen snatched the lead right back again as ex Braunschweig forward Nils MIttman did what he does best nailing a three pointer as Tuebingen led 63-61. Then it was Voigtmann who fought for his own rebound and made the put back as the game was dead locked 63-63. Robertson then made an off balance shot and Wallace a floater as the game was tied 65-65. After Radosavljevic made free throws, it was Klein with another clutch three pointer as Frankfurt led 68-67. Ratkovica then gave Tuebingen the lead back 69-68 with free throws, only to be denied by Voigtmann with  a pretty lay in as Frankfurt led 70-69 with only 13,2 seconds to play. Then it was Cook who was the hero even though it had been Wallace who had done hero´s work all game long nailing a 15 footer pull up jumper. “Galloway was chasing and Cook got him with a good pump fake. One can´t give  a good shooter like Cook an open look”, stressed Quantez Robertson. “Cook didn´t have great game, but he made last shot that counted. His strong individual qualities allowed him that shot. He didn´t have many open shots, but mostly contested shots. Great shooters like him have  a very short memory. He made that last shot and forgot the rest”, stressed Tuebingen head coach Igor Perovic. Frankfurt then took a time out and with 3,8 seconds to play had one more chance to win the game, but Jacob Burtschi made a turnover electing not to shoot, but to try to find Barthel. “We fought so hard in this game and then I make this mistake. I should of shot to at least give Barthel the chance for the rebound. This last play effected the whole game. I was unable to let the team have the last shot to win the game”, stressed ex Phoenix Hagen forward Jacob Burtschi. “ I thought that Burtschi had a good look, but if the pass would have been perfect, Barthel would have had the dunk and Frankfurt would have won. Nevertheless, he is a smart player. As an opponent I am happy, but as a friend, I am sad”, expressed Josh Young. The Walter Tigers Tuebingen were led by Johnathan Wallace with 22 points. Bogdan Radosavljevic contributed 17 points. The Fraport Skyliners were led by Quantez Robertson with 17 points, six rebounds and three assists. Johannes Voigtmann added 14 points and Danilo Barthel 11 points. Ramon Galloway had 10 points. Tuebingen shot very well at 48% from the field and 46% from outside while Frankfurt shot 45% from the field and 35% from outside. Frankfurt won the rebound battle 28-27, but had 16 turnovers while Tuebingen had 15 turnovers. “We didn´t have the intensity level that we had against Munich and Ulm. We were all over the place. We need to get that intensity level back”, warned Ramon Galloway. If there is one positive thing that Frankfurt can take into the Bamberg game in 96 hours is a trait that Bamberg also do well. “We shared the ball very well. We had four guys in double figures and our offense was effective”, added Dane Watts.

 

If one were to scout the internet the last six months to find quotes from a Marko Pesic, his father or from FC Bayern Munich God, supporter, Friend and Fan Uli Hoeness concerning the fate of FC Bayern Munich basketball this season that were strewed across the world wide media like tasty chocolate sprinkles over a ice cream sundae one probably would have had a major malfunction of your PC if it had been staged to show smoke like in a Hollywood film. Everybody who has anything to do with basketball knows that this is the season where FC Bayern Munich HAS to win at least one title or in a sense if they don´t there could be some serious basketball depression seen in the front office in Munich something no one has ever seen before except possibly among the top clubs in Serie A soccer in Italy. A title in Munich is so much programed that if it doesn´t happen one could imagine some players having to give Uli Hoeness some tasty hog dogs one day soon, a Heiko Schaffarzik having to get some lessons from FC Bayern Munich soccer player Javi Martinez on his secret to nailing three pointers or a John Bryant being forced to wear the traditional Bayern Lederhosen while parading up and down posh Maximillian street in downtown Munich with an all out Borussia Dortmund attire covering his traditional Bavaria outfit. This is all massive punishment, so FC Bayern Munich knows anything less than a cup title in Ulm will be a major disappointment for the most famous German sports club in Germany. For ratiopharm Ulm, they are a major underdog, but with their progression in the cup action the last two seasons, guys like Per Guenther and Keaton Nankivil are more than ready to make the next step as they made  a third place two seasons ago and last season lost in the final to Alba Berlin. ratiopharm Ulm also have the home court advantage and Jon Leuer friend Nakivil might watch some extra film of his buzzer beater against FC Bayern Munich from the past and might even have a twinkle in his eyes as he is off in dream land the night before the game.

FC Bayern Munich come into the 2014 Beko BBL cup final as a heavy favorite despite giving up their lowest point total of the season in Frankfurt where their own usual aggressive defense was outdone by the hungry Fraport Skyliners defense. However FC Bayern Munich hasn´t been as potent in 2014 as they should have been losing three games in the Beko BBL and giving up over 80 points five times including back to back games against Braunschweig and MBC with 90 points or more. Is the Euroleague schedule and travel strain been effecting their game? However FC Bayern Munich still has the deepest roster in the league and on any day can destroy any team in the league.  The team also knows that it hasn´t won a title since 1968 and the club and long time basketball fans are as thirsty for a title as the typical Bayern Octoberfest visitor who goes there after  a long day of work. The 18 titles of master guru head coach Sveislav Pesic speak for its self. Not only history is resting on the side of FC Bayern Munich, but their play on the court. They are the best scoring team in the league with 88 points and they don´t lack with creativity either as they average 18 assists a game. If FC Bayern Munich decides to defend the way they know how then it will be very difficult for ratiopharm Ulm. ratiopharm Ulm arrive in the game as the underdog and so far the regular season hasn´t been as solid as the last few seasons as they are currently in fifth place. The club after playing a very spirited Eurocup season where they had a record of 11-7 and winning four of their last five games have also have played strong basketball as of late winning six of seven games. Their defense has been up and down this season and they will have to have a near perfect effort to defeat the always explosive prone FC Bayern Munich offense. Despite being under dogs, there are a few factors that stand in the corner for ratiopharm Ulm most importantly the home court advantage. They will have almost four times more fans than the other teams so atmosphere will be on their side, having guys like Adam Hess and Philipp Schwethelm on the court who have won a title is a small plus even if FC Bayern Munich has more hardware on the court, having Per Guenther on the court who has never won  a title, but always came in second is a plus because he has the heart of a lion and if anyone deserves a title it is him who has been the heart and soul of the club since 2008 when ex head coach Mike Taylor had the audacity to bring him from Hagen to Ulm.

They keys for FC Bayern Munich will be simple. They have to play their game and not worry about anything else. FC Bayern Munich knows exactly what they have to do to be successful. Get going quickly, hitting shots, getting out on transition and just controlling the game early on and not letting ratiopharm Ulm to get into a rhythm. Important also will be how they come to terms with the Ulm atmosphere. The Ulm arena is known for being an amazing atmosphere and FC Bayern Munich will have to somehow shut out the fans the way John Byrant does Hamburgers when he is working out during the summer to get back into shape. ratiopharm Ulm plays very good team orientated basketball and FC Bayern Munich always have to be aware of the extra pass. The key players to focus on are German national player Per Guenther and ex Rick Pitino student Edgar Sosa. Both are game changers and when they get hot form the parking lot good night. ratiopharm Ulm need to be aware of each FC Bayern Munich player, but the most dangerous are Malcolm Delaney who is looking to keep his title streak alive as a professional in his third season and x factor Bryce Taylor who also is looking for his first title in Germany and can score in bunches. They can´t allow FC Bayern Munich to get rolling in the half court. In their only meeting this season, FC Bayern Munich rolled past ratiopharm Ulm 87-70 as Malcolm Delaney had 18 points, FC Bayern Munich controlled the boards and Per Guenther had 0 assists.  An interesting fact is that the Beko BBL gave FC Bayern Munich a small break by scheduling a make up game Bamberg-Ulm three days before, so Ulm like FC Bayern Munich will have played a game shortly before the cup weekend even if the schedule strain of FC Bayern Munich will be much greater as they play a Euroleague game in Moscow 48 hours early. It will be interesting to see how well FC Bayern Munich can recuperate from the Russia tour and be awake in Ulm Saturday. Good friends John Bryant and Per Guenther may have some friendly wagers before the game as both are seeking their first professional title. Who knows if Guenther is able to lead ratiopharm Ulm into the final, a funny way for John Bryant to pay back the lost wager would be to jog around the Marien Platz in Munich dressed up in Ulm attire giving Per Guenther  a piggy back ride and not releasing him until he hits a three pointer from a special court made for the occasion and if FC Bayern Munich makes the final, Per Guenther then has to sit in a huge kettle of spicy hog dogs and hand feed Bryant and each teammate for a supper. FC Bayern Munich will reach the final winning by 10 points.

The most exciting and intriguing semi final pits 14 league titles against one another as 8 time Beko BBL champion Alba Berlin meets 6 time Beko BBL winner Brose Baskets Bamberg in the final before the final. Both teams have been in the shadow of the mighty FC Bayern Munich and each club would wish for nothing more at the moment than to go into the playoffs with already one title in their pockets. Bamberg won three cups in a row with their last being two years ago, and last year Alba Berlin finally ended their title drought dating back to their last cup win in 2009 beating ratiopharm Ulm in the cup final. It has been a roller coaster season for Bamberg with roster changes as like last season the point guard position with new players Teddy Gipson and Zack Wright this season didn´t pan out. With the arrival of Jared Jordan, Bamberg manager Wolfgang Heyder surprised every one and may just have booked the ticket for both finals this season. Alba Berlin has been like a troubled child of the league the last years that is so gifted, but can´t use its talent to shine in basketball life as the 8 time Beko BBL champion hasn´t won  a league title since 2006 and really has been overhauled by Bamberg in the last years as the top team in the Beko BBL. They have been one of the hottest teams in the Beko BBL in the last months and reached the Eurocup last 8 and might have the perfect roster this year that combines deepness, character and skill that will be enough for at least one title. Head coach sasa Obradovic did a superb job finding the right mix and the question is can the team still heighten their play in the last months to make that next step getting new hardware back to the German capital?

Every season seems to be getting more and more difficult for the Brose Baskets Bamberg to dominate coupled with the vast competiveness that the Beko BBL seems to increase in each season and this season is no exception. Each team guns for Bamberg and the simplicity that Bamberg once had to win games in the past when guys like Kyle Hines, PJ Tucker and Marcus Slaugher were on board has become history as it seems to be getting more and more tough to win games as this season has shown. Currently Bamberg has a 21-4 record and is in second place which is very commendable, but the way they win has changed. They had stellar back to back wins against Wurzburg and Frankfurt allowing only 49 and 43 points, but then had an interesting span of four games in a row where they really were challenged winning by not more than a combined total of 11 points against Bayreuth, Bremerhaven, Tuebingen and Braunschweig. Mind you these are not playoff teams and with some misfortune which they definitely didn´t have in Bayreuth the club could of lost all games and now have eight loses and be in fourth of fifth place and having some real heat behind them with team sneaking up the rear. Bamberg as always has talent, but that killer instinct and total reliance of each player is simply missing that has been seen in the past. In the first three years where Bamberg was unbreakable the club also never had more than two new players coming in, that changed last season with more players coming and going and really hit its pinnacle this season as guys like Jamar Smith, Rakim Sanders, Novica Velickovic  and Damir Markota came and during the season more new faces came with Elias Harris, D or Fischer and Jared Jordan. Even that is a lot for manager Wolfgang Heyder to digest from his standing place at center court in the entrance to the visitor dressing room in Bamberg. However when push comes to shove, Bamberg is still the defending champion and team to beat and are still the best crunch time team. You can ask any Beko BBL coach who the favorite still is and each will say Bamberg except for maybe Sveislav Pesic. Some reasons why Bamberg have the tools to win it all in Ulm. With Jared Jordan, Bamberg has the best point guard in Germany and could be the difference. Just having that solid foundation of core players of the last title teams like ex NBA player Casey Jacobsen, Anton Gavel or Johns Goldsberry is worth gold. Having Anton Gavel who is one of the top three players in the Beko BBL is also vital since even if his shot technic will have any basketball coach cringe, its as effective as the banana shot of Brasil soccer legend Roberto Carlos.

Alba Berlin on the other hand is hoping to be a type of smiling third party when the hardware is given this season as FC Bayern Munich and the Brose Baskets Bamberg are more favorites to win a title than Alba Berlin. But that is something that should not bother world champion with Yugoslavia Sasa Obradovic who despite the continuing pressure to win each season in Berlin can continue to quietly go about his work preparing his team each weekend as there is more of a silent pressure in Berlin as the loud pressure is more in Munich and Bamberg. Alba Berlin may only be in third place with a record of 19-7, but they have belonged to the top teams this season and even had an amazing 16 game winning streak combined in BBL and Eurocup play. This season Alba Berlin has had a 10 game winning streak in the Beko BBL and reached the final 8 of the Eurocup. Even if they lost by 32 points in Valencia, anything is possible in basketball. Even if Alba Berlin could use a Dashaun Wood from the bench in the return game, their offense is already potent enough to score 32 plus points. Alba Berlin hit a small road block the last weeks as they lost three of four games against Hagen on the road where they simply have problems to win and against Ludwigsburg and Oldenburg. However they picked up the pieces two weeks ago getting a huge win at home against Bamberg with Jared Jordan which will have their confidence sky high for the next battle against Chris Fleming and co in Ulm. Alba Berlin may have their best roster in years supplied with the perfect chemistry that could win it all. History is also on the side of Alba Berlin as it has won seven cup titles in 10 attempts and  Sasa Obradovic has won the cup as player and coach with Alba Berlin and Cologne. Alba Berlin also has many young players that are searching for that first title like Akeem Vargas, Jonas Wolfarth Bottermann, Reggie Redding or moonlight singer Levon Kendall.

The season series stands at 1-1 as Bamberg won a nail bitter at home 73-69 and recently lost in Berlin 70-58. Important for Alba Berlin will be to play aggressive defense the way they did recently in the win against Bamberg in Berlin. They have given up 70 points or less eight times this season and will have to have to have their game face on on defense. Important also is too use their height advantage and dominate the boards. Two months ago It would have been easier said than done to focus most on a Casey Jacobsen or Anton Gavel, but now with a Jared Jordan running the show and many other explosive players like Elias Harris and Rakim Sanders, Alba Berlin will need to be as alert for 40 minutes as Bamberg will be for David Logan not getting free from the parking lot. Important for Bamberg will be not to get lost in the Alba Berlin rebound shuffle  and not let them get out and running and controlling the tempo. David Logan may be the key player, but if Bamberg can put a somewhat solid defender on him like a Karsten Tadda then a guy like Logan can be controlled. However two key players that need to be shut down are Mr Buzzer beater Reggie Redding that shot Alba Berlin to the 2014 cup top four past the Telekom Baskets Bonn and who really is their best player because he can do so many things well. His versatility is unmatched on the Alba Berlin roster. The other guy is Leon Radosevic who is having a very strong season after coming off an injury. The Croatian has demonstrated that he can be a sort of go to guy as he nailed Italian Eurocup team Sassari with 42 points in two games on 17/26 shooting. A disadvantage for both teams could be, but wont be on account of their deep rosters the fact that they both play games leading up to the cup weekend. Alba Berlin plays at home against Sassari four days before the cup weekend, while Bamberg plays ratiopharm Ulm three days before the cup weekend. This will be a spectacular and exciting semifinal game with both clubs having great chances to reach the final. However Bamberg won´t lose twice to Alba Berlin. Bamberg with their unstoppable and hardworking coaching staff will be ready for Alba Berlin and fans will see a rejuvenated Bamberg team reach the final winning by 5 points.