Jeremy Black is a 27 year old 203cm forrwad from Tampa, Florida that is playing 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. He has only played for two teams with Science City Jena and is now playing his fourth season with BG Karlsruhe.Last season for BG Karlsruhe he played 39 games: 12.3ppg, Reb-3(8.8rpg), 1.5apg, FGP: 49.6%, FT: 66.8% He spoke to German Hoops before the game against Crailsheim.

 

BG Karlsruhe suffered a tough 86-77 loss last weekend to Kirchheim. Kirchheim broke away in the second half to win the game. What was the main difference in the second half for getting another loss?

I think we lost a lot of tough ones over the last 10 games played, Kirchheim was no different. We gave up 47 points in the second half. Our lack of defense consistency and too many errors I think hurt us the most.

Had BG Karlsruhe shot better from the free throw line the way Crailsheim did, then you probably would have won the game. How agitating is that and will free throws be on the agenda this week?

Free throws are always critical I think in any game, however I wouldn’t say that lost us the game! I personally feel like we lost the game on the defensive end of the floor! When we cant score points you have to counter that by not letting your opponent score either.

After a nice playoff run last season, the hopes were very high this season, but it has been a season to forget. How frustrating has it been? Do you have any reasons why the club is at the bottom despite having a pretty nice roster?

I think everyone around the league wants to know the answer to this question. This year has been a complete opposite mirror image of last year. I’ve never been on a team with so many injuries. Every week its been someone different since pretty much preseason. Its frustrating but its life and you can’t pick and choose your battles. You just have to keep fighting.

Have you ever had a stretch in your career like this season where you have lost so many close games? BG Karlsruhe have lost seven tight games by less than five points. There was even a stretch where the club lost three games in a row by not more than 5 points combined. Is it more a mental problem or is the team not a crunchtime club this season?

I haven’t had a season like this ever in my career! I would say its bad luck I guess. I remember last season we won the last three of a five game winning streak by a margin of five points as well.

How badly does BG Karlsruhe miss Michael Stockton and are you surprised that he has fit in very nicely at the Beko BBL level?

I’m not surprised at all that Mike is playing well in the BBL. His game speaks for itself. He’s a fan favorite and an energetic leader, I don’t know what organization wouldn’t miss a player like him.

You are averaging 11,3ppg and 8,22rpg this season. How happy have you been with your season and what can still be improved most in your game?

To me I will always feel like I can improve in certain areas of my game; but the most important stat to me that needs to be improved for this season is more W’s less L’s

The next game is against Crailsheim. What do you remember from the 83-70 loss? Carlos Medlock hit you with 23 points.

I don’t remember much about the game but I do know Crailsheim is sitting second on the table and just had their 11 game winning streak snapped.

BG Karlsruhe plays for pride now. What kind of game can we expect and what will be key in getting the win?

I think we will go out compete just like every game! We don’t expect any team to have a pity party for us! We just have be consistent on both ends of the floor.

Lamar Odom is back and now in Europe for a Spanish team. Do you see him playing a role in Europe and can he get used to the style here?

I think Lamar is looking for the reset button on his career. I think europe is him starting over. He can adjust if he WANTS to be there.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

I haven’t watched a DVD in a minute but I just finished the TV show, Breaking Bad!

 

Thanks Jeremy for the chat.

 

Jermale Jones is a 27 year old 186cm guard from Birmingham, Alabama that is playing his second season for German pro B club TV Lich. He started his basketball career in 2005 for  Lawson State CC (JUCO) where he played until 2007. H ethen played two more years at Tuskegee (NCAA2). In 2011-2012 he came to Germany and played for SSV Lokomotive Bernau (Germany-ProB) playing 18 games: 17.5ppg, 2.0rpg, 1.7apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 45.6%, 3PT: 36.4%, FT: 79.2%. Last season he played for the  Licher Basket Baeren (Germany-ProB) playing  25 games: 14.8ppg, 2.7rpg, 1.8apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 46.2%, 3PT: 34.4%, FT: 77.3%. He spoke to German Hoops before the game against Baunach.

 

Thanks Jermale for talking to eurobasket.com again. In the tough 84-77 loss in Langen, you played only 20 minutes and had to leave on account of injury. What is your status and will you play on Saturday against Baunach?

My current status as of now is to take it day by day. Right now I don’t know if I will play but it will be a game day decision

The  Licher Basket Baeren had their winning streak snapped in Langen and made a run in the fourth quarter, but couldn´t pull out a road win. What were the main reasons for not getting the win?

Looking back at the start of the game.We dug ourselves a hole early. We were doing other things instead of sticking to the gameplan. In the 4th quarter we made a run but we didn’t get many defensive stops when we needed them down the stretch.

Your teammate Bill Borekambi had another solid game with 16 points. Overall he is one of the elite players on the team averaging 18,9ppg and 9,0rpg. He already has Beko BBL experience. Do you see him returning back to the top German league?

Yes I can see Bill being back in the BBL very soon.  When he joined our team only thing I could say was he was the missing piece to our team. It was amazing how we had got a player like Bill on our team. To me he is one of the best young German guys that’s playing in the league. Which ever BBL team gives him the opportunity he’s going to make a major impact to their team!!!

You are playing your second season with The  Licher Basket Baeren and have improved in scoring and rebounds. How happy have you been with your season and what part of your game do you need to work most on?

At the beginning of the season I was feeling very excited about our season because we won our 1st game and after that the next 4 games were tough losses and I was very unhappy about how our season was looking so far. As of now I feel better about our season because we started 1-4 and we have put in so much work to change our season around to where we are now. Every part of my game needs to be worked on because there is always space for improvement.

In your scouting report, you are seen as a good passer. Is getting your assists average up also something that you take pride in?

I think it’s important for me not only to be a scorer but also to share the ball with my teammates. That’s what’s making us successful.

At the moment the  Licher Basket Baeren are in seventh place with a record of 10-10. How confident are you that the team will be playing post season?

I’m very confident about playing in the post season. We just have to take care of business.

You beat Baunach 82-71 at the start of the season at home. What memories do you have of that game? Antonio Stabler was pretty consistent in the paint?

I remember them being a very young team and very aggressive. Antonio Stabler was a very solid player against us in the paint.

TV Lich wants the playoffs. What kind of game can we await and what will be key in getting the win?

We are expecting a very tough game. The key to this game is to keep them off the boards.. They are a very strong rebounding team. And if we go out and play the way we know we can and stick to our game plan we will win this game but it won’t be easy.

Lamar Odom has signed with a Spanish team. Do you seem him getting his basketball career restarted in Europe and will he be able to play team basketball?

I think it’s a nice move for Lamar Odom. To me I think he’s trying to prove a point by showing that he still loves the game and wants to play the game because NBA teams wouldn’t give him another chance. He’s trying to get back in the NBA.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

 

The Wolf of Wall Street.

 

Thanks for the chat Jermale.

 

 

Jermel Kennedy  is a 24 year old 201cm forward from Toronto Canada that is playing his first season in the German Pro B with TV Langen. He started his basketball career in 2008 with  Iowa Central Community College (NJCAA) playing 26 games: 4.3ppg, 3.8rpg, FGP:47.3%, FT: 57.1%. In 2009-2010, he played for Volunteer State Community College (NJCAA) playing  27 games: 11.7ppg, 8.2rpg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 26.0%, FT: 83.0%. He finished his college basketball career at Lander in 2012 playing two seasons there and as a senior played  27 games: 11.0ppg, 7.0rpg, 1.2spg, FGP: 66.1%, FT: 70.5%. Last summer he was drafted by Moncton Miracles (NBL Canada,1rd(6). He spoke to German Hoops after the big 84-77 home win against TV Lich

 

Congrats on the 84-77 home win against TV Lich. It was the fourth win in the last five games for TV Langen. Now the club is back in the playoff hunt. Is playoffs on your minds?

 

Thank you Miles. Playoffs have always been on our minds if we can keep up this consistent team play I’m sure we can make some real noise in the playoffs

TV Langen dominated the first quarter making 28 points. The club established early a healthy way of sharing the ball. How important is this concept of sharing the ball despite having two natural scorers like Martins Woody and yourself?

The concept of sharing the ball is much easier to understand when you trust your teammates and when woody and I lead by example by distributing the ball in the right spots for the right guys.

TV Langen had the comfortable 48-33 lead at halftime. Only you scored once in the second quarter and the rest of the points were made by the vast supporting cast of TV Langen players. One guy I haven´t dwelled on is German Cedric Quarshie. How important is having a guy like him who doesn´t get many minutes, but is just as important as the other guy on the team?

Well we value Cedric very much he’s extremely versatile and we can count on him to do anything that ensures our victory.

TV Langen was up by 16 points after three quarters, but TV Lich made a run in the fourth quarter and cut it down to as little as six points. Were you surprised that they made this run and did you guys run a little out of gas?

Well basketball is a game of runs we figured they were going to make a run eventually the question was how were we going to respond. We maintained the lead to the end and that’s all coach Thomas cared about.

Is finishing the game the only real negative point to the game? Is this something that the club will be focusing on on improving in the last games?

I don’t think our finish is negative at all we will take it as a positive on something that we never had an issue with before and build on from there

Giving up 77 points in a Pro B game is solid. TV Langen held TV Lich zu 25% from down town and easily won the rebounding duel. What other defensive factors were you pleased about in the victory?

I believe our help and recover rotations were a little better this game and we did a much better job of knowing when to help and when not to.

German Bill Borekambi had a very solid game with 16 points and eight rebounds. He has had Beko BBL experience. What was your impression of him and can do you see him banging with players in higher levels?

Borekambi was pretty good he knows where to attack the rim and he has good instinct to where the ball will land off a rebound. I can see him playing well against some BBL competition as well.

You finished with 16 points and eight rebounds on 7/16 shooting. Was this just a another normal day at the office. Tonight when your going to sleep, will you have some of those nine missed shots in your mind on how you could of made them or made better shooting decisions?

It most definitely wasn’t my best game and yes I always have those miss shots or bad possessions on my mind so I can remember what I won’t do or what I need to work on for the week.

The Pro B team of the hour are the Fraport Skyliners juniors. They have won seven games in a row and now seem to be alock for the playoffs. The last time you saw them play was a big rout at home winning 93-69. In that game high talented BBL players like Danilo Barthel, Johannes Voigtmann and Kevin Bright played. The club has been winning games without them and mostly German players. How surprised are you off this development?

I’m not surprised at all actually most of their young group of guys are talented I’m sure there getting the minutes and time they deserve and there taking advantage of it in a positive and winning matter.

Is this a good example that sometimes a team can be successful with very young players and a little less talent, but much heart and fighting spirit? They have won the last four games combined by not more than 8 points all being close wins.

I wouldn’t take away talent from them. They have all the attributes to being a well rounded team and if you have that you can beat anybody.

Lamar Odom has signed with a Spanish club. Do you think that he will be able to find a role and play basketball the way he knows to? The last year has been shear turmoil for him an dthis move seems like a way to restart his basketball career.

Hopefully Lamar is doing great and I’m sure he will play his game the best way he knows how to.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

Jon Gotti.

Thanks Jermel for the chat.

 

Max Weber is a 28 year old 201cm forward playing for SC Rasta Vechta. He started his basketball career with SG Roterburg Cadet Team in 1999. In 2003, he moved to BBC Bayreuth. In 2004, he played for GHP Bamberg until 2006 having a license to play for TSV Troester Breitenguessbach. He was only able to play 6 games for Dirk Bauermann, but he won the 2005 BBL title. He played for The Deutsche Bank Skyliners from 2006-2009 and also had a license to play for TV Langen from 2006-2008. He played 19 games in the BBL for Frankfurt in his three years and seven Eurochallenge games. In 2009-2010, he played for Giessen playing  28 games: 2.6ppg, 1.4rpg. In 2010-2011, he played for the Saar-Pfalz Braves (ProA, starting five): 27 games: 11.5ppg, 3.3rpg, 2.2apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 46.6%, 3PT: 27.0%, FT: 60.0%. In 2011-2012 he played for  BG Goettingen (1.Bundesliga, starting five): EuroChallenge: 6 games: 4.5ppg, 2.7rpg, 1.2apg; German League: 33 games: 6.4ppg, 2.3rpg, 1.6apg, FGP: 48.4%, 3PT: 27.1%, FT: 59.6%. Last season he played for the Neckar RIESEN Ludwigsburg (BBL): 32 games: 3.4ppg, 1.9rpg. He spoke to German Hoops after the 82-80 loss against the Telekom Baskets Bonn.

A tough 82-80 loss at home to the Telekom Baskets Bonn. Are these close game losses slowly becoming a nightmare for SC Rasta Vechta? It was the fifth loss of the season with three or less points?

We controlled the game for 37 minutes tonight and at the end we were missing that little luck to get the win. We fought until the end, but Bonn hit the big shots despite a good defense by us. I can only congratulate them. Of course it is once again very bitter to lose a game like this again, but we can´t stick our heads in the sand, but need to build on our performance.

Sc Rasta Vechta had the comfortable 28-17 lead after one quarter and led 42-35 at halftime. Was head coach Pat Elzie happy with the play after 20 minutes and had the game plan been followed to his liking?

I felt that we played a very good first half. We did exactly what we wanted to do on the defensive side. I think that we were more concentrated than in the other games.

Bonn made their run in the fourth quarter. Tony Gaffney and Benas Veikalas connected for the last two buckets securing the win for Bonn. Now looking back at the last plays, what could SC Rasta Vechta have done differently defensively to have won the game?

Despite Benas Veikalas making the last two shots in the game, the real game deciding moment was the steal of Jared Jordan six seconds before the end of the game.

SC Rasta Vechta have had guys come and go, but how valuable is American William Conroy and what is your impression of him? The guard duo of Richie Williams and William Conroy seem to be harmonizing nicely.

Will Conroy is a real leader and takes some of the stress from his shoulders. I feel that with these two guys, we have a very good back court that can compete with any other back court in the Beko BBL.

Wurzburg won again and now has two wins more than SC Rasta Vechta while medi bayreuth keeps losing. It seems like it will be between Tuebingen, Bayreuth and Vechta for the last remaining ticket for the Beko BBL. How confident are you that SC Rasta Vechta will stay in the league and what is the most important area that clubs needs to improve?

We are playing this weekend in Bayreuth which is a game that is very important for both teams. This will be a game with a lot of intensity. It is important for us that we keep the intensity up for 40 minutes. I think that if we can do that, that we will have good chances in Bayreuth. We continue to have small mistakes that we need to turn off. We continue to work very hard in practice and I am very optimistic for the game in Bayreuth.

This was supposedly the farewell game to Jared Jordan as rumor has it he will sign with Bamberg. Are you surprised that Bonn is making this move so late in season? Replacing Jordan is no easy task?

Jared Jordan surely isn´t replaceable. Therefore I am not sure if it was a good move by Bonn. But at the end, it always has to do with money in professional basketball. I think it is a shame for the Bonn fans and team.  

Bamberg isn´t the invincible team that it once was and they haven´t had so much luck with point guards last season and this season. How much more dangerous are they with Jordan and is Bamberg back on the same level as FC Bayern Munich now in the title hunt?

Bamberg is still the team to beat if you want to be the Beko BBL champion. They were champion four years in a row and are still champion. I think that the concern is home made. They weren´t as successful on the international level, but can still win all German titles. Now they have an elite point guard that will be very good for their game.

The Beko BBL will miss the Jared Jordan to Tony Gaffney ally-opps, but maybe now he will team up with Ellias Harris or Rakim Sanders. Do you think that Jordan will have even higher assist rate with Bamberg?

It is hard to say what the assist rate of Jordan will be with Bamberg. Jordan won´t have to carry as much weight with Bamberg as he did with Bonn. Bamberg plays team orientated basketball. With Bonn, Jordan had the ball in his hands most of the time, but that probably won´t be the case anymore in Bamberg. But I think he could have even have better options on offense that he can use. Jared Jordan is an exceptionally gifted point guard that will come to terms with the Chris Fleming system quickly.

Do or die this weekend against Bayreuth. SC Rasta Vechta beat Bayreuth earlier this season 85-80. What do you remember from the win and what will be key to getting the win?

I remember the first game against Bayreuth as being a hard fought game. I think that this game this weekend will be the same. For us it will be important to control the key Bayreuth players. We have to be concentrated and focused for 40 minutes. We are the better team and need to step up with that self confidence.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

My last DVD was “This is the end” with Seth Rogan, James Franco and Jonah Hill. It was a very funny comedy where one can really relax to.

Thanks Max for the chat.

Will Barnes is a 25 year old 185cm point guard from Tuscaloosa, Alabama that is playing his rookie season in Germany for Pro A team Finke Baskets. He started his basketball career in 2006 for Tennessee Tech (NCAA) where he played a total of 98 NCAA games. Last season he played at  Lee (NAIA) playing 34 games: 20.0ppg, 4.1rpg, 2.6apg, FGP: 50.3%, 3PT: 41.0%, FT: 77.7%. He is having a very strong rookie season for Paderborn and spoke to German Hoops after the 107-96 loss to Cuxhaven where he had a career high 43 points.

Will, a tough 107-96 loss to Cuxhaven. How quickly do you forget an amazing individual performance like your 43 points and nine assists when you lose the game?

I immediately get over the individual performance and focus on the next game. What I take with me is the confidence. Knowing that in certain situations I can step up individually and make plays. I don’t celebrate personally if we don’t win.

Can it get any worse than starting down 19-0. Do you remember ever a game in college where you had your backs to the wall so early? What were the main reasons for the poor team start?

No, our start was horrific. As a team we didn’t play any defense in the first quarter. We just have to focus on starting the game strong more than ever before. We’ve had bad starts the last 3 games.

Paderborn got back into the game and was down by only six points in the second quarter, but was trailing 50-40 at halftime. What adjustments did the team have to make it get back into the game?

Changing to zone sparked our run to cut into the lead. We made the switch then immediately went on a run to cut into the lead.

You only had 10 points at halftime. How were you feeling? Now looking back, did you think that you could heat up the way you did as you stepped on the floor in the third quarter?

I felt the need to step up at halftime because we were down 10. I knew if we wanted to win the game, I had to step up. I didn’t expect to get as hot but it proved very beneficial as we cut into the lead.

You scored 24 points in the fourth quarter rally a point total that some players never achieve ever in a single game. Was that the best quarter of shooting you ever had or did you have some games like that at Lee(NAIA) last season?

The 24 point 4th quarter is definitely the most I’ve ever had. I remember getting hot in a few games last year but not like last night! I was in the zone and hungry for a win.

You were the go to guy, but despite 43 points also made nine assists. That was like a Monta Ellis type stat game. That was the most assists that you got this season. Is it a big adjustment when you are in the zone, but then still have the ability to make those quick smart decisions for finding the better positioned player for the basket?

Not so much because I am naturally a point guard. Our style of play and roster has me playing mostly the 2 position. I am good at making those decisions while also being aggressive.

Did you notice that young German Maximilian Kuhle had his best game of the season steering 34 points? What was your impression of his game. Paderborn shot very well, but allowed 107 points. The club has allowed an average of 95 points in the last four games. Has the club lost some of their defensive principles? What things does the team need to improve to let up fewer points in the future?

 

No, I did not realize he had such a good game. He’s a good player & Cuxhaven has a tough team. Great athletes. Our defensive principles are always the main focus. As a team we just have to step up and get the stops and finish with a rebound!

The Pro A season is almost over and your having a very good rookie year. You already found that scoring touch early in the season and held it until now. How happy have you been with your season and is there anything that you would like to have done better?

My rookie season has been a learning process on the fly. I had to learn how to adjust to the European game, style of play, and officiating as we went along. It definitely has helped me individually. I wish it led to more wins for our team this year though. We’ve got a lot of tight games that were decided by a small margin. I felt like I should’ve played more of a leadership role but it was difficult with me coming in as a rookie and learning.

You played together with guard Anthony Fischer and forward Kevin Murphy. What were you able to learn from Fischer on the court and what amazing play do you remember Murphy doing in a game at Tennessee Tech?

Yes! Playing with Anthony Fisher helped me tremendously. He showed me how to play point guard at a high level. Showed me that hard work was the only way to succeed. I learned a lot from him in my first 2 years at Tech. Murphy was great as well. He was a freshman when I played with him and I noticed his talent early on. The work ethic and commitment is what set him apart.

Did you watch the winter Olympics at Sochi? What was your Olympic highlight?

Unfortunately I haven’t been able to keep up with the winter games!

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

The last DVD I watched was “The Boondocks” seasons 1-3! It’s a hilarious show!

Thanks Will for the chat.

After the overwhelming 74-54 win over the Fraport Skyliners on Sunday night, Jared Jordan exited the locker room and as always still answered every last question from journalists even every last one who had waited for him in the arena near the benches instead of hanging out outside the locker room. It was another normal day at the office for the 29 year old 188cm point guard from Harford, Connecticut even if it wasn´t his best game as he registered only four points and dished out six assists. He did a solid job as always conducting the Bonn offense and was a force with the reestablished Bonn defense that had given up an average of 90 points in the last three games, but against Frankfurt allowed only 54 points as Jordan steered six steals. However was this possibly the last game that Jordan played in a Bonn jersey as rumor had been that he had already signed a contract with six time Beko BBL champion Brose Baskets Bamberg. After celebrating his fourth win in a row in Bonn against Frankfurt never having lost to them in his living room, the word Bamberg was taboo for the 2007 Los Angeles Clippers draft pick. The Jordan jibber-jabber rumors about Jordan going to Bamberg had surfaced last week and has been as prevalent on the minds of German basketball fans as NBA fans wondering if the return of Jason Collins to the NBA Brooklyn Nets will be a success on and off the court. Beko BBL teams have until February 28^th to set their rosters for the last two months of the season and playoffs. Bamberg has the right to do what they want if they have the dough even if it means stealing the Jordan heart and soul of the Telekom Baskets Bonn.

In today´s basketball market where every few thousand dollars more is the difference from playing in one location from the other, it is very rare for a player to play for the same team for more than one or two years. Jared Jordan is playing his fourth year in Bonn. After playing a very solid rookie season with the Telekom Baskets Bonn in 2009-2010, where he played 37 games averaging  9.0ppg, 4.2rpg, Assists-4(5.3apg), he went to the strong Greek league and played for a weak team  VAP Kolossos Rodou , but led the league in assists. Instead of going to a more high level team which he probably could of, he returned back to Bonn in 2011 and has never left since. Jordan came back and has played for nice money in Bonn, but nothing compared to what he could be making with Bamberg or Munich. Jordan is without a doubt not only the best pass first point guard, but the overall best point guard in the Beko BBL. He may not have the overpowering scoring qualities of a Malcolm Delaney, Darius Adams or Trevon Hughes, but nobody runs and leads a team better than he does. He led the Beko BBL in assists the last two years with 7,6apg and 8,8apg. However what would  a team rather have a point guard that can score frequently, or a player that can get his team going like Jordan who always thinks team first, but if needed can score as he has displayed this season scoring 10 times in double figures having the number of Wurzburg with 20 and 19 points, 18 points against Bayreuth and 17 points against Ludwigsburg.

            Even if Jordan does go to Bamberg now, Bonn will be able to find another point guard, but it wont be a second Jared Jordan or a guard of that caliber. The only beneficiary will be the Brose Baskets Bamberg in this matter. Bonn can look as long and as hard as they want, but will they find a suitable point guard now at the end of February? Most likely not, because the market now is simply sucked dry. There had been rumors that the Telekom Baskets Bonn were eying American Darius Washington who is tearing apart the Turkish league. Nothing against his 18 NBA games with the San Antonio Spurs, 24,1ppg with Olin or recent 42 points against Usak, but those are more stats of a shooting guard than a point guard and Bonn doesn´t need that. Bonn has been in the German basketball news for days now which is nice publicity, but should let the Jordan chatter rest now. Why should Bonn make Bamberg even stronger now? Bamberg is looking for a point guard as their luck in the last two seasons has been tattered with not being able to find one that was to their liking as Teddy Gipson and Zack Wright demonstrated. Let Bamberg keep looking for a point guard, because they won´t find one in the class of a Jordan. It is unknown with how much money Bamberg could make Bonn weak by luring Jordan away and sometimes one can´t resist, but Bonn should simply end the season with Jordan. Even if Jordan goes, Bonn won´t be any better without him. The Bonn fans love Jordan as a special fan sign reading “Jordan: “We need you” has shown. Why add more agitation and concern for the last two months with the departure of Jordan. Bonn has not only very good chances now to be in the 2014 Beko BBL playoffs, but are more of a playoff team with Jordan than without. A negative aspect for the Bonn fans was how both Bonn and Bamberg management didn´t want to comment the situation as well as Jordan himself. Usually that is a good sign that there could be some truth to the speculation. However Bonn has the force at the moment and will make the move only if they can find a somewhat suitable replacement for Jordan. Jordan went to the prestigious Hartford prep school Kingswood Oxford where he learned the school core values like take personal responsibility, work hard, take risks and become involved. Jared Jordan doesn´t only put heart and soul into his work on the basketball court with the Telekom Baskets Bonn, but is the heart and soul of the team. If Jordan leaves now then it is like getting rid of Bonn trademark the Beethoven house. Over many years there have always been beautiful love songs from groups like Huey Lewis and the News, or T Pau with the catchy title Heart and Soul. Jordan and Bonn basketball is a love affair which doesn´t have to end. Maybe Bonn  management should listen to these songs before they get sucked in by the money.

For many years, Bamberg was a place where the Frankfurt Skyliners went, played 40 minutes and lost muttering the words “we lost again” and went home again and probably enjoyed the beautiful drive most to the pretty Bavarian city than their woes on the court. Frankfurt finally won in the 2010 playoffs with ex Skyliner Derrick Allen lifting that dreaded Bamberg curse, but talking about jinxes is something nobody likes to talk about, but that terrifying B word keeps creeping up as Bonn has been a place be it the old Hardtberg  gym or the new Telekom dome where they Frankfurt hasn´t won in more than 9 years. The last time, Frankfurt was able to exit the court with a victory, Bamberg was still searching for their first Beko BBL title, Fraport Skyliner center Johannes Voigtmann was 12 years old, Telekom  Baskets Bonn center Chris Ensminger was already in his 30s and winning Beko BBL rebound titles as if they were growing on a Quaking Aspen in his home state Ohio, ex Alba Berlin point guard Dashaun Wood was making a name for himself at Wright State and young Fraport Skyliner juniors Max Merz was 10 years old and brother Jacob was seven years old and were having their first playful brother competitions on the basketball court. There were some games to be remembered like the OT loss in 2009 where Titus Ivory brought the game into OT where the team then got squashed, three years ago despite a Derrick Rose like performance from Dashaun Wood scoring 20 points, grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out seven assists, the team lost a squeaker 92-89 and perhaps the most bitter loss of all being two seasons ago  where four months of hard work where the team came from 17^th place back to ninth place and having that golden opportunity to reach the playoffs on the last game day only to lose badly 81-62 as a 19-9 second quarter run by Bonn got them going and carried them to victory. Frankfurt had no remedy how to stop 38 year old Chris Ensminger who made the zone look his own feeding ground and where he played like a real tough man among Kids. It was the last game of Jermareo Davidson as he scored 18 points as well as that of sniper Jimmy Mckinney who contributed 13 points. The Fraport Skyliners returned back to Bonn looking to snap their five game losing streak in 2014 and 10 games in a row losing streak in Bonn once again came up short losing 74-54 and have been winless in Bonn for the last 109 months dating back to January ist, 2005. One man that has seen many games between both teams is Telekom Baskets Bonn sport director Andreas Bottcher who can´t explain the dominance either. “We also had a stretch where we lost many games in Frankfurt. I remember Oluoma Nnamaka winning a game on the last play and then us winning game five in Frankfurt in 2008. There were times where Frankfurt wasn´t playing well in the league, but came here and played very hard. I will never forget our win in 2009 in OT after Titus Ivory brought Frankfurt in to OT”, smiled Andreas Bottcher. Top Beko BBL point guard Jared Jordan was all smiles after the game as he won his fourth game in a row against Frankfurt in the Telekom dome living room. “I always say that streaks are there to be broken. I am just happy that it wasn´t tonight. We will take it”, smiled 2007 Los Angeles Clippers NBA draft pick Jared Jordan. Quantez Robertson is used to exiting the dressing room in Bonn mopping since he has lost five times in  a row since  entering the Beko BBL in 2009 including the 2010 Slam dunk contest. One would think after a while that he would hate to play in Bonn. “ I don´t hate playing in Bonn. I always have liked the atmosphere and the crowd is loud. I am not happy that I haven´t had success here, but I hope that I can help change that in the years to come”, stressed Quantez Robertson. As a Boston native, Tony Gaffney knows about curses and the Boston Red Sox not winning a MLB title in 86 years, but chuckled about the so called Frankfurt curse in Bonn. “It is never easy to play in Bonn. Sometimes teams simply have another teams number. They caught us on a good night”, expressed ex Jouventut Badalona forward Tony Gaffney.”11 straight loses here is hard to explain with different players and coaches over the years. Maybe it has something to do with the atmosphere or seat colors”, smiled Dane Watts.

The Telekom Baskets Bonn came into the game in sixth place with a record of 12-9 and not being the strongest home team having  a 4-7 record. They also entered the game with a three game losing streak and had given up an average of 90 points in that span. The Telekom Baskets Bonn came out strong in the first quarter had a comfortable lead at halftime and really exploded in the third quarter as they shut the door early on the 2004 Beko BBL champion Frankfurt Skyliners. Bonn knew that they had to get back to their old ways of defending hard if they wanted to have great chances in beating the Fraport Skyliners. “We had had a tough stretch at home and in the last games got away from our defensive principles. We improved our defense tonight and had a very good defensive effort. It had been our goal to take Frankfurt out of their offense. They like that high low game and we took it away from them. Danilo Barthel played a great game though”, stressed ex Boston Celtic Tony Gaffney. The Fraport Skyliners entered the game with a five game losing streak and still sporting that goose egg of 0 wins in 2014. The only real bright spot for the team with all the injured players was the fact that they had played very well the last two games losing on the last play and games they could of won. However the club was as far away from those last performances against Oldenburg and Vechta in Bonn as medi bayreuth seem to be at the moment at getting that much desired victory. The Fraport Skyliners didn´t always seem to be mentally there on the court and the team didn´t harmonize as a team at all. “We worked hard all week in practice and practiced hard, but we played under our possibilities. We made easy turnovers from the start and that made it difficult to get into an offensive rhythm and that made it more hard to do what we wanted to do”, stressed Fraport Skyliners German guard Max Merz. The Turnovers was a big problem for the Fraport Skyliners as they were flooded with 27 that started to pop up quickly and never died away throughout the game. “We got many turnovers from the start which kind of killed our spirit. When you have a young team, you need to know how to get through periods like that, but we couldn´t”, warned ex raiopharm Ulm forward Dane Watts. Our offense wasn´t that great tonight, but it was our defense that won the game for us”, stated Telekom Baskets Bonn guard Jared Jordan.

During warmups there could almost been a Michael hakim Jordan sighting in the Telekom Baskets dome, as a bald shaven player wearing the Bonn jersey was conversing with Fraport Skyliner Quantez Robertson, however it wasn´t Jordan who is assistant coach at Colgate(NCAA), but ex Fraport Skyliner Ryan Brooks who had decided to get his head shaven a few days ago for that new look. Fraport Skyliner Max Merz was also back on the court less than 24 hours after hitting his second game winning shot in Speyer and at home against Rhondorf a week ago. Merz was already to go in Bonn and thrilled to talk about the last play. “I was happy my shot went in and the play was for me off the pick and role where I took a half hook shot over their big man. The success with the Pro B gives me a lot of confidence for the BBL”, stressed Fraport Skyliner Max Merz. 5,020 fans were in the arena to witness the Fraport Skyliners started off lethargic letting the Telekom Baskets Bonn take a 6-0 lead. Boston native Tony Gaffney nailed consecutive buckets on a reverse lay up and made a  15 footer and Jared Jordan connected for a mid distance shot. The Fraport Skyliners finally got on the board with a Quantez Robertson turn around shot and Danilo Barthel free throws. Frankfurt stayed on the heels of Bonn as Barthel hit a tough lay in over Gaffney as Bonn led only 8-6. However Bonn who is always dangerous at home sped out on a fast 7-0 run to lead 15-6. Gaffney scored inside as ex Skyliner Brooks tested his 36,2% three point shooting percentage hitting and then scoring on the penetration using his quickness to his advantage. Frankfurt then went on a mini 4-0 run as Johannes Voigtmann scored inside getting the bullet pass from Barthel and Konstantin Klein hit free throws as Bonn led 15-10. Bonn who had found their offensive rhythm quick kept up the pressure finishing off the first quarter with a 6-3 run to lead 21-13. Ex Ludwigsburg center Kurt Looby who is the classic rebounder/shot blocker and less known for scoring hit a hook shot. While Klein showed his usual hot first quarter three point shooting nailing one, but Bonn closed out the scoring using their quickness and athletic ability once again as Brooks hit  a runner as did ex BG Karlsruhe guard David Mccray. “Both teams hadn´t won much the last weeks. Both teams were missing open shots and playing more like not to lose than wanting to win. Frankfurt played unsure and the four turnovers by Klein was untypical, but these things can always happen with a young team”, stressed Giessen 46ers head coach Dennis Wucherer. The Telekom Baskets Bonn were shooting 60% from the field and 17% from outside while the Fraport Skyliners were shooting 44% from the field and 25% from outside. Frankfurt had the seven to four rebound advantage, but a poor nine turnovers while Bonn had four turnovers.

At the start of the second quarter, the Fraport Skyliners were unable to take advantage of many missed Bonn shots as they couldn´t hit shots either. Jordan got Bonn on the board first with an easy lay up as he caught a loose ball in perfect position at center court and scampered to the hoop for the bucket as Bonn had the 23-13 lead. Barthel kept Frankfurt over water with his offense as he scored on a lay in. Barthel once again stayed away from the three and did most damage in the paint. American Jamel Mcclean missed some easy free throws and David Mccray and Tony Gaffney were robbed of easy dunks as Bonn had chance after chance to pull away, but led only 27-16. Voigtmann and Brooks then exchanged dunks as Frankfurt trailed 29-18. In the last minute David Mccray who once hit Hagen for 23 points in 24 minutes had his hot shooting continue with a bomb from downtown and Kevin Bright connected on a three pointer as Bonn went into halftime with the very comfortable 35-23 lead. “Frankfurt continued to fight for a rhythm on offense. Frankfurt tried to break Bonn with their triangle and two defense, but it didn´t work. When you have guys like Jordan and Gaffney who have so much experience it isn´t easy to defend”, warned ex Bayer Giants Leverkusen German Dennis Wucherer. The Telekom Baskets Bonn were shooting 44% from the field and 14% from the three point line while the Fraport Skyliners were shooting 33% from the field and 25% from the three point line. Frankfurt had the 19-12 rebound edge, but 14 turnovers while Bonn had only six turnovers.

It looked like the Fraport Skyliners might get back into the game after Danilo Barthel connected on a beautiful step back three pointer to start off the third quarter with one second on the shot clock as Frankfurt trailed only 35-25, but instead Bonn started hitting shots on  a more consistent level which wasn´t the case in the first half. After Mcclean nailed two free throws, the Fraport Skyliners had their most spectacular play of the game as there was some Beko BBL showtime between Quantez Robertson and Ramon Galloway. Tez lofted up the perfect ally-op pass which Galloway jammed home. In the past it was usually Robertson who was the recipient of dunks, but these days is showing his passing expertise more. Benas Veikalas from Lithuania who had been quiet in this game hit his first three pointer of the game and Robertson answered with a hard penetration move to the cup and lefthanded lay in as Frankfurt trailed only 40-29. Galloway got Frankfurt back under ten points with a lay in getting the perfect pass from Barthel. However the Fraport Skyliners who otherwise had little movement on offense and more one on one play couldn´t keep pace with Bonn as they broke open the game ending the third quarter on a 18-7 run to lead 58-37. Mccray started the run drooping  a three pointer, Gaffney cut inside and scored off the Veikalas pass and Mccray scored again breaking the defense and using his quickness for the easy lay in for the 50-33 lead. The Bonn offense was clicking while Frankfurt had problems just getting stops as they couldn´t withstand the furious Bonn ball movement. Ex Bayreuth forward Steven Wachalski who is one of those rare players to have gone from Regionaliga to Beko BBL nailed a three pointer which was followed by a Brooks three pointer. Mccray ended the third quarter with a lay in. “Coach called a time out early in the third quarter and then we just started hitting shots. Brooks hit shots and Wachalski came in and did what he always does making shots. Everybody contributed in the third quarter”, stated Jared Jordan. “We weren´t collectively on the same page. You have to pressure or get in the passing lane as a team. We didn´t do that and Bonn exploited our weak defense”, stressed Fraport Skyliner Dane Watts. The Telekom Baskets Bonn were shooting 51% from the field and 29% from the parking lot while the Fraport Skyliners were shooting 35% from the field and 20% from the parking lot. Frankfurt had the rebound advantage 25-16, but had 24 turnovers while Bonn had only 14.

In the fourth quarter, the Telekom Baskets Bonn continued to play solid offensive basketball while buckling down on defense and riding into the Bonn sunset with a much deserved win as the Fraport Skyliners couldn´t get stops and still had no healthy rhythm on offense. Dane Watts who had been surprisingly quiet in his third game scored on a mid distance jumper to start the fourth quarter. However Bonn head coach Mathias Fischer continued not to be shy to use his bench and got solid production as Wachalski nailed another three pointer which was followed by the Brooks bread and butter mid distance jumper as Bonn led 63-39. Aziz Ndiaye who also was quiet put in a tip in, but it was Wachalski again scoring over the taller Ndiaye and making a free throw. Despite another Kevin Bright three pointer, Bonn continued to connect as Brooks made another mid distance shot and Wachalski hit another three pointer as Bonn led 71-45. “Wachalski was everywhere on the court. He was hitting shots, blocking shots or making good passes. I see what he does in practice each day and he is a great guy”, explained Tony Gaffney. The Fraport Skyliners closed out the game in fine fashion with a 9-3 run. Bright connected on three jumpers, but all in all it wasn´t enough as Bonn came away with the win. Bonn finally had their defense back in shape and Jordan was a bit surprised to see six steals in the stat sheet for him. “It was good to have a good defensive effort again. In the last weeks, we had played very offensive orientated teams like Munich, Berlin and Ulm. We let those teams be comfortable on offense, but didn´t let Frankfurt be comfortable. Some of my teammates joked and said that they gave me some of their steals. I had many balls coming my way, we pressured well and just played good team defense”, summarized Connecticut native Jared Jordan. One of the big basketball stories in Germany the last days was the rumor of Jordan going to Bamberg. After the win, he declined any comment about the matter. From experience, usually when comment is declined, there is usually more going on with the matter. Sportando had reported late Sunday night that Jordan had already signed a contract with Bamberg and it would become official in the next days. It will be interesting to see how this story develops. Despite scoring only 54 points as a team, Quantez Robertson saw the reason more to do with them than the Bonn defense for their lack of scoring punch. “We turned the ball over too much which didn´t allow us to get into a good offensive rhythm. However I tip my hat to them. Bonn played good defense and did a good job getting fast break points”, added Quantez Robertson. The Telekom Baskets Bonn were led by Ryan Brooks with 21 points. Steve Wachalski added 12 points and Tony Gaffney and David Mccray chipped in with 11 points a piece. The Fraport Skyliners were led by Danilo Barthel with 18 points and Kevin Bright had 12 points. The Telekom Baskets Bonn shot 68% from the two point range and 30% from outside while the Fraport Skyliners shot 45% from the field and 19% from outside. Frankfurt won the rebounding duel 37 to 24, but had an unacceptable 27 turnovers while the Telekom Baskets Bonn had 17 turnovers.