What do current and former Beko BBL players like Jason Boone, Devin Uskowski, Josh Young, Richie Williams and AJ Rudowitz all have in common with current SC Rasta Vechta player Jacob Doerksen? Well these players are some of the very few and have their own special survival of the fittest in that they have outlasted the majority of players in the Regionaliga and Pro B in their quest of reaching the top level in the German basketball league Beko BBL. Besides being one of those rare players to move up two levels in basketball Germany, the 199cm 106 kilo forward Doerksen is also one of the few players from Canada playing in the Beko BBL. Nothing for Doerksen has come easy on a silver platter in regards to basketball, but rather the Vancouver native has had to work triple as hard as other players to be successful and get to where he is today. Two years ago he played in the German Pro B with Hannover and now he is in the Beko BBL with SC Rasta Vechta and when you study his stats, you wouldn´t sense that he has had any difficulties making the transition to the top German league. Presently he has played 11 games averaging 12,4ppg, and 4,8rpg while averaging 22 minutes per contest. He also is shooting 38% from the parking lot which he has never eclipsed for a season since playing at Trinity Western University (CIS). The Canandian is thankful that he can play in the Beko BBl, but also knows that God didn´t pave a golden road for him to waltz across, but that he had to get there by taking many back roads with the temporary road blocks. “It is true what my teammates say that I have a big heart. I was never the most skilled as a kid and in whatever sport I played, I always had to work harder than the other kid to be successful. I think that I am very lucky to be able to play in the Beko BBL. I think that having been successful with Hannover helped me get to Vechta and our strong season last year and the fact that they believed in me and keeping me was important. I think that my game has been successful in this league because I always stay focused and always scout my opponents. I never fear them, but just respect them a bit more. I always have to give more effort than my defender to be successful”, stressed Jacob Doerksen. Opponent Michael Stockton who is a player that also never had it easy being the son of NBA legend John Stockton knows what it is like for Doerksen to come from a lower league, because he played the last two seasons for BG Karlsruhe and also made the jump this season to the Beko BBL. “There is a reason he has been successful at all the levels he has played at. He is the kind of player that any team would love to have. He is very skilled, and is not afraid to do the little things, tough things, to win ball games”, added Michael Stockton. “He never stops to fight. He is the most underrated player in the league”, stated ex Skyliner Max Weber.

It hasn´t been the easiest of seasons for newcomer SC Rasta Vechta as they have only three wins and are near the bottom of the Beko BBL standings. They have lost quite a few nail bitters and are a lot better club than what their record reflects. Last weekend, the team lost an ugly game in Frankfurt against the Fraport Skyliners 60-57 and could have won the game had they managed the clock better and minimized small errors in crunch time. If you didn´t watch the game and studied the box score later one would have expected an Andrew Rautins or Richard Williams as top scorer, but even more surprised to see ex Pro B player Jacob Doerksen lead all scorers with 19 points. When you see Doerksen on the court, he looks like a pretty boy version of NBA legend Larry Bird who no one would ever think he could jump, but boy can the Vancouver native shoot “When you see Jacob for the first time, he would be the last guy you would pick for the street ball team. He is smart, crafty and outworks his opponent for 40 minutes. He never allows his defender to take a break”, commented California native Richard Williams. One should never judge a shot if it is unorthodox which his is, but only he knows the secret of hitting shots. One Frankfurt writer cringed when he witnessed the shooting stroke of Doerksen, but was quiet when he swished the ball through the net. It is never easy for players who have weird looking shooting strokes when it comes to the jokes one might hear, but in Vechta no is making fun of his shot, because at the end of the day the only thing that matters is if it goes in. “One can´t joke about the stroke of Doerksen. Even if it doesn´t look so pretty, it goes in. You can´t joke about his mechanics. Whoever hits shots is right and that is what he does”, smiled teammate Max Weber.  Ludwigsburg point guard Michael Stockton played against Doerksen seven times last season in the German Pro A and knows too well what he is going through with his shooting mechanics as his own shooting looks strange as well. “I always used to hear that my shot looked kind of funny. But if you find a way to make those shots then that is in the end all that matters”, stressed Utah native Michael Stockton. “He might have an unorthodox shot, but they usually go in. You can´t complain about that”, said SC Rasta Vechta American Dylan Talley.  His shooting is a big strength is his game, but he does so much else on the court to help his team as best as he can. He produced five offensive rebounds often getting over bigger players like Johannes Voigtmann and Danilo Barthel as his anticipation was more than on in Frankfurt. His blind understanding with teammate Richard Williams was at times perfect as he would be fed the ball and was already a few steps ahead of his defender and then instead of stopping just released the ball as he caught it banking the ball in and not allowing Frankfurt any chance of altering his shot. He finished the game leading all scorers with 19 points, hauled in seven rebounds, got two steals and swatted away one ball. Despite the loss, he wasn´t satisfied about being the top scorer, but even 40 minutes after the loss, he did have some humor needing to get out when he smiled, “I was top Canadian scorer”. He might tell his grand children one day that he scored more points than ex NBA player Andrew Rautins.

Doerksen started his basketball career at University of Victoria (CIS) in 2005 where he played until 2007. He then transferred to Trinity Western University (CIS) in 2008 where he played until 2011. During his Spartans career, he totaled 1852 points, which is second most in Spartans history behind Adam Friesen’s 1869, and collected 781 rebounds, which is also second most in the school’s history behind Logan Kitteringham’s 798. He also holds the Spartans record for points in a game with 42, which he put up Dec. 4, 2010 against Fraser Valley, and the record for most rebounds in a season with 344 boards in 2008-09. He is seen as being one of the best players to ever wear the Trinity Western jersey. As a senior he helped the Spartans to a CIS silver medal,  the school’s best ever finish in men’s basketball and was named a Canada West and CIS First-Team All-Star. He turned professional in 2011 and came to Germany and played for UBC Hannover Tigers (Germany-ProB). He played  33 games and tore up the German Pro B averaging 21.7ppg, 7.7rpg, 1.3apg, 2.0spg, FGP: 65.3%, 3PT: 36.1%, FT: 65.7%. SC Rasta Vechta head coach Pat Elzie recognized the talent of the Canadian and brought him to Vechta last season. Last season, he helped SC Rasta Vechta move up to the Beko BBL. In the German Pro A, he also was able to demonstrate his solid game as he played 34 games averaging 13.7ppg, 4.6rpg, 1.2spg, FGP: 64.5%, 3PT: 31.0%, FT: 62.7%. One player who has been along his side since day one in Hannover is American Richard  Williams. Williams has had the same type of Cinderella story as Doerksen and both are still nowhere near midnight as they are living the basketball dream in the Beko BBL. Williams like Doerksen is a very important part of the team and near the halfway point of the current season is one of the top five point guards in the league. Williams runs the club and has the utmost respect for the Canadian as their joint teamwork with each other is as harmonized as John Stockton and Karl Malone back in the day. “Our blind understanding  all has to do with him. I remember the first day I trained with him, he got the rebound outlets the ball to me and ran the floor. He ran directly down the middle of the court and posted up at the rim. I’ve played with Euroleague and NBA guys that don’t understand the importance or discipline of that but he did it. Nothing about his game takes you away other than the fact of “how did he do that?!” Because he’s so smart and crafty. I told him from that day forward I’m trying to take him everywhere I go and so far I’ve been lucky. I’ve played with more talented guys but none as smart as him when it comes to getting the ball in the basket. His game goes unappreciated until you get the honor the play with him”, stressed Richard Williams. So far this season with SC Rasta Vechta he has scored in double figures eight times including a 30 point explosion against medi bayreuth where he connected on 12 of 14 shots. It will be interesting to see the further development of the 26 year old as the season progresses. As a rookie in Hannover, he was given the nickname the Canadian beast. When you see him on the court, he doesn´t look like a beast like big foot who has had numerous sightings around the corner on Vancouver island, but more like a mix between Take That singer Gary Barlow and Denver Broncos legend and two time Super Bowl winner John Elway. “They gave him the nickname Canadian beast because he was a killer in the Pro B. No one could stop him. He doesn’t like Canadian beast so we called him jake the snake”, smiled Richard Williams. The next time, you see Jacob Doerksen, forget the Canadian beast and call him jake the snake, because anyway, he won´t get any revenge with any beastly tasks, but slither around the court breaking your back hitting shots.

 

 

Josh  Parker is a 23 year old 183cm point guard from Harvey, Illinois that recently was a rookie for the Bayer Giants Leverkusen and helped the team win the Pro B title. With Leverkusen he 33 games: Score-1(28.5ppg), 4.5rpg, Assists-2(7.1apg), 2.2spg, FGP: 43.3%, 3PT: 33.9%, FT: 80.3%He played at Drake from 2007-2009 and then played for Dayton(NCAA) from 2010-1012. He played a total of 130 NCAA games. Currently he is tearing up the German PRO B. He scored in double figures 33 times scoring over 20 points 26 times, 30 points or more 15 times and 40 points or more four times including a 48 point explosion against Dresden. He cleaned out the Eurobasket awards as well getting Eurobasket.com All-German 2.Bundesliga Pro B Player of the Year -13, Eurobasket.com All-German 2.Bundesliga Pro B Guard of the Year -13, Eurobasket.com All-German 2.Bundesliga Pro B Import Player of the Year -13, Eurobasket.com All-German 2.Bundesliga Pro B 1st Team -13, and Eurobasket.com German 2.Bundesliga Pro B All-Imports Team -13. Many teams were aware of his stellar play in the pro B including the Mitteldeutscher BC who signed him for the 2013-2014 Beko BBL season. He spoke to German Hoops after the big win against medi bayreuth.

Congrats on the fourth straight win for MBC against medi bayreuth. MBC was ahead for most parts of the game. What was key for getting the win?

Thanks we really appreciate it! I felt it was just our defensive mentality throughout the entire game that won the game for us. Bayreuth is a team that can make runs throughout the game and did just that. It wasn’t an easy win it took a fight the whole game to pull that off.

Medi bayreuth has lost seven games in a row and are near the bottom. What do you think is the biggest problem of the team? They are a lot better team than their record shows.

Bayreuth is a good team regardless of what their record shows they have a lot of talent and depth. The league has just only gotten stronger as the season progressed. Teams will make a mistake to not take them seriously according to their record.

Darius Adams almost beat you singlehandingly a week ago and had 26 points. You have seen many point guards this season and where would you rate him with the top scoring point guards that you have faced?

He is a good player and played very well against us! He can score and create for his teammates. After playing against him I am a fan of his game. It’s hard to put him in a certain rank of a league full of great point guards.

Is 17 slowly becoming your favorite number? You remain very solid and consistent scoring 17 points the last games. Is your confidence rising with each game?

I have taken on a role that my coach has given me and it’s been a role for me to help my team by focusing in on scoring and making plays. My teammates and coach has given the confidence to go out there and play my game and that’s been my focus, just staying consistent for the team!

The Mitteldeutscher BC has won five of the last six games and it seems that it has the usual consistent players that step up each game as well as an additional different player that steps up in a game. Is this correct and what other reasons have there been for the current upward spiral that the team has had?

It has just been our will to work and never being satisfied. The guys that we have on the team love to get better and so we continue to just work hard and stay together pushing one another and it has been carrying over in the games!

What has been your impression of youngster Martins Meiers? He had his best scoring game against Bremerhaven. How has he developed since the start of the season?

Martins is the kind of guy that knows how to just do what is needed of him offensively and defensively! He really works hard and gives us everything he has day in and day out. What I like about him is he’s a sponge with the info given and wants to get better and that shows in his play lately.

How disappointed are you that American Angelo Caloiaro wasn´t added to the 2014 Beko BBL allstar team international? He surely would have deserved it.

Angelo has really been playing well and I believe he definitely should have had a chance to make the all star team international! The way he has played I feel like he deserved it!

How excited were you about playing against William Conroy? He played at Washington, in the NBA and in the Euroleague. Do you remember seeing him play when you lived in the States?

My focus is always on the game ahead of me and what we need to do to win. He is obviously a focus for that team for a reason. I really didn’t see him play that much when I was in the states, but I’ve heard he was a great player!

How did you enjoy your Christmas in Germany? How difficult was it being away from your family and what American Xmas food do you miss the most?

It was good! It was definitely an adjustment being away from the family and the food of course, but overall it was a good Christmas. The American Christmas food I miss the most would have to be mom’s turkey stuffing!

How excited were you to meet Mr medi bayreuth and one of the biggest German basketball fans ballinforlife faboom? He is every basketball player´s best friend and supports everyone in good and bad times. Did you give him any comforting words?

I was excited to finally meet Faboom. He is the man and the biggest basketball fan I know. It was great to see him and I did have the chance to talk to him. A really good guy!

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

Pacific Rim.

 

Thanks Josh for the chat.

 

 

With 2014 only a few days away, many people are already looking forward to the new year as they like to say in Germany, another year new luck. Some are already looking forward to the 2014 winter Olympics in Sochi, if Lebron James can win the triple with the Miami Heat or where the new year will go scandal wise for Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus and Lamar Odom. However there still are a few more days until the new year and if there was one thing a basketball fan was  looking forward to in this game were the interesting and spectacular duels on the court between the Fraport Skyliners and SC Rasta Vechta. Some duels worth seeing were Richie Williams-Konstantin Klein or German Veteran Dirk Madrich who seems like he has been around 20 years, but is actually only 30 years old vs German wunderkind Johannes Voigtmann, but the most intense duel of the day would have the three e´s!!!!! of energetic, electrifying or explosive with Danilo Barthel battling Brandon Bowmann. They have one thing in common in that Barthel has shown that white men can jump and Bowmann is from Santa Monica, California where the famous white me cant jump movie was filmed. When these guys get going, fans can see a spectacular dunking clinic where neither would take any prisoners and who can forget Bowmanns dunk over Sean Finn when he played for Bonn. Bowmann is a good shooter and quick runner, can score in traffic or create his shot from the dribble. Goes well to the offensive rebounds,has a great leaping ability. Bowmann had the advantage on offense and has more experience and Barthel had the advantage on defense. Both guys came to duel against each other for the first time and saw length, agility and Wesley Snipes in the body of Brandon Bowmann take on height, brute, crazy white athleticism and Woody Harrelson in the body of Danilo Barthel, but only one player left the court as winner and that was the Heidelberg native Mr Danilo white men can jump Barthel as he helped the Fraport Skyliners eke out an ugly 70-67 win against SC Rasta Vechta. Having two freaky athletic dudes like Barthel and Bowmann on the court, one would suspect dunkings all night long and as frequently as new ford sedans popping up on the production line in Detroits factories, but instead neither had dunkings, but saw Bowmann playing on the perimeter and Barthel jumping a lot, but not finishing and the American also played more the three position. “Bowmann was more in the post and guarding guards and trying to apply havoc. Barthel hit the ground hard in the third quarter and might have rethought some things on the court, but he fought against it and still had a good game. They had flights to the hoop, but just couldn´t finish. We rather take no dunks and a win than some dunks and no win”, smiled injured Fraport Skyliner Jacob Burtschi. Brandon Bowmann hit some big shots in the game, but wasn´t unhappy that he didn´t dunk. “I played more the three tonight, but did go against Barthel a few times. He is pretty athletic, can jump and likes to attack the basket. It is kind of a surprise that neither of us dunked, since I have had a dunk in almost every game. However I have switched my tactic around a bit playing more on the perimeter. I have had problems getting to the rim, and am more effective shooting”, stressed Brandon Bowmann.

If you didn´t watch the game and studied the box score later one would have expected a Andrew Rautins or Richard Williams as top scorer, but even more surprised to see ex Pro B player Jacob Doerksen lead all scorers with 19 points. When you see Doerksen on the court, he looks like a pretty boy version of NBA legend Larry Bird who no one would ever think he could jump, but boy can the Vancouver native shoot. One should never judge a shot if it is unorthodox which his was, but only he knows the secret of hitting shots. Doerksen is one of a handful of rare players which SC Rasta Vechta has many of who have come from the German Pro B to make the step to the Beko BBL via the German Pro A. His teammates Richard Williams and AJ Rudowitz have followed his rare course and have made an impact in the Beko BBL. Doerksen hit big shots, made smart plays, helped out under the basket scooping up five offensive rebounds and responded on defense with steals and a block. After the game, he didn´t have much to say as being top scorer in the game, but added he was also top Canadian scorer with a wink, but would rather have taken the team win. It has been a long way for him, but hard work has been his focus his whole life to get to where he is now. “It is true what my teammates say that I have a big heart. I was never the most skilled as a kid and in whatever sport I played, I always had to work harder than the other kid to be successful. I think that I am very lucky to be able to play in the Beko BBL. I think that having been successful with Hannover helped me get to Vechta and our strong season last year and the fact that they believed in me and keeping me was important. I think that my game has been successful in this league because I always stay focused and always scout my opponents. I never fear them, but just respect them a bit more. I always have to give more effort than my defender to be successful”, stressed Jacob Doerksen. His teammate Richard Williams who looks like a little like a small teddy bear knows where Doerksen is on the court at all times and likes to slip him quick shovel passes under the hoop has played with him since their days in Hannover and ha sonly the highest respect for the third top scorer in the Pro B in 2012. “When you see Jacob for the first time, he would be the last guy you would pick for the street ball team. He is smart, crafty and outworks his opponent for 40 minutes. He never allows his defender to take a break”, commented California native Richard Williams. “He might have an unorthodox shot, but they usually go in. You can´t complain about that”, said SC Rasta Vechta American Dylan Talley.

The Fraport Skyliners came into the game in eighth place and reeling off a historical 108-102 triple OT win in Ulm as well as having to come back from Christmas break and possibly not having digested their Christmas turkey so well, but despite the circumstances of how SC Rasta Vechta played, they had strong nerves at the end and somehow put on their beautiful face masks covering the ugliness of the SC Rasta Vechta play and being able to win their second game in a row. After the win, German Konstantin Klein was very choosy with his words to describe the win and one could sense how relived he was winning a second tight game in a row. “This was an exciting game for the fans as SC Rasta Vechta never gave up. It wasn´t one of our most consistent games, but we also fought until the end. These are the type of games where you are lucky to win. It wasn´t easy playing without Jacob Burtschi as we made more mistakes. This was good experience for us young German players. We can keep growing throughout the season with games like this”, warned Fraport Skyliner guard Konstantin Klein. SC Rasta came into the game in 16^th place and known as a scrappy team that fights until the bitter end and also had lost three tight games by not more than six points combined. They fought hard until the end against the Fraport Skyliners, but let Frankfurt take control of the game taking a small lead, fighting back again and then playing lotto in the last 20 seconds opting not to foul, getting the ball back with a few seconds and then coughing up the ball. It was the little things as well that cost them the game even if their aggressive play caused the game to be ugly. “It was an ugly game, because we played great defense. We forced them to do ugly things. It was one or two plays that made a big difference. We came back at the end after they had taken a seven point lead, but it was a little too late”, added SC Rasta Vechta point guard Richard Williams.

The Fraport arena is usually sold out when big name teams like Munich, Bambegr and Berlin enter the living room, but who would have thought that 5,002 people would come for the SC Rasta Vechta game. Andy Rautins was captain for the first time as other captains Marius Nolte, Quantez Robertson and Jacob Burtschi were all idle on account of injuries. SC Rasta Vechta were without American Dylan Talley. The Fraport Skyliners got off to a great start taking a 6-2 lead as ex NBA player Andrew Rautins connected with a three pointer and jumper. Frankfurt was making life very difficult for SC Rasta Vechta to get into their sets and help defense was punishing and cruel for the big men. However SC Rasta Vechta did whatever they could and somehow went on a 7-3 run as it was Canadian Jacob Doerksen who produced a runner and three pointer to tie the game at 9-9. Klein connected on his second three pointer, but it was Doerksen again that nailed a three pointer for the 12-12 game. One guy who was a nasty thorn in the side of Frankfurt was Richard Williams who could duel in a quick hands contest with ex Skyliner Devin Gibson who was given the nickname Edward Scissor hands for his great ability for creating disruption in passing lanes as well as in the guard play of the opponent. Williams made his third steal of the first quarter went coast to coast for the lay up and the next time down hit a step back jumper in the lane as SC Rasta Vechta led 16-14. Galloway then tied the score at 16-16 with a jumper and Brandon Bowmann and Jarred Dubois ended the first quarter with three pointers as the game was knotted 19-19. “Williams did a good job on Rautins after he hit shots early so other guys stepped up like Klein who hit some big shots”, said Jacob Burtschi. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 17% from the two point range and 57% from outside while SC Rasta Vechta was shooting 50% from the two point range and 38% from outside. SC Rasta Vechta had the 10-8 rebound edge and both teams had five turnovers a piece.

The Fraport Skyliners cruised out on a 5-0 run to start the second quarter as Danilo Barthel scored over 208cm 294 pound Georgia native Issac Butts. Dubois then connected on his second straight three pointer as the Fraport Skyliners led 24-19. Frankfurt kept up the offensive consistency and Ramon Galloway scored a layup in traffic high off the glass and ex Vanderbilt German Kevin Bright got a belated extra Christmas gift as he scored a three pointer that bounced on the rim before entering the net. Despite the 29-21 lead, one stat that was quite shocking were the already six turnovers of Andrew Rautins. On this day, it seemed like Rautins was playing in the same league as NBA legend in the making Kobe Bryant in coughing up the ball who had 30 turnovers in his first five games in the NBA after his injury recently.  Rautins would finish with eight turnovers likely a game he wont forget so soon. “It was one of those games for him. He tried to squeeze some passes through that didn´t work”, explained Oklahoma native Jacob Burtschi. Frankfurt let SC Rasta Vechta remain in the game with just uninspiring play, many unneeded turnovers and just  a lack of team play. This allowed SC Rasta Vechta to go on a 9-2 run to cut the Frankfurt lead to 31-30. Bowmann hit some jumpers, while Richard Mr slick hands Williams had another steal and scored on a pull up jumper and Rashad Bishop also scored inside. Both teams got five team fouls early and both teams got to the free throw line often as guys like Barthel, Doerksen, Dubois and Merz hit free throws. Doerksen and Dubois ended the second quarter with three pointers, but the Fraport Skyliners still led 42-39. “The game went back and forth and they did  a good job fighting back. It was a type of game where they didn´t let us get too far away. Kevin Bright hit some big shots that allowed us to keep the lead”, stated ex Phoenix Hagen forward Jacob Burtschi. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 44% from the field and 58% from the three point line while SC Rasta Vechta were shooting 40% from the field and 38% from the three point line. The rebound battle was tied at 18-18 and Frankfurt had ten turnovers while SC Rasta Vechta had eight turnovers.

The third quarter gave the word UGLY a new meaning as both teams did so much except scoring on a consistent rate. Jacob Doerksen started off the scoring with a running hook and Johannes Voigtmann scored inside after hauling in a lob pass from Barthel and Dirk Madrich had two free throws as the game was tied at 44-44. For the next three-four minutes, no team scored as turnover after turnover and hurried shot after hurried shot dominated the game. Williams helped his steal stat line and Danilo Barthel hit the floor hard, was slow to get up, but when he was up got right back to playing. The Fraport Skyliners seemed to loose much mental focus in this time and were lucky that SC Rasta Vechta couldn´t get anything going. After Voigtmann and Bowmann exchanged free throws, it was finally time for Andrew Rautins to hit a big shot as he dropped a three pointer as Frankfurt led 49-46. Bowmann then connected on free throws and Issac Butts made a turn around shot as the game remained tight 49-49. SC Rasta Vechta coach Pat Elzie then inserted little used German Axel Jarchow who played only 3,38 in the game, but made the most of his time making a lay up from the base line and Germna Flavio Stuckeman and Ramon Galloway made free throws, but SC Rasta Vechta led 53-51. “This was a very slow quarter and it went back and forth as no team could take a big lead. We were very sloppy on offense which was key for us not getting something going”, stated ex Bremerhaven foreward Jacob Burtschi. SC Rasta Vechta were shooting 34% from the field and 29% from the parking lot while the Fraport Skyliners were shooting 38% from the field and 42% from the parking lot. Frankfurt had the 30-28 rebound edge, but 17 turnovers while SC Rasta Vechta had 10 turnovers.

SC Rasta Vechta held on to the lead in the first minutes of the fourth quarter by five points, but the Fraport Skyliners made a run and took the lead by eight points only to see SC Rasta Vechta cut the lead to one point, but the clock at the end came between their comeback. Isaac Butts starter the fourth quarter with a free throw and Brandon Bowmann hit a one handed shot in the lane as SC Rasta Vechta led 56-51. The Fraport Skyliners made their move then going on a 15-2 run to lead 66-58 as they were able to display their best and most productive offense of the evening. Jarred Dubois hit a big pull up jumper and Frankfurt than was aided by a SC Rasta Vechta unsportsmanlike conduct foul as Klein hit free throws and then punished SC Rasta Vechta with a three pointer. German Flavio Stuckemann then connected on a jumper from the corner to tie the game at 58-58. Dubois then got to the free throw line and as in Ulm, Johannes Voigtmann hit big shots with a mid distance shot and  lay in as SC Rasta Vechta trailed 66-58. SC Rasta Vechta continued to fight and took advantage of some costly Skyliner turnovers on the sideline and Bishop and Doerksen connecting inside cutting the Frankfurt lead to 68-64. With one minute to play Barthel made a monster block on Doerksen, but then coughed up the ball which SC Rasta Vechta took advantage of as Williams dished out his eighth assist of the night scooping the ball to STuckemann that nailed another big shot from the parking lot as Frankfurt led only 68-67. Frankfurt had the ball with 22 seconds to play and a difference of two seconds to shot clock and normal clock, but SC Rasta Vechta didn´t foul getting a stop, but then turning the ball over. On the ensuing inbounds play with 0,5 seconds to play, Voigtmann was fouled and he made two free throws to end the game at 70-67. “We fought very hard at the end, but mental lapses cost us the game”, stated ex Telekom Baskets Bonn forward Brandon Bowmann. “I don´t know why we didn´t foul. We went for the stop and got it, but were just unlucky getting the turnover”, added Dylan Talley. “I think the refs were playing physical and let calls go. There were a few seconds difference between clocks. We came up big at the end and all that counts is the win”, stressed Jacob Burtschi. The Fraport Skyliners were led by Jarred Dubois with 17 points. Konstatin Klein added 14 points and Andrew Rautins and Johannes Voigtmann chipped in with 10 points a piece. SC Rasta Vechta were led by Jacob Doerksen with 19 points. Brandon Bowmann ahd 13 points and Rashad Bishop 10 points. The Fraport Skyliners shot 40% from the field and 39% from outside while SC Rasta Vechta shot 34% from the field and 27% from outside. SC Rasta Vechta won the rebound duel 37-36 and had only 14 turnovers while Frankfurt had 21 turnovers. Despite SC Rasta Vechta winning some of the major stat categories, a game can be decided by a few small things. “It was an ugly game, we had many more turnovers, but we had big stops at the end that was the difference”, expressed Jacob Burtschi. An interesting side note to the ugly game was new medi bayreuth head coach Michael Koch watching the game with his son. After the game he was huddled in the corner of the catacombs of the Fraport arena talking with his ex player at Bonn Brandon Bowmann. Rumors are that Bowmann will follow Koch to Bayreuth.

Richie Williams is a 26 year old 178cm guard that is playing his second season with SC Rasta Vechta. He is a very fast guard that can play either one or two. Great at pushing the break. Can score by shooting the three or using his explosiveness to beat his man. Gets to the basket and scores in traffic. A specialist in steals that uses his quickness to intimidate on defense. Great ball control. Gets the whole team involved when playing the point but can takeover a game at any time. He started his basketball career at  San Diego St. (NCAA) in 2005 where he played until 2009. In his senior year he played  36 games: 7.2ppg, 4.3rpg, 3.5apg, 2.1spg, FGP: 40.9%, 3Pts: 37.5%, FT: 64.2%. In 2009-2010, he started his professional basketball career for The San Diego Surf (ABA), in Jan.’10 moved to FSU Selfoss (Iceland-Express League, starting five): 8 games: 27.5ppg, 8.1rpg, 3.4apg, 2.8spg, FGP: 51.6%, 3PT: 46.2%, FT: 72.7%. In 2011-2012, he played for  UBC Hannover Tigers (Germany-ProB, starting five): 33 games: 18.3ppg, 5.1rpg, Assists-4(5.7apg), Steals-2(3.2spg), FGP: 48.1%, 3PT: 36.1%, FT: 75.8%. Last season for SC Rasta Vechta he played  SC Rasta Vechta (Germany-ProA): 38 games: 15.6ppg, 5.2rpg, Assists-1(6.7apg), Steals-1(2.5spg), FGP: 45.6%, 3PT: 35.2%, FT: 79.9%. He spoke to German Hoops before the game against the Fraport Skyliners.

Richie thanks for talking to German Hoops again. You had a short stay at home at Christmas in California. What was the first thing you did when you got home besides going to Taco bell?

First stop was the taco shop. Only people from Cali know what I mean when it comes to Mexican food.

In the few days that you were home, you obviously spent much time with family and friends, but as a professional basketball player, did you do anything to stay in shape or did you just rest your bones for the upcoming game against the Fraport Skyliners?

One day was traveling, the second was filled with rest. The rest of my time I worked out. Nothing crazy, just got shots up to make sure I don’t get rusty.

SC Rasta Vechta suffered a tough 88-73 loss at home. What was the difference this time?

We started off slow and no intensity. Something that should never happen at home.

How happy were you with your game? You had 14 points, five rebounds and six assists, but five turnovers. What upset you most about your turnovers? Were they more dumb mistakes, or aggressive Alba Berlin defense that surprised you?

I had a solid stat line minus the turnovers. Some of them were unforced and there’s no excuse for that.

Rashad Bishop had his breakout game against Alba Berlin. What surprised you in this game from him that you hadn´t seen before in practice?

Nothing surprised me. He has the ability to have those type of games. He got us going when were struggling.

Will Rashad Bishop surprise any people in the dunk contest at the 2014 Allastar game? Have you seen any crashing dunks in practice from him in the short time that he has been in Vechta?

Rashad is deceptively athletic. He’s soo laid back that some of his moves catch you off guard. He’s a good leaper and I think he has a legit chance to win. Every now and then he’ll dunk to show us he’s got it.

Will keeping Andrew Rautins in check be half the rent to getting a win in Frankfurt?

Rautins is a tough guard and one of the top scorers in the league so he’s definitely on the list of people we need to slow down to win.

On December 21st is always the anniversary of when basketball was invented by James Naismith. What has been the most important thing in basketball over the last 122 years that you will always remember?

To me the most important thing that happened to basketball was when Jordan entered the NBA. He changed the game forever and it’s now global and that has a lot to do with him. The excitement he brought to the game.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

Despicable Me 2. With my nieces and nephew over Christmas break.

Thanks Richie for the chat.

Without James Naismith, basketball aficionados would never have witnessed the six NBA titles by Michael Jordan, the dominance of Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics in the 60´s, the sometimes funny and other time distasteful antics of a Dennis Rodman off the court, the intense and most likely greatest basketball rivalry on the court between the guy that supposedly never could Jump Larry Bird and the greatest 6´9 point guard to ever run on the court Magic Johnson, the amazing unpredictable win by Germany over Russia at the 1993 European championships in Munich, Jack Grinnell dropping 137 points in an NCAA game or  being able to read the tell all book by Wilt Chamberlin. These are just some of the interesting and fascinating stories that the game of basketball have given us in the last 122 years as there are a lot more to tell, but by the time all would be told, Lebron James would already be retired with more NBA rings that could support his ten fingers. A few days ago on December 21^st, basketball celebrated its 122 years of existence after having been invented by James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts. It was only fitting that on this day somewhere in the basketball world that something spectacular would happen that would make this basketball holiday stand so much more in the lime light especially in the small German city of Ulm even if they couldn´t celebrate a win after 55 long, exciting and grueling minutes against the Fraport Skyliners.

When one studies the 14 year history of the Frankfurt Skyliners, one quickly remembers its two only titles with the 2000 cup win that was led by current s:oliver Baskets Wurzburg head coach Stefan Koch and the thrilling 2004 Beko BBL championship where they defeated the Brose Baskets Bamberg in five gut wrenching, finger nail biting games where no team could win at home in the first four games until Frankfurt was able to seal their second title with the win in their own living room. However there have been other very exciting games as of recently in the history of the organization like the win in the first game of the 2006-2007 season as Frankfurt annoyed the debut back in the Beko BBL of ratiopharm Ulm with a buzzer beater from American Eric Chadfield. Who could forget the exciting 2008 quarterfinal playoff series against the Bayer Giants Leverkusen that Frankfurt won with  a thrilling fifth game win on the road as Pascal Roller won the game with free throws and they stopped current Artland Dragons head coach Tyrone Mccoy on the last possession denying him the lay up. Who could forget the game five series loss to the Telekom Baskets Bonn in the 2008 playoffs series where Pascal Roller couldn´t connect on a last second drive to the hoop denying a final meeting with 8 time Beko BBL champion Alba Berlin. Skyliner fans have a special spot in their memory bank for the season series with Wurzburg in the 2011-2012 season as American Justin Gray won the game in Frankfurt on a buzzer beater and three months later, Frankfurt was able to sweep the season series with possibly one of the hardest fought games in their history as they won the famous basketball battle of Wurzburg 56-51 as the word defense and toughness was given a new meaning as players must of lost a few pounds after extra fitness that each player practiced on the floor in that game. Another unforgettable game was the 104-102 win at home against the Walter Tigers Tuebingen in double overtime in 2007. A new date and game has been added to the list of these memorable games with the 108-102 triple overtime victory in Ulm on December 21^st, 2013.

Every weekend there are always thousands of professional games around the globe and when one goes to a game one is never expecting or contemplating that one will see a game to remember as the first thought is usually about how a team will win. I was in the Ulm arena hoping that the Fraport Skyliners would seek revenge on their loss last season in their first game in the new Ulm arena and that they wouldn´t be too rusty after the 10 day break between games and their last high class win at home against the New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig. An hour before the game, I was occupied with my own thoughts when Fraport Skyliners head coach Gordon Herbert walked by me in the Ulm arena catacombs and said “nice jacket” and I wished him good luck. It only dawned on me a few seconds later that he liked my fleece jacket that has the word Canada on it. Herbert is Canadian and that my trusty fleece jacket had anything to do with the amazing win and the solid game by Canadian Andrew Rautins that hit a big shot in the third overtime and finished with 24 points, I wasn´t going to take even 1% of credit that my apparel had even the slightest to do with the historical win that the Fraport Skyliners were able to accomplish that evening, but maybe it had been a good omen that I had worn it.

As a basketball reporter one often has enough to remember from 40 minutes of basketball play, but after 55 minutes and three overtimes, the big plays,smiles, sneers, swear words, shots, passes, rebounds and dunks accumulate like the gifts of a boy on Christmas morning after a half hour of having opened everything. On top of everything that happened, one had one interesting side story to the game as ex NBA player Andrew Rautins was meeting American Matt Howard for the first time since March 25^th, 2010. That is a day that Rautins never forgot as it was his last college game as Butler(NCAA) and Howard as the fifth ranked kicked out number one ranked Syracuse(NCAA) out of the NCAA tournament. Rautins did score more points with 15 to the nine points by Howard, but Butler went on to the NCAA final while Rautins was finished as a college player and had NBA draft next on his mind. There was also the fascinating duel of Top German point guard Per Guenther against the future top point guard Konstantin Klein. Klein and Frankfurt did  a great jon keeping Guenther out of the game in the first half not letting ratiopharm Ulm get a big lead. Guenther did hit big shots in the second half after American Cameron Long told him to step it up, but all in all Klein did a solid job against the best German point guard at the moment.

Players witness big plays in each game, but surely remember those plays more in meaningful games than in lesser meaning games. In the 108-102 overtime win, there were many great plays that need to be retold one more time. In the first half, the Fraport Skyliners were perfect at the free throw line and at times it was double the fun to see a Fraport Skyliner at the free throw line just to see if the perfect shooting streak could be held. Aziz Ndiaye had fans scratching their heads in disbelief a few times with his inability to put his size to best use as he actually was rejected, but made a good second effort laying the ball home.  German allstar Danilo Bathel also had a few lay ins where he perfected the pump fake which had Daniel Theis and Trent Plaisted flying up up and away. The only weird thing was that Barthel opted to hold back on his thunderous dunks and elected the more sure route with the put back. That there were 210 points scored in 55 minutes can be expected as well as the strength of both teams waning away on defense to keep up the intensity, but fans did see big defensive plays like back to back Skyliner blocks as Ramon Galloway rejected Per Guenther and Azizi Ndiaye swatted away a Daniel Thies shot in the third quarter. Jared Dubois got the Frankfurt bench jumping for joy with his quarter ending buzzer beater with a soft floater. In the fourth quarter there was a pretty Dubois lay in keeping the defense guessing as he faked a pass to Ndiaye on the baseline with a head fake and laying the ball in or Edgar Sosa giving Frankfurt nightmares with hot shooting. Barthel who isn´t known for making big time under pressure shots got his team into the overtime with a last second baby hook shot. Another  play that had many fans in question was when the 213cm Senegalnator Aziz Ndiaye went  up to stuff a routine ball which is the equivalent of a Zinedine Zidane making a run of the mill penalty kick, but the big man missed the dunk, had luck that he was alone scooped up the ball and laid it in. It looked like Frankfurt had the game wrapped up in the first overtime after a huge Klein three pointer, but Cameron Long showed nerves of steel scoring on a drive to the hoop and sending the game into a second overtime. In the second overtime the role were reversed as ratipharm Ulm suddenly had the better chance to go into Christmas break with a win as Hess dropped an open three pointer as ratiopharm Ulm led 93-89 with less than a minute to play, but Rautins made a giant three pointer showing that quick release of a cowboy that is fighting for his life in a shootout. Galloway made one free throw to tie the game at 93, but at the same time missed the only free throw of the game for Frankfurt who shot 32 of 33 on the night and made 25 in a row. Hess will probably be the only one to remember his last shot of the second overtime as he let go a bomb from the corner that got trapped between rim and back board which is something that happens only then when one doesn´t want it to. The most spectacular play of the game was the poster dunk of Ramon Galloway over 2008 NBA Draft pick Trent Plaisted which still had teammates oohing and awwwing after the game. The Fraport Skyliners made the big shots with a Voigtmann mid distance shot and Rautins making another in your face three pointer which sealed the game for Frankfurt and gave basketball fans another memory to last a very long time. Not only did Frankfurt make the big shots, little plays, mental strength and play a bit more clever, but they also had a bit more luck than ratiopharm Ulm, but that is a part of the game.

After the win, it was in some degree a surprise how much strength and energy the players still had to enjoy the moment instead of just disappearing into the locker room and demanding an oxygen mask, but then again these aren´t 300 pound football players trying to survive the 110 heat of the Phoenix desert, but very well- conditioned athletes that are savoring a historical moment in the Skyliner history. Three overtimes was a like a half marathon for Andrew Rautins in comparison to his six overtime game win in 2009 against UConn 129-119 where he faced future NBA players Kemba Walker and Jeff Adrien and teammate ex NBA player Johnny Flynn led all scorers with 34 points and Rautins added 20 points with six three pointers. Jacob Burtschi joked after the big win that he remembered watching the 6 overtime game win of Syracuse and was just tired watching it. Since it was the last game before Christmas, some players might have been already a bit in Santa Claus mode in their thoughts, feasting on delectable home cooking and opening presents to really understand what had just happened. This is the type of a game that can make a team take a huge step mentally and help them make strides in the standings in the next months with continued stellar all around play. Frankfurt isn´t the most talented, but Gordon Herbert has built a solid team chemistry that grew with this victory. One thing is for sure that guys like Andrew Rautins and Jacob Burtschi will have many stories to tell about this win during seconds of Turkey and mashed potatoes, while the kids at the Christmas dinner table will have those basketball tales from Ulm go through one ear and out the next as they observe two time NBA champion Lebron James tear apart the hapless Kobe Bryant less Los Angeles Lakers in the Christmas day NBA game.

Jack Eggleston is a 24 year old 203cm power forward from Noblesville, Indiana that is playing his third year as a professional for the Bayer Giants Leverkusen in the German Pro B. He played at  Pennsylvania (NCAA) from 2007-2011. He played a total of 125 NCAA games. In his senior year he played 28 games: 13.2ppg, 8.0rpg, 2.1apg, FGP: 50.4%, 3PT: 45.1%, FT: 73.5%. As a rookie  for Leverkusen he played  23 games: 14.0ppg, 6.0rpg, 2.1apg, FGP: 49.5%, 3PT: 37.1%, FT: 71.2%. Last season he played 33 games: 15.3ppg, Reb-2(11.1rpg), 3.4apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 51.2%, 3PT: 34.1%, FT: 74.7%He spoke to German Hoops after the 84-83 win at home against the MLP Academics Heidelberg.

 

 

Leverkusen, Duesseldorf, Indianapolis in only 24 hours. Did you feel like a basketball jet setter last weekend?

 

Haha jet setter might be a little strong, but I am definitely happy to the chance to come home and see my family for a bit. I was at the Pacers game. My brothers and I went nuts when lance got his triple double.

Congrats on the big 84-83 win against the MLP Academics Heidelberg. After a slow start, could this nerve wracking win be what will propel the team to have a better second half of the season?

I really hope so, Miles. Slowly but surely, we have been improving over the first half of the season. I think this win demonstrates that. But we need to continue to improve if we want to be successful in 2014.

The Bayer Giants Leverkusen won the game with a last second shot from Goetz Twiehoff. Run through that last play and what did Achim Kuczmann want to be done on that play?

We were actually out of time outs so we didn’t get a chance to sit down with coach and talk it out. We wanted to get one of our shooters free for a good look, but Goetz read the defense and made a great cut to the rim to get open.

The Bayer Giants Leverkusen had problems containing Shy Ely, but overall what do you feel was the biggest strength of the team over the full 40 minutes?

I think our biggest strength was our sustained effort throughout the whole game. We’ve had issues this year when we get down big early or fall off late. I really thought we fought hard for 40 minutes on Saturday.

How important has Goetz Twiehoff been this season? A club needs guys like him and Marc Sonnen to take some of the load off the shoulders of you and Tony Watson.

Just like last year, Götz has been huge for us. Playing center at his size in the Pro A is no easy task, but he has figured out how to be effective around the basket and give us a big lift inside.

How happy are you with your own game? After your injury, you are putting up great Pro A stats with 16,4ppg, 9,0rpg and 4,2apg. Besides winning what is your main goal in your game for the second half of the season?

I’ve played ok so far. My outside shooting is the thing that jumps out as the most obvious need for improvement in the second half of the year. I also would like to do a better job of taking care of the ball.

The Bayer Giants are 3-12 at the moment. On what things does the club need to improve on to get higher up in the standings?

Offensively we have a tendency to get stagnant for long stretches. When we get ball and body movement I think we are a tough team to guard. Defensively we need to do a better job communicating and eliminating silly mistakes.

How important was the signing of American Jake Koch? How will he help the team best and what has been your impression of him?

Hopefully Jake will give us a big lift. I think he is a very smart, skilled player who can come in and do all the little things necessary to help the team improve.

You saw the 106-79 drubbing of the Indiana Pacers against the Boston Celtics. When you watch a game like this was there anything that you could take with you that you will remember and could help you in your game?

One thing that Josh Parker and I actually incorporated last year was a little late clock action that the Indiana Pacers run. I’m always on the lookout for sets or quick actions that I like.

What was your impression of the Rajon Rondoless Boston Celtics? Where do you see them finishing this season?

The Celtics are just ok right now. Obviously without Rondo it has been a bit of a struggle. In the Eastern Conference you never know though. They could win 35 games and probably still make the playoffs.

On December 21st is always the anniversary of when basketball was invented by James Naismith. What has been the most important thing in basketball over the last 122 years that you will always remember?

Man that’s not a very easy question to answer. I think you could make the argument that widespread racial integration in the 1950s and 60s was the most socially important thing that has happened in basketball. From a gameplay standpoint though, the addition of the three point line and the shot clock were the two biggest factors in changing basketball into the game that is played today.

What present do you really want for Christmas?

I’m an easy guy to please so I’ll be very happy just to hang out with the family and relax for the next few days.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

I just watched Bachelorette. I love that movie.

 

Thanks Jack for the chat.