Going from the glitzy, high paced, New York all over again sprayed on the beach Los Angeles to the tranquil, country side and relaxed Bamberg in Germany could pose a serious culture shock for people, but if your German national player Elias Harris who is from Speyer Germany, making that jump isn´t all that difficult to digest. Not long ago, Harris was sharing the same locker room with future NBA legend Kobe Bryant, possibly trying his best to coax Chris Kaman to return back to the German national team, finding out secretes from Pau Gasol as to why the Spanish basketball federation are so successful at grooming young Spanish talent, or getting valuable passing skills and ball handling tips from future NBA legend Steve Nash. As it is so often the case in the fast flowing NBA, players are there one day and gone the next day which was the case of Elias Harris. He played two games playing against Golden State and New Orleans and playing only a total of 12 minutes. The Los Angeles Lakers wanted to go in another direction and waived the ex Gonzaga Forward. Instead of sitting around and waiting for an offer, he decided to sign with the Brose Baskets Bamberg and has continued his professional career in Germany. Harris is a guy that is a natural born power forward and he is a very strong kid with physical power who loves (of course) the Physical game. His ability shooting gives him another advantage on the court as he can play also at the small forward positions in case needed. He is great in the paint as his strong body and his very good positioning helps him to dashed down quite a big number of boards considering his post. Harris joins a very strong Bamberg roster and will help the team right away and in their quest to defend their title. In his first game with Bamberg, he helped the Brose Baskets Bamberg defeat Phoenix Hagen 104-93 in which Bamberg gave Phoenix Hagen a lesson in shoot out basketball as Harris had 25 points in his first professional game in Germany. Phoenix Hagen forward Larry Gordon got a first impression of the German. “He was alright, strong, really physical and skilled, but I think that his game is more suited for Europe”, stressed Larry Gordon. The Fraport Skyliners were able to get their first impression of Harris as he had his first meeting against the Fraport Skyliners and also remembered a scrawny black haired kid form New York who´s father Leo was the best player in Canada before the emergence of Steve Nash as Andrew Rautins poured in 24 points in a 87-65 loss his freshman year to Syracuse kicking out Gonzaga And Harris who also scored 24 points out of the 2010 NCAA tournament. Harris and Rautins didn´t meet for the first time as professionals as Rautins was idle on account of a lower body injury and the Brose Baskets Bamberg whipped the Fraport Skyliners 73-43 as their nasty stick was in the form of aggressive defense. Newcomer Harris played only his third Beko BBL game, but no matter who you talked to, everyone´s eyes glowed when mentioning the play of the Speyer native. “Harris brings a new dimension to our game. He brings physicality and good defense.He showed his high low game against Hagen and showed his perimeter skills against Wurzburg. His biggest strength is his versatility as he can guard the positions three to five. He was guarding Dino Gregory of Hagen. I feel that he can play in the NBA, but he will be more of a role player as NBA teams have 3-4 guys that just score. He will have more of an offensive role with us”” stressed Bamberg scout Brendan Rooney. Harris finished the game with 13 points, three rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks in 24 minutes and showed that he can dominate the game with his overall game. Fraport Skyliner American Jarred Dubois remembered Harris form the NCAA. “Harris is always attacking and uses his athleticism well. He has a great face up game and shoots very well. I always thought his game was a bit underrated, but he just does it all”, added Jarred Dubois. “Harris is a good player and a reason why he was in the NBA. It is great for the BEKO BBL that he is playing here”, commented Fraport Skyliner forward Danilo Barthel. Ex NBA player Casey Jacobsen who played 287 NBA games is more than confident that Harris will be back in the NBA. ”He is good enough to play in the NBA. He just has to decide if he wants to be a star in Europe or be a role player in the NBA. But he is born and raised in Germany, maybe he will stay in Europe, but as of now I am very happy that he is on our team”, smiled Casey Jacobsen. Harris didn´t get any last encouraging words from NBA super star Kobe Bryant, but from Pau Gasol and Steve Nash. “They just gave me encouraging words and told me to stay focused and that there are many different roads to Rome”, added Elias Harris.

The Fraport Skyliners entered the game in seventh place having a record of 9-6 and still had quiet aspirations of possibly reaching the cup knock out games, but in order to that they had to at least beat Bamberg or Alba Berlin and get help from other Beko BBL teams. They entered the Stechert arena in Bamberg as the walking wounded as they were crippled with injuries about as bad as it has ever been in their 15 year history. The walking wounded list for the Fraport Skyliners kept growing the last week like a bar room tab that Norm Peterson kept alive at the Cheers bar in Boston. Long time injured Skyliners Marius Nolte and Quantez Robertson were joined by Americans Andrew Rautins and Ramon Galloway who had lower body injuries and Oklahoma native. Galloway then did suit up and play. Jacob Burtschi was also missing in action as he has back problems and will be out at least three weeks. The Fraport Skyliners played a solid first half being down only by eight points, but completely feel apart in the second half being outscored 40-18 as the Brose Baskets Bamberg turned up their defense, started hitting more shots and played their usual strong second half. “We had a bad start in the first quarter, but were able to cut it back to 6-7 points at first half. We fell apart in the second half and just didn´t play together as a team. We had too many turnovers which led to many fast break points for Bamberg”, expressed Heidelberg native Danilo Barthel. The Brose Baskets Bamberg came into the game in second place behind the mighty FC Bayern Munich with a record of 12-3 and since they were eliminated in Euroleague play can fully concentrate on Cup and league championship. They were coming off a big 61-49 win against Bavaria rival Wurzburg and continued their dominating defense against the Fraport Skyliners. One sign of a champion is when that player still isn´t happy with a team performance despite creaming a team by 30 points. There is a reason why ex Stanford guard Casey Jacobsen has won 8 German titles for the Brose Baskets Bamberg. “We have only had one game the last weeks, so we have had much time to prepare for each opponent and work on our weaknesses. We are still a work in progress and Harris and Fischer are new to the team and there is still a lot of work to do. We have more time now to work on our weaknesses and I think the win today against Frankfurt was a good step in the right direction”, stated ex Memphis Grizzlies Casey Jacobsen. Despite easily beating  the Fraport Skyliners, it wasn´t a cake walk for us. “This wasn´t as stroll in the park on a Sunday. We didn´t underestimate Frankfurt and respected them from the start. Frankfurt fought very hard, but our defense came through in the second half and we hit more shots”, warned ex Gonzaga player Elias Harris.

The Fraport Skyliners started the game with four Germans and American Jarred Dubois and couldn´t have been at a bigger disadvantage in experience towards the Brose Baskets Bamberg as at times Bamberg had more than 100 games Euroleague experience while the Fraport Skyliners had zero Euroleague games on the floor , but they had to come to terms with what they had on the floor. In the first few minutes, the score was 0-0 as one could have thought there was a soccer arena game going on with only the nets missing. Maik Zirbes got Bamberg on the board first with a jumper and Danilo Barthel tied the game with a lay in after getting fed perfectly from Johannes Voigtmann. However it doesn´t usually take the Brose Baskets Bamberg long to get rolling at home as they went on a 10-0 run to lead 12-2. On this run, American Zach Wright used his aggressive penetration creating open looks for the Bamberg shooters. Jacobsen nailed a three pointer, Rhode Island native Rakim Sanders scored inside and Anton Gavel punished Frankfurt with his line drive three pointer after getting  a second chance after Bamberg scooped up an offensive rebound. Bamberg kept up the offensive pressure as Wright scored twice inside. Frankfurt got some buckets from Voigtmann and Barthel to cut the Bamberg lead to 16-6. Harris contributed a three pointer and Fraport Skyliner Konstantin Klein finished the first quarter dropping a three pointer as the Brose Baskets Bamberg led 21-11. “Bamberg was playing with more energy and hit many three pointers. Frankfurt fought very hard and did a good job on help defense. Maik Zirbes did a good job on the boards”, stressed Baunach American Antonio Stabler. The Brose Baskets Bamberg were shooting 47% from the field and 43% while the Fraport Skyliners were shooting 36% from the field and 100% from outside. Bamberg led the rebound duel 9-7, while Frankfurt had eight turnovers and Bamberg five turnovers.

In the second quarter, the Fraport Skyliners continued to fight and claw themselves closer to Bamberg and a pair of Aziz Ndiaye dunks at the end of the second quarter brought the team a lot of energy and were only eight points back at the intermission. Ex Los Angeles Laker Elias Harris started off the second quarter with a soft post up jumper over Danilo Barthel. Ramon Galloway then got a crisp bounce pass from Klein and scored on a lay in on the baseline. Ex Real Madrid center D or Fischer then made a pick and pop as Bamberg led 25-14. Aziz Ndiaye who missed a dunk at the start of the second quarter made amends by muscling in an offensive rebound as  the Fraport Skyliners showed nonstop grit as they finally got the ball in the hole possibly the best work on the offensive boards of the season on that play. Team work, effort and heart was bringing the Fraport Skyliners back into the game. Ramon Galloway then closed off an 8-4 Frankfurt run as they trailed only 25-19 as Bamberg head coach Chris Fleming called a time out. The New Jersey native found the right words as the six time Beko BBL champion went on a 8-2 run to lead 33-21. Ex Giessen guard Anton Gavel stormed out of the timeout and dropped a three point bomb. Voigtmann responded with his bread and butter the mid distance jumper. Ex TBB Trier center Maik Zirbes then made a quick dunk. Ndiaye then missed two free thows while ex Boston College guard Rakim Sanders had a little too much NBA showtime in his blood as he flew over three Skyliners from the baseline, but missed a thunderous dunk. Jacobsen then hit another three as Bamberg led 33-21. The Fraport Skyliners finished the second quarter with a 4-0 Ndiaye run with one dunk prettier than the other. “My two dunks were just two plays. I am happy that I could finish the dunks and that time it was good, because it changed the momentum at that time”, stressed Aziz Ndiaye. The Brose Baskets Bamberg led 33-25 at halftime. A big factor in the first half was the wheeling and dealing of Austin, Texas native Zach Wright who was penetrating all day long and always being aggressive something that Frankfurt couldn´t come to terms with. “I had had knee problems stating back to last summer and with the Bosnian national team. I have been feeling better as of late and been able to play the way I know how. Coach told me to always be aggressive and not be in between. Attacking is my game”, stressed Zach Wright. “Frankfurt did a good job coming back. Frankfurt played at their tempo and Bamberg kept hitting shots. I liked how Bamberg was playing with confidence and much heart”, stressed American Antonio Stabler. The Brose Baskets Bamberg were shooting 46% from the field and 38% from the three point line while the Fraport Skyliners were shooting 40% from the field and 25% from the three point line. Bamberg had the 16-15 rebound edge and 10 turnovers while Frankfurt had 12 turnovers.

In the third quarter came the turning point of the basketball game as the Brose Baskets were able to jump on the Fraport Skyliners quickly and they would never let the opponent come back again and get under 10 points. The Brose Baskets Bamberg had no mercy for the 2004 Beko BBL champion slapping a 17-2 run. Casey Jacobsen started the run with a catch and pop jumper which was matched by a Voigtmann mid distance jumper as Frankfurt has massive luck getting a loose ball back and making the shot. That was about as much luck as Frankfurt would have as Bamberg would score 15 unanswered points to lead 50-28. As if it was the easiest thing in the world, Bamberg turned their offense up a few gears as Gavel nailed a three pointer, Wright connected on a floater and then Bamberg got two straight steals from Wright and Harris that led to coast to coast dunks. Gavel then hit another three pointer and Fischer snuck inside dunking as Harris slid the quick pass through. In this run, Frankfurt was suffering turnover after turnover and Bamberg was punishing them like a cat does a mouse when it has gotten to close. Frankfurt then experienced a bright spot as they closed out the third quarter with a 11-7 run as Bamberg led 57-39 after three quarters. In this run, Klein got hot nailing three three pointers in a row. Bamberg got easy buckets inside from Fischer and Sanders. Sanders closed out the third quarter with a three pointer. “Bamberg hit open shots and we slept on defense especially on switches”; stressed Heidelberg native Danilo Barthel. “I am new here and didn´t know that Bamberg usually have strong second halves. We had too many turnovers in the first half and eliminated them in the third quarter. Our ball movement was very good and we hit our free throws”, stressed Elias Harris. “We didn´t hit any shots and made many turnovers and didn´t rebound well which resulted in many easy Bamberg baskets”, stressed Jarred Dubois. The Brose Baskets Bamberg were shooting 52% from the field and 43% from the parking lot while the Fraport Skyliners were shooting 41% from the field and 44% from the parking lot. Frankfurt had the 22-20 rebound edge, but 19 turnovers while Bamberg had 11 turnovers.

In the fourth quarter the Brose Baskets Bamberg never let their guard down and just completely buried the Fraport Skyliners not even needing any of that excess New York snow as they won the quarter 15-4 as the class difference between both teams rose from kinder garden-college from the start to Kindergarden-Master degree. It really didn´t matter what Frankfurt did on the offense end, the outcome usually was a turnover or led to a very forced shot. Perhaps the best play of the quarter was a Barthel block of Sanders to start of the fourth quarter. After a Fischer lay in, it was Harris that took a page out of the Aziz Ndiaye´s book by dunking twice in a row as Bamberg led 64-41. Frankfurt got one field goal in the fourth quarter which was a Voigtmann tip in. Bamberg got added production from Zirbes with a lay in and a Jacobsen three pointer and Harris runner. After Harris blocked little used Skyliner Pro B license player Johannes Richter, Karsten Tadda and Galloway ended the game exchanging free throws. “Bamberg is very deep and a team that plays tough defense and runs their plays well. One could see that they are a veteran team and it was tough playing against guys that came in and out and had the same quality”, warned Jarred Dubois. “Frankfurt had a lot of injuries, but we played well and did a good job pushing the ball, executing and playing together and getting easy shots”, said Zach Wright.

The Brose Baskets Bamberg were led by Elias Harris with 13 points. Casey Jacobsen and Anton Gavel each chipped in with 12 points a piece. The Fraport Skyliners were led by Konstantin Klein who scored 14 points. Johannes Voigtmann had nine points and eight rebounds. Bamberg shot 49% from the field and 36% from the three point line while the Fraport Skyliners shot a dismal 31% from the field and 33% from the three point line. Both teams registered 31 rebounds, but Frankfurt had an unacceptable 26 turnovers while Bamberg had 15 turnovers. If a team like Tuebingen or Bayreuth gave up 43 points, they would disclaim a national holiday in each city, but even after allowing only 43 points the sign of a real champion is that one is never satisfied and wants to always improve as Jacobsen explained once again. “We have had good moments on defense, but we still haven´t found our potential yet. Frankfurt was without some players and probably wouldn´t have allowed only 43 points if they had played. Our defensive strategies can be complicated so it will take some time for Harris and Fischer to learn. We continue to need time to grow”, added Casey Jacobsen. Fraport Skyliner Johannes Voigtmann was able to pin point the Bamberg finer defensive points. “Bamberg did a great job not letting us get in our offense and got into the passing lanes. I think that we got tired in the second half. One always has to be fully concentrated, because they are so good at one on one and pick and role defense. They found many mis matches and were able to get easy points”, added Johannes Voigtmann. Frankfurt might have only scored 43 points, but the saying that TBB Trier is the only basketball institution for developing young Germans is wrong as People are becoming more aware of what is happening in Frankfurt. “We prepared very well for Andrew Rautins and saw much film and what we saw with the Germans was good. The Germans compliment his game and they are good role players. These players are getting the chance to play and show what they can do and are developing. Young players from wherever need time and patience and opportunities to make mistakes. A player only gets better succeeding and failing on the court. Young Germans need to Play here, in Frankfurt or Berlin and just have the chance to compete against the best”, stressed Casey Jacobsen. “It was hard following what the Germans have been up to when I was at Gonzaga, but from what I saw is that Danilo Barthel has made a big jump from what I remember in his Heidelberg days and Konstantin Klein also has developed well”, warned Elias Harris.

Jay Threat is a 24 year old 180cm point guard from Richmond, Virginia that is playing his second professional season and first in germany with the MLP Academics Heidelberg. He started his basketball career with George Mason and then transefered to Delaware State where he played from 2009-2012 an din his senior year played 26 games: 8.9ppg, 3.7rpg, 6.0apg, Steals-1(3.0spg), FGP: 45.3%, 3PT: 26.4%, FT: 82.1%. He played a total of 89 NCAA games. Last season as a rookie he played for Ungmennafelagio Snaefell (Iceland-Dominos League): 28 games: 18.5ppg, 5.3rpg, Assists-1(8.9apg), 1.9spg, FGP: 50.6%, 3PT: 41.6%, FT: 77.8%. He spoke to German Hoops before the game against BG Goettingen

 

Jay thanks for talking to German Hoops again. How did you come into 2014? Did you celebrate in Germany or were you back home in Virginia? What did you like most about seeing the new year in Germany?

 

Happy New Years Miles. I spent New Years out here in Germany. I really enjoyed it seeing the fireworks and people out here, I had a good time.

What basketball new year resolutions do you have for 2014? The first half of the season has gone very well for you and the club.

I want to improve everything in my game this year and finish the season in first place. Those are my goals for the rest of the season.

The MLP Academics Heidelberg finished 2013 with a 1-2 record. What were the main problems in the last two loses that the team will hope to correct right away in the second half of the season?

The main problems were us not taking those games serious and that falls on us senior players. We have to come ready to play each game.

How happy have you been with your game? You are averaging 16,0ppg and 7,1 apg and 3,6rpg. Your shooting 43% from outside, have 1,7spg,but 2,3 turnovers per game. Has your turnovers been your only bad point in your own game?

My numbers are ok but I hold myself to a higher standard than that so I’m not at all satisfied with them. When you have the ball 85% of the time your going have a few T.O.s but I will def improve that this year.

It seems like you have been very focused on setting up your teammates more than scoring as of recently. Do you just take what the defense gives you and if your shooting is off concentrate on getting your teammates involved more?

We’ve had a number of injuries the last month of the season which forced me to play a little different. I didn’t want to force tooo much while I was injured so I relied on my teammates a lot more. Now that I’m about 80% I will get back to playing how I was at the start the year. But I always take what the defensive gives me.

Where would the team be without Michael Jost?. The German has been very consistent and is shooting over 40% from outside. Has he been a type of unsung hero so far?

Micheal Jost is a huge part of our team. He play is a big part of our success.

You guys start 2014 with BG Goettingen who beat Heidelberg 85-71 on their court. What memories do you have from this game? They seemed to control the game from the get go and never looked back.

Goettingten was the only team that flat out beat us this year. They controlled the game from the start. But I’m ready to play them again, should be a better game.

The starting five scored 80 of the 85 points. Especially guys like Harper Kamp and Jeremy Dunbar did what they wanted to. What will be key in getting the win?

The key to beating them is to control those starters and just play our game like we know how. I want to beat EVERYBODY not just a certain team.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

The last DVD I watched was Home Alone.

 

Thanks Jay for the chat.

 

Michael Fakuade is a 24 year old 201cm forward from Chicago, Illinois that also has the NIgerian citizenship and is playing his second professional basketball season with the ETB Wohnbau Baskets Essen. He just completed his rookie season for UBC Hannover playing 15 games: 15.2ppg, Reb-5(10.6rpg), 1.1apg, 1.3spg, Blocks-1(2.8bpg), FGP: 52.9%, 3PT: 40.0%, FT: 67.6%. he started his basketball career in 2007 for  N.Illinois (NCAA) where he played until 2010 playing 54 NCAA games. He then changed to play for  Ill.-Springfield (NCAA2). He played a total of 45 NCAA 2 games and as a senior played  24 games: 14.5ppg, RebNCAA2-6(11.0rpg), BlocksNCAA2-2(3.5bpg), FGP: 55.9%, 3PT: 3-6, FT: 56.7%. He spoke to German Hoops before the game against Erdgas Ehingen.

Michael thanks for talking to German Hoops again. Last season you played in Hannover and now you play in Essen and witnessed the coming of the new year. What makes celebrating New Years in Germany so special?

 Actually I was not here for new years. I just made my way back to Essen. It was a different experience, but I am still happy to bring in the New Year.

With 2014 here, what basketball New Year resolutions do you have?

My basketball new year resolution is to make the playoffs

The EBTB Wohnbau Baskets finished the first half of the season in 11th place with a record of 6-9. You probably aren´t very happy with that record. What things does the club need to improve more on to get more wins in the second half of the season?

 The first half of the seasons was kind of tough. Not because our play was poor, but because we lost so many close games by only a few points. I believe that we will really start to turn things around. Our biggest thing is we need to work on is finishing games. We play teams very hard until the end, but never seem to finish.

You are averaging 10,0ppg and 8,0 rpg in 21 minutes. How happy have you been with your play? You are averaging 2,2bpg, but only 61% from the free throw line.

To be honest I’m not really happy with my play because I always want to do more. There are a lot of things I can improve on in my game. As far as my shooting from the free throw line, I was in a little bit of slump. I know that will change with more repetition.

How important has Christoph Hackenesch been in the first half of the season? He is averaging 7,5rpg and has really helped the team out under the boards? Where would the team have been without his services?

 Christoph is a big part of our team. He brings so much energy to the floor. Every time he is out there I know he will find a way to impact the game.

The next game is against Ehingen. How advantageous is it that you last played them December 21ist. How vivid are certain plays of this game still in your mind?

Ehingen is very good and well coached team. I think we have to come out with a similar game plan, but key in on a few players a little more. There are some plays we wish we could have back, but we can’t worry about the past we have to just move on.

ETB Essen lost the first meeting against Ehingen with 72-66 on your own home court. What will be key in getting the win? The little things to win weren´t done in this game. Especially Stacey Wilson hurt Essen badly with 24 points and five three pointers. Will slowing him down be half the rent to the win?

The key to winning this is game is to contain all their guards not just Wilson. Their penetration hurts us a lot in previous games. If we can do that and outrebound them we should have a good chance of winning.

How disappointing has been the re injury to Derrick Rose? It must be very frustrating and will he ever come back again or just be an injury prone player the rest of his career?

 Watching Derrick Rose go down is very tough. Just because of how much he means to the game. He is one of the better players in the game today. I believe that he will come back to his old self. He has a lot of determination and he is too young to write him off and say he is injury prone.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw

 The Butler

Thanks Michael for the chat.

Michael Fakuade is a 24 year old 201cm forward from Chicago, Illinois that also has the NIgerian citizenship and is playing his second professional basketball season with the ETB Wohnbau Baskets Essen. He just completed his rookie season for UBC Hannover playing 15 games: 15.2ppg, Reb-5(10.6rpg), 1.1apg, 1.3spg, Blocks-1(2.8bpg), FGP: 52.9%, 3PT: 40.0%, FT: 67.6%. he started his basketball career in 2007 for  N.Illinois (NCAA) where he played until 2010 playing 54 NCAA games. He then changed to play for  Ill.-Springfield (NCAA2). He played a total of 45 NCAA 2 games and as a senior played  24 games: 14.5ppg, RebNCAA2-6(11.0rpg), BlocksNCAA2-2(3.5bpg), FGP: 55.9%, 3PT: 3-6, FT: 56.7%. He spoke to German Hoops before the game against Erdgas Ehingen.

 

 

Michael thanks for talking to German Hoops again. Last season you played in Hannover and now you play in Essen and witnessed the coming of the new year. What makes celebrating New Years in Germany so special?

 Actually I was not here for new years. I just made my way back to Essen. It was a different experience, but I am still happy to bring in the New Year.

With 2014 here, what basketball New Year resolutions do you have?

My basketball new year resolution is to make the playoffs

The EBTB Wohnbau Baskets finished the first half of the season in 11th place with a record of 6-9. You probably aren´t very happy with that record. What things does the club need to improve more on to get more wins in the second half of the season?

 The first half of the seasons was kind of tough. Not because our play was poor, but because we lost so many close games by only a few points. I believe that we will really start to turn things around. Our biggest thing is we need to work on is finishing games. We play teams very hard until the end, but never seem to finish.

You are averaging 10,0ppg and 8,0 rpg in 21 minutes. How happy have you been with your play? You are averaging 2,2bpg, but only 61% from the free throw line.

To be honest I’m not really happy with my play because I always want to do more. There are a lot of things I can improve on in my game. As far as my shooting from the free throw line, I was in a little bit of slump. I know that will change with more repetition.

How important has Christoph Hackenesch been in the first half of the season? He is averaging 7,5rpg and has really helped the team out under the boards? Where would the team have been without his services?

 Christoph is a big part of our team. He brings so much energy to the floor. Every time he is out there I know he will find a way to impact the game.

The next game is against Ehingen. How advantageous is it that you last played them December 21ist. How vivid are certain plays of this game still in your mind?

Ehingen is very good and well coached team. I think we have to come out with a similar game plan, but key in on a few players a little more. There are some plays we wish we could have back, but we can’t worry about the past we have to just move on.

ETB Essen lost the first meeting against Ehingen with 72-66 on your own home court. What will be key in getting the win? The little things to win weren´t done in this game. Especially Stacey Wilson hurt Essen badly with 24 points and five three pointers. Will slowing him down be half the rent to the win?

The key to winning this is game is to contain all their guards not just Wilson. Their penetration hurts us a lot in previous games. If we can do that and outrebound them we should have a good chance of winning.

How disappointing has been the re injury to Derrick Rose? It must be very frustrating and will he ever come back again or just be an injury prone player the rest of his career?

 Watching Derrick Rose go down is very tough. Just because of how much he means to the game. He is one of the better players in the game today. I believe that he will come back to his old self. He has a lot of determination and he is too young to write him off and say he is injury prone.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw

 The Butler

 

Thanks Michael fort he chat.

 

 

 

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.