Last season, the incredible seasons of Ulm and Wurzburg were as unexpected and surprising as the slow start by the Los Angeles Lakers and not rehiring of NBA legend Phil Jackson. 2010 Eurochallenge head coach John Patrick was the magician that led the team to the semi finals after an amazing 3-1 playoff win against Alba Berlin, but then had to depart on account of internal problems between him and management. The club decided to hand the reigns to assistant coach Marcel Schroeder who had led the team into the Beko BBL in 2011 from the Pro A and had to step back last season to assistant coach. Schroeder is a young coach that has tasted success and learned a season under Patrick. He is in a way like ex Ulm coach Mike Taylor in which he eats, drinks and sleeps 24 hours for basketball. He has a strong roster, but the question will be how well he can make the transition to the Beko BBL as head coach and how he reacts when there are injuries or crises in the team? Despite the fairy tale season of the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg last season, one has to give a lot of respect and credit to young German head coach Marcel Schroeder who took over the wane from John Patrick and has kept his team steady, focused and possibly  happy with an abundance of energy from the special Wurzburg sausages that are a specialty in that region. Despite a full Eurocup schedule and injuries woes to guys like Ben Jacobsen, John Little, Chris Mcnaughton or Maxi Kleber that was similar to what the Frankfurt Skyliners have experienced in the last years, the team kept fighting and have been consistently in the playoff area in the standings. A big loss was Jimmy MCkinney who just can´t seem to shake the injury bug that has infected him time in and time out again. Despite injuries the team had to bring in players like Osiris Eldridge, Courtney Pigram, Michael Lenzly or Frank Robinson who all have contributed and some how kept the team chemistry alive despite the many new happenings with arrivals.

Soon after the playoff loss to Ulm in 2012, a very interesting and surprising development occurred as the team let successful head coach John Patrick go. It was hard to believe that the team and head coach would go separate ways, but for the insider it was clear that there seemed to be clear differences between management and the head coach. Both sides rather stayed silent to what happened and both sides didn´t destroy each other in the media either as no one dragged the other side into quick sand. The club decided to name assistant coach Marcel Schroder as head coach. Schroeder was no unknown coach as he had already experienced success with the Bavarian team leading them to the Beko BBL in 2011 from the PRO A. Schroeder is a coach that breathes basketball 24 hours a day and surely gained experience learning from John Patrick. The club was able to increase their player budget from last season, have built  a more potent team than last season, kept  a healthy core of players and the goal remains reaching the Beko BBL playoffs. The club kept the three BG Goettingen amigos Americans beast under the basket  Jason Boone, versatile Ben Jacobson and pitbull John Little who belongs to the top defenders in the league and was one of the most important players in the Alba Berlin series last year as he took a page out of 2011 Beko BBL MVP Dashaun Wood scoring as if he had been transformed in the Detroit native´s body. The team also kept German Alex King who continues to develop well. “Alex really has made his way in the Beko BBL after being only a role player averaging 5-10 minutes”, stated John Patrick. Germans Oliver Clay, big talent Maximilian Kleber and experienced Chistoph Henneberger were also retained.  The team lost important players like Americans Chris Kramer, Ivan Elliot and Ricky Harris. Losing team top scorer Chris Kramer hurt very much as he played with so much intensity on offense and defense and could change impact of a game. However the team did a super job filling these spots. The team added American Jimmy Mckinney who left the main in Frankfurt after six years. Mckinney is known as a deadly shooter and is looking to make the next step in Wurzburg being more of a go to guy than he was in Frankfurt. The team got Dwayne Anderson who belongs to the top five forward in the Beko BBL, German national player Chris Mcnaughton who is injured, but will form a nice center duo with Boone, experienced Lamont Mcintosh who celebrated much success with Artland Dragon teams including the 2008 Beko BBL cup and talented German Maurice Stuckey who is on loan from Bamberg where he will get more minutes than in Freak city. The biggest strength of the team will be that the team was formed early and many players were kept from last season. Why should the team change their style when it works. John Patrick practiced the quick aggressive style that he had had in Goettingen called 40 minutes of basketball hell. It was quite that extreme last season, but it was still used maybe 25 minutes of hell. Schroeder still likes to play like this, but so far this season, the team is still looking to come together as the team is parked in the middle field of the standings. Their offense is more versatile and unpredictable compared to last season.  Weaknesses this season could of been being able to play up to expectations, but the team is currently in sixth place with a record of 15-13 despite having had many injuries and losing Ben Jacobson for the season. Wurzburg recently added American Frank Robinson and English man Mike Lenzley to help out at the guard position. Wurzburg is riding a four game winning streak and also have won their last four games at home. Defense continues to be their biggest strength as they have given up 64 points average in the last four games. The Fraport Skyliners also are riding a high as they have won five of their last six games and had huge wins over Alba Berlin, Bamberg and  Bremerhaven. Frankfurt also is relying on their biggest strength the most defense as the yhave given up only an average of 66 points in the last four games. “The most important thing that we have to focus on is defense. Rebounding and limiting our mistakes and executing and sharing the ball will be key for us beating Wurzburg”, stressed Fraport Skyliner guard Dawan Robinson. The way both teams have played the last two games scoring only 221 points combined with Frankfurt averaging 55 points and Wurzburg averaging 55 points, fans could witness round three of the battle of the trenches.

The Fraport Skyliners have fond memories from the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg winning both games last season. The Fraport Skyliners squeaked out a 80-78 win at home as American Justin Gray won the game with a buzzer beater. Justin Gray led the Skyliners with 18 points while NBA player Jon Leuer chipped in with 17 points. Chris Kramer had 16 points while Ivan Elliot and Ricky Harris contributed 13 points each. In the return game in Wurzburg in early January, the fans witnessed a gruesome hard fought battle in the trenches as no team wanted to give the other teams any gifts as Frankfurt prevailed 56-51. Frankfurt was led by Quantez Robertson with 12 points, Devin Gibson added 11 points and Jermario Davidson produced 10 points. The s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg were led by Ben Jacobson with 15 points. The Fraport Skyliners have a 2-1 record against Wurzburg since they arrived in the Beko BBL in 2011. This season the Fraport Skyliners lost round two of the battle of the trenches after winning round one in Wurzburg last season at home last December 59-55. Frankfurt only mustered 21 points in the first half, but had a strong fourth quarter scoring 21 points. The club was sparked by Zach Peacock with 18 points and Quantez Robertson added 12 points, nine rebounds and five steals to the win. Wurzburg was led by Dwayne Anderson with 11 points and Jason Boone had 10 points.

The s. Oliver Baskets Wurzburg are led by  Jason Boone who is a 27 year old 198cm power forward/center from Sugar Loaf, New York who played  four seasons with Goettingen and is playing his second season in Wurzburg.  Four years ago, he made the jump from the Regionalliga to the BBL, which is similar as if a professional baseball player jumped from A ball to MLB. In 2010-2011 for BG Goettingen, he played 37 games: 8.5ppg, 5.9rpg, FGP: 59.8%, FT: 34.9%; EuroCup: 14 games: 9.1ppg, 6.2rpg, Blocks-4(1.1bpg), FGP: 59.8%, FT: 36.0% . “Jason Boone is a strong athlete who likes to finish around the rim and is not a shooter at all. One should give him the jump shot and don’t let him penetrate. He is a strong offensive rebounder and goes to the boards each time. He isn´t  a good free throw shooter and don’t give him any easy layups. One should attack him on defense and despite his athletic body, doesn´t move his feet so well and he is foul prone”, Frankfurt still will have to keep an eye on him in the paint”, added 2009 Beko BBL top scorer Omari Westley.  “Boone is probably one of the strongest low post players in the BBL. He can move anybody with his strength down low”, added Ricky Hickman who is playing for Macabbi Tel Aviv.” I always want to improve my game, and I feel like coming into this season fully healthy will help me establish myself as a top center in this league. In retrospect I think, on a personal level, 2010-2011 was a “down” year for me, but it taught me a”, commented Jason Boone.  Last season for Wurzburg, Boone played  40 games: 8.7ppg, 5.7rpg, FGP: 53.6%, FT: 52.4. Ben Jacobson is a 28 year old 188cm guard that is a big Time Point Guard, very good defender and a great scorer who can create his own shot that is playing his  second season in Wurzburg. Before coming to BG Goettingen in 2007, he played at Northern Iowa with teammate John Little and in other German places like Erdgas Ehingen and the Mitteldeutscher BC. His most successful season was 2009-2010 where he helped BG Goettingen win the Eurochallenge. In 2010-2011 he played for Ikaros Kallitheas (Greece-A1, starting five), only pre-season, in Dec.’10 moved to Boulazac Basket Dordogne (France-ProB, starting five): 19 games: 12.8ppg, 3.5rpg, 4.1apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 47.4%, 3PT: 34.9%. Last season for Wurzburg, he played 40 games: 8.6ppg, 2.9rpg, 3.0apg, FGP: 40.9%, 3PT: 30.2%, FT: 65.7%.

The third member to arrive from BG Goettingen in 2011 is John Little who is a 28 year old 180cm guard from Peoria, Illinois. He played four seasons with BG Goettingen. He played at Northern Iowa from 2002-2006. In 2007-2008, he wanted to play for the Peoria Kings of the ABA league, but the team folded, so he returned to Northern Iowa and finished the season as assistant coach. Last season, he played EuroCup: 9 games: 6.1ppg, 2.4rpg, 1.4apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 48.5%, 3PT: 45.5%, FT: 80.0%; German League: 33 games: 6.3ppg, 3.6rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 47.3%, 3PT: 21.0%, FT: 75.0% “Little is their energy guy. He brings  a lot of energy and athletic ability from the bench. He doesn´t have much of a shot and likes to drive to the hoop and finish at the rim. He is  a good rebounder for his size. He is possibly the best defender on the team. He has long arms and plays the passing lanes well and is their best on ball defender”, stressed Omari Westley. “He is probably one of the scrappiest players in the league and always plays hard and gives 100% every minute on the court”, added Ricky Hickman. Last season for Wurzburg, he played 41 games: 9.0ppg, 3.4rpg, 1.6apg, FGP: 40.7%, 3PT: 34.5%, FT: 64.1%. The team brought in American Jimmy Mckinney who is a 29 year old 192cm shooting guard from St Louis who is cousins with ex Skyliner Lorenzo Gordon. Mckinney is a s a solid knock-down shooter, but also can score from penetration and with rim-rattling dunks. He played at Missouri from 2002-2006 where he was a teammate of NBA player Linas Kleiza. He played a total of 133 NCAA Games. He played for the Frankfurt Skyliners from 2006-2012 playing a total of 218 games reaching the 2008 Beko BBL semi final and 2010 Beko BBL final where hew a son the floor in a tough game 5 loss in Bamberg. Last season for Frankfurt he played EuroCup: 6 games: 14.7ppg, 2.7rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 45.5%, 3PT: 41.4%, FT: 92.3%; German League: 34 games: 13.2ppg, 2.5rpg, 1.7apg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 39.3%, FT: 84.0%.

The team also hauled in Lamont Mcintosh who is a 30 year old 190cm guard from Georgia that is playing his ninth professional season and first in Wurzburg. He played at Georgia Tech from 2000-2004. In his first  two seasons he played for the Southern Crescent Lightning (WBA) and then went to Europe to play for the Scottish Rocks (United Kingdom-BBL). In 2005, he showed that he could play in a more higher league playing for  Verviers-Pepinster (Belgium-D1): 28 games: 15.0ppg, 2.5rpg, 2.2apg, 1.0spg, 2FGP: 51.0%, 3PT: 35.0%, FT: 51.0%. He then played for the Artland Dragons from 2006-2009 reaching the playoffs each season. In 2009-2010, he played for Politekhnika-Halychyna Lviv (Ukraine-Superleague) 20 games: 16.1ppg, 3.1rpg, 3.2apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 46.5%, 3PT: 35.6%, FT: 73.8%. In 2001-2011, he played for Enosi Kalathosfairisis Kavalas (Greece-A1, starting five): 25 games: 7.1ppg, 2.0rpg, FGP: 51.9%, 3PT: 30.0%, FT: 80.8%. Last season, he played for  AZS Koszalin (Poland-PLK): 14 games: 11.2ppg, 1.4rpg, 2.0apg, FGP: 41.0%, 3PT: 43.1%, FT: 85.2%. Christopher Mcnaughton is a 29 year old 211cm center. He is a true back-to-the-basket big man, but does possess good mobility for his size. He started his basketball career in the Bamberg system in 2000 playing 35 games for TSV Troester Breitengrussbach in the second Bundesliga. He then played at Bucknell from 2003-2007. After getting valuable experience in the NCAA, he played two years in Spain before moving to BG Goettingen in 2009-2010. He helped the club win the Eurochallenge and scoring 22 points in the final. He played EuroChallenge: 15 games: 8.9ppg, 4.1rpg, FGP: 61.4%, FT: 71.1%; German League: 37 games: 7.4ppg, 2.9rpg, FGP: 62.2%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 71.4%. In 2010-2011, he played for the EWE Baskets Oldenburg playing EuroCup: 6 games: 5.8ppg, 2.8rpg, FGP: 55.6%, FT; German League: 39 games: 5.0ppg, 2.0rpg, FGP: 60.7%, FT: 80.7%. At the World Championships in Turkey in 2010, he played 5 games: 5.4ppg, 2.6rpg, FGP: 58.8%, FT: 77.8%. Currently, he is averaging 10,3ppg and 5,6rpg. Last season, for the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven he played 34 games: 12.0ppg, 5.0rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 61.9%, FT: 79.0%.

The s. Oliver Baskets Wurzburg also has its share of German players including Alex King who moved to his third Beko BBL team Wurzburg in 2011. King is a 27 year old 200cm forward from Munich, Germany. King started his basketball career in Frankfurt playing for The Deutsche Bank Skyliners from 2002-2008. In that span he won the German league title in 2004 and was a finalist in 2005 and played a total of 129 BBL games for Frankfurt. He played for the Telekom Baskets Bonn from 2008-20011 playing a total of 101 Beko BBl games. In 2010-2011 for Bonn he played EuroChallenge: 6 games: 2.5ppg, 4.0rpg; German League: 31 games: 4.9ppg, 2.3rpg. Last season for Wurzburg, he played 41 games: 4.8ppg, 3.0rpg. The team also brought in young German Oliver Clay in 2011 who is a 25 year old 205cm power forward/center from Berlin. He started his basketball career in 2006 for TUS Lichterfelde Berlin (2.Bundesliga): 25 games: 3.2ppg, 2.7rpg. He then played for Alba Berlin playing mostly for the Regionaliga team where he was German Regionalliga (North Group) Champion in 2010. In 2010-2011, he played for TBB Trier (1.Bundesliga): 33 games: 2.5ppg, 1.9rpg. Last season for Wurzburg he played  22 games: 1.9ppg, 1.1rpg. Christoph Henneberger also stayed with the team. Henneberger is a 28 year old 188cm guard who has seen the ups and downs of Wurzburg basketball since 2003. Last season, he played 11 games: 0.8ppg. The team also has young talented Maximilian Klebber on the roster who is a 20 year old 196cm forward. He started his basketball career in 2008 with SCH Wuerzburg Baskets (Regionalliga). Last season he played  26 games: 3.1ppg, 1.2rpg. The team also brought in Maurice Stuckey who is a 22 year old 187cm guard that was born in Augsburg and is on loan from Bamberg. He started his basketball career in 2005 for BG Leitershofen. He then moved to Ehingen/Urspringschule (ProB), where he played from 2007-2009. In2009-2010,  he played for Troester Breitenguessbach (ProB): 20 games: 17.6ppg, 3.8rpg, 2.2apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 62.4%, 3PT: 31.8%, FT: 85.3%, played also at Brose Baskets Bamberg (1.Bundesliga): 4 games: 1.3ppg. At the 2010 European Championships U20 in Croatia he played  9 games: 8.0ppg, 2.9rpg, 1.7apg, Steals-5(2.2spg), FGP: 34.6%, 3PT: 29.2%, FT: 75.0%. In 2010-2011, he played German League: 35 games: 2.2ppg; Euroleague: 3 games: 2.3ppg; also played at TSV Troester Breitenguessbach (ProB): 18 games: 14.8ppg, 2.4rpg, 1.7apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 54.5%, 3PT: 29.6%, FT: 77.5%. Last season he played 5 games for Bamberg averaging 1.6ppg; played also at TSV Troester Breitenguessbach (ProB, starting five): 8 games: 8.8ppg, 2.8rpg, FGP: 54.1%, 3PT: 25.0%, FT: 85.7%. The team also has 20 year old 201cm forward Malte Herwig. Last  season he played for BG Goettingen (1.Bundesliga): 7 games: 0.6ppg; EuroChallenge: 1 game: 0pts; played also for ASC 46 Goettingen (Regionalliga, starting five): 17 games: 7.6ppg, 4.1rpg, FGP: 56.3%, FT: 60.9%.

Fabian Boeke is a 26 year old 208cm center that is playing his second season with SC Rist Wedel. He started his career in 2003 with BC Hamburg. He then played with TSG Ehingen from 2004-2007 where he played with young German talents Lucca Staiger and Christian Standhardinger. He then played in the NCAA for Washington State from 2007-2010 playing with guys like Abd Lodwick, Taylor Rochestie, Kyle Weaver and NBA players Aron Baynes and Klay Thompson. He spoke to German Hoops after advancing to the next round of the PRO B playoffs beating the Fraport Skyliners juniors.

You are 26 now. After playing in the NCAA, you now have played in the PRO the last two seasons. Are you happy about playing in the PRO B at this stage in your career?

I think its ok, because basketball isn´t my first focus. After finishing my studies, I have decided to concentrate on my career as an HR manager. Playing in the PRO B is a nice change for me from the day to day job.

How happy are you with your season stats of 13 points and seven rebounds?

It is a lot better than I thought it would be. I seem to be more efficient this year than last year. Maybe the league isn´t as good anymore. But I don´t really look at my stats anymore. It is more important to get wins.

What is a strength in your game that doesn´t always get noticed right away?

My help side defense. This helps me change the shot of the opponent.

How difficult was it making your mid distance shot look like a layup?

I have worked very hard on my mid distance shot for  a long time. It started at Ehingen where Ralf Junge was a big help for me. I was injured a lot in college so I was able to practice it more. Shooting was all I could do while I was injured so I practiced very much.

What is the most important thing that you learned from Ralph Junge?

I learned very much form him more about life. He is like an adoptive father for me. He taught me to go hard for my goals in my life and just be happy with what I have.

Were you on the floor as Lucca Staiger hit for 106 points?

No I wasn´t. I came the following season. I heard very much about that game the season I came. He hit for 106 points in the old Urspring halle which had a very bad floor, but he knew the gym well since he always practiced there. That gym doesn´t even exist anymore.

What is your sweetest memory of reaching the Sweet 16 in 2008?

I was actually injured and illegible and wasn´t allowed to play that season, but I was practicing with the team. It was a great run. We lost to North Carolina, but I remember my roommate Aron Baynes stopping Tyler Hainsborough.

Who won a one on one in practice you or Aron Baynes?

He mostly won, but I won a few times.

Did you know that your rx teammate Klay Thompson would become an instant success in the NBA?

Yes I knew that he would. He had the best jump shot that I ever saw. He was a hard worker. I remember the times off the court with him. He was a funny guy, but quiet. The typical nerd.

What was the most important thing that you learned from Washington State head coach Tony Bennett?

He taught me help side defense. That was installed by his dad who is in the hall of fame. One also called it the pack defense.

You battled Johannes Voigtmann in the playoffs. What is your impression of him?

He has a big body and a very nice soft touch. He could be more powerful inside, but I think that he will mature into a very good player. He should take a Maik Zirbes to be his role model.

Who was the best player that you played against in the NCAA?

The best player that I saw in the NCAA was Kevin Love. You can see how dominant he was. Baynes killed me in practice and Love did the same to him posting a 32 point 16 rebound game with UCLA against us.

Who are your NCAA Final 4 picks?

Indiana, Duke, Michigan and a sleeper.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

Hannibal with Anthony Hopkins.

Thanks Fabian for the chat.

Augie Johnston is a 26 year old 185cm guard from Atascadero, Calfornia. He played at Cal.St.-Monterey (NCAA2) and his infinite range has proven he was one of the best shooters in the country. Although he is a prolific shooter, it is his overall ability to score the basketball and defend the opponent’s best player that is so impressive. He is one of the most professional and hard working players. As a captain at Cal State Monterey Bay he has shown to have all the leadership qualities you would want in a point guard or shooting guard. He started his professional basketball career in 2009-2010 for Velbert Baskets (Germany-2.Regionalliga), playing 9 games: 28.4ppg. Last season, he played for SpVgg Rattelsdorf Independents (Germany-Regionalliga) playing 25 games: 29.8ppg . This season, he is playing his second season for  SC Rist Wedel and helped bring the team into the playoffs against Nordlingen last season and Fraport Skyliners juniors this season. Last season he played 27 games: 15.9ppg, 4.4rpg, 4.0apg, FGP: 48.8%, 3PT: 40.1%, FT: 77.9%. He spoke to German Hoops after the sweep of the Fraport Skyliners juniors.

Congrats on a 75-74 win in Frankfurt. Did you think that the game would go down to the wire before the game started?

Yes actually. I knew it would be a close game and that their first league players would give them a big boost. It’s not easy to win on the road after a 7 hour drive no matter who you play against.

SC Rist Wedel did a good job throwing the ball inside in the first half. Was that the first option in the game plan?

Yes it was. You don’t want to dig yourself into a hole in the first quarter if your outside shots are not falling so we always try to look inside first.

Frankfurt ran out on a 12-0 run at the end of the second quarter. What was key for Frankfurt getting back into the game?

It was the pressure defense from their guards. The forced a couple turnovers that turned into easy points for them.

In the second half the game was very tight. Marvin Adu added that SC Rist Wedel won at the end because they had been used to those kind of situations all season long. Would you agree with him?

Yes I agree 100%. We played a lot of close games this season and won every game but one against Wulfen.

The biggest strength of Frankfurt was their fighting mentality. What was the biggest strength of SC Rist Wedel on this day?

It was our balanced attack. Three of our starters scored over 15 points and we had some bench players step up and have huge games.

What was it like playing against Konstantin Klein. Your 35 points were cut in half in game two?

Konstantin Klein is a good player that uses screens well. I have to give him and Mertz some credit on the defensive end. My 3pt attempts that game were pretty low so they did a good job chasing me off screens and not leaving me open.

You were impressed by Falko Thelig in game one. Did that inbound ally op pass surprise you that they called it at that stage of the game?

Yeah that was a nice pass. I knew they were trying to get a quick 2 pointer and they ran their OB play to perfection and the pass was almost perfect so they were able to convert on that play

What was your overall impression of the Fraport Skyliners juniors. Did you like the mix of many young German players?

Yeah I think they have a good core group of guys there. It seems like they lack a little depth right now. I know they have some really young players on that team and with a good off season they could be a good team in the ProB next season, especially if the first league guys play again next season.

How have you been experiencing March Madness? Kentucky is out and Harvard advanced.

Yeah it seems like everyday there is a new upset that kills everyone’s brackets. I can’t wait for the final four!

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

I Am Legend

Thanks Augie for the chat.

There were times this season when winning for the Fraport Skyliners was as difficult as it was for Texas native Devin Gibson to hit his free throws on a consistent level, but that has all changed for both as the 2004 German champion has slowly risen from a team in the unwanted cellar to one that is slowly seemingly getting invincible. The Fraport Skyliners won their fourth game out of their last five games and have finally moved out of the last two places moving to 16^th place after a superb 86-73 win against the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven getting revenge for their loss earlier in the season in Bremerhaven. After the game, the club and fans enjoyed the win conservatively not engaging in the Humba rumble, but just enjoying the moment. For Skyliner point guard Dawan Robinson, who talks as softly as he glides into the zone with power was his usual self smiling and talking about the win, but despite being the teams top scorer, it wasn´t an ordinary day at the office out of his view. Any other player would have been thrilled with 17 points and a big win, but the Philadelphia native was as focused as always and just not content to the fullest with his performance even if it was brilliant from the view of everyone else. “It wasn´t really a good day for me, but I finished strong and most important is that we got the victory. I controlled the tempo and when we had the lead kept the team calm. I made them play 24 seconds defense something they didn´t like”, stressed Dawan Robinson. His opponent Stanley Burrell who belongs to the top point guards in the last months and might be in the Beko BBL, but already has that NBA touch with his lets talk and walk gave all he could, but just couldn´t get his team over the hump and had his hands full with Robinson. “Robinson has a lot of experience and I have much respect for him how he controlled the tempo. He led his team and created for them and his teammates helped him out by knocking down shots. The Frankfurt system is perfect for him. They have great spacing and with the high pick and roll with Peacock and Prowell fits him perfect”, stated Indianapolis native Stanley Burrell. Larry Wright who could observe the play of Robinson from the bench had another opinion about his work day at the office. “Robinson is our floor general and he did  a great job keeping a good pace. He didn´t go a million miles an hour as so many other point guards do, but just did the right things. It was a normal day at the office for him”, commented Larry Wright.

The Fraport Skyliners came into the Fraport arena having won the last four games in their own living room and after the big win at home against five time champion Brose Baskets Bamberg had a lot of confidence and just controlled the game for 40 minutes getting their offense rolling early and just defending with a passion that would have made Tom Thibodeau smile. “Our defense and Laquan Prowell were key for us getting the win tonight. Laquan played the way he did when he was with Giessen. It seems that he has been lacking confidence on the defensive side, but it was great tonight”, stated Dawan Robinson. After the game Eisbaeren Bremerhaven head coach Doug Spradley was stoic as he was staring at the stats and analyzing the game in his thoughts. He seemed helpless at times on the sidelines, but was quick to point out that he had no excuses for the loss. “Frankfurt deserved to win this game. We weren´t able to play as hard and as together as we wanted to”, commented Doug Spradley. Oklahoma native Jacob Burtschi who was battling the flu 24 hours later was happy to be back, but was disappointed with the performance of his team. “It was good to be back. Frankfurt is a great organization with great fans. I liked the cheers during the introductions. We got outplayed tonight on the individual ball. Whenever we made a run we followed with mistakes which put the lead back up for them. It was a great team win for Frankfurt”, stated Jacob Burtschi.

 

 

Often professional basketball players go where the money is happening no matter in what country it is being offered and sometimes a player just has the luck to return back to the same league time in and time out because the offers are good, or perhaps because that player just likes the style of play. Drevo  is one of those players that has had a knack of returning back to the Beko BBL  31 year old  202cm power forward Andrew Drevo from Lincoln is one of those rare players that has played in Germany  in his nine year career five times for teams like Braunschweig, Bremerhaven and the Artland Dragons. He is back in Bremerhaven for a third time and perhaps it is the allure of a massive body of water or polar bears something which is as rare in Nebraska as is being able to take a subway in the countryside.  When inspecting Andrew Drevo on the court, he looks like a sophisticated country boy with the military buzz cut in one and the cunning expression of a secret agent that is as dangerous as a basketball James Bond sneaking around the three point line ready to fire away at any split second and always ready to flee from any annoying opponents.  The American has good size and can run the floor while adding a solid presence in the paint. He is an all-around player that  can pass well inside and has the ability to step outside the arc, which will create matchup problems for opposing defenses. Drevo was a valuable pick up from head coach Doug Spradley in the stretch run and with Jacob Burtschi two very solid position four players that will drive the opponent crazy. Drevo who has had some big games against Frankfurt in the last years in the playoffs with Bremerhaven in 2010 and some games with Braunschweig where he nailed big threes, returned back to the Fraport arena and hit some big shots in the second half and finished with nine points and six rebounds. Drevo will be an important piece for the stretch run. “He knows what I expect form him and what he is getting into with him coming back to a familiar place. I like his smartness and that he is willing to take the big shots. Not all players are willing to do this. There are so many guys that are athletic and can jump out of the gym, but he is just smart and does the things that he knows he can do”, stressed Eisbaeren Bremerhaven head coach Doug Spradley. Basketball expert Steven Clauss also sees the same in Drevo that Spradley does. “He knows the German league. He isn´t athletic, but he is so dangerous, because he may not always be present, but then he makes the good decisions. He is a superb player coming from bench. He won´t come in and do the wild things, but contribute to the game”, added Steven Clauss.

4,320 fans wanted to witness a rare Friday night joust in the Fraport arena and one of the positives that the Fraport Skyliners have been able to do in the last games have been to start off quickly and get into a rhythm. Ryan Brooks and Zach Peacock hit shots, but were met by Stefan Jackson and Scott Morrison free throws to knot the score at 4-4. Laquan Prowell who is slowly finding his form from his Giessen days tested his 50% three point shooting % nailing a shot. Bremerhaven then caught Frankfurt sleeping as American Stefan Jackson scored on the fast break cutting the Frankfurt lead to 7-6. Frankfurt kept their offense threat alive as Robinson drowned a three pointer and then the two ex Giessen 46ers two P´s Prowell set up Peacock for a dunk and 12-6 lead as Doug Spradley had to call a time out. Frankfurt did a super job hitting four of their first five shots and getting an offensive rhythm fast, keeping Stanley Burrell in check and doing a good job on penetration defense. However the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven came out of the time out refreshed as Canadian Scott Morrison led the team on a 4-0 mini run with a put back after getting an offensive rebound and then making a thunderous left handed dunk cutting the Frankfurt lead to 12-10. Prowell and Jackson then traded baskets as Frankfurt led 14-13. However Frankfurt then put up their intensity a notch closing out the first quarter with a 13-4 run to lead 27-17. Frankfurt just was at a different level then Bremerhaven in the last two minutes scoring from all over and getting production from many players. Brooks scored inside, Quantez Robertson nailed a three pointer, Marius Nolte snuck inside for a layup and German Danilo Barthel put a stamp on the first quarter with a buzzer beater three pointer. “Frankfurt played very good defense limiting Bremerhaven too one shot. On offense they had good ball movement, were creating  good shots and nothing as being forced. Prowell also was playing well. It was no surprise how he played. I see him do it each day in practice”, stressed Fraport Skyliner junior Taylor Brown. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 67% from the two point range and 67% from outside while Bremerhaven was shooting 55% from the tow point range and 0% from outside. Bremerhaven had the 8-5 rebound edge, but six turnovers while Frankfurt only had two turnovers.

Despite coughing up the ball three times in the first two minutes, the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven were unable to make up ground against the Fraport Skyliners on offense, but had to witness Laquan Prowell finish with a mega dunk and Devin Gibson score inside as Bremerhaven trailed 31-19. The Fraport Skyliners continued to have the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven for dinner as they were able to extend their lead to 40-23. Robinson dropped a three pointer, Prowell scored inside again as Peacock once again displayed his fine passing touch and Ryan Brooks dunked hard over German national player Philipp Zwiener. The Eisbaeren Bremerhaven quickly rebounded as slasher Terrell Everett scored with his left hand and Zwiener connected from downtown as Frankfurt led 40-28. Bremerhaven point guard Stanley Burrell who had been kept quiet in the first quarter exploded in the latter half of the second quarter hitting two in your face jumpers over Danilo Barthel showing that he wasn´t scared form the 208cm hitting as if it was the easiest thing as Frankfurt only led 44-35. Robertson then hit a jumper and Burrell made one of two free throw as Frankfurt went into halftime with the 46-36 advantage. “Frankfurt let up a bit not rotating as well leading to more open shots. But they were still moving the ball well and hitting shots. Robinson continued to control the tempo and they did a good job getting easy points inside against their zone finding guys”, stressed Taylor Brown. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 63% from the field and 45% from the three point line while the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven was shooting 52% from the field and 33% from the three point line. Bremerhaven led the rebound duel 12-10, but had 11 turnovers while Frankfurt had seven turnovers.

Basketball is a game of runs and the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven started their run off the bat in the third quarter jumping on the Fraport Skyliners on a 9-3 run to cut the lead to 49-45. After Jackosn and Robinson traded jumpers, it was Bremerhaven that put pressure on offense and defense as Burrell was the main factor in the run getting to the free throw line and then buried a three pointer as Robinson was too slow to get to the American and could only watch the rainbow as if he was in Philadelphia on a rainy muggy summer afternoon. Morrison then scored inside getting a pretty pass from Burrell as Bremerhaven trailed only by four points. Fraport Skyliner head coach Muli Katzurin called a timeout and when his team came back on the court, an unbelievable wave of vicious energy was thrust upon Bremerhaven from athletic guru´s Ryan Brooks and Quantez Robertson who led their team on a nasty 6-0 run to make a four point lead back toa more comfortable 10 point lead. Brooks started the run with a swift sprint past Morrison, then made a steal and went coast to coast and then Super Tez made a dunk to get the Fraport arena electrified. Burrell and Robertson then traded shots as Frankfurt led 57-47. Gibson then came from the bench hitting a clutch three pointer. After  Jackson scored inside, it was Gibson that had the clock in his view and finished the third quarter with a second to play with a left handed lay in as the Fraport Skyliners led 62-51. “Brooks can always score the ball and showed it in the third quarter. He was aggressive the whole game and passed up shots in the first half, but in the second half when he got the shots, he made them”, stressed Larry Wright. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 65% from the field and 42% from the parking lot while the Eisaberen Bremerhaven were shooting 51% from the field and 22% from the parking lot. Bremerhaven had the 18-13 rebound edge and 18 turnovers while Frankfurt had 14 turnovers.

In the first minutes of the fourth quarter, the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven were threatening and chipping at the Frankfurt lead, but just couldn´t withstand the consistent offense of their opponent. After Ryan Brooks started the fourth quarter with a free throw and reverse layup, it was Bremerhaven that scored inside twice with Zwiener and Burrell to cut the Frankfurt lead to 64-55. After Gibson and Jackson got to the free throw line, it was Drevo again making that big shot which he had did with Braunschweig and Bremerhaven in the last years against Frankfurt got Breemrhaven back to 66-59, but that was as close as they would get in the game. Bremerhaven was getting tired and just had less and less energy to fight combat the Frankfurt offense machine as they gave up a 12-0 run as they trailed 78-59. Super Tez Robertson started the run with a flight to the hoop with so much air time that the only thing missing was his tongue to help make the dunk Jordanesque. Robertson then hit a three pointer, Prowell  and Robinson then drove to the hoop hard getting layins. “Tez has really improved his shot. We stuck around  a lot last season after practice working on our shots. He obviously has continued to practice his shot this season”, expressed Jacob Burtschi.  Stanley Burrell kept getting into the paint and cut the Frankfurt lead to 80-67 with an off balance runner. However time was running out and the Fraport Skyliners were able to close out the game with successful free throws from Robinson and Robertson. “We made too many simple mistakes like the technical foul and the Tez dunk got the crowd going. We shot ourselves in the foot and there was no chance of coming back”, expressed Jacob Burtschi. “Frankfurt kept their momentum on defense. They were able to contain Burrell and keep the ball out of the middle”, added Larry Wright.

The Fraport Skyliners were led by Dawan Robinson with 17 points. Ryan Brooks added 16 points. Quantez Robertson contributed 15 points and Laquan Prowell contributed 14 points. The Eisbaeren Bremerhaven were led by Stanley Burrell with 19 points and five assists.  Scott Morrison added 13 points and six rebounds and Philipp Zwiener produced 13 points, nine rebounds and three assists. Stefan Jackson scored 12 points. The Fraport Skyliners had a strong shooting day hitting 61% from the field and 35% from outside while Bremerhaven shot 50% from the field and 25% from outside. Bremerhaven won the rebound duel 27-20 and had 20 turnovers while Frankfurt had 18 turnovers. Frankfurt did a superb job scoring 38 points in the paint. The Fraport Skyliners continue to overwhelm their opponents with their aggressive defense which kept Bremerhaven at bay all night long. “We did what we needed to do to be successful. We made it tough on Burrell and closed out their shooters. We did good team rebounding our denying in the post was strong. Our help defense was key in getting this win”, added Dawan Robinson. The Fraport Skyliners now have a free weekend while the Beko BBL Top 4 takes place in Berlin. The Fraport Skyliners get back to work next weekend in Wurzburg.

The dream of prolonging their season was kept alive in the second half by the Fraport Skyliners juniors with hard fought play, heart and excellent team basketball, but with time running down and the chance for a possible game winning shot looming on the horizon, the season ended abruptly for the boys of head coach Eric Detlef as there was only 0,8 seconds on the clock and SC Rist Wedel guard Augie Johnston after missing his first free throw missed his second free throw on purpose to hinder the chances even more for the Skyliners to get one last shot off as SC Rist Wedel advanced to the next round in the PRO B playoffs with a 75-74 win and will face off against the Weissenhorn Youngsters next Sunday in Wedel. Despite the loss, the Fraport Skyliners have no reason to hang their heads because they gave all they had for 40 minutes in their home gym. “It was tough having to fight back, but we never hung our heads. They did a good job getting the ball into the paint and we couldn´t lock down. That really hurt us down the stretch, but we continued to fight until the end”, stressed Fraport Skyliner forward Taylor Brown.  SC Rist Wedel found their rhythm pretty fast let down a bit in the second quarter letting the Fraport Skyliners back into the game giving up a 12-0 run, but in the second half despite being involved in a close game seemed in control and it felt like they wouldn´t fold completely. “We have been calm all season long as a team and have been used to tight situations in games. We had more self confidence down the stretch then they did. I have to give Frankfurt  a lot of credit. They played great and fought hard”, stressed SC Rist German Marvin Adu.

The Fraport Skyliners had been without their three German double license players in game one, but in game two had Konstantin Klein and Johannes Voigtmann. The game was also visited by the Fraport Skyliners as head coach Muli Kazurin and assistant coach Klauss Perwas were watching as well as player Dawan Robinson, Zach Peacock, Laquan Prowell, Devin Gibson and Larry Wright. Klein got things rolling dropping a quick three pointer. However SC Rist Wedel didn´t hesitate to get going as they thrust out on a 8-0 run to lead 6-3. Califronia native Augie Johnston who clobbered Frankfurt for 35 points in game one hit his first two shots and American Davey Hopkins and German Tobias Lange scored inside as Frankfurt was being killed on the penetration. After German Falko Thelig hit a jumper, SC Rist Wedel kept pumping the ball inside and getting more in the paint buckets from from Hopkins and Lange. Skyliner Taylor Brown then nailed a jumper cutting the SC Rist Wedel lead to 14-8, but SC Rist Wedel was in a groove and got more production in the lane from Marvin Adu and Ismet Akpinar who made a pretty floater in Jeremy Linn style as Frankfurt trailed 18-8. Frankfurt had spurts with instant offense getting a 5-0 run as big man Johannes Voigtman hit  a hook shot over Lange and Max Merz connected from the parking lot as Frankfurt trailed 18-13. Hopkins then found Lange again hooking him up with  a lob pass for two quick points. SC Rist Wedel had the 25-16 advantage after one quarter. “Frankfurt was letting up easy penetration and there was no rotation going on. On offense, Frankfurt was a bit stagnant with no one stepping up. Their lack of one on one defense hurt them most”, commented Fraport Skyliner Dawan Robinson. SC Rist Wedel was shooting 62% from the two point range and 0% from outside while the Fraport Skyliners were shooting 36% from the field and 40% from the outside. Wedel had the eight to seven rebound edge and only one turnover while Frankfurt had four turnovers.

SC Rist Wedel kept up the pressure in the second quarter hitting the Fraport Skyliners juniors with a 7-2 run and extending their lead to 32-18. Ex Washington State center Fabian Bocke hit a fade away jumper which was matched by a Klein step back jumper. Johnson then nailed a three pointer as Falko Thelig was a step too late. SC Rist Wedel then was able to extend their lead to 32-20 as Bocke dropped a three pointer testing his 50% from outside. Frankfurt was a bit fortunate in this phase as SC Rist Wedel missed three easy buckets on three set plays while Frankfurt couldn´t retaliate on offense. After Johnson scored inside for the 37-20 lead, the tide started to turn drastically for the Fraport Skyliners. Frankfurt down 17 points started a furious comeback going on a 12-0 run to cut the Rist lead to 37-32. Frankfurt started to press so annoyingly getting SC Rist Wedel out of their rhythm. On offense Frankfurt started hitting their shots more consistently. Thelig and Voigtmann made easy buckets in the paint, Taylor Brown hit two mid distance jumpers and Thelig made a steal and went coast to coast for the easy transition basket. Hopkins broke the run with  apretty spin move and Voigtmann closed out the second quarter with a lay in, but SC Rist wedel led 39-34. “Frankfurt stepped it up on defense and wedel got lucky with some penetration buckets and they also missed some easy shots. In the 12-0 run Frankfurt showed more intensity and everyone helped each other on defense and got some steals in the back court”, added Philadelphia native Dawan Robinson.  SC Rist Wedel was shooting 48% from the field and 50% from the three point line while the Fraport Skyliners juniors were shooting 43% from the field and 29% from the three point line. Both teams had 15 rebounds and nine turnovers.

In the third quarter, the Fraport Skyliners raced out on a mini 4-0 run to cut the SC Rist Wedel lead to 39-38 as Brown scored inside with a slick spin move and Voigtmann made a tip in. SC Rist Wedel was able to keep their slim lead as American Davey Hopkins who played in the NAIA in the States at Cal Baptist and Biola took his team on a 5-0 run making an off balance shot and a runner as Frankfurt trailed 44-39. However since the 12-0 run at the end of the second quarter, the Fraport Skyliners had been a changed team hitting at a good rate and went out on a 9-2 run to take the lead 48-46. It was role player Nikolaj Vukovic who hit a three pointer and then made a steal getting an easy bucket on transition. Klein gave Frankfurt the lead with a lay in. But then it was German Marvin Adu who had only palyed three minutes came in and played the Rist energizer scoring three consecutive buckets and giving SC Rist Wedel the lead back at 52-49. Despite two Taylor Brown mid range jumpers, SC Rist Wedel kept the slim 59-54 lead at the end of the third quarter. “We played better defesne, but also still missed easy shots”, added Sc Rist Wedel German Tobias Lange. SC Rist Wedel was shooting 54% from the two point range and 33% from the parking lot while the Fraport Skyliners were shooting 52% from the field and 25% from the parking lot. Wedel had the slight 23-20 rebound advantage, but 15 turnovers while Frankfurt had 12 turnovers.

Just like at the start of the third quarter, the Fraport Skyliners had another lightening begin in the fourth quarter stunning SC Rist Wedel with a hammering 5-0 run to tie the game at 59-59 as Klein dropped a bomb form outside and Brown hit a mid distance shot. However SC Rist Wedel got the lead back with a Bocke jumper for the 61-59 lead and they would never relinquish the lead again. Frankfurt kept fighting back, but weren´t getting as many consistent stops anymore to get over the hump. Hopkins and Klein traded three pointers, but Frankfurt still trailed 65-64. SC Rist Wedel then dropped an unwanted 6-1 run to lead 71-65. Johnson who was kept in check at times scored when he had to in the fourth quarter sneaking inside for an easy hop and made free throws. Eric Detlef then took a time out and drew up a special play for the inbounds play and Falko Thelig orchestrated  a perfect ally op pass to Taylor Brown who slammed home the ball as Frankfurt trailed 71-67. “I am really not known for making dunks in games. I can´t even remember the last ally-op dunk that I had. It was the perfect pass from Thelig, but that is what he is known for”, smiled Taylor Brown.  Frankfurt kept up the pressure, but time was running out. Thelig and Klein made shots and SC Rist Wedel had problems making free throws allowing Frankfurt to draw nearer trailing 74-71. After Hopkins made one free throw, Frankfurt trailed with 75-71 with 12 seconds to play. Brown then hit a three pointer as Frankfurt trailed 75-74 with 0,8 seconds remaining. Johnson then missed both free throws as time ran out and SC Rist Wedel advanced to the next round of the playoffs. “It sucks when there isn´t enough time on the clock after my three pointer. Each game needs the 0 to come at the end. Too bad that we couldn´t get off a good shot at the end”, added Taylor Brown. “Klein hit some big shots at the end, but we kept our nerves to win. I think that we wanted to win more”, said Tobias Lange.

SC Rist Wedel were led by Davey Hopkins with 19 points. Augie Johnston contributed 18 points. Tobias Lange contributed 11 points  and Fabian Bocke added 10 points and six rebounds. The Fraport Skyliners juniors were led by Taylor Brown and Konstantin Klein with 19 points a piece. Johannes Voigtmann had 13 points, 12 rebounds and three assists. The Fraport Skyliners juniors finished their season shooting 41% from the field and 30$ from outside and lost the rebound battle 33-32. Despite having five extra possessions on account of the 14-19 turnover ratio, they couldn´t take advantage of it. One thing Frankfurt showed all season long was their fighting mentality. “Our biggest strength today was never giving up even when we were down by 17 points. Our defense on the ball was great and we held Johnston to half of what he made in the firstgame”, expressed Taylor Brown. SC Rist Wedel Tobias Lange had seen Frankfurt twice and was impressed with the team. “Frankfurt has many young players and I have followed their school program. I like their concept. The young players get to play. Too bad that they are out. They have a lot of potential”, expressed Tobias Lange. The season of American Taylor Brown is also done, but he is positive about his season in the PRO B. “My season was good. It was tough coming so late to the team and never practicing with the team since I only practiced with the Beko BBL team. I hope that I played well enough to be able to extend my career. The BBL is faster and more physical. I hope that one day I could show my skills at that level”, stressed Taylor Brown.

 

 

 

 

Guy Aud is a 22 year old 188cm guard that has the German and Israel citizenship playing for teh Finke Baskets. He is a hard worker, very determined in defense, has good court vision and able to move the ball with his passing skills, moreover likes to attack the basket, has a good jump shoot from mid distance and solid 3p shot. He started his professional basketball career in 1998 for  the Mevaseret Zion youth team until 2003. He then played for the  Hapoel Jerusalem youth team until 2008. In 2008-2009, he played for  Hapoel Hevel Eylot (Israel-Artzit): 22 games: 19.5ppg, 4.0rpg, 5.0apg. In 2009-2010, he played for : Maccabi Hod Hasharon (National League, starting five): 20 games: 3.4ppg, 1.3rpg. In 2010-2011 he played for Hapoel Afula (Israel-National League, starting five): 27 games: 4.7ppg, 2.1rpg, 2.0apg, 1.0spg. Last season, he played for the  Licher Basket Baeren (Germany-ProB, starting five): 24 games: 10.0ppg, 2.9rpg, 1.9apg, FGP: 41.1%, 3PT: 36.2%, FT: 84.1%. He spoke to German Hoops about Bbasketball

It seems like the PRO A is more competitive than the years before?

This this my first season in Pro A but I can say that from what I see this season the league is very very equal. There is a lot of good players and coaches. Every team can win against every team. We have a lot of Americans but the Germans in this league are strong as well. But what make the league very interesting is the fact that really every team can win or lose every day and I dont know a lot of leagues like that.

After making the playoffs in Lich last season, how sad are you that this season you will have an earlier summer vacation?

I wish the season would go longer, because I still have a lot of hunger to play, we still have a small chance to get the playoffs.  But in any case I will start training in the summer and work hard to get my game better for next season.

What was the biggest success of the team this season? Possibly sweeping Jena and Gotha?

Sure that the two games against Jena was our best results we had. But the biggest success maybe is that even though we had a lot of problems we never made it an easy time to the opponent, we had a lot of close games against top teams and we had bad luck as well a lot of times, with a little more luck the whole picture could look different.

Paderborn was able to score much, but why wasn´t defense able to be on the same page as the club gave up 80 plus points 15 times?

In the first part of the season we didnt put enough attention in defense, but that is one of the things we got better in the last months after we put a lot of work on it and still do.

How happy have you been with your PRO A season? You are almost averaging six assists a game?

My season in personal was a good season, I always feel like I can do better.

You had 12 assists twice against Jena and Heidelberg. Do you see yourself as a classic point guard?

Yes, I love to pass the ball and make my teammates better. I think I am the kind of a PG that the more I will play at a higher level and with better players I will be better as well.

What is a strength in your game that doesn´t get noticed right away?

I think I’m able to create situations in offense. That is the reason I can find my teammates open. I’m using a lot of fakes in my game in offense and defense, and using this to create some mistakes and TO to the other team, and draw fouls and co.

How much fun is it playing with pure scorer Jason jamerson? What do you like most about his game?

Playing  with JJ (jason jamerson) is a pleasure, he is a great shooter, he understands the game really well and we understand each other good as well.

Last season you played in the PRO B for Lich. Your assists were only at 1,9. What role did you have?

There is two answers for it. First reason is that last season I was also playing as a shooting gaurd because my coach wanted to use more my shooting ability and second, in Pro B (and sometims in pro a as well) they dont always right your assists and rebounds right.

Your ex coach Igor Starkevic had his contract extended until 2015. Does that surprise you?

It’s not surprise me at all, Igor he’s a great coach, he knows a lot about  basketball, and he very professional.

How did Starkevic help you get better on the court? Many players have commented that they developed under him?

The biggest part of my game that Igor helped me with was my confidence in my shot.
He used to tell me all the time that I am even a better shooter then he was lol.

You have the German/Israel citizenship. Why after playing many years did you decide to come to Germany?

I wanted to try something new and to have a new experience and I really liked it!

You played for the Hapoel Jersualem youth teams from 2003-2008 seeing many great players. What player impressed you the most in that time?

There is a lot of great PGs that was there over the years. The two that I liked the most was Adi Gordon who is a big Israeli legend, and Dror Hagag. He like me started in lower leagues and worked hard to make it to the top in european basketball.

Who were your basketball idols growing up as a kid?

Steve Nash and Allen Iverson.

What was the scariest experience that you ever saw in Israel or was your time there always calm?

What people see on TV it’s not really like that in Israel. Most of the people in Israel having a good, calm life.

Who won a one on one last season in Lich you or Blake Young?

We never played one on one.

If you could ask Omri Casspi one question what would you ask him?

If he can put a good word for me in his team lol.

Is the Beko BBL a goal for you or would you like to maybe go to another country in the future and play basketball?

The BBL is a goal for me.

What were the most free throws that you made in a row without missing?

I remember one time I had 99 from 100. I never tried more than that.

What was your most crazy shot in your career that went in?

I had few times a shot from the heafcourt. I also had some winning shots in my life. But nothing really crazy.

Kobe or Lebron? Who is better?

I’m Kobe fan so I will always say Kobi, but what Lebron is doing is also unbelievable.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

I am reading more than watching movies.

Thanks Guy for the chat.

The most important thing that is known about Fraport Skyliner point guard Dawan Robinson is that he is a top penetrator that can get to the hoop quicker than Philadelphia native Rocky Balboa could utter the famous words Adrian  and could probably make a good figure if he and ex Skyliner Dashaun Wood were to battle to see who can score more when dealing and wheeling to the hole. However after the thrilling and huge win against five time Beko BBL champion Brose Baskets Bamberg one also learned a different musical side to the friendly Philadelphia native as he joined Fraport Skyliner captain Marius Nolte in the Humba chant with the fans after the thrilling 77-64 win against Bamberg. Maybe it was no coincidence that during halftime rap legend Kurtis Blow who had the first certified gold record rap song with the Breaks in 1980 preformed to the already very excited fans who were Bamberg having problems against the 17^th placed team. Perhaps somebody slipped Robinson some information before doing the Humba about how to do it the Kurtis Blow way. His teammates weren´t only impressed with his play on the court, but also his musical ability. “I should ask him for rap lessons. He will hear it all week about his humba effort. He is a perfect rapper and is in his own category”, smiled ex LTi Giessen 46er Ryan Brooks. However others rather keep him busy on the court than in the recording studio. “Dawan still needs some practice. I rather see him on the court than rapping”, added Skyliner guard Konstantin Klein. Larry Wright studied the Robinson showcase and was certain that he needs no assistance. “He can´t help me out. I think I can rap a lot better”, laughed Larry Wright. The play of Robinson on the court was no laughing matter. It was another solid performance where he led his team in scoring with 19 points having 12 at halftime and then making a huge three pointer in crunch time to seal the win. “Robinson is our leader on the court. He is a good shooter though. He doesn´t need to rely on his shot, because he penetrates so well”, stressed Michigan native Larry Wright. Robinson was all smiles when describing his humba debut and gave all the credit to captain Nolte. “Marius told me what to say, but it was nice celebrating at the end”, said Dawan Robinson.

The Brose Baskets Bamberg have been as active on the transfer market this second half of  the season seemingly like never before like an NBA team is always shuffling players back and fourth between the D-league. Jeremiah Massey came not too long ago as well as American Alex Rentroe and Matt Walsh. IF one looks back to the 2006-2007 season, Bamberg brought in highly touted NBA player Casey Jacobson for the stretch run helping win their second Beko BBL title. If one wants to compare the coming of Walsh to the coming of Jacobson 6 seasons ago may be unfair since Walsh only played two NBA Games, but the  30 year old 197cm swing man from Pennsylvania brings a lot of basketball experience who is a skilled offensive player who has the ability to make the players around him better. Bamberg is his 13^th professional team after having played in countries like Greece, Spain, Slovenia, France, Belgium and the Ukraine. His two NBA games in 2005 might be a long lasting memory where his teammates were guys like Shaq, Dwayne Wade, Gary Payton and Alonso Mourning, but in his professional career he has shown that he can win as he won titles in Belgium and Slovenia. Walsh who has a knack for other talents besides basketball like tennis and in high school competed in the long and high jump and got life experience dating a playboy playmate is all business on the court as he is a very versatile swingman that at times comes over as a point guard because of his ball handling and passing qualities that has given him unusually high assist rates in the last two seasons in the Ukraine and Belgium. His last team was  Belgacom Spirou in Belgium where he was a teammate of ex Skyliner Mr ballerina Derrick Allen and he put up big numbers in Eurocup averaging  17.6ppg, 6.0rpg, 4.6apg. From a distance, he looks like he could be the twin of Walter Tigers Tuebingen guard Vaughn Duggins with his white sweat ban across his fore head and wavy hair or have doubled for Will Ferrell as Jackie Moon In the basketball comedy Semi Pro. The ex Florida Gator was making his debut in the Fraport arena and was as focused as his home town Holland, Pennsylvania has been for  the last 30 years to finally bring back commuter train service again which has severely hurt the commute of people to Philadelphia and Trenton, New Jersey as Walsh had seven points, nine rebounds and one assist in 24 minutes of duty and despite the loss has ample praise from Bamberg manager Wolfganf Heyder. “Coach Chris Fleming stressed basketball culture and with Walsh we have  a guy that has an amazing way to get rebounds and his ability to pass the ball. He is very versatile can play the positions 1-3 and we need to give guys like Gavel and Jacobson a rest. He is a very good rotation player”, added Wolfgang Heyder. Alone in the first half, there were three instances where one could see that he thinks like a point guard at times. After snatching a rebound he made an incredible quick outlet pass to Bostjan Nachbar, made a fast lob pass to Philipp Nuemann before the Frankfurt defense could react and last but not least set up Maik Zirbes for an ally-op tip in. Bamberg scout Brendan Rooney also sees other attributes that the former Florida Gator has. “His versatility and basketball IQ standout for me. He sees the floor well, rebounds well and reads the ball well”, commented Brendan Rooney. Other Skyliner players didn´t want to comment on the Jackie Moon comparison, but Rooney did. “I didn´t see the movie Semi Pro, but all I know is that Matt Walsh is a lot better player than Jackie Moon”, expressed Brendan Rooney.

After getting their three game winning streak snapped in Ulm last weekend and despite playing an incredible first half last weekend, the Fraport Skyliners went into the game with the Brose Baskets Bamberg as if it was a game five in the finals of the playoffs and gave a strong spirited effort for 40 minutes and even when the opponent rallied in the fourth quarter, didn´t loose their cool and slammed the door shut on the five time Beko BBL champion. “This was a total team effort. We needed everything from everyone. We got key rebounds at the end, eliminated any second chance shots and just executed on offense and defense when we needed it”, stressed Dawan Robinson. The Brose Baskets Bamberg were coming off a bitter overtime loss in Turkey 72 hours early and at times looked heavy on their feet and just couldn´t find a fluid offensive rhythm and hit important shots and be best friends with the loose balls something they didn´t have a handle on all afternoon long. “We found no rhythm at the start and let up too many offensive rebounds. We had good start into third quarter, but Frankfurt went on a run and that just broke our back and we couldn´t come back”, expressed ex LTi Giessen guard Anton Gavel. Giving the excuse that Bamberg was tired from the season and Euroleague travel wasn´t used as a sufficient reason. One can say that we were tired, but we can´t give that as an excuse for losing in Frankfurt. We lost because we didn´t defend well, not hit our shots well and just didn´t go aggressive to the hoop”, explained ex TBB Trier center Maik Zirbes.

Despite horrible weather outside, it didn´t hinder 4,840 fans from making the trip to the Fraport arena. The fans were rewarded right away as the 2004 Beko BBL champion raced out to a 5-0 lead as Ryan Brooks hit a fade away jumper and Quantez Robertson nailed a three pointer over Karsten Tadda. Zach Peacock then grabbed an offensive rebound and hit a pretty two foot jumper over Zirbes as Frankfurt led 7-1. The solid ball movement and aggressive work on the boards were paying dividends. After Gavel scored inside, Peacock got his second foul and had to sit down. However Frankfurt had enough other good weapons to compensate Peacock as Marius Nolte scored on a lay up and Robinson nailed a three pointer. Nolte then scored again running hard to the hoop from the free throw line like well fed race horse taking its rounds at the Belmont. The Fraport Skyliners led 16-7 as Chris Fleming took a time out. Bamberg came out of the time out focused and hit Frankfurt with a 5-0 run cutting the lead to 16-12. American Alex Renfroe from Savannah, Georgia who could pass as a shorter version of TBB Trier forward Brian Harper with his skinny legs dropped a three pointer and ex Phoenix Sun Sharod Ford hit a fade away jumper. Two years ago it was Dashaun Wood and last season it was Jermareo Davidson who would help the team when the opponent was getting closer and this season its usually Peacock or Robinson who can score in bunches as the latter made a fade away and lay up as Frankfurt led 20-12. Ex New Jersey Net Bostjan Nachbar then hit a three pointer in the face of Danilo Barthel, but at the end one quarter, the Fraport Skyliners led 22-15. “It is always tough for top teams, because every opponent is hungry to beat you. Bamberg seemed a bit lackadaisical and just very slow. They were outrebounded badly 18-3 and one could see that they missed blocking out assignments and missed many long rebounds. Despite having their hands on them, they couldn´t get the rebounds”, added ex Telemotive Munich guard Calvin Wooten. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 47% from the field and 33% from outside while Bamberg was shooting 31% from the field and 40% from outside. Frankfurt had the overwhelming 18-3 rebound advantage, but two turnovers while Bamberg had zero turnovers.

The scoring rampage continued in the second quarter as the Fraport Sklyiners continued to display calm offense with their shots sitting pretty. Devin Gibson nailed a three pointer and made free throws and then set up German center Johannes Voigtmann for an easy lay up on the pick and role as Frankfurt led 29-19. Robertson then tested his 27% three point shooting nailing from outside, but was quickly matched by a Gavel bomb as the Brose Baskets Bamberg trailed 32-22. Laquan Prowell then hit a mid distance jumper as Frankfurt led 34-22. However one can never be too secure when playing Bamberg as they rushed out on a 6-0 run to cut the Frankfurt lead to 34-28. Gavel hit free throws and then as did Walsh and the American then dropped a three pointer. Bamberg had stepped up their defensive pressure forcing Frankfurt to some quick shots as well as low percentage shots at the end of the shot clock. Frankfurt then had some fortune as they nearly lost a loose ball, but Dawan Robinson scooped up the ball and hit a three pointer for the 37-28 lead. Bamberg then tallied a mini 4-0 run as Zirbes made a tip in ally-op and Sharod Ford scored inside. Robinson came up big again as he hit a last second off balance jumper sending the Fraport Skyliners into half time with a solid 39-32 lead. “Bamberg played more aggressive and started to knock down shots better and just pushed the ball better. They also switched up on the zone frustrating the flow of the Frankfurt offense”, stressed Calvin Wooten. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 43% from the field and 42% from the three point line while the Brose Baskets Bamberg were shooting 35% from the field and 33% from the three point line. Frankfurt had the massive 25-14 rebound edge. Frankfurt had five turnovers and Bamberg had four turnovers.

It took Bamberg very long to get back on the floor as they had a lot of matters to discuss with head coach Chris Fleming, but when they got back on the floor, they were all business. In the first Fraport Skyliner loss in Bamberg, it was Bostjan Nachbar that nailed three three pointers in the first quarter and in Frankfurt it was the start of the third quarter until the Slovenian motor got heated. Bamberg sprung out on a 8-0 run to take their first lead of the game 40-39. Nachtbar and Gavel hit consecutive three pointers and then the 309 game ex NBA player drove to the hoop and made a tough left handed lay up in traffic. “Bamberg came out with a lot more energy than we did and were getting too many open shots”, expressed Fraport Skyliner guard Larry Wright. However as quick as that offensive explosion came, it also lulled quicker than how Dawan Robinson can get from the free throw line to the hole as the Fraport Skyliners dominated the rest of the third quarter ending it with a 17-5 run. Frankfurt got production from everyone. Robinson scored inside, Peacock hit over Zirbes, Barthel scored inside and then it was Peacock again who made his money shot the mid distance shot as Frankfurt led 48-42. The Frankfurt offense was really rocking on all cylinders as Ryan Brooks connected from outside. Danilo Barthel then got a back door pass from Brooks for a crushing dunk.Jeremiah Massey then got a dunk, but was hit with a technical foul for too heavy celebrating. Peacock ended the third quarter with a free throw as the Fraport Skyliners led 57-44. “Frankfurt played very aggressive defense after that Bamberg run and got into the passing lanes”, added Larry Wright. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 40% from the field and 40% from the parking lot while the Brose baskets Bamberg were shooting 33% from the field and 31% from the parking lot. Frankfurt still had the huge 45-36 rebound edge and only eight turnovers while Bamberg had 12 turnovers.

In the first five minutes, the Fraport Skyliners did a great jon never letting the Brose Baskets Bamberg get closer than nine points as they displayed consistent offense and just keeping any Bamberg comeback attempt at bay. Sharod Ford tested his 45% three point shooting percentage hitting from downtown, but Danilo Barthel returned the favor with a bank shot form the parking lot as Frankfurt led 60-47. The heart and soul of Bamberg Anton Gavel answered with a three pointer cutting the Frankfurt lead back to 60-50. Brooks then scored inside and Gavel hit from the free throw line as Bamberg trailed 62-52. Frankfurt was defending ferociously in the post and just annoying Bamberg in the set play. Robertson stole the ball from Walsh at center court scoring easily as Frankfurt led 64-52. With crunch time slowly approaching, Bamberg went on one last run scoring eight unanswered points to cut the Frankfurt lead to 64-60. Ex Clemson tiger Sharod Ford who led the Serie A in rebounds for three straight years hit a three pointer and then Gavel showed some quickness getting to the hole and scoring on a fingertip role as the Fraport arena was as quiet a turkey barn on Thanksgiving. Walsh and Renfroe then hit free throws. Frankfurt had been forced to bad shots and all of a sudden were up by only four points. However when you need a savior none better to call then Dawan Robinson who nailed a three pointer. Peacock then followed with free throws as Frankfurt led 69-60. “My shot put game away. I was so wide open. I was just waiting to get the ball. I couldn´t wait to shoot the ball”, smiled Dawan Robinson. With time running out, Bamberg only really had Anton Gavel who was trying to save the ship as he nonstop penetrated for points and to the free throw line. After Gavel cut the Frankfurt lead to 70-63, the Fraport Skyliners got closer to victory with free throws. Brooks put an explanation point on the win with a steal at mid court and dunk as the Fraport Skyliners beat Bamberg for the second straight year at home. “We can´t let teams get a lead like that on us. It just makes it a lot more difficult to get over the hump. Frankfurt played a very good game, but us losing had more to do with us than their aggressive defense”, stressed Matt Walsh. “We just buckled down on defense in the fourth quarter. We got stops limiting them to one shot and just executed on offense”, added Ryan Brooks.

The Fraport Skyliners were led by Dawan Robinson with 19 points. Ryan Brooks contributed 13 points and eight rebounds. Zach peacock produced 12 points and 10 rebounds and Quantez Robertson had 10 points, six rebounds and four assists. The Brose Baskets Bamberg were led by Anton Gavel with 22 points. Bostjan Nachbar added 10 points. It was one of the seldom games where the Fraport Skyliners hit 40% from the field and from outside while Bamberg couldn´t find their touch shooting 33% from the field and 31% from outside. Gavel had the reason for their poor shooting. “We shot only 33% taking bad shots. We made them look good on defense”, stressed Anton Gavel. Frankfurt produced perhaps their best rebounding game of the season outrebounding Bamberg 45-36. “Our focus has always been rebounding. We know if we get the rebound then we can go out and run and just our athleticism. The key is always that first rebound to be successful”, added Ryan Brooks. “Bamberg was very physical on the glass, but we did a good job hitting glass and boxing out. I give a lot of credit to Marius Nolte. He played excellent”, stressed Dawan Robinson. The biggest strength of the day was keeping Bamberg to 64 points who usually average 79 points per game. “We stuck to our defensive principles. We knew that Bamberg would have  a lot of energy after the loss in Hagen, but we had double as much energy keeping our hands on the ball and setting good traps. Peacock and Barthel did a great job defending the penetration and helping”, added Ryan Brooks. The Fraport Skyliners look for their second win in a row Friday against the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven.