Martin Ides is a 33 year old 217cm head coach and has the German and Czech Republic citizenship that is coaching NBC. He played at Davidson(NCAA) from 1998-2002. He then started his professional basketball career for BK GA Nymburk. He then got valuable experience playing in countries like France, Sweden, Spain, Poland and Greece before coming to Germany in 2008 where he played for the Mitteldeutscher BC (Germany-ProA, starting five): 29 games: 8.1ppg, 3.8rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 46.7%, FT: 79.2%. He finished his basketball career for NBC playing there from 2009-2012 playing a total of 81 games. NBC is leading the playoff  series against the Duesseldorf Baskets 2-1 and he spoke with German Hoops before game four in Nurnberg.

Congrats on the 76-70 win in game 3 against the Duesseldorf Baskets. It has been an extremly hard fought series. How fortunate can you say is the team leading 2-1 in games?

YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, MILES. VERY TOUGH AND PHYSICAL SERIES. BUT THAT IS THE WAY PLAYOFFS SHOULD BE. WE CAME INTO THE SERIES AS AN UNDERDOG AND WE RESPECT DUSSELDORFS ROSTER QUALITY. ON THE OTHER HAND WE DIDN’T REACH THE PLAYOFFS TO BE HAPPY WITH ONE WIN. WE WANT TO WIN THIS SERIES AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT WE HAD TO WIN A GAME AWAY FROM NURNBERG.

How difficult was the bus ride after the game one loss? You seemed in good spirits after the loss. It seems that the better rebounding in this series has been key for NBC?

WE LOST, BUT I FEEL LIKE LATELY WE HAVE BEEN A TEAM THAT LEARNS FROM ITS MISTAKES. WE CAME BACK FROM BEING DOWN 21 POINTS IN THE 1ST HALF. THE TEAM SHOWED ITS WILL AND DESIRE TO FIGHT AND LAY EVERYTHING ON THE LINE. I THINK IT SHOWED US A WAY FOR THE UPCOMING GAMES. THE REBOUNDING IS HUGE FOR US, BECAUSE DUSSELDORF STRENGTH UNDER THE BASKET IS ABSOLUTELY THE BEST IN THE PRO A. BUT WE ARE PLAYING WITH AMAZING AMOUNT OF HEART AND WE ARE NOT AFRAID TO LAY OUR BODY ON THE LINE AND GET HIT.

NBC was traling 53-50 after three quarters, but poured in 26 points in the fourth quarter. What was key for getting the win in game three?

WE WENT BACK TO OUR GAME PLAN THAT WORKED IN THE FIRST QUARTER, PLAYED TOGETHER, MOVED THE BALL AND IMPROVED OUR SHOT SELECTION.

Zamal Nixon has been contained pretty well in this series. How important has been the emergence of Nikita Khartchenkov in the last two games?

The fact that Zamal is not scoring his usual amount of points does not mean he is contained. He does a great job of using his physical ability to get other guys on our team shots when the defense concentrates on him. Nikita’s outside shooting has been a huge part of our game plan. He does not miss when he is open.

Mr triple double Ahmad Smith had big man stats in game three with 21 points and 10 rebounds. How important has been his help under the boards. The game might have turned out differently without his services in game three?

OUR BIG GUYS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB CONTAINING DUSSELDORFS INSIDE PRESENCE, BUT WE TALKED ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO REBOUND WITH 5 PLAYERS ON THE DEFENSIVE GLASS. AHMAD IS THE BEST REBOUNDING GUARD IN THE LEAGUE AND WE MUST  HAVE HIS AND OTHER GUARDS REBOUNDING TO BE SUCCESSFULL IN THIS SERIES.

NBC can wrap up the series in game four Friday at home. Both teams know each other in and out now. What is key in a game like this where it is do or die for Duesseldorf. Is heart and effort the biggest keys?

WE HAVE SHOWED WE HAVE A HUGE HEART, WE PLAY WITH EFFORT AND IF WE PLAY DISCIPLINED I LIKE OUR CHANCES.

How much fun has it been battling head coach Murat Didin? You as a rookie coach have seen all kinds of coaches in the PRO A. Do you sometimes gather tricks form more experienced coaches?

OF COURSE. EVERY GAME IS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR ME. I DON’T THINK I CAN BECOME A GOOD COACH WITHOUT IT.

You are from Ostrava. Did you ever get any tips from Kamil Novak on the court when he visited home back in the day?

I WAS FORTUNATE TO PLAY TOGETHER WITH KAMIL FOR THE CZECH NATIONAL TEAM AT THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP IN FRANCE IN 1999. I WAS A ROOKIE AND TRIED TO LEARN ALL POSSIBLE FROM HIM AND REST OF THE TEAM. IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE PLAYING AGAINST GUYS LIKE SABONIS, KUKOC, NOWITZKI.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

TO BE HONEST I DON’T EVEN REMEMBER THE LAST DVD I SAW. NOT MUCH TIME THESE DAYS.

Thanks Martin for the chat.

 

Jacob Burtschi is a 28 year old 198cm forward from Chickasha, Oklahoma who is playing his first season with the Bremerhaven Eisbaeren. He played as a rookie for Phoenix Hagen in 2010-2011 averaging 14.2ppg, 6.9rpg, 2.5apg, Steals-3(1.5spg), FGP: 56.0%, 3PT: 44.2%, FT: 82.2%. He played at the Air Force from 2003-2007. In his senior year, he played 35 games averaging 13.5ppg, 6.0rpg, 2.3apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 49.7%, 3Pts: 39.0%, FT: 77.3%. He had offers to play in the NBA, but served in the Air Force the last three years and could only play club ball. Some achievements that he got in the NCAA were  All-MWC Honorable Mention -05, MWC Regular Season Runner-Up -06, All-MWC 2nd Team -06, 07, NABC All-NCAA District 13 2nd Team -07, and NIT Final Four -07. Last season he played for  CAI Zaragoza (Spain-ACB, starting five): 9 games: 2.6ppg, 2.4rpg; left in Nov.’11, in Dec.’11 moved to Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt (Germany-BBL): German League: 22 games: 8.2ppg, 4.5rpg, 1.4apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 36.3%, FT: 87.5%; EuroCup: 2 games: 5.5ppg, 3.0rpg, 2.0apg, 1.0spg. He spoke to German Hoops after the 63-53 loss in Wurzburg.

 

 

 

How clear was the humiliating loss against Wurzburg at home earlier in the season in your mind?

 

It wasn´t so much on my mind. We had to leave that experience behind us. Each game starts at 0-0 and doesn´t start from the end of that game.

 

How big was the revenge factor in this game against the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg?

 

We had revenge and wanted to get back at them. This is a tough place to play with the atmosphere and their fans.

 

How sad were you that you couldn´t play against your ex teammate Jimmy Mckinney?

 

It sucked. I wanted to give him a hard time on the court. I talked to him a bit before the game. I hope that he continues to have a good recovery.

 

How would win a modeling contest at Xuits in Frankfurt Jimmy Mckinney or you?

 

I would win hands down. Jimmy would come in a distant second. I am way better looking than him. Lol

What was key for losing 63-53 in Wurzburg?

 

We did a good job letting up just 63 points, but we gave up too many offensive rebounds and easy points.

A lot of bodies were hitting the ground in the first quarter. Was the court slippery?

 

Yes the floor seemed a bit slick. We wet our shoes a bit. Sometimes when people walk on the floor not wearing basketball shoes, dust tends to come on the floor resulting in the court being slippery.

 

You are known for diving on the floor. You saved a ball from going out in the first quarter. What NBA player did you always like to watch who was known for diving for balls?

 

I liked watching Shane Battier of the Miami Heat. He isn´t a fancy player, but he dives all over the court.

 

At halftime Wurzburg had the 36-28 lead. I noticed that German Anthony Canty had a tough time bringing the ball up and many players had to help. Did this effect the game of Bremerhaven?

 

Canty did a good job bringing the ball for a guy with little experience. It was tough for him to come into a game where he had to play a lot and then play against that excellent full court press, but he did a great job.

 

Right before halftime, Canty nailed a tough three point buzzer beater. Did you know the ball was going in?

 

When he fell back double clutching, I knew it would hit the glass, but didn´t know that it would go in.

 

You once had a hard battle with Jason Boone inside. Is he more like a steam roller or tank?

 

He is more like a tank. He just moves his body into you and just does what he wants with you. I just tried to hold my own with him.

 

After the Eisbaeren cut the Wurzburg lead to 36-33, they exploded on a 14-2 run. What was key for the run?

 

I thought that we did a good job after they led by 16 to get the lead back down to single digits. They played very good defense and we had defensive break downs leading to that big run.

 

In the fourth quarter Bremerhaven made one more run cutting the Wurzburg lead to 61-53, but Wurzburg clamped down to win. What was key for them closing out game?

 

We just ran out of time. In our last come back, we were more focused on loose balls and rebounds. If we had played more like that earlier in the quarter then we would have better chance to win.

 

Were you surprised that Louisville won the 2013 NCAA tournament?

 

No I wasn´t because I picked them to win. I love how Louisville play defense. I also love Rick Pitino. He is a great coach. I picked then from the start to win it all.

 

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

 

Shooter with Mark Wahlberg.

 

Thanks Jacob for the chat.

 

 

With The Beko BBL regular season winding down teams are battling and jockeying for positions as the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven traveled to Wurzburg for a rare Wednesday evening clash with the Bavarian club fighting for that last playoff place while the Eisbaeren looking for that secure spot in the standings not in danger of reaching position 17. The Eisbaeren Bremerhaven still had to settle a sour score from the humiliating 70-55 loss earlier in the season at home to Wurzburg where the Bavarian team had  a great defensive showcase dismantling the Eisbaeren offense to 30% shooting from the field and 18% from the parking lot while holding Oklahoma native Jacob Burtschi to one point and playmaker Stanley Burrell to one assist. Bremerhaven was looking for their second win in a row after celebrating  a big win at home against Tuebingen, but once again were able to produce very little offense losing 63-53 falling to 13^th place in the standings. Despite scoring only 53 points, one has too mention that they were without starting point guard Stanley Burrell who wa sill and didn´t make the trip and American Terrell Everett who was injured. Wurzburg controlled the game and despite a few runs by Bremerhaven in their comeback were able to shut the door in the fourth quarter , but couldn´t make any ground on Phoenix Hagen who beat the Neckar Riesen Ludwigsburg. “We can´t make any excuses that we lost because Burrell and Everett couldn´t play. You have to do the best that you can with what you have. Wurzburg played very good defense and forced us too many turnovers and we missed many open shots. We ahd too work for every shot. They were simply better than we were tonight”, stressed Eisbaeren Bremerhaven American Keith Waleskowski. The win against Bremerhaven was more than important and a duty as they have tough games coming up against Bamberg and Ulm. “After two loses, we had to find our rhythm again. WE woke up in the third quarter and we finally understood that every game counts now. Burrell didn´t play, but they had good guards and Canty hit some big shots. Our defense held them too 53 points. We knew that if we continued to pressure them that they would get tired”, stated Wurzburg American Frank Robinson.

Despite Easter vacation being over, the game being in midweek and FC Bayern Munich playing Champions league, the s.Oliver arena was sold out as 3,140 person filled the stands. Anthony Canty got Bremerhaven on the board first hitting a three pointer after Jacob Burtschi did  a good job finding him out of the double team. However the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg weren´t impressed as John Mr pit bull Little brought back memories to the 2012 playoff series against Alba Berlin where he suddenly was a vicious scoring threat as he hit two three pointers early in the first quarter giving Wurzburg their first lead 8-7 after German national player Philipp Zwiener had scored inside. Wurzburg was a little sloppy in the first minutes on offense, but slowly found their groove. Philadelphia native Dwayne Anderson scored on a dunk after getting an extra pass from Chris Mcnaughton as Wurzburg led 10-7. Bremerhaven then executed on a perfect fast break as Scott Morrison grabbed the rebound fed Zwiener on the outlet pass and he found Stefon Jackosn for the easy lay up. Morrison ten scored inside giving Bremerhaven the 11-10 lead. However Wurzburg closed out the first quarter with a 7-1 run to lead 17-12. Little hit a jumper, Anderson dunked again and ex Ludwigsburg American Frank Robinson dropped a three pointer. Wurzburg was shooting very well at 47% from the field and 50% from outside while Bremerhaven was struggling shooting 33% from the field and 20% from outside. Wurzburg had the 8-6 rebound edge, but both teams had six turnovers a piece.

The s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg kept control of the game in the second quarter despite the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven fighting in their come back effort. Wurzburg got out of the gate fast in the second quarter going on a mini 4-0 run as Jason Boone and Frank Robinson scored inside as they led 21-12. Wurzburg was having problems bringing the ball ahead and many of the guards had to help as Wurzburg as making life very difficult for Canty. “I had never heard of Canty, but he did a pretty good job against our press. I was surprised how confident he was”, said Frank Robinson. “Canty was in a tough situation . Their defense cost us much energy with bringing the ball forward. Sometimes when we did a good job bringing the ball forward, we then had problems in our set offense getting a good shot. He hasn´t seen many minutes this season, but he did a good job handling the ball and hit some big shots. It was a good experience for him and he had a chance to grow up as a player”, stressed Keith Waleskowski. Burtschi then hit a big three pointer as Bremerhaven trailed 21-16. Breemrhaven was defending pretty well, which was keeping them in the game, but at times Wurzburg was able tos core easily as Chris Mcnaughton wa sin his own world down low finding his timing quick and sinking a hook shot and Mike Lenzly who had been very quiet in the game nailed a three pointer as Wurzburg had their biggest lead of the game at 26-16. The Eisbaeren kept scraping away and all of a sudden lept out on a 9-3 run to cut the Wurzburg lead to 29-25. Zwiener and Mcnaughton traded put backs down low and Jackson then connected on a three pointer. Andrew Drevo then hit two free throws. Wurzburg closed out the second quarter strong with a 7-3 run as Lamont Mcintosh nailed a jumper over Drevo. Lenzly scored inside and Alex King executed on a three pointer via the soft touch rainbow. Bremerhaven was very fortunate that Canty hit a buzzer beater double clutch three pointer that found kind help form the back board as Wurzburg led 36-28. Wurzburg was shooting 54% from the field and 42% from the three point line while Bremerhaven was shooting 31% from the field and 33% from the three point line.

The Eisbaeren Bremerhaven came out of the locker room focused going on a 5-0 run to cut the Wurzburg lead to 36-33. Canty scored on a pretty floater and Burtschi connected on a jumper from the corner. Wurzburg then went on a 6-0 run to extend their lead to 42-33 as Frank AIR Robinson made consecutive dunks with one being more spectacular than the other. Dwayne Anderson found Robinson on the first dunk with a perfect ally-op pass and on the second dunk Robinson who hails from  Compton, California took flight it seems in Compton and landed in Long Beach dunking over a helpless Philipp Zwiener. “I told Dwayne Anderson that that was my best game dunk ever. When I attack the rim I don’t plan. This was a perfect chance to wake up the team”, stressed Frank Robinson. The dunk really did spark Wurzburg as they went on a 9-0 run after Morrison scored inside extending their lead to 51-35. Lamont Mcintosh was a menace in this run on offense and defense as he hit two jumpers, but also chased Jackson on the fast break blocking his lay up attempt form behind. Bremerhaven was fortunate to cut down the lead a bit ending the third quarter with a 5-0 run as German Jusuf El Domiaty hit a three pointer and Jackson nailed free throws as Bremerhaven trailed 51-42 after three quarters.

With 10 minutes to play, it didn´t help the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven with coming back letting the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg cruise out on a 9-0 run to extend their lead to 60-42. Dwayne Anderson scored all nine points in the run hitting two three pointers making a perfect impression of his injured teammate Jimmy Mckinney who is usually parked in the corner having those hands  ready for the quick release. Anderson also gave Robinson a rest slamming home a dunk. Bremerhaven had one last gasp going on a 7-0 run to cut the Wurzburg lead to 61-53 with two minutes to play. Zwiener hit a runner and three pointer and Drevo connected on a runner. However Wurzburg clamped down at the end not allowing any more Eisbaeren to score and Robinson and Anderson nailed free throws sealing the 63-53 win. “They made a run, but all teams make runs. We made many stops. Mcintosh played very well in the second half. I have known him for years, but he surprises me in every game. He is our Jason Terry”,

added Frank Robinson. “We went on a run and even though they missed free throws, we couldn´t capitalize on it. When we needed big baskets, we made turnovers or missed shots. That was the story of our night”, added Keith Waleskowski. The s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg were led by Dwayne Anderson with 12 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Frank Robinson also chipped in with 12 points. John Little contributed 10 points. The Eisbaeren Bremerhaven were led by Philipp Zwiener with 12 points and seven rebounds.

Since moving up to the Beko BBL in 2009, there hasn´t been too much exciting happening with Phoenix Hagen besides fighting against the moving down from the Beko BBL and piddling around in no mans land. Notable memories for Hagen fans could be the making of the movie Phoenix in the asche and the Michael Jordan locker room  outburst in Frankfurt that was Oscar worthy, beating Alba Berlin three seasons in a row in Hagen, the 35 point effort by Jordan Hasquet in Munich or the last game by ex Skyliner Jon Leuer in Hagen making 27 points before exiting to greener pastures in the NBA. Another nice occurrence with the club is the permanent nesting of German oldie Bernd Kruel  who is known as the bird storch and who is 36 and is playing his 16^th season in Hagen with short stays in Frankfurt and Bonn. He is a German basketball dinosauer that is following in the foot steps of ex teammate Chris Ensminger in terms of longevity as a player and must be getting served up a special tasty vitamin enriched diet of fish in the river Volme that keeps his energy alive and kicking. One could find the parallel that basketball and the city Hagen go hand in hand in that they are ugly. It has been stated that Hagen is the ugliest city in Germany and basketball in the past has been farther from beauty than pigs are from flying, but this season there is nothing ugly about Phoenix Hagen basketball.

If one wants to examine closely the reasons why Phoenix Hagen basketball isn´t ugly anymore and is actually successful, one can find numerous reasons for the turn around. For those that have been locked in a closet in the past 4 years won´t know that Phoenix Hagen play run and gun basketball and just try to outscore the opponent. They have scored 80 plus points in 18 of 30 games and average 86 points a game.  One could even be as unfriendly and mention that the team doesn´t play defense in order to conserve energy for their offense. This season, the team continues to play run and gun, but seems to play with a bit more consistency than in the past and the club also has found the word DEFENSE in their vocabulary. They were able to hold offensive teams like Oldenburg and Tuebingen to under 70 points and the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg who aren´t the strongest scoring team, but are capable of breaking out  especially with a then fit Jimmy Mckinney who logged 34 minutes and was held to eight points. It also helps that the team found their chemistry early and that the players fit together better than in past years and have found their roles better. Head coach Ingo Freyer preaches offense and this season it seems like they are playing a type of Euroleague offense compared to BBL offense the last years.

When looking at the roster, Ingo Freyer has a healthy 10 man rotation where each guy has contributed in his special way. Hagen fans will argue with any one why Davin White shouldn´t get the MVP. He is the top scorer in the league and near the top in assists. White reminds me of Alba Berlin guard Dashaun Wood in that he is having a similar kind of year that he had in 2010-2011 with Frankfurt. He may seem one dimensional as a scorer, but the Phoenix native will pull out his playmaking qualities when called for or if his shots aren´t falling. Phoenix Hagen surely would have 3-4 less wins without him. David Bell is about as pure a scorer that you will ever find. He looks like baby hulk just without the green and could probably hit blindfolded if he started practicing. His dangerous shooting has been key all season long.  American Larry Gordon has been very consistent and is the unsung back bone on defense as he often guards the opponents best player. Adam Hess gives experience, leadership and can still hit from downtown to give his team a boost. Bringing Mark Dorris back helped as he knows the team and Freyer. He can explode on any night like his buddy Quantez Robertson does flying to the hoop. Americans Abe Lodwick who hardly played at Washington state and made the team in a try out phase has had some big games on offense and defense and probably surprised many by his strong and spirited play. American Dino Gregory is the back bone on defense. After playing at Maryland and as a rookie in Sweden, some wondered if he could step up in the better league Beko BBL, and he has. I can remember early in the season, I got a mail from the dad of Gregory asking, “How is my boy doing”, and I responded “Well sir, I haven´t seen him play, but I am sure he will have a good season. It was the usual bla bla, but  papa Gregory can be proud of his son who is leading the league in blocks and plays with a passion that would even have made ex Maryland stand out Len Bias proud. Gregory made 6 blocks against Bremerhaven and guards that penetrate have to always know where the big man is.

With less than a month to go in the season, Phoenix Hagen is in contention of making their first playoffs. The team has had fortune not having serious injury woes and an important aspect to their success is their self confidence which has been increased the last weeks due to big wins against Alba Berlin and the Brose Baskets Bamberg. The team believes in their game and making the playoffs. The question is can they continue to be consistent on offense and will they be capable of playing defense in some games in the last weeks. Just making the playoffs will be an amazing achievement. With four games remaining, they have a super chance. Currently they are in eighth place with one win more than ninth placed Wurzburg. They have three home games left and should be able to beat Ludwigsburg and MBC. They beat Artland on the road, but were slaughtered at home against FC Bayern Munich. If they can win one of these two games then they should be ok for the playoffs.  If the playoffs do happen than Ingo Freyer may get a statue from the city and even if there is nothing remotely beautiful about the city, the Phoenix Hagen basketball fans will feel as pretty as a Picasso painting when it comes to basketball. The city could make a slogan saying “The most beautiful part of the city is on the court in the Enervie arena”.

 

The last two times when the Fraport Skyliners and s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg have met they have given the word defense a new meaning the same way ratiopharm Ulm center John Bryant could easily have a new middle name as MVP or  New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig point guard Dennis Schroder has given the word NBA prospect a new meaning this season with his rapid development. In the last two games, both teams were only able to score 221 points combined and Frankfurt averaged only 55 points in the two game battle and Wurzburg only 55 points.  The last time that the two teams tangled in Wurzburg, fans witnessed a hard fought battle as no team was willing to give up until the siren sounded. In a game where there were 42 turnovers and steals combined, the only thing missing was the dirt and dust from the ditch and ex Air Force cadet squadron 8 member Jacob Burtschi roaring commands filling in for the infantry, but instead was the master on defense leading the Fraport Skyliners with four steals.  Both teams returned back for a third showdown and didn´t disappoint in the intensity and fight until the end as the Fraport Skyliners got revenge from their loss at home earlier in the season and were able to win the second round of the battle of Wurzburg 60-57. Quantez Robertson was able to depart the floor in Wurzburg as a winner again and saw a distinct difference to last seasons game. “Last year the game was very tight here. Last season they had quick guards that could get to the rim easier while this season, they had guards that shot well from outside. I think that this win was tougher than last years. I love these type of games, because it gets you ready for the playoffs. When you play this aggressive every night, things come easier to the team than when you don´t play aggressive”, stressed Fraport Skyliner forward Quantez Robertson.  New York native Jason Boone fouled out late in the game and knew the reason at the end why Frankfurt prevailed. “Both were tough games here the last two seasons. Frankfurt was even more aggressive this game. I felt that they had a deeper rotation than we did. WE had to play more minutes. It came down to who wanted it more and that was Frankfurt”, added 2010 Eurochallenge winner Jason Boone. “I don´t want to have another defensive battle against Wurzburg again. I would rather win by 15 points. I don´t want any grey hair yet, I am too young for that”, smiled Devin Gibson. Ex Wurzburg American Rickey Harris was at the game supporting his ex team and also had round one of the battle of Wurzburg on his mind. “I remember the game lasts eason as no team that could score. It was a total defensive game. Jimmy Mckinney was knocking down shots in the second half and Jermareo Davidson was blocking shots. It was a huge game and huge win for Frankfurt”, commented Ricky Harris.

It has almost been 49 months since the then rookie Frank Robinson last played a Beko BBL game against the Frankfurt Skyliners as he had arrived late in the season to the EnBW Ludwigsburg having played 8 Euroleague games for Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia) and started the season with the Atlanta hawks in training camp tangling with guys like Michael Bibby or Mario West and getting pointers from head coach Mike Woodson. Back in March 2009, when he made his Beko BBL debut, he scored two points in 10 minutes and already then got a taste of how Frankfurt can defend when they want to as his team mustered only 58 points. Robinson had to tangle with a Titus Ivory or Keith Simmons and watched how the muscular bodies of Anthony King and Kelvin Gibbs who seemed twice as wide as Jeff Gibbs battle underneath. Since his rookie season, the California native who had a stellar career at Cal. State Fullerton and was a teammate of Bobby Don´t be cruel Brown went on to play in countries like Israel and Georgia. He played twice in the Eurochallenge in the 2010-2011 season against Frankfurt where he experienced the penetration magic of Dashaun Wood. Last season, he was supposed to head to the Artland Dragons, but the transfer folded at the last second. The s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg are already his third team this season after having played for  Asseco Prokom Gdynia (Poland-TBL), left in Nov.’12: Euroleague: 7 games: 7.4ppg, 3.7rpg, 2FGP: 40.7%, 3FGP: 26.9%, FT: 50.0%; Polish TBL: 8 games: 5.3ppg, 3.3rpg, 1.3apg, 2FGP: 23.8%, 3FGP: 33.3%, FT: 68.8%, in Dec.’12 moved to Budivelnyk Kyiv (Ukraine-Superleague): Eurocup: 6 games: 3.8ppg, 2.8rpg, 1.0apg; Ukrainian Superleague: 9 games: 5.3ppg, 3.8rpg, 2FGP: 44.2%, 3FGP: 5.9%, FT: 46.7%. Most of the team from the Eurochallenge games from two seasons ago have come and gone except for captain Marius Nolte and the speedy Duracell battery bunny from Cincinnati Quantez Robertson who at times seems like he has been on full throttle on the court non stop since entering the Beko BBL in 2009. Robinson who was brought in to help compensate guard injury woes in the last months was playing his fourth game against Frankfurt as a professional and finished with five points and three rebounds and is happy about playing in Wurzburg, but was unfortunate that Quantez Robertson had his number in the game. “I love the city, we have  a great coach and is a good organization. I love my role, but I was not happy with my performance. If I would have played better than the 70% I gave, we would have won. Frankfurt did a good job keeping me out of rhythm. Robertson was a big reason why I only scored five points, but he got a lot of help from his teammates”, added Frank Robinson.

The Fraport Sklyiners arrived in Wurzburg having won five of their last six games and sprouting with a healthy self confidence. They came without German Danilo Barthel who was suffering back problems since the Bremerhaven game, but the club knew exactly what to expect and did a super job with their game plan and didn´t allow the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg to take them out of their game. Fraport Skyliner point guard Dawan Robinson was not fit and played only 13 minutes and couldn´t be the dominant player he was the last weeks, but the team showed that they can win without a top scoring game from the Philadelphia native. “This was a real intense game and very physical. WE stuck together and it felt really good to win this game. They are a very good defensive team, but so are we. The team didn´t need me so much tonight and that is a good thing. It is always good when other guys can step up from the bench. Devin Gibson did a great job on defense and controlling the tempo”, explained Dawan Robinson. Ryan Brooks had a slow first half, but picked it up in the second half and was thrilled by the effort of the team. “They did a good job closing out on me in the first half and I passed up some shots, but I got more aggressive in the second half and started taking shots. We knew it would be a battle against the best defensive team in the league. Everything worked for us at the end staying smart on defense in a very high intensity game. This game really tested our mental toughness. I felt this was the biggest win since I have been here and we can continue to build on that”” expressed ex LTi Giessen 46er Ryan Brooks. The s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg came into the game riding a four game winning streak and knew what to expect and played a great game, but in the end just weren´t able to catch the Fraport Skyliners napping in key situations. “The fans saw two good defensive teams. We came into the game with a lot of self confidence, but couldn´t make shots at the end. I tip my hat to Frankfurt who have been fighting for their lives and have continued to win”, added Atlanta native Lamont Mcintosh.

The Fraport Skyliners jumped on the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg quickly in the first quarter taking a 6-2 lead. Zack peacock connected on a step back jumper and Quantez Robertson hit a pull up jumper and Peacock hit free throws. Both teams were playing very aggressive defense and the turnovers were happening on a high rate and both teams had to play a more contained offense not risking too much as the intensity level was high. Wurzburg roared back on a mini 4-0 run as Jason Boone showed that he is a lot faster than his big body shows as he spun around Peacock for an easy lay up and 6 time Czech title winner Michael Lenzly hit a jumper as the game was tied at 6-6. Two strong three point snipers Laquan Prowell and Michael Lenzly than traded three pointers as the game was knotted 9-9. Frankfurt got some extra momentum in the last minute closing out the first quarter with a 6-0 run. Peacock made an easy put back inside and Quantez Robertson nailed a three pointer over Alex King. “It was a tight game, but the Skyliners had the better rhythm. Every point was important in a low scoring game”, stressed basketball expert Steven Clauss. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 50% from the field and 50% from outside while the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg were shooting 36% from the field and 20% from outside. Frankfurt had the 9-4 rebound edge, but five turnovers while Wurzburg had three turnovers.

The s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg came out in the second quarter reborn going on an explosive 9-0 run to take the 18-15 lead. Mcintosh connected on two jumpers, Alex King made a three pointer showing his high rainbow and Dwayne Anderson made a steal and dunked. “Frankfurt passed on many open shots electing to bring the ball inside. A Jason Boone was in the way and it is difficult to run him over. Frankfurt wasn´t making good decisions”, stressed Steven Clauss. The game remained very tight in the second quarter as the Fraport Skyliners were able to retain the lead, but lose it at the end. The Fraport Skyliners had to fight for every basket as Peacock made a pretty hook shot over Anderson and had some fortune that Boone came over one tick to late on the helpside and Robinson made a lay up getting by Boone as Frankfurt led 21-18. Boone and Peacock then traded baskets as Frankfurt still led 23-20. Wurzburg then outscored Frankfurt 6-5 to take a 26-25 lead into halftime. Ex Bremerhaven center Chris Mcnaughton scored inside and Frank Robinson spun around Skyliner captain Marius Nolte for a tough lay in with his left hand. Prowell and Mcnaughton then traded baskets as the second quarter ended. “Frankfurt lost their rhythm a bit in the second quarter and Wurzburg had a better flow in the offense”, stressed Steven Clauss. The s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg were shooting 48% from the field and 22% from the three point line while the Fraport Skyliners were shooting 45% from the field and 33% from the three point line. Frankfurt led the rebound duel 15-9, but had nine turnovers while Wurzburg had six turnovers.

The third quarter remained razor sharp as there were four lead changes and no team led by more than four points. After Boone made two free throws, Frankfurt made a mini 4-0 run as Peacock made a difficult shot in traffic shoveling the ball into the hoop somehow with his left hand and Ryan Brooks made his first field goal as Frankfurt led 29-28. Wurzburg was able to retake the lead again and lead 34-30 Michael Lenzly dropped another three pointer and ex Villanover forward Dwayne Anderson scored inside. Zach Peacock scored inside showing his immense working qualities inside and Brooks tied the game at 34-34 with a free throw. Brooks then scored a jumper and Prowell made a put back as Frankfurt led 39-36. Wurzburg tied the game with Mcintosh and Lenzly free throws at 39-39. Robertson then suffered a technical foul, but all Wurzburg could do was get two Mcintosh free throws for the 41-39 lead. Frankfurt could have had the lead after 30 minutes, but missed four consecutive free throws from Peacock and Brooks. Peacock dunked at the end of the third quarter getting served from a silver platter from Dawan Robinson as the game was dead locked at 41-41 after 30 minutes. “No team was able to pull away. Brooks was able to find his game more, because Wurzburg was concentrating more on Peacock which gave open space for Brooks. Boone getting his fourth foul hurt Wurzburg”, said basketball expert Steven Clauss. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 50% from the field and 29% from the parking lot while the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg were shooting 41% from the field and 23% from the parking lot. Frankfurt had the 21-18 rebound edge and both teams coughed up the ball 14 times each.

In the fourth quarter Mcintosh and Robertson traded three pointers as the game was tied at 44-44. Then a few minutes went by as no team could muster any points, but fans saw the second airball by Alex King in the game and Chris Mcnaughton blocked a Quantez Robertson dunk. Muli Katzurin than inserted captian Marius Nolte for Zach peacock giving him a rest and Frankfurt responded with a lightening 6-0 explosion as Ryan Brooks and Quantez Robertson hit back to back three pointers as Frankfurt led 50-44 and they would never trail again in the game. But Wurzburg kept the game exciting as they didn´t allow Frankfurt to pull out the lawn chair as they kept fighting back and pressuring Frankfurt. Lenzly set up Boone for a powerful dunk off the penetration cutting the Frankfurt lead to 53-48. With less than three minutes, Wurzburg still had energy and big shots prepared in their arsenal as Dwayne Anderson hit a clutch bomb form outside as Frankfurt led only 53-52. Gibson and brooks then connected for free throws as Frankfurt led 56-52. However as if Frankfurt hadn´t learned earlier in the game of the shooting deadliness of Lenzly, the 2012 Olympic participant dropped a huge three pointer as Wurzburg trailed 56-55. After Robinson free throws, Wurzburg struck back with 18 seconds to play as Dwayne Anderson went hard to the hoop got his own offensive rebound and made a put back as Frankfurt led 58-57. Peacock then drowned insurance free throws for the 60-57 lead. Wurzburg had one last offensive play and Frankfurt elected not to foul and Lenzly was blocked by Peacock on a step back jumper got the ball back and kicked the ball to the open Mcintsoh who tried to bring the game to overtime, but was denied with his three pointer. “That last shot felt wonderful. I took it with a lot of confidence to take the game to overtime, but it just happens that not all shots go in. Frankfurt made their free throws at the end. I felt that we made enough plays, but just not at the end to win”, stressed Lamont Mcintosh.  “Our defense was key at the end. We did a great job helping on the rotations and switching on the pick and role. They took hard shots at the end and we locked down on offense”, added Dawan Robinson. “The last two minutes was like March Madness. There was so much intensity where every play mattered and one could feel it everywhere on the floor. We did a good job keeping composure for 40 minutes and limiting them from running and getting easy buckets”, added Devin Gibson.

The Fraport Skyliners were led by Zach Peacock with 21 points on seven for nine shooting. One can almost say give Zack the ball and all is good. “Peacock played like  a grown man tonight. Boone is a monster, but he kept his composure and showed the type of player that he is”, added Dawan Robinson. “Peacock was hard to stop. We slowed tempo down too much to help his game in the half court. He always possess match up problems. He hit his jumpers and is a very underrated center in the league”, added Jason Boone. “I really had to work hard on defense. I love to guard the pick and role and the little guards. I love those challenges”, commented Zach Peacock. Ryan Brooks added 13 points and Quantez Robertson had 11 points. The s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg were led by Michael Lenzly with 13 points. Dwayne Anderson produced 11 points and Jason Boone contributed 10 points. Despite the low scoring game, the Fraport Skyliners finshed with 47% shooting from the field and 42% from outside showing that they were picking their spots and taking good shots. Frankfurt also won the rebound battle 29-27 and forced Wurzburg to 15 turnovers. After the win, there was a very reflective Marius Nolte who was thrilled for another big win, but also a bit sad with the whole timing. “The way that we have played recently and compared to earlier in the season is like two worlds. I always had the hope that we could develop like this, but I am a bit unhappy that it happened so late. It is great how Brooks and Prowell fit into the team and the emergence of Robinson. We have shown now that we can fight out of tough situations. This season has been even tougher mentally than last season. We are sticking together now and we continue to be on a good way”, warned Marius Nolte. The Fraport Skyliners welcome the EWE Baskets Oldenburg next weekend.

 

There were times when winning was as easy for the Brose Baskets Bamberg as it was for Rick Barry nailing free throws all day long, Rihanna cranking out hits with 11 number one songs in the German top 100 or how soccer player Baia has won 31 team titles with FC Porto and FC Barcelona. There was even a period of almost two years where Bamberg was unbeaten at home in the Beko BBL. From 2009-2012, the team won the triple winning three league titles and three cups and the word dynasty was a perfect description to the Bavarian team. A Casey Jacobsen belongs to the most professional acting players in the Beko BBL and if one entered the arena after a 40 minute game and examined the face of the California native one seemingly wouldn´t know what had been the outcome since he is always 100% focused and rarely shows that win or lose emotion, but as of late the 5 time champion team has been blown of course from the usual expected winning road. Currently the team was riding an 8 game losing streak before the perfect opponent to break it with Giessen visited the Bamberg yesterday which most likely had the Bamberg haters in seventh heaven and the rest of the league in bewilderment in this down time.

Even with their domination of the Beko BBL in the last three years, hardcore Bamberg aficionados are upset, but to a point calm as no one is any desperation or in need of jumping into the Regnitz river without a life preserver. The team is still in first place in the Beko BBL standings with a record of 22-5 and three wins more than second placed FC Bayern Munich. If one really observes their losing streak closely one can take the eight loses and subtract five and get three loses. In other words, Bamberg have lost the last five games in the Euroleague and only really been defeated three times in the Beko BBL. One can always lose in the Euroleague, but statistically Bamberg has just had a lot of misfortune in the Euroleague. Ok they were hammered by Athens and Moscow, but had every chance against Alba Berlin, Efes Pilsen and Real Madrid losing each game by three points. Bamberg obviously knows how to win games in crunch time usually with their history the last three seasons, but even a Bamberg isn´t always invincible and can have some tough misfortune.

The Euroleague is a totally other world compared to the Beko BBL. Before their  three game losing streak in the Beko BBL, the team had won 19 of their last 20 games after starting the season winning two of their first three games. In their three game losing streak in the Beko BBL, they lost to up and coming team FC Bayern Munich 85-71 which isn´t surprising with the more improved play since the arrival of Svetislav Pesic. However  the last two loses to Phoenix Hagen and Fraport Skyliners is more surprising. Everyone knows that Phoenix Hagen plays run and gun and just tries to score more than their opponent so letting up 104 points and letting them get beat by the game of Phoenix Hagen was alarming. Bamberg was just unlucky that Phoenix Hagen had a very good shooting day. It is rare for Bamberg to give up 100 points as they are a very disciplined defensive team. The rising Fraport Skyliners who have hit their peak now also caught Bamberg by surprise having a solid offensive day and giving Bamberg their taste of hard nosed aggressive Katzurian defense.

If one wants to dissect the current Bamberg misery on the court, one will find various reasons. The team has had injury woes this season having classical point guard John Goldsberry for a very limited time as well as Andrew Ogily. New players came late as Matt Walsh and Alex Renfroe that still need to be integrated and the usual talk about the strain of the weekly Euroleague have been prevalent. Bamberg has a deep roster, but despite that one has noticed that Anton Gavel  is a little bit beat up. Still there is no need to worry in Bamberg. Back in the 2008-2009 season as Chris Fleming was in his first year, he had a slow start and recovered and built winning teams. Now the New Jersey native is in a tough situation, but has the experience and know how to get his team back on track and prepared for the grind of the playoffs. The remaining schedule isn´t an easy one with four home games and four away games including opponents like ratiopharm Ulm, Artland Dragons, Alba Berlin and finishing the season with two difficult road games in Bremerhaven and Wurzburg. Matt Walsh is getting better and better and getting used to the German league and will be an important piece in the last month of the regular season for their success. No matter what happens in the last month, Bamberg will reach the playoffs and most likely finish in first place anyway. The real season doesn´t start until May where the second season starts for Bamberg where everything counts. Bamberg might not have gotten that cup title this season, but if there is one player who will do anything for that fourth title then its Casey Jacobsen. The Brose Baskets Bamberg can be happy to have a player like him to push his team at all times. Bamberg got back to work this Sunday in their quest to halt their 8 game losing streak against the LTI Giessen 46ers. Bamberg losing at home Sunday against Giessen was about as unlikely as new pope Francis winning the 2013 Boston marathon.