Sometimes basketball fairy tales come to an abrupt end just like a Derrick Rose floater lay up attempt that is swatted away by Dwight Howard into Lake Michigan or former German president Christian Wulf waking up again in Niedersachsen instead of every morning in Schloss Bellevue and anotehr very sympathetic basketball figure Mike Taylor had to experience his fairytale ending last spring having to hand over the reigns shortly before the season ended. Taylor had arrived in Ulm in 2003 and built up that basketball program leading their basketball farytale into the Beko BBL in 2006 and reaching one playoff in the 2008-2009 season. He was known as a players coach who had been an importnat part of the rise and development of German national players Robin Benzing and Per Guenther. Now less than a year after his departure, the team hasnt had a slow rebuilding process, but instead have risen instantly starting a new basketball fairytale as Thorsten Leibenath who has always been known as a talented coach has finally made his break through after failing in Giessen and Artland. Ratiopharm Ulm is quietly becoming a team you might want to love after your favorite team and even though this fairytale may not be the equvialent of Linsanity, ratiopharm Ulm fans may not admit it, but Ulmsanity is dancing in their thoughts. After a great game against the Brose Baskets Bamberg at the 2012 Beko BBL cup semi final where they were as close to winning as Ohio State is to reaching the 2012 NCAA final, but losing 99-96 in OT, the ratiopharm Ulm fairytale will continue to carry on into the playoffs and it is as refreshing as seeing an unknown name like Sergio Perez getting second place at the Formula One in Malaysia. “Before the season started no one would have thought that ratiopharm Ulm would be so good. A story like this happens almost every season when a team found the right mix of players. They are playing loose and all accept their roles and know them. Every once in a while some guys need to do more, but each guy knows exactly what they have and are allowed to do. The key position is the point guard position with Per Guenther. He brings exactly what the team needs and so they can play more international players at each position like Bamberg can with Germans like Tibor Pleiss and Karsten Tadda”, expressed Lti Giessen 46er Achmadschah Zazai.

From 2003-2011, the names Mike Taylor and ratiopharm Ulm stuck belonged as tightly together as German beer and lederhosen in Bavaria, Franz Beckenbauer and football club Bayern Munich, Red Auerbach and the Boston Celtics and Paris Hilton and outrageously big sunglasses. The Pennsylvania native Taylor achieved massive success in the Schwabenland leading the club he cherished into the Beko BBL in 2006 and into the playoffs in 2009. In April 2011, came the sudden and unexpected split by management and the gregarious American. It seemed like Mike T as many called him was on the verge of a contract extension, but there came a rift and he was gone quicker than Shaq can eat a Big Mac and is famous slogan GO ULM was history. Taylor not only is classified as an Ulm basketball legend, but will always be remembered for his wide smile that could compete for best smile with ex Giessen 46er Michael Jordan and for being able to develop and secure playing time for young German talents like Robin Benzing, Per Guenther and Sebastian Betz. It was a shame that management didn´t allow Taylor to coach the last home game of the season, but nothing is fair even in the basketball world. “I think Mike was a face for the Ulm team for years and he is a respected coach in the BBL and around the world for basketball. He did a great job while he was there and I think he was important but sometimes the way this profession works sometimes change is needed”, stressed TBB Trier guard John Bynum.

Last season, ratiopharm Ulm finished a less than satisfying season at 14^th place with a record of 12-22. They started off the season with a four game losing streak and right away were reeling to get out of the Beko BBL cellar. The team simply wasn´t consistent and really missed having a comfortable 6-7 game winning streak. It also didn´t help matters that they closed out the season losing 10 of their last 12 games. It was no secret that the team was capable of putting up many points putting up 80 or more points 19 times. Many of their box scores read like NBA scores, but Ulm often was simply outshot. They also had problems closing out games losing six times by five or less points. The club was simply unable to get their offense and defense on the same page last season. Differences to last years team are noticeable. “I think they are solid in more positions this season and dont have any let ups when someone comes in the game. They are a deeper team and have more options. As far as style goes I just think they are more patient and get the most out of each possession. They are a better defensive team and they have a lot more structure as well”, added John Bynum.

Ratiopharm Ulm moved out of the beloved tiny Kuhberg halle which was always like hell for opponents, because at times it felt like the fans were sitting in the laps of the players or were a secret sixth man on the court, simply because the fans are so close to the floor. On December 10th the team moved into the new 6,200 arena which seats double as much as the Kuhberg arena and have a9-1 record since, but are pretty tough on the road as well boasting a 11-4 record. As a result, the team budget was doubled to three million euros. With the departure of Taylor came a known face in the beko BBL with Thorsten Leibenath. The German has a lot to prove, because this will be his third team he is running in the Beko BBL and will be best remembered for missing the playoffs two consecutive times with The Artland Dragons that had two deep talented rosters and playoffs written all over, but instead missing the playoffs on the last day each time and sending Dragon fans to the cafes early to talk over their basketball misery over coffee. Leibenath started his head coaching career in reaching the British BBL final in 2007 after being assistant coach in Giessen for many years. He now started a new coaching gig in Ulm and has showed that he has matured as a coach keeping ratiopharm Ulm very consistent and behind the Brose Baskets Bamberg at times this season with Alba Berlin wondering if they are seated in a very unentertaining movie without salted popcorn. Ratiopharm Ulm did a massive summer cleaning keeping only Americans John Bryant, Rocky Trice and Tommy Mason Griffin and Germans Per Guether and Sebastian Betz. Guys like Robin Benzing, Coleman Collins, Lee Humphrey, Sean Sonderleiter and Travis Walton all departed.

The team brought in a healthy core of Americans with double double candidate Dane Watts, scorer Isiah Swann, Beko BBL veteran Steven Esterkamp that gets another chance after sitting out a year and playing in the PRO A with Essen last season and Skyliner Jon Leuer teammate at Wisconsin Keaton Nankivil. On paper the club looks like a playoff team, but ratiopharm Ulm manager Thomas Stoll is careful not to get too excited. “The league is stronger this year. Of course the fans can dream of the playoffs, but we just want to finish better than 14^th place last season”, stressed Thomas Stoll. “We want to win more games than we lose. Maybe we can be near the playoffs”, added ratiopharm Ulm head coach Thorsten Leibenath at the start of the season. The Ulm fans were dreaming of the playoffs after the strong 3-1 start. The club started the season with an impressive win in Bayreuth possibly the loudest arena in the league, then came home and beat playoff candidate Artland Dragons, then lost by a slim margin of 64-59 showing that they already have understood how to play strong defense early in the season against the leagues best Bamberg and then beat the always tough defensive minded TBB Trier on the road getting a monster game from John Bryant with 27 points, 16 rebounds and five assists. Instead of suffering a tail spin the team has been strong all season having winning streaks of seven, six and five games. “They are a solid team with some great players at each position. They will be a team in my opinion that will be in the playoffs if they continue to get better and work together as a team. I wouldnt call them a sleeper anymore but I am sure no one expected a lot from them this season. I do think they can make a push for the playoffs and I think they have great guard play and solid back ups at each position. They have guys who can shoot the ball and a great inside game with Bryant in the middle. As far as weaknesses the only thing I see would be what would happen if Bryant or Watts both got into foul trouble at the same time”, warned John Bynum. The secret to the success has been a combination of coach Leibentah who found the right mix to follow his system and a group of nonselfish players that play for each other and always want to win. Before the season, Leibenath was humble suggesting he wanted to win more games than he lost. Now a month before the playoffs, he has won four times more than lost. The team is coming off a bitter third place at the 2012 Beko BBL cup where they had Bamberg on th ropes, but lost a bitter 99-96 game in OT. They will be motivated to finish the season strong and get revenge in the playoffs.

Since ratiopharm Ulm entered the Beko BBL in 2006, the Frankfurt Skyliners have a 6-5 record against them. They won in overtime 87-83 in 2007 with Murat Didin. The Eric Chadfield buzzer beater will for some reason always be stuck in the minds of people, which had an eerie similarity to the buzzer beater of Justin Gray against the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg this season. The Deutsche Bank Skyliners have a positive 2-1 record in the Ballsporthalle. In 2009-2010, Frankfurt lost 74-69, but got a strong game form ex Skyliner Lorenzo Gordon who scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. In the first meeting last season, The Deutsche Bank Skyliners dominated the game and put on a scoring display led by 23 points by Seth Doliboa as the club prevailed 95-82.Frankfurt shot an astronomical 57% from the field and easily won the rebounding fight 34-25. Ratiopharm Ulm did a great job only having seven turnovers. In the return game in Frankfurt last season, Ratiopharm Ulm lost 84-77 as Skyliner American Seth Doliboa had another monster game pouring home 18 points and 15 rebounds. Last season, Frankfurt lost a 87-82 nail bitter in the Kuhberg arena, but returned home to win 74-67 as Dashaun Wood poured in 17 points and 12 assists. In the first meeting of the season, the Fraport Skyliners lost a winnable game 81-75 in the old Kuhberg Halle where Dane Watts made the two big buckets at the end showing NBA player Jon Leuer that guys from Missouri can play basketball. Ratiopharm Ulm had five guys in double figures, shot better and rebounded better. Frankfurt was led by Justin Gray with 14 points. After the spirited 66-60 win in Artland, the Fraport Skyliners seem to be on a mission to get into the 2012 Beko BBL playoffs no matter what. The team is on a 5 day training camp on the Spanish island Mallorca to add some team building and extra togetherness for the stretch run. The team continues to live from their aggressive defense and will need another top performance against ratiopharm Ulm. “Frankfurt has to play there game and keep Bryant out the lane and control the boards and play there tempo. They also have to control Swann and Esterkamp as well. Ulm just has to play their game and go inside out. They have great guard play but they are a great team and I believe they can get a lot out of going inside-out”, warned John Bynum. “The biggest key for Frankfurt will be containing zeek(Isiah Swann). He has the ultimate green light in Ulm and when he gets hot it can be demoralizing to teams and the game can be over as fast as it started. Do that and keep their home crowd into the game and I think they will have a good chance to pull off an upset that is vital for them in making a push to the playoffs”, stressed 2012 Beko BBL cup finalist Tony Gaffney. Fans could see the comeback of Justin Gray who has been out of action since November. The leader of the team who got struck on the knee needed 4 and a half months to recover, but has been practicing with the team since two weeks and looks ready to go on Sunday.

Ratiopharm Ulm is led by Isiah Swann who is a 26 year old guard from Germantown, Maryland and is playing his fourth professional season. He is a athletic, left-handed point guard who is capable of putting up big numbers. He played at Florida State(NCAA) from 2004-2008 reaching the NIT Elite 8 in 2007. In 2008-2009, he started his professional basketball career in Italy for Aget Imola (Italy-Lega2, starting five): 15 games: 13.6ppg, 2.8rpg, 3.1apg, 3.1spg, FGP: 47.7%, 3PT: 42.9%, FT: 71.9%; left in Jan.’09, in Feb.’09 moved to Harem Scafati (Italy-Lega2): 1 game: 4pts, 1reb, 2steals, 1block; in March ’09 signed at Altshuler Saham Galil Gilboa (Israel-Premier League): 13 games: 7.3ppg, 2.4rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 38.7%, 3PT-3(46.3%), FT: 87.5%. In 2009-2010 he played for Altshuler Saham Galil Gilboa (Israel-Premier League): 27 games: 8.5ppg, 2.3rpg, 1.9apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 41.5%, 3PT: 42.7%, FT: 81.5%. Last season, he played for Rio Grande Valley Vipers (D-League): 3 games: 7.3ppg, 2.0rpg, 1.7apg, in Dec.’10 moved to Maccabi Rishon Le-Zion (Israel-Premier League, starting five): 24 games: 12.7ppg, 3.4rpg, 4.0apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 45.3%, 3PT: 39.1%, FT: 84.1%. Currently he is averaging 20,5ppg, 2,3rpg and 1,8apg. John Bryant is a 24 year old 208cm center that was born in Berkeley, California and grew up in San Pablo. He played at Santa Clara university coming in in 2005 as well known players Doron Perkins and Kyle Bailey had just graduated. He played 124 NCAA games getting WCC Player of the Year in 2009. In his last three years, he was able to average double figures in points. In his senior year, he tore up the NCAA playing 33 games: 18.1ppg, 14.2rpg, 1.1apg, 2.5bpg, FGP: 59.6%, FT: 78.7%. In 2009 he was drafted by the Erie BayHawks (D-League,2rd(31) and played 48 games: 13.2ppg, 9.5rpg, 1.6apg, 1.5bpg, FGP: 49.3%, FT: 77.6%. In the summer 2010, he played NBA Summer League in Las Vegas (Milwaukee Bucks). “He has a great feel for the game. This is his first season and who would of thought that he would play so well? He stays with his strength and takes high percentage shots. He has a very high basketball IQ with scoring and rebounding. I think that he could compete at any level in the world.”, stressed ex teammate Travis Walton. Last season for Ulm he played 34 games: 14.6ppg, Reb-1(10.9rpg), 1.1apg, Blocks-2(1.5bpg), FGP: 60.4%, FT: 74.2%. Currently Bryant is averaging 13,8ppg, 11,3rpg abd 2,0apg.

Steve Esterkamp is a 30 year old 198cm forward from Cincinnati, Ohio that is playing his ninth season in Germany. He is a great shooter and great competitor, has also a very solid mid-range shot, brings a lot of toughness to his team, is a solid rebounder from the wing position, is a excellent free throw shooter throughout his career, plays always extremely hard and to win, not afraid to take the big shots at the end of the game and always finds ways to get the job done. He is probably best remembered for playing with the Paderborn Baskets from 2004-2009 helping the team reach the beko BBL in 2006 winning 50 games in a row in the second Bundesliga. In Paderborn, he was part of the three Muskeeters with Marius Nolte and Tim Black. Esterkamp played a total of 159 games. In 2009, he helped force Alba Berlin to a 5 game playoff series that they eventually lost. He then went to Bremerhaven in 2009, but got hurt and never played a game there. Last season, he got his career back on track playing for ETB Wohnbau Baskets Essen (Germany-ProA, starting five): 13 games: 16.2ppg, 5.2rpg, 2.6apg, FGP: 54.1%, 3PT: 39.6%, FT: 73.2%. Currently he is averaging 12,5ppg, 3,5rpg and 2,3apg. Per Guenther is a 3year old 185cm point guard that was born in Giessen and grew up in Hagen. He has very good speed and can dribble with both his hands he is very good in shooting from the arc and he has very good organizational skills, he watches the court with one glance and can assist his team-mates on a blind method pretending that he will shoot. He has an inborn charisma of a leader from a young age so he leads his team without having any problem. He played for BBV Hagen from 2003-2006 and with Phoenix Hagen from 2006-2008. In his last season in Hagen, he raised eyebrows with his play playing 29 games: 14.5ppg, 1.9rpg, 2.4apg, 2FGP: 55.8%, 3FGP: 35.7%, FT: 80.1%. He has improved his play each season as in 2009-2010 he played 34 games: 6.6ppg, 1.8rpg, 2.5apg, FGP: 48.5%, 3PT: 33.8%, FT: 80.3%. Last season, he became into a real scoring option, but still keeping his playmaking qualities in front of him. He got into three games at the World Championships in Turkey in 2010. Last season the German national player played 34 games: 12.4ppg, 1.2rpg, 3.2apg, FGP: 50.3%, 3PT: 27.9%, FT: 84.2%. Currently Guenther is averaging 8,8ppg, 2,8rpg and 3,0apg.

Dane Watts who is a 25 year old 203 cm who is playing his fourth season in Germany and who is a modern day forward doing the job inside and outside. He played at Creighton from 2004-2008 playing with NBA player Anthony Tolliver. In his senior year, he averaged 11,3ppg, 6,4rpg and 1,0apg. Last season, he quietly had a very solid BBL rookie season in Ludwigsburg averaging in 20 minutes averaging 8.9ppg, 3.8rpg, FGP-1(68.4%), 3PT: 30.8%, FT: 68.7% in 32 games. It wouldn´t be a surprise if most followers of German basketball didn´t even know that he led the BBL in field goal percentage at 68%. in 2008-2009 as a rookie. He is a team player that still has a lot of potential and could become a scoring option in Tuebingen. „“Dane has a lot of potential and has all the qualities that a big player of today needs. He can shoot, is athletic, has good ball handling and defends well“, joked Jay Thomas. In 2009-2010, Watts played 34 games: 10.2ppg, 5.4rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 57.1%, 3PT: 37.6%, FT: 71.0%. Last season he played 33 games: 13.7ppg, Reb-4(7.6rpg), 1.1apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 57.9%, 3PT: 36.7%, FT: 54.5%; in May’11 moved to Hyeres-Toulon Var Basket (France-ProA): 3 games: 7.0ppg, 6.3rpg, 1.7apg, 1.0spg. Currently he is averaging 8,3ppg, 6,0rpg and 1,0apg. The team brought in Keaton Nakivil who is a 22 year old 203cm forward from Madison Wisconsin. At Wisconsin he played together with Skyliner Jon Leuer and played a total of 107 NCAA games. In his senior year, he played 34 games: 9.7ppg, 4.2rpg, 1.2bpg, FGP: 49.6%, 3PT: 45.7%, FT: 83.8%. He reached the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2008 and 2011. “Keaton “The Anvil” Nankivil is going to play a big role in Ulm’s success this season. He is a rookie but has been picking up on the European game quickly. He is a team player with high basketball IQ and is automatic from 3pt land. He might drop an anvil on somebody’s head in transition this year if they are not careful”, stressed teammate Dane Watts.

26 year old 200cm forward Sebastian Betz is a a young, hardworking wing who provides energy, defensive effort and consistent three point shooting. He started his professional basketball career in 2003 with Bamberg playing there until 2008. In five years, he was only able to play four games never being able to shake the Dirk Bauermann rotation. Mike Taylor scooped him up in 2007 and the German is playing his fifth season in Ulm. His best season so far has been 2008-2009 as he played 36 games: 5.2ppg, 1.5rpg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 35.6%, FT: 54.9%. Last season the German played 34 games: 4.1ppg, 2.8rpg. Currently he is averaging 3,8ppg and 1,3apg. The team brought back 27 year old 191cm forward Rocky Trice from Georgia that is palying his third season in Ulm and could probably make a living touring the world dunking, but is too versatile and valuable to basketball to do that. He was signed shortly before the season started and gives that extra push on defense and on the transition game. He has made a big splash in Germany tearing up the PRO A three years ago with Cuxhaven and two years ago with BG Goettingen leading the team into the playoffs averaging 11.7ppg, 5.4rpg, 1.5apg, Steals-1(2.6spg), FGP: 49.0%, 3PT: 26.7%, FT: 69.6% in 34 games. In 2009-2010 the South Carolina alumnist played 33 games averaing12.8ppg, 6.3rpg, 2.2apg, Steals-1(2.4spg), FGP: 49.0%, 3PT: 28.4%, FT: 75.0%. Last season, he played 24 games: 11.1ppg, 5.7rpg, 2.3apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 37.5%, FT: 78.6%. At the moment the guard is injured. The team also brought back 21 year old 190cm guard Tommy Mason-Griffin who was born in Houston Texas. He came to the team at the end of last season and played 10 games: 5.7ppg, 2.1rpg, 3.2apg, FGP: 51.2%, 3PT: 25.0%, FT: 87.5%. He James Madison High School / Houston, and hast he distinction of having played only one year of NCAA ball with Oklahoma playing 31 games: 14.1ppg, 2.9rpg, 5apg, FGP: 39.8%, 3PT: 42.4%, FT: 81.3%. before coming to Ulm, he played shortly with Sioux Falls Skyforce (D-League): 5 games: 2.6ppg, 2.2rpg, 1.8apg:

The team also has 20 year old 208cm center Michael Wenzl and his two year younger brother Andreas. Michael Wnezel played 4 BEKO BBL games in 2009-2010 averaging 1,0ppg and played for the Basketballakademie Ulm (Oberliga): 21 games: 13.8ppg. Last season for Ulm he played 24 games: 1.3ppg; also a license to play for BG Illertal/Weissenhorn (ProB, starting five): 18 games: 10.4ppg, 5.1rpg, FGP: 53.8%, FT: 49.3%. The team also has 21 year old 196cm shooting guard Marcel Heberlein that started his basketball career in 2007 with TV Konstanz (Regionalliga). He then played for Erdgas Ehingen/Urspringschule (ProB): 3 games: 4.0ppg, 1.0rpg, left in Dec.’09, also played at HolidayCheck Baskets Konstanz (Regionalliga): 25 games: 12.0ppg. Last season he played for ratiopharm Ulm (1.Bundesliga): 5 games: 0.8ppg, also a license to play for BG Illertal/Weissenhorn (ProB, starting five): 11 games: 12.4ppg, 4.3rpg, 2.5apg, FGP: 38.5%, 3PT: 36.2%, FT: 70.2%, also played at HolidayCheck Baskets Konstanz (ProB): 14 games: 10.6ppg, 3.1rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 46.7%, 3PT: 35.9%, FT: 64.9%. The team also brought in 21 year old 201cm forward Femi Oladipo who has already had many stations in his young career having played for SG Urspringschule/Schelklingen, VFL Stade, Eisbaeren Bremerhaven, BSG Bremerhaven (2. Regionalliga), Oldenburger TB (Germany-Regionalliga) and last season for Crailsheim Merlins (ProA) 27 games: 7.5ppg, 4.9rpg, 1.8apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 57.2%, FT: 40.4%.

Falko Thelig is a 20 year old 192cm guard from Giessen. He is playing his second season for the Fraport Skyliners. He played for the Lti Giessen 46ers from 2008-2010. Last season for the Deutsche Bank Skyliners Frankfurt II (ProB), he played 25 games: 8.4ppg, 2.8rpg, Assists-5(5.6apg), FGP: 48.2%, 3PT: 24.7%, FT: 66.3%. He has played for the German national U-16 and U-18 teams. He played at the European Championships U20 in Bilbao (Spain) -11: 4 games: 0.5ppg He spoke to German Hoops about basketball.

Congrats on the 95-75 win against Alba Berlin 2 and keeping the Fraport Skyliners in the PRO B. With what kind of feelings did the team go into game 3?

We were all pretty nervous and excited at the same time. It was a do or die game. For the guys that returned from last year, we wanted to win this game badly and not lose again like we did against Wolfenbuttel last season. We knew that we had to stay strong. We got a great team effort in the second half.

Was this the biggest game of your career?

It wasn´t my most important games, but it was an important one. It was a big game because we wanted to stay in PRO B. It is a great situation having a Beko BBL and PRO B team in one place.

At half time the score was 40-40. What did head coach Klaus Mewes tell the team to do better in the second half?

We had had a nice run in the second quarter, but lost it again due to bad turnovers. He told us to stay calm and not get crazy. He told us to play better defense.

In the third quarter, the Fraport Skyliners exploded for 29 points. What was key for this?

We played better defense and got better offensive chances due to our defense and got easy baskets. We were able to crack their zone and we were all on the same page.

Did you ever think that German national player Lucca Staiger could shoot so bad in the first two games at 6/34?

That can happen. The balls in the Beko BBL and PRO B are different. If you are used to practicing all week with BBL balls then it can be tough in a PRO B game with those balls. When you have an experienced shooter like Staiger, you can see that even when he isn´t hitting he just continues to shoot. He shot better in game three. He took many tough shots and was defended well from Benedikt Nicolay.

Would the Fraport Skyliners have won the series without German national player Tim Ohlbrecht?

I think that we still would have won without him. The teams have a lot of motivation playing against Ohlbrecht. It is never easy finding that team rhythm when new players come on board, but we did a good job.

The Fraport Skyliners juniors closed out the season with a 6-16 record. Despite injuries, youth and not always having all players that the season was ok?

Anytime that you have to fight to stay in the league, you can´t be happy with the overall season. We only had 2 guys that were always at each practice with Larry Wright and Demetrius Jemison. We never ever had a full team in practice since guys were injured or in school. Despite never really having a full squad to practice, we played good games against top level teams like Gotha and lost close games to top teams. Despite all that, I think that we did a good job as a team.

How happy were you with your PRO B season? You increased your points and were a bit down on assists?

I had problems at the start getting a rhythm. I had private problems and had to stop my studies. I think I was able to improve my shot. I worked hard with Klaus Perwas. I have to score at times at the point guard position and I think that I was able to improve there too, but I expected a better season for myself.

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

I have the ability to set and control the tempo. I also think that I have a good eye for the better positioned shooter. I can penetrate, create the open shot and my size helps with my quickness get inside.

What was the most incredible thing that you saw Larry Wright do?

He is a great ball handler that can create open shots. His cross over and ability to shoot is amazing. He often made the opponent look really old. He is a player that can score when he wants to.

What could you learn from Larry Wright?

Dribbling and shooting from the dribble.

How difficult is it combining Beko BBL and PRO B?

We didn´t really practice so much with the PRO B. usually the practices were right after the other. Sometimes I would practice twice which I felt in my bones.

What do you still have to do better in order to get healthy minutes in the Beko BBL?

My body needs to get more stable so I can hold my own against bigger players at my position. I also need to be more calm. Sometimes I get nervous and I need to be more calm.

The team is in Mallorca in a 5 day training camp. How big is the “we believe” attitude for reaching the playoffs?

We believe and have a chance for the playoffs. We aren´t talking about the playoffs, but look more game to game. The Goettingen loss was bitter, but we came back and played well at Artland. Our problem is sometimes we play well and then we don´t. We won´t give up.

What do you want to take with you from Mallorca?

It isn´t really my city, but I want to take something from the culture an don the court improve and get ready for Ulm.

Michael Thompson and Devin Gibson are rookies and young like you. What can you learn from young players like that?

Juice has really improved since Justin Gray got injured. At the start, he had some problems, but now he is a consistent player. He has calmness and can shoot very well in crunch time. Gibosn plays that American style that you don´t see in Europe. His biggest strength is that he is athletic and quick and always aggressive on offense and defense.

How did you get involved with basketball?

I had started playing soccer and wasn´t very good. A friend wanted to try a new sport which was basketball and got me to come along. We started to play on the street as a group of 10. We played so much that at night people would ask us to stop because they wanted to sleep. We would get up early and play again in the morning.

Who were your NBA idols as a kid?

Dirk Nowitzki. I never have met him, but I like how he presents himself and how professional he always is. I also liked players at my position like Steve Nash and Chris Paul. I also liked Juan Carlos Navarro. I liked how he could score despite his size especially with his floater. I also liked Lebron James.

You played two seasons for the Lti Giessen 46ers. Why did you leave there to go to Frankfurt?

I was always a stay home kind of guy and wanted to stay in Giessen, but the situation didn´t fit anymore. I was young and the BBL team wasn´t the problem. I got my first game as an 18 year old, but moreover it was the PRO B team. I didn´t get much playing time in the PRO B. The coach didn´t want to try something new, but elected to play me at shooting guard against bigger players. I wanted to go and then came the chance with Frankfurt and I took it.

What is still missing for Johannes Lischka to make the jump to the German national team?

He really has everything that he needs to be a national player, but he can´t seem to put it all together. He can shoot, rebound and penetrate, but sometimes he seems to put too much pressure on himself. He definitely can play for the German national team.

What was the most amazing thing that you saw David Teague do?

His 35 point game against Alba Berlin. It felt like he scored 40-50 points. He was unstoppable. He was hitting everything.

What were the most free throws that you made in a row in practice?

52

What was your most crazy shot in your career?

We were down 2 points and I hit a three pointer out of the pick and roll.

Who will reach the NCAA final and win it?

I think that Kentucky will win it.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

Clash of the titans.

Thanks Falko for the chat.

Donatas Zavackas is a 31 year old 203cm forward from Lithuania that recently played for EnBW Ludwigsburg. He is a hard nosed and very versatile player, with good on 1-on-1 offensive skills; excels in game without the ball, and runs the court very well; shoots well from the distance, and defense well, thanks to a strong body can play in the two forward positions. He played at Pittsburgh (NCAA) from 1998-2003 reaching the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2002 and 2003. He has played in countries like Italy, France, Spain, Lithuania and Poland. He played for Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius from 2008-2010 winning Lithuanian League Champion and the cup twice in 2009 and 2010 and also winning the Eurocup in 2010. Last season for EnBW Ludwigsburg, he played 27 games: 12.5ppg, 5.7rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 41.7%, 3PT-2(49.5%), FT-3(88.5%). He spoke to German Hoops about basketball before he left EnBW Ludwigsburg..

Is it possible to stop a Jermareo Davidson without double teaming him?

It is always possible to stop any player on any night. There will be some nights where one player is better than another. We were unable to control him in the first half, but he didn´t do much in the second half. It is always good to keep a strong player under his average.

EnBW Ludwigsburg started off well winning three of the first four games including big wins at home against Oldenburg and Bremerhaven. Then the team sustained a big losing streak. What were the reasons for this?

We have good players and a good coaching staff and we won games with a good advantage, but the games we lost were very close and winnable. We tend to lose confidence in tight situations when things aren´t going right.

Was Markus Jochum unable to reach his players at the end?

When a team wins then the players win and when a team loses then the coach loses. Last season, we started slow, but finished strong and almost reached the playoffs. It would be unfair to give him the blame for the loses. Basketball is a team sport. We played and lost the games and the coach is there to help us. It was a tough situation and management decided to make a move.

What is a strength of head coach Steven Key?

He has his own basketball philosophy. I hope that he can bring us back to a winning streak.

Why did you like playing in Ludwigsburg.

I like the weather and we don’t get too much snow. We have great fans who support us and I like the town.

You are a very good one on one player and move well without the ball. How did you learn these qualities?

I have to be thankful for all the coaches I have had in my career. My first coach in Lithuania and my coach at Pittsburgh really helped me. Basketball is always a learning process and you never stop to learn the game of basketball.

How many three point shots do you take a day in practice?

I take about 150-200 shots in the morning and another 50-60 at night.

What is the most amazing thing that you have seen Mark Dorris do on the court?

He is a very special young player and competiting is in his nature. He does so many amazing things.

At the start of the season, you were playing with Terrell Harris and now he is playing with Lebron James in the NBA. Can he stick in the NBA?

If he is in the NBA, then he surely can play at that level. Every player dreams to play in the NBA and going from Ludwigsburg to Miami is like a dream. But these things happen in the NBA. He is a special talented kid and I wish him the best.

What was your childhood like in Lithuania?

It was a normal childhood where I started to play basketball at age eight or nine. Basketball is number one in my country so it was only natural I would play basketball since we love basketball.

Who were your basketball idols?

The famous players from Lithuania.

You played at Pittsburgh from 1998-2003. Was this a difficult decision for you to make?

It wasn´t easy, because it is never easy to leave your home town and family. But my parents and I made the decision that it would be best for me to go and play basketball and get an education.

What do you remember from going to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2002 and 2003?

Just experiencing the atmosphere at March Madness is something you see once in a lifetime. The media coverage was great and the fans supported us so much. Something like 5,000-6,000 fans came to one game to support us.

You have played in countries like France, Italy, Poland, Spain and Lithuania. Where have you liked it most?

It is always best when you play at home and can play in front of family and friends.

You played together with Chevon Troutman at Pittsburgh. Do you have a funny story about him?

He was always funny and just a great kid. However, I don’t remember any story from back then.

You played together with Chuck Eidson who is playing with FC Barcelona. Why isn´t he in the NBA?

That is hard to say. He is very talented, but I am no NBA general manager. He has had injuries and maybe teams have been scared away by that.

What were the most number of free throws that you have made in a row in practice?

We usually have to take 50 free throws each practice and last week I went 50/50.

What was the most crazy shot that you made in a game?

In high school, there were a few seconds to play and I got a rebound and just threw a shot from the other three point line and it went in.

What would you like to do after your basketball career?

After playing basketball for 15-20 years, you want to stay close to basketball. Basketball has been close to my heart and I would like to stay close to basketball.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

I read a lot and the last book I read was Breaking Point from Sandra Brown.

Thanks Donatas for the chat.

Augie Johnston is a 25 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 for SC Rist Wedel and helped bring the team into the playoffs against Nordlingen.This season in the PRO B he is averaging 16,3ppg, 4,2rpg and 4,0apg in 24 games. He spoke to German Hoops after the season ended with their game three loss against Nordlingen.

A tough game three loss 94-79 against Nordlingen. How dissappointed are you that you lost in the deciding game?

I was very disappointed because we really should of taken care of business and won at home, but unfortunately we didn’t and knew that it would be a tough game in Nordlingen. This was the first time Rist Wedel was in the playoffs so to win the first round at least would of been huge.

What were the reasons for the loss? Was it the slimmer rotation, nerves or the energy against Nordlingen?

Well, it was a combination of many things. In the first half we did very well and were leading for the whole second quarter and ended it down by 1 point I think. We did a good job of getting the ball inside and we made a few outside shots as well. I have to give Nordlingen credit, because in the second half they took away our inside game, put some of our starters in foul trouble and capitalized on every mistake we made. We had too many turnovers and Nordlingen does a good job of turning those turnovers into fast break points for them.

Kay Gausa stepped it up in game three with 26 points. What will you always have in memory of his play on the court?

I will always remember his high energy play. He has a good motor, and plays very good defense. He is the best defender I have played with in Germany in my past 3 seasons and I think it will take him far in his career.

SC Rist Wedel played Nordlingen tight, but Nordlingen advanced. How do you see the chances of Nordlingen the rest of the way?

They are definitely one of the top teams in the Pro B, but are pretty small inside. They play Vechta next. There are going to have to outscore Vechta if they want to win that series, which they can if their outside shots are falling. Vechta really packs in their defense and makes you beat them from outside.

What advice did you give 16 year old Ismet Akpinar for his future?

Just to make sure he is always improving and to stay humble. He is a student of the game and takes advice very well.

What are your plans for the summer? How is your feeling about continuing your basketball career?

I will go back to California and relax until summer. Then I will work at some basketball camps and of course train and come back even better. I want to continue to play. I feel that I have some unfinished business in the ProB and want a chance to play in the playoffs again.

I am sure you visited Hamburg sometime during the season. What did you like most about this beautiful German city?

I like the famous fish market. You have to wake up pretty early to get there in time, but it is worth it.

Were you surprised that UCONN bowed out in the first round?

Yeah I was, especially at half time when they were down by 22. UCONN cut the lead down, but didn’t have a chance to win it in the end.

How much stronger are the San Antonio Spurs with Stephen Jackson?

In my opinion, I don’t think he really fits in there very well. He does well running and gunning, and I don’t think his personality fits with those guys so much, but who knows.

What sleeper teams do you see making a run at March Madness?

I think Memphis is a sleeper that can maybe make the Final Four. They are not as good as they usually are, but they can shock a few people.

Thanks Augie for the chat.

For the majority of Beko BBL teams, mid march is a time where a hand full of teams are fighting in the playoff picture where as other teams are day dreaming in the middle of the standings with no chnace for the playoffs and some players can spruce up their stats like a Corey Maggette in Charlotte or a Jarrett Jack in New Orleans while other players who are so far down in the Beko BBL cellar and sharing a long face about the misery of losing like Dustin Hoffman did with the cancellation of his show Luck can at least concentrate on the March Madness and observe which sleepers will rise and foolow the expertise of ESPN expert chair hurler Bobby Knight. However there was still one team in the Beko BBL that was focusing on winning only the fourth German international title ever with the Artland Dragons who had the chance to reach the Eurochallenge Final 4, but were sweept by Besiktas Istanbul. In the first game, the Artland Dragons lost a bitter heart breaker at home 74-73 as 544 time NBA player Carlos Arroyo dashed the hopes of the Dragons with a game winning shot and in the return game in Turkey, tradional team Besiktas kept their home court advantage by out grinding the Dragons 77.63. Ex NBA player Pops Mensah Bonsu dominated the series with 47 points and 27 rebounds as he was unstopable including a 25 point 17 rebound effort in the last game.It doesn´t get any more extreme as the Artland Dragons go from a population in Istanbuhl of 13, 256,000 Ottoman architecture, Muslin religion, soothing Turkish baths and Lahmacun food back home to Quackenburck that has a population of 12,881, 3,1km Froschpfad to observe the historic sites, nonstop beauty of barren fields, yummy Buchweizenpfannkuchen and the Artland arena to resume Beko Bbl basketball against the Fraport Skyliners March 20 in a span of 120 hours. With the excitement of the last week of seeing the door to the west, the Artland Dragons have to come back to Beko BBL reality. “ I am sure playing in Europe, it is an extreme that these players see often. Its just going from one extreme to the other and it depends on ones personality if they like a small town or big town. I prefer a small town myself. Some people love the big city. I am sure some players wanted to stay and some were ready to go”, stressed Oklahoma native Jacob Burtschi.

After winning their first BEKO BBL title with the cup in 2008 against EnBW Luwdigsburg in Hamburg, it seemed like the Artland Dragons were on a positive way with possible future hardware, but instead the club might secretly have been dreaming of the glory day in Hamburg where Darius Hall was in the middle of a swarm of Artland fans celebrating the win, because ever since that big title, the team has been looking for another success and missed the playoffs two seasons in a row. The Artland Dragons have been about as unlucky not reaching the playoffs the two seasons as a Formula one driver is racing the race of their life and then dropping out because the engine dies in the last lap as German Sebastian Vettel recently had to accept or poor cute lovable polar bear Knut who is being shunned by three female bears including his mother who can´t remember he is her kid. In 2009, they had to win the last game and did crushing Frankfurt 90-69, but not reaching the playoffs because Paderborn won on the last day against BG Goettingen and in 2010, they made a last comeback winning the last four games, but losing their last game 82-80 to the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven a game they had to win missing the playoffs again. “I think that in 2010, Artland was lacking a guard who could control the team until the end. Ross was more of a scoring guard and Price could of done job, but he came to late in season to turn it around. The chemistry was lacking too and it seemed like players had their own agenda”, stressed Quentin Pryor.

Last season, The Artland Dragons finally reached the Beko BBL playoffs again after a two year drought where they should of made it finishing the season with a record of 23-11 and landing in fourth place. They went the distance in the Beko BBL playoffs in the quarters beating a feisty Braunschweig team where they had to come from 2-1 down to win and in the semi finals gave a very hard fight against 4 time Beko BBL champion Brose Baskets Bamberg bowing out 83-55 in game five. During the season, they had three three game winning streaks and one five game winning streak. They finished the season strong heading in to the Beko BBL playoffs winning eight of their last 10 games. They were unable to beat Bamberg in the regular season, but lost twice only by a combined score of 8 points. They were able to beat Alba Berlin once, the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven and BG Goettingen. One thing that The Artland Dragons improved on was not getting lost on defense. we didn’t lose our defensive focus when we weren’t scoring on the offensive end. Earlier in the year, when we would miss shots, our defensive intensity would go down. Later we are able to move on to the next play, without thinking about our past mistakes”, stressed Artland Dragon guard Bryan Bailey. “Last season Their strength was their speed and ability to score at a high pace. If you allowed them to play this then they can score 80 points plus. A hidden strength is that they were a very confident team and feel and play as if they were the best team in the league”, warned Kyle Hines. “Another strength of the team was their depth, they were deep at each position and continued to get better. The weakness if there had to be one is just being consistent but they were doing that late in season”, said John Bynum.

After the strong season last year, The Artland Dragons would be crazy not to want to equal or better their accomplishment from last season. The team got rid of eight players including Tyrese Rice who fled to top team Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius. However the club was able to keep a core of six players from last season with top center Darren Fenn who seems to get better with age, sharp shooter Adam Hess who has found a second home in Quackenbruck, versatile forward Nathan Peavy, the heart and sould of the team and defense Bryan Bailey , German veteran Johannes Strasser who can always hurt an opponent with his timely scoring and the glue who keeps the team together from the bench Florian Hartenstein. The team brought in David Holston who had two strong seasons in Turkey and quickly has made the name Tyrese Rice forgotten. The team also got Anthony Hilliard who had a strong season in Belgium and is a strong rebounder for his height, mr muscle Anthony King who has developed fine in Cyprus the last years and is ready to make the next step and make an impact in the Beko BBL, German veteran Guido Grunheid who has won 7 German titles and German Christian Hoffmann. Recently the club brought in insurance at the guard position with high scoring Brandon Thomas. This season, the Artland Dragons started the season slowly losing two of their first three games including a shocking 110-109 loss in Giessen. However since that less than satisfactory start, the Dragons have cruised in sixth gear winning eight of their next10 games. Their biggest wins of the season have been against FC Bayern Munich where David Holston won the game in overtime hitting four three pointers and recently outdueling the EWE Baskets Oldenburg and putting the Dragons as the most closest opponent to Bamberg and Alba Berlin. “ Artland has been able to put up a lot of points on several occasions, and they have several players averaging double digit points, so they’re offensively very dangerous. It’s very much like Bamberg’s attack, leading the league statistically but they can all get the job done. They are playing very well as a team. Artland has a lot of weapons, I think their X-Factor is Peavy, he can post you up and draw fouls to get to the line, and shoot from outside.”, added ex Tuebingen player Velimir Radinovic. A strength for years with the Dragons has been their depth and that continues to be true, but a weakness is that they can tend to give up more points than what Stefan Koch may like, injuries has hurt the team in the first months as they have never had a full squad to practice and have been delayed in forming that top chemistry as guys have gotten injured and new guys have come in with Jeretin and Thomas who needed to be integrated and the club surprisingly lost the maker of the success of the team manager Marko Beens who left to become the CEO of the German Volleyball league. With the Beko BBL getting stronger each season, is it possible for an Artland to disrupt the triple title threat of Bamberg? “I’m not sure if Artland can win it all but I think they’re definitely a threat. The league is wide open, I don’t see Bamberg dominating like the past years but you can never count them out”, stressed Velimir Radinovic. Since the win against the Fraport Skyliners in late December 2011, the team has been solid with a 7-4 including a five game winning streak were they dismantled Oldenburg and Wurzburg. However since the winning streak, Artland has lost three of their last four games including to Berlin, Ulm and Munich. The team had double duty with Eurochallenge play and might have been feeling it in their bones, but should be able to step it up in the last 5 weeks as they didn´t reach the Final 4 losing to Besiktas Istanbul and can concentrate now on the Beko BBL schedule.

The Frankfurt Skyliners have had unfond memories to playing The Artland Dragons having a 7-9 record since 2005 and during 2005-2007 losing all four games including being outscored in the Artland arena 172-129. However, the tide turned for the better from 2007-2009 as The Deutsche Bank Skyliners had a 3-1 record. Three years ago, they celebrated a very big emotional win 87-75 winning in overtime as captain Pascal Roller sparked Frankfurt to the win with 26 points. two seasons ago on the last day, Frankfurt lacked spirit and were beaten in every phase of the game losing 90-69. Last season, the team lost a thriller 77-76 in Artland as Frankfurt staged one of their famous comebacks despite a late Pascal Roller three pointer, it was enough as they lost. Frankfurt was able to win at home 77-65 as Pascal Roller scored 20 points. However Frankfurt is 3-4 in Quackenbruck since 2005. Frankfurt won their first show down last season on the road winning 82-56 coming out of half time with a 24-8 run to easily win. Frankfurt was led by AJ Moye with 18 points and six rebounds and fans will remember a crashing dunk by ex NBA player Roger Powell. Frankfurt also won their home encounter 83-72 as Dashaun Wood had a Derrick Rose type of game making 29 points, 9 assists, five rebounds and four steals. The team lost a meaningless cup game in Bamberg against Artland where both teams played for third place and Frankfurt was without Dashaun Wood. In the first meeting this season, bot teams stepped aside from playing offense and battled it out in the trenches as Artland prevailed 49-44. Both teams shot poorly and one still had to tip ones hat to the Fraport Skyliners who played their second game in a row with a six man rotation. Jermareo Davidson led Frankfurt with 19 points, 13 rebounds and two assists.

The Fraport Skyliners want to rebound from their bitter 62-61 loss against 18^th placed BG Goettingen and steal a win in the always loud and uncomfortable Artland arena. The Fraport Skyliners have been defending very well as of late letting up only an average of 61 points in the last four games and will need to continue to play at a very high level of intensity on the defensive end and hope for an off day on defense from the Artland Dragons. “The Skyliners have to go out and play up to their potential. They’ve had some disappointments this season, but if they can get out and run, and get their mobile bigs some easy buckets on Pick&Roll and keep Artland guessing on defense they’ve got a shot to win”, added Velimir Radinovic.T”hey are one of the top teams and deserve to be there. We have to continue to stay strong on defense. On offense, we have to let the ball move and create good shots”, warned Marius Nolte. Mckinney had his usual demenour after the game and is already focusing on the Dragons. “We have to execute on offense and defense and not let them get easy baskets and get out on transition”, warned Jimmy Mckinney. Jacob Burtschi remembers many Artland Dragon players from last season and has erased the 35 minutes of good play from his memory bank. “We have to play excellent for 40 minutes, because they have sound roster from point guard to center. They have no real flaws. We have to leave it on the floor and give all we have”, warned Jacob Burtschi.

The Artland Dragons are led by David Holston who is a 25 year old 167cm point guard from Pontiac, Michigan. He is playing his first season in the Beko BBL and he played at Chicago St. (NCAA) from 2005-2009 and in his senior year played 32 games: 25.9ppg, 3.7rpg, 6.4apg, 3.0spg, FGP: 42.6%, 3Pts: 37.2%, FT: 82.4%. He played his first two professional basketball seasons with Pinar Karsiyaka SK Izmir (TBL): Turkish League: 32 games: 14.8ppg, 2.6rpg, Assists-2(6.0apg), Steals-2(2.2spg), FGP: 50.3%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT-2(92.5%); EuroChallenge: 16 games: 14.1ppg, 2.6rpg, 4.2apg, Steals-5(2.1spg), FGP: 41.4%, 3PT: 35.2%, FT: 84.8%. He is a two time Turkish Allstar. The Artland Dragons recently brought in Brandon Thomas for a one month contract to help fill the void at the guard position. He is a 26 year old 198 cm shooting guard/small forward who started in 2009-2010 with MEG Goettingen, but left, because he was supposed to play a position that he was not used to playing. Even though, he only played sparingly at UMASS in his senior year averaging 4,0ppg and 1,1rpg in the 2006-2007 season, he came to Europe in 2007 and exploded in the leagues in Norway and Austria. In Norway, he led the league in scoring with Fog Naestved averaging 24,5ppg, 4,6rpg, 3,2apf, 2,0spg and 1,0bpg. He was the Danish player of the year in 2008 and was MVP of the 2008 Allstar game. In 2008-2009, in Austria, he played for Kraftwerk Wels averaging 20,2ppg, 3,2rpg, 2,5apg. He has a great basketball IQ, can defend anyone and likes to finish around the rim. In 2009-2010 for Braunschweig, he played 40 games: 10.6ppg, 2.7rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 57.4%, 3PT: 34.8%, FT: 74.6%. Last season for the Phantoms he played : 37 games: 14.3ppg, 4.6rpg, 2.0apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 60.5%, 3PT: 41.2%, FT: 78.7%. This season he played in Italy for Vanoli-Braga Cremona averaging 4,1ppg and 2,7rpg.

American Nathan Peavy is a 26 year old 201 cm forward from Dayton, Ohio that is playing his fifth season in Germany and third with the Artland Dragons. He comes from a sports family as his . father, Terry, played basketball at the University of Pittsburgh and was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1979 and mother, Nila, was a swimmer for the University of Pittsburgh, a native of Puerto Rico, Nila was a member of the Puerto Rican national team and swam in the Pan-American Games. Peavy also has the Puerto Rico citizenship. Last season for the Dragons, he played 33 games: 10.8ppg, 5.2rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 51.4%, 3PT: 38.1%, FT: 72.2% .“He can move very well and is very athletic. He is very versatile and can hurt a team inside and out”, stated Giessen center Jannik Freese. He played at the University of Miami at Ohio and played for Paderborn from 2007-2009. Last summer, he played for Vaqueros de Bayamon (Puerto Rico-BSN, starting five): 7 games: 13.7ppg, 4.7rpg, 1.6apg, 1.9bpg, FGP: 57.1%, 3PT: 37.5%, FT: 81.1%. He played at the World Championships in Turkey 1or Puerto Rico in 2010 playing 5 games: 9.6ppg, 3.0rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 41.7%, 3PT: 57.1%, FT: 66.7%. Darren Fenn who is a 208 cm center from Tonawanda New York who is averaging 13,1ppg, 6,7rpg and 1,7apg and is playing his sixth season in Germany after having also played in Bremerhaven and Bamberg. “He is also very versatile. He can score from outside, but also can post up and he is very strong”, stressed Jannik Freese. Darren Fenn is a 31 year old 208 cm center from Tonawanda New York who is playing his seventh season in Germany and fourth in Quackenbruck after having also played in Bremerhaven and Bamberg. “He is also very versatile. He can score from outside, but also can post up and he is very strong”, stressed Jannik Freese. Fenn was one of the most dominating players in the German BEKO BBL over the last five seasons. He was the 7th most efficient player in German BBL for the 2009/10 season. He finished the 2008/09 EUROCUP season as the 6th best scorer with 15,8 ppg. He is an unstoppable inside player with a lot of skills and post up moves and is a high percentage 3-pt. shooter with range. His two seasons playing in Bamberg under Coach Bauermann, he improved his defensive and rebounding skills. He is a all-rounder who can post up, hit the jump hook, take the midrange jump shot, fill the lane on the fast break, score on a put back after the offensive rebound, or hit the 3-point shot. He can defend both inside positions, plays always with great intensity and has great quickness for his size and a strong lower body. Last season, Fenn played 38 games: 11.8ppg, 5.9rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 56.0%, 3PT: 41.0%, FT: 70.6%.

Anthony King is a 26 year old 206cmpower forward/center from Durham, North Carolina. He is back in the Beko BBL after playing in Cyprus and Greece the last two years. He gives the team an additional scoring threat in the post as well as rebounding, is a physical performer who doesn’t mind mixing it up down low and gives the team added toughness in the paint. He played at Miami, FL (NCAA) from 2003-2008 playing 34 games in his senior year averaging 7.1ppg, 7.0rpg, 1.3apg, 1.4bpg, FGP: 43.1%, FT: 68.9%. He played for the Deutsche Bank Skyliners in his rookie season. In 2009-2010, he played for InterCollege Etha Engomis (Cyprus-Division A, starting five): Score-5(236 pts), Reb-1(148 rbs), Blocks-2(24 blocks). Last season, he remained with InterCollege Etha Engomis (Cyprus-Division A, starting five): Cypriot League: EuroChallenge: 8 games: 17.0ppg, 8.4rpg, 1.1apg, Blocks-1(2.0bpg), FGP: 53.6%, FT: 76.2%; Cyprus League: 16 games: 14.3ppg, Reb-2(10.0rpg), 1.1apg, 1.3spg, Blocks-2(1.8bpg), FGP: 54.1%, 3PT-3(50.0%), FT: 76.8%; Playoffs: 10 games: 14.2ppg, 10.4rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 51.4%, FT:80%, after winning the championship moved in Apr.’11 to Aris Thessaloniki (Greece-A1, starting five): 9 games: 8.1ppg, 5.8rpg, FGP: 50.8%, FT: 57.9%. He was won the double in Cyprus with InterCollege Etha Engomis. The team also added Anthony Hilliard who is a 25 year old 193cm shooting guard/small forward from Fayetteville, North Carolina. In his last three seasons in the NCAA2, he averaged 11,0rpg. He played at Elizabeth City (NCAA2) from 2005-2009 and in his senior year played 28 games: 22.9ppg, 11.0rpg, 2.5apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 47.4%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 68.6%. In 2009-2010, he played for VOO Verviers-Pepinster (Belgium-D1): 32 games: 13.1ppg, 6.4rpg, 1.3apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 46.4%, 3PT: 42.3%, FT: 73.0%. Last season, he played for Generali Okapi Aalstar (Belgium-D1, starting five): EuroChallenge Qualifying Round: 2 games: 11.5ppg, 7.5rpg, 1.5apg, 2.0spg; Belgian League: 38 games: 14.2ppg, Reb-4(7.3rpg), 1.9apg, FGP: 53.5%, 3PT: 28.0%, FT: 62.5%.

Adam Hess started his third tour of duty for the Artland Dragons last season and is back for another season. The trend the last years has always shown that Hess can´t stay away for more than two years as He played the first time with the Dragons in 2006 and the second time in 2008. Hess is a 29 year old 201cm forward from Michigan. He is a quick forward with not so great athletic skills, but very effective at the scoring department. He’s a tough player, however, and knows how to battle inside for a rebound and he defends well and has a great attitude. He played at William & Mary and also has gained experience playing in Italy, Czech Republic, France and Spain. In the Czech republic he won the league title twice with Nymburk and the Czech Rep. League All-Star Game -05 (3-Points Shootount Winner) in 2006. In 20092010, he played for C.B. Tarragona 2016 (Spain-LEB Gold, starting five): 34 games: 14.8ppg, 5.6rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 45.4%, 3PT: 40.7%, FT: 88.1%. He had much success in the Czech Republic winning the league title in 2005 and 2006 and showing his shooting ability winning the 2005 Allstar game three point shooting contest. Last season, Hess played 44 games: 8.6ppg, 4.3rpg, FGP: 50.9%, 3PT: 43.1%, FT: 76.3%. 29 year old 190cm combo guard Johannes Strasser is playing his second season with The Artland Dragons. He is a very strong point guard that can hit the open three pointer at any time, penetrate and finish or find the open guy and is a pest on defense. He started his basketball career at Rhondorf in 1999. He had a very successful time with Rhein Energy Cologne from 2001-2007 winning the 2006 BBL league title and three cup titles in 2004,2005 and 2007. He played with the Telekom Baskets Bonn from 2007-2010 reaching the BEKO BBL title twice. His job is to come from the bench and help out at the point or hurt opponents with his deadly three pointer. Last season, he played 40 games: 6.4ppg, 1.5rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 39.4%, FT: 87.2%.

Guido Gruinheid is a 29 year old 209cm forward from Jena that is playing his first season for the Artland Dragons. He is an in-betweener forward with the height (but not the size) of a 4 and the quickness (but not the ball handling and the shot) of a 3. A good rebounder and a hustler. He played for Alba Berlin from 2001-2005 winning three BEKO BBL titles and two cup titles. He then moved to Rhein Energie Koln in 2005 where he won his fourth BEKO BBL title in 2006 and another cup in 2007. He got added experience playing in Holland for Hanzevast Capitals Groningen . He also has gained valuable experience playing for the German national team as he was a member playing at the 2006 World Championships in Japan and at the 2007 European Championships in Spain. Last season for MBC, he played 33 games: 7.3ppg, 4.4rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 58.9%, 3PT: 23.0%, FT: 44.7%. Bryan Bailey is a 31 year old 185cm guard who comes from New York and played in Quackenbruck from 2004-2007 and is back for his fifth season.He is a team leader both on and off the court. He Possesses a diverse game, with an ability to stroke the long-range jumper, penetrate to the rim or distribute the ball and is solid on the defensive end of the floor as well. He is a fierce competitive drive rubs off on his teammates. Bailey played at Bucknell and has gained experience having played in Holland and Poland. He reached the playoffs three times with Artland form 2004-2007 and the cup final in 2007. Last season, the American played 41 games averaging 11.5ppg, 2.4rpg, 3.2apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 52.2%, 3PT: 34.9%, FT: 77.2%.

Florian Hartenstein is a 34 year old 206cm center that was born in Mainz, Germany and played at the University of Oregon before turning professional and playing at Giessen from 2001-2009 playing 227 games. He is starting his 11th professional season in Germany and third with the Artland Dragons. He is a competitor and tough defender and an important player for the team not only on the court but also off the court keeping the team together. He runs the floor very well and likes contact underneath the basket and has a unique shooting technique. Last season, he played 17 games: 1.6ppg, 1.1rpg. “My man Flo is a good defender, is tough and is an important part of the team”, stressed ex teammate Jannik Freese.5ppg, 2.4rpg, 3.2apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 52.2%, 3PT: 34.9%, FT: 77.2%. The team recently signed Goran Jertin who is a 32 year old 192cm guard from Montenegro. He plays a physical game; defends hard, looks for the contact when he’s at the offensive side; knows a lot of ways to score; the fans love him, the opponents not so much. He played for : KK Crvena Zvezda Beograd from 2003-2006. In 2006-2007, he played for Dynamo St.Petersburg (Russia-A Superleague): the team went bankrupt in Oct.’06, then signed at BC Buducnost Podgorica (Montenegro-1A, starting five): Adriatic League: 18.1 ppg, 2 rpg, 3.9 apg, 1.6 spg., in Jan.’07 moved to Maccabi Elite Tel-Aviv (Israel-Premier League): Israeli League: 17 games: 5.0ppg, 2.1apg; Euroleague: 10 games: 5.5ppg, 1.5rpg, 1.0apg, 2FGP: 56.3%, 3FGP: 31.8%, FT: 80%. In 2007-2008, he signed with ALBA Berlin (Germany-1.Bundesliga): ACL injury before the season and never played. In 2008-2009, he played for BC Kyiv (Ukraine-Superleague): Ukrainian League: 19 games: 6.2ppg, 1.6rpg, 1.9apg, FGP: 66.7%, 3PT: 36.8%, FT: 78.3%; EuroChallenge: 8 games: 6.4ppg, 2.1rpg, 1.8apg, 1.0spg; Eurocup Qualifications: 2 games: 6.0ppg, 1.0rpg, 2.0apg, left in Feb.09, then moved to Proteas EKA AEL Limassol (Cyprus-Division A), EuroChallenge: 4 games: 5.3ppg, 2.3rpg, 2.5apg; played only in EuroChallenge, not in Cypriot League. In 2009-2010, he played for BC Buducnost Podgorica (1A): Adriatic League: 25 games: 11.2ppg, 1.9rpg, 3.3apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 51.0%, 3PT: 35.9%, FT: 84.3%; EuroChallenge: 11 games: 12.2ppg, 2.5rpg, 2.9apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 45.5%, 3PT: 31.5%, FT: 81.1%, in Mar.’10 moved to Turk Telekom Ankara (Turkey-TBL, starting five): 8 games: 7.5ppg, 2.3rpg, 3.4apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 55.0%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 80.0%. Last season, he played for : Lokomotiv Kuban (Russia-PBL): EuroChallenge: 15 games: 4.0ppg, 2.3rpg, 2.8apg, 1.0spg; Russian League: 35 games: 6.1ppg, 1.5rpg, 2.8apg, FGP: 41.3%, 3PT: 38.6%, FT: 82.1%. This season, he started with Lietuvos rytas Vilnius (Lithuania-LKL): Euroleague Qualifying Round: 3 games: 5.3ppg, 1.3apg, FGP: 55.6%, 3PT: 25.0%, left in Oct.’11, in Nov.’11 moved to Artland Dragons Quakenbrueck. He has won four titles in his career and played at the European Championships in Lithuania -11: 5 games: 10.4ppg, 2.6rpg, 3.6apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 42.9%, 3PT: 35.3%, FT: 84.2%. The Artland Dragons host the Fraport Skyliners on March 20^th at 19:30.

Dashaun Wood is a 26 year old 185cm point guard from Detroit, Michigan that is playing his second season in Germany and first for Alba Berlin. He is a young point guard with natural leadership abilities, who directs teammates on the floor and takes the ball in clutch moments. Loves to go inside to score, challenging the big guys, but has also shooting range from behind the 3pts arch. Despite lack of size, he can be effective even at the defensive side. He played at Wright state from 2003-2007. In his senior year, he played 33 games averaging 19.6ppg, 5.1rpg, 4.0apg, 1.9spg, FGP: 43.5%, 3Pts: 37.3%, FT: 88.3%. In 2007-2008, he played his rookie season for Tisettanta Cantu (Italy-SerieA, starting five): 38 games: Score-5(16.9ppg), 3.0rpg, Assists-4(3.3apg), 2.7spg, 2FGP:52.1%, 3PT-2(42.8%), FT:77.4%. In 2008-2009, he played for : Benetton Treviso (Italy-SerieA), injured in Oct.’08 and was off for 2 months: Eurocup: 12 games: 5.3ppg, 2.0rpg, 3.3apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 40.0%, 3PT: 25.0%, FT: 87.5%; Italian League: 17 games: 7.2ppg, 2.9rpg, 3.2apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 43.1%, 3PT: 35.6%, FT: 70.4%. Last season, he was the Beko BBL MVP with The Deutsche Bank Skyliners playing EuroCup Qualifying Round: 2 games: 13.5ppg, 2.5rpg, 5.0apg; EuroChallenge: 6 games: 16.3ppg, 3.8rpg, 5.2apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 46.9%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 73.7%; German League: 42 games: Score-1(19.0ppg), 4.6rpg, Assists-2(5.9apg), 1.2spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 33.2%, FT: 80.3%. He spoke to German Hoops after the 80-69 in Oldenburg.

Congrats on the 80-69 win in Oldenburg. Alba Berlin was leading 41-36 at halftime. What did coach Gordon Herbert tell the team to do better in the second half?

He told us to improve our defensive rebounding. They got some easy offensive rebounds and easy baskets. He was just tired of seeing the easy lay ups and you can´t give a team like Oldenburg the chance to get easy buckets, because it raises their confidence and gets their crowd going.

In the third quarter, Oldenburg started well had the five point lead, but Alba Berlin fought back to be only down 56-55 thanks to a Marko Simonovic three pointer. What did the EWE Baskets Oldenburg do better in the third quarter?

Oldenburg came out very aggressive and hit some three pointers. Rickey Paulding really stepped it up as did Kenny Hasbrouck. They hit tough shots which got their confidence going, but a game takes 40 minutes and no game is ever decided in one quarter.

Oldenburg got it going in the fourth quarter and led 65-58, but Alba Berlin closed out the game with a 22-4 run. Oldenburg seemed lifeless in the last 5-6 minutes. What happened in the fourth quarter?

You have to give a lot of credit to our defense. We took away their easy baskets, limited them to one shot and we rebounded better. When we get our defense set and get our offense going, then we are very hard to beat. The last 5-6 minutes was the real Alba Berlin basketball.

This was another game where scoring took a back seat and you found the open guys all night long. Was this another typical night where you took what the defense gave you?

Yes it was. If you look at my stats, people will say again that he didn´t score much, but if you look at the last 6-7 minutes, I made all the right plays. I found Bryce Taylor for two open three pointers, found Kyle Weaver and Derrick Allen also. If the opponent wants to try to take the ball from my hands, well then we have enough good players that will do the scoring.

It seemed like the run in that Bryce Taylor had with Jason Boone wasn´t so bad after all. Did Alba Berlin fly in some kind of super special medical healer?

Bryce Taylor is a tough guy and one of the toughest on our team. He can score 20 points, but at the same time he does the dirty work on the team. His toughness is really at another level. I knew that nothing would hold him back. We are making a run for second place and these are all important games.

Alba Berlin is riding on a 9 game winning streak. Bamberg and Ulm are still ahead of you. Can Alba Berlin pick up their game even more now?

Yes I feel that we can pick up our game more. We are just beginning to oil up the Alba Berlin machine. We are continuing to work hard and getting ready for the playoffs. We are consistent, bring a lot of intensity and have energy which any teams needs when going into the Beko BBL playoffs.

The leading scorers in the Beko BBL are Bobby Brown, David Holston and Dashaun Wood. An Isiah Swann is quietly leading his team. Will one of these 4 players become 2012 Beko BBL MVP?

I think one of these 4 guys will win it. All four guys are leading their team and making sure their teams are winning and playing consistent night in and night out. I think that it will come down to the voters who think which guy helps their team the most.

Was Friday March 16^th, 2012 the biggest Doomsday in the history of March madness as Duke, Michigan and Missouri all lost?

I don´t think that that was the biggest doomsday. The biggest doomsday or surprise was that Butler was an NCAA finalist 2 years in a row. A small mid major team doing that again probably won´t happen. That Butler did that, is the craziest thing that ever happened. I am in first place in my NCAA pool with the Alba Berlin and Skyliner players.

Do you see anymore sleepers making upsets?

I have won every game in my NCAA pool. I don´t see anymore upsets happening.

Alba Berlin head coach Gordon Herbert told me that he thinks that Quantez Robertson could beat you in a 100 meter race. Do you support that?

I don´t know. I think that the reason coach said that was because Tez beat me to a loose ball in the game in Berlin recently. If I would have got the loose ball, then I think that he would have picked me to win a 100 meter race.

The Fraport Skyliners play the Artland Dragons Tuesday. Will Frankfurt make an upset there?

They had two tough loses last week. They want to get back on a winning streak heading into the playoffs and bring that energy and hustle that they have been showing. I see them getting back to that level and giving the Artland Dragons a tough game.

Thanks Dashaun for the chat.

Gordon Herbert is currently in his first season as head coach for 8 time Beko BBL champion Alba Berlin. He played at Idaho State and played professional basketball from 1982-1994. He started his coaching career in 1996 and has coached for teams like Tapiolan Honka (Finland)Oberwart (Austria), DJK S. Oliver Wurzburg (Germany), Frankfurt Skyliners (Germany), Paris Basket Racing (France-ProA), Elan Bearnais Pau-Orthez (France-ProA), Aris Thessaloniki (Greece-A1), Honka Espoo Playboys (Finland-Korisliiga) and was ana ssistant for the Toronto Raptors in 2008-2009. He also coached the Georgian National Team in 2005-2006. He won the German title in 2004 with the Opel Skyliners, French cup in 2007 and Finish cups in 2009 and 2010. He spoke to German Hoops about basketball.

Congrats to the 76-70 win against the Fraport Skyliners. How many nerves did this win cost you?

It was a pretty intense game like any other, but Frankfurt played well. I felt that Frankfurt controlled the tempo in the first, third and fourth quarters. Iam glad we got the win at the end.

Did Derrick Allen, Dashaun Wood and Gordon Herbert want the win a bit more than Quantez Robertson, Jimmy Mckinney and Marius Nolte?

It is always most difficult playing against an ex team or players in that first year. I would be lying if I said this wasn´t a special game. It was nice seeing guys like Klaus Perwas and Kamil Novak.

After Alba Berlin beat Frankfurt on the road, many wanted the head of Muli Katzurin. How sure were you that he would find a way to get his team going?

I never really thought about it. I always focus first on my team. I always hope or the ebst of any coach. I know how much pressure there is for a coach.

How much pressure is there to win the title in June?

It was disappointing losing to Braunschweig and not getting to the Top 4. The two favorites before the season were Bamberg and Munich. Of course we want to get back to the final. But now we have to focus on getting better.

Before the season, it was clear that Dashaun wood would not have to do as much scoring as in Frankfurt and could focus more on defense. However in the last weeks, he has been scoring much including 30 points against Artland. Is Alba Berlin a little to dependent on him than you would like?

In some games, we are dependent on him and in other games on other guys. Back in November/December, we had 2-3 guys that could step up on any given night. We were playing very well then and that was our strength. We have to focus on getting back to that if we want to be good.

You said in a Five interview that a good team needs its race horses and fighting pigs to be successful. How well would a Jacob Burtschi fit to be a fighting pig on your team?

I like him a lot. He has been a big reason why Frankfurt has turned the corne rin the last 10-14 games. He is like a point forward. He moves the ball well, can pass and shoot. He is a nice fit in their puzzle. He has a good chance to become a good European player. He reminds me of Marko Simonovic.

Alba Berlin has many talented players. How difficult is it getting the best out of good players?

To be successful, all players have to play defense, rebound and execute in the half court and going where it hurts. You need a good mix out of race horses and pigs. All have to do the dirty work, but that hasn´´t happened in the last months. This has to happen again if we want to compete.

Alba Berlin has developed many good young players, but most go elsewhere for their break through like Philipp Zwiener has with TBB Trier. Could young German Joey Ney become a good role player in your system?

He could become a good role player. He is a tough kid that goes where it hurts. The problem here is that there is a lot of pressure to have success and we can´´t get every guy into our rotation. Those that don´t go to smaller programes. Heiko Schaffartzik started here, left and came back. Guys leave to get experience and get minutes.

How is the development of Lucca Staiger coming along? He is known as a shooter, but penetrated nicely to the hoop twice against Frankfurt.

We had big plans with him at the start of the season. He started games, but got off to a tough start and dropped out of the rotation. We play only 9 guys and he was our 10^th player. He got out of condition, but he is working hard at getting fit again. He is still in our plans and we are sure that he will help us.

How much of this ice hockey mentality has Alba Berlin gotten this season that you would like the team to have? It must of paid off in the close wins against Bremerhaven and Frankfurt?

We didn´t play too well in both games, but it was good that the team found a way to win. It would be nice if the team had that toughness of a canadian hockey team, but they are more like a European team with their finesse. I don´t think that they will never be like a Canadian hockey team.

What does Frankfurt have that Berlin doesn´t have and vice versa?

Both are great organizations. I have a lot of respect for Gunnar Wobke in how he has developed the program in Frankfurt the last 14-15 years. The only difference is the arena. Both clubs have the best training facilities as well.

You have coached in many places in the basketball world. Where would you rank Frankfurt?

Frankfurt is one of the best organizations that I have been at. I came back for a second time and I had back problems and they treated me super. Then I left and had an opportunity with Alba Berlin. I really wanted to stay longer in Frankfurt. I really liked my time in Frankfurt. On top of that, I love Germany. I respect the culture and professionalism very much.

How big was the success with Canada getting a fourth place at the 1984 Olympics?

It looks good now with how Canada has developed with basketball. We were very disappointed that we lost a heart breaker to Spain and then had to play USA in the semi finals and not get a medal. It was a great experience that I wouldn´t trade for anything.

What play do you remember from the game against USA at the 1984 Olympics?

I remember Michael Jordan hitting a long jumper and USA coach Bobby Knight yelling at him. Jordan then dunked over me after I had hit a jumper over him.

Both your sons are Finish junior national players. What tips can you give him?

I had coached their junior team sin the past. I tell them that they can develop only about 35% with the team and the rest is doing individual work. That is where a player develops most. In the winter, you develop with the team and in the summer is where you have to work on your game yourself. Basketball is a great game. All you need is a basket and ball.

What are your early 2012 NCAA Final 4 picks?

I have no idea. I have lost track, because I don´t have the channel. I watch CNN and BBC.

A few years ago Derrick Allen ran a 10,7 in the 100 meters. Could Quantez Robertson break that mark?

Yes I think that he can. Tez is one of the fastest players in Europe. He has the potential to become a Euroleague player if he works on his ball handling and shot and gets better habits. He has unbelievable potential.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

21.

Thanks coach for the chat.