Author: Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

Basketball journalist and play by play commentator

Roger Powell(Deutsche Bank Skyliners): It Isn´t Important Who Gets The Credit, But That We Win!

Roger Powell is a 28 year old 198cm forward from Joliet, Illinois that is playing his first season for The Deutsche Bank Skyliners. He played at Illinois (NCAA) from 2001-2005. In his senior year, he played  39 games: 12.0ppg, 5.7rpg, FGPConf-8(54.9%), 3PT: 38.5%, FT: 72.9%: Finished career ranked fifth in Illinois history in career field goal percentage (.572) and ranked 26th all-time in scoring (1,178 points). In 2005-2006, he played for the Rockford Lightning (CBA, starting five): 48 games: 21.1ppg, 6.7rpg, 1.5apg, FG: 57%, 3PT: 37.3%, FT: 73.5%. In 2006-2007, he started with the Utah Jazz (NBA), Regular Season: 3 games: 0.7ppg; left in Jan.’07, then joined Arkansas RimRockers (D-League): 28 games: 22.3ppg, 6.5rpg, 2.0apg, FGP: 52.4%, 3PT: 32.4%, FT: 77%. In 2007-2008, he played for Wear Teramo (Italy-SerieA, starting five): 33 games: 13.2ppg, 4.4rpg, 1.0spg, 2FGP:55.8%, 3PT:31.3%, FT:73.1%. In 2008-2009, he played for the Chicago Bulls (NBA): only pre-season, in Nov.’08 moved to Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem (Israel-Premier League): EuroChallenge: 5 games: 8.6ppg, 4.6rpg; Israeli League: 25 games: 8.6ppg, 3.6rpg, FGP: 67.3%, 3PT: 31.1%, FT: 62.5%. Last season, he played for C.B. Murcia (Spain-ACB), Spanish League: 15 games: 8.3ppg, 3.4rpg, FGP: 44.6%, 3PT: 38.7%, FT: 71.9%; in Feb.’10 moved to JDA Dijon Bourgogne (France-ProA, starting five): 2 games: 14.0ppg, 4.0rpg, injured the same month. Recently he was cut by the Chicago Bulls and joined The Deutsche Bank Skyliners. He spoke to German Hoops about the BG Goettingen series and the future.

Thanks for taking some time. You were the only Skyliner I could reach tonight on their off day.

I am a nice guy and very reachable.

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Marcus Goree (New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig): You Could Look Into Our Eyes And Know That We Would Win The 2008 Euroleague Final

Marcus Goree is a 33 year old 201cm power forward from Dallas, Texas playing his second season for The New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig. He is a typical European league power forward that is very effective in the low post game. He runs very well on the court, can defend well and even press on the perimeter. He has great instincts for the game, and is also a good rebounder and shot blocker. He played at West Virginia from 1996-2000. In 2000-2001, he played for Havre (France-ProA, starting five): 18.6ppg, Reb-5(9.1), 2.1apg. In 2001-2002, he played for the Opel Skyliners (Germany-1.Bundesliga, starting five): 32 games: 19.5ppg, 9.3rpg, 1.6apg, 1.3bpg, 1.0spg. In 2002-2003, he played for Tel-Aviv (Israel-Premier League, starting five): Adriatic League: 23 games: 13.0ppg, 5.1rpg, 0.8apg; Euroleague: 20 games: 10.0ppg, 5.7rpg; Israeli Premier League: 33 games: 13.8ppg, 6.2rpg, 1.2apg. In 2003-2004, he played for Gran Canaria (Spain-ACB, starting five): ULEB Cup: 12 games: 12,8ppg, 8.0rpg, 1.2spg; Spanish ACB: 38 games: 17.3ppg, 8.6rpg, 1.3apg, 1.3bpg, 1.0spg. He played for Benetton Treviso from 2004-2007. In 2007-2008, he played for Moscow (Russia-A Superleague): Euroleague: 25 games: 7.1ppg, 4.9rpg, 1.0bpg, FGP: 46.7%, 3PT: 34.5%, FT: 56.3%; Russian League: 18 games: 9.3ppg, 4.6rpg, 1.4apg, 1.1spg, Blocks-1(1.2bpg), 2FGP: 58.9%, 3PT: 44.0%, FT: 62.2%. In 2008-2009, he played for Lyubertsy (Russia-A Superleague, starting five): Eurocup Qualifications: 2 games: 9.0ppg, 3.5rpg, 1.0apg, 2.0spg, 1.0bpg; EuroChallenge: 14 games: 8.7ppg, 5.9rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 51.1%, FT: 54.5%; Russian League: 23 games: 9.6ppg, Reb-5(5.9ppg), FGP: 52.6%, 3PT: 23.1%, FT: 68.1%. Last season he played for The New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig (Germany-1.Bundesliga, starting five): 20 games: 12.3ppg, 5.7rpg, 1.1apg, 1.3spg, Blocks-5(1.1bpg), FGP: 55.4%, 3PT: 44.4%, FT: 72.9%. He won the Euroleague with CSKA Moscow in 2008. He spoke with German Hoops about basketball.

How challenging is it playing against Craig Callahan?

He is always on the move. There are not many position 4 players as mobile as him. He is strong in the post, can shoot the three and take you off the dribble.

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The Double D´s Reign On Mothers Day As Dashaun Wood Demonstrates Sweep To Dirk Nowitzki As The Deutsche Bank Skyliners Advance To The beko BBL Semi Finals Over BG Goettingen 82-59

It was unknown if Boston Celtic coach Doc Rivers was moping around American Airlines arena in Miami after game 2 loss trying to forget his woes and instead cherish moments of him feeding the human highlight film Dominique Wilkins with ally-ops in the 80s, but in Kassel after the BG Goettingen loss and all the fans had disappeared into the cold night trying to forget the Veilchen loss with a beer at Mr Jones bar, BG Goettingen manager Marc Franz was still in the Rothenbach Halle sitting alone in the stands contemplating what had gone wrong like Bobby Knight used to do after Indiana loses or remembering how the champagne once tasted last spring as BG Goettinegn won the Eurochallenge. With BG Goettingen clinging to their lives down 2-0 against Frankfurt like a broken down Shaq is after finding out the last Mcdonalds was closed for the evening, Franz looked as sad in Kassel as Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness is after any kind of loss including the Munich basketballers , Marey Carey does during pregnancy not getting her favorite dish or Artland Dragons fans were not reaching the playoffs on the last day in 2009 and 2010. BG Goettingen had three match balls against them in the Ballsporthalle, but were still as focused as Jimmy Mckinney is when he gets the green light to launch bombs from the parking lot, Jim Carey was showing his love to Jennifer Aniston in the movie Bruce Allmighty or Paris Hilton risking to go into the piercing hot July sunlight in Monte Carlo without her sunglasses, but Frankfurt showed no fear disposing of BG Goettingen 82-59 getting past their hard effort and advancing to the semi finals. “I think that we felt as much pressure as they did. I told the guys at half time that we could either have 20 more minutes in this series or possibly 80 more minutes. I have to give our team a lot of credit. To be able to beat this team 5 times in a row in one season is incredible”, stressed 2011 beko BBL MVP Dashaun Wood. “Frankfurt did a good job handling the pressure and taking care of business on Mothers Day”, added BG Goettingen guard Kyle Bailey. ” Coach told us to play aggressive. We didn´t expect them to fail, but just play our game”, commented Skyliner guard Quantez Robertson. “Frankfurt did what they had to do. They handled the pressure well”, said BG Goettingen guard Antoine Jordan.

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Dashaun Wood Shows A Combination Of Bryant/Wade Leading The Deutsche Bank Skyliners Past BG Goettingen 76-67 For 2-0 Playoff Lead

It is always an advantage if you are able to do those things that you are used to doing as opposed to what you aren´t like strutting your beamer through the neighborhood instead of a broken down Ford Nova, New England Patriot star quarterback Tom Brady being able to riffle bullet passes to his favorite Texas tech target Wes Welker running routes or Hollywood actor George Clooney picking up women in swank clubs on the Cote D Azur instead of in third rate clubs in Boise, Idaho, but sometimes reality doesn´t let you do what you know and like. BG Goettingen have been playing in their beloved Lok Halle since 2007 and have had a lot of success playing in their locomotive turned basketball arena in the last years, but were struck with playing game 2 in the 40 kilometer away Kassel in the Rothenbach halle. Not being able to play in their usual home court train dungeon for opponents where the atmosphere is as fierce as any opponent getting the full work out treatment competiting against the American in his prime, It girl Paris Hilton having to wake up to After 8 mints in a Marriot hotel instead of a Hilton, Immanuel Mcelroy having to play in the old Max Schmeiling halle instead of the O-2 World arena, or Boston Redosx slugger David Ortiz having to blast moon rockets out of Nickerson field over the Charles river to Harvard instead of out of Fenway park. Despite many fans coming from Goettingen to support the team in Kassel and a strong atmosphere through out the game, BG Goettingen was unable to knot the series as they lost 76-67 to The Deutsche Bank Skyliners and trail the best of five quarterfinal series 2-0. “The atmosphere here compared to the Lokhalle is hard to compare. The Lokhalle is one of a kind. The atmosphere was very good though. Our fans supported us well”, stressed ex ratiopharm Ulm guard Kyle Bailey. “I thought the atmosphere was teh same a sin Goettingen. The crowd really got on you under the basket”, added Skyliner MVP Dashaun Wood. “The atmosphere was great. The only difference was that it was the same floor and baskets, but just another arena. Our fans supported us 100%”, commented BG Goettingen American Antoine Jordan. “The atmosphere was the same as in Goettingen. It wasn´t easy to play here. We showed a lot of moral and kept our cool despite the intense conditions”, expressed Skyliner sport director Kamil Novak. Marius Nolte friend Steven Esterkamp watched the game and was impressed by the atmosphere. “It was amazing to in the arena and witness this atmosphere”, added ex Paderborn Basket Steven Esterkamp. “This was a nice arena, but the atmosphere was not the same as in the Lokhalle. The Lokhalle is unique. I thought BG Goettinegn was a bit like a stranger in this arena”, stressed Marius Nolte.

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Jason Boone (BG Goettingen): The Bulls-Hawks Series Reminds Me A Lot Of This Goettingen-Frankfurt Series

Jason Boone is a 25 year old 198cm power forward/center from Sugar Loaf, New York. He is playing his third full season with BG Goettingen. He played at New York University (NCAA 3) from 2003-2007. In his senior year, he played 28 games averaging 14.1ppg, 9.6rpg, 2.4bpg, 2.9apg, FG: 63.0%, FT: 64.3%. Two seasons ago, he played at Bernau (Regionalliga) before making the jump up three leagues to BG Goettingen. In 2008-2009, he averaged 4.4ppg, 4.0rpg, FG: 53.7%. Last season, he played EuroChallenge: 16 games: 10.7ppg, 6.8rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 59.6%, FT: 53.8%; German League: 35 games: 9.1ppg, 6.1rpg, FGP: 60.3%, FT: 55.9%. He spok German Hoops before the game 2 against The Deutsche Bank Skyliners in Kassel.

A tough 77-58 loss in game 1 against The Deutsche Bank Skyliners. What does the team have to do better and differently without guys like Trent meacham and Mike Scott?

We just have to continue to go with what got us to this point. It’s unfortunate we are without two of the guys that helped get us to this point but it’s the playoffs and we can’t use that as an excuse. It doesn’t come down to anything more than playing the full 24 seconds of each defensive possession and using our mismatches on offense.

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Torvoris Baker(s. Oliver Baskets Würzburg): We Had Tunnel Vision And Focused On Putting BV Chemnitz Away

Torvoris Baker is a 201 cm forward that was born in Albany, New York and grew up in Detroit, Michigan. He played at Detroit-Mercy(NCAA) from 2003-2006. In his senior year, he played 32 games averaging 8.9ppg, 7.6rpg, 1.3apg, FG: 50.6%, 3PT: 11.1%, FT: 64.1%. In 2006-2007, he came to Europe and played for Neptune Cork (Ireland-SuperLeague, starting five): 16 games: 23.0ppg, 14.2rpg, 2.8apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 65.5%, FT: 44.2%. In 2007-2008, he played for Hertener Löwen (Germany-ProB, starting five): 30 games: 18.8ppg, Reb-2(11.6rpg), 2.2apg, 1.7spg, 2FGP: 58.3%, 3FGP: 28.0%, FT: 58.7%. In 2008-2009, he played for Chemnitz 99 (Germany-ProA, starting five): 30 games: 12.0ppg, 8.1rpg, 1.7apg, FGP: 48.9%, 3PT: 7.1%, FT: 55.7%. In 2009-2010, he played for GiroLive-Ballers Osnabrueck (Germany-ProA, starting five): 27 games: 16.1ppg, Reb-5(8.8rpg), 1.4apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 56.8%, 3PT: 34.2%, FT: 62.2%. This season, he played for the S. Oliver Baskets Wurzburg playing 30games averaging 5.6ppg, 4.6rpg, FGP: 47.8%, 3PT: 18.9%, FT: 72.5%. He spoke to German Hoops concerning winning the 2011 PRO A title.

Congrats on the 77-61 win against BV Chemnitz and reaching the beko BBL. What was your first thought as the buzzer sounded after 40 minutes?

After game regulation, I thanked GOD for helping use climb out the hole we made. But winning a championship game at home was a great feeling. I like to call it a case of pursuit to happiness.

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Jimmy Mckinney Hits From Downtown St Louis In Crunch Time As The Deutsche Bank Skyliners Secure Game 1 With A 77-58 Win

Timely lady luck, having a four leaf clover land mysteriously on the bench, getting a couple of timely loose balls, hitting 12713 three pointers or hitting 90% of your free throws is fortune that belongs to the game of basketball sometimes, but BG Goettingen didn´t seem to bring any of this good luck in their baggage to Frankfurt as the team was without American Trent Meacham who had an elbow injury and the club had given the walking papers to American Mike Scott 72 hours earlier. BG Goettingen were unable to allow too much to really wrong as they met the second best team in the beko BBL and had to be a lot more focused than the Spurs and Magic as they had been upset in the NBA playoffs not being able to come back down from 3-1, the way future NBA MVP Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls who took care of business in game five dismantling the Indiana Pacers 116-89, or Face the Nation legend Bob Schieffer telling the world in a very direct way that Donald Trump is a racist, but The Deutsche Bank Skyliners took matters in their own hands in the fourth quarter ending the game with a 20-3 run and winning game 1 in the Ballsporthalle 77-58. “It is always hard against Goettingen. We have played them three times and each time it came down to the last minutes. We have have the home court advantage and have to win our games at home to advance. It will be difficult to win series and lose at home and steal a game on the road”, warned MVP Dashaun Wood. Even though Frankfurt won by 19 points, the score didn´t indicate how close the game really was. “The game could of gone either way at the end. We had a run at end which was key. We are happy, but can´t lean back on this win”, stressed Skyliner center Marius Nolte. “BG Goettingen players looked worn out as they exited the locker room after the game as it wasn´t Wood that beat them with baskets, but other players. “This was a very hard fought game for 36 minutes. The Mckinney three pointer hurt us which was the turning point for them to go on their 20-3 run at the end”, expressed Alaska native Kyle Bailey.
Even though BG Goettingen was without Trenton Meacham and Mike Scott, they didn´t seem to be effected by their absence at all as they held their own never allowing The Deutsche Bank Skyliners to run away with the game early. “Of course, it is tough to play without Meacham and Scott, but these are the playoffs and there can be no excuses. You have to focus on what you have and not on what you don´t have”, added Kyle Bailey. For The Deutsche Bank Skyliners, they didn´t even know that BG Goettingen was shorthanded. “Who was missing from BG Goettingen wasn´t important for us. Coach Herbert mentioned it during the game that Meacham and Scott weren´t present. BG Goettingen is a good team that won 6 of their last seven games. We came into this game not underestimating them”, stressed Marius Nolte. “I think it is important that we as a team focus on what we have to do to win and not on their players”, said Skyliner forward Kimmo Muurinen. Skyliner top scorer Dashaun Wood knows that no matter who is on the court, beating BG Goettingen will never be a cake walk. “BG Goettingen showed in the last game, that despite not having Bailey, that they were still tough. No matter which five guys are on the court, they will always play tough. It is never easy against them”, stressed Dashaun Wood.

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Artland Dragons-New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig Playoff Preview 3-2

It is a never wise to walk down Times square in New York City flaunting a New York Yankees jersey with symbolic skull painted across the name of star short stop Derek Jeter, underestimating the love that fans still can give a lindsay Lohan after getting a standing ovation from Jay Leno fans during her interview or A Chris Paul who is trying to lead his New Orleans Hornets to an upset of the Los Angeles Lakers or Kobe Bryant dunking despite having a sprained ankle. It also wouldn´t have been wise not giving The Artland Dragons or The New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig a chance at the 2011 Top 4 in Bamberg even though the big favorites to reach the final were Frankfurt and Bamberg.. Both Braunschweig and Artland rolled into the Top 4 with a regenerated mystical self confidence playing magnificent basketball and there really wasn´t much missing for both teams to have landed in the final. Braunschweig got past Frankfurt and Artland might have been in the final if they hadn´t lost Tyrese Rice earlier than expected to foul trouble as well as a few other players. Both teams are in the playoffs and for anyone to doubt them this time of possibly reaching the final should have their head examined. “This will be a good series as both teams are playing well. Either could reach the final”, stressed Walter Tigers Tuebingen forward Chris Oliver. Both teams will as motivated as any players in Europe heading back home to be with their loved ones who didn´t reach the post season, crazy William and Kate fans getting the perfect spot along the parade route or NHL hockey fans finding their perfect spot in sports bars for the next playoff round as four series has made the action exciting with seven game series. The Artland Dragons have been going through a tough drought not having reached the beko BBL playoffs since 2008 while The New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig want to build on their semi final berth last season and just get that title after they came so close in the Top 4 final bowing out to Bamberg in the last minute. This series also could be the last chance for two veterans to get a title.

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Brose Baskets Bamberg-Eisbaeren Bremerhaven 2011 Playoff preview 3-0

The cities Munich and Bamberg in size are about as similar as Hollywood actress Emma Thompson and Diva Paris Hilton have in their acting ability, but when it comes to basketball this season, both clubs dominated their respective leagues losing only two games. the only difference is that The Brose Baskets Bamberg are playing for their fourth beko BBL league championship and FC Bayern Munich are still dreaming of their first. However this duel could become reality in the next years, but first Bamberg has to overcome their first hurdle in the quarterfinals of the playoffs against The Eisbaeren Bremerhaven. The Brose Baskets Bamberg dominated the league this season winning convincingly most of the time and with a straight ahead urgency to mow down the competition the same way Mike Tyson did his opponents back in the day, that one may have wondered that each member of the team had been promised some incredible wish by manager mastermind Wolfgang Heyder or might have taken a chapter out of the BG Goettingen secret by creating their own bat cave under the Stechert arena where the team could plot and continue to get better keeping their development a mystery. Bamberg was as dominant this season the way Skyliner MVP Dashaun Wood takes apart defenses, the way Boston Celtic Rajon Rondo can be when he wants to especially in game 3 against The New York Knicks or the way Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowizki played at the 2005 European championships almost guiding Germany to a gold medal with his scoring from all over the court. The Eisbaeren Bremerhaven on the other hand come into the playoffs in compariosn to Bamberg a full 180 degrees as they ended the season in seventh place having to win their last game in Ulm. The Eisbaeren Bremerhaven want to improve their bitter semi final game 5 loss to the Deutsche Bank Skyliners  last season, but can they beat the Los Angeles Lakers of the beko BBL Bamberg in a five game playoff series? Some the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven have that Frankfurt loss in the back of their minds and will want to do it right this time around. Bremerhaven will have Upset engraved in their minds and will have to be as alert against Bamberg like a young and naive sea gull landing on a strange looking white piece of ice that is really a polar bear ready to stomp on its prey, the way ex NBA player Jason Williams was when he made beautiful crossover against Gary Payton or Kemba Walker possibly having to have to hire a personal assistant to answer all the calls from NBA general managers. Last season the top four teams were ousted in the quarterfinals as upsets were a normal procedure like putting on sun block in the summer time in Dubai, but would anyone bet their home sweet home on the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven against Bamberg?

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Can BG Goettingen Go From 2010 Eurochallenge Spoiler To Deutsche Bank Skyliners 2011 beko BBL Playoff Spoiler?

In the past week playing beko BBl and NBA spoiler has been as common as little kids annoying their parents with the uncomfortable phrase “where is the Easter bunny really”, humans contemplating when a day will go by without seeing has been Hollywood actress Lindsay Lohan in the tabloids and her latest sunglasses fashion, or Atlanta, Georgia citizens imagining driving the Lamborghini of Allen Iverson and wondering if the ex NBA star would give them his shiny sports car if the police department doesn´t want it even if he has a collection of ten more rotting away in his garage. In the beko BBL spoilers were on the prowl as The Artland Dragons sent TBB Trier into summer vacation with a heart breaking one point loss or The Deutsche Bank Sklyinersgiving an unforgettable Globetrotter showcase not giving EnBW Ludwigsburg any real chance giving the players an early ticket home to the beaches and cafes of the world as both clubs were ousted on the last game day while in the NBA teams like Portland, Memphis and Indiana aren´t allowing Dallas, san Antonio or Chicago from dragging out the brooms as they have annoyed the favorites with pesky and a ruthless display of basketball. “I am enjoying the NBA playoffs now. The top teams are getting more of a challenge, because the underdog teams are playing with their backs to the wall and giving all that they have. I have no real idea what is going on in the Spurs-Grizzlies series, but I think the injury to Manu Ginobolli is really hurting the Spurs. I think that Dallas-Portland are evenly matched. I think it will be a toss up to who wins this series”, stressed Eisbaeren Bremerhaven guard Tyrone Brazelton. Last season BG Goettingen played spoiler entered the Eurochallenge tournament as a long shot, but plowed through the competition winning the title and letting coach John Patrick taste his first giant success of sweet champagne German style, while this season BG Goettingen want to get back to that spoiler role against The Deutsche Bank Skyliners in the opening round of the 2010-2011 beko BBL playoffs which start on April 30th. Actor George Cloony dying his head red while growing a beard of the same color, Cheyene Woods, the niece of Tiger Woods stealing the spotlight from him just  a bit with her golf or world class designer Karl Lagerfeld taking off his sunglasses for an interview may be very unexpected, but the chances of BG Goettingen winning a 5 game series against Frankfurt should not be unexpected either. Frankfurt demonstrated last year that it can be done as they snuck by second seed  Alba Berlin as the seventh seed 3-1. This time the roles are reversed as Frankfurt is seeded second and BG Goettingen seventh. “I think that anything is possible in this series, but I think that Frankfurt might be a little to strong to handle for BG Goettingen. But  I remember when I was with western kentucky we were the underdog against Drake who were the fifth seed in the NCAA and we pulled off a win, because we had as a team, had better players and good coaching. As a pro playing in Poland for Asseco Prokom in the Euroleague we were evenly matched against Armani Milian, but we came out with the win, because we had more determination from the start and that is exactly what BG Goettingen will need to have to beat Frankfurt and will need someone else to beat them besides Dashaun Wood”, warned Bremerhaven guard Tyrone Brazelton.

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