More than 2 months ago the Wurzburg U-19 team suffered a brutal 19 point loss at home to the hands of Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners, but since then have player superb basketball having won 6 games in a row. Back on the second game day Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners played incredible defense allowing only 2 three´s and forcing Wurzburg to a mediocre 31 turnovers. Now it was time for the revenge game in Frankfurt a week before Christmas. It would be the perfect Christmas present for the Bavarian squad to come into Frankfurt´s living room and come out with a victory. Frankfurt finally had their young German talent Ivan Crnjak who had recently returned from an injury and played his third NBBL game of the season and brought a solid 19,0ppg into the game. But Wurzburg had no chance in the return game as Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners showed a powerful consistent offensive and defensive effort for 40 minutes as Wurzburg was unable to slow down the many scoring options that Frankfurt always displayed. “We dominated the game. We knew what we had to do to be successful and did it for 40 minutes. We wanted to take Steinbach out of the game and did a good job. Overal it was a great team effort especially on defense”, stressed Dusan Nikolic (191-PG-2005). Wurzburg had problems with the three ball and just couldn´t find consistency on offense and continue to strike back when Frankfurt gave blows. “The game was decided after a few minutes. I think we would have played better had we not been intimidated. There is a big difference between Frankfurt and Wurzburg. You saw the university kids against the street kids”, stressed Wurzburg head coach Alex King.

Ivan Crjnac at the FT line

Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners showed right off the bat to what they are capable on offense as they exploded for 31 points in the first quarter. Before anyone had noticed Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners were up 11-2. Young German universal genius Ivan Crnjac got going rapidly with 6 points including a 4 point play while all rounder Leif Zentgraf hit a trey and Dusan Nikolic scored on a drive. Frankfurt´s offense was rolling with fast ball movement and team harmony pleasing all. Wurzburg finally got going getting baskets from their 2 top German players Hannes Steinbach and David Engelhardt who came into the contest averaging combined 47 points per game as Frankfurt led only 11-8. But Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners had a potent offense that wasn´t going to disappoint on this day and cruised on a 12-4 run to extend their lead to 23-12. In the run, the team got incredible support from Joschua Zentgraf who supplied 8 points and brutal energy from the bench. He was injured for some time, but slowly is finding his rhythm again. That he is a real scraper in the zone is no secret and that is where he sparkled most. Down the stretch, Wurzburg got buckets from Germans Jaden Brown and Leon Kasche while Frankfurt´s offense continued to execute as Dusan Nikolic scored twice with his dangerous penetration and Joscha Zentgraf added 3 points. “Joscha was huge for us. I´m so happy for him. He is so important for us. He gives us so much energy and makes big hustle plays. We had great ball movement and got to the free throw line”, stated Dusan Nikolic. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners shot 56% from the field and 38% from outside and had 8 rebounds and 2 turnovers while Wurzburg shot 45% from the field and 0% from outside and had 6 rebounds and 4 turnovers.

Noah Wendland at the FT line

The scoring onslaught continued in the second quarter as Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners added 28 points and they tightened up their defense allowing only 8 points to lead by a crazy 30 points at half-time. Frankfurt got going cruising on a 9-2 run to extend their lead to 40-22. In the run Frankfurt got key support from Ivan Crnjac with 5 points as he attacked the rim twice and scored and Joscha Zentgraf scored again as did defensive specialist Finley Pruever. The Frankfurt defense layed out the press defense that gave Wurzburg many problems as they coughed up the ball 5 times in the first few minutes thanks to the aggressive Frankfurt guard defenders. The defense remained consistent as Namori Omog stayed aggressive and registered 3 steals in a row that led to a transition basket by him and three pointer by Ivan Crnjac for the 45-24 advantage. “Namori played incredible. He was in a hole for a few games, but he showed just how important he can be for us. It is great that he is playing so well again”, stated Dusan Nikolic. Frankfurt´s aggressive defense forced 12 turnovers in the second quarter. It was apparent that Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners wanted to decide the game by half-time and kept the pressure on at both ends and closed out the second quarter with a 14-5 run to lead 59-29 at the break. In the run Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners got 4 points from Nikolic, 5 points from Marvin Esser who came back the day after and had an incredible 9/8 game in the Pro B win over Coburg and Jamie Edoka also added a left handed lay in. Nikolic doesn´t only shine with his scoring, but also has potent passing skills. On the one Esser bucket, he displayed a pretty bounce pass similar to Luka Doncic who likes to undress that from his sleeve during games. “I have copied that pass from Luka. I like to practice it. I think that I´m getting more of a feel from his game”, added Dusan Nikolic. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners shot 56% from the field and 29% from the three point line and had 17 rebounds and 6 turnovers while Wurzburg shot 38% from the field and 0% from the three point line and had 15 rebounds and 16 turnovers. “Our defense totally took them out. We got great pressure from Omog and Pruever. We got in passing lanes and got easy transition baskets”, expressed Dusan Nikolic.

Dusan Nikolic to the hole

In the third quarter the offensive machine of Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners continued to execute at ease while the guests had a better groove on offense and scored 19 points but the hump to reach the peak where Frankfurt´s game was simply to high. Frankfurt led by 37 points after 30 minutes. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners began with 3 stops that led to baskets by Leif Zentgraf and Ivan Crnjac and the 63-29 advantage. Wurzburg finally got their first field goal at the 7,57 minute mark as Tyrese Leonce snuck into the paint area and made an offensive rebound and put back. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners then had a solid spurt once again going on a 13-4 run to lead masterfully 76-35. In the run Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners spread around the scoring love as both Zentgraf brothers scored as did Nikolic and and Crnjac while 2023 JBBL finalist Maximillian Peters added free throws. Frankfurt continued to remain consistent at both ends and just didn´t lose any intensity at both ends of the court. But basketball is a game of runs and they do occur even for the losing team as Wurzburg struck for a 7-2 run to trail 78-42. In the run the Bavarian team got support from Steinbach with 5 points. The dominant big man who averages 31,0ppg can only be slowed down so long. Down the stretch Frankfurt got lay in´s from Nikolic and Esser and Pruever added a trey as Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners led very comfortably 85-48. “Wurzburg got better into the game. We let up a bit which can happen when you lead by 30 points. We lost concentration a bit, but still won the third quarter”, said Dusan Nikolic. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners shot 52% from the field and 26% from the parking lot and had 32 rebounds and 11 turnovers while Wurzburg shot 39% from the field and 11% from outside and had 24 rebounds and 21 turnovers.

Hannes Steinbach with the runner

The game was already decided after 3 quarters and in the fourth quarter Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners shifted down a few gears scoring only 16 points while the guests were able to match their point total. Frankfurt head coach Thore Bethke used the opportunity with the big lead to give some of the bench more minutes as guys like Peters, Rephael Edward and Julian Haskins got more time. Julian Haskins did most of the opportunity scoring 4 points. Peters also added a lay in. Wurzburg got some baskets from Kasche and Engelhart scored twice. Meanwhile Dusan Nikolic was still playing and must have had his stat line on his radar. He was flirting with a triple double, but first got that double double with his 10th assist. One could see in the few plays before that he was trying to find his teammates instead of finishing. One could see that the few misses by his teammates irked him a bit, but was so much more pleased when he finally got the 10th assist. “I definitely knew I was at 9 assists and really wanted the 10th. It took some time, but I finally got it”, smiled Dusan Nikolic. At the end, he barely missed the triple double as he needed 1 rebound more, but he did end the game by making the 101th point. “I knew that I would get that basket. I always want to take the last shot. Everyone knows that”, warned Dusan Nikolic. “We got better into the flow in the second half. We fought hard until the end”, stated Wurzburg head coach Alex King. “We closed out the game letting our bench play more”, said Dusan Nikolic. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners were led by Dusan Nikolic with 20 points. Joscha Zentgraf and Ivan Crnjac added 17 points a piece and Leif Zentgraf added 10 points while Wurzburg was led by Hannes Steinbach with 19 points and 11 boards. Noah Wendland added 12 points and David Englehart had 11 points. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners shot 48% from the field and 21% from outside and had 43 rebounds and 15 turnovers and Wurzburg shot 39% from the field and 8% from outside and had 33 rebounds and 28 turnovers.

The up and down weeks continue for the Fraport Skyliners Juniors as they continue to have massive problems on the road sporting a mediocre 1-5 record. A big inconvenience is not having all their players when the Pro A team is playing the same evening. Still that shouldn´t be an excuse as they have a deep and talented roster. The good news was that mostly after an away game, the club comes home and wins again. The bad news was a week before X-mas, Frankfurt had to play a very annoying team with BBC Coburg who might be underachieving a bit with only a 6-5 record. They have very talented players and a club that knows how to score as they average 86 per game, but like Frankfurt have their ups and down on defense allowing more than 88 points in the last 3 games. On a untypical Sunday night Pro B game, the Fraport Skyliners Juniors didn´t have their top roster as Nolan Adekunle, Jordan Samare and Nils Leonhardt were absent, but as usual they had enough fire power as Justin Onyejiaka (195-SG-2004) and Trevion Bell combined for 61 points and their bench gave great support as Frankfurt was able to complete the weekend sweep as all 3 teams Pro A, Pro B and NBBL cracked the 100 points and Pro B beat BBC Coburg 100-80. “It was cool to see 3 teams do this. It doesn´t happen often. This shows that Frankfurt is a good place for basketball. We have to keep it up”, smiled Justin Onyejiaka. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors played a strong game for 40 minutes and showed how brutal their athleticism was for Coburg to have to handle. “The key word for this game was sense of urgency. We ran our offense very well and did what we wanted to. We got great bench support and many young guys stepped up”, stressed Justin Onyejiaka. BBC Coburg had their moments on offense, but just had an off day defensively and you can´t afford that against a potent offensive team like Frankfurt. “We had a tough time getting into the game. We didn´t play our game which is fast. Our 1-1 defense was horrible and there was no help defense. When you don´t do that, you can easily give up 100 points. We also had big problems with their athleticism”, stressed BBC Coburg guard Sven Lorber.

Jujstin Onyejiaka dunk

The Fraport Skyliners Juniors exploded in the first quarter scoring 32 points as Onjejiaka and Bell combined for 28 points with 14 points a piece. BBC Coburg actually had the better start leading 5-3 as Utah native Kolton Mortensen hit a trey and ex Paderborn German Adrian Petkovic scored a lay in with his quickness. But Frankfurt then erupted for a 13-3 run to lead 16-7 as fans witnessed the Onyejiaka and Bell show as they combined for 10 points. After Onyejiaka made a lay in, he then served up the perfect dime for the Bell alley-oop dunk as the gym erupted. “It just happened. I saw he was going to the rim. I just threw it up for him. It was one of the better dunks this season”, stressed Justin Onyejiaka. Young German Joshua Zentgraf interrupted their athletic show with a lay in and free throw, but the show then continued as both dropped three´s and Onyejiaka then showed his flying hawk skills with a brutal one hand dunk. Frankfurt had more intensity and were on transition as often as they could. Frankfurt were dominating the boards and didn´t allow an offensive flow for the guests. Here and there, Coburg showed flashes of brilliance on offense as they got lay in´s from Mortensen, ex IBAM guard Gabriel Kuku and a clutch three from Austrian bench player Marco Hollerl to trail only 19-14. But Frankfurt´s offense was unstoppable as they closed out the first quarter with a swift 13-2 run to lead 32-16. In the run the Onyejiaka and Bell show continued as he connected on 2 more three´s and Onyejiaka made a runner and pull up jumper. “We were in the flow. Bell and I are a duo. We just know how to score. We can dominate in the Pro B”, stated Justin Onyejiaka. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 61% from the field and 71% from outside and had 13 rebounds and 3 turnovers while BBC Co burg shot 33% from the field and 29% from outside and had 8 rebounds and 2 turnovers.

Adrian Petkovic jumper

The Fraport Skyliners Juniors still kept the lead in the second quarter, but BBC Coburg got a solid offensive rhythm and actually won the quarter 23-21. BBC Coburg came out strong going on a 10-6 run to trail 38-26. Like Frankfurt, the guests also got crucial bench support as Lithuanian U-18 national player Danas Kazakevicius who looked comfortable in the paint area scored twice and Kuku who averaged 10ppg with Hanau last season nailed a trey. After Drago Crnjac and Petkovic traded three pointers, BBC Coburg got added support from the bench from young German Abdelkahar Karioui who also showed he could wheel and deal in the paint scoring twice as Frankfurt allowed the Bavarian team to hang around leading only 44-33. But Coburg only showed flashes of success on offense as defensively they couldn´t find an identity allowing Frankfurt easy baskets inside as Onyejaika made an offensive rebound and put back and pass first point guard Philipp Hadenfeldt dished the perfect bounce pass to Joshua Zentgraf for the lay in and soon after hit a trey for Frankfurt. But Frankfurt couldn´t shake BBC Coburg as their bench came up big all night long as ex Trier U-19 player Nils Piprek dropped a trey to close out the first half as they trailed only 53-40. “We let up a bit. They upped the tempo and we didn´t respect it”, stated Justin Onyejiaka. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 50% from the field and 50% from the three point line and had 23 rebounds and 9 turnovers while BBC Coburg shot 45% from the field and 42% from the three point line and had 15 rebounds and 7 turnovers.

Adrian Worthy at the FT line

In the third quarter the Fraport Skyliners Juniors upped their offense a bit again and defensively didn´t allow BBC Coburg to play their quick game as much and got more stops. Frankfurt came out storming going on a 21-8 run to extend their lead to 71-48. In the run, Frankfurt got 4 baskets from Onyejiaka including a massive dunk as his athleticism overwhelmed BBC Coburg all night long. Trevian Bell also added 2 three pointers and his second displayed a sick cross over and deep three and young German Leif Zentgraf produced a trey. “That crossover was nice. His big strength is creating his own shot. I knew it would go in. He shows it in practice every day”, stressed Justin Onyejiaka. Frankfurt found their smooth offensive flow again and really lived off their transition and athleticism. BBC Coburg relied too much on 1-1 play as they couldn´t move the ball the way they wanted to and on defense continued to have extreme difficulty containing the Frankfurt drives. In the last minutes BBC Bayreuth executed better getting continued support from Kazakevicius as he scored twice and the quick and athletic guard duo of Adrian Worthy and Gabriel Kuku scored while Onyejiaka continued to do his magic adding 2 more buckets and young German Dustin Nikolic made a running hook shot. “I felt free tonight. I did what I do best and that is getting to the rim. I played off instincts”, stated Justin Onyejiaka. The Frasport Skyliners Juniors shot 55% from the field and 48% from the parking lot and had 32 rebounds and 11 turnovers while BBC Bayreuth shot 45% from the field and 41% from the parking lot and had 21 rebounds and 9 turnovers. “We got a lot of steals and a lot of support from Joshua Zentgraf and Marvin Esser. That allowed us to play transition”, commented Justin Onyejiaka. “We had good phases on offense but just couldn´t get stops. We also played good defense at times, but it just wasn´t enough”, stressed Sven Lorber.

Marvin Esser at the FT line

The Fraport Skyliners Juniors had such a huge lead that at the end it didn´t matter that BBC Coburg narrowly won the fourth quarter in scoring 21-20. Frankfurt head coach Sepher Tarrah did the right thing giving the young kids added playing time as Ivan Crnjak got extra minutes as did Marvin Esser. Ivan Crnjak had a strong phase early scoring 7 unanswered points with a step back jumper, transition lay in and three free throws to give Frankfurt the 89-64 advantage. BBC Coburg sniper Sven Lorber added back to back three´s and Petkovic also answered from the parking lot, but they couldn´t make any ground still trailing Frankfurt 92-72. BBC Coburg also got added support from Petkovic with a 20 footer and Worthy lay in while Marvin Esser continued to quietly play a solid game making a lay in for the 96-76 lead. Frankfurt was getting close to the 100 points. Leif Zentgraf scored a lay in for 98 points and the 100 points was achieved in style as Marvin Esser made the crushing dunk. The young German finished with incredible 9/8/2/1/1 stats and was the third most efficient player after Onyejaika and Bell. “Our bench played very well and fought until the end. I have a lot of respect for them”, added Justin Onyejiaka. “Our offense was ok, but we just couldn´t get closer. Our communication and help side defense needs to be better”, stressed Sven Lorber. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were led by Justin Onyejiaka with 34 points and Trevian Bell added 27 points while BBC Coburg were led by Gabriel kuku with 14 points while Adrian Petkovic had 13 points. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 53% from the field and 42% from outside and had 37 rebounds and 14 turnovers while BBC Coburg shot 47% from the field and 48% from outside and had 29 rebounds and 14 turnovers.

The good news for the Fraport Skyliners shortly before X-mas is that they were still in first place, but the bad news was that the other teams were creeping nearer in the standings and spinning a web looking to catch Frankfurt in the next weeks. So much time has elapsed since their last win at home on November 19th as since then the club had made a turn down losing their last 2 games on the road against Dresden and Artland. The low point of the season was losing to 0-10 Artland and finally allowing them to celebrate a win last weekend. Frankfurt has lost track of their gritty team defense they had played prior to the last 2 games as they allowed 84 points on average way below their average of 68 points per game. The good news from the standings view was that 3-8 team Bochum came to Frankfurt, but this was a team playing beneath their qualifications as they have began to play better since making changes in the roster adding David Cohn. Bochum was the perfect opponent for the Fraport Skyliners to get back on track and start a winning streak in their living room a place where they hadn´t lost yet this season. That winning streak at home remained as Frankfurt showed another great team effort dishing out 30 assists and having German Nolan Adekunle (200-PF-2002) come alive as he paced his team in the second half scoring 17 of his 22 points and leading Frankfurt to their 10th win of the season. “We needed a little time on defense to get going, but we did a good job forcing them to tough shots from the second quarter onward. We moved the ball and were able to get out on transition. All in all it was a good team effort”, warned ex Alba Berlin forward Nolan Adekunle. The VFL SparkassenStars came into the contest weakened as their potent guard duo of David Cohn and Niklas Geske were out as was their best big man Tom Alte. But Bochum didn´t hang their heads but fought hard, but just couldn´t slow down the Frankfurt offense. “We showed a good fight. We lost steam in the end. We had to have that next man up mentality with 3 guys out. I feel like we all came to play. They hit some big shots in crucial moments and that hurt us. I like how we came out with that shot out of the cannon mentality”, stressed Texas native and Bochum guard Matthew Strange.

Lorenz Brenneke had the FT line

Despite the VFL SparkassenStars being so undermanned, they came out on fire shocking the Fraport Skyliners with back to back three´s from 2019 NBBL champion Daniel Zdravevski and ex Paderborn guard Lars Kamp. That basketball is a game of runs is no secret as Frankfurt struck back with a powerful 8-0 run as ex Vechta JBBL MVP Justin Onyejiaka added 5 points and ex Augsburg (NCAA3) great Booker Cooplin added a lay in. Bochum struck back with a lethal 11-6 run which was fortified by 3 three´s by flat out sniper Quinn Nelson and a tip in by ex Bremerhaven youth player Vincent Friederici for the 17-14 advantage. Bochum kept the lead and pressure on as they just loved to shoot the three as Friederici who played 11 easyCredit BBL games answered with a trey and 20-16 lead. Frankfurt wasn´t playing hard edged team defense and simply allowed the Bochum shooters too much room. Frankfurt also wasn´t aggressive enough on the boards as Bochum had the 12-6 edge at that point. Frankfurt showed that they could play Bochum´s game by closing out the first quarter strong nailing 3 three´s as ex Paderborn forward Jacob Knauf connected twice as did ex Indiana State guard Cameron Henry. Matthew Strange finished the scoring with a trey, but Frankfurt led 27-25 after 10 minutes. Frankfurt was shooting very consistently at 56% from the field and 50% from outside and had 10 rebounds and 3 turnovers while the VFL SparkassenStars Bochum shot 39% from the field and 44% from outside and had 13 rebounds and 4 turnovers. “Bochum surprised us with their start. They took a lot of shots and we had problems with our 1-1 defense”, said Nolan Adekunle.

Killian Dietz dunk

In the second quarter the Fraport Skyliners kept the lead but couldn´t shake Bochum completely as they led only by 10 points at the break. The Fraport Skyliners had a super start going on a 7-0 run as they let the ball flow nicely in their ball movement as they got a trey from German Jordan Samare and lay in´s by Knauf and athletic German Nolan Adekunle for the 34-25 advantage. Frankfurt stepped up their defense and didn´t allow open shots and produced 5 stops. Strange finally broke free with Bochum´s first field goal at the 6,46 minute mark, but Frankfurt still led 34-28. Strange kept up the pressure and hit another jumper as Bochum trailed only 34-30. But not only Bochum showed that they could score in bunches, but so did Frankfurt as they scored 5 unanswered points with a lay in from 2018 NBBL champion Lorenz Brenneke and another trey by Adekunle for the 39-30 lead. Frankfurt was more calm on offense and not as hectic as in the first quarter and they upped their intensity on the boards and overall had higher defensive intensity. After a Quinn Nelson three pointer, Frankfurt was able to score in bunches again and grab their biggest lead of the game at 46-33 as they received lay ins from Brenneke and Canadian David Muenkat and a trey by ex Duesseldorf guard Booker Coplin. Bochum got some crucial baskets down the stretch as German Killian Dietz wo played 12 seasons in Trier scored as did Friederici. Aiden Warnholtz hit a three pointer as Frankfurt went into the break with the 49-39 advantage. “We played better transition defense and moved the ball better on offense. We got more open shots and were more aggressive getting to the rim”, added Nolan Adekunle. The Fraport Skyliners shot 35% from the field and 47% from the three point line and had 26 rebounds and 8 turnovers while the VFL Strassenstars Bochum shot 39% from the field and 28% from the three point line and had 19 rebounds and 6 turnovers.

Aiden Warnholtz from outside

The Fraport Skyliners broke open the game in the third quarter exploding for 29 points and leading by 19 points after 30 minutes. The Fraport Skyliners were unable to keep their consistency for the first few minutes as Bochum came out of the locker room refocused and shocked Frankfurt with a 7-0 run as suddenly Frankfurt´s lead had dwindled to 3 points. In the run, Bochum got incredible support from Zdravevski who steered 5 points in the run with a trey and lay in and Vincent Friederici added a pretty floater. Frankfurt was playing hectic again and not focused at all which led to terrible decisions and turnovers. But the good thing for Frankfurt is that they have the ability to come back with all their talent and just roll over opponents as if it was the easiest thing. Frankfurt stormed back with a lethal 18-3 run to have the very comfortable 67-49 lead. In the run the Fraport Skyliners where steered by Nolan Adekunle with 8 points and 2 three´s. Warnholtz also added 5 points as Frankfurt was in cruise control. Frankfurt´s quick ball movement led to open shots as Bochum´s energy level was going down as they couldn´t get out on the shooters any longer. Bochum may have been getting tired, but their heart´s were still in fighting mode as they got 5 points from Friederici and a jumper from Nelson, but they couldn´t make any ground as Frankfurt´s offense never let up. Frankfurt continued to give Nolan Adekunle the ball and he stroked home two more three´s. This was Adekunle´s break through game as his months of inactivity as he was in a contract dispute seemed forgotten now. “I had to find my rhythm and today was another stepping stone. I had to keep building from game to game and this game gave me more self confidence. I had to make quicker decisions and my shots kept falling”, stressed Nolan Adekunle. The Fraport Skyliners upped their shooting percentages over 50% and had 36 rebounds and 13 turnovers while the VFL SparkassenStars shot 39% from the field and 36% from the parking lot and had 24 rebounds and 11 turnovers. “We began too sloppy. We have to get better at starting quarters. We finally woke up and had better execution. We upped our aggressiveness on defense because we knew that they would get tired”, added Nolan Adekunle. “Frankfurt had more depth and used it to their advantage. They knocked down many open shots and forced us to tough shots”, added Matthew Strange.

Quinn Nelson from downtown

he Fraport Skyliners kept up their consistent offense scoring above 20 points again and tightened up their defense allowing only 15 points and finishing the game strong. The Fraport Skyliners began strong again going on a 9-3 run to ultimately decide the game as they led 87-62. In the run Frankfurt attacked the rim taking advantage of the mis matches and height advantage as Jordan Samare scored twice, Knauf made a tip in and Adekunle dropped another three pointer. Frankfurt kept their defensive intensity high forcing Bochum to terrible shots and offensively kept attacking and allowed Adekunle to keep shooting. Bochum got some added energy from a Friederici jumper and 2 handed dunk by Killian Dietz, but Frankfurt then put the last exclamation point on the win as Swiss army knife Cameron Henry scored 7 unanswered points to give Frankfurt the 98-66 advantage. Bochum did get some garbage points from Friderici and 5 points from Strange, but it just wasn´t enough. Strange made a difficult lay up on the base line reading the defense and angle perfectly. “I always go hard until the buzzer. I never get worried about getting blocked. I was confident and you just have to be a little crafty to make that shot”, added Matthew Strange. Jacob Knauf made the last basket giving Frankfurt the magical 100 points. The ex Lincoln Memorial great is one of those players that can just explode at any moment. “We finished the game well. They took tough shots and their fatigue set in”, stated Nolan Adekunle. “We were exhausted and ran out of legs. We have to learn to keep up the good start and play consistently for 40 minutes”, added Matthew Strange. The Fraport Skyliners were led by Nolan Adekunle with 22 points. Jacob Knauf added 14 points and 10 rebounds and Jordan Samare 12 points and Cameron Henry 11 points while the VFL SparkassenStars were led by Vincent Friederici with 21 points while Quinn Nelson had 19 points and Matthew Strange 13 points. The Fraport Skyliners shot 53% from the field and 49% from outside and had 51 rebounds and 17 turnovers while the VFL SparkassenStars shot 37% from the field and 31% from outside and had 29 rebounds and 12 turnovers.

pic credit Brose Bamberg

Tyreese Blunt (191-PG-2002) is a 21 year old 192cm guard playing his first season for the Telekom Baskets Bonn/Dragons Rhondorf. He currently is averaging 13/3/2/1 in the Pro B. He played the last 2 seasons in the Bamberg organization and played 6 easyCredit BBL games. He also played 44 games for farm team BBC Coburg. He began his career with the MHP Risen Ludwigsburg and played 1 BBL game there. He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball.

Thanks Tyreese for talking to germanhoops.com. Congrats on signing with the Telekom Baskets Bonn/Rhondorf. After 2 years in Bamberg why did you chose this new challenge?

I felt going to the Telekom Baskets Bonn would be a good next step for me. I also felt it was a good decision being able to play for the Dragons Rhondorf.

Do you see greater chances of developing under 2 new coaches with Blode and Moors and a team with many new faces then Bamberg.

Yes I did. Both are very good coaches. I can´t complain. They know their basketball.

You made huge steps in your game last season in the Pro B from the season before. What are your personal goals this season?

I want to remain consistent in the Pro B and maybe even better. I also want to get minutes in the BBL and BCL.

What has it been like playing for Stephan Blode so far. What have you enjoyed most from his coaching philosophy?

He is very vocal. He gets to the point right away. He is really good at helping young players.

Let´s talk about your game. You’re a 192cm point guard. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would make the best fit?

Russell Westbrook, but not as explosive.

Is it fair to say that you’re a scoring point guard? What are your biggest strenghs on the court?

I´m a good scorer. I also shoot relatively well. I also can create for myself and others.

You’re a skilled defender. Talk a little about your defensive qualities? Will your defensive game give take the Dragons transition game to a new level?

Yes I think I can. I bring a lot of energy. If I bring my all, then my team follows.

Your three pointer continues to be a work in progress. Last season you were up and down. You had games with 6 and 7 three´s and then in a 3 game span where you were 3/26 and was 0/7 and 0/8. What is the biggest challenge for you in being able to get a reliable three?

All it is for me is continued repetition over and over. I know I can shoot well. I just have to work hard and keep practicing my shot.

On what area´s of your game are you working on most so you will be able to keep making steps in your game?

My shot.

You played the last 2 seasons in Coburg. How do you feel did your game grow most in these 2 years?

I played a big role in my second season. That really helped me make the next step. I trained really hard the summer before which also helped my game.

How important was a guy like Chris Wolf on and off the court? Was he like a mentor for you?

Yes he was. He is very experienced. He was also a cool dude. He helped me a lot mentally.

Last season you played 6 BBL games. What do you feel is still missing in your game in order to make the next step to the BBL?

I need to work more on my defense and get a more consistent shot.

You were teammates with Spencer Reaves. What was he like as a guy and did he tell any Austin stories?

Yes once in a while. He once told me Lebron James gave him as many shoes as he wanted to have.

You began your career with the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg. You improved your play in your first 2 seasons in the NBBL. What memories do you have of those times. How fierce was the guard competition? There were talented guys with the Patrick brothers, Lukas Herzog or Nico Santana-Mojica?

It was a really good experience. I was already a physical player at that time, so I feel like I held my own against those guys. I didn´t have a NBBL season in my last year because of Covid.

You played your first BBL game against FC Bayern Munich winning 91-77. What memories do you have of those 2 minutes?

I just remember being very nervous. When I look back at that game, I think I should of just played my game and not been so nervous.

What memories will you always have of John Patrick? How keen was his focus on young German players time to develop?

He would put in the young Germans in the fourth quarter if we were up by 20-30 points,

Who is the toughest player that you ever faced in your basketball career?

Mike James

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

Ariel Hukporti, Kelan Martin, Justin Wright-Foreman, Marcus Knight, Chris Sengfelder

Please name your NBA Mount Rushmore?

Lebron, Jordan, Kobe, Steph Curry, Giannis

Who is your GOAT?

Kobe Bryant

Thanks Tyreese for the chat

Pic credit Alex Mihm

I have to be honest that there are times where I’m more excited about watching a game than other times. For example in 2018, I was counting the days until game day and was in awe seeing legendary head coach Larry Brown doing his coaching magic when he coached against the Fraport Skyliners or when I was in Bonn last season where I could reunite with ex NBA player Tim Frazier who I had met on a Boston street some years ago when he was balling with the New Orleans Pelicans or anytime when I can see massive German talent Ivan Kharchenkov play as he is my absolute favorite young player since he arrived on the scene in 2021 as a young 15 year old player who has reached the Euroleague with FC Bayern Munich in only 2 short years. That moment of excitement has popped up again for me as this weekend is that time again where I’m so excited to see a guy play. His name is David Cohn and plays this season for the German Pro A team VFL SparkassenStars Bochum. The reason why I’m so worked up to see him play is because it is the first time I will ever see him ball live. I had had contact with him 2 seasons ago when he played with the wiha Panthers Schwenningen now called Black Forest Panthers as I had written a career portrait on him and also conducted a post game interview after he nailed a game winner against Nurnberg. I will never forget his forceful, but so confident words after. ‘I didn’t look for any teammates. I couldn’t even tell you if anyone was open. I felt so confident to take the last shot. I really really wanted that last shot. I really saw no alternative. That last shot for me was meant to be. There are moments in sports where you suffer that black out. It was one of those moments for me’, stated David Cohn (188-G-1995, college: William & Mary, agency: Diamond Sports) It hasn’t been a great season for Bochum, but things have changed since the arrival of David Cohn It’s David Cohn’s Opportunity now to turn around the season of the VFL SparkassenStars as he is a player that always makes the right play.

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and Larry Brown in Frankfurt in 2018

David Cohn who lists Donovan Mitchell as his toughest cover in the NCAA is a 28 year old 188cm guard from Elmhurst, Illinois that is playing his fifth professional season. He is a guy that needed grooming in the NCAA as he averaged only 3,9ppg as a freshman at Colorado State and after averaging only 7,0ppg and 4,0apg in his first 2 seasons at William & Mary, he finally had his break out season as a senior averaging 14,0ppg and 6,0apg. The waiting and adjusting continued in his first 2 pro seasons as he never averaged more than 1,0ppg with clubs Hapoel Eilat (Israel-Winner League) and Maccabi Hunter Haifa. He finally had his break out season with Schwenningen as he averaged 12.0ppg, 3.5rpg, Assists-1 (9.1apg), Steals-4 (2.0spg), FGP: 56.3%, 3PT: 39.5%, FT: 70.0%. He had a strong individual season, but the club didn’t have success and he didn’t see eye to eye with head coach Alen Velcic. ‘I had a solid season, we won a lot early on. Without going into detail some things in life just don’t work out or aren’t meant to be and this was just one of those things. It provided me an opportunity in Europe to showcase my abilities. Again everything happens for a reason and I wouldn’t change anything, just a stop in a long journey’, remembered David Cohn Last season he took on a new challenge playing with the Newcastle Eagles (United Kingdom-BBL) playing 38 games averaging 10.2ppg, 2.9rpg, Assists-2 (6.3apg), 1.4spg, FGP: 52.5%, 3PT: 36.2%, FT: 82.6%; BBL Cup: 2 games: 12.0ppg, 2.0rpg, 3.0apg. He scored in double figures in 16 games including a 31 point explosion against Surrey S, but he wasn’t content with his game last season, but that didn’t deter his feelings about England. ‘I just want to say that it was by far and away the most enjoyable year of my professional career. The UK is an amazing place to live and Newcastle is an awesome city. I didn’t play as well as I would have liked perhaps for a plethora of reasons, but I still learned a lot about myself and grew as a player. I am still getting better as this is the first year of my ‘athletic prime’, so every stop that I’ve had has added value in one way or another’, said David Cohn He was teammates with ultra veteran Jermel Kennedy who after his only stay in Germany with TV Langen more than a decade ago has since been with 17 organization and left a huge impact on him. ‘Jermel Kennedy, absolute legend. One of my all time favorite teammates and one of the nicest dudes I’ve had the pleasure of being around. I’m not sure I’ve seen a 33 year old jump like he can. He is super talented and works so damn hard. He will be super successful in anything he does because of who he is on and off the court’, stated David Cohn

Now the elegant playmaker who is a mix of Steve Nash and Chris Paul has a new challenge in Germany with the VFL SparkassenStars Bochum. I reach David Cohn on a Tuesday, 4 days before the game against the Fraport Skyliners and he is real upbeat. ‘Since the first day I’ve landed in Germany I’ve been impressed with the professionalism of Bochum, from Felix to Toby (the GM) to HP (club owner) and everyone in between. It’s been a pleasure being here. The players are all awesome, talented guys, and I know everyone is looking forward to officially turning a corner and rattling off a lot of wins in a row and getting into play contention’, expressed David Cohn Bochum began slow losing 5 of it’s first 6 games, but since Cohn’s arrival are 2-3. Interesting to note that the 2 wins were against top teams Trier and Hagen. ‘I believe this team hasn’t even scratched the surface of what we can become. Since I’ve been here so far it’s been a bit strange in terms of our wins vs losses, but beating the best teams in the league certainly gives us optimism and confidence in the long run, which is what our coach stresses regularly. So we’re just trying to build week by week and put together a solid body of work in the end’, added David Cohn The team likes to run and they will have to find a way to shave down the points in order to be more successful. ‘ It’s no secret that we play really fast and like to push the tempo, so naturally the games are going to be higher scoring. With that being said, our defensive energy has fluctuated too much from game to game and our focus needs to be more consistent’, warned David Cohn That David Cohn can shoot out the lights and be consistent is no secret as he is one of 10 NCAA players since 1993 that reached the magical 50/40/90 plateau in the NCAA, but teammate Quinn Nelson can also shoot, but is in no way one dimensional. ‘ Quinn is a great guy, really enjoyable to be around. He is more than just a knock down shooter, he is a smart defender who knows how to position himself and knows how to move well without the ball on offense. I’m really looking forward to seeing the growth he has this season as a player and the almost all but certain long great pro career he has in front of him’, said David Cohn One teammate he really adores is center Tom Alte a player that reached the easyCredit BBl at an early age and since has become a solid and respected Pro A player. ‘I can’t say enough good things about Tom. I truly believe he doesn’t have a weakness on the court; he can jump, he can pass, he can shoot, he has good hands and footwork. We have developed a nice rapport in the pick n roll which has been a lot of fun. He is one of the best bigs I’ve played with at any level, his IQ is through the roof. Lucky to have bigs like him and an absolute workhorse like Kilian Dietz’, warned David Cohn Another player that has a bright future ahead of him is 16 year Fynn Lastring who gets minutes every so often. ‘Fynn is certainly a huge talent. I think the sky is his limit, he has shown flashes in practice where he looks fantastic. He is in good hands at the moment with Coach Felix and Bochum, and wherever he takes his next step there is no doubt he will find success’, warned David Cohn

One of the very exciting aspects about the SparkassenStars offense is the guard duo of David Cohn and German Niklas Geske. Both can score and dish with the best of them and have dominating personalities. Can that work on the court? So far it has, In the first 4 games together where they have played together David Cohn has averaged 16 ppg and 8apg and Geske 11,0ppg and 4apg. ‘To be compared to Geske is a great compliment. He is a phenomenal leader and captain for us. Although we are similar in ways, we are different enough to compliment each other brilliantly, the more we play together the better it will get. We have already shown that when we’re both rolling that we can beat anyone. He is a lot of fun to play with, I feel like this becoming the main theme of my answers’, laughed David Cohn The question is will the time come that they will understand each other blind? ‘I think we are already getting close to that and we have shown it at times. He is such a smart player that it’s easy to move off of him and go as he does. Again we have a lot of room to grow as a team as a whole, Geske and I are just one aspect of that but when we are consistently clicking and playmaking out there it really will elevate the team to the next level’, stressed David Cohn Currently he is averaging 17/3/7 stats. Is a big difference to Schwenningen that Bochum head coach Felix Banobre has given him the keys to the team? ‘What I will say is that Coach Felix is awesome, both on and off the court. He is easily at the top of my list for favorite coaches I’ve played for, he just ‘gets it’. He trusts me to make good plays and I try my best to make that happen for him and the team. I don’t feel like I’ve played particularly well yet, I still know there is another level I can get to’, warned David Cohn He is averaging 5 turnovers a game this season. He played 5 minutes more in Schwenningen and had 2 less turnovers per game. As a guy who has always had the ball in his hands and knows how to lead a team, he isn’t worried about the early season turnover blues. ‘I’m just going out there and having fun, playing in the moment. Historically, not turning over the ball is my thing. Throughout college, Israel winner league , Pro A and BBL UK last year I have always been in the top two AST/TO ratio, so I’m not concerned in the long run’, added David Cohn He last shot over 40% from outside as a senior at William & Mary and has been on the bringk of 40% in Germany as in Schwenningen he was at 39% and currently the same with Bochum. With so many good shooters around him, it will be interesting to see how his percentages develop in the next months. ‘I just try to shoot good shots for me and the team. Shot selection is super important in terms of what percentage you shoot. To hover around 40% is the goal, that means I’m taking good shots and helping the team. This is the best shooting team I’ve ever been on, it’s easy to pass up a good shot for a better shot’, commented David Cohn He has had a great individual start with Bochum and it is no secret that the easyCredit BBL is a place he would like to land in someday. ‘I think the motivation is still the same, it hasn’t changed. I’ve always wanted to play at the highest level I’m capable of. I believe that with the right fit and opportunity I would have success in the BBL. That being said, everything happens for a reason and I’m lucky and proud to be here in Bochum and taking things one week at a time, whatever happens next, happens next’, warned David Cohn For now his highest order of business to help the SparkassenStars continue to get better game by game and help achieve wins. The Fraport Skyliners are riding a 2 game losing streak and want to get back on the winning track. David Cohn will do all he can to put a further delay in the winning streak.

10 years ago, you couldn’t have counted a handful of Canadians playing in Germany. But how times have changed. Some Canadian players have shown in the last years to be have been real gems. I have been lucky that I was able to cover Canada’s greatest college player of all-time with Philip Scrubb in the 2015-2016 season as he played for the Fraport Skyliners and continued his winning ways there helping the club with his precision deadly three point shooting and rare unselfishness to the Fiba Europe Cup title. What made him to be the greatest Canadian college player of all-time was his amazing 8 titles at the famed Carleton University. You just can’t go wrong with Carleton players as this season the Fraport Skyliners have another gem from Carleton with Aiden Warnholtz who won 6 titles there. He may not have won as many titles as Scrubb, but hey 6 isn’t too bad either. By most standards, it’s the titles that give players the standing as greatest just ask Michael Jordan. But sometimes guys sparkle with their overwhelming incredible statistics even if the titles didn’t grow from a tree the way they did for Scrubb. Germany now has another gem from Canada by the name of Javon Masters (182-PG-1994, college: UNB, agency: Blacktop Management) who signed with easyCredit BBL team Tigers Tuebingen. He may only have won 1 title in his career in Canada, but his stats what he showcased at the University of New Brunswick (CIS) were literally mind boggling. In his 5 seasons in the CIS, he averaged 24,0ppg and already lit it up in his freshman and sophomore seasons average 28,0ppg and 27,0ppg. In comparison, the best scoring average season of Scrubb was 18,6ppg. He won 5 scoring titles and one could say from his play, he was a master of Canadian College basketball. But who knows what would of happened had he gone to Cape Breton where he initially wanted to go, but didn’t because in the last moment another player took his spot. Not having gone to Cape Breton put a massive chip on his shoulder that hasn’t left him. ‘, It’s funny every time telling this story but it sure put a chip on my shoulder and it’s stuck with me even in the professional ranks now. I’m always willing to get better and push myself and always use that slight to motivate me to try and be the best I can be no matter the circumstance that I face’, warned Javon Masters. If you mention the name Philip Scrubb to Javon Masters, then you get nothing but respect. ‘Philip Scrubb is one of the greatest to ever play CIS basketball. I never played against him but we did cross paths my freshman year at the National awards and he did play in a different conference than me’, stated Javon Masters. Javon Masters was definitely a master of Canadian college basketball and continues to make strides overseas.

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and Phil Scrubb in Frankfurt in 2018

Javon Masters who lists Jamal Murray and Xavier Rathan Mayes as the toughest players he ever faced is a 28 year old 183cm guard that was born in Kitchener, Canada. He attended Forest Heights high school and was introduced to basketball at a young age. He was allowed to shoot on the Toronto Raptors court and quickly found a love for one of the greatest dunkers of all-time. ‘Being able to shoot on that Raptors court really did spark my interest in basketball but like many Canadians that go on to play high level, I think the biggest inspiration was Vince Carter and what he meant for not just Toronto but the entire country’, stated Javon Masters. He has followed the Raptors his whole life and now will observe from a far how new German world champion Dennis Schroeder will fare there. ‘Dennis will love Toronto, the culture and the atmosphere that the city will give him is second to none and being able to play with Pascal and Scottie will give him opportunities to thrive’, stressed Javon Masters. He played at the University of Brunswick from 2013-2018 winning the Aus title in his last year. ‘Winning the title means everything to me. UNB will hold a special place in my heart and to cap off my career with a title that the school didn’t see for 51 years just there aren’t really many words to describe it’, said Javon Masters. He had so many incredible games in school, but besides the AUS title, there was another thrilling game. ‘It would be the game against St Mary’s where I became the all-time leading scorer in Canadian university history where I had 39 points and we won that game in my senior season’, remembered Javon Masters. He didn’t only discover his lethal scoring in school, but also the all-day breakfast for energy. ‘It helped when you had early classes and it filled you up plus it was kind of cheap so could save me some money you know’, smiled Javon Masters. Every player in school has that coach that helped groom them to become the player they are today. For Phil Scrubb, it was Dave Smart and for Javon Masters it was Brent Baker. ‘Brent Baker helped me become the man and player I am today. Just how to prepare, game me a different perspective not just in basketball but in life and he was always there for me during the good and bad times of my career’, warned Javon Masters.

The explosive guard who lists Lebron, Jordan, Shaq & Steph on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore began his professional career in Spain with Rio Ourense Termal (Spain-LEB Gold) averaging 5.9ppg, 1.6rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 40.3%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 74.7%. It was a difficult rookie season as he had to swallow not averaging 20 plus points per game like in Canada. ‘I learned just to stay patient and be ready, that was a different experience for me because I was the main guy in University and then coming to that situation I wasn’t playing much and I felt like I wasn’t providing anything for the team. So I just worked and prepared myself to be ready for any situation that was thrown my way’, stated Javon Masters. His probably 2 best memories of that season was beating FC Barcelona’s farm team and battling against future NBA player Leandro Bolmaro. ‘He was a skilled big guard that was physical, can shoot It a bit but was very good at distributing the ball to his teammates’, remembered Javon Masters. He finished his rookie season gaining experience at home with the Hamilton Honey Badgers (Canada-CEBL) averaging 2.0ppg, 1.2rpg. But after one time, he preferred to work on his game during the summers instead of continuing. ‘It’s a great league, and the biggest memory for me was making the final in its inaugural season’, remembered Javon Masters. He then played his next 3 seasons in Romania starting with CS Dinamo Stiinta Bucuresti (Romania-Liga Nationala) putting up solid and consistent stats averaging 12.7ppg, 3.4rpg, 4.7apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 54.2%, 3PT: 26.8%, FT: 76.4% and in his second season averaged 12.0ppg, 3.0rpg, 3.4apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 55.4%, 3PT: 41.5%, FT: 62.3%. Romania became like a second home to him. ‘I got use to the language and food a bit so that was nice. Basketball wise it was really good test at the time for me playing against so big teams that played European competitions so that kind of set me up for France and now here in Germany. I think living in Bucharest was good getting a different experience as opposed to the one I lived with in Canada, different culture way of live new surroundings makes you appreciate a lot of things’, commented Javon Masters. His best scoring game in those 2 years was 23 points against Cluj Napoca. In his third season in Romania he played with CSM Galati (Romania-Liga Nationala) averaging 15.9ppg, 3.2rpg, 4.2apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 46.3%, 3PT: 37.8%, FT: 79.6%. His game reminded him again a bit on his scoring days in Canada as he scored in double figures in 30 of 34 games and exploded against Craiova with 35 points. ‘I was just being confident and trusting myself and all the work I put in during the season and before as well’, expressed Javon Masters. Last season he had a change of scenery playing with Stade Rochelais Basket (France-ProB) averaging 13.7ppg, 3.1rpg, 2.9apg, FGP: 50.6%, 3PT: 29.7%, FT: 80.8%. He lost 8 of the first 9 games. After that the season went in a certain direction that wasn’t up. ‘It was a tough way to start the year but we rallied in the end of December to get on a hot streak and just pulled it thru in the later months. Just to try and stay level headed, it’s a long season you’ll have lows and highs but just to buy in and believe you can accomplish something was the biggest thing I feel’, remembered Javon Masters. He scored in double figures in 25 of 34 games including scoring 23 points against Asa twice and once against Angers.

The Canadian native who feels the classic flick Coming To America should have been left alone has started a new challenge in Germany with easyCredit BBl team Tigers Tuebingen. Not every player can say ‘hey I’m playing in Germany home of the 2023 world champions of basketball. ‘It’s amazing, being able to play here in such a high level league like the BBL and it’s always nice to challenge yourself and play the best and this is something I’ve been working on for my entire life to get to this point’, said Javon Masters. He has joined a team which is back in the easyCredit BBL after many years in the Pro A. Will he feel more pressure than in other situations? ‘It’s been great so far being with the players, coaches and being within the organization and they have made my time so far so comfortable but in terms of pressure I don’t see it that way, I see it as a way to get better and play against some of the best teams in Europe and measure ourselves against them. Obviously our goal is to win every game, but we just need to get better week to week’, warned Javon Masters. He is finally on the biggest stage in his basketball career as the German easyCredit BBL is a top 5 league in Europe. How well will his game translate to the BBL and will he be a scorer again? I’m excited, these are always the leagues you want to challenge yourself and go against the best and I’ve been working hard and preparing myself as best as I can to try and get to this point. I feel my game can translate to here but I just got to trust our coaches and my teammates to put us in positions to succeed and work together. I mean, you’re always playing with great players around you so it’s adjusting to who’s around you. These last couple years I’ve been more of a point guard getting others involved but any moment like you said I can score so it’s always picking and choosing those spots to be effective in both facilitating and being aggressive’, stressed Javon Masters.

Javon Masters who remembers winning more 1-1 duels in practice against Jessie Kendall is a small guard that has that pit bull in him a la Kyle Lowery. He also has been compared to Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook on account of his speed. Even if he is known as a pure scorer, versatility is a big part of his game. ‘I’m just trying to put our team in positions to be successful and be an extension of the coach on the floor and do anything to win. So if that means to score, defend ,rebound or facilitate then I’m cool with it’, stated Javon Masters. His three pointer continues to be a work in progress as it has been up and down, but he hopes that it can become more stable in the next years. ‘Just reps on reps, last year I over thought a lot of shots but I know I’ve put in the work to be a consistent shooter. I just got to trust my mechanics and the believe that every shot will go in and the results can speak for itself’, stressed Javon Masters. He doesn’t only want to shine with his offensive input, but also on the defensive end. ‘I feel with my quickness and lateral speed I can guard a lot of guards and I think to add on that side of the ball just off ball being more better’, warned Javon Masters. To be able to be consistent and successful in the easyCredit BBL, you have to grind extra in the lab. ‘Just being more assertive and just playing, I think sometimes I overthink in situations which causes me to lose confidence and what not so just going out and playing and leaving it all out on the floor and just live with the results’,added Javon Masters. Making the next step in the easyCredit BBL is a tough one as he is averaging only 4,6ppg, 1,4rpg and 2,2apg in 14,4 minutes per game. The All day breakfast definitely must of given him extra energy on game days in Canada. He definitely didn’t get the full dose of the all day breakfasts in Tuebingen, but this fierce competitor will get another chance to show his worth as the club prolonged his short term contract to mid January.

Shawn Scott (185-G-1996, college: SW Christian) is a 27 year old 185cm guard playing his third professional season and first with BG Hagen. Last season he split time with TVO Biggesee / TV Jahn Lindhorst (Germany-Regionalliga) averaging 31.2ppg, 10.4rpg, 6.1apg, 3.6spg, 2FGP: 56.2%, 3FGP: 30.4%, FT: 77.6%, in Jan.’23 moved to BG 2000 Berlin (Germany-Regionalliga) averaging 14.2ppg, 8.1rpg, 4.6apg, 2.4spg, FGP: 53.5%, 3PT: 14.3%, FT: 64.4%. he began his career at Jenks High School and then played 3 seasons at Southwestern Christian University. He teams up with germanhoops.com every week to talk basketball.

Congrats on the huge 86-79 win over Koln DTV. The team now has a 3 game winning streak. What has the team been doing better in the winning streak?

Thank you. I think we’re starting to get back in a groove and playing good basketball and our defense in the past games have been pretty good I must say. I think this is the best time that we can start to play good before the break and keep that streak going.

Talk about the 40 minutes. What was the strongest quarter and what was key in crunch-time to getting the win?

I think the 4th quarter was the strongest because everyone locked in on defense and rebounded well. A lot of guys stepped up big on the offensive side and we were able to get good looks and capitalize. The key was rebounding for sure and making them take tough shots and then rebounding and controlling the ball after that. Of course we knocked down the much needed free throws to secure to win

Could one say that BG Hagen had some luck in that despite allowing 17 three´s still were able to win?

Definitely. It’s unbelievable that we had the lead most of the game even though they hit so many threes. But I think we got key stops and were able to score fast on the other end and get more possessions. We knew that they would shoot a lot of threes and our plan was just to make sure that the main shooters weren’t getting open shots.

BG Hagen had problems controlling American Elijah Jenkins. What was most difficult in trying to control him?

He got a lot of great looks from three point and he moves constantly without the ball so we tried our best to stay with him but he doesn’t need much space to get his shot off.

BG Hagen received solid support from the bench from Dusan Iiic? How key was his aggressiveness on the night?

Dusan was the X factor this game for sure. He was playing with absolutely no fear and had key and 1s late in the game and clutch free throws. For 15 years old it’s still crazy that he can produce like this in big games and moments.

You had a strong 26/12/6 game but 7 turnovers. What irritated you most about the turnovers?

I was not satisfied at all with my performance and the turnovers were the most frustrating. I was most irritated about the turnovers very late in the game and being so careless with the ball.

You next play up and down team Recklinghausen who are 7-7. What will be key to getting the win?

We have to stop the American Hinton for sure. We will watch film and gameplan on how we can limit him but this team also loves to shoot a lot of threes. I’m confident though because we have been very good defensively the past games and we plan to continue that for next game.

Thanks Shawn for the chat.

Ok so current Miami Heat forward Duncan Robinson did play at Michigan, but very few might recall that he actually began at a small NCAA 3 school and his stellar play at the NBA level has caught many people´s attention. Other guys like Devan George and Freddie Gillespie reached the big show as well. Even guys overseas who never reached the NBA have made reached the top level Euroleague like guard John DiBartolomeo who has won 8 titles with Maccabi Tel Aviv and still going strong as that sturdy reliable role player from the bench. In Germany the best example of a guy succeeding against all odds was Jeff Gibbs, a 188cm player from Otterbein (NCAA3)that looked like an undersized linebacker, but actually had to witness the laughs and sneers every weekend in the BBL when going against that guy for the first time who had never heard of him. The second time around there was no more laughing but the utmost respect as he belonged to the top centers in Germany for many years and was the best 188cm center to ever play in Germany and probably the only one ever. There are so many incredible players at the division 3 level, but don´t always get the credit right away that they deserve until they prove at the pro level that they are the real deal. One of those exceptional Americans balling in Europe thinks season is Buzz Anthony (180-PG-1998, college: RMC), a guy who won 4 titles in college, reached the magical 50/40/90 plateau at Randolph Macon College and already set the German pro A on fire last season winning the pro A assist crown with Paderborn. He has proven he is a very special player despite coming from the NCAA 3. “It was a very cool honor to receive. I did not have a goal of winning the assist title it when the season started. For me it shows how I was able to adapt to a new system and quickly be able to impact winning efficiently. I would like for the assists to stay high and the turnovers to go down more in these next couple seasons”, warned Buzz Anthony. When you have been able to achieve the monumental 50/40/90 mark in a season, you obviously have to put in a lot of time in the lab and put up countless shots. He has a special motto about how to achieve success at putting up good shooting numbers. “Be a shot maker not a shot taker is something I repeat a bunch in my workouts”, smiled Buzz Anthony.

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and Freddie Gillespie in Frankfurt in 2022

Connor Anthony who lists current New York Knick Immanuel Quickly as the toughest player he ever faced in his career and Lebron James as his GOAT goes by the first name of Buzz was born on September 4,1998 in Arnold, Maryland and grew up in Severn got his first taste of basketball at Archbishop Spalding High School. He then had a stellar 4 year career at Randolph Macon College (NCAA3) where racking up titles for him was as easy as recently it was for Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner to haul in 30 point games. He racked up accolades there like no other in school as he won 3 ODAC titles and topped off his senior year winning the Division 3 crown. “It was a great honor and somewhere that genuinely feels like home when we go back there in the summer. The school has a lot of supportive and engaged alumni. It felt amazing to win the national championship my last season for not only myself, but for all those that came before us”, remembered Buzz Anthony. Winning any chip is difficult and it wasn´t any different for him. “We had 3 teams in our ODAC conference that all have had coaches with a lot of experience that knew our team very well. We knew they would be some of our most challenging games. Beating those teams gave us ultimate confidence playing teams in the national tournament who had less time to prepare for us”, stressed Buzz Anthony. He played 5 years there and in his last 4 years averaged 16,0ppg, 4,0rpg and 6,0apg and twice shot 43% from outside in a season and once exploded for 48% from the parking lot. He learned many valuable things from head coach Josh Merkel and especially one thing that will help always at the pro level. “He is a great teacher about habit building. In D3 you do not have as much time with coaches in the offseason. Due to this our workouts are run by ourselves and we have to be in charge of our skill and physical improvements. I think that has translated well to the professional game because you always need to have your skills and habits sharp while you are working on efficient team activities”, stated Buzz Anthony. Other awards he picked up at Randolph Macon College were All-ODAC Player of the Year -2019, 20, 21, 22 All-ODAC First Team -2019, 20, 21, ODAC All-Tournament Team -2019, 20, 21, 22. NABC All-NCAA D3 Second Team -2019, 20, and All-ODAC All-Tournament MVP -2020, 21, 22. He played his pro rookie season in Germany with the Uni Baskets Paderborn (Germany-ProA) averaging 14.2ppg, 3.3rpg, Assists-1 (7.3apg), 1.6spg, FGP: 52.2%, 3PT: 36.4%, FT-2 (92.6%). Every player has that first experience in a new country where he feels that severe distance from home. “In October one of my best friends got married and that was the first big life event I had to miss because I am now thousands of miles away on another continent. Family and friendships are very important to me and that was hard”, stated Buzz Anthony. In his rookie season he scored in double figures in 22 games including hitting Giessen for 28 points and Vechta for 25 points and also dished out 16 dimes against PS Karlsruhe who remembers beating ex teammate Josh Talbert at 1-1 in school.

The explosive scoring guard who names Miles Mallory, David Funderburg, James Fleming III, Johannes Konradt, and Corey Bays as his 5 best teammates of all-time began his second pro season with KB Bashkimi Prizren (Kosovo-Superliga) playing 4 games averaging 11.5ppg, 2.5rpg, 4.3apg, 1.8spg posting a 2-2 record and then arrived in Artland in November and met a losing streak at 6 and that continued with 4 more loses. “Mentally it is very difficult. As a player you begin to question if you are a winner, no matter how much you may have won in the past. That battle with self-doubt and constantly looking in the mirror and taking ownership is not a fun one but it is the necessary step to try to learn from the losing and not blame or point fingers in the process”, said Buzz Anthony. A massive problem has been the defensive end where the club simply allows way too many points in a competitive league like the Pro A and are still searching for an identity. “We want to make the right play and it is not a lack of effort or choosing to make the hard play right now. We have been unsure in some of our scramble situations and at times being overactive in situations wanting to help a teammate. Now we have 2-3 guys helping which leaves us at a disadvantage once the ball is swung”, added Buzz Anthony. The club has a talented group of players and he was already confident before the Frankfurt game that a turnaround would follow soon. “I am confident we will find some rhythm this year. The league is very talented again this year and we are pushing to see small gain after small gain. Winning plays have been made the last 3 games, now we are working on making those plays habits that happen every single time”, expressed Buzz Anthony. That first win finally happened against 9-1 team Fraport Skyliners. Despite the early losing, it is obvious to see that he likes Germany otherwise he wouldn´t have returned so rapidly again. “My wife and I really appreciate the concerted effort made for the environment with returning bottles at the markets and the windmills everywhere. It has also been very fun just living in a city and walking most everywhere (very different than suburban America which was my life growing up)”, commented Buzz Anthony.

The Maryland native who lists Kobe Bryant, MJ, Lebron, and Steph Curry on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore has been very fortunate to be around great guards like real veteran Brandon Thomas who just won´t retire as his 40th birthday is looming close and ex Notre Dame player Temple Gibbs who supplied the needed scoring punch in the victory over Frankfurt. “BT is absolutely an ultimate veteran. He has a great discipline to who he is as a player and as a man. He shows up everyday continuing to ask questions and leads with humility. His discipline and humility are 2 things I have picked up from him. Temple is a very passionate player, as am I, which has helped bring intensity to the team”, warned Buzz Anthony. He has received the freedom from head coach Patrick Flomo to play his game and learned to appreciate the guidance from assistant coach Chase Griffin who was a feared sniper in the Pro A for 10 plus years and actually posted the insane 50/40/90 three times in the Pro A. “Flomo has a calm demeanor and is very interested in his players. I would say they both have a strong encouragement style to their leadership that I respect and appreciate. Griffin is very active with the skill development piece outside of the 5v5 practice time. This has allowed me to ask questions and learn new things to continue to work on my skills”, stressed Buzz Anthony. The scoring guard who compares his game as a mix of Steve Nash and John Stocton is currently averaging 9,8ppg, 1,6rpg and 6,6apg is a player that knows exactly when to score and when to dish. “I would say I am a pass first guard. I believe I am an unselfish scorer. The more dangerous I can be scoring the ball the easier it can be oftentimes to find teammates as well”, stated Buzz Anthony. But he has so many other attributes besides scoring, playmaking and shooting, but also is an underestimated defender. “I believe the adjustments in-game is something I do well. Seeing how a team guards baseline out of bounds actions or how they are guarding a certain ball screen action, I can then call something in our playbook and add a cut or screen in it for that specific moment to help gain more of an advantage for myself or other teammates.I am a defender who plays well in bursts and communicates at a high level with teammates. I am a physical lower body defender who can guard bigger players and force tough shots. I want to continue to learn to scramble and play angles better as a team defender.”, warned Buzz Anthony. One of his weak spots at the moment is his outside shooting as he is floundering at 17% at the moment. “I am working on improving my shooting off the dribble in ball screen action with range. I also want to be more dangerous with the floater coming off ball screens”, said Buzz Anthony. The season is still long and it will be interesting to see where the Artland Dragons stand in a few months. Who knows maybe he will be sniffing at the 50/40/90 mark this season especially with Chase Griffin watching his every move. If his outside shooting improves then he could be there. “Chase has a great attention to detail that you can see translates directly to efficiency as a player. I look forward to pursuing the 50/40/90 split that he achieved multiple seasons in the Pro A”, added Buzz Anthony. He couldn´t ask for a better teacher in Chase Griffin.

Temple Gibbs (193-G-1997, college: Notre Dame) is a 26 year 193cm guard from New Jersey playing his third professional season and first with German pro A team Artland Dragons. Last season he played with CSM Galati (Romania-Liga Nationala) averaging 11.4ppg, 1.4rpg, 1.9apg, FGP: 45.0%, 3PT: 34.5%, FT: 82.9%. He played his rookie season with Krka Novo Mesto (Slovenia-Liga Nova KBM) averaging 12.0ppg, 2.2rpg, 1.9apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 60.5%, 3PT: 42.3%, FT: 80.0% in the Slovenian league. He began his basketball career at Seton Hall prep and then played Notre Dame (NCAA) from 2016-2020 playing a total of 136 games. He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball.

Thanks TJ for talking to germanhoops.com. Your playing your third pro season and first for the Artland Dragons. You are presently calling Germany home. What have you learned to appreciate the most about the country?

I have learned a ton since being in Germany. On and off the court had opened my eyes to different aspects of life and playing style. I love the pick and roll style that is played in Germany.

You come from a basketball family as Ashton played professional and other brother Sterling still does. How vital was it having your brothers growing up and being able to help shape your basketball game?

It was very vital for my family and myself growing up with basketball. It’s always easier to piggyback ideas and thoughts about the game with people who know so much and can see things on the court that I might be able to see.

Who wins a 1-1 today if you play against them?

I say I do but if you ask them we all say the same answer. It would be a fight to death for sure though

It has been a tough season for the Artland Dragons so far. How tough has the losing been for you
mentally?

It’s been great being a dragon. The losing part has been tough but that’s a part of the journey and we have to keep pushing and not give up

The team lost 3 close games. The club is fighting but have problems putting points on the board and allowing too many points. How confident are you the team will get out of this funk?

I trust Coach Pat and his game plan. I think we have a lot of fire power on this team. Once we start to get together and gel we will see different outcomes.

What has been your impression of new point guard Buzz Anthony? What have you appreciated most from his game and how do you guys compliment each best on the floor?

Buzz is a great player. He does a lot on the court for the team. He plays similar to Matt Farrell.

How valuable has ultimate veteran Brandon Thomas been for you? He is a guy that has seen so much overseas. What have you been able to pick from his brain that has helped you?

BT has been a great bet for me. He had been a constant reminder to the entire team that we have to stay focused and the outcome that we want will come

You had 2 solid seasons in Slovenia and Romania. What kind of game will you showcase in Germany and how has your game grown since coming out of Notre Dame?

It had been great for the last 3 years being able to learn so much more about the game. From my time in college I played more off the ball and had to find ways to attack downhill. Now I’m about to come off pick and rolls a little more and make the right read. Have great leaders and vets has always been a positive help for me over the years and BT has been a major part in my success here!

Describe your game a little. If you had to compare your game to an NBA palyer who would best fit the bill?

I would describe my game as solid. I just try to make the right play and do what my team needs me to do to get wins. I like to compare my game to Tyus Jones. Not doing too much but always doing enough to make the team better!

You have always been a scorer, but how vital is it for you to become even more of a versatile player that will fill the stat sheet even more?

It has become very vital. As I grow more with the European game. I started to build an understanding that the more you can affect the game and have stats the more you will play. I will keep striving to get my teammates more involved!

What kind of a defender are you now and what kind of defender do you still want to become?

Im still growing as a defender. Right now I’m a better on ball defender with a lot of pressure but I want to able to start taking more charges and getting more rebounds

On what areas of your game are you working on most now so your game can continue to grow?

Right now I’m trying to grow within my shooting. Becoming a more constant shooter while also becoming a great point guard. Being able to put those two things together will help me.

You played last season for CSM Galati (Romania-Liga Nationala) averaging 11.4ppg, 1.4rpg, 1.9apg, FGP: 45.0%, 3PT: 34.5%, FT: 82.9%. What kind of an experience was playing in Romania? What did you cherish most about the experience?

I loved Romania. It was a great experience with great people and coaches. I loved how much I learned there and will cherish that forever. Coach Nini really put us in positions to learn what to do and how to make specific reads throughout the offense. I was able to use what I learned at Krka and really grow as a player because of my experience in Romania. Galati is a great place.

You played your rookie season with Krka Novo Mesto (Slovenia-Liga Nova KBM) averaging 8.9ppg, 2.1rpg, 1.5apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 28.9%, 3PT: 39.1%, FT: 88.9%; and in the Slovenian Liga Nova averaged 12.0ppg, 2.2rpg, 1.9apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 60.5%, 3PT: 42.3%, FT: 80.0%. What do you remmeber being your wake up call to being a rookie overseas where you knew that you were far away from home?

My very first european game was against Jake Blazic and I just remember thinking how this is a completely different intensely to the game and what was going on. It was a real adjustment after the first few minutes

You were teammates with ex NBA player Adonis Thomas. Was he a guy that took you under his wing? What do you remember most fondly about his charachter?

AD was my first American Vet. Without him I don’t think I would have made it as long as I did in Krka. He really showed me what the overseas life was like and how hard I really had to work to be able to be successful in this long term. It’s crazy how he has been able to keep taking massive steps forward!

You were also teammates with another great veteran with Rok Stipcevic. How did he help you most with the Euro game and just getting adjusted to the guard game overseas?

It was great playing with Rok. He originally went through all my reads through pick and rolls, with Spain’s, going opposites, and getting downhill. He was a great mentor.

You didn’t play in the 2020-2021 season. How much did Covid play a role in that? How tough was not playing and dealing with that mentally?

Covid was a really tough year. I’m glad I was able to take step back from basketball for a year and really spend some time with my family. It made me sit down and consider if I really loved the game. Which I do. Sitting out that year allowed me to a better headspace which I needed.

You played at Notre Dame (NCAA) from 2016-2020 and really came into your own in your second season. How did your game grow in your last 3 years?

Playing at ND was a dream come true! I was able to learn how Coach Brey ran his day to day and pick his mind on coaching. We are a real family. ND helped me grow my game from being one dimensional to becoming a more defensive focused player.

You reached the NIT Sweet 16 and ACC final. What was your fondest moment there?

Making the NCAA tournament, winning a game, and moving on is always great. It was just fun to be in pressure situations like that.

As a freshman you had a solid 12 point game in a 84-74 loss to Duke where Jayson Tatum had a 19/14 game. What memories do you have battling against a future NBA superstar?

It was great to play against people that play in the NBA and hopefully I can get a shot too.

You also played against North Carolina many times and battled Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett. What memories do you have of Williamson? How do you remember yourself matching up against them and others?

Yeah it was cool to play against Zion and RJ. They are both great players

You were teammates 2 sesasons with Bonzie Colson. He was a special player and also into the arts. How do you remember him best?

Bonz is a great teammate and even better person. It was great going through college with him. He really helped me out when I was younger. Watching him play was like watching magic. You have no idea how it happened but it got done and you can’t complain about it.

How did head coach Mike Brey groom and prepare you best for a professional career?

Coach Brey ran his practices and offenses very similar to the European game. So when I got over here the in the court situations and practices weren’t so different than the ones that I was used to having in college. He did a great job of keeping up with the times and the way the game was trending. He made great adjustments and would always talk us through what he was doing and why.

Who won a 1-1 in practice you or Prentiss Hubb?

P was my roommate but we didn’t play 1 on 1 much.

Please list your personal NBA Mount Rushmore?

My NBA Mount Mount Rushmore is Lebron, Kobe, Wilt, and Larry Bird

Who is your GOAT and why?

Lebron has to be the goat now. He has been too great for too long not to be the goat!

Did you see the sequel to the classic Coming To America? Shouldn’t they have left it alone?
I have not but they definitely should have! Can’t mess with a classic like that!!
Thanks Temple for the chat.

The march up the Pro B standings continue for the Dragons Rhondorf as they just keep winning. Except for a loss in Ulm against Orange Academy, the club has mostly played explosive offensive basketball. Especially in the last 3 games, the team has averaged 106 points and have found a smooth offensive rhythm. Their defensive game continues to be up and down as last week they gelled, but 2 weeks ago allowed 100 points in Coburg. Their next opponent were TSV Troester Breitengussbach a club that brought a 3-7 record to Rhondorf. They are one of those daring teams that play without an import player. They are a solid defensive team, but offensively can´t match the explosiveness of Rhondorf. They arrived in Rhondorf with a 2 game losing streak and were well undermanned having only a 7 man rotation as Alexander Engel, Henning Nielson and Manuel Feuerpfeil were all out, but they gave all they had for 40 minutes, but it was only obvious that they would have massive problems as they bowed out in style 101-72. Rhondorf moved to 10-1 and Breitenguss bach moved to 3-8. “It was tough against a strong and powerful Rhondorf team. We fought hard and gave all we had. You could see that we had problems with their high individual class”, stated Breitengussbach guard Timo Dippold. Talking after a win with Dragons guard Kelvin Omojola (183-G-1997, college: Northwest) is always a delight, because even after 40 minutes, the Las Vegas native still sprouts as much energy with words as he does with his game. As he spoke his first words, teammate Badu Buck snuck up behind him and yelled Rubio and if you checked his stat line, his 12 assists played justice to the name. Omojola was just one of many that gave their 2 cents to the victory. “This was a total team effort. We had 7 guys in double figures. It was also a great team defensive effort. We showed tonight that were leveling up our defense. I guess that’s my new nickname with Rubio. Coach empowers me to play the point guard roll even though it´s the first time I`m playing it this season. I´m thankful I could play behind guys like Kone and Shungu in Karlsruhe. I learned so much from them”, stressed Dragons Rhondorf guard Kelvin Omojola.

Lucas Wagner at the FT line

Despite the guests having injury woes, the Dragons Rhondorf also had their problems as their top guards Badu Buck and Tyrese Blunt were out as was big man Jekabs Beck, but in the first few minutes, they didn´t any let any of that effect their game as they jumped all over the guests taking a commanding 13-2 lead. Young German teen sensation Janne Muller began with 5 points while ex Cologne forward Antonio Pillipovic hit a runner, Omojola a trey and Texas native Avery Sullivan connected on a 20 footer. The Dragons offense was rolling with good ball movement while their defensive pressure was presenting the Bavarian team with woes as they coughed up the ball 3 times. Rhondorf lost their offensive rhythm in the second half of the first quarter as they didn´t make as good decisions while Breitengussbach attacked the rim with more intensity as veteran Steffen Walde scored twice as did 19 year old German Leo Trummeter and German Marlon Stephan nailed a trey as Rhondorf led only 20-11 after 10 minutes. “We put our feet off the gas pedal after the good start. We have to learn that once we have the lead, we have to keep it or build on it with our bench guys”, stated Kelvin Omojola. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 44%from the field and 25% from outside and had 9 rebounds and 1 turnover while TSV Troesster Breitengussbach shot 31% form the field and 14% from outside and had 9 rebounds and 6 turnovers.

Avery Sullivan lay in

In the second quarter The Dragons Rhondorf continued to control and keep the comfortable double digits lead, but allowed the guests to hang around. Rhondorf got back to back put backs from ex Bamberg center Leon Bulic and Avery Sullivan while producing 3 stops and leading 25-11. Breitengussbach finally got their first field goal at the 7,20 minute mark with German big man Luca Worrlein who made a turn around shot. Rhondorf continues to demonstrate that anyone can score in bunches as Pilipovic added 5 points for the 30-15 advantage. The offensive machine of the Dragons was in full throttle and their defensive pressure was spot on, but then the guests made an adjustment going to zone and striking back with a 9-2 run to trail only 32-24. In the run the Bavarian team got support from German captain Lucas Wagner and Worrlein while Walde added 5 points including a turn around shot. In the last minutes, the Dragons got solid offensive support again as 20 year old Matej Silic added 5 points and Muller 4 points. The Dragons got more adjusted to the Breitengussbach zone making better decisions that led to better execution. At half-time the Dragons Rhondorf led comfortably 41-30. “Our zone worked well, but only for a certain time. We can play well for 5-6 minutes, but never for a whole quarter”, stated Timo Dippold. “Their zone gave us problems. I think that was the first real zone we have seen this season. We have prepared for it. Once we made adjustments we got more comfortable”, expressed Kelvin Omojola. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 39% from the field and 21% from the three point line and had 23 rebounds and 4 turnovers while TSV Troesster Breitengussbach shot 29% from the field and 8% from the three point line and had 24 rebounds and 9 turnovers.

Timo Dippold from outside

The Dragons Rhondorf stepped up their game in the third quarter producing 30 points and having an overwhelming lead of 19 points after 30 minutes. The Dragons Rhondorf came out storming going on a 10-4 run to lead 50-35. The Dragons opened with back to back three´s from Silic and Pilipovic while Omojola and Sullivan also scored in the paint using their flashy athleticism and quickness. This was the best offensive spurt of the Dragons since the first few minutes of the first quarter. The ball movement was popping again and Breitengussbach was mixing it up playing more high tempo instead of trying to slow it down. A big difference between both teams was simple in that the Dragons were able to share the responsibility on many shoulders while the guests only had one guy with young 19 year old Leo Trummeter who scored 11 points in a row for his team, but they still trailed by 20 points. The Bavarian side couldn´t string up a row of consecutive stops as Muller and Omojola hit three´s while Pilipovic and Silic added energy scoring inside. Rhondorf continued to do a super job taking care of the ball and had the upper hand on the boards as they led 70-51 after 3 quarters. “We did a better job running our sets and not having any quick shots and we also attacked the rim better. We kept it simple. Basketball made it easy for us”, stated Kelvin Omojola. “We were too slow with our zone and they had good ball movement. It effected out mentality”, said Timo Dippold. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 41% from the field and 28% from the parking lot and had 37 rebounds and 5 turnovers while TSV Troesster Breitengussbach shot 37% from the field and 13% from the parking lot and had 30 rebounds and 12 turnovers.

Antonio Pilipovic at the FT line

In the fourth quarter the Dragons Rhondorf did a fine job conserving the lead and closing out the game strong. Both teams traded early three´s as Silic and Stephan scored, but Rhondorf still held the comfortable 77-56 advantage. After a Wagner put back, the Dragons Rhondorf put the last big exclamation mark on the win as they strolled out on a 9-2 run to extend their lead to 93-60. In the run, the Dragons got good support from Silic and Pilipovic from outside, but also from Janne Muller who supplied 5 points and was on his way to a career day with 24/7/4 stats. “Janne is a real pro. I don´t look at him as a 17 year old. He plays with good pace and has a high IQ. I love his game”, warned Kelvin Omojola. In the last minutes, the guests got some added production from Wagner and Worrlein in the paint and buckets from Dippold and Walde while the Dragons Rhondorf cracked the 100 points from Janne Muller while Marko Rosic added 4 free throws. “We managed the lead well and just stuck to our principles and closed out the game well”, stressed Kelvin Omojola. The Dragons Rhondorf got 17 points from Antonio Pilipovic while Matej Silic added 16 points and Leon Bulic had 12 points and Marko Rosic and Avery Sullivan had 11 points apiece while TSV Troesster Breitengussbach were led by Leo Trummeter and Steffen Walde with 16 points a piece. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 42% from the field and 31% from outside and had 44 rebounds and 8 turnovers while TSV Troesster Breitengussbach shot 40% from the field and 24% from outside and had 31 rebounds and 20 turnovers.