Alani Moore II (178-PG-1998, college: Temple) is a 25 year old 178cm guard from Rockville, Maryland playing his second professional season and first in Germany with the EPG Baskets Koblenz averaging 15/4/5 stats. Last season he played with Sanaat Mes Rafsanjan (Iran-Superleague) playing 16 games averaging 18.8ppg, 4.0rpg, Assists-3 (4.7apg), Steals-4 (2.3spg), FGP: 44.7%, 3PT: 36.9%, FT: 76.9%. He began his pro career with the Houston Push (TBL) averaging 12.5ppg, 2.6rpg, 5.2apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 51.7%, 3PT: 40.0%, FT: 86.1%. He began his basketball career at the Montrose Christian school and also played at Friendship Collegiate Academy. He then played at temple (NCAA) from 2016-2020 playing a total of 122 NCAA games and as a senior averaged 8.4ppg, 2.8rpg, 2.6apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 28.3%, 3PT: 39.8%, FT: 86.1%. He spoke to germanhoops.com after the tough 79-78 loss in game 1 to the Basketball Lowen Erfurt.

The EPG Baskets Koblenz suffered a tough 79-78 loss in game 1 to the Basketball Lowen Erfurt. It’s the playoffs and have the opponents become tougher and tougher?

I would say so. They wanted to win as much as we did. They just had a little more fight and smarts then we did.

2 stats are crazy, Koblenz had the 16-7 offensive rebound edge and 5 turnovers to 14 of Erfurt. It’s mind boggling how the team couldn’t have taken better advantage of it.

We had to many careless mistakes. A big problem was not having enough will to get a good shot or the needed urgency to be aware of what we needed to do as well as execute on extra possessions.

You swept the season series against the Basketball Lowen Erfurt. Did they seem to really have come out with a real sense of urgency?

They did come in with real urgency. They did a good job executing their game plan. They pushed the ball well and got many transition points.

How vital was the tough Schwelm playoff series, What do you believe did the club learn from the tight Schwelm series?

We learned that we can’t take anyone lightly. Every team gives us their best punch. The will to win is a lot higher in the playoffs as well as guys being able to make crazy shots.

The EPG Baskets Koblenz didn’t start off bad, but scored 26 points, but still allowed 20 points. Top player Guy Edi had 7 of his 17 points in the first quarter. What makes it so difficult to contain him?

Edi is strong and versatile and a good shooter. We need to switch more aggressively on him and just stay in front of him. He knows how to use his body.

The second quarter was a real battle as you began well but the guests never let up trailing only 47-46. Tyseem Lyles gave the team consistent scoring. What’s the biggest challenge in stopping him?

We need to run him off the line. He is a good shooter and need to make him drive more. He is their main shooter and when he gets going, he gives his team a big boost.

Do you feel like a team like Erfurt got extra confidence after seeing how well Schwelm played against you?

Yes for sure. I’m sure they watched film and saw our flaws.

The EPG Baskets Koblenz had control in the third quarter and then lost it again in the last minutes leading only 62-61. Does the team think too much when they have a7-8 point lead instead of just continuing to play?

Our mentality is a concern. We begin to do things that we normally don’t do. Here and there the ball bounces differently and we have to be prepared for everything and always have the same mentality.

The fourth quarter was a real dog fight. Once again Koblenz had control but allowed the guests to come back. What was key in crunch-time for not being able to pull it out?

They stayed consistent. We tried to do the same. We weren’t as focused as we should have been and looked to much for fouls. We need to be locked in the whole game.

Koblenz shot very bad and now have a another do or die game now only on the road. What will be key to force another do or die game at home?

We have to play our game. We have to show why we were the number one team. We have to play hard and smart. We have to fight the course and have the dog and will to get the win.

Despite the successful season how tough has it been as a player dealing with the pressure and expectations? How have you dealt with it?

It hasn’t been that tough. I take each game the same. I need to step up and I always try to play as hard as I can. I have to get all on the same page and locked in.

Your having a very solid Pro B season with 15/4/5 stats. What has been the biggest challenge for you with your game being on a team where every guy can be a leading scorer on any night?

I play on and off the ball. I try to help as much as I can as a leader. I try to help the bigs, wings and guardswith little things and they do the same with me. I try to be a role model and leader.

What have you appreciated most about Marvin Heckel’s game? How has he helped your game most?

It is great to play with another guard that brings energy and playmaking. That helps take pressure off me. He is a great asset for me and vice versa.

There are some very interesting NBA playoff series with Denver-Phoenix, Boston,-Philadelphia and New York and Miami. Who do you have in these series

I got Phoenix in 6, Boston in 7 and Miami in 6.

Thanks Alani for the chat.

Tags : ALANI MOORE II, EPG BASKETS KOBLENZ, GERMAN BASKETBALL

Even if basketball is played all over the world, it sometimes still can feel a small world. Two years ago I had the opportunity to interview Bonzie Colson who had had a short NBA stint and was playing with SIG Strasburg at the time. 2 years later in 2023 I had the opportunity to interview another ex NBA player with Tim Frazier (185-PG-1990, college: Penn St.) now playing also with SIG Strasburg. The biggest difference between both outstanding players is that Frazier’s run in the NBA was a lot longer at 8 years. There is a special link between Frazier and Colson and I. During the NBA playoffs in 2019 when the Boston Celtics were battling the Milwaukee Bucks, both Colson and Frazier were on the Bucks roster. During the playoff series, I was in Boston visiting family and I saw both players before a game and got their autographs. I mean what are the chances that 2 players from one NBA team season would play on the same French team within a few years with me getting both of their autographs. I mean it isn’t a cake walk anymore getting NBA players autographs. Tim Frazier never lost the love to make fans young or old happy. Before a game 1 Basketball Champions League game in Bonn, there was a die hard autograph collector that would have made some American autograph seekers jealous as he had reserved a whole table and gotten every player’s autograph of SIG Strasburg before the game. Frazier must of signed 6-7 printed out photos of himself ‘You can look at it 2 ways. I always try to sign. For me it is a blessing that someone would want my autograph. I don’t take anything for granted. I know that one day nobody is going to want my autograph anymore. I have friends who are top 5 players in the NBA. They know that the more they sign the more the value goes down. So it makes sense that they sometimes don’t sign. Signing for kids is a no brainer. For me it is special when people ask me for an autograph. I always sign for people’, stressed Tim Frazier. He doesn’t remember signing for me and how could he when NBA players are bombarded around the clock each day from the shoot around before the game, departure to the game and arrival at the next hotel at 2.am. The autograph hounds are always present. But the ex NBA player had a laugh when he heard he had signed for me once in Boston. ‘It really is a small world. One day your signing for someone and the next day your running into that person again or being interviewed’, said Tim Frazier. Even if Tim Frazier had special encounters with Kobe, Giannis and Dirk and isn’t in the NBA at the moment, he still feels so blessed to be able to play the game he loves overseas.

Tim Frazier autograph from 2019 in Boston

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and Tim Frazier meet again in Bonn Germany in 2023

Tim Frazier was born on November 1st, 1990 in Houston, Texas. He began to play basketball at age 5 at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory in Houston. As a senior he averaged 15.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 3.6 steals per game and led the team to a 37-1 record. He helped them become the first private school to reach the state tournament’s semifinals. He was a 3 star recruit for Rivals.com and committed to Penn State (NCAA). He graduated high school Cum Laude. He would play there from 2009-2014 playing a total of 135 NCAA games. ‘Coming to Penn State was a big change for me. It was first time that I saw snow. It was a big culture shock for me. The experience was awesome though’, stressed Tim Frazier.In his freshman season he played 31 games averaging 5.0ppg, 2.3rpg, 2.4apg. In his sophomore season he played 34 games averaging 6.3ppg, 3.9rpg, 5.1apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 43.0%, 3PT: 34.4%, FT: 75.3%. His biggest game that season was scoring 22 points in the upset win over Michigan State at the Big 10 tournament semi-finals. A downer that season was losing to Temple (NCAA) in the big dance as Jaun Fernandez won the game on a close out past him. ‘That was a tough loss. I was in tears mainly because that was the senior’s last game. I knew I had 2 more years and a few more chances’, remembered Tim Frazier. In his next season after the departure of guards Chris Babb and Talor Battle who both would play for the Telekom Baskets Bonn in Germany, he made a massive jump in his game averaging 18.8ppg, 4.7rpg, 6.2apg, 2.4spg, FGP: 44.0%, 3PT: 31.4%, FT: 79.1%. He scored in double figures in 30 of 32 games and had big games against Nebraska scoring 30 points and hit South Florida for 27 points. In his fourth season he played only 4 games and was out for the rest of the season with an injury. He was able to red shirt the season and averaged 16.3ppg, 4.5rpg, 3.8apg, 2.3spg. He returned for a fifth season and formed a strong duo with DJ Newbill and averaged 14.9ppg, 4.4rpg, 5.4apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 43.0%, 3PT: 29.1%, FT: 78.5%. He scored in double figures in 28 of 32 games including scoring 29 points a piece in wins against St Johns and Pennsylvania. His game grew a lot in his 5 years thanks to head coaches Ed Dechellis and Patrick Chambers. ‘I had pivotal experiences with both of them. Ed was a strict out of the book coach. He gave me confidence and a chance to play. Pat had coached future NBA players. His selling point was that he had coached Kyle Lowery. He took me to Villanova practices to watch their guards. He taught me what I needed to do to get to the NBA. He showed me how to be a good pro guard’, stressed Tim Frazier. He was named to the Bob Cousy Award watch list, was Third Team All-Big Ten, and named to the Barclays Center Classic all-tourney team. He was also a Senior CLASS Award finalist, and was handed the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award

The quick guard who remembers losing to Chris Babb in 1-1 battles at Penn State, but getting him back a few years later in Maine began his professional career in the summer of 2014 playing NBA Summer League with the Philadelphia 76ers averaging 3.4ppg, 4.0rpg, 2.0apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 28%, FT: 50%. Their paths would cross soon after again. He had a wild rookie season beginning with the Boston Celtics and then being released and played with the Maine Red Claws (D-League). He had a fine rookie campaign in Maine averaging 16.1ppg, 7.1rpg, Assists-1 (9.5apg), 1.7spg, FGP: 49.1%, 3PT: 36.4%, FT: 81.1%. He scored in double figures in 36 of 41 games and had massive games against Delaware with 34 points, and scored 30 points against Eire Bay. He also recorded 4 triple doubles. ‘I’m really thankful for Chris Babb who was so helpful and helping make the transition from college to the pro’s’, remembered Tim Frazier. His dream like everyone else outside the NBA was the NBA and he did anything he could to be close to it. ‘This is a crazy story. It was like a 3 hour drive from Maine to Boston. I came down a lot to watch games if I had a day off. Often I would buy a ticket and sometimes get tickets from Players. I would talk to the players after the game. Then one day I got a call from the 76ers. Michael carter Williams was hurt and they were playing in Boston. They had no point guard and called me the day of the game. I had no shoes and I went to Boston. I asked Avery Bradley and he gave me a pair of his. This was a surreal moment for me. Playing my first NBA game against the team that cut me. That led to a 8 year NBA career. You couldn’t have asked for a better story’, remembered Tim Frazier. He had brief stints with Philadelphia playing 6 games and 6 games with Portland. He finished the season with a double double 13/10 against Dallas and will never forget playing against Dirk Nowitzki. ‘Dirk was Dirk. He was so phenomenal in his prime. But even near the end he was still so good. He put me in the switch and made his fade away over me. There was nothing I could do. I’m from Houston and only heard good things about him and how much he did for the community’, stated Tim Frazier. Every player has their NBA wake up moment and it wasn’t any different for him. ‘Playing 1-1 after practice against Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum and Steve Blake was tough. I saw really how great they were. Even Blake who was at the end of his career could still move well. I scored maybe once. All 3 dominated me. They showed me I had to work very hard to be in the NBA. I asked Dam if I could work out with him. Now we are still doing it during the summers’, added Tim Frazier.

The Texas native who has Damian Lillard, Anthony Davis, Giannis, CJ McCollum and Markief Morris as his 5 best teammates of all-time played the 2015-2016 season with the Portland Trail Blaziers playing 32 games averaging 1.6ppg, 1.2rpg, 1.3apg, played 8 games with the Maine Red Claws (D-League) averaging 15.0ppg, 9.1rpg, 9.6apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 61.0%, 3PT: 40.0%, FT: 75.0%, and finished the season with the New Orleans Pelicans (NBA) playing 15 games averaging 13.1ppg, 4.5rpg, 7.4apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 43.8%, 3PT: 44.8%, FT: 75.4%. It was obvious his time with the Pelicans was his best time in the NBA. ‘I think my time with the Pelicans then helped solidify my career. Pelicans had guys banged up and they signed me. My play helped me get a contract for next season. I came from Portland where I didn’t play because guys like Lillard and McCollum were playing. Then I go to the Pelicans and play really well. I still watch highlights and think who is that guy?. I was waving people off. I was playing with so much confidence’, remembered Tim Frazier. He had some fine games against Chicago netting 20 points and collecting 11 dimes, hit Brooklyn for 19 points and 13 assists and had 15 assists against Minnesota. That season he played against the Lakers and Kobe Bryant 4 times wining all games. In the first 3 games he totaled only 10 minutes, but near the end of the season in one of Kobe’s last games as a professional he played 26 minutes having 7 points and 12 assists. He will never forget that last encounter with the black mamba. ‘We played before a packed house in New Orleans and my Mom was there. I’m sure he knew who I was. He took a picture with my mom. But it wasn’t one of those pics that you just take and move on, but he really took time and talked with her something he wouldn’t have had to do. He signed for every last person and signed everyone’s shoe who had one there. He took so much time and that goes a long way showing what kind of person he was. The way he presented himself there meant more to me then his 81 point game or his titles. He was so humble and put a smile on my face. I didn’t get a pic with him, but I thank him for how much he meant to the game and my family’, remembered Tim Frazier. In the 2016-2017 season he remained with the Pelicans and had a solid season playing 65 games averaging 7.1ppg, 2.6rpg, 5.2apg, FGP: 44.6%, 3PT: 31.3%, FT: 76.0%. He scored in double figures in 21 games and had 20 points or more 4 times including scoring 21 points against Golden State and Atlanta and 20 points against the Bucks and Clippers. He also registered 10 assists or more 8 times including 14 against the Hawks. He saw the early development of Anthony Davis as he was becoming a superstar in that time. ‘I remember Jrue Holiday got injured at a time where we had a tough schedule. Anthony kept us in each game. He made me look better than I ever was. I knew all I had to do was get in the lane and he would make me look good. 5 of my assists were from him. He is a guard in a big man’s body. He is a close friend of mine. I was his best man at his wedding’, stressed Tim Frazier.

The ex Penn State great who remembers ex Michigan (NCAA) great Trey Burke being his toughest cover in the NCAA played the 2017-2018 season with the Washington Wizards (NBA) playing 60 games averaging 2.9ppg, 1.9rpg, 3.3apg. He wasn’t able to get the minutes he did the 2 seasons before in New Orleans as with the Wizards averaged only 14 minutes and scored in double figures only twice and had 14 dimes against the Hawks. He was teammates with Polish beast Marcin Gortat a guy that began to make a name for himself early in his career in 2006 in Germany and then reached the NBA having a solid 12 year NBA career. ‘Marcin was great. He was one of the best screen setters that I ever played with. That is what he prided himself doing. One can credit all those John Wall dunks to him setting great screens. He was a laid back and funny guy that put in the work. I remember he always doing the hammer when he dunked. I was really fortunate to have been able to come across great teammates’, said Tim Frazier. In the 2018-2019 season his wandering from team to team in the NBA continued as he returned back to the Pelicans again averaging 5.0ppg, 2.9rpg, 4.4apg, and then moved to the moved to Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) playing 21 games averaging 4.6ppg, 1.9rpg, 2.5apg. He had some great games again that season scoring in double figures in 8 games and had 10 assists or more 5 times. He scored 29 points and 13 assists against Oklahoma and 20 points and 15 assists against Atlanta a team he always played well against. He was fortunate to be teammates with Greek Freak Giannis a player that is for many the best player in the NBA at the moment. ‘I can’t say a bad word about him. For me he is top 5 in best work ethic that I have ever seen. He has put in so much time in the weight room and it shows. He deserves all the success he has had. He wants all to succeed. He is such a dominant player and is just a great teammate, and parent. I saw in Greece how much of a house hold name he is. Everybody asked me about him. It is great to see how far he has come. He is still growing. He always wants to get better’, warned Tim Frazier. In the 2019-2020 season he played with the Detroit Pistons (NBA) playing 27 games averaging 3.6ppg, 1.2rpg, 3.4apg. Covid hit in the latter part of the season and his minutes were really sporadic. ‘That was a tough season. I just had to stay ready. I may not play for 2 weeks and then start a game. An experience like this makes you a pro. I may play 30 minutes or 30 seconds. At the end of the day you put the team first. You have to always be ready. I always put in the work so I would be ready when my number was called’, remembered Tim Frazier. He scored 17 points against ex team Washington and 13 points against Chicago.

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and Marcin Gortat in Rhondorf Germany in 2006

The guard who lists Steph Curry and Damian Lillard (I knew his moves and had to stop him or I would hear it all summer long) as his toughest opponents on the court in the NBA played only 5 games for Memphis in the 20-21 season as COVID was in full swing. ‘That was a very tough season. I remember all the protocols. You had to have a seat empty between seats on the plane and got tested like 3 times a day. We couldn’t do anything. I stayed inside. You would stay in the hotel and still maybe catch it. I remember when I was first signed I had to quarantine 7 days. Everything was unknown. Nobody knew anything. We couldn’t do normal things together like eat a meal. It was a wild time’, stated Tim Frazier. In the 21-22 season he played only 12 games with Cavs and Orlando. Did he lose faith in the NBA process with Covid and playing very little games. ‘I don’t know if I lost faith. As you get older the window gets smaller. Now with younger guys getting drafted and the 2 way contracts, teams have the ability to develop young players better and the price tag is smaller. I never lose faith. If someone had told me coming out of college that I would play 8 years in the NBA, I would of hoped so. I never close the door on the NBA. Anything can happen. I have been fortunate to have built so many relationships with coaches. You never know what could happen. I could get a call this summer and get signed again by a NBA team. I want to have the best career I can now overseas’, added Tim Frazier. He got 2 ten day contracts with Orlando and one from the Cavs. ‘It was all about luck and opportunity. It was a tough season, but I just kept striving for my dream. So many guys would have died to be in my position’, explained Tim Frazier. Last season he had the opportunity to play with Germany’s biggest talent at the moment Franz Wagner who was a first round draft pick of Orlando in 2021. ‘Franz was great and has all the potential in the world. I remember when he scored 30 or 40 points I was like who is this guy. He has that Euro game and could become something special. He still had a good second season even if some of his scoring went down in the second half of the season. They have many scoring options. Every night it could be someone else like a Carter, Fultz or Wagner who is top scorer. He is a great teammate that roots for everyone. At the end of the day that will take him a long way. He already has a great skill level. He was a great teammate’, remembered Tim Frazier.

The ex Pelican who lists Allen Iverson as his favorite player of all-time and thinks the classic movie Coming To America should have been left alone began this season in Greece with AEK Athens (Greece-GBL) playing 13 games averaging 11.3ppg, 2.8rpg, 5.0apg, 2FGP: 46.3%, 3FGP: 34.4%, FT: 73.1%: and in the BCL: played 10 games averaging 6.3ppg, 2.5rpg, 5.2apg, 1.0spg, 2FGP: 28.0%, 3FGP: 34.3%, FT: 81.3%. It is never easy making the transition from many years NBA to overseas, but from his play, one wouldn’t have thought that he had any problems. Obviously the time difference and food was different, but one he got used to quickly. The biggest difference were the facilities. For European standards top, but then again still a league or 2 below what you witness in the NBA where everything is the best. He showed on the court that he belonged scoring 22 points against PAOK and Ionikos and 15 points against top Euroleague team Olympiakos. ‘Greece was a good test for me. Greece is a 2 team league. I showed against Olympiakos that I could compete. It was like playing against the Warriors.’, said Tim Frazier. Now he has begun a new chapter in his career with SIG Strasburg. The team has struggled in the France Pro A and is fighting to reach the playoffs. ‘It has been a culture shock. The intensity is so high overseas. Every game matters. In the NBA you play so many games not every game matters. I have grown fond of guys playing overseas because it isn’t easy. You see guys from the NBA not be successful here. It is a real grind’, stressed Tim Frazier. Two teammates he has really grown fond of have been two guys with massive chips on their shoulders. Explosive diminutive guard Marcus Keene who has had to grind his whole career and now slowly is being rewarded and Deandre Lansdowne who played division 2 in college and began in the third league in Germany 7 years ago. ‘Both guys are so mentally tough. Deandre beginning in the third league and now being captain speaks a lot for his work ethic. He tries to be the best player he can be. He will come to me during a game and tell me that we will get a play for me. He wants to help guys get going. That speaks a lot for him. When Marcus is hot, he is unstoppable. I saw it in college. He hit shots then. Now he is a wow factor about how he can take over games. He is a real competitor’, stated Tim Frazier. It will be interesting to see how well SIG Strasburg closes out the season. He is definitely a player who has seen it all in the NBA and is a real professional. Covid killed so many people which was the worst part. Everything else is just a side note concerning how Covid hurt people in other ways. Did he sometimes wonder where his career in the NBA may have gone without Covid? ‘Yes I do wonder. I think many guys would still have had jobs without it. It was a tough time then and still is today. I’m a firm believer in God and everything happens for a reason. The best place for me now is France. I’m happy my family is safe. I loved being in the NBA, but now the best place for me is France. I want to be the best person that I can be’, warned Tim Frazier. He is a guy that is thankful for everything in his life. That is exactly how it should be.

Having the what if phrases pop up is something that happens on occasion in so many different situations in life not only in sports. The question of what would have been the fate of the 2022-2023 Dragons Rhondorf had they had Mubarak Salami (198-SG-1996)? That is something that only God knows. This team had so much potential and were growing with the addition of him in January 2023. Until his death the Dragons Rhondorf had won 2 of their last 3 games and were in a groove and getting prepared for the latter part of the regular season. But then the unexpected happened and he was suddenly taken from us on February 24th. His tragic death shocked basketball Germany and put a massive dagger into the heart of the Dragons Rhondorf organization and all the others he had strapped on the jersey for. Suddenly a Paul Albrecht and Co would come to practice and see a vacant spot in the dressing room. He would be missing from the guard rotation forever. His death was so brutally saddening. Of course life went on after for the Dragons Organization as they came back on the court and gave all they had, but something was missing. The lethal game of Mubarak Salami was forever gone. His explosive offensive game was something they couldn’t replace on the floor and something that definitely could of gotten them over the hump in the Basketball Lowen playoff series. Even if life went on after February 24 for the Dragons Rhondorf, the season for me was over. The 2022-2023 Dragons Rhondorf season took an unexpected and unwanted turn upside down. Nothing was the same for me, but the memory of Mubarak Salami will forever be present.

After focusing on the youth in the last few years, the Dragons Rhondorf went into a different direction this season going more with age and experience. They hadn’t been to the playoffs since 2018 and wanted to get that taste of the post season again. The club had a healthy mix of old and young as captain Paul Albrecht led the veterans flanked by ex easyCredit BBL player Florian Koch and Florian Wendeler who came back after playing there some years ago where he averaged 5/4 in their Pro A season. The club also kept sniper Nicolas Buchholz and brought in role player Adrian Bergmann. A big addition was Zaba Bangala who was Mini Zion Williamson in a Swedish body who wrecked havoc in the paint area. American Devon Goodman was the back bone of the club who was the team’s MVP. It was a shame that he couldn’t play game 2 on account of injury. If he had played then there for sure would have been a do or die game back in the Dragon Dome on Sunday. It was a very talented roster, but also a thin one where one really wondered what could have been achieved if the club had had a few more fresh bodies on the bench.

The Dragons Rhondorf had a weird situation to begin the 2022-2023 season. Not only did they have to suffer and play 4 of their first 6 games on the road, but in reality it felt more like 6 away games. On account of renovations in their living room Dragon Dome in Bad Honnef, the ex Pro A team had to play their first 2 home games in a substitution location in Sankt Katharinen. The new non-permanent location was only 18 kilometers away, but still the so called home games still felt like home was far away. Despite the tough situation, the club still began the season on a very positive note going 4-2. They finally played their first real home game in their living room on November 26th beating Rist Wedel 102-97 and went into December with an optimistic 5-2 record. Despite that the club showed early on that consistency on defense was a problem as twice they showed great performances allowing 66 and 65 points, but also gave up 82 or more points 4 times. After that the season would be an up and down battle where they never were able to find a true defensive identity. In December they went 3-2 and was highlighted by a blow out win over Vechta, but also suffered a 24 point loss to rival RheinStars. In January, they went 1-3 and hauled in Mubarak Salami for extra offensive fire power as the club noticed that something was missing on offense and the bench was thin. Then came the team’s best phase of the season as they went 5-1. Their biggest win was against the BSW Sixers, but they also were swept by top pro B north team Lok Bernau as their defense stifled them twice this season. In between they had to witness the tragic death of Mubarak Salami. They closed out the season with a disappointing 0-4 record. Having their last 2 regular season games more than 500 kilometers away in Wolmirstedt and Wedel only 4 days apart surely wasn’t beneficial. They were fortunate to gain home court in the first round only because Vechta had lost their last game of the regular season. They came into the playoffs and should have won game 1 at home in the regular time against Erfurt, but instead let it slip away in overtime and in game 2 gave all they had, but lost after a massive come back. One had that what if question again what would have happened had Devon Goodman been on board. He had to sit out because of injury.

Devon Goodman was the unanimous choice of team MVP averaging 19,8ppg, 4,0rpg, 8,9apg and 2,0spg. The club hadn’t seen such a dominant import since Kameron Taylor and Curtis Hollis. His incredible quickness and drive will always be in the minds of everyone who witnessed him in the Dragon Dome. He scored in double figures in 20 of 23 games including closing out his last home game with 37 points and 14 dimes against Erfurt. He will most likely land in a higher league. I can imagine he will get offers from German Pro A teams. The second top scorer of the team was Florian Koch who had played 294 BBL games with Bonn, Ludwigsburg, Wurzburg and Ludwigsburg. He averaged 18,0ppg, 5,9rpg, 2,4apg and 1,4spg. He sparkled with his three point shooting, but also showed he was a team player filling the stat sheet. This was the best club transaction in years and a real enrichment to get a guy of his quality. The third top scorer was Swedish national player Zaba Bangala who averaged 14,6ppg, 8,6rpg, 2,1apg and 1,3spg. He was easily the clubs most improved player. Even if he had up and down phases and lost some gas down the stretch, the guy made huge strides from the start of the season.The fourth top scorer was ex Rostock guard Nicolas Buchholz who averaged 12,7ppg, 2,2rpg and 1,9apg. His scoring was down, but he knew that coming into the season as the club had more experience and scoring ability than the season before which slowed down his scoring average. His best game was his 24 points 3 rebounds and 5 assists against Herford where he drilled home 7 three’s. It wasn’t the easiest season for him having to find his role on a team with veterans, but a valuable learning experience. My unsung hero of the team was captain Paul Albrecht. He averaged 10,9ppg, 6,8rpg and 2,3apg. He came to play every night and gave all he had and showed always he is the ultimate team player. How can anyone not adore this guy? His smile is as warm and as soothing as a whirl pool after a marathon run. He is the identity figure of the team and I hope he plays many more years in Rhondorf. Florian Wendeler came back to Rhondorf after stints in Cuxhaven, Bochum and Cologne and averaged 4,6ppg and 3.8rpg. He is one of those guys where you know what you will get. He came from the bench and gave durability, hustle and a presence under the hoop with rebounds. Adrian Bergmann came form Schwenningen and averaged 3,7ppg and 2,4rpg. The three and D specialist always gave his best from the bench. The team player was the best example that his impact on the game wasn’t about scoring or giving crazy highlights but playing hard defense and finding the best option for his team. Young German Sam Nellessen played 16 games and averaged 8,3 minutes. I wish he would have been integrated more into the offense.

The most positive note for the Dragons Rhondorf season was that they finally reached the playoffs again after 5 years away. The team was mostly fun to watch in terms of offensive power as they knew how to put points on the board. The negative aspect was that they were unable to find a defensive identity. They allowed 80 points or more in 18 of 26 games. Their biggest problem was simply 1-1 defense and some how not being more consistent on slowing down the drive. They also had problems rebounding during the season which cost them some games as well. The thin bench surely also played a role. I would have liked to have seen the youth players get more of a chance. The 2022-2023 season will always have the tragic death of Mubarak Salami as it’s stamp. Everything else that occurred will more or less be like a side note in this season. This so sad occurrence is something that will always be present in Dragons Rhondorf history. Mubarak Salami was such a positive appearance in the Dragons basketball culture. The what if phrase will always be present in the 2022-2023 season. What if Mubarak Salmi hadn’t left us? How far would the Dragons Rhondorf have gone on the court? But more important how many more lives would he have been able to enrich and laid a positive influence on others with his character? Mubarak’s spirit will forever live on in the Dragon Dome and in many other places.

Tags : MUBARAK SALAMI, DRAGONS RHOENDORF, GERMAN BASKETBALL

Divine Myles (180-PG-1996, college: Stetson, agency: MSG) is a 27 year old 180cm guard from Alabama playing his 5th professional season and first with the Basketball Lowen Braunschweig. He played most of his career in Kosovo where he was parts of 3 seasons winning 2 titles. He also had experience in France with clubs Chorale de Roanne Basket (France-Jeep ELITE ProA) and Denain ASC Voltaire (France-ProB) as well as playing in Russia for VTB team BC Nizhny Novgorod. He played at Stetson University from 2014-2018 playing a total of 127 NCAA games. He spoke to germanhoops.com after the 86-71 win over the Fraport Skyliners where he had 11 points and 4 assists.

Congrats Divine on the thrilling 86-71 win against the Fraport Skyliners. How good did this victory feel after the bitter buzzer beater loss against BG Goettingen?

The win felt great. That win brought us up to another level. The loss to BG Goettingen was tough. We felt we should of won it. We wanted to come back home and give the fans a win back.

Was that buzzer beater possibly a blessing in disguise for the Frankfurt game? How would you describe how focused the team was?

We were extremely focused against Frankfurt. The loss before hurt a lot. We don’t want to fall out of the league. We did all we could to get the win.

The Basketball Lowen came out and led 25-15 after 10 minutes. Can you understand why Frankfurt didn’t have a sense of urgency despite leading 7-3 early.

It’s that time of year where guys are tired and beat up and ready to go home. I think they were a bit out of it. They couldn’t match our intensity when we applied pressure.

Braunschweig found to their game and quickly controlled the game and got away to begin of the second quarter starting with a lethal 10-2 run. Robin Amaize and Nicholas Tischler were instrumental in the run with points.

We usually start out well so it is important that the second unit keep the intensity up and that is what they did. They hit shots and played good defense. There was no drop in intensity.

In the third quarter the Fraport Skyliners had their best quarter keeping you to 10 team points. Why couldn’t Braunschweig crack the zone?

We never work on zone. I have been here 4 months and we haven’t worked on it.

The Fraport Skyliners cut down your lead to 59-54. What words of wisdom did head coach Jesus Ramirez give the team in the break leading up to the fourth quarter?

He didn’t really say much. It was more us talking to ourselves. We knew that they would try to go on a run. We were a collective unit and knew what to do. We knew that we had to make another run.

Braunschweig got 4 three’s to pull away and lead in double figures again. Did you sense that you wanted it more as a team than Frankfurt did?

When I looked at film again after the game you could see that we wanted it more. We all locked in and were great on the rebound. It was the biggest game of the season and we had a job to do.

Frankfurt wasn’t bad and were better in some stats but how key were the 18-4 free throws made for Braunschweig? Did that decide the game?

If you shoot more free throws you normally will win the game. We did a good job attacking and getting to our spots. We put our foot on the gas.

What was it like battling 33 year old ex Euroleague player Jordan Theodore? He had a tough shooting day?

He was my assignment. He has a great reputation. Me as a competitor did my job. I took it personal. I always go on the floor believing I’m the best on the court. He scored 6 points in the first half and 0 in the second half. I did my job.

If you think about it Braunschweig wouldn’t have been in this tough situation had it not lost the tough games against Ludwigsburg and BG Goettingen. How much better is this team than what their record actually states?

We are way better than what our record shows. I came on December 26th and Dustin also came in late. RJ also came late. I firmly believe that if we 3 had been here from day 1 then we would of made the playoffs. Our loses were close. We played Munich and Berlin tough and were close loses.

Braunschweig is in the drivers seat. You pretty much have to lose the rest of your games and Frankfurt win it’s last 3. How vital is having that game to game focus now?

Yes we have that game to game focus. We want to keep the level up. We have a week and half to go and want to finish strong. We next have a tough game in Bonn. It’s tough to play there. I would love to get that home win for the fans.

What has it been like being teammates with David Kramer? He told me 7 years ago his goal is the NBA.

He is a great player. He is a great competitor and scorer. He has a unique skill set. We push each other every day and both have that killer instinct. We feed of each other in games and practice. If I see him having a tough stretch, then I will tell him to remain aggressive and tell him his shot will start to fall. He does the same for me. I love to play with him.

Your having a very solid season in the easyCredit BBL. Is this league the toughest you have played in after seeing Kosovo and France Pro A and Pro B?

I think that the BBL and France Pro A are even in terms of atmosphere and fans and crowd. But I think that France is a bit more competitive than Germany.

Would Germany be an option for you next season? The easyCredit BBL has been a super stepping stone for many Americans moving up?

Yes I will look at my options after the season. Teams here like how I play here. I really like Germany. It has that state feel.

Who will reach the NBA final and win it all?

The Lakers will meet the Celtics in final and win.

Thanks Divine for the chat.

Tags : DIVINE MYLES, BASKETBALL LOEWEN BRAUNSCHWEIG, GERMAN BASKETBALL

When you have interviewed as many American Regionalliga players like I have over the years, there is one thing that always stands out and that is their overwhelming self confidence in their abilities. I mean what is wrong with being very sure in one’s own abilities. If you can back it up why not? Scoring 50 + points is no easy task to do at any level. I mean every now and then a guy will blast off to another galaxy and hit for 100 points like Jonathan Braeger did last season with Regionalliga team Baskets Vilsbiburg. But let’s stick to the 50 points something that is also super rare to do. In the German Regionalliga, it is done every now and then, but how often is that touch of Kevin Love involved in the stat line. A player has to be super aggressive to score 50 + points, but how does one describe that aggressiveness when at the same time he hauls down 25 rebounds? When I read the stat line recently, I was amazed, but then again no so much amazed as I read the master of disaster that was involved for the masterpiece was Ricardo Artis II (198-F/G-1993, college: Wiley). I mean he had been dominating the Regionalliga all season long. Coming into the massive playoff game against Koln DTV he had hauled down 10 rebounds or more 22 times and earlier in the season had hit the same team for 21 rebounds. That was a good omen and after 43 minutes he had led his team to a big 114-100 OT win with 51 points and 25 rebounds. Even if he had 21 rebounds in the first game, he didn’t go into this game more motivated. ‘I always have a motivation to show the world what I can do every time I step on that court. I’m a high level caliber player, who should be playing nothing less than BBL and Pro A basketball here in Germany. Last time we spoke, I told you I would try 30 rebounds. I was 5 rebounds off so I apologize to you for that’, joked Ricardo Artis II. Sometimes guys know right away if it’s going to be a great night. Ex easyCredit BBL player Valentin Blass who strapped on the jersey 14 times for the Telekom Baskets Bonn had to endure Artis’s prediction right off the bat. ‘After my first point, I went up to #38 Blass for Deutz and I told him I was going for 50. He told me ‘good luck.’ That’s the best luck someone has ever granted me. Haha. Dankeschoen #38 Blass.’, smiled Ricardo Artis II who played a season at Wiley College (NAIA).

The athletic scorer and rebounder who sees the Warriors and Bucks advancing in their current playoff series despite having early problems was a big part of SV Hagen-Haspe 70 (Regionalliga) advancing past Koln DTV. Despite the sweep, he didn’t think that it would have been so easy. ‘It feels good. I was a little surprised with the sweep. I had faith that we would win but I considered it being a dog fight and to go 3 games. I’m proud of my team but we are focused and we all know we still have two rounds to go’, warned Ricardo Artis II. Hagen arrived into the game averaging scoring 87 points per game, but to average 21 points more was mind boggling for some but not for him. ‘It’s playoffs, so I expected some type of urgency and will from this team. I believe we have the best offense in the league. Putting up points is something we do when we’re focused and executing the game plan. When we match our defense with offense, we’re a tough team to beat’, stressed Ricardo Artis II. It also doesn’t hurt when you have an explosive scorer like Artis on the team, because it gives his teammates confidence and understanding that they can be successful. ‘I believe it’s the guys realizing what we are capable of being. We beat the top teams in this league so we know how to get it done. It’s all about how great we feel like being that day and my team picked the perfect days to be great these last two weeks. I’m proud of my guys’, commented Ricardo Artis II. Koln was stacked with guys who had played in higher leagues and the club also had a better record then Hagen Haspe, but the underdog somehow got it done in fine fashion. ‘Executing the game plan, and just believing in ourselves was vital. Defense was also key of course like you mentioned. The fans played a big part in our success also. Thank you Haspe for the support. It’s important’, added Ricardo Artis II.

The ex North Lake College (JUCO) swingman who believes the Lakers will defeat the Bucks in the 2023 NBA finals had a crazy 2 game series against Koln DTV averaging a ridiculous 45,oppg and 18,0rpg. His memorable 51/25 game was the best game in his career. Scoring 30-40 games on a consistent rate like he does is normal, but 51/25? Is that normal? ‘When you believe in yourself at the level that I do, it’s not so incredible. I know what I’m capable of doing and I know the type of player I am. Those numbers are great don’t get me wrong but that performance will surprise a spectator before it surprises me. I believe I’m great and that’s why I continue to do great things’, expressed Ricardo Artis II. Having a once in a lifetime game seems more realistic at an earlier part of the season, but in the post season, the body has already taken his toil, but he always took good care of his body. ‘It was the most fun game of the season. I credit that to the fans that cheered for us. Also, I thank my coach for keeping us well prepared and conditioned throughout the week in practices and workouts. That week rest after the season helped my body a lot also’, said Ricardo Artis II. Can his self-confidence grow even more after a mind blowing performance like that? ‘I don’t think my self-confidence can get any higher than what I came to Germany with. My high confidence for myself is what makes me the immortal scorer I am. I truly think I’m unguardable. I can hurt you from many positions and I am a matchup nightmare. I play 1-5. My energy and tenacity is something that will be unmatched until I choose to retire. That’s just how it’s always been for me’, stressed Ricardo Artis II. The playoff journey continues for him now as they face tough team Ibbenburen. They destroyed Hagen Haspe by 39 points in the first game and then Artis and Co grinded out a thrilling 89-87 win. Hagen Haspe has had problems with the defensive rebound and will have to be sharper on the glass. ‘The key remains the same. Defense and continue to execute the game plan. We played small ball with no bigs. Our starting center was injured so I played the 5 so we could stretch the floor and have more space on offense. We were at a disadvantage in size which gave them extra opportunities but we also had advantages to be more faster and quick. I’m not worried. We’re the underdogs. It’s more pressure on them if you ask me’, expressed Ricardo Artis II. If he has an Explosive experience like his 51/25 game is unknown, but if he doesn’t he won’t be fazed. He has only one goal. ‘A game like that came from me just wanting to win. I’m playing with some more aggressiveness of course because of it being playoffs but I don’t have plans on topping that game. I have plans to win the championship. If I have 40/50 or 60 point games to get the job done then that’s great. But my objective is to win by all means necessary and give it all I got trying to’, warned Ricardo Artis II.

Tags : RICARDO ARTIS II, SV HAGEN-HASPE 70, GERMAN BASKETBALL

Even if a club may not always be spot on on offense, but if you can stick to your defensive principles then you will be rewarded every now and then. That is exactly what happened to the Fraport Skyliners in the playoff series against the RheinStars Cologne. In game 1, they didn’t defend bad, but couldn’t get their offense going as they shot only 23% from outside and scored 63 points. In a do or die game in Cologne, they had some bad phases and had to play pick up basketball, but when it counted most, they defended with real heart and finally had that offensive explosion they knew they could always do but didn’t always do scoring 33 points in the fourth quarter on the road. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors weren’t saved yet as they had another do or die game, but this time in their own living room against Cologne. The atmosphere had been good in game 1 as many Cologne fans were in the building, but this time extra more fans came from the Fraport arena after watching the easyCredit BBL team battle and now wanted to cheer on the Skyliners farm team move on to the next round against the BSW Sixers. On a mild early Spring day with a packed Basketball City Mainhatten and 37 fans from the RheinStars that had made the 2 hour drive to Frankfurt, nobody got disappointed as everyone witnessed a hard fought playoff battle. Both teams had averaged 70 points allowed in the first 2 games and in game 3, the Fraport Skyliners Juniors stayed faithful to their defensive aggressiveness and stuck it out and survived the crunch-time wining 83-74 and advancing to meet the BSW Sixers next weekend. ‘We fought very hard and showed a real team effort. We stuck together the whole series and came back from 13 down in Cologne. We can be proud of how we played tonight. We deserved to win this game’, warned Marco Voeller. Even minutes after the siren sounded, the whole Cologne squad was on the bench and were staring at their own fans who had supported them to the end. The players looked as if they had seen a ghost and were just totally shocked and down, but who could blame them? They had just played their hearts out. ‘We didn’t execute when we needed to and struggled against their zone. When we didn’t get stops, we became hectic on offense and had trouble making shots. Frankfurt is a very good team with a lot of talented young players’, stressed RheinStars Cologne center Shore Adenekan.

Jannis Von Seckendorff to the rim

The first quarter was a back and forth slapping as no team could get away from the other as there were 6 lead changes. Except for an early trey by ex Wurzburg forward Nils Leonhardt, both teams stuck to the drive in the first few minutes. Frankfurt got aggressiveness and execution from ex Vechta forward Justin Onyejiaka who scored twice while the guests got early production from second year Cologne big man Elijah Schmidt who also scored twice. Despite Frankfurt getting 4 early turnovers, the RheinStars couldn’t profit from it well. Frankfurt also got big man Alexander Richardson going early while Cologne also got buckets from ex Rhondorf youth player Jannis Von Seckendorff and ex Ansbach forward Anthony Bauer who hit his bread and butter mid distance shot as Frankfurt led 11-10. But then came the arrival of ex Trier guard Ruppert Hennene who is one of those guys who is always dangerous with his shooting and he showed why making back to back three’s for the 16-11 Cologne lead. Frankfurt had produced too many turnovers and struggled with their 1-1 defense as Cologne’s intensity was higher. But Frankfurt who showed in this do or die game that they wouldn’t put up with long lapses as they retaliated with a lay in by 2018 JBBL champion Nolan Adekunle and a three by ex RheinStars Cologne youth player Jordan Samare to dead lock the game at 16-16. The first remained a game of runs as Frankfurt still had no remedy how to contain Hennen as he scored 5 unanswered points including another trey, but Frankfurt punched them back one more time with an old school hook shot by Marco Voeller and another trey by Jordan Samare to dead lock the game at 21-21. ‘It was a back and forth game. It took Frankfurt a while to settle in. Frankfurt had problems containing Ruppert Hennen’, stated ex Fraport Skyliner Konstantin Schubert.

Jordan Samare at the FT line

The second quarter continued to be a close duel as the RheinStars had the lead for the most part allowing Frankfurt on a little run to recapture the lead back, but gave it up again at the end. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors had difficulty again getting into a groove in the first few minutes as the RheinStars got 3 stops including forcing them to 2 turnovers. Cologne executed well on offense going inside getting a floater from ex Koblenz guard Steffen Haufs and 2 baskets by Schmidt to have the 27-23 advantage. But the Fraport Skyliners Juniors then finally found their offensive rhythm again going on a 8-0 run to get the lead back at 31-27. In the run, Alexander Richardson and Onyejaika scored in the paint and Nolan Adekunle dropped a trey. Frankfurt did a good job being more aggressive on the offensive board and clogged the paint area better giving the guests little room to operate. Frankfurt kept the lead continuing their aggressiveness inside getting a lay in from Samare and tip in by Leonhardt, but couldn’t shake Cologne as Ruppert Hennen continued to wheel and deal and put Frankfurt’s defense into disarray. He hit another three pointer and made a beautiful finger tip lay in in best Tiny Archibald manner to cut Frankfurt’s lead to 36-34. Felix Hecker drilled home a big trey, but Cologne top guard Ali Sow finally found his groove making free throws and a few tough shots to give the RheinStars Cologne the narrow 45-42 lead at the break. The RheinStars shot 57% from the field and 53% from outside and had 16 rebounds and 8 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 43% from the field and 50% from outside and had 22 rebounds and 10 turnovers. ‘Samare and Richardson played well on the boards. Frankfurt continued to have problems containing Hennen. He has a good combination with his first quick step and shooting. If you give him a little room then he will punish you’, stated Konstantin Schubert.

Ali Sow at the ft line

The RheinStars Cologne upped their game in the third quarter and upped their lead by as much as 10 points, but once again the Fraport Skyliners Juniors didn’t hang their heads and made a run to cut the guests lead to only to 2 points after 30 minutes. Ruppert Hennen got his team on the board first with a 10 footer for the 47-42 lead. But Frankfurt then got some timely support from Justin Onyejaika who scored on transition and Alex Richardson made a tip in dunk as Frankfurt trailed only 47-46. But the RheinStars knew what was at stake and then played their best offense of the game going on a lethal 15-6 run to secure the comfortable 62-52 advantage. Cologne suddenly matched Frankfurt’s intensity level on the boards getting a dunk by Schmidt as Sow found a hole in the Frankfurt zone and Von Seckendorff made a tip in dunk. Sow was running the offensive show with his playmaking and scoring. He also added free throws and a lay in on transition and three pointer. Cologne did a good job containing Adekunle better as that scorer who could take over for Frankfurt in the scoring department was missing. Frankfurt was showing nerves as their offensive execution was lacking as their plays were more hurried. But the Fraport Skyliners Juniors clamed down and closed out the third quarter with a vital 8-0 run to trail 62-60. Vital in the run were Marco Voeller with two lay in’s and clutch shots by Mr energizer Philipp Hadenfeld. Point guard Alvin Oniyia began the run with Voeller with the perfect pick and roll play. Onyia would play a pivotal role in the fourth showing his absolute will to overcome all obstacles. ‘We defended well in the run at the end. We defended better and improved our 1-1 defense from the first half. We forced them to tough shots’, said Marco Voeller. ‘We had a bad phase not hitting shots and getting stops’, added Shore Adenekan. The RheinStars Cologne shot 52% from the field and 44% from the three point line and had 24 rebounds and 14 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 43% from the field and 37% from the three point line and had 31 rebounds and 15 turnovers.

Alexander Richardson at the FT line

The Fraport Skyliners stole the lead back early in the fourth and after giving it up once more regained it back and never gave it up again. Hadenfeldt began the fourth quarter with a three pointer as Frankfurt led 63-62, but Ali Sow stole it back with a lay in for the 64-63 advantage. But on this night, the Fraport Skyliners Juniors were just the more consistent team and picked best when to start their runs. Frankfurt reacted to the last Sow bucket with a 14-6 run to lead 77-70 and gain complete control of the game and never give up the lead again. Instrumental in the lead was 7 year man Alvin-Olebabe Onyia (181-PG-2000). He may only have scored 1 point but his 5 assists were worth like 50 points. He had suffered a tough blow to the floor earlier and suffered a cut. He was treated on the bench and returned back to the game. His actions reminded one of Larry Bird’s famous return in the 1991 playoffs against the Indiana Pacers. Bird shouldn’t of played that game in the first place as his back was badly injured. He then hit the floor where he thought he had broken his jaw. After treatment he returned back to the game and shot out the lights as the Boston Celtics won. It wasn’t quite as dramatic with Oniya, but he made 2 clutch assists to Richardson for baskets. ‘Alvin was extra motivated and his will and fight prevailed. He may get too emotional at times, but he is our bull dog and a good defender and team player. Those were 100% big plays he made for Richardson’, warned Marco Voeller.

Frankfurt displayed fine inside out basketball as Leonhardt also scored inside and Adekunle and Hadenfeldt supplied three’s. The momentum of the Fraport Skyliners Juniors rose with every new bucket. Sow gave the RheinStars all he had down the stretch making free throws to cut Frankfurt’s lead to 78-74 with 41 seconds to play. When your as good of a driver as Ali Sow, it is only logical that his self confidence is very high, but he didn’t anticipate getting blocked by the athletic Nolan Adekunle. Adekunle and Richardson then closed out the win with free throws. ‘Cologne really fought hard. We never gave up and stuck together until the end. We made big shots and big plays on defense and Hadenfeldt free throws’, added Marco Voeller. ‘We had no more rhythm on offense. Frankfurt attacked the rim and made big plays’, stressed Shore Adenekan. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were led by Alexander Richardson with 17 points. Nolan Adekunle scored 13 points and Jordan Samare and Philipp Hadenfeldt added 12 points a piece while the RheinStars Cologne were led by Ali Sow with 24 points while Ruppert Hennen added 18 points. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 46% from the field and 37% from outside and had 42 rebounds and 19 turnovers while the RheinStars Cologne shot 43% from the field and 28% from outside and had 35 rebounds and 18 turnovers.

Tags : ALVIN-OLEBABE ONYIA, FRAPORT SKYLINERS FRANKFURT JUNIOR TEAM, GERMAN BASKETBALL

The fight to escape the doormat area of the easyCredit BBL was as exciting for the Fraport Skyliners as the current Warriors-Kings series in the NBA where the latter jumped out to a surprising 2-0 start. Even with the arrival of ex Euroleague player Jordan Theodore, the team hasn’t been able to make so much ground simply because Braunschweig has also kept winning. Since the arrival of the ex Seton Hall (NCAA) great the Fraport Skyliners have won 2 of 3 games. They lost their last game in Munich where they played Germany’s most famous sports organization real tough losing only by 6 points. Their opponent was the doormat of the league with medi Bayreuth which was a must win. The Bavarian team were riding a 4 game losing streak and at the moment were only playing for pride. The Fraport Skyliners couldn’t go too relaxed into the game as they wanted to make ground on Braunschweig who had lost on abuzzer beater in Gottingen. On a mild early spring afternoon medi Bayreuth came out and played like a wounded animal as they spanked the Fraport Skyliners from the get go scoring 26 points and would display a beautiful offensive game averaging 29 points in the last 3 quarters to beat the Fraport Skyliners 113-107 without their top scorer Brandon Childress. ‘This was a real shootout. Frankfurt is a tough team that just kept fighting. We rebounded well in the first half and pushed the ball well. I am proud that we stuck together in the second half and didn’t crumble. The gym was loud, but we stayed solid and made our free throws at the end’, stressed ex George Mason (NCAA) guard Otis Livingston. One would of thought the Fraport Skyliners would play with a sense of urgency, but instead gave another frightful defensive performance where they allowed 15 three’s and countless open shots that made many guys feel like they were Steph Curry. ‘We didn’t play defense. We gave up too many open shots and didn’t communicate. When you let 2 guys score 67 points combined then it won’t be easy to win’, warned Quantez Robertson. ‘We hit lot of three’s. We get a lot of reps and that is what makes us feel comfortable taking three’s’, said Otis Livingston.

Derek Cooke at the FT line

The game began and before any Fraport Skyliners knew what had happened, medi Bayreuth led 16-3. The Bavarian squad found their range from outside quickly netting 2 three’s from ex Virgingia Tech (NCAA) forward Ahmed Hill (196-SG-1995, college: Virginia Tech) while Otis Livingston and German Kay Bruhnke also connected. Frankfurt was having problems getting into their offensive sets and were too soft on the glass allowing some early offensive rebounds. Frankfurt would get their offense slowly moving as Einaras Tubutis hit a trey and ex Iona (NCAA) guard Isaiah Washington hit a 10 footer and ex Eastern Kentucky (NCAA) guard Marcus Lewis sparkled with his 1-1 qualities, but the guests still led 19-10. The guests used their bench and got ample production as ex Vechta forward Nat Dialo scored as did ex FC Bayern Munich forward Sasha Grant. Bastian Doreth connected on a trey as Frankfurt trailed 26-12. Frankfurt did close out the first quarter with some energy as Washington connected for 5 unanswered points as medi Bayreuth led 26-17. The Fraport Skyliners shot a respectable 67% from the two point range, but their poor 33% from outside couldn’t match the superior 86% from outside from the guests. ‘We had a quick start. It was important for us to get our rhythm early. That helped us gain confidence and continue to play our style and execute’, stressed Otis Livingston.

Jackson Rowe with the jumper

In the second quarter medi Bayreuth continued to execute well against a non existent defense netting 29 points as the Fraport Skyliners were unable to get over the hump. Frankfurt came out with more energy in the first minutes as they got their big man ex G-League player Derek Cooke going as he scored 3 times including 2 dunks with an alley-oop dunk. On the one play Frankfurt showed possibly their best ball movement of the season. Washington also connected on a turn around shot as medi Bayreuth led only 31-25. Frankfurt were more aggressive attacking the paint area and were rewarded. But Frankfurt was unable to hold it as medi Bayreuth started to execute better on offense again nd get more stops as they went on a 9-2 run to lead 40-27. In the run the guests got their fast break game going scoring twice. Ex Cal State Fullerton forward Jackson Rowe also got going getting a lay in and getting to the free throw line twice. Skyliner legend Quantez Robertson then made a lay in as Frankfurt trailed 40-29. But on this day the guests had Ahmed Hill that would prove to be unstoppable. Hill scored an unbelievable 14 points in a row including three three’s to extend his team’s lead to 53-31. Frankfurt exhibited no communication on defense and on offense stuck to 1-1 play as team play was non existent. Hill’s highest point total of the season was 24 points against Bonn, but today he would eclipse that by 13 points. ‘When he starts getting hot, there is no telling how hot he will get. He is a player that does it all. He plays tough defense and rebounds well as well. His three’s today were just the cherry on the top’, smiled Otis Livingston. Lukas Wank took Frankfurt into the break with 5 points, but the guests and Hill had done most of the damage leading 55-36. ‘We were feeling it. When we can play our style we click. When we feel comfortable and see the ball going in a lot, it makes everything easier for us’, stated Otis Livingston. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 63% from the 2 point area and 40% from the three point line and had 11 rebounds and 7 turnovers while medi Bayreuth shot 47% from the 2 point area and 77% from the three point line and had 15 rebounds and 3 turnovers.

Isaiah Washington with the jumper

In the third quarter the Fraport Skyliners showed what their offense is capable of exploding for 40 points, but they still couldn’t make much ground as medi Bayreuth racked up 29 points and still led by 8 points after 30 minutes. The Fraport Skyliners got some early production from Cooke with a lay in, trey from Lukas Wank and 2 baskets from Quantez Robertson, but still trailed 66-43. On defense they continued to allow Ahmed Hill to play his game as he produced 2 lay in’s and Livingston scored 5 points. Frankfurt then went on a 8-0 run as ex Seton Hall (NCAA) guard Jordan Theodore supplied 2 three’s to trail 66-51. The game continued to show runs as the Bavarian team retaliated with lay ins from Rowe and a lay in from ex Providence (NCAA) forward Kalif Young to lead 70-51. Frankfurt continued to battle and fight back as their offense executed well going on a 9-2 run to trail 72-59. Frankfurt was sparked by a Washington lay in and back to back three’s from Tubutis and ex FC Bayern Munich guard Joshua Obiesie. Frankfurt continued to chip away and drilled home 8 three’s in the quarter. Three’s by Lewis and Tubutis cut medi Bayreuth’s lead to 79-69. Frankfurt remained aggressive and got a three pointer by Washington and tap in by Tubutis as Frankfurt trailed only 81-76 as the Fraport arena was cooking. Hill closed out the quarter with a trey at the buzzer to lead 84-76. The Fraport Skyliners shooting percentages were sky high at 62% from the 2 point range and parking lot and had 17 rebounds and 8 turnovers while medi Bayreuth shot 55% from the 2 point area and 68% from the parking lot and had 21 rebounds and 6 turnovers. ‘Frankfurt played at a high level and showed how good their offense can be. They showed how explosive they can be. Washington got going’, stated Otis Livingston. ‘We hit three’s, but they also scored. We couldn’t get defensive stops when we needed to. When your down that much it’s tough to come back’, commented Quantez Robertson.

Nat Diallo at the FT line

The fourth quarter remained an offensive shoot out as both teams combined for 60 points, but despite cutting the lead down to 3 points, the Fraport Skyliners couldn’t get over the hump. Doreth and Washington traded three’s to begin the fourth quarter as Frankfurt trailed 87-79. Frankfurt got buckets from Cooke and Tubutis, but medi Bayreuth kept a hold on the lead getting extra special support from Rowe and Young who combined for 6 points taking some of the load off the shoulders of Hill and Livingston to lead 95-85. But Frankfurt just wouldn’t go away shocking the guests with a 7-0 run as Quantez Robertson supplied to three’s as Frankfurt trailed only 95-92 with crunch-time approaching. But that was the closest as the Fraport Skyliners would get as medi Bayreuth then slammed the door shut unraveling a 9-0 run to lead 103-92. Hill made a lethal 4 point play while Doreth hit a three pointer. Despite being less than 3 minutes to play, Jordan Theodore showed some of his offensive power hiting back to back three’s as Frankfurt trailed only 103-97 with 1,30 to play. Livingston and Theodore then traded lay ins, but Frankfurt was still down by 6 points. The hump was simply to large. Medi Bayreuth now did a super job containing their cool on the free throw line. Livingston scored 4 points and Hill 2 points. Theodore would score 2 more lay ins, but it was too little too late. ‘Key to get the win at the end was getting easy baskets and getting to the free throw line. We got the needed stops at the end, but we can still get better at that. We can’t allow teams to get to close’, warned Otis Livingston. ‘We had no communication on defense and couldn’t make open threes. We have to take it 1 game at a time now. We have to go on the road and get a tough win’, warned Quantez Robertson. Medi Bayreuth was led by Ahmed Hill with 37 points while Otis Livingston added 30 points and 8 assists. Jackson Rowe contributed 19 points. The Fraport Skyliners were led by Isaiah Washington with 23 points while Jordan Thoedore added 19 points and Lukas Wank had 16 points. Medi Bayreuth shot59% from the field and 65% from outside and had 30 rebounds and 7 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners shot 56% from the field and 50% from outside and had 30 rebounds and 8 turnovers.

Tags : AHMED HILL, MEDI BAYREUTH, GERMAN BASKETBALL

In the NCAA players see potential NBA Draft picks and future NBA players on a weekly basis and predicting who will become that next NBA player sometimes can be as difficult as guessing correctly if Luka Doncic will make that next triple double in a NBA game or sometimes as easy as knowing that Giannis will be in beast mode every night for 48 minutes. It was March 5th, 2019 near the end of Brandon Childress (183-PG-1997, college: Wake Forest)’s junior year at Wake Forest when he was set to battle Duke again, a team he had previously never beat before but came close twice as a freshman, but on this night, getting that first win again would be stopped as he fell to 0-5, but once again came very very close to winning as he lost a nailbiter of a game 71-70. In the game he battled a very talented player with RJ Barrett, a player where there was no doubt that he would reach the NBA. In the game, Barrett was the top scorer with 28 points and Childress contributed 19 points. Despite scoring more points, Barrett wasn’t the best player on the floor as he coughed up the ball 7 times and Childress even had a better game rating than him. A few months later he was picked 3rd overall by the Knicks and the rest is history as he is on the way of becoming a superstar. And what happened to Childress? Well he had to toil 2 years in Estonia and now is one of the better point guards in a top 5 league easyCredit BBL, but on a losing team with medi Bayreuth. Ok so Barrett was a lot better statistically than Childress in the 2018-2019 season, but there have been guys with lesser stats than Childress reach the NBA. This just shows again that the NCAA and G-League is filled with hundreds of talented guards that could play in the NBA, but there are just not enough roster spots. The American guard never forgot this encounter and also knows how to handle seeing who makes the NBA and not. ‘RJ Barrett and I had a back and forth battle in that game. I woke up a bit in the second half. We were missing a big man and I think had we had him that night, then we would have gotten over the hump. I have seen so many guys that I got the best of in college go to the NBA. You have to run your race. It’s a journey. I remain positive because I know that there have been so many guys go to Europe and then go back to the NBA and stick like PJ Tucker. You just have to find the right opportunity and remain patient’, warned Brandon Childress. He will never forget battling RJ Barrett and knows he has to run the race in order to reach the highest level.

Brandon Childress was born on August 31st, 1997 in Detroit, Michigan and grew up in Winston Salem North Carolina. He played football as a kid and began to play basketball at the age of 9. He is the son of Randolph a guy that played in the NBA with Portland and Detroit and was overseas for more than a decade. Many will remember his time at Wake Forest where he was teammates with Tim Duncan and averaged 35,0ppg in the ACC tournament and scored 37 points in the title game and hit a game winner with 4 seconds over North Carolina that had Jery Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace. His dad definitely had a huge basketball influence in his life. ‘He made a huge sacrifice for my mom and me by playing overseas so he could provide for us. I can always go to him for advice. Whatever I go through overseas, he has also seen it. When I’m frustrated or have a problem good, bad or ugly, I can go to him’, stressed Brandon Childress. Later the family moved to North Carolina where he played 2 years for East Forsyth high school. In his second season he helped lead his team to the Frank Spencer Holiday Classic title. He then played his last 2 years of high school ball at Wesleyan Christian Academy together with Harry Giles. He then chose Wake Forest (NCAA) where he would play from 2016-2020.

When you hear the name Wake Forest one instantly thinks of Tim Duncan and Chris Paul. For the guard who remembers Trey Jones being his most difficult cover in the NCAA had Chris Paul on his mind when he went to Wake Forest. ‘Chris Paul definitely played a role for me going there. I actually had met him before I went there when I was in high school. Wake Forest has had many great guards come out like Ishmail Smith and Muggsy Bogues. Whenever I did speak to him, I always try to ask him a few questions about basketball and try to pick something up’, stated Brandon Childress. In his freshman year he helped the school reach the NCAA tournament losing to Kansas. Often for NCAA players, there is a break out game where a player finally feels that they belong. Even after scoring 16 points in a big win over North Carolina, he didn’t feel like that game brought him on the NCAA map. ‘I felt like I belonged the first day I stepped on the campus of Wake Forest. It was just a matter of proving people wrong’, warned Brandon Childress. In his freshman year he was teammates with Mitchell Wilbekin who’s brother Scottie played at Florida (NCAA) and for years has been a top guard in the Euroleague. ‘I already knew of his brother. Scottie along with guys like Mike James, Shane Larkin and Malcolm Delaney are guys I pay attention to and have followed for years in Europe’, said Brandon Childress. He played a total of 124 NCAA games and was able to improve his scoring average each season. His game really took off in his last two years as he averaged 14.7ppg, 3.8rpg, 4.0apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 40.4%, 3PT: 36.8%, FT: 79.6% and 15.6ppg, 3.0rpg, 4.6apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 46.3%, 3PT: 32.5%, FT: 80.9% and there was a reason for that. ‘For me it was about understanding my role each season. In my first 2 years I followed the leaders and in my last 2 years I was the leader’, expressed Brandon Childress. He played 61 NCAA games in his last 2 years and scored in double figures in 52 games including exploding for 30 points against North Carolina State and had 24 points against Boston College and Notre Dame. He also finally beat Duke as a senior in an exciting 113-101 win where he contributed 17/5/5 stats. ‘It was one of the best feelings. It was the first time I had beat them. My dad had never lost to them, but he had had a lot of confidence in me. I did everything I could to help my team win’, remembered Brandon Childress. He played for legendary ex NBA player Danny Manning who helped Kansas win the 1988 NCAA title who was instrumental in helping his game during the 4 years. ‘Coach preached everyday that we wouldn’t be getting this treatment with private jets and fancy restaurants everywhere. I understood that when I got to Greece. People forget that he was the NBA’s best sixth man and an allstar. He had a lot of experience. He allowed me to play my game and just be myself’, remembered Brandon Childress who never lost a 1-1 battle against Wake Forest teammate Adrien White in practice.

The 183cm point guard who lists Bam Adebayo, Denis Smith, Oliver Hanlon, Harry Giles and Aaron Wiggins as his best teammates of all-time began his professional career in 2020 in Greece for GS Iraklis Thessaloniki (Greece-A1), but that was only a short stay. He played 1 basketball Champions League game and 5 Greek games. ‘I was there during COVID. It was tough. You couldn’t really go outside so I really focused on basketball. In Greece I saw the reality of overseas basketball. In most countries English is the second language so it wasn’t so hard for me to adapt. In some countries they speak little English. Americans just have to do some research before going to a country. I learned from the older vets like Skyler Bowlin how to act professional’, warned Brandon Childress. He then finished his rookie season with AVIS UTILITAS Rapla (Estonia-KML) averaging 17.4ppg, 4.1rpg, Assists-2 (4.8apg), 1.3spg, FGP: 47.9%, 3PT: 37.3%, FT-2 (86.1%); and in the LatEstBL league averaged 22.8ppg, 4.0rpg, 3.9apg, 2.3spg, FGP: 52.4%, 3PT: 37.3%, FT: 81.6%.He lost his first playoff series against Parnu, but had some massive games against Ventspils scoring 36 points and hit Tartu for 28 points. Last season he played with TalTech Tallinn (Estonia-KML) averaging 24.2ppg, 2.8rpg, Assists-2 (6.0apg), Steals-1 (2.2spg), FGP: 53.2%, 3PT: 40.4%, FT: 80.4%; and in the EstLatBL averaged 23.9ppg, 3.3rpg, 6.6apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 45.7%, 3PT: 40.7%, FT: 87.9%. He reached the semi-finals in the playoffs and lost a tough 2 game series to Kalev/Cramo where he exploded for 56 points in the 2 games. ‘It was a tough series. They had a great team that dominated the league. It was a big challenge but they were simply the better team. We really did all we could’, expressed Brandon Childress. He had big games against Rapla with 35 points, hit Tallinna Kalev for 33 points and got the best of Ventspils again scoring 32 points. He definitely left his mark in Estonia scoring in double figures in 41 of 42 games. Last summer he played NBA Summer League with the Sacramento Kings playing 1 game and will never forget getting this opportunity. ‘It was a total blessing. As a kid I always dreamed of playing in the NBA Summer League and had aspirations of playing in the NBA. I pray that I will get another opportunity to play in the NBA Summer League and then with more experience be able to exploit my talent. It’s great to see my name on the jersey and see old AAU and college teammates play. The NBA Summer League is also a good place to meet new players. I got positive feedback from the Kings as they told me to keep working hard’, said Brandon Childress.

The North Carolina native who lists Kobe, Lebron, Jordan and Tim Duncan on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore is playing his first season in the easyCredit BBL in Germany for medi Bayreuth. After paying his dues in lower leagues in Estonia, he was rewarded with a chance to play in a high league after having his share of ups and downs in his first 2 professional seasons. Even if medi Bayreuth are the door mat of the easyCredit BBL, he has learned to appreciate his time in a new country. ‘The fan base is amazing where ever I go in Germany. It has been a blessing being able to play against teams like Munich or Alba Berlin. I see that the basketball community is really small here. It is like a fraternity of guys I played with or against in the states. We check up on each other and wish each other good health’, stressed Brandon Childress. After reaching the playoffs in his first 2 seasons, the losing has been difficult. They won the first game of the season in exciting fashion 83-82 against Frankfurt, but after that the club lost 8 of 9 games that put them in this precarious situation. ‘Nobody expected our season to go like that after the first win. Even if we have young guys, it has been a learning curve. We have to be patient and control what we can control and do our best. The losing has been part of the journey. The main goal now is to keep the team in the league. The BBL is a very tough league with 2 Euroleague teams. The BBL is a lot more competitive than in Estonia. The atmosphere against in Munich is something I didn’t see in Estonia’, warned Brandon Childress in March 2023. The club played FC Bayern Munich tough losing 80-79, but have had problems improving their defense as they allow 89 points per game. They seem to be a better team than their record shows. ‘We recently had a coaching change and we still have to get used to things. We still have to break old habits. I feel like we are improving and I’m excited for the next games. We definitely are better than our record shows. I feel like we can turn the corner. We have enough time. We have to show the fans that we are willing to work hard. We have to do it for the fans’, stressed Brandon Childress in March 2023. Even if he is a veteran, he has been more than fortunate to be able to call team captain Bastian Doreth a teammate. ‘Basti has been a huge veteran. He has impacted me on and off the court. He is a huge role model for the community. He is a great mentor. He is the type of guy that you want to be like when you grow up. I hope they retire his jersey’, added Brandon Childress.

The ex Wake Forest (NCAA) guard who has Kobe Bryant as his GOAT and believes that the classic Coming To America movie with Eddie Murphy should have been left alone is a point guard that has difficulty describing his game to an NBA player, but rather lets people do that. ‘People have compared my game to Jeff Teague. I had a veteran my rookie season call me B Lillard, because I was one of the smaller guards that could really shoot the ball’, smiled Brandon Childress. Even if his stats show that he is a scoring point guard, he continues to work hard to prove his doubters wrong, because he is so much more than just a guy that can score and shoot. ‘I have been blessed to be able to shoot the ball really well, but people underestimate my play on the pick and roll. I feel like that my scoring opens up more opportunities for my teammates. I have shown that I can get 8 or 9 assists if I have to. I keep working on my facilitation and want to become an even bigger threat on offense’, warned Brandon Childress. Currently he is averaging 17,2ppg, 3,2rpg, 4,7apg and 1,2spg while shooting 36% from outside. He exploded for 37 points with 8 three’s in a tough loss to Heidelberg and hit Ludwigsburg for 35 points in a loss. He also wants to be known as a great defender as there are so many productive defensive guards in Europe. ‘I feel like sky is the limit for me as a defender’, warned Brandon Childress. He knows that in order to keep climbing the basketball ladder overseas, he will have to keep improving certain facets of his game. ‘I’m working on slowing the game down. I was in a shooting slump, but once I settled down and let the game come to me, my game became more efficient. I also want to become a better finisher’, warned Brandon Childress. It will be interesting to see where the basketball career of Brandon Childress will continue to go. He is just at the beginning of his basketball journey and race and knows he still has a lot of time to get to the peak of the mountain..

Guy Landry Edi (198-PF-1988, college: Gonzaga) is a 34 year old 198cm forward from France that is playing his second season with the Basketball Lowen Erfurt. He played at Midland College (JUCO) and played 56 NCAA games for Gonzaga (NCAA). After Gonzaga hee played 7 years in France playing 70 plus game sin the Pro A and Pro B and also played in Finland and Iceland. He spoke to germanhoops.com after sweeping the Dragons Rhondorf.

Congrats on the massive 72-65 game 2 win and sweep over the Dragons Rhondorf. How tough was this series? Rhondorf seemed to give you everything they had?

It was a tough series. Rhondorf is a good team that is well coached. We came in with experience in the playoffs. We knew they would make runs but we also knew if we stuck to what we do best that we would win.

What was your first reaction when you saw Devon Goodman wasn’t to play?

We didn’t know until game time that he wouldn’t play. I was surprised. The game actually became more complicated for us. We prepared for the game letting him shoot, but once he didn’t play we had to defend all. It was a quick adjustment we made and it worked. Bringing energy was key and we did that.

The Basketball Lowen Erfurt started slowly being down 6-0 as Paul Albrecht scored 3 baskets in a row. Did the Goodman shock ease your defensive pressure?

No I don’t think so. They also had a quick start in game one. That didn’t mean anything. It just told us we had to play better defense.

Erfurt then found their rhythm and led 21-13 after 10 minutes. You got going showing your special game. How much did your dunk push your teammates?

My dunk was a statement at that time. It gave my teammates energy and got the crowd involved. The dunk gave us a boost but they did come back. There was still a lot of time to play.

In the second quarter, Erfurt only got one basket from you and got a lot of production from guys like Lorenz Schiller and Jan Heber. Please talk a little about how each guy has helped the team best this season?

Lorenz has done a great job stepping up since Noah Kamdem was out. He is our best shooter and really opens up the floor. His play and presence also allows me to operate more. He really has stepped up and has been more of a threat. Jan is a point guard that also ahs stepped up big since his injury.

The Dragons Rhondorf staged a massive 11-5 run in the last 3 minutes of the third quarter to trail only 57-53. What was key for the guests making the comeback?

We got a little gassed. They only ran one play posting up the wing. They were just a little more aggressive than we were.

What words of wisdom did head coach Enrico Kufour give the team for the last 10 minutes?

He told us to stay composed. He told us just to keep doing what had gotten us there. He also wanted us to get more easy baskets on transition and push the ball more so they couldn’t set up their defense.

Erfurt only allowed 12 points in the fourth quarter. What adjustments did the team make on the defensive end?

We just knew that then was the time to step up our defense. We knew that if they wanted to beat us then they would have to do it with Bangala. We didn’t overhelp and knew only he could beat us. We knew key would be to slow down their shooters Koch and Buchholz.

Tyseem Lyles made the clutch shot of the night despite shooting 4/16 from the field and 1/9 from outside. Did you give him confidence to keep shooting?

I have told him to keep shooting since day 1. I kept telling him to keep doing what he does. The three he made set the game for us. At the end of the day his continuing to shoot the ball paid off for us. In the playoffs games won’t always be pretty. They adjusted well on me from game 1. We are a team and everyone did their part.

Zaba Bangala had a huge game with 23 points. What will you always remember from his game?

He is a very athletic and strong player. He has a lot of room for improvement. He can be a better player. I hope that he continues to keep working hard.

This was the lowest points the team gave up this season. Was this the best defensive game of the season?

I’m not sure if it was our best defensive game of the season. I feel like we have been a good defensive team all season long and we know we are a good defensive team. Game 2 didn’t look pretty but we got the win.

You most likely will meet the EPG Baskets Koblenz next. You lost both games to Koblenz. With what expectations are you going into the game?

We will fight. Koblenz had the best record in the Pro B. They are a very good team with experience and are well coached. They are a complete team that have good players at each position. We played well in Koblenz. I feel like we can beat them. We will go in focused and have energy. We know that people will write us off but we will fight until the end.

How are the Basketball Lowen Erfurt a better team now then the last time they met Koblenz?

We were a better team after the first game and a better team after the second game. We made changes on offense and defense and have created a good chemistry. Plus we got guys back from injury.

What will be key to upsetting the EPG Baskets Koblenz?

We need to do a better job rebounding and not let them get second chances. We have to be tough and just out tough them. Then I feel we can play eye to eye.

Thanks Guy for the chat.

Tags : GUY LANDRY EDI, BASKETBALL LOEWEN ERFURT, GERMAN BASKETBALL

Melik Martin (198-SF-1999, college: Drexel) is a 198cm forward from York who had a 5 year NCAA career playing 142 NCAA games. He played 4 years at Monmouth and in his last season averaged 12.5ppg, 5.7rpg, 1.7apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 52.2%, 3PT: 39.7%, FT: 71.9%. He then finished his NCAA career with Drexel University (NCAA) averaging 10.7ppg, 5.3rpg, 1.3apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 54.9%, 3PT: 36.1%, FT: 73.2%. He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball.

Thanks Melik for talking to germanhoops.com. You’re a 198cm forward. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would best fit the description?

I am a wing. I play hard on both ends of the court, can drive to the rim, shoot from range, and ability to make decisions with the basketball. I’d compare myself to Jaylen Brown, he is a competitor.

You have a reliable three pointer and are a great defender. Please explain why you’re a lot more than just a 3 and D player?

More than a 3 and D player because I can bring the ball up the court under pressure. Also, I enjoy pushing the pace of the game for momentum by running the floor, rebounding and pushing, and getting dunks.

Your also a very athletic player. Is this something you were born with or is it something you gained with hard work?

For sure hard work. I’ve been in the weight room consistently since middle school, before committing to basketball. I’ve always had energy, just needed it to be targeted and God has worked things out.

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

I am a versatile, but I need to get better. Games can get lengthy, guards are getting faster, craftier, and smarter, while bigs are getting bigger, stronger, and smarter. I am working to be more disciplined by being a student, pros play a different game within. Right now it’s getting to my spots and shooting from different angles. Been working on footwork, now working to pull together with confident finishes

You played at Monmouth from 2017-2021. You never averaged more than 5,1ppg in your first 3 seasons but in your fourth year you averaged 7 minutes more and made a huge jump as a scorer averaging 12,5ppg. What happened with your game in your last year there?

At Monmouth my confidence grew. Coach Rice always believed in me, I just had to believe.

In your freshman season you lost by 17 points against powerhouse Kentucky (NCAA) and played against future NBA players Washington, Knox, Dialo and Gilgeous-Alexander. What memories do you have of this experience and what Kentucky player stood out the most?

What I remember from that game is one of my teammates shooting a free throw and Kentucky players were arguing about who was getting the rebound. I realized then it was all about money

You had many memorable games at Monmouth but where does the 77-74 win over Rider rank where you poured in 24 points?

Definitely many memorable games. That game was a lot of fun. Glad we came out with the win. I want to continue to build upon moments like that.

You then played a fifth year at Drexel University (NCAA) averaging 10.7ppg, 5.3rpg, 1.3apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 54.9%, 3PT: 36.1%, FT: 73.2%. How important was it for you taking that extra year for your game? How did your game grow?

The extra year has helped me grow on and off the court. My ball handling, shooting, and defense has improved.

You had many memorable games at Drexel against schools like FDU and Delaware. What was your fondest moment at Drexel?

Definitely fun getting the dub while getting off in the games. My fondest moment at Drexel would have to be rowing with the team. That was a first for me and a nice icebreaker for team bonding.

How did head coach Zach Spiker give you that extra touch in helping you groom and prepare you for a professional career?

Coach Spiker helped groom me by giving me an opportunity to join his program for the year. Knowing you’re in an out can be difficult when trying to add to the culture but on a different schedule than everyone else. I wanted the experience so that I knew how to enter a program and be effective immediately.

Who won a 1-1 in practice you or James Butler?

JB and I never matched up like that. I think it would be a very tough game for sure. He’s smart, strong, and patient.

Who was the toughest player that you battled in the NCAA that reached the NBA?

During the games against Kentucky, Dialo definitely ran us up and down the court. SGA was slicing up our defense. Also have to mention Herro, he is a shooter who can run the floor.

Please list your personal NBA Mount Rushmore of past or present heads?

My personal NBA Mount Rushmore would include Chris Paul, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Wilt Chamberlain.

What is your personal opinion of the neverending debate of who is the greatest of all-time Jordan or Lebron?

My opinion is that I have to lean towards LeBron because I grew up in his era. Jordan played during a different time where the game was rougher. I think LeBron has to play more of a mental game. That to say both of their highlights and careers are elite.

Did you see the sequel to the classic Coming To America? Should they have left it alone?

I did see the sequel, not going to say should’ve left it alone. Original was hilarious, and the follow up definitely had its moments.

Thanks Melik for the Chat

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