Author: mschmidtscheuber

Garrett Hicks Leads the Charge Propelling The EPG Baskets Koblenz To 83-63 Pre Season Win Over The RheinStars

It´s the dog days of summer and basketball is slowly getting back into the swing of things. With a little more than a month to go before the start of the 2025-2026 Pro A season, the EPG Baskets Koblenz met new pro A team RheinStars Cologne for a friendly game in Koblenz. Only 48 hours after destroying the Regionalliga team Mainz 103-51, they were back at it for their second pre season game against Cologne. The EPG Baskets have a new coach with ex Dragons Rhondorf coach Stephan Dohrn and produced an off season house cleaning. After suffering 2 no playoff appearances in their first 2 Pro A seasons, the club is very ambitious to achieve their best season ever in the Pro A. Only 2 seasons ago, Dohrn led the Dragons Rhondorf to the Pro B title and has constructed an interesting new team with a lot of experience at the point guard and big man positions. With the RheinStars, the EPG Baskets had an interesting opponent who want to leave a mark in the Pro A season after many years of paying their dues in the Pro B. The EPG Baskets were without any injuries while the guests were without Justin Onyejiaka, Hall Elisias and Haris Hujic. The first half was a tight affair until the last 2 minutes where Koblenz guard Garrett Hicks (183-PG-2001, college: Samford) ran off 6 points which helped shift the momentum which they took into the second half and from then on the EPG Baskets controlled the game until the end winning easily 83-63. “It took us a little while in the first half to get adjusted to the pick and roll coverage and we had to many turnovers, but in the second half we cleaned up our turnovers and shared the ball better. We also had better spacing and adjusted better to their hedging. We defended aggressive for the most part and that began with the guards. We were always pressuring and had active hands”, stressed EPG Baskets guard Garrett Hicks. It was the real first test for the RheinStars Cologne who had problems taking care of the ball with 25 turnovers and shot poorly which led to the loss. “I feel like despite having 3 guys out, we showed real poise. I think like our young guys stepped up. We had too many turnovers and it was just one of those nights where nothing fell”, stressed RheinStars Cologne guard Asa Williams.

Calvin Wishart at the FT line

The RheinStars took the rapid 4-0 lead as their guards Pro B MVP Ruppert Hennen and ex Skyliner Maxi Begue scored while their trap defense totally tied up Koblenz in the first 40 seconds. However then came some serious fireworks in the name of Calvin Wishart. July 4th was long gone and so were the fireworks, but the ex Wurzburg player gave a new meaning to scoring in bunches as he reeled off 9 points in less than a minute giving Koblenz the 11-4 advantage. 2 quick steals from himself helped as he nailed 2 three´s and also made 2 lay in´s. “Calvin plays with fire each day. I think like everyone is going to have to get used to seeing spurts like that from him”, smiled Garrett Hicks. One even heard a MVP chant from a spectator in the direction of Wishart. Koblenz kept the lead, but couldn´t run away from Cologne as they stayed in the game getting big baskets as always from shifty Ruppert Hennen and ex Longwood College (NCAA) forward Zac Watson also scored keeping Koblenz up only by the score of 17-15. Ex Dragons Rhondorf forward Tim Smith Jr was a force getting a few offensive rebound and putbacks as his energy was real refreshing to watch. Hicks and Williams traded three pointers and the EPG Baskets Koblenz had the tight 23-20 advantage after 10 minutes. “That first quarter was very tight. We had problems with turnovers and were still getting adjusted to the game, but we were hitting shots pretty well”, stressed Garrett Hicks.

Zac Watson from downtown

The second quarter was very close until the last minute where Garrett Hicks rattled off 6 points to give the EPG Baskets the more comfortable 7 point lead at the break. The RheinStars Cologne had a good phase in the first few minutes going on a 9-4 run to get the lead back at 29-27. In the run, they got a trey from Williams, a 20 footer from Canadian Adam Paige and an offensive rebound and put back and dunk from Bjoern Rohwer. The RheinStars were doing a good job taking the mis matches and getting some easy lay ups. However the EPG Baskets had no lull at all on offense continuing to execute well as Tim Smith Jr continued to be a force hitting shots and getting key rebounds. He had 11 rebounds in the game while the other 4 bigs of Moeller, Bacak, Sonnenfeld and Niedermanner had 12 in all. “Tim has a quick second jump. He is a great shooter and his game creates opening for our driving game”, warned Garrett Hicks. Wishart added a dunk and Smith Jr a trey while the guests got a tip in and lay in from Watson as Koblenz led 37-36. Hicks then closed out the second quarter in fine fashion with a trey, lay in and free throw for the 43-36 advantage. “That run at the end gave us breathing room and confidence and built our momentum going into the third quarter. I was just trying to pick my spots”, said Garrett Hicks.

Garrett Hicks from outside

In the third quarter the EPG Baskets Koblenz took control of the game going on a 10-0 run to lead 53-39. Asa Williams actually began the third quarter with a clutch trey as Cologne trailed 43-39, but then came the brutal 10-0 run as the EPG Baskets showed what team is all about allowing 5 different guys to contribute in the scoring. Ex BBL player Aleksa Kovacevic hit free throws, ex Trier big man Janis Sonnenfeld made a lay in, Smith was very active as usual on the offensive glass with a offensive rebound and put back, Wishart scored on transition and Niédermanner made a step back jumper. The EPG Baskets defensive pressure was overwhelming as steals were produced and the RheinStars had no way of finding an offensive rhythm. German Jasper Gunther then took some pressure off Hennen who was on the bench as he scored 7 unanswered points, but they couldn´t make any ground as the EPG Baskets Koblenz continued to execute well on offense. Hicks made a lay in and the Koblenz bench also stepped up as Jacob Hanzalek hit a three pointer. The RheinStars only scored 10 points in the third quarter and Jonas Niedermanner closed out the scoring with a lay in after getting the bullet pass from Alex Moeller for the Koblenz 60-46 advantage after 30 minutes. Moeller only scored 1 point on ¼ shooting from the free throw line, but was third best with assists in the game with 3. “I think that our offense helped our defense. Whenever we scored, it helped us set our defense. We continued to press really well and got many stops”, stated Garrett Hicks. “We came out flat. We had 1 basket in the first 6 minutes. Our turnovers really hurt us and we couldn´t match their physicality”, stated Asa Williams.

Asa Williams from the parking lot

The EPG Baskets Koblenz sealed the lid on the win early getting 5 stops in a row and later let it rain three´s as they showed some of their offensive potential in the last minutes. The EPG Baskets Koblenz began with a quick 4-0 run as Kovacevic made free throws and ex easyCredit BBL player Marco Bacak made a lay in for the commanding 63-46 lead. Defensively the pressure defense of Koblenz stifled the RheinStars as they couldn´t make any kind of a comeback. Williams finally got the RheinStars on the board with a jumper at the 7,09 mark and then hit a trey as Koblenz led 64-52. However the RheinStars couldn´t get over the hump anymore simply because the EPG Baskets Koblenz decided to let it rain three´s in the last minutes. The EPG Baskets would connect on 5 three´s as Nidermanner hit 2 while Sonnenfeld, Hicks and Hanzalek also connected. The RheinStars also hit a few three´s from Konstantin Lehmann and Rohwer also scored, but it was too little too late as the EPG Baskets Koblenz went to 2-0 in the pre season. “We had our rhythm at the end. We got used to playing with each other and shots began to fall more”, said Garrett Hicks. “Their good start decided the game. We had no chance to comeback when they began hitting their three´s”, said Asa Williams. The EPG Baskets had 5 guys score in double figures led by Garrett Hicks with 16 points. Calvin Wishart added 15 points while Tim Smith Jr and Jonas Nidermanner added 14 points a piece while the RheinStars Cologne were led by Asa Williams with 15 points whiel Bjoern Rohwer had 13 points. The EPG Baskets shot 46% from the field and 34% from outside and had 43 rebounds and 19 turnovers while the RheinStars Cologne shot 36% from the field and 27% from outside and had 41 rebounds and 25 turnovers.

William Christmas(Skyliners) Has Seen Adversary In His Career But In the End His Mental Toughness Has Always Stuck Out And Helped Him Grow

Bringing in talented guards had always been a strength of the Dragons Rhondorf so when William Christmas (196-G-1996, college: CPP) arrived in late summer 2021, I was quite confident that he would do his thing on the court like past guards like Sterling Carter, Kamron Taylor and Curtis Hollis. In the first 3 games, he didn´t disappoint filling the stat sheet like no other averaging 19.3ppg, 8.3rpg, 2.7apg, 2.7spg, 1.0bpg. The only problem with the scenario was that the Dragons were 0-3 on October 16th. But it wasn´t his fault. The Dragons were going the youth route that season and before he would know it, his season in Rhondorf would be history. Well at least his playing in games was over. Since the Pro B team could only use 1 import player, they chose 17 year old Ousmane Ndiaye who I remember being hyped like crazy by Yassin Idbihi, but he was right in his assessment. Ndiaye would go his way and reach Europe´s highest league ACB and currently is playing for Vanoli Basket Cremona (Italy-Serie A). So here was a decorated American player who had averaged 16/6/3 in his last 2 seasons at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (NCAA2) and reached 3 CCAA finals and now was sitting and sitting and sitting during games. I remember seeing him before games and he was always 100% professional and somehow stuck it through even though he must have been steaming inside the way Charles Jefferson aka Forrest Whitaker was after he found his beat up car next to the school steps in the classic Fast Times at Ridgemont high. “I was steaming inside. I´m such a competitor that I just wanted to play so badly. I loved Ousmane. He is such a talented player and playing at a high level. It was the right decision at the time. It is always tough coping with things that you don´t expect especially when you’re a rookie. You want that opportunity to show you can play. It was important that I got exposed to the business side early to expect the unexpected. I made basketball my refuge and just worked hard in the gym. I had that mindset that everything would work out in the end”, stressed William Christmas. Even 4 years later, he still believes he got a fair chance with the Dragons and is still very professional about what happened with the Dragons and that first pro experience helped him with a big strength that he has continued to cultivate whenever adversary was in his basketball life. “I felt like I got a fair chance in Rhondorf. I understood fully where they were going. They wanted to feature Ousmane. I felt like everyone was professional and I was treated in a professional manner. Everybody was supportive of me. It just wasn´t in God´s plan at that moment and I was Ok with it. I could live with it. I had no ill will against the Dragons. I think that I learned that I was mentally tough. I was capable of getting things done and grinding against the grain and swimming upstream. This is an important part of the journey that sometimes you have to fight against adversary against things that aren´t ideal. I proved to myself that I could do that. My dad was really important in this time in that he spoke life into my, kept me positive and always encouraged me. My dad never let me give up”, warned William Christmas. William Christmas has seen adversary in his career, but in the end his mental toughness has always stuck out and helped him Grow.

The California native who remembers ex MHP Riesen guard Justin Simon being his toughest opponent in the NCAA 2 was finally let go in January 2022 and resumed his career in Luxemburg with the BC Musel Pikes (Luxembourg-LBBL) averaging 29.7ppg, 10.8rpg, 3.6apg, Steals-5 (2.1spg), FGP-3 (64.5%), 3PT: 39.5%, FT: 75.8%. This new experience felt like being reborn and was a big step in his career as he proved he could bounce back after adversary. “It was important being able to get on the court and help build my confidence up again. That helped me believe that I have the capability to play. I really appreciated my time in Lessenberg and I did have a super productive period in a short time”, remembered William Christmas. He really exploded in Luxemburg. He scored in double figures in every game. He scored 30 points or more 7 times including a 44 point explosion, had 12 double doubles and a triple double against Arnatia.” My fondest moment was the 44 point game. I feel like I could have had 50 points. You dream about these kind of games as a kid. I came out for a while in the fourth quarter, because we were up by a lot. But to still score so much was amazing”, said William Christmas. Being a rookie is never easy especially after having a rough start like he had in Rhondorf, but he was more than blessed to have had great veterans like ex easyCredit BBL veteran Henry Pwono who was by his side guiding him in the right direction. “Henry is a high quality dude with a great character. It is always good having dudes like him that can speak life into you and tell you what you need to do to be successful. I had a third American with Terry Winn also had had experience overseas and like Henry spoke life into me. Both these guys were really important for my development as a rookie”, commented William Christmas.

The scorer who sees the Lakers, OKC, Houston, and Denver as NBA champion candidates in 2026 ended his rookie season with a bang and then continued the momentum in the next season with the Artland Dragons averaging 15.6ppg, 7.3rpg, 4.1apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 53.7%, 3PT: 30.6%, FT: 78.5%. Once again he had to prove himself and had a solid Pro A season another step up for him. “My Artland experience was very important as it was another step in my journey that also gave me lots of confidence moving forward. I felt like I was everything coming out of college. So all these experiences were vital for my journey. No matter if it was Pro B, Luxemburg or the Pro A. Each step helped build my confidence. With Artland, I had to be a leader and had to show up every day and be professional. Artland was my last choice at the end of the summer. I had no idea who Artland was. They weren´t supposed to be good. But coach Flo believed in me from the start”, expressed William Christmas. With Flo he meant coach Patrick Flomo who in a way saved his career. “I can´t thank Flo enough for the opportunity. Just hearing his name, I think that I should call him right now. He really aided my career. He trusted me to just play my game. He trusted me to the take the helm and just showcase my game. He was a big reason that I was able to take that next step to the BBL with Hamburg. I was just blessed to have great guys there. Assistant coaches Chase Griffin and Allen Ray helped me so much with my game. They still check in with me today”, said William Christmas. The Artland season ended with a bad taste in the loss to PS Karlsruhe in the playoffs. “I will always remember getting hurt in game 3 and losing the game. I then missed a few months. I still believe we would of won game 4 had I been able to play. It was hard for me that summer not being able to play. I wanted to work on my game. I had this fire to go out with a splash with my next team Hamburg”, added William Christmas. He had so many great teammates and with Demetrius Ward one that is now starting his coaching career. “I see him being a really good coach, because he can relate to guys. He was just really encouraging. It is so important to have guys like that on the team”, warned William Christmas. He twice scored 28 points in the Pro A against PS Karlsruhe and Nurnberg.

The versatile guard who lists ex NBA and current Euroleague player PJ Dozier as one of his best teammates of all-time continued to climb the basketball ladder reaching the easyCredit BBL in the 2023-2024 season balling for the Veolia Towers Hamburg. Once again he left his mark there averaging 12.9ppg, 4.2rpg, 2.6apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 59.5%, 3PT: 32.7%, FT: 75.9%;in the BBL and in the Eurocup averaged 9.9ppg, 4.7rpg, 2.5apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 50.9%, 3PT: 28.9%, FT: 76.7%.”Hamburg was a tough season. I still think we did better than many thought. We were 1 game away from making the playoffs. I think that my hard work paid off. I was aggressive, got downhill and used my speed best to my ability. I was also fortunate to have a great coach with Beno who gave me so much confidence to play my game”, said William Christmas. He was fortunate to battle so many ex NBA players in the Eurocup and faced Serge Ibaka and FC Bayern Munich losing a real tough 81-80 nail bitter where he scored 18 points in the loss. “My fondest moment was the Munich game even if we lost it. We played in the big arena in front of 12,000-14,000 people. I loved the aura and gravity of the game. It was a game littered with clutch shots and buzzer beaters. All in all, I had a great time with the Towers. We had great guys and I thought that we had good team chemistry”, remembered William Christmas. He scored in double figures in 26 of 36 BBL games including 28 points against Ludwigsburg and in the Eurocup scored 22 points twice against Besiktas and Venice. Last season he had another season where his mental toughness played an important role for him being able to overcome adversary once again. He split time with the NINERS Chemnitz (Germany-BBL)N averaging 8.7ppg, 4.3rpg, 2.3apg, 2FGP: 55.1%, 3FGP: 27.5%, FT: 69.8%,and in the Basketball Champions League) averaged 10.3ppg, 5.6rpg, 3.6apg, 1.3spg, 2FGP: 61.2%, 3FGP: 44.4%, FT: 55.6%; and in Feb.’25 moved to Limoges CSP Elite (France-Betclic ELITE ProA) averaging 7.2ppg, 3.5rpg, 1.6apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 60.5%, 3PT: 7.1%, FT: 88.9%. “I had a slow start and then found my game, but we had a mutual agreement that it would be better if I left. This experience again was important for my mental toughness. I grinded against adversary and felt like I was able to get out of the pit”, stressed William Christmas. He then took on a new challenge in France and came in mid season which is never easy, but in the end was able to take positives out of a tough situation. “We weren´t great, but this experience was a great example again of how my career has gone. The story always comes out the same. There is always some kind of adversary, some kind of mental road block. Last season I learned to be at peace with your situation. I learned once again to take the positives and just enjoy with what you have been blessed at learning. My teammates and fans were great. The coaches really cared. No matter if I played or didn´t, or we won or lost, I could always find refuge with my work. I would love to play in the Pro A in France gain and redeem myself. I just want to go where God leads me to”, warned William Christmas.

The flashy player who compares his game to NBA champion Shai Gillgeous-Alexander has started a new challenge in his fifth professional season with the Frankfurt Skyliners in the easyCredit BBL. “I´m really excited for a new challenge and to make this my best year yet. I believe that I can elevate my game beyond ´what people saw last year. I feel like that I´m a lot better than what I showed last season”, stressed William Christmas. Head coach Klaus Perwas believes that he can be a glue guy. Will his role be different than in places like Hamburg or Chemnitz? “I think that I will have a different kind of role here. I´m a veteran playing more with younger guys which wasn´t really the case with my last teams. I´m really eager to face the new challenge and grow with it. I feel like my experience will be vital. I think that I will be able to bring out the best in me and help give the young guys a nugget or 2 and help them elevate their game. I will have to show the young guys how things are run and I´m ready for it”, warned William Christmas. Teams usually want to bring in character type guys and Frankfurt definitely hauled in the jack pot with him as winning over stats is on his menu. “ I´m not going to say to much about that. I´m going to keep my personal goals to myself. But I do have big goals and that starts with winning as a team. I´m going to work my but of and let my game do the talking. Winning is the most important thing. The rest will fall into place”, stressed William Christmas. How crucial will his three pointer be this season? Last season he had trouble in the BBL and Pro A but shot very well at 44% in the Basketball Champions League. ”My shooting will be huge. I haven´t shot the ball particularly well the last few seasons. I will continue to work at it. You can aske any coach. It is a confidence thing. I will hit a lot this season. And if I don´t, so what. I don´t think that that makes a basketball player. I still do a lot of other things really well. That is why I have stuck around. But my shooting will be crucial this season”, warned William Christmas. Time has really flown by since his rookie experience in Rhondorf 4 years ago. He has achieved a lot in his career and he is far from over as he wants to make the Skyliners proud of him. “I ended up finding a lot of success playing in the ACB, Germany BBL and France. It´s a beautiful thing. Sometimes it´s hard to see God´s plan, but in the end everything happens for a reason. Both Ousmane and I had success. It´s just beautiful to see that we both had success. I just continue to pray that we both continue to grow and prosper”, warned William Christmas. It would be interesting to see Christmas and Ndiaye sitting at a table and shooting the breeze. Both would surely be smiling and laughing a lot about life. Christmas was right in 2021. He knew that in the end that everything would turn out right for him.

Artland Dragons Lifer Thorben Doeding Always Tried To Have Some Kind Of Impact On The Court Through Defense Or Giving Teammates Good Looks

Thorben Doeding (189-PG-1999) is a 26 year old 189cm guard that has played his whole career with the Artland Dragons. He won the 2014 JBBL (U-16) title with NBA player Isaiah Hartenstein. He has played 194 Pro A games in 7 Pro A seasons. He spoke togermanhoops.com about his basketball career before retirng recently.

It is 2025 and you are still with the Artland Dragons. Your only 26 years old. Could this remain home for you always?

I have spent the last 13 years in Quakenbrück and with the Dragons family, so of course this will always be part of me and a place I call home!

It isn´t usual that a player will remain so long with a team despite not making the real break through. Why have you continued to stay faithful to this organization?

Coming out of the youth, it was great to play for the Dragons and I felt valued and supported by the organization. Having friends and family near was always a plus.

The last 2 seasons were tough for Artland. The club was close to moving down. What did you learn from these 2 seasons?

I think the biggest learnings were resilience, staying focused under pressure and to always keep believing.

How vital was having a guy like Brandon Thomas as a teammate. What is the most important thing that you learned from him?

Brandon is a great role model! He is disciplined, experienced and one of the best teammates I ever had. I really appreciate how he always reminded one to be grateful for the opportunity to play the game we love and to have fun doing it.

How beneficial was it having to battle Buzz Anthony every day. What could you soak up from him?

Buzz is always “buzzing around” the court, constantly finding ways to solutions to score or set up his teammates. That is really amazing. Plus, battling him in practice helped my one-on-one defense and always staying alert.

You have played with so many great guards with the Dragons and Demetrius Ward was another. What was the most important thing that you learned from him?

Dimi Ward was a fun teammate and always in a good mood. He had a great way of encouraging teammates and boosting everyone’s confidence. “Dribble, dribble, shoot!”

One season you were teammates with Zac Ensminger. How intense were the daily battles with him? He seems to keep climbing the basketball ladder.

We had good battles at practice, I always tried to get on his nerves a bit to push him and make him better. Seeing how he developed while we played together, I had no doubt he’ll find his path, just like he is now.

Another great guard that you played with was Chase Griffin. Did you learn anything about precision shooting from him?

Chase was probably the sharpest sharpshooter I played with! He showed me his “vitamins”, his warm-up shooting routine which definitely helps to get in rhythm and find a good touch.

You had many great games in the Pro A. What was your best Pro A game ever?

One of my best game was when we beat Rostock at home in 2022. They went on to win the Pro A that season but we managed to steal that game. Still, my favorite game has to be my last home game for the Dragons. It was a must-win and I was able to bring my team a lot of energy and finish as top scorer. That meant a lot.

You try to be as efficient as possible in the minutes that you get. How has your game grown in the Pro A in the last years?

I think my game has grown through experience, especially at decision making, and on the defensive end. I always tried to have a little impact, even in limited minutes, whether it was through a defensive play or creating good looks for my teammates.

Who wins a 1-1 in practice you or Buzz Anthony?

I was able to lock him up from time to time during team practice, just to have him make a difficult step-back midrange jumper in my face.

You played at the 2018 NBBL final in Quackenbruck losing to Alba Berlin. What memories do you have of that game?

We played against a real good Alba team and we knew that we had to bring our A game. We battled and held our ground up until late in the fourth quarter but at the end Alba just had to many weapons.

Do you remember facing up to Franz Wagner? Did you see him then as a possible NBA player?

I wasn’t really aware of how skilled and talented Franz really was but he definitely showed up and after the game I was sure that he would go his way. Unforgettable was his poster dunk in the first half of the game!

Who were the 3 best players that you faced in the Pro A in your career?

That’s a tough one. Behnam Yakhchali comes to my mind and Maik Zirbes definitely had the best career out of all Pro

A players I played against. And I remember that Stanley Whittaker who played for Karlsruhe a couple years ago was a great scorer with a deadly midrange game.

Who are your 5 best teammates of all-time?

That’s easy. I met five of my best friends through playing for the Dragons, so that’s my starting five: PG Jannes Hundt, SG David Röll, SF Adrian Breitlauch, PF Marius Lau, C Jonas Weitzel.

Please name your NBA, Euro and German Mount Rushmore (5 best players of all-time for each category?

NBA: MJ, Kobe, LeBron, Kareem and Shaq
Euro: Spanoulis, Llull, Navarro, Bodiroga, Sabonis
German: Dirk, Detlef, Dennis; Isaiah and Franz will join

Who is your Goat?

When I was around 11, I became obsessed with MJ. I watched every documentary I could find about him, completely captivated by his story, his game and his legacy. In NBA 2K11 and NBA 2K12 you could play as Michael Jordan and relive his greatest moments on the court, I must have played those games for hours and hours. Unfortunately, I am too young to have seen him play live, but to me he was and will always be the greatest.

Thanks Thorben for the chat.

Isaiah Hartenstein Was Like A Big Brother For Thorben Doeding As Family Was Always A Big Topic For The Hartensteins

Thorben Doeding (189-PG-1999) is a 26 year old 189cm guard that has played his whole career with the Artland Dragons. He won the 2014 JBBL (U-16) title with NBA player Isaiah Hartenstein. He has played 194 Pro A games in 7 Pro A seasons. He spoke to germanhoops.com about his ex teammate NBA champion Isaiah Hartenstein

Thanks Thorben for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how is basketball life?

Hey Miles! I just moved to Münster to start my Master’s studies and will be living here with my girlfriend. Basketball-wise, I’ll probably step back from playing at the ProA Level, but I am also interested in looking into new perspectives like coaching.

Your ex teammate Isaiah Hartenstein became NBA chmapion with OKC. Did you stay up the whole night to watch history?

Yes, of course! Set my alarm for 2am, right on time for tip-off.

How proud are you of Isaiah Hartenstein. What does this success mean for the Artland Dragons?

I am very proud and happy for him and his family. The Hartensteins had a great impact on the Dragons, especially the youth! “Family” was and is a big topic for the Hartensteins and they always made the whole organization feel like a big family.

Do you still have contact with him to this day? Did you congratulate him?

First thing after the game was congratulating his dad and him. I am still in touch with the Hartenstein family. Unfortunately I couldn’t make it to Isaiah’s wedding 2 years ago but I will definitely visit them soon!

What memories do you have of the 2014 JBBL final against Breitengussbach which you won 68-60?

That was a great day. We had a real good group and shared that goal from the start of the season. Being able to play in the Artland Arena in front of such a big crowd and players of the Dragons BBL team, like Brandon Thomas and then achieving what we set out to do was amazing.

What was the key to that success? The team had 2 giants with Hartenstein and Herkenhoff and great aggressive guards.

As I just mentioned, we were confident that we can win it all that year. Everybody played their role well and we had so much fun. Isaiah Hartenstein, Philipp Herkenhoff and Noah Westerhaus were very skilled bigs, Jan Mügge was a great shooter and the Potratz brothers were relentless defenders and knew how to put the ball in the basket.

Isaiah Hartenstein had a 22/14 game. How do you remember his game then?

He did it all! He was strong under the basket but also handled the ball and shot from outside. And of course, his defense presence was already big back then.

If someone had told you that he would be NBA champion 11 years later what would you have thought?

I would have thought “Yeah, he made it!” That was his dream, his goal. Already at that age he told his Dad that he wanted to win a NBA championship one day and that is what they worked for ever since.

In JBBL the guys are very young, but what kind of a relationship did you have with him? Were you close?

Isaiah was like a big brother. His family took in a few of us players who came from outside Quakenbrück, giving us the opportunity to balance school with four hours of basketball training each day. I ended up, living with the Hartensteins for three years. Spending the time with three or four other basketball-crazy teens like Isaiah and me, having fun at the dinner table and playing video games together was great!

He often says in interviews that so many doubted him in his young days. But how can that be? It seems like he dominated youth basketball and then went his way.

Honestly, I could never understand why people were doubting him. He dominated in the JBBL and NBBL and became Adidas Next Generation Tournament MVP in Kaunas 2016. He stayed down-to-earth and kept working but somehow people thought it wouldn’t be enough.

Have you followed Isaiah Hartenstein´s career in the last decade? How have you observed his development?

His path resembles a good example of how dedication, hard work and also patience will lead you to success in the end. There were some ups and downs but at the end Isaiah took his opportunity and made the best out of it.

Can you explain why he had to pay his dues so long? He switched a lot of teams but for some reason he was never used the right way.

I think he needed some time to acclimate to the NBA, to find his rhythm and figure out what works best for him in the league. Once he did that and was utilized the right way, like he was in New York, he was able to show teams that he can be a real asset, just as he is now in OKC.

Now he made his break through with OKC. Do you feel like he is still on his way of becoming an even better player?

Isaiah is constantly working, learning and improving. He averaged his first double double in the last regular season. He will continue to grow and make an even bigger impact.

He played in the Artland Dragons organization but now seems to support ratiopharm Ulm. Does he still have some kind of ties to Artland?

I think history and memories tie him and his family to Quakenbrück but there is no contact to the Dragons at the moment.

Thanks Thorben for the chat.

Knowing About Guys Like Sochan, Dadiet And Essengue Was A No Brainer For Namori Omog To Join The ratiopharm Ulm Organization

pic credit: Skyliners EV

If Namori Omog (188-G-2006) who lists current EPG Baskets guard Calvin Wishart as his toughest opponent last season saved his best for last in last season´s NBBL playoff series against ratiopharm Ulm is unknown, but stats don´t lie. In the first 6 NBBL games, he scored a total of only 51 points while always seeming to be in the shadow of Ivan Crnjac and Jamie Edoka, but against Ulm, he literally exploded. He scored 71 points in total and averaged 23,0ppg. The only thing that was missing in the end was getting to the next round. His NBBL stats were 12.8ppg, 3.3rpg, 4.6apg, 2.1spg, FGP: 48.3%, 3PT: 20.0%, FT: 72.9% It is often that when you see a player move on, it is often instrumental how well he did during the last season against his new team that helped them make the decision to reel him in. Recently Namori Omog left his comfort zone of Frankfurt and signed with the ratiopharm Ulm organization as a double license player to play Pro B with Orange Academy and the perspective for BBL minutes with Ulm. Was there a feeling that Omog was on Ulm´s radar after that series? “I think that I was on their radar after my performance in the playoff series. I didn´t plan that though. But my goal going into the Ulm series was to definitely step up my game”, stressed Namori Omog. He had had a very strong NBBL season with Eintracht Frankfurt, but where was his feeling after the season in terms of remaining or seeking a new challenge? “I did have that feeling of possibly taking on a new challenge, but to remain in Frankfurt was still an option. But in the end, I decided it was best for my further development that I take on a new challenge”, said Namori Omog.

pic credit: Skyliners EV

It has to be 100% a no brainer for any young player to want to join the ratiopharm Ulm organization. How this organization has developed further in the last 6 years has been amazing. From Killian Hayes to guys like Jeremy Sochan, Juan Nunez, Pacome Dadiet, Noa Essengue to Ben Saraf have all been drafted by the NBA. And this season the club has hauled in the next big prospect from Italy with Diego Garavaglia. “Ulm was at the top of my list. I have a double license. My main role will be to play in the Pro B, but at the same time, I want to record my first BBL minutes”, warned Namori Omog. There were many reasons what made Ulm attractive for him not to mention the great facilities, reputation and all the young guys that made their way to the NBA in the last few years. “Jeremy Sochan´s development has been very impressive. He is surely a role model, but all in all, Ulm was very attractive for me with their great record of developing young players. I think Ulm is simply the best place for my development. Being able to practice with the BBL team and possibly play Eurocup was very attractive for me. I think that that will help me grow and become more known as a player”, stressed Namori Omog. The super speedy guard who doesn´t remember playing Jamie Edoka in practice 1-1 games last season, but feels the games would be 50/50 if played will concentrate 100% on basketball this season, but may take on an internship or help coach youth teams. He will be working intensively with Orange Academy head coach Florian Flabb who helped lead Ulm´s U-19 NBBL team into the Top 4 in Berlin last May. “I like how coach gives his players freedom. He knows the strengths of each player and how to help them implement it best into a system”, stated Namori Omog. There has been also a little house cleaning this season as new talents have arrived like Dutch player Yanu Slingerland. He knows that mentally he will have to be more than ready to compete daily against such tough competition a step above what he saw in Frankfurt. “I know Yanu. He is super athletic and physical for his age. He is a very good shooter which he recently demonstrated at the youth European Championships. I´m thankful that Ulm give young players a chance. I will have to use that chance to make an impact. I will have to continue to work hard and improve my game”, warned Namori Omog. He also understands what part of his game is most vital to improve this season. “My biggest personal goal with my game is to improve my shot. I have to get a more stable three pointer. That will make me more dangerous. I also want to grow as a leader in the Pro B”, commented Namori Omog.

The athletic guard who feels Germany will achieve a medal at the upcoming European Championships and reach the final had some good years in Frankfurt even if they weren´t always rosy. “I had my ups and downs in Frankfurt. I think that I really improved my mentality in Frankfurt. Before Frankfurt, I wasn´t as dedicated. I had to be more dedicated in Frankfurt and was forced not to see it as fun. I did a good job working on my strengths and using my speed better”, remembered Namori Omog. Last season he was part of the magnificent trio with Ivan Crnjac and Jamie Edoka. From the outside it seemed like he was a bit in their shadows. Did it feel like he had less support for his development than them and did he see easyCredit BBL perspective? “I do believe that there was BBL perspective there for me in Frankfurt, but to be honest I did have that feeling that my development wasn´t pushed as much as theirs. I wasn´t able to practice with the BBL team. I believe being able to do that would of really helped my game more. I also think that I deserved more Pro B minutes”, expressed Namori Omog. He was very blessed to have had a coach like Sepehr Tarrah who was able to get the best out of him. “He taught me exactly how much I can control an opponent by the amount of preparation I put in for each game and what advantages I can use”, added Namori Omog. He will most likely battle against former teammate Ivan Crnjac this year in the Pro B. Of course he followed his former teammate closely this summer at the U-18 European Championships where Germany only reached 7th place. It seemed like Crnjac wasn´t allowed to show his full game during the competition. “I think that the seventh place wasn´t so surprising. One saw after the first game that they weren´t going to be as strong as the U-19 team. I think that team play was lacking and their mentality didn´t work so well. I think that Ivan will learn from this low. I think an experience like this will make him stronger”, stressed Namori Omog. Who knows he may even bump into Isaiah Hartenstein before he heads back to the States who has found a love for the ratiopharm Ulm organization. What would he ask the newly crowned NBA champion first? “I would ask him what are the 2-3 vital things that I need to have in order to become a champion”, stressed Namori Omog. It will be interesting to see how well Namori Omog develops his game further this season under Florian Flabb. One thing is for sure, he has definitely picked a place where he can work on what it takes to become a champion.

Malik Riddle Became More Aggressive And Physical With The RheinStars And Improved His Defense

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber with Malik Riddle in Rhondorf

Malik Riddle (193-G-1999, college: HSU) is a 25 year old 193cm guard from Tennessee that completed his second professional season and first in Germany with Pro B team RheinStars Cologne averaging 13.6ppg, 3.0rpg, 2.0apg, 1.9spg, FGP: 50.4%, 3PT: 38.5%, FT: 63.4%. Last season he played with Gzira Athleta Birkirkara (Malta-BOV League D1) averaging 28.8ppg, 9.4rpg, 3.9apg, Steals-3 (2.6spg), FGP: 57.8%, 3PT: 33.1%, FT: 75.5%. He began his basketball career at Rossville Christian Academy. He then played 2 seasons at Morehead State University (NCAA) and then played 3 seasons at Henderson State University (NCAA2). He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball-

Thanks Malik for chatting with germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and now is basketball life treating you?

Hey im doing good. Been recovering from surgery back shooting and working out now. Glad to be back at it.

You played the 2024-2025 season for the RheinStars Koeln (Germany-ProB) averaging 13.6ppg, 3.0rpg, 2.0apg, 1.9spg, FGP: 50.4%, 3PT: 38.5%, FT: 63.4%. What kind of an experience was it for you?

This past season was a good experience for me to see a different level of basketball. Thought the competition was good. I enjoyed it.

Your season ended abruptly on March 8. How tough was not being able to play until the end of the season?

It was very tough not being able to play the whole season. I was very sad because I wanted to be out there and help the team on the court. I wanted us to be able to make it to the championship. So the whole thing was very difficult for me.

The RheinStars season ended suddenly in the first round of the playoffs against Bernau. Did the RheinStars underestimate them?

Idk if they underestimated them I think we just didn’t play our best basketball and Bernau played great they were aggressive the whole game on both ends of the court floor.

The 88-56 loss to Bernau in game 1 was a shock for all. Was that just one of those days where nothing went right? Do you feel like you could have been the difference in the playoffs?

Yes I feel like I could’ve been a difference for us in the playoffs. I know we would’ve won if I was out there on the floor.

How content were you with your season averaging 13.6ppg, 3.0rpg, 2.0apg, 1.9spg, FGP: 50.4%, 3PT: 38.5%, FT: 63.4%. What school grade would you give your season?

Not content at all with how I played. I give myself a B- or a C+. I could’ve been a lot better than that. I feel injury was lingering throughout the season & I was trying to play through that but mentally scared of hurting myself and I don’t think I played my 100% full game. I know I’m capable of a lot more than those numbers.

You shot the best 3 point percentage in career. Could that be the stepping stone to making 40% the next season?

Yes I think I can get to 40% my next season really working on my details when shooting now, so I’m looking to make a jump in that area.

How did your game grow in the Pro B? What part of your game benefited most?

I think my game grew more in being more physical and aggressive. Was more focus on defense this season. I got better on defense, I’m still not at the point I want to be but I want to continue to grow in that area of my game.

How special was teammate Jannis Von Seckendorf? Is sky still the limit for him?

Jannis is a freak athlete, I think he is very capable of developing his game more and moving in to a top league. He plays hard, especially on defense. He wants to win & the way he works it shows. Any team would want a player like him.

How special of a player is Davi Remagen? He will play in the NCAA this season. Do you see him being an impact player there?

Man when I first met Davi I didn’t know he was that young. He definitely is an impact player. He is so great for his age I can see him only getter better. He has the right mindset and approach to the game. I know he will do well in NCAA. I´m really happy for him

What was your personal favorite game in the Pro B last season? You had great games against Fellbach, Coburg and Oberaching.

my personally favorite was the first game against Fellbach. That was my first game playing. I had to sit the first few games because of work Visa so I was excited being out there playing and I felt great that game.

Who was your toughest player opponent in the Pro B?

The toughest player was Jaylen Alston. He played very aggressive and was relentless going to the basket.

Who wins a 1-1 in practice you or Ruppert Hennen?

Haha i don’t know we never really played but I bet it would be a fun game. We are both good so who knows. ( But I would win lol )

Is there a dynasty brewing in OKC?

They have the right team over at OKC to build a dynasty so I say it is possible.

Is Shai Gillgeous-Alexander the best point guard in the NBA now?

As of now he is, for sure best player in the league leading his team to a championship can’t wait to see what he does next season.

Thanks Malik for the chat.

Tevin Olison Can Guard The Other Team´s Best Player And Also Lead His Own Team In Scoring

Tevin Olison (194-G-1998, college: YSU, agency: One Motive Sports) is a 27 year old 194cm guard from Memphis, Tennessee that is currently looking for a new challenge. He won´t be suiting up for the EWE Baskets Oldenburg this season. Last season he played with the Helsinki Seagulls (Finland-Korisliiga) averaging 14.1ppg, 3.6rpg, 3.0apg, FGP: 49.1%, 3PT: 36.9%, FT: 76.2%. He played his first 2 pro seasons with the Bristol Flyers (United Kingdom-BBL) averaging 10.7ppg, 3.0rpg, 1.9apg, FGP: 47.0%, 3PT: 39.5%, FT: 82.8% and 16.5ppg, 3.7rpg, 3.1apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 52.9%, 3PT: 36.6%, FT: 83.5%. He began his basketball career at Mitchell high school and then played 2 seasons at Cleveland State Community College (JUCO) averaging15.6ppg, 5.1rpg, 1.7apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 44.1%, 3PT: 37.7%, FT: 70.6% and 17.3ppg, 3.6rpg, 2.0apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 41.6%, 3PT: 29.3%, FT: 73.7%. He then played 2 seasons with the University of the Cumberlands (NAIA) averaging 17.8ppg, 5.5rpg, 2.5apg, FGP: 42.5%, 3PT: 38.0%, FT: 75.2% and 23.0ppg, 5.0rpg, 2.4apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 51.6%, 3PT: 41.5%, FT: 76.4%. He finished at Youngstown State University (NCAA) averaging 12.6ppg, 4.4rpg, 1.3apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 36.6%, FT: 79.7%. He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball.

Thanks Tevin for talking to germanhoops.com. You went from Juco to NAIA to the NCAA to lower leagues overseas and now are in the BBL. Are you the ultimate fighter that never gives up?

I think that I am the ultimate fighter. My path has been a crazy one. I wouldn´t change it for anything. I have worked hard and had help from coaches and my brother. I feel like I have made big steps so far in my career and have proved that I belong.

How blessed are to have a guy like Drew Kelso of One Motive Sports in your corner? He continues to find new opportunities for you.

I really respect Drew a lot. He began talking to me when I was playing NAIA. Nobody else was talking to me at that time. He knew right away that I had some upside. Later big time agents began talking to me, but I always remained with Drew. I´m big on loyalty.

Let´s talk about your game. You’re a 194cm guard. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would best fit the description?

I have heard the names Bradley Beal, Lou Williams and Jamal Crawford. Those are guys that can give instant offense. I classify myself more as a 2 way player. I can guard the opponents best player and still lead my own team in scoring. That is what makes me valuable on the floor.

You’re a lethal scorer, but also fills the stat sheet very well. Talk about other attributes in your game?

I feel like I´m an underrated passer. I´m an unselfish player. Guys like to play with me. I can be effective with or without the ball. I think that I´m a 3 level scorer, but to be able to use all shots depends on the coach you have. My mid range game hasn´t always been used to the fullest in certain systems.

You eclipsed the 40% mark once in college and have been consistent overseas being between 36-39%. What do you have to do to reach the 40% plateau?

I feel like I just have to keep taking good shots and stay in the gym. It is that simple. Shooting is like riding a ´bike. If you stay on top, then you will be ok.

Your also a very aggressive defender. How would do you describe yourself now as a defender and what level do you still want to reach?

I take a lot of pride in playing defense. I don´t like the ball handler being comfortable with the ball. I take being scored on very personally. I´m working most on my lateral quickness so I can become an even better defender.

On what areas of your game are you working on most now so you can continue to get better in all areas of your game?

I´m watching a lot of film so I can improve my pick and roll game. I want to be able to pick the defense apart.

Last season you played with the Helsinki Seagulls (Finland-Korisliiga) averaging 14.1ppg, 3.6rpg, 3.0apg, FGP: 49.1%, 3PT: 36.9%, FT: 76.2%. You won the title over Karhubasket. What was so special about this team?

I was really lucky that I chose this team. Everyone was so good to each other on and off the court. We were all close and that translated to on the court. No one was bigger than the other. The guy with 0 minutes was as big as the top scorer. We were a great team that all bought in to winning.

How vital was it having the ultimate veteran Rene Rougeau on the team? What kind of a relationship did you have with him?

Rene and I were really close. We hung out each day. We had deep conversations and talked about everything. He held all accountable. You could tell he was a veteran that had won a lot. He didn´t want to lose. He was a great leader.

You played your first 2 seasons overseas with the Bristol Flyers (United Kingdom-BBL) averaging 10.7ppg, 3.0rpg, 1.9apg, FGP: 47.0%, 3PT: 39.5%, FT: 82.8%; and made a huge jump in your second season averaging 16.5ppg, 3.7rpg, 3.1apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 52.9%, 3PT: 36.6%, FT: 83.5%. How did you grow as a player in these 2 years?

I had to get adjusted that first season. The biggest difference was that that first year, I thought to much instead of letting the game come to me. In my second season, I just played my game. I read the game better, was more physical on defense and made the right plays.

In your first season you beat top UK team London Lions with 26 points and hit them in your second season with 31 points. How vital was it for your game and confidence showing all that you belonged on the stage overseas?

The Lions had big name players. Every time that I played them, I wanted everyone to know that I belonged. I always played my best games against them. I was always locked in.

What do you remember being your wake up call to being overseas where you knew that you were far away from home?

As soon as I landed. The time difference was huge. It all didn´t seem to be real. It was a big adjustment.

You played 2 seasons with Cleveland State Community College (JUCO) averaging 15.6ppg, 5.1rpg, 1.7apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 44.1%, 3PT: 37.7%, FT: 70.6% and 17.3ppg, 3.6rpg, 2.0apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 41.6%, 3PT: 29.3%, FT: 73.7%. Every JUCO player that I have interviewed have said that the JUCO experience was tough, but one that they wouldn´t have traded the world for. How was it for you?

Playing JUCO was one of the greatest experiences in my life. It was super fun. My first year, My older brother of 5 years was on the team. We always trained together. Even in my second year we still trained together when he wasn´t on the team anymore. It was a doggy dog world. Every guy was shooting for a spot. I stood out, because I didn´t force anything. I let the game come to me. JUCO brought the dog out of me.

You were a consistent performer in both JUCO seasons. How vital was Lee Cigliano for your early basketball development?

He was a hard nosed coach. He was a great defensive coach and scouted like crazy. He turned me into a great defensive player. He brought the Tony Allen out of me.

You then played 2 years at the University of the Cumberlands (NAIA) avergaing 17.8ppg, 5.5rpg, 2.5apg, FGP: 42.5%, 3PT: 38.0%, FT: 75.2% and in your second season made a massive jump averaging: 23.0ppg, 5.0rpg, 2.4apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 51.6%, 3PT: 41.5%, FT: 76.4%. How did your game grow here under Don Butcher?

Coach Butcher was by far my favorite coach. He put the ball into my hands. He always told me to treat my teammates right, because I should never only think about myself as the best player, but think of the whole team on the court. I really got comfortable as a point guard under him. He deserves a lot of credit for my success. He had a lot of trust in me.

You had so many great games there, but you really loved Life. You hit them for 40 and 36 points. How exciting was the 107-105 win?

That 40 point game was wild. I actually think about that game a lot. We were on the road and their fans were crazy. I broke the record in that game with the most free throws. I remember their coach talking trash and whenever I scored, I just stared over at their bench.

You then finished at Youngstown State University (NCAA) averaging 12.6ppg, 4.4rpg, 1.3apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 36.6%, FT: 79.7%. How enriching was this season? Your hard work the years before really paid off.

I was living out my dream there. I always wanted to play in the NCAA. I just had fun there. I really enjoyed playing against schools like West Virginia and Penn State.

How did head coach Jerrod Calhoun give you that last push to prepare you for a pro career?

He helped me break down the game and read it well. His practices were so detailed. He was an offensive mastermind. He really helped me to read the pick and roll and closeouts.

Who won a 1-1 in practice you or Dwayne Cohill

We still talk about our battles. I never lost.

Who is the toughest player that you ever played against that reached the NBA

Darius Garland, Malik Monk and Malik Newman.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

Dwayne Cohill, Jeremiah Martin, Curtis Hollis, Jordan Olison, Jahi Hinson

Please list your NBA, Mount Rushmore?

Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Steph Curry

Who is your GOAT

Kobe Bryant

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

I haven´t seen it. But it probably should have been left alone.

Thanks Tevin for the chat.

Noah Kamdem Learned To Be A Post Player In Frankfurt And Has Found A Second Home In Erfurt

Noah Kamdem guarding Isaiah Hartenstein

Noah Kamdem (198-C-1998) is a 26 year old 198cm center that has enjoyed a 10 year plus career. He will play his 4th season with the CATL Basketball Loewen Erfurt (ProB). He has been a real basketball traveler in Germany having played with Troster Breitengussbach, Nurnberg, Herzogenaurach, Team Ehingen, Rolstock, PS Karlsruhe, Schwenningen, Coburg, Frankfurt and Elchingen. He spoke to eurobasket about his basketball career.

You will play a 5th season with the Lowen in Erfurt. Did you remain mostly because of the family atmosphere?

Yes I did. It is a real family atmosphere.

Has it become like a second home for you?

Yes it has. My son was born here and my girlfriend is from here. Everything fit.

What makes the Basketball Lowen such a special organization?

It is a special club, because I feel like we can achieve something with this program. We are still waiting for the new practice gym. I feel like when that is ready, then we will make the next step in the direction of the Pro A.

Paul Albrecht like you also keeps remaining in Erfurt and loves the club. How special oof a teammate has he been for you and how ha she helped your game most?

He is a super teammate and guy. I always am able to learn something new from him. He is more experienced than me and has played at a higher level than I have. He is an even more allrounder than I am. I always try to soak up something new from him.

You played parts of 2 seasons in Frankfurt. What was your fondest moment there?

I really enjoyed my time there. Frankfurt is where I established my post up game. I feel like I belong to the best big men in the Pro B now. I was really fortunate to have had a coach like Sepehr Tarrah who really taught me the moves and improve my ball handling. Nobody can stop me inside.

How proud are you of guys like Jordan Samare and Alex Richardson who all made the next step after Frankfurt?

I am super proud of both of them. I hope they stay fit. I feel like both will reach the BBL.

In the 2019-2020 season you played in Schwenningen, Coburg and Frankfurt and covid came. How tough was this season? What did you learn from this season?

I learned that no matter where you are, you have to keep working hard on the game. All you need is a ball to get better. You can always get better even if the coach has different ideas.

Why did you never have a long Pro A career?

I think that everything has to fit. I feel like the conditions are very good in Erfurt to reach the Pro A. I think all in all, you can improve more if you play a lot instead of playing sparse minutes in the Pro A. I think that my drive and shot will help me get to the higher level.

You played a season with PS Karlsruhe. I´m sure you learned a lot from Maurice Pluskota?

Yes of course I did. I was lucky that when he was injured, I was able to start for a few months and got good minutes. I played very good pick and roll defense in that span. We reached the last 8th place for the playoffs. I showed that I could perform at a high level. I think that I made the wrong decision to go to Schwenningen after that season.

How tough was your Pro B season in Rostock? Did you get a fair chance?

It was tough in Rostock. They chose Dennis Teuchert before me. Daniel Lopez was vital for me that season. He was my mentor. They had a small rotation, but I still learned a lot practicing twice a day.

There were so many great character guys in Rostock like Brandon Lockhart, Jordan Talbert, Chris Frazier, Bill Borekambi or Zaire Thompson. Who had the biggest impact on you?

I think that Lopez had a big impact on me as did Bill Borekambi and Jordan Talbert. Zaire Thompson also had a big impact on me. They didn´t use him the right way.

You played a season in Ehingen. You were teammates with Kam Taylor. If someone had told you then that he would become a Euroleague player soon what would you have thought?

That was Kam´s rookie season. From his awareness and athleticism, you could have thought that. He was such a hard worker and was a super teammate. You don´t always get that from Americans. He was funny and was always ready to help me. He never thought that he was better than you.

You played some years in Breitengussbach. Did you have a mentor?

I lived 3 years with Andi Obst and Leon Kratzer was my teammate. Mirko Petrich was like a mentor. He did a good job there. Now he is with Alba Berlin. He was always very heartfelt. Mario Dugandzic also was super and helped me a lot especially off the court.

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

Isaiah Hartenstein

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

Andi Obst, Daniel Keppeler, Leon Kratzer, Bill Borekambi, Dominykas Pleta

Please name your NBA, Euro and German Mount Rushmore.

Lebron James. Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Joel Embild

Kyle Hines, Luka Doncic, Marcus Slaughter, Brandon Roberts

Dirk Nowitzki, Dennis Schroeder, Andi Obst, Franz Wagner

Who is your GOAT

Lebron James.

Thanks Noah for the chat.

Rising Agent Drew Kelso Of One Motive Sports And I Are In Different Basketball Fields But Share The Same Passion And Work Ethic

I have been very fortunate over the years to have had a very good journalist to player relationship. I love featuring player´s journey on eurobasket.com and germanhops.com, because every player no matter where they are if it´s the NBA, first division France, 4th division or somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Argentina, every player has their own unique story. Obviously through my good contacts with players, I often am able to get in contact with other players. But what happens if I can´t get that desired number from a player? Well over the years, I have also been fortunate to preserve good relationships with agents. I have befriended many agents over the years and my list always gets larger. There is nothing better than for a player to get some free exposure. Not only the players profits, but so does the agent. One agent that I have become very friendly with has been One Motive Sports founder Drew Kelso. I was shocked to learn that I got to know him back in June of 2022. In a short span of 2 years to 2024, I had interviewed 17 of his clients. The list has continued to rise in the last 1 year. The last player I interviewed was Tevis Olison. It was actually 15 in 2024 and only a few months later it grew to 18 as he added Vlad Moldoveanu of VM Hoops Agency as I had interviewed a few of his players. “Man, 18 guys is crazy! We appreciate you and your hard work first of all”, stressed Drew Kelso in 2024. After a brief moment in thought, I realized that we are very much alike. I´m a workaholic and never take a day off. I´m always looking for that next interview and writing articles on players. My passion for the game is extraordinary. For me it´s like a game. Who will be my next interview and how big is the challenge to reel in a NBA player for a Q&A? Drew is the same as me. He is an ultimate workaholic. Not only is he doing all he can to get every player of his in the best situation, but when he does, his job isn´t done. This guy shows so much love and does so much promotion for his players on social media on a daily basis. I honestly have not seen another agent give as much love for his players as he does. Whenever I have interviewed a player, I like to follow their journey closer. It wasn´t any different when I was able to interview Daeqwon Plowden (198-G/F-1998, college: BGSU, agency: One Motive Sports) of One Motive Sprots a few years ago after hie finished college. He played NBA Summer League and has made a massive rise in this time. He paid his dues in the G-League and got a 2 way contract with the Atlanta Hawks in 2023. You could feel Kelso´s joy as he was posting news about that. It made me happy as well. But now it´s time to hear about his unique journey as a basketball agent.

Drew Kelso hails from Arkansas and went to Lincoln trail college and then finished at Blue Mountain College in Mississippi. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a pro ice hockey player and sportscaster. Since I´m from Boston and watched every sport news cast in the 80´s from the local channels 4,5 and 7. I remember often hearing the name Bob Wolfe and seeing him in interviews as he was handling Larry Bird. Kelso also had a vision of where he wanted to go jobwise when he was a kid. “I told my Dad when I was 13 years old that I wanted to be a sports agent. Life took me a different direction when I started a retail business in my dorm room when I was 21 and then wound up back chasing my dreams 9 years later (another story for another day, lol). But, looking back I guess I really had no idea of agents truly were. The obvious answer is the dramatized Jerry Maguire or even Dom Pagnotti from “He Got Game”. Coming from a small city in Arkansas, it’s not like we had any agents coming around for me to learn from. So, I guess, I didn’t really have any role models in the agent world. I am a self-proclaimed agent nerd though. I study agents, agencies, scouts, etc. Not in a sense of being envious, but at the end of the day I am eight seasons into this but I’m still on a constant pursuit of learning and not afraid to ask questions or admit that I’m wrong in a scenario. When I played, I used to watch certain players and try to immolate my game after them. I do the same in the agent business. I also try to take things I don’t like from certain agents and implement into what we don’t want to do. I always say, I have a lot of respect anyone crazy enough to get into this business and I keep that respect for anyone in the business until something is done for me to lose it somewhat”, stressed Drew Kelso in 2024. He is in his 8th year as an agent and founded One Motive Sports in 2018 and in a way is like a player who just plays the game he loves. “It’s been a blessing to be in my dream profession. But if I had to say one thing, it would be being able to genuinely get to impact the lives of so many players and their families. To know that we’ve been fortunate enough to see young men’s lives changed from when they signed with us at OMS has been amazing. We’ve not only seen players make the NBA, high levels all over the world, see them make a lot of money, but also have been fortunate enough to see players get married, start families, begin coaching, etc. We just believe in the person more than the player and that makes it more of a mission in life more than a job”, stated Drew Kelso in 2024. One of my favorite questions that I love to ask players is what their wake up call was to being a rookie overseas where they knew you were far away from home. Of course I couldn´t refrain from asking Drew what his was as an agent. “I think the wake up call for me was the constant rejection. Reaching out to teams around the world, being left on read, been told no thank you so many times, etc. And we’re not talking about Real Madrid or Alba Berlin teams, respectfully we were being told no by super low level/entry level type teams, which in hindsight, is what we were… low level. I think that and then just the COVID pandemic in 2020. In March of 2019 we had 1 player playing abroad. In March of 2020, we had grown to 36 players in 27 countries. Dealing with the pandemic and getting all of these guys home safely back to their families in a state of so much uncertainty, that was insane. They didn’t teach the art of dealing with a pandemic on our FIBA Agent test”, commented Drew Kelso in 2024.

The company started from scratch and has really have made a name for themselves step by step. It wasn´t easy for the company, but on their website there is a quote that reads, “The distance is nothing when one has a motive. A very important sentence that has helped the company grow and have success. “Everyone’s view of success is different. For me, it’s the ability that we’ve been able to start something from literally scratch as you said and grow it into something real. To see OMS guys in the NBA to across so many countries across the globe, it’s special. Everyone can look at our journey and see guys like Trey Jemison and Malevy Leons in the NBA and how cool that looks, which it is but when we started this thing in 2018 and Thomas Sandlin and I were up at 4:00 AM cold calling, Facebook messaging, emailing, etc. teams in Regionalliga Germany or the second division of Sweden and getting no replies and ignored? Man, that was a different grind. But we had to go thru that to get to where we are now. That’s where the quote “the distance is nothing when one has a motive” comes in. Thomas and I always knew we had a higher calling to make OMS into something special. Even though its never been easy, I wouldn’t change a thing”, warned Drew Kelso. The company continues to grow and expand thanks to great guys helping Drew with Thomas Sandlin, Davon Bell, Josh Jones and Clay Mallory. “Wow, what can I even say about these guys. Thomas is like the brother I never had. We started this company together on a mission that was bigger than basketball or either of us. We are complete opposite in every sense of the word, but at the same time, just because we think differently, we’ve been around each other so much that we normally end up at similar thought processes about the business. It’s been great to go through this journey with him and we tell stories and reflect back so much on what we’ve been blessed to build. He has such an immense value to OMS and I couldn’t do this without him. Davon Bell and Josh Jones are special to me because they have seen OMS from both sides. They were both former clients and then turned agents. Josh was our first hire at OMS. He was such a talented player and got the short end of the stick with COVID as so many players in the international basketball world did. I saw immense value with Josh in his ability to relate to players and he’s been instrumental in recruiting several players at OMS like Terry Allen, Tevin Olison, Raekwon Rogers, and more. Davon and Josh were both part of our very first “recruiting class” in 2019 and believed in OMS when there wasn’t much to believe in. Forever grateful for them for that. Davon played two years in Europe and was one of our first “real” clients when he was playing very well at Jamtland in Sweden before an injury cut his Rookie year short. His basketball mind is terrific and I lean on him to help me with talent identification. Both of those guys embody what we want to have in our company and represent us the right way. Clay Mallory has been huge for us at OMS. I met Clay in 2019 at an exposure camp in Las Vegas during NBA Summer League. We both were just starting out and both had very little going on (even though we thought we did lol). We always stayed close and bounced ideas off each other. In 2021, we made the decision to merge his company in with us at OMS and he take on a role at OMS. He is the Director of our Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) side at OMS and my eyes out in California/the West Coast. Clay has really grown during his years at OMS and just will continue to get better. Great guy that does things the right way”, warned Drew Kelso in 2024. It is always beneficial when one has ex players in the company. These are guys who have seen it all and know exactly how players tick. “Yeah, as aforementioned with Davon and Josh, it’s been awesome. The value that those guys brings is immense. They can relate to players, especially the ones that are playing abroad, way better than I can. I’ve never flew hallway across the world to chase a dream to play professionally, they have. I feel like I can relate to our clients pretty well still, but those guys are probably way cooler for our guys to talk to than me”, smiled Drew Kelso in 2024.

Being an agent is no piece of cake. It is constant work. Not to mention the travel around the globe visiting players and seeing how their doing. “Typically, I am at home and able to work out of an office at the house. Depends on the time of year, but regardless I wake up early to work with the European and international market as a whole, our players over there, etc. In the summer, I usually am in the office a little after 4:00 AM to be able to talk to decision makers with the time difference. Right now, it’s a little different. We have some things in the works (stay tuned), but I am more focused on our current clients and making sure they are ok. All but a handful of our clients at the time of writing this are on a team currently, so it’s more maintaining the guys we have and monitoring their progress, keeping an eye on the market, and recruiting is really ramping up. The cycle keeps going”, stated Drew Kelso in 2024. One thing that separates One Motive Sports from other agencies is just how important the player really is. The motto of the company that it pursues happiness. This has a deep meaning having to do with a fallen friend. “Yeah, without getting too deep into the story. Thomas and I started One Motive Sports (and named it after) the passing of our mutual best friend. He gave me the vision to chase my agent dreams still even though I was seven to eight years removed from basketball about a week before he tragically passed away. So, the name “One Motive” was something that he preached all the time and his One Motive was to pursue happiness at all times. I fought the idea of leaving everything I knew in my adult life and closed the retail business and got into the agency business to honor him. When you do something that’s bigger than you, you work that much harder. I always tell players to remember their “why” and what got you here. Without that none of us really have anything worth fully pursuing in my opinion. It’s not about the deals, contracts, levels, etc. for me as much as it is honoring my friend and making sure we live out the legacy left and live his dream for me thru our clients”, stressed Drew Kelso in 2024. One often hears about how team´s check players characters before signing them. There are so many agents out there that will sign anyone, but with One Motive Sports, they have a clear idea of who they want to represent and not. “Yeah, no doubt. I will admit, early on we were very bullish and had to take chances on a lot of guys that we may or may not should have. But in retrospect, they took chances on us too. Some of those guys turned out to have great careers (some still going from the early OMS days) and some we all learned valuable lessons on. One thing that I’ve learned is character matters so much. You can only be a bad person for so long. No matter how talented you are, your character eventually has to kick in. The OMS logo and name has such a deep meaning to us and we want people that represent that well. I could genuinely care less if people know who I am in the general public eye. I want them to know what OMS stands for as a company and that they are not only getting a talented player, but often times a better person”, expressed Drew Kelso in 2024. I love how the company doesn´t like to call their players clients, but family. Is having this feeling of being one family the difference between success and not? “No doubt. The word “family” gets thrown out a lot from teams, agents, etc. We truly treat these guys like family. If you know me, I am very passionate about our guys and talk to them constantly (Thomas Sandlin even more than me usually lol). Not just about basketball, but life, their families, their trials and tribulations. There’s only so much business you can talk about with a client. You get what? One, maybe two contracts a year? How many times can you talk about that during the season legitimately with that client? We’ve done a really good job of not only signing these guys but a lot of them we’ve had for their entire pro career and retained them. Retaining players is half the battle. We live in a “transfer portal” society and players leave the moment something is tough. Have we lost guys? Sure. Have we had to let guys go? Sure. But, ultimately when you build the Family culture that we’ve built, guys want to stick around and the feeling is mutual on our side”, added Drew Kelso in 2024.

One Motive Sports continues to build their client pool and no they don´t take just any player. They do a lot of recruiting in finding the right players for the agency. “We definitely have taken the road less traveled in our agency journey. In retrospect, I guess a lot of our players have to. That’s what makes finding the right players that much more special. Have we been wrong before? Sure. Have players maybe been wrong about choosing to come to OMS before? Sure. But, at the end of the day we always say “we will get the players that we are supposed to get. We do a ton of due diligence in recruiting players to become a part of the OMS Family. Not just talent evaluation. It goes into deep “intel” of each player, many conversations with that particular player and their inner circle whomever that may be, etc. I do think that the evaluation process may be my favorite part of the agency business personally. I love being able to get with our group and talk about certain players, go to games, watch them on film and building relationships. Thru trials and tribulations we’ve learned what we are looking for as well. We feel really good about where our current group is and continuing to grow the right way! Still a long way to go from where we want to be though”, said Drew Kelso in 2024. In the last few years the company has helped guys like Trey Jemison, Daeqwon Plowden and Malevy Leons reach the NBA. These were solid guys coming out of college, but not necessarily future NBA guys. Obviously these players put in a lot of hard work, but this wasn´t a fluke either. “I got licensed to be an agent in the NBA in 2021. We started our NBA journey in 2022 with Drake Jeffries and Daeqwon Plowden. Both went thru the NBA Pre-Draft process with them. From then, it’s just been a strong focus for us at OMS. Trey, Daeqwon, Malevy, weren’t guys as you said that had much NBA interest coming out of college. Some, but not a ton. We always talk about “can you cultivate a role?” These guys have an elite skill (or multiple) that can translate to the NBA as a role player, where you can make a ton of money and live your dream out. These guys bought into what we preached to them and then they did the work. All I can really take credit for is signing them and putting them in positions to succeed. They are the ones that did the work and put their body on the line day in and day out. The NBA is tough, man. Especially with where we are in dealing with “fringe” NBA guys. People always talk about the NBA is the best 450 players in the world (600 if you count two-way contract guys). It’s not. It’s about the best FITS in the world. We try to find the guys that are the best potential fits for an NBA team. These guys have shown that they are capable and worthy of being in this position whether anyone else really thought so or not”, commented Drew Kelso in 2024. One of the massive surprises in 2024 was seeing the incredible rise of Malevy Leons attain real NBA minutes a few months after playing NBA Summer League. Kelso´s great support via social media looked like he was a small kid in a candy store. “ It’s the best. When you are growing up wanting to be a sports agent, with all due respect, I never had a dream of sending a player to play in Slovakia or Hungary. Nothing wrong with those as we have done many deals in places like this (and will continue to), but I had the dream of representing NBA players. It’s so much harder than people think. I worked my tail off to even get my NBA license let alone building rapport with teams to be able to talk about our players like a Malevy Leons about when we signed him. Seeing those guys live out their dream? Unbelievable. Malevy is the American Dream personified. He came to America for junior college and barely spoke English about six years ago. A lot of scouts doubted him during the Pre-Draft process. We saw something in Malevy and more importantly Malevy saw something in himself. He was the first player born in the Netherlands to make an NBA appearance in twelve years! Even though there was a Dutch draft pick this year and two other guys that signed NBA deals, Malevy was the first to play an NBA regular season game in twelve years. That’s bigger than basketball. He put a whole country on his back that night and made people back home so happy. I’m forever proud of Malevy for that”, stressed Drew Kelso in 2024. I also cover many of Kelso´s players in Germany in the top 5 league easyCredit BBL since that is the country I cover most. “I think I’ve literally placed a guy in six different levels of Germany over the years, so I’d say we’re pretty well versed there lol. From BBL to Oberliga. I personally love the German market. The people there are good to deal with, no real issues typically like in some other markets. Good place to live. We rarely have complaints from our guys that go to Germany. I think the BBL is terrific. It’s extremely competitive and often the best step for a guy to get into other top leagues like Italy, France, Spain, Turkey, etc. I would say it’s in the top 5 domestic leagues in Europe. Even though some of the teams don’t have the budgets that teams in other top leagues have, they do such a good job with the resources they have. We always want to have a mainstay in the BBL market for sure”, said Drew Kelso in 2024.

So what is the future of One Motive Sports. Is Quality more important than quantity or is a goal to keep expanding the player list? “Actually, as we speak, we are going thru a lot of potential scenarios to grow OMS. Our thing is we want to do it the right way. We are in the process of growing and expanding and that comes with a lot of due diligence and planning. Quality is definitely the most important thing. We feel that it doesn’t really matter the number of clients a company has, its more do they have the infrastructure and the ability to maintain and grow those clients the RIGHT way. That’s all we focus on is doing things the right way. We have some things coming though that will continue to hopefully keep OMS going the right way”, warned Drew Kelso in 2024. Another trait we both have is that we are Never satisfied. “I think if you’re satisfied then you stop pursuing dreams. I was so naïve coming into the agency thing when I first started. I thought that we would get in the NBA right away and make all this money, lol. That took a LONG time to even scratch the surface of the NBA. I want to secure a long-term NBA deal in the near future. We’ve had three guys make the NBA but nobody on a multi-year standard NBA contract. That’s a goal. I’d love to have an NBA Draft pick as all three guys we’ve had make the NBA went undrafted. As far as Europe, I’d love to have someone in Euroleague. Something we haven’t been able to accomplish but a dream for sure”, said Drew Kelso in 2024. Since our interview, he has helped many more players reach the NBA. One of my favorite things as a report/journalist is interviewing NBA or ex NBA guys. For him it isn´t any different either. “ I think the coolest experience for me was seeing our guys play in NBA games. Trey Jemison’s time in Memphis was really special to me because Memphis is an hour from my house and I grew up going to games there as a kid. I said shortly after I started the agent business that I wasn’t going back to a Grizzlies game until we had a player playing there. I didn’t think it would take five years and I didn’t think it would be an OMS client wearing a Memphis jersey. But overall, the whole experience as an agent has been a blessing and so, so many cool experiences”, added Drew Kelso in 2024. The experience Drew Kelso with his clients reminds me of when I opened baseball card packs as a kid. It was exciting to get the allstar players. It is no different then waiting for the moment when Drew Kelso helps that next college player get an NBA contract. The excitement never wanes in Drew Kelso´s basketball life.

Noah Westerhaus Will Never Forget Youth Teammate Isaiah Hartenstein Being Taller One Week And Himself Being Taller The Next Week

Noah Westerhaus (200-PF-1998) is a 27 year old 200cm forward that has played the last 3 seasons with the ETB Miners Essen. He began his basketball career with the Artland Dragons and was a teammate with 2025 NBA champion Isaiah Hartenstein. Noah also has sampled experience playing with BSG Bremerhaven, Wolfenbuettel, Neustadt, Langenhagen, Koblenz and Limburg. He spoke to germanhoops.com about his memories being Isaiah Hartenstein´s teammate.

Thanks Noah for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how is basketball life?

I´m living in Essen playing Pro B.

You completed your third season with Essen. Has Essen become like a second home to you and will you remain?

Definitely. I met a lot of people here and want to stay for a while.

Your ex teammate Isaiah Hartenstein became NBA champion with OKC. Did you stay up the whole night to watch history?

Yes I watched a couple of game during the season and of course the last one.

How proud are you of Isaiah Hartenstein. What does this success mean for the Artland Dragons?

It does shows how good their youth teams were and are. Every one of his clubs is probably proud of him as am I. He really deserves it.

Do you still have contact with him to this day? Did you congratulate him?

Unfortunately no, but yes I texted him.

What memories do you have of the 2014 JBBL final against Breitengussbach which you won 68-60?

It was an unbelievable experience in front of our home crowd. Winning the chip is front of family and friends is something special.

What was the key to that success? The team had 2 giants with Hartenstein and Herkenhoff and great aggressive guards.

The key was the whole team and our defense. We had 2 good coaches, great defenders and big guy sunder the basket and Isaiah who did everything.

Isaiah Hartenstein had a 22/14 game. How do you remember his game then?

We was our biggest weapon and nobody was able to stop him.

How do you remember practices in 2014? He was already a giant. How tall were you then and did you battle in the paint in practice?

At that time we were both growing so quickly. One week he was taller and the next week I was taller. Practices were always very competitive and if they weren´t competitive enough, then his dad Flo joined and it became competitive.

If someone had told you that he would be NBA champion 11 years later what would you have thought?

I would of called him crazy, but not because he wasn´t talented enough, but because it´s such a long way from where he started. But he made it. That’s unbelievable.

In JBBL the guys are very young, but what kind of a relationship did you have with him? Were you close?

Yes we were more than teammates. 3 of us were living with his family including me.

He often says in interviews that so many doubted him in his young days. But how can that be? It seems like he dominated youth basketball and then went his way.

Yes he did and he proved everyone wrong and that is something that he deserves because of all of his hard work.

Have you followed Isaiah Hartenstein´s career in the last decade? How have you observed his development? Can you explain why he had to pay his dues so long?

Yes I have. I watched his highlights and he always got better.

He switched a lot of teams but for some reason he was never used the right way. Now he made his break through with OKC. Do you feel like he is still on his way of becoming an even better player?

Sometimes it has to do with how a coach wants to use him. I feel like he fits into the OKC team well.

He made the next step with OKC. Do you feel like he can get even better?

I think that he will take another step and get better and more consistent.

He played in the Artland Dragons organization but now seems to support ratiopharm Ulm. Does he still have some kind of ties to Artland?

I have no idea.

If you played 1-1 in 2025, how many baskets could you make in 10 tries?

I´ll give myself a solid 1. There will be a lucky one going in.