DJ Woodmore (190-SG-92, college: VWU) is a 29 year old 190cm point guard that is playing his first season with the EPG Baskets Koblenz. Last season with Morgenstern BIS Basket Speyer (Germany-ProB) he played 21 games averaging 15.1ppg, 4.4rpg, 2.3apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 60.0%, 3PT-2 (50.0%), FT: 87.3%. In 2018-2019 13.8ppg, 4.5rpg, 2.8apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 60.2%, 3PT: 36.5%, FT: 71.6% in the Regionalliga. In his first two seasons with Speyer he averaged 14.5ppg, 5.2rpg, 2.3apg, FGP: 44.6%, 3PT: 40.1%, FT: 72.1% and 17.5ppg, 7.0rpg, 3.4apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 47.5%, 3PT: 33.0%, FT: 76.4%. he played at Virginia Wesleyan College (NCAA3): from 2010-2014 and as a senior played 31 games averaging 20.1ppg, 5.9rpg, 2.4apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 50.3% (219/435), 3Pts: 46.0% (91/198), FT: 76.9% (93/121). Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and D

DJ congrats on the massive 82-60 win against the Ebbecke White Wings Hanau. How good did it feel getting that monkey off your back?

Felt great to finally be able to breathe again. After 5 losses in a row, roster changes, team meetings and everything in between, this win was absolutely a sigh of relief.

The way the EPG Baskets Koblenz started was like night and day in comparison to the last games. What did head coach Danny Rodriguez tell you on Friday night where the team had a meeting?

He told us that we have to get back to playing with passion and heart. Our team needs energy to be successful. Everybody on the court and everybody on the bench needs to be completely locked in and bringing that passion. When we do that, we’re definitely an exciting team to watch.

I feel like you were a huge reason for the fast start, because you were super aggressive and was all over the court. How much of a toll did the 5 game losing streak have on you and did you just feel the moment to take charge?

I mean after missing two and half games, and coming back slower than expected in the last two weeks, the Hanau game was the first time I felt close to my old self again. My teammates told me all day to stay aggressive the whole game and kept feeding me confidence even after a few misses. I knew it was going to be important to get myself going early and get off to a good start.

The offense has always been a big plus for the EPG Baskets Koblenz, but I felt that against Hanau the offense was totally recharged. What positives did you see on offense that the team didn’t show this season?

I thought the whole team played like we had nothing to lose again. Not desperate basketball but loose and free. Not pressure, no overthinking. Just back to playing like we know how.

The EPG Baskets Koblenz took control of the contest in the third quarter extending your lead to 20 points. What was key for the team being able to decide the game then?

Keeping that same energy we had from the beginning. Usually 3rd quarters are a nightmare for us. We get uptight and play to hold on to the lead, and not play the way that got us the lead. Felt like we didn’t let that happen Saturday.

As a team you outrebounded Hanau 48-28. What steps did the team finally make on the boards?

I think it was just effort. Had 5 guys crash the defensive glass on every possession. Limited Hanau’s second chance points and gave them fewer possessions. Makes the game so much easier that way.

German Henning Schaake had a huge game with 13 points, 5 rebounds and 3 blocks. How huge was his performance and what do you appreciate most about his game?

Huge performance from Henning. He came in right away and got an offensive rebound then spotted up in the corner for a quick release three. Everybody knew right away he was locked in. We needed it big time. I thought it was huge for his confidence and the team’s energy going forward. I’m sure that won’t be the last time he has a monster game for us.

You had another strong game with 17 points, 8 boards, 4 assists, 2 steals and a block. How vital was the whole team effort in allowing you to play the way you did?

I thought they made it extremely easy for me to stay in attack mode in the first half. And we did a good job of creating mismatches in transition. Allowing me to create for myself and others.

The next game is against FC Bayern Munich who you beat 71-67 on the road. What will be key to making the sweep this season?

Making sure we can handle their pressure and keep their two guards in check. They really make them go, and if we can contain them, we have a good chance of coming away with the sweep! Much easier said than done!

The Dallas Mavericks are in a slump and in last place in their division. Is this a surprise for you and will they get out of it?

Yess I think they’ll be fine, I think it’s still early enough in the season for them to make a run. I think they’re only 2 or 3 games out of 8th place, and Luka is starting to heat up. Plenty of time.

Thanks DJ for the chat.

The Fraport Skyliners are momentarily going through a tough stretch where they have five games in a two week period. They began their February run with a huge victory at home against the Telekom Baskets Bonn, but 48 hours later were unable to pull out a win in Ulm as they were unable to make the big plays in crunch-time. They returned back last weekend with a great performance in Vechta winning easily 96-72 where they shot over 50% form the field and from the parking lot and only coughed up the ball a strong six times. They returned home to meet Brose Bamberg who are playing a superb Basketball Champions League and in the easyCredit BBL had the exact same record as the Fraport Skyliners at 7-9. Brose Bamberg has been up and down in 2021 bringing a 3-3 record to Frankfurt and it looked like they would go home with a loss after a poor first half, but in the second half the Bavarian team buckled down and showed their total offensive arsenal outscoring Frankfurt 54-28 and wining 86-76. Bamberg got serious production from Devon Hall, Michele Vitali and David Kravish who combined for 66 points as Frankfurt had absolutely no answer how to slow them down. “We were soft in the first half and had way too many turnovers. We started to get more aggressive on defense in the second half. Once you begin to play better defense and rebound better, you get more confidence which helped to get our offense going”, stressed Bamberg guard Devon Hall. The Fraport Skyliners once again showed why they are a team of night and day qualities. After a solid first half where they led by 16 points at the break, they returned back in the second half and stunk up the house letting Brose Bamberg play their game. “We got outscored by 54 points in the second half. Something like that can´t happen. We played well in the first half, but in the second half had no energy and couldn´t control our game. We had bad communication and gave them confidence. They got way too many offensive rebounds and we had no flow our ball movement on offense”, stressed Fraport Skyliner center Michael Kessens.

                The first quarter remained a tight battle as no team was able to break free from the other. There were five lead changes and both clubs were able to find a quick offensive rhythm. After two games where Rasheed Moore scored less, he found his touch again against Bamberg and scored the games first basket. Ex NBA player Devon Hall then gave Bamberg it´s first lead with a three pointer that saw nothing but net. Frankfurt gained the lead back as Moore continued being a one man wrecking scoring on transition and then drilling a trey making his first three shots. Frankfurt had the 9-6 advantage as they did a good job getting the ball inside and keeping  Hall off the ball. Frankfurt continued to hold the lead as they did a great job putting ex Vechta center Michael Kessens into great scoring position as he completed a hard two handed dunk and lay in and ex Auburn(NCAA) great Quantez Robertson scored on transition as Frankfurt led 15-12. Kessens was very present in the first quarter. Kessens finished with a strong game with 16 points and 6 boards and shot 63%, but after the loss he had nothing good to say about his game as he was slowed down well in the second half. “I played with little energy in the second half and little aggressiveness. I also didn´t play the pick and roll well”, stressed Michael Kessens. Basketball always remains a game of runs as Brose Bamberg found some day light and sped out on a 7-0 run to grab the lead back at 19-15. In the run the Bavarian club got excellent production from ex Banco di Sardegna Sassari (Serie A) three point specialist Michele Vitali as he scored, a floater by diminutive ex BG Goettingen guard Bennet Hundt and a lay in by ex California(NCAA) center David Kravish who retrieved a no look feed by Hundt. Hundt did a good job in this phase leading the Bamberg offense with his playmaking. Bamberg upped their defensive pressure which led to good offense. Frankfurt got the lead back getting another three pointer from Rasheed Moore and a floater by ex Davidson(NCAA) guard Jon Axel Gundmundsson for the 20-19 lead. But Frankfurt wasn´t able to keep the lead as ex George Mason(NCAA) center Shevon Thompson gave Bamberg some energy with a lay in and tip in dunk for the Bamberg 24-21 lead after 10 minutes.

            The Fraport Skyliners upped their intensity and aggressiveness at both ends of the court in the second quarter scoring 27 points and allowing only 8 points to totally break open the game. The Fraport Skyliners came out with a bang going on a 10-0 run to get the lead back at 31-24. In the run Frankfurt continued to get Michael Kessens involved as he scored 6 points with two lay ins and free throws. Gundmundsson also added 4 points with a lay in and free throws. With Hundt on the bench, the Bamberg offense suffered and on defense they were unable to keep Kessens in check. Frankfurt showed that their offense could produce points without the usual Matt Mobley points who still hadn´t scored, but was active in the playmaking. Bamberg finally got their first field goal at the 6,27 minute mark as Kravish got free and scored inside to cut Frankfurt´s lead to 31-26. But that didn´t faze Frankfurt as they continued to execute well on offense and get stops closing out the second quarter with a brutal 17-6 run. There is only so much time that one can keep Mobley scoreless and it was only obvious that he would get going sooner or later. In the run Mobley began scoring in bunches with 6 points including a trey. Frankfurt then got baskets from Quantez Robertson and a hook shot from Kessens and Mobley then used his speed to his advantage with a finger tip lay as Frankfurt led 43-30. Bamberg got some buckets from Vitali and Hall, but just couldn´t muster a healthy offensive rhythm. Moore ended the second quarter with a turn around shot and free throw as the Fraport Skyliners led 48-32 at the break. “We did everything well. We had good ball movement, played good defense, got rebounds and got transition baskets”, stated Michael Kessens. “We had tons of turnovers including me. I dribbled a ball off my foot. We got outrebounded and couldn´t clean up the boards”, added Devon Hall.

            In the third quarter the tide of the game changed as Brose Bamberg heightened their game as they buckled down on defense allowing only 8 points and cut into the comfortable Frankfurt lead trailing only 56-50 after 30 minutes. Brose Bamberg came out of half-time recharged and slapped Frankfurt with a hard 13-4 run to trail only 52-45. In the run the Basketball Champions League team received strong production from ex Virginia(NCAA) guard Devon Hall who scored 9 points.  He showed his basketball class with an immaculate inside out game He outclassed Matt Mobley on two occasions nailing a jumper over him and then getting by him on a lay in. He also drilled home a trey showing his scoring in bunches qualities. “I became more sure with the ball and just took care of the ball better”, stressed Devon Hall. He ended the game with 6 turnovers the most for him in a game this season most which were produced in the first half. Frankfurt´s biggest weakness was not executing their offense calmly as they were sloppy making bad decisions and being to hectic in their sets. In the last minutes, Hall banged home another trey as he made it look so easy with his smooth way while Rasheed Moore made a runner. Gundmundsson and Kravish closed out the third quarter with free throws. “Stops and rebounds were key for us. Frankfurt miscommunicated on defense and we took advantage of it”, stressed Devon Hall. “

            In the fourth quarter Brose Bamberg continued chipping away at the Frankfurt lead and eventually gained the lead back and then wouldn´t give it up again coasting home with the win. Brose Bamberg continued to execute well on offense going on a rapid 9-4 run to trail Frankfurt only 60-59. Bamberg got huge production from German Christian Sengfelder who played at Boise State and finished with 13 points and 9 boards including 4 offensive rebounds was instrumental in the run and later being very active in the paint. In this run he got two baskets while Kravish got free throws and Hall scored again. “Sengfelder got huge offensive rebounds and he finishes so well. We trust him to crash the offensive boards”, stated Devon Hall. Mobley kept Bamberg at bay momentarily with a trey, but Bamberg was simply too aggressive and had too many weapons. Vitali got hot giving Bamberg the lead back with his own version of scoring in bunches with 4 free throws and a trey. Sengfelder also added an offensive rebound and put back for the 69-65 Bamberg advantage. Frankfurt had lost total control on the boards. Frankfurt tried to shorten the lead with Moore and Mobley points, but they couldn´t get stops as Kravish scored and Vitali hit another massive trey for the 76-69 Bamberg lead. “Vitali is a hell of a player. He made huge plays. We have total trust in his shooting”, stressed Devon Hall. Frankfurt couldn´t get closer as Bamberg just continued to execute well on offense. Another Kravish bucket and fade away jumper from Vitali gave Bamberg the 81-71 lead with a few minutes to play. A Gundmundsson free throw and Robertson basket gave Frankfurt a little hope trailing 80-74, but they were running out of time with only 34 seconds to play. Vitali then put the stamp on the win with a trey and a Frankfurt turnover led to a Kravish hook shot basket for the 86-74 lead. Moore closed out the game with free throws. “We were more aggressive and physical on defense and rebounded well”, added Devon Hall. “The flagrant foul hurt us which led to 5 Bamberg points. We were never able to react to that. They hit big shots until the end”, stressed Michael Kessens. Brose Bamberg was led by Michele Vitali with 23 points. David Kravish added 22 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 blocks while Devon Hall scored 20 points while the Fraport Skyliners were led by Rasheed Moore with 22 points. Matt Mobley added 17 points and Michael Kessens 16 points. Brose Bamberg shot 56& from the field and 30% from outside and had 37 rebounds and 20 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners shot 43% from the field and 27% from outside and had 29 rebounds and 12 turnovers.

There were years in Freak City where winning a title or more each season was as common as it is for CSKA Moscow guard Mike James to make multiple acrobatic shots in traffic, but in the last three years getting those chips have become less as the only title they were able to achieve was the 2019 German cup. There were amazing years in the Chris Fleming and Andrea Trinchieri era´s where winning was like a middle name for the organization. Of course the club had many amazing players that contributed to the club being so successful like Casey Jacobsen in 2007 and after that they had some special players with PJ Tucker and Darius Miller. Both guys played instrumental roles in the organization having consistent success. A common similarity between both is that they both began in the NBA, came to Europe to seek glory and continue to develop their game and then returned back and have remained in the NBA. Tucker returned in 2012 and has since carved a nice NBA career becoming an important role player for the Houston Rockets while Darius Miller returned back to the NBA in 2017 and has played with the New Orleans Pelicans the last three years being a reliable role player. Can three be a charm for the NBA for new Brose Bamberg player Devon Hall? Hall played his second professional season last season splitting time with the Oklahoma City Blue of the G-League and played 11 NBA games with the Oklahoma Thunder. Now he has begun his overseas career, but is still very young and could always return back to the NBA. It would be an amazing story if Hall could follow the other two, but he isn´t thinking about that and knows what his main goal is now. “I obviously want to play at the highest level. I believe that I´m an NBA player. The NBA is still my goal and you should never lose sight of this, but at the same time, my main focus now is Bamberg. All I want to do now is win and get better with that organization”, warned Deon Hall.

                Devon Hall is a 25 year old 196cm guard that was born on July 7, 1995 in Virginia Beach. He had a very successful high school career at Cape Henry Collegiate School: where he played for his father Mark Hall Jr where he was a four year letter winner. In his junior year he averaged 16ppg, 7rpg, 7apg and as a senior he averaged 13.7ppg, 7rpg, 8apg. He led his school to the 2012-2013 Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools (TCIS) tournament title. In 2013 he was nominated to the Mcdonalds All-American team. Some other awards that he got in high school included HS All-TCIS first team -11, 12, 13, HS VISAA state champion -12, HS VISAA Player of the Year -12, and HS Most Valuable Player of the VISAA State Tournament -12. He then attended Virginia(NCAA) from 2013-2018, because of the super graduation rate of African Americans but red shirted his first season. That first season was very tough as he wasn´t even sure if he would play his first season. He knew that he had to use his red shirt year as best as possible. “I worked my butt of and got my body in good shape. I played many practice games against the players who played in games. I used these practice games as if I was playing in real games. I didn´t have to worry about anything in these practice games”, remembered Devon Hall. It also helped his game as a red shirt that he could look over the shoulder of his teammates future NBA players like Malcom Brogdon, Joe Harris and Justin Anderson.  “I learned how to work my red shirt year. When I was in high school, I had no idea what it meant to work. In high school you just shoot and work off your talent. In college you can´t live off your talent. You have to work to get better “, warned Devon Hall. He then played 4 years with Virginia(NCAA) playing a total of 127 NCAA games. In his freshman year he played 23 games averaging 1,8ppg. He scored 9 points in a 70-34 drubbing of Wake Forest, but also remembered seeing action in a tough 69-63 loss against NCAA powerhouse Duke where he dueled against future NBA players Tyus Jones, Quinn Cook, Justise Winslow, Amile Jefferson, Grayson Allen and Marshall Plumlee. “I don´t remember so much, but I do remember Justise Winslow playing very well. Duke had an elite team. It was cool being able to be a part of that game and seeing just how good the ACC is”, added Devon Hall.

            In his sophomore year he played 35 games starting 20 games averaging 4.4ppg, 2.7rpg, 1.9apg. He scored in double figures in 4 games including 13 points against Morgan State and 12 points against Long Beach State. He split against North Carolina including a tight 79-74 win where he contributed 11 points. He held his own against future NBA players like guys like Kennedy Meeks, Justin Jackson, Marcus Paige, Isaiah Hicks and Theophilus Pinson Jr. This was an occasion where he knew that he really belonged on the court with these amazing skilled guys. “I have always believed in myself from day one. I knew that I could make a good impression in this game.”, said Devon Hall. He then really had North Carolina´s number beating them in a tight defensive game 53-43 his junior season and topping off his career with the ACC title against them. “Reaching the NCAA Elite 8 was one of my most memorable moments as well as beating North Carolina for the ACC title. Beating such a talented offensive team and holding them to only 43 points was huge. That game was one of the best defensive games that I have ever been in”, expressed Devon Hall. In his junior year he played 35 games starting each one averaging 8,3ppg, 4,4rpg, 1,9apg FGP: 42.5%, 3PT: 37.8%, FT: 77.6%. He scored in double figures in 15 games including a 18 point effort in a 70-55 win over North Carolina State, 17 points in a 71-48 romp of Virginia Tech and 15 points in a 54-48 victory over Miami, Florida. In his senior year he made another jump in his NCAA development playing 34 games averaging 11,7ppg, 4,2rpg, 3,1apg ,FGP: 47.2%, 3PT: 43.2%, FT: 89.4%. He scored in double figures in 25 games including 25 points in a 68-51 win over North Carolina State, 20 points in a 80-60 victory over Davidson and scored 19 points a piece in a win over Austin Peay State and a loss against West Virginia. He also led his team is assists in 11 games. He racked up some awards with All-ACC 2nd Team -18, ACC All-Defensive Team -18, ACC All-Tournament 1st Team -18, ACC All-Academic Team -17, 18, NABC NCAA D1 All-District 2 2nd Team -18. He never played his teammate future NBA player Ty Jerome in a one on one at school, but did have his battles during the summer. And Hall doesn´t belong to the 98% of guys who usually take themselves. “I have to be honest he got the best of me. I would be lying if I didn´t say this. But I will always take myself going into a one on one game”, warned Devon Hall. The American is very thankful for his head coach Tony Bennett, because without his guidance, he wouldn´t be the player that he is today. “I learned how to be a professional. He helped me progress each year and helped me with how to approach the game. He taught me that if I want to play at a high level, then I always have to get better”, stressed Devon Hall.

            The American who lists his ex teammate NBA player Malcolm Brogdan as being his toughest opponent had a busy summer of 2018 first raising eyebrows at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (Pre-NBA Draft) playing 3 games averaging  17.3ppg, 5.7rpg, 3.3apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 43.2%, 3PT: 60.0%, FT: 84.6%. He then played at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago and then travelled a lot and worked out for 19 NBA teams. His effort and persistence was rewarded as he was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round at #53. He then played at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, NV (Oklahoma City Thunder) playing 5 games averaging 5.4ppg, 1.2apg, FGP: 42.1%. It was a good experience for him even if his game wasn´t on par. ”I didn´t play well. I didn´t shoot the ball well which sucked, because I had worked my butt off before going to Las Vegas. Sometimes these things happen, but despite that, I didn´t loose my confidence shooting the ball. I remember celebrating my birthday party in Las Vegas and having some of my ex teammates like Ty Jerome, Deandre Hunter and Kyle Guy show up”, commented Devon Hall. He began with the Oklahoma Thunder, but then went down under and played with Cairns Taipans (Australia-NBL) playing 28 games averaging 9.2ppg, 4.4rpg, 2.4apg, 2FGP: 38.7%, 3FGP: 33.9%, FT: 75.0%. He remembered  that he was very far away from home when he got off the plane. “I realized I was 16 hours away form home. That season was up and down. We didn´t win much. There was a new coach and players and you had to get used to them. I think that first experience helped me with the business side and learning how to be a pro”, said Devon Hall. He scored in double figures in 13 games including a 24 point game in a 109-80 win over the Bullets. He then returned back to the States to finish the season with the Oklahoma City Blue (NBA G League) playing 12 games averaging  6.1ppg, 1.4rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 27.3%, 3PT: 37.3%. He scored in double figures in 3 games including 14 points in a win over the Naz Suns and 13 points in a victory over Memphis. ”I only had a short stint. I got a lot of love form coach Mark Daigneault. He let me play even if I was only a shooter”, said Devon Hall. In the summer of 2019 he played NBA Summer League in Las Vegas again with the Oklahoma Thunder playing 4 games averaging  7.3ppg, 1.0rpg, 1.0spg, FGP: 70.0%, 3PT: 11.1%, FT: 81.8%

            He began his second professional season with the Oklahoma Thunder playing 5 games in November and December and then played 6 games in the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida in August 2020. In between he played with the Oklahoma City Blue (NBA G League) playing 30 games averaging 15.6ppg, 5.7rpg, 4.1apg, FGP: 57.4%, 3PT: 36.0%, FT: 86.0%. His minutes rose from 20 to 31 and finally getting minutes helped him get more noticed and get that NBA opportunity. “I finally got real minutes. That helped my confidence grow. Coach allowed me to mess up and learn from my mistakes”, added Devon Hall. He scored in double figures in the G-League in 24 games. He hit Capital City and the Naz Suns for 26 points a piece and scored 24 points a piece against Stockton and South Bay. He did get his NBA chance and had a big adjustment for him was having that big gap between March-August 2020 when the NBA resumed. “All I had been doing in that time was playing pick up. I was waiting and was just confused about when the season would continue right after the G League ended I went home to Virginia Beach and trained for a few months. Then I went up to UVA and trained for a while just to stay prepared for whatever came next. I was always in contact with my agent and he was in contact with teams as well. He let me know I was on a short list of guys that OKC wanted to pick up for the bubble and I just stayed patient. I ended up getting the call in the car from my agent that they wanted to sign me for the bubble and I was super excited about the opportunity. I just prepared the best that I could as if I would be playing for a team”, remembered Devon Hall. He played his first game in the bubble against the Los Angeles Lakers and Lebron James playing 2 minutes in a loss. Unlike other players like ex NBA player Darrun Hilliard who was in total awe when he played against Kobe Bryant, Playing against Lebron James didn´t mean too much to Hall. “I don´t think I was even on the floor with Lebron. It was a special moment and one that I will tell my children and grand children one day. But at the end of the day I´m a competitor and just kept it moving. There was no small talk. I don´t know him and I´m just not that type of guy that will go up to him. Besides we lost the game”, remembered Devon Hall.

            The last movie that he has watched was Jingle Jangle and he saved his best for last scoring 12 points and dishing out 4 dimes in a close 107-103 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. That is a game that he definitely won´t forget. “I remember making a behind the back pass. That was put on social media. We lost the game in OT. I missed some free throws that will haunt me. But all in all it was good to play some real minutes and fell like part of the game”, said Devon Hall. In his brief time with the Oklahoma Thunder, he wasn´t only teammates with German national player Dennis Schroeder, but became best friends with the 2013 NBA first round pick of the Atlanta Hawks. He remembered being invited to a special dinner by the German and wanted to visit him in Germany, but then Corona hit. They have a special relationship and bond that isn´t always typical of a veteran and more younger player. “Dennis and I are super close. We spent a lot of time on the road together. Even when I was in the G-League we had close contact and I was often at his hose. We just clicked from the start. I was his rookie and he was my older brother. He taught me a lot about the game with the most important being patience on the pick and roll”, stressed Devon Hall. In 11 NBA games he averaged 1,8ppg and 1,2apg. During the long and extended 2019-2020 season, the American also had the opportunity to play for team USA. He played a World Cup qualifying game helping beat Puerto Rico. On the team he was introduced to one of the many talented guards in Europe that definitely is good enough to play in the NBA. “It was a great experience representing my country and one I would never take for granted. Most guys on my team were from the G-League, but Kyle Fogg had come from China. He was a good older guy. He was a big time player and super skilled. He is making good money in China, but I don´t see why a guy like that couldn´t play in the NBA”, stressed Devon Hall

            Now let us fast forward to December 2020. He is playing his first season in Europe playing with top German club Brose Bamberg. COVID-19 is still present and not really going any place. 2020 has been an insane year for everyone and everyone has their own story. “This year has been really crazy. From playing to not playing and then going to the bubble. Then having to deal with free agency was a bit much as well. But I’ve been able to keep a good mindset about it all and only control what I can control.”, stressed Devon Hall. Every player had their own unique story about how they remained in shape. One guy travelled 1000 miles to get gym access, while another player ran and did ball handling drills in the underground parking lot while Devon Hall found a holy place to keep grinding. “It wasn’t very hard for me to keep in shape because I had access to a gym that was in a church. So I was one of the very lucky ones able to continue to workout thankfully. I had access pretty much whenever I wanted it“, said Devon Hall. He also was able to make strides off the court due to COVID-19 being able to look at life in a totally different light “I think dealing with Covid has just given me real perspective on life. I don’t want to take it for granted because this virus is very real and has taken plenty of lives. It has helped me continue to stay mentally strong in the midst of a lot of the unknown”, warned Devon Hall. Now he is with the club Brose Bamberg trying to help the team as best as he can win games on a consistent basis. Once you have been in Australia, it is difficult to have a wake up call in Germany. “I’m excited to be in Bamberg. And I was a lot further away from home when I was in Australia so Germany feels like home compared to that”, laughed Devon Hall. So far the club has gotten off to a great start in the Basketball Champions League, but is still trying to find it´s groove in the easyCredit BBL. “I think I we are a very good team with a lot of good pieces. We are going to take each game, in both leagues one at a time. I think we are learning each other better and improving with a great group of guys. We all want to get better for each other so I think we are on the right path”, warned Devon Hall.

The American who lists his 5 best teammates of all-time as Isaiah Wilkins, Ty Jerome, De´andre Hunter, London Perrantes and Anthony Gill knows that the success will only come if everybody is on the same page. One of those players that has really exploded is ex California(NCAA) great David Kravish. “He has been huge and been a monster at both ends of the court. He has infectious energy and we wouldn´t have won games without him. He is a motor that we love and need”, stressed Devon Hall. Another valuable piece on the club has been veteran Chase Fieler who really can do it all. “He has a great knowledge for the game and has a ton of versatility. He can push the ball in transition, handle the ball, score and rebound. Having that versatility at the 4four spot is nice”, said Devon Hall. This season the American is roommates with German guard Dominik Lockhart and he knows just how vital he is on the court for the team. “He is always so steady. You always know exactly what you will get. He is a physical defender that can shoot and finish. He also has great court vision. I like playing with him”, added Devon Hall.

            Hall who lists his personal NBA Mount Rushmore with legends like Jordan, Lebron, Kobe, Magic and Shaq is a player that has extreme difficulty comparing his game to a current NBA player. But he does remember watching a lot of Deron Williams in high school and also enjoyed Kobe Bryant and Eric Gordon. He has come into the German easyCredit BBL and scored consistently from the get go, but has had to adjust to certain things. “The speed is a bit slower in the BBL compared to the NBA. The BBL is physical and the paint is clogged. I think important for me being successful so far has been finding ways to make plays and to be able to adjust on the fly. I have been watching a lot of film figuring where to pick my spots and learning how the defense plays. I just try to help as much as possible”, added Devon Hall. As a scorer one needs to have that three point range and that is something that the American has. He last shot over 40% as a senior at Virginia(NCAA), but he knows that there is one key ingredient that he has to keep to continue to be a good shooter and get better. “I just have to stay confident. My percentage went down in Australia, because I took more shots. I still trust my shot. I just have to shoot when I´m open”, warned Devon Hall. “One of his biggest strengths is his defense. He played for one of the NCAA´s best defensive coaches with Tony Bennett. He wants to keep growing as a defender in the pro ranks. “I think that choosing and picking spots on defense is just as important as on offense. I think I´m good at cutting off the angles. I can´t allow guys to blow by me. I want to become an impact defender and I can do that by taking gradual steps”, warned Devon Hall. In his third professional season he is no where near the end of his development. He knows that he has to take the extra time before and after practice to keep working on his game to continue to climb the basketball ladder. “I have to finish better at the rim. I also want to continue to work on my skill set. I also want to be able to create better. Important is to take it game by game and put my game within the team game”, stressed Devon Hall. Another thing that has stuck with him forever is his winning mentality. It may not be anywhere near that of a Kobe Bryant, but still he has the winning touch and always wants to make winning plays. “That winning mentality has been installed with me since the start. I have been a winner almost my whole life except for in Australia. Even if I´m not playing well in a game, I always want provide as much as I can so my team will win. I want to always be able to say I did all I could to help the team win”, warned Devon Hall. Even if he isn´t back in the NBA yet, he does have something in common with PJ Tucker and Darius Miller. He is a winner just like they were in Bamberg. That can only be a good omen for this season for Brose Bamberg.

Mike Morrison is a 31 year old 206cm center from St Petersburg, Florida that is playing his 9th professional season and first with Semt77 Yalova Belediye Spor (Turkey-TBL). The ex George Mason (NCAA) standout has played in many countries in Europe including for teams like Cytavision Apoel Nicosia (Cyprus-Division A), Joensuun Kataja Basket (Finland-Korisliiga)Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt (Germany-BBBL), Panevezys Lietkabelis (Lithuania-LKL), s.Oliver Wuerzburg (Germany-BBL), Peristeri GS Athens (Greece-A1) and Mono Vampire Bangkok (Thailand-TBL). He and germanhoops.com came together to give a special Super Bowl LV post game interview

Congrats Mike for your Tampa Bay Bucs win. What does this win mean for the city during these hard times?

The best or worst of times, we love the Bucs. Means everything for the Bay area

You joked you couldn’t watch because of a Monday game, but you could have gone to sleep early and caught the end at 5:30 when you woke up. How did you experience watching this win?

I went to bed early and caught the 4th Q. Still got my. 8 hours and got to see my boys do work.

This was the first Super bowl where Tom Brady fans didn’t have to worry throughout the game that he might lose. Does it surprise you how easy this win looked?

I knew that they couldn’t defend us and our defense dominated the entire playoffs so I wasn’t shocked. I said if we hit Mahomes we can stop him.

Tom Brady got the MVP, but the whole Bucs defense should of gotten it. Did the Bucs defense save their best for last with their performance?

Brady came to a losing team, brought Gronk, Fournette, and AB with him, and won the FIRST YEAR! THE trophy is his.

A s a professional athlete does a defensive performance like the one the Bucs gave motivate you to lift not only your defensive game to a new level, but also your team?

Greats just motivate you to go out and be your best. Brady is no exception.

It felt like Pat Mahomes was running for his life 80% of the time like a headless chicken. Could a loss like this really affect him for a while or will the champion in him get this loss out of his memory bank quickly?

Pat Mahomes is a Unicorn. The man was still making some of the craziest throws despite all of that pressure. This loss will only make him more hungry. Just the thought of that is scary!

How would you describe the competitive level of a Tom Brady. Is this something that the sports world has never seen before?

Tiger, Serena, Jordan, Kobe, LBJ, Brady.. Its just a hand full of guys/women with that GOAT gene. That push there teams to the next level.

How does this Super Bowl win compare to the one in 2003. Which one did you enjoy more?

It’s funny because the teams were very similar. In 03 we were able to dominate on defense but had a pretty good offense too. Played cover 2 and dominated the line of scrimmage. It was weird seeing us repeat with the same style of play.

It can be expected that Tom Brady will continue to play and want that eighth ring. How many more years do you honestly think he can play?

I believe Tommy (that’s what his friends call him) can play for as long as he wants. The work ethic is still there. TB (we call him that too) always says his favorite Superbowl ring is “the next one” so don’t count him out.

Everyone talks about Jordan, Lebron and Brady as the best of all-time, but as a big man why Is Bill Russell with his record 11 NBA titles always fall of the radar?

Bill Russell is loved by players. Fans may not be as familiar with the things he did on the court, as well as the major things he did off the court. Legend, no doubt “Bill Russell swag, Yal think Michael Jordan bad? I got 5 more rings than Michael Jordan had” -Jay Z

Did Quantez Robertson congratulate you? What special message do you have for him?

Listen world I love Tez like a brother, but he’s 1 of the biggest haters you’ll ever meet! No call, no message, nothing. Smh, I will be waiting by the phone Tez

Thanks Mike for the chat.

Mike Morrison is a 31 year old 206cm center from St Petersburg, Florida that is playing his 9th professional season and first with Semt77 Yalova Belediye Spor (Turkey-TBL). The ex George Mason (NCAA) standout has played in many countries in Europe including for teams like Cytavision Apoel Nicosia (Cyprus-Division A), Joensuun Kataja Basket (Finland-Korisliiga)Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt (Germany-BBBL), Panevezys Lietkabelis (Lithuania-LKL), s.Oliver Wuerzburg (Germany-BBL), Peristeri GS Athens (Greece-A1) and Mono Vampire Bangkok (Thailand-TBL). He and germanhoops.com came together to give a special Super Bowl LV interview

Mike thanks for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how is basketball life treating you.

I’m in Yalova, Turkey. Basketball is a blessing as always. Different without the fans though.

Your playing your ninth season overseas. What memories do you have of watching the Super Bowl? Is there a particular Super Bowl that has stood out since you have been here?

2015, The Seahawks throwing an interception instead of giving the ball to Marshawn Lynch Still the worst decision I’ve ever seen!

You were 13 years old when Tampa Bay destroyed Oakland 48-21 in 2003. What memories do you have of that Super bowl from your childhood?

In Florida we LOVE football so this was a huge deal just making it. The whooping we have Oakland was the ending to a perfect season

It’s Super Bowl Sunday. Where will you be watching the Super Bowl and what are you looking forward to the most?

I actually have a Monday game and the football game comes on around 2:30 am here in Turkey. I will have to miss the game so you know I’m sick

What is a typical Super Bowl Sunday meal for you? What would you eat at home and what will you eat this Sunday in Turkey?

I dont have any typical meal, just wings or whatever.

Your from St Petersburg, Florida and are a Tampa Bay Bucs fan. How thrill ed are you that they made the Super Bowl and where did you honestly think they would end up this season in pre season?

We take football pretty seriously so thrilled is an understatement. From the time we got Tom Brady i thought we could win it.

How have you experienced being a Tampa Bay Bucs fan in your life? How difficult has it been for you over the last 20 years being a Bucs fan?

The way i look at it, we won a Superbowl (02 season) this millenium and most teams can’t say that. So it hasn’t been hard at all. We always feel like we have a decent team

The Tampa Bay Bucs play the Kansas City Chiefs. As much as I adore Tom Brady, I don’t think that he will be able to pull out the win. How confident are you that we will see another Tom Brady miracle?

The Chiefs are good, there’s no doubt. But to bet against Tom just isn’t smart. We have just as many weapons and are peaking the right time. Add in the revenge we owe KC and I think we have a chance.

Everyone knows how strong the Kansas City offense is, but Tampa Bay has a great defense. What will Tampa Bay have to do to slow down a Patrick Mahomes?

It’s a simple plan to slow down Ma’homey’. The same plan we had for Brees and Rogers, HIT HIM IN THE MOUTH AGAIN AND AGAIN! Hard to throw the ball from the ground.

Your ex teammate Quantez Robertson said that he will be in contact with you during the Super Bowl and even more if Tampa Bay loses. What kind of a ribbing will Tez get if Tampa Bay wins?

Honestly, Tez is a Bengals fan. His call should get ignored for how bad they have been.

Tom Brady has reached a 10th Super Bowl. Where does Tom Brady stand win or lose on Sunday with the all-time great American athletes?

It’s hard enough to compare players from different positions. To compare players from different sports never made any sense to me. I will say this though, he’s the greatest QB ever. I stopped fighting this fact after the Atlanta come back in Superbowl LIII

Who throws a football farther you or Quantez Robertson and how far do you think will each one be able to throw a football?

I don’t have a deep ball so I will go ahead and give that to Tez. Accuracy is all me though. It wouldn’t shock me if Tez could roll out of bed and throw a 50 yard bomb. We’ve thrown the ball around in Frankfurt before. There’s footage somewhere.

If they made a football movie about you and Quantez Robertson which football players would each guy play?

If there was a movie with us Tez would be the star quarterback and I would be the new guy that came and took his spot. Don’t worry, we become friends at the end of the movie.

What is your favorite football movie?

Remember The Titans is my favorite. But i named my son ‘Boobie’ Miles from the star running back in “Friday Night Lights”

Thanks Mike for the chat.

The days are getting longer as everyone is wishing for warmer weather while in Koblenz the days get longer and longer for the EPG Baskets Koblenz who were still continuing to seek their first victory in 2021. The club that has massive aspirations to move up to the Pro A haven´t been showing that brilliant basketball as of late as they had lost five games in a row. Their last loss was at the hands of the Dresden Titans as they had chances to win again, but as usual couldn´t finish the game as crunch-time continues to be a real annoying thorn in their side. Only 48 hours after losing to Dresden, they had to be ready for the Ebbecke White Wings Hanau who had been playing excellent basketball as of late having a 5 game winning streak and were in deep competition with Koblenz for the playoff spots as both had a 8-7 record coming in. Hanau also had some revenge in their heads as they had lost the first game of the season at home against Koblenz 89-82. But this time the Ebbecke White Wings Hanau witnessed a totally different rejuvenated Koblenz team as they finally won their first game in 2021 as they got destroyed 82-60. Even if Koblenz head coach Danny Rodriguez had his usual post game expression, one could see the major relief that he had after finally winning in 2021. “A huge load has been lifted from my shoulders, the players and the organization. Dresden was a difficult game where we had no rhythm. To come back two days later and play so well shows the moral of the team. I am very proud of the team. We live off our energy, passion, quickness and aggressiveness on offense. That helped us get the win tonight”, stressed Danny Rodriguez. It was only a matter of time until Koblenz would finally win again, and Hanau picked a bad day to come and have to witness a total turnaround in their game. Hanau had injury problems and huge deficits under the basket. “Congrats to Koblenz for the win. We were without our big man Acosta and Josef Eichler got into early foul problems. After that we weren´t in the game anymore. We had problems getting rebounds tonight”, stated Hanau head coach Kamil Piechucki.

                The EPG Baskets Koblenz showed no mercy right from the jump and hurried off to a rapid 10-3 lead hitting Hanau with swift blows on offense. Instrumental in the fast start was Virginia native DJ Woodmore who was his old self. After a terrible shooting night in Frankfurt after being out some weeks, he came back and played better in the loss to Dresden, but against Hanau upped his game another notch. His aggressiveness was at an all-time high. He was all over the court in the first minutes which lifted his teammates as well. The ex Speyer guard scored two baskets as finding his spots was as normal as it is for Steph Curry nailing that clutch three. “This was one of my best games this season. All I have to do is feed of the team energy. All I have to do is be aggressive. My teammates continued to tell me to attack and put pressure on the defense”, stressed DJ Woodmore who finished with 17 points.  Koblenz were also strengthend with a trey from athletic Dutch forward Chad Wellian and ex Fordham(NCAA) guard Zaire Thompson also added a trey from the corner. Koblenz was defending very aggressive and were a menace on the boards. They grabbed three offensive boards in the first few minutes which would set the tone for the game. Basketball is a game of runs as Hanau took the usual up and down play of Koblenz to their advantage storming back on a 9-2 run to dead lock the game at 12-12. In the run, they received a trey from ex Fraport Skyliner Junior Felix Hecker, a lay in from German big man Josef Eichler and a clutch three from ex Oberaching guard Omari Knox. But Koblenz got out of their hole and finished off the first quarter with a 9-3 run to lead 21-15 after 10 minutes. In the run the EPG Baskets Koblenz got another basket from DJ Woodmore, got free throws from German guard Lucas Mayer, a three pointer from bench player German Henning Schaake and a bucket from Brian Butler who had surprisingly been held pretty quiet in the first quarter. Koblenz ´s offense was solid and they were getting sound production from everyone which Hanau couldn´t slow down.

                In the second quarter the EPG Baskets Koblenz would continue to lead and extend their lead to as much as 13 points and led by double digits at the break. Koblenz tried to get Brian “air” Butler going in the second quarter as he scored a pretty reverse lay up past two Hanau players and also sunk free throws. Koblenz also got support from Edin Alispahic with a nice turn around shot and German Henning Schaake with a lay in. With Bill Borekambi and Philipp Liesser not in the lineup, Schaake was inserted into a bigger role as he logged 21 minutes and scored 13 points, had 5 rebounds and 3 blocks. “It was fun to play more. I hoped I could help the team. We had a big talk on Friday night which helped. The noise from the bench and confidence of coach helped me”, stressed Henning Schaake. “Henning never complains but just gave gas. He showed his good moral and attitude. He came out with a lot of energy”, warned head coach Danny Rodriguez. The Ebbecke White Wings Hanau couldn´t muster much offense and had to rely more on Eichler and Spanish undersized big man Eduard Arques who kept the guests in the game with baskets cutting the Koblenz lead to 31-26. But even when Hanau had small spurts of offense, they couldn´t get consistent stops on defense allowing Koblenz on a 8-0 run to quickly lead again 39-26. Koblenz´s offense was well rounded as Woodmore kept doing his thing hitting a jumper, while Butler was his normal beast mode on the boards getting an offensive rebound and massive two handed put back dunk and Alispahic showed his versatility and touch with a trey. Koblenz´s self confidence was sky high and they continued to defend with passion. Koblenz held the double digit lead going into half-time getting added production from Thompson and Mayer while Hanau continued to rely on the consistent offense from Arques who drilled home two trey´s. “We played good defense, but the three´s from Arques held Hanau in the game. Without those three´s, it would have been a different game”, stated EPG Baskets Koblenz manager Thomas Klein.

                The EPG Baskets Koblenz totally broke open the contest in the third quarter extending their lead to 20 plus points. In the first few minutes, the Ebbecke White Wings Hanau did a good job keeping the Koblenz lead at 10 getting some support from 19 year old German guard Justus Peuser who scored twice as did swift guard Felix Hecker. Koblenz got offense production from Lucas Mayer with a lay in and another trey from Chad Wellian as Koblenz held on to the 53-43 advantage. But that is when the turning point of the game came as Koblenz struck with a massive 16-5 run to end the third quarter with a very comfortable 69-48 advantage. The EPG Baskets Koblenz got great bench support from their Germans as Mayer nailed a trey getting a nice kick out pass from Butler and Schaake continued to be aggressive from the bench with a pretty alley-oop tap in and trey while also showing his defensive skills with a big block on Peuser. Wellian also aided in the offensive attack with a trey as did Butler with a giant two handed dunk. “Turnovers killed us. We gave up too many easy baskets against our zone. They got the momentum and held it because of their high energy”, stated Hanau guard Omari Knox.

                In the fourth quarter the EPG Baskets Koblenz let up a bit on offense with more hurried shots and turnovers, but still held their own on defense allowing only 12 points to be able to win by 22 points. Scoring was down on both sides as Hanau was already getting ready for the next team while Koblenz wanted to enjoy their first win in 2021. Hanau got 5 points from Josef Eichler who was playing with four fouls while Koblenz got some added insurance with three pointers from Thompson and Woodmore. German Philipp Hecker closed out the game with a trey for some stat fine tuning. All in all it was a huge win for the EPG Baskets Koblenz as they want to secure that playoff spot. “This was a special win that was important for the team. When we play with high energy on offense and defense, we are a completely different team. This was a fun game for all as all players played up to their qualities. We rebounded well and we always had Hanau a step too late with our energy. This was a fun game to watch”, stated Thomas Klein. “Rebounding was a huge problem for us. They played hard on defense and got extra shots. The three offensive rebounds in the first minutes killed our energy. But we didn´t give up. We just tried to finish the game as hard as possible and hope it carries over to the next game”, stressed Omari Knox. The EPG Baskets Koblenz were led by DJ Woodmore with 17 points. Brian Butler added 16 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists while Henning Schaake ahd 13 points and Edin Alispahic 11 points while the Ebbecke White Wings Hanau were led by Euard Arques with 13 points while Felix Hecker had 10 points. The EPG baskets Koblenz shot 48% from the field and 36% from outside and had 48 rebounds and 19 turnovers while the Ebbecke White Wings Hanau shot 35% from the field and 30% from outside and had 28 rebounds and 13 turnovers.

 Grant Dressler is a 201cm guard that is playing his second professional season and first with the Bayer Giants Leverkusen (Germany-ProA) after getting his first professional experience with the Franklin Bulls (New Zealand-NBL). Currently he is averaging 9,9ppg, 2,1rpg and 2,4apg. He began his basketball career at Palo Verde High School and then began his NCAA career at Sacramento State playing 32 games form 2015-2017. He finished at Chaminade University (NCAA2) playing 28 games as a junior averaging 10.5ppg, 4.6rpg, 1.7apg, FGP: 40.8%, 3PT: 35.5%, FT: 67.6% and played 31 games as a senior averaging 19.5ppg, 5.8rpg, 4.3apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 45.2%, 3PT: 44.1%, FT: 80.6%. He spoke to germanhoops.com last summer about basketball.

Grant thanks for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how has your summer been?

I am now in Germany. Summer was weird to say the least but I tried to make the most of it.

Your last college game was on March 15th, 2019. You had the opportunity to play in New Zealand but COVID-19 whipped it out. How itching are you to finally play again, but possibly with fans? Has your mental approach to the game changed any with so much that has happened in the last 8 months?

I’m really looking forward to playing again, especially with a possibility of some fans that would be awesome. My mental approach hasn’t changed much in the last 8 months, I’ve just had more time to work on somethings and get better.

How did you experience the last 6 months during COVID-19? Did you find any good opportunities to stay fit and actually practice basketball skills with the ball?

The last 6 months were kind of rough in regards to finding places to play basketball or work out. Due to COVID-19 all of the gyms were closed so I just tried to get in wherever I could or outside whenever it wasn’t too hot.

Your from Las Vegas. What kind of a place did Las Vegas become during COVID-19? How did you experience life in Las Vegas during COVID-19?

Las Vegas was weird to see during the last 6 months, it’s a major tourist destination but there was a time when everything shut down: casinos, hotels, etc. It was crazy to see the strip empty.

How do you feel did you become stronger a s a man during the whole COVID-19 crisis?

As a man I just grew up more, dealt with how some things are now and others on off the court.

Congrats on signing with German team Bayer Giants Leverkusen. Was signing with this team a no brainer considering your ex NCAA teammate Nick Hornsby had been so successful there? What was the deciding factor that allowed you to sign there?

My agent brought the opportunity to me and I did talk to Nick before signing and he really enjoyed his time here and was very successful so it did play a role in me signing here. I think it is a great spot for me and a great opportunity.

How excited are you to play for head coach Hansi Gnad who is a German basketball legend. He helped Germany upset Russia at the 1993 European Championships winning the Gold Medal and was drafted by the 76ers in the 80’s. Are you aware of his history?

I didn’t know about coach Hansi’s accomplishments but I am excited to play for him and have enjoyed my time so far!

Let’s talk about your game. You’re a versatile 201cm guard. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would best fit the bill?

As a bigger guard I’d compare myself to other versatile players, but I don’t have an exact comparison in mind.

Talk a little about your strengths. You can do a lot on the court. What kind of player will Germany see this season?

As far as my strengths go, I’m a solid shooter, ball handler, and passer so I think that is the type of player that will be seen just a little bit of everything.

You made huge strides in your stats in your senior year especially in assists. How do you explain your rapid rise as a player in just one year?

I was just given a lot more freedom to be myself on the court and it worked out for me, I had great coaches and players around me that helped me succeed

You also showed in school that you can be an impact player on the defensive end. In what areas defensively do you need to keep tweaking so you can make the next step as a professional?

.Defensively I’m always working to get better, the biggest thing for me right now is just putting on weight and maintaining so I can guard most positions. Lateral quickness, being strong, things like that you can always work on.

You played at Sacramento State from 2015-2017 playing 32 NCAA games. Why was this school not the right fit for you as a player?

I really enjoyed my time in Sacramento, it just wasn’t the right fit for my playing style which I would say is a little more crafty and flashy, confident.

What memories do you have with Nick Hornsby at Sacrament State? Did he have an influence on you despite the tough situation of not getting sufficient minutes?

Nick was one of the first people to help us freshman learn the ropes and was the captain of the team so he was a big influence there. He’s still one of my great friends.

You then played at Chaminade University (NCAA2) from 2017-2019 and as a senior played 31 games averaging 19.5ppg, 5.8rpg, 4.3apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 45.2%, 3PT: 44.1%, FT: 80.6%. How do you feel did your game grow there?

My game kind of just blossomed when I was given a lot of freedom, freedom to make mistakes, take shots that aren’t necessarily the best, it just sparked my confidence as a player.

You scored 34 points in the thrilling 79-76 victory over Concordia Irvine. Is this one of your games that you won’t forget so easily?

That was a great game for us, helped us get momentum for the great season we had.

You were teammates with Eric Scheive who played his rookie season in Germany with Ehingen (Pro A). What will you never forget about how he fought on the court?

Erik is one of the best big men I’ve played with he can really shoot the ball and move well for his size.

How did head coach Eric Boviard groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career?

Coach Bovaird played professionally for many years so he knows what it takes to get to that level. He prepared us with skill work and playing good basketball just things like that, developing basketball IQ along the way.

Last year you had the opportunity to work out with the Los Angeles Clippers G-League team Agua Caliente. What kind of experience was that from you and can a competitor like you be honest with yourself and say that you aren’t close to the NBA or did you feel like those other guys weren’t that much better than you?

That was a great experience for me being able to be around that. Personally I’ve never really felt like I can’t play with anybody on the court so I have great confidence in myself to play anywhere.

Who was the best player that you ever battled on the court that is in the NBA?

Being from Vegas there’s a lot of NBA guys that are either from there or workout there. Guys like Troy brown, Stephen Zimmerman, Shabazz Mohammed, Pierre Jackson, etc. the toughest one in my opinion is probably Pierre Jackson, he just can flat out score.

Please list your 5 best teammates of all-time?

I’m not sure who the five best players would be I’ve played with a lot of great talent over the years!

Please construct your personal NBA Mount Rushmore of past or present heads.

My all time Mount Rushmore is LeBron, Michael Jordan, Kobe, Kevin Durant

What is your opinion of the neverending debate of who is the best of all-time Michael Jordan or Lebron James and how worth is Kobe Bryant in this debate?

You can’t really go wrong with any of them they’re all sensational players. People have different preferences due to eras, bias, or whatever the reason but they’re all worthy!

What was the last movie that you saw?

The last movie I saw was The Equilizer 2. Very good movie.

Thanks Grant for the chat.

2021 hasn´t been glorious for the EPG Baskets Koblenz as basketball life is getting more and more strenuous with every new loss. So far the ambitious club that has huge aspirations of moving up to the Pro A had an unflattering 0-4 record in 2021 and their basketball life wasn´t getting any easier as the tough 9-5 Dresden Titans arrived in Koblenz. The club experienced a lot of player personal fluctuations in the last days as German Jacob Mampuya surprisingly left the organization and the club reeled in four new players with ex BBL players Anthony Canty and Oliver Clay as well as experienced Pro B players Philipp Liesser and Mr bucket Bill Borekambi. The EPG Baskets Koblenz had a do or die game in Frankfurt last weekend getting embarrassed 86-76 and now it was high noon in Koblenz as they desperately were seeking a success experience. Once again the EPG Baskets had their chances to win at the end, but once again were unable to prevail in crunch-time as annoying turnovers and mental errors cost them their fifth straight loss in 2021. After the loss a disgruntled and very disappointed manager of the EPG Baskets Koblenz Thomas Klein gave clear answers to his frustration. “They hit the three pointers in the deciding moments. We didn´t defend the three point line well. We threw balls away showing no motivation. Despite that we still get 2-3 chances to make plays, but we don´t use them, but our opponent does. We continue to show that we can lead by 10 points or more, but then we get this downward trend which I don´t know why. I also don´t like our body language on the bench. It was like day and night compared with Dresden´s body language. Dresden always had the same energy level, but we didn´t have any”, stressed Thomas Klein. Dresden played with a high intensity for 40 minutes and even when they had bad phases, they never gave up showing the better nerves in crunch-time. “I have to give a lot of respect to Koblenz. I never thought that they would play a zone against us. We had our problems against it in the first half, but showed more patience in the second half. We hit our shots better in the second half and defended better in the right situations against the right players”, stated Dresden Titans head coach Fabian Strauss.

                The Dresden Titans were without big man Georg Voigtmann while Koblenz was without American CJ Oldham. The Dresden Titans came out in the first quarter with the correct attitude and energy taking the rapid 8-2 lead and catching the EPG Baskets Koblenz on the wrong foot. Dresden got instant energy from German guard Daniel Kirchner who scored on transition and on a lay in and from ex Fraport Skyliner center Aaron Kayser who dropped free throws and scored on transition. New Koblenz forward Bill Borekambi also scored his first basket with his new team in the paint. Dresden excelled with a beautiful offensive ball movement and had a big focus with the extra pass. Koblenz seemed nervous and couldn´t find a sound rhythm. Dresden also did a good job not allowing Koblenz to get Brian Butler integrated quickly in the paint. Butler would never find his usual rhythm as he finished with only 5 points. However basketball will always be a game of runs as the EPG Baskets Koblenz got out of their funk and found a rhythm at both ends of the court closing out the first quarter in style with a lethal 14-4 run to lead 16-12 after 10 minutes. Instrumental in the run was American DJ Woodmore who found his game again after a poor shooting night in Frankfurt. He nailed a few buckets showing how easily he can find his spots which got his self-confidence going and also helped his teammates get going. German Lucas Mayer also scored twice as his self-confidence was also high after dropping 14 points in Frankfurt last weekend. Borekambi also contributed on the offense with a floater. Koblenz heightened their defense adding intensity and aggressiveness which caused Dresden to cough up the ball a few times.

                The EPG Baskets Koblenz continued to control the game in the second quarter and led by as much as 10 points, but as usually is the case, they couldn´t keep up the momentum and let up in the last few minutes allowing the Dresden Titans to cut the Koblenz lead down to 31-28 at the break. The EPG Baskets Koblenz stopped Dresden´s first five possessions, but could only capitalize on it with 5 points. Ex FC Schalke guard Marley Jean-Louis who can shoot out the lights on certain nights began with a trey and ex wiha Panthers forward Bill Borekambi followed with a basket on transition extending Koblenz´s lead to 21-14. Koblenz continued to execute on offense and Dresden wasn´t so bad themselves, but they couldn´t hit the ocean. Dresden then got their first field goal of the second quarter at the 7,17 minute mark as German big man Max Von Der Wippel got an offensive rebound and put back. Aggressive guard Daniel Kirchner followed with a 20 footer cutting Koblenz´s lead to 22-14. Koblenz continued to control the game, but Dresden stayed on their heels as Kirchner continued to execute making a trey and cutting the Koblenz lead down to 25-19. Dresden had shown unselfishness the whole game and this basket was their best ball movement of the game. The EPG Baskets then extended their lead to 31-21 as Woodmore continued to connect making a 20 footer and new player Philipp Liesser who once had played for Dresden scored on a back door pass from ex Fordham(NCAA) guard Zaire Thompson. Butler got the ball a few times and got to the free throw line, but scored only two of four shots. The EPG Baskets Koblenz couldn´t hold their lead as they gave up a bitter 7-0 run to Dresden to allow them back into the game and trail only 31-28 at half-time. In the run, it was Kirchner again showing the hot hand with a trey and German guard Lennard Larysz scored on transition.

                The third quarter proved to be a real dog fight as the Dresden Titans held the tight 55-51 advantage after 30 minutes. Ex Speyer guard DJ Woodmore got Koblenz on the board first with a trey to extend their lead to 34-28, but they continued to experience highs and lows as they allowed Dresden on a quick 7-0 run to recapture the lead 35-34. In the run, the Titans got solid offensive production from many sides as Kayser scored in the paint, German Julius Stahl hit an open trey and Larysz made a runner. The extra pass offense of Dresden gave Koblenz fits as they had problems controlling it. Dresden did a good job getting into the paint and getting easy chances while Koblenz practiced bad shot selection. The EPG Baskets Koblenz didn´t allow the Dresden Titans to run away with the game as they simply had too many offensive weapons ready to get hot. German guard Marley Jean-Louis hit two massive three´s to keep Koblenz close while Dresden got consistent support from Kayser who scored three  baskets in the paint for the 49-46 Dresden advantage. Zaire Thompson was kept scoreleThe Dresden Titans Sneak Out 69-64 Road Victory Over The EPG Baskets Koblenzss, but he was huge on defense getting 6 steals which helped lead to two clutch Edin Alispoahic trey´s which cut the Dresden lead to 52-51. The ex Schwenningen big man had been out for a while and returned scoring 8 points, grabbing 4 rebounds and getting 3 steals. “It felt good to play again. I was positively nervous. I tried to help my team with my defense first.  We have enough good scorers”, stressed Edin Alispahic. “Edin was the best player on the court. He showed presence at both ends of the court and made big shots when we needed them”, stated Thomas Klein. Larysz ended the third quarter with a three pointer as the Dresden Titans led 55-51. “We read their defense better and filled the holes in the zone better”, stressed Fabian Strauss.

                The fourth quarter was a real tight affair whereas the third quarter had 47 total points by both teams, only 27 points were mustered in the last 10 minutes. The Dresden Titans allowed Koblenz to tie the game only once as the home team would never get the lead back. Alispahic carried the hot hand from the third quarter into the fourth quarter as he sunk another trey to trail Dresden only by 55-54. Ex Speyer forward Sebastian Heck hadn´t had much fortune with his shooting in the first three quarters, but he found some daylight in the first few minutes of the fourth sinking two trey´s for the 62-57 Dresden lead. He also made an impact on defense swatting away five balls  and getting two steals. “We aren´t the best shooting team, but when shots aren´t falling we just keep shooting. We give each other confidence to keep shooting. I´m not the most athletic guy so my arms save me on defense. I just keep moving my arms”, smiled Sebastian Heck. Dresden hit open shots while Koblenz didn´t cover the three point line and were sloppy on offense The EPG Baskets didn´t hang their heads storming back to dead lock the game at 62-62 with a swift 5-0 run. In the run, they got a huge trey from Liesser, but couldn´t execute well enough from the free throw line nailing only two of four from Jean-Louis and Butler as overall they shot a miserable 56% from there. After a Bryan Niessen lay in, Bill Borekambi scored in the paint cutting Dresden´s lead to 65-64. Daniel Kirchner then sealed the win with an aggressive drive to the rim and basket for the 67-64 advantage. The EPG Baskets Koblenz coughed up the ball on their last two possessions and Kirchner closed out the victory with two free throws. “We made the wrong decisions and had turnovers at the end. We played ok defense, but you have to score a few baskets to win”, stressed EPG Baskets Koblenz head coach Danny Rodriguez. “Our coaches did a great job scouting. We knew the strengths of each player. We played good team defense, defended the three point line well and helped each other out well”, added Sebastian Heck. The Dresden Titans were led by Daniel Kirchner with 18 points. Lennard Larysz contributed 15 points and Aaron Kayser added 14 points and 8 rebounds while the EPG Baskets Koblenz were led by DJ Woodmore and Marley jean-Louis with 12 points a piece. Bill Borekambi added 11 points and Philipp Liesser had 10 points. The Dresden Titans shot 40% from the field and 30% from outside and had 44 rebounds and 22 turnovers while the EPG Baskets Koblenz shot 38% form the field and 33% from outside and had 42 rebounds and 21 turnovers.

It was January 5th, 2021 as Quentin Peterson arrived to the Bakken Bears home area and for many players it would just have been another game, but it wasn´t for the American. He was coming off a big win over Danish team Naestved, but it wasn´t one of his more prolific scoring games as he netted only 12 points. He definitely wanted to make amends and be more of a help for his team in his first game of 2021. The guy has played in countries like the Czech Republic, South Korea,Cyprus and Ukraine, but his opponent Galatasaray from Turkey in the Basketball Champions League was without a doubt the best team that he had played in his professional career. He had scored 28 points in his last home game on December 28^th against Horsens IC. So he met the Turkish side with a lot of self-confidence and had that good feel from the last game hovering in his thoughts. Not only did he help lead the Bears to the win, but he exploded for an amazing 35 points and also aided the squad with seven rebounds, five dimes and 3 steals. His versatility on the court was breathtaking as he really showed that he can score in so many variety of ways. He nailed 6 three´s including a few deep ones from the North Sea, scored beautiful off balance jumpers, made lay ins, floaters ala Tiny Archibald and even showed some Kemba Walker swagger with his famous step back jumper. He also scored on transition and snuck in the paint on numerous occasions catching an airball and squirming his way through a wall with a lay in, made a tip in dunk and made beautiful feeds all night long. He has had career nights in other countries like in the Czech Republic and Cyprus where he scored 29 points apiece or in South Korea where he dropped 34 points. Heck last season he went scoring crazy in the Ukraine scoring an amazing 48 points. But scoring 35 points against Galatasaray was a feat beyond anything he has done before simply from the team´s reputation and incredible talent on the team. The roster of Galatasaray had a who´s who of ex NBA players. He battled ex Duke(NCAA) standout Amile Jefferson who had only signed a few days before the game, RJ Hunter who played parts of four seasons in the NBA, Jonathan Williams who played with the Los Angeles Lakers, Darryl Macon who played with the Dallas Mavericks, Euroleague veteran Brock Motum and Travis Trice who had been borderline NBA. Quentin Peterson was without a doubt the best player on the floor that evening. A 183cm guard beat up on ex NBA players, but he has never been able to escape his label of being a dark horse. This game gave him some added self-confidence, but a scoring explosion like this hasn´t satisfied him. He wants to get to the top. “I think it was a big game that we needed to win but just another game none the less. Every game no matter what league or where you play, is always an opportunity to prove that you belong and can compete at the highest level. Good or bad games do not really give me extra motivation to keep working hard. Working hard is what I have had to do all my life. I have never had a big name, I didn’t go to a big D1 school, nor did I get a chance to win a national championship. What keeps me motivated is knowing I have not bought my mother and father their dream house yet. What keeps me motivated is all the kids back at home in a small town called Hedgesville, WV who think they are too short, can’t shoot well enough, not athletic enough, or don’t have the biggest name and aren’t a 4 or 5 star McDonalds All American. I don’t like to think they have no shot at living out their dream to be whatever they want to be, so I do my best to be living proof as an example that you can do and be whatever you want no matter where you come from as long as you work hard, grind, and impose your will on anything and everything you do in life. My mindset applies to either a normal everyday job or becoming a professional athlete.  Impose your will on everything and life will give in to you and the things you want. All of these things are what keeps me motivated to keep grinding and keep proving myself every game that I belong in the NBA”, warned Quentin Peterson

                Peterson who lists NBA legends MJ, Shaq, KD, Steph, and Larry Bird in his personal NBA Mount Rushmore was born on October 14^th, 1994 in in Hedgesville, West Virginia. He received his first basketball experience with Hedgesville High School and Massanutten Military Academy. He then proceeded to attend Virginia Military Institute (NCAA) from 2013-2017 playing a total of 107 NCAA games and scoring in double figures in 99 games. He gave the name consistency a new meaning as he averaged a stellar 19,0ppg in each season. In his freshman year he played 30 games averaging  19.9ppg, 5.6rpg, 2.1apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 46.8%, 3PT: 32.1%, FT: 76.4%. He scored in double figures in 28 games having 20 points or more 15 times and had his best scoring games were against North Carolina-Ashville with 38 points and he vhit Bridgewater for 37 points. He has fond memories of the 109-105 win over North Carolina-Ashville. “It was extremely memorable because we only had 20 minutes to warm up because we were stuck in traffic due to snow, and we had got down by 20 or so in the beginning of the game, and ended up taking the lead at half time. The most memorable part about it was Rod Glasgow having 33 and 12 assists and DJ Covington having 28 and 11 rebounds, which was awesome. One of the best games i’ll never forget”, stressed Quentin Peterson His breakthrough as a freshman allowed him to pick up All-Big South Conf. Freshman of the Year, All-Big South Conf. 2nd Team -14, Big South Conf. North Division Regular Season Runner-Up, and Big South Conf. Tournament Semifinals -14. He had no sophomore blues with his game as his consistency remained as he played 18 games averaging 19.6ppg, 4.9rpg, 4.0apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 41.3%, 3PT: 27.7%, FT: 82.1%. He scored in double figures in 16 games and had Mercer´s number scoring 32 and 31 points. But what many don´t no he had blues with himself and his season was cut short. “My mental break down was something I feel every young man faces in his life as a college student not just as an athlete.  During that time I was in a serious relationship and what I thought I knew about being in love and what actually is was two different things.  I took time away to work on myself and focused on my God given talent. I woke up every morning and got in the gym at 6am.  I choose to work on my game and changing my focus to becoming the best player I could be.  Being a high level college player requires a lot of time and can work on you mentally if you aren’t up to handling it.  I chose to handle it by centering my time and attention into being great on the court and in the classroom.  That moment in my life made me who I am today but at the same time that experience becomes an obstacle sometimes for me to advance my career as pro teams dig into your past as they are interested in acquiring you to play for them and they want to make sure that you can perform not just on the court at a high level but as well be a good teammate and positive person in and out of the locker room.  I overcame that time of my life many years ago and I continue to push, lead my teammates, and prove to those who are interested in me that I’m very strong mentally and that my game continues to grow.  I feel the person I am today and all of the experiences I have had put me in a great spot to perform at a level that suits all higher level pro teams either it be in the NBA or overseas.  I like to think if I was a professional team or a company and was in charge of hiring the most talented individual to make my team or company better that I would choose the one with the best resume and has the most experience.  I feel a lot of the younger players coming out and going straight to the NBA are missing out on a lot of the skills and coaching that makes them a better player and person.  I understand getting them in early will develop them a lot quicker but if it comes to the mental side of things it’s hard to ask of an 18 year old to be able to come in and perform at a high level with all of the attention and money they’re given when they’ve never had to experience it.  I feel we all play the game to win, so if I’m putting a team together I’m going to hire the player with the most experience on the court and life experience as the two play hand in hand and will more times than none be more of a benefit when you go after the person who’s been fighting for the opportunity to be seen than one who’s been groomed for it.  If I ever get the chance to play in the NBA I will use my experience and love for the game to help any team I’m on win more games and be the best teammate I can be in any situation that is asked of me”, warned Quentin Peterson.

In his junior year he played 29 games averaging 19.9ppg, 6.2rpg, 2.7apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 45.0%, 3PT: 35.6%, FT: 90.2%. He scored in double figures in 27 games and annoyed Mercer again exploding for 46 points. He also possessed Samford´s number scoring 33 and 32 points. He was awarded with All-SoCon 1st Team and SoCon All-Tournament 2nd Team -16. He has very fond memories of being a pain in the neck against Mercer and couldn´t have predicted his 46 point explosion. “I did not. It kind of just happened. I was just playing as hard as I can and wanted to win, next thing you know, my teammate Tim Marshall told me I had 44 points on the free throw line and told me that I was scared to beat the school record of 45”, remembered Quentin Peterson. He finished his great NCAA career as a senior playing 30 games averaging  19.6ppg, 6.5rpg, 2.4apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 48.4%, 3PT: 36.8%, FT: 71.2%. He scored in double figures in 29 games and had some more typical explosions hitting Chattanooga for 40 points in a 80-64 win, and nailed Citadel for 37 points in a 101-78 win. He also had very good games against top basketball schools like Ohio State, Butler and Virginia Tech. Being able to perform well against schools like these were vital in his development. “I took each one of these opportunities the same way I do today in the different countries and opportunities I’ve been given and that’s to be the best player on the court.  I’m a very loyal person and I showed that by signing early in college to attend VMI before my senior season even started.  Maybe if I would’ve waited it out I would’ve been playing for one of these schools but I wanted to concentrate on where I would spend my time playing college ball and work on being the very best I could be and let my game do the talking right away.  I always thought to myself it doesn’t matter where you play but how you play.  I now have played in a number of countries and tried out in front of many NBA teams which all have helped me develop my game to a higher level each year.  I’ve been blessed to be rewarded for my play and I hope that this will be the season that catches everyone´s eyes and realize that QJ Peterson can play at any level and be given the golden opportunity for an NBA team to take a chance on me so I can make their team better and live out my dream”, stressed Quentin Peterson. His daily grinding paid off in the NCAA, but he also knows that he wouldn´t be where he is today without the proper guidance of his two head coaches Duggar Baucom and Dan Earl. “I think what helped in this situation were the two different styles of play. Meaning, I was able to realize that the faster pace of play better suited my play style for me, however, I am also capable and able to adapt to a slower tempo style and a structured system and learned how to pick my spots of when to score and attack and things like that”, remembered Quentin Peterson. He picked up All-SoCon 2nd Team and left Virginia Military Institute with the best thoughts of what he had experienced there for four years. “I would probably have to say the road trips were the best parts. Just being away from the school and escaping the military aspect of things there and just having fun with my teammates”, said Quentin Peterson.  

He began his professional basketball career in 2017 and quickly saw two parts of the world splitting time with USK Praha (Czech Republic-NBL) playing 6 Czech Republic NBL games averaging  21.5ppg, 7.7rpg, 4.3apg, 1.7spg, 2FGP: 54.0%, 3FGP: 28.2%, FT: 75.7%, and then finished the season with Anyang KGC (South Korea-KBL) playing 51 games averaging  15.5ppg, 4.1rpg, 3.9apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 52.5%, 3PT: 31.4%, FT: 75.6%. For American rookies coming overseas, those first months can be very difficult for players as some endure a culture shock. Some make it through and others don´t. Peterson made it through the first months, but also had some issues that he had to get used to. “My wake up call I would say, is not having cell phone service walking out of my house as well as trying to transfer money home to my bank account. That is when I realized I was far away from home”, remembered Quentin Peterson. He performed well on the court in the Czech Republic having some stellar games against BK Decin with 29 points and had 26 points against BK Pardubice. His stay in the Czech Republic was short and he decided to close out his rookie season in South Korea. This was another place where he had no problems adjusting to the play and will always have this experience in his heart. “I think it was an amazing experience, one that I would go back to for sure. The pace of play was faster than Europe which fit me perfectly I believe. Just enjoying the beautiful city in South Korea was the best part. They had everything from Nike, to under armor stores, to bbq places, it was amazing”, commented Quentin Peterson. He scored in double figures in 39 games showing that that special consistency that he had established in the NCAA was still present there. Sometimes one is the lone American on a team which can get lonely, but he was fortunate to have had another fellow David Simon by his side. “I was extremely blessed. He taught me what it means to be a pro and how to be a pro. He definitely was and still is a brother to me”, remembered Quentin Peterson.

In the 2018-2019 season he gathered new experience with Cytavision Apoel Nicosia (Cyprus-Division A) playing 8 games averaging 15.8ppg, 5.3rpg, 3.4apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 46.3%, 3PT: 38.6%, FT: 65.0. Even though his season was cut short, he did learn new valuable things about how basketball life can be off the court. “I just remember having to move from one hotel, to an apartment filled with roaches, to having a car that broke down, to not being paid my full and it was never on time, to moving back into another hotel. It was awful. However, it is part of my journey and it did make me stronger and learn a lot about the business side of pro sports”, warned Quentin Peterson. He scored 29 points against Apollon and 22 points against E.N. Paralimni. He was lucky to have had a number of established veterans on the club including ex Purdue(NCAA) great Keaton Grant who has carved out a nice professional career. “From watching him pick his spots on the court, when to score and pass, as well as how he carried himself off the court. He was professional at all times no matter what”, stated Quentin Peterson. In the 2019-2020 season he made a giant step in his career moving to MBC Mykolaiv (Ukraine-Superleague) and totally dominated playing18 games: averaging 29.5ppg), Reb-5(7.6rpg), Assists-2(6.1apg), Steals-1(2.1spg), FGP: 45.3%, 3PT: 37.7%, FT: 78.3%. Despite putting up huge stats, he wasn´t winning and that always puts a strain on players. His team lost three games at the end of the season with no more than 7 points combined. “It was very hard for me as winning is my main priority.  Not being able to win takes a lot out of you when you leave it all out there on the court.  A team is not just what I can bring to the team, but how can I better my teammates and instill in all of them that we all are professional playing this great game to not only pay our bills but for a lot of us we have childhood dreams of reaching the NBA one day.  Although it was hard losing three games in a row I couldn’t let it bring my game down or my mental as I was a leader and I had to do my best in finishing the season on a high note while also picking up my teammates and giving them a reason to give their all each and every game win or not”, stressed Quentin Peterson. Not only did he score in double figures in all 18 games, but also scored more than 20 points in each game. He demonstrated again that consistency should be his middle name. “Each summer after my season comes to an end I spend a lot of my time down in North Carolina training with my agent and playing in daily pick up games with some of the local NBA talent.  The summers I spend all of my day working on the things that I feel I need to improve on as well working on the feedback my agent gets from NBA teams that have shown interest in me and given me the opportunity to workout with.  One of my main focuses in the Ukraine was to become more of a complete player at the point guard position.  I’ve always been known as a scorer but being six foot I have to bring a lot more to the table than just scoring so I’ve tried to develop my game to crash the boards on the offense and defensive side, find the open man for a higher percentage shot, not force a shot but create higher percentage shots to be more effective for my team and to help better my teammates”, expressed Quentin Peterson. He had huge games against K Sokoly scoring 39 points, had 38 points against Zaporizhye and totally exploded against Dnipro with 48 points and 9 three´s. Ex NBA giant Kyrylo Fesenko witnessed as Peterson was showing again that he is taking steps toward greatness. “I did not know they had a guy that played in the NBA. I just remember that some of my teammates felt a bit defeated before the game even started and I always go in to a game with the mindset we can win and that I just wanted to motivate the guys and show them that they have to play the game of basketball just like we have to. No team is unbeatable. One thing just led to another and I just wanted to show the guys that they are human and that we always have a chance at winning as long as we fight and compete. Kervin Bristol told me before the game to just go off and pretend I´m playing pick up back at home or in summer league back home and I did just that and he told me at halftime that I had 30 points and told me to keep going no matter what and next thing I know, he told me I had 48 points at the end of the game. Just wanted to win and was playing hard”, added Quentin Peterson.

Let´s fast forward to 2021. The American who lists NBA player KJ Mcdaniels as the toughest player he encountered in the NBA is playing his fourth professional season in Denmark for the Bakken Bears. He like everyone else on earth has had to deal with COVID in a certain way. This agonizing time has been difficult for all, but somehow he was to get through hard times even if it wasn´t an easy task. “I think my experience with Covid has been a very fortunate and lucky one. Although our season ended early, I was able to go home earlier than expected and spend time with my fiancée, family, and friends. It was not challenging at all to work on my craft while I was at home. I was fortunate and blessed enough to be able to train on outdoor courts with double rims and sometimes able to still have access to a gym to life, lift weights, do basketball workouts, and make some extra money by training local kids and helping them better their basketball game. I think I grew a great deal. I was able to work on myself mentally in terms of getting closer with God, and meditating every day, as well finding out what else I am good at besides basketball. I was able to take time to focus on my community and give back to the younger generation by holding training sessions for them and share life experiences through my basketball journey”, stated Quentin Peterson. He has had a very successful season so far in Denmark as the Bakken Bears are in first place in the country division and are in the next round of the Basketball Champions League as all the hard work has paid off and the team chemistry continues to grow. The club has an incredible offensive arsenal that is stacked with an abundance of talent. “We do have a lot of people who can score the basketball on the team and it can come in waves, which is great. Especially if one person may not have it going one night, the others can pick that person up and chip in, which makes for a great team. With that being said, it all starts on the defensive end and holding teams to one shot and getting out in the open court for guys like Tylor Ongwai, Darko Jurkic, Ryan Evans, Deshawn Stephans and myself to make plays. In the half court, its about knowing where guys like to catch the ball and have the highest chance of scoring and crashing the offensive glass”, said Quentin Peterson.

The American who lists his five best teammates of all-time as Dave Simon, Rod Glasgow, DJ Covington, Isaac Thornton, Qmonte Matheny is blessed again to have amazing teammates this season. One guy who has been instrumental in his further development this season has been American Ryan Evans who played at Wisconsin and is playing his third season with the Bears. He knows what is takes to win titles and already has done so winning the 2019 Danish league title and 2020 Danish cup. “Man, he has been huge! He has been like a big brother to me and has helped me adjust tremendously. I would say he has definitely took me under his wing and shown me the ropes here. Telling me how certain guys play, what coach expects, how to incorporate my game into everyone else, he has been a huge help”, stressed Quentin Peterson. It isn´t always the americans where a guy like Peterson can soak up the necessary basketball knowledge, but also from the home bred players like legends Adama Dafoe and Thomas Laerke. “It has been an amazing experience with these two. The one thing I have learned from them both, is to always try my best and have fun. They both love to crack jokes for a good laugh and are just super easy going and positive minded people. They still work hard as well when needed, but they really enjoy having fun and working hard when needed”, said Quentin Peterson. He also was really blessed to learn from former Dallas Maverick guard Justin Dentmon who was with the club for a short time at the start helping the club qualify for the Basketball Champions League. “He definitely played a huge role early on and even now if I ever needed to ask him something, he’s there for me. It gave me a chance to sit and watch him lead early on and what it takes to make it to the NBA. He would always tell me to just pick my spots out there on the floor, when to pass, and when to shoot”, remembered Quentin Peterson.

The last movie that he saw was Crawl and he has made huge strides with his game again showing that he can take on responsibility in a team that is more stacked than his team MBC Mykolaiv from last season. He has shown again that he can lead a league in scoring at 22,5ppg, but is also filling up the stat sheet like no other averaging 6,2rpg, 4,5apg and 1,8spg while in the Basketball Champions League is averaging a very respectable 17,9ppg, 4,4rpg, 3,4apg and 1,5spg.  Last season he also made new strides with playmaking averaging 6,1apg. Before last season he had never averaged more than 4,3apg. But also his defense is a big part of his game. “I know I can continue to grow my game and always trust in my teammates, pick my spots, and not try to go too fast and just go at my own pace on the court. I think my defense is a huge influence on my offense. I mean the other team can’t win if they do not score right”, expressed Quentin Peterson. Of course he knows that if he wants to go places, he can never get satisfied and needs to keep grinding in the lab each day. “The things I am working on most with my game that my agent Dewey Hawkins and I agreed upon is just mentally staying positive and staying focused on our goal, playing in the NBA. I have been blessed to attend many NBA workouts, I have been drafted in the first round of the NBA G League Draft, I have been given the opportunity to be a local tryout player which allows me extra time to sell myself with an NBA organization, and I have taken my lessons that I’ve learned and developed my game and my mental approach to what is required of one to be a pro player in the NBA.  Every opportunity I’ve been given although the chips didn’t fall the way I wanted them to, I’ve grown from them and has built a very large chip on my shoulder to go into every game as another blessing to show the NBA scouts that I belong in their league”, warned Quentin Peterson. There are guys that have gone the type of path that Quentin Peterson is going in that he has been paying dues for years in Europe and is being patient and continuing to climb the basketball ladder. He has that chip on his shoulder like so many other guys in Europe and has the right attitude that will continue to take him places. “I feel like the chip on my shoulder has to be big. From the lessons I’ve learned, the amount of time I’ve spent on training, driving all over the USA to tryout in front of NBA and G League teams, I’ve learned a lot and heard a lot of reasons of why I’m not where I need to be yet, and have dedicated all of my time and energy in becoming a player that can do it all so I don’t live with any regret and become the player that the NBA needs me to be”, warned Quentin Peterson. He is only 26 years old and not at his prime yet and there have been way older guys make the NBA like this season like 29 year old Argentine national player Facundo Campazzo who is with the Denver Nuggets and there are many more that have made it. But before the NBA, goals of the Eurocup and Euroleague should be on his radar. Even if he hadn´t heard of current Euroleague player Kevin Punter of Milan, he could be the perfect motivation, because his route was similar to Peterson that he also had to pay dues in Europe before reaching the Euroleague last season. Even if Peterson doesn´t reach the NBA right away, the Euroleague could get this dark horse the dream house for his parents.

DJ Woodmore is a 29 year old 190cm point guard that is playing his first season with the EPG Baskets Koblenz. Last season with Morgenstern BIS Basket Speyer (Germany-ProB) he played 21 games averaging 15.1ppg, 4.4rpg, 2.3apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 60.0%, 3PT-2 (50.0%), FT: 87.3%. In 2018-2019 13.8ppg, 4.5rpg, 2.8apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 60.2%, 3PT: 36.5%, FT: 71.6% in the Regionalliga. In his first two seasons with Speyer he averaged 14.5ppg, 5.2rpg, 2.3apg, FGP: 44.6%, 3PT: 40.1%, FT: 72.1% and 17.5ppg, 7.0rpg, 3.4apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 47.5%, 3PT: 33.0%, FT: 76.4%. he played at Virginia Wesleyan College (NCAA3): from 2010-2014 and as a senior played 31 games averaging 20.1ppg, 5.9rpg, 2.4apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 50.3% (219/435), 3Pts: 46.0% (91/198), FT: 76.9% (93/121). Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and DJ Woodmore team up each week to talk basketball.

A tough 86-76 loss to the Fraport Skyliners Juniors. What was most on your thoughts about the game on the drive home to Koblenz?

That we have to find a way to turn the season back around. We need to get back to doing what we were in the first half.

The Fraport Skyliners Juniors had lost the first game by 43 points. Do you feel like you underestimated them a bit and how much of an effect did the whole drama about a player going and 4 new players coming play into the mix soon play into your heads?

I think we came out ready to play and knew they were going to bring intensity and want revenge. I don’t think we underestimated them, I thought we just shot the ball poorly and didn’t have enough fight in us to close out the game. I hope that the rumors of the new players weren’t a reason we lost focus. At the end of the day, we should have won that game with the team we had on the floor.

The club has shown good signs of playing defense this season, but couldn’t get the needed stops against Frankfurt. Kamdem and Samare combined for 34 points. Despite having Alisphacic and Oldham out, why couldn’t the team be more of a factor on the boards?

Yes they’re a big help on the boards, When you suffer a couple of injuries it’s takes a team to collectively make up for those missing statistics. We can definitely use some help rebounding but it can’t just be from one person.

Despite the loss could the team take anything positive from this game into the next two games this week?

Hopefully a wake up call mindset. I’m hoping the integration of the new players and sense of urgency to win again can jump start us back to how we were playing before.

What is your impression of Len Schoormann? Do you see him being an impact BBL player in the future?

Absolutely. He’s Explosive, athletic, and fearless. I think those are keys at a young age to be successful at a high level.

German Lucas Mayer had a great game with 14 points. How have you seen his development grow this season?

I knew he was capable of playing well all season if he was just given the opportunity to prove himself. It was nice to see him finally make some big plays and play confidently. I think he has a bright future ahead too. He’s just getting started.

You had 5 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals in 37 minutes shooting 2/9.How did you feel coming back after a few weeks away? How frustrating is it in general for a professional player to come back after an injury and certain things don’t work like they should?

It felt okay out there. There were points where the ankle was extremely sore, but I felt it was best to play through it and try to help the club win. I couldn’t get my shot going early and the explosiveness wasn’t quite there yet so I was trying to find ways to impact the game in other areas. I mean it’s extremely frustrating when you want to play well but it’s just not working for you. But I think the key is listening to how your body is and push through it. Find other ways to make plays if possible.

The club has brought in ex BBL players Anthony Canty and Oliver Clay as well as Mr bucket Bill Borakambi and German Philipp Lieser. Doesn’t 4 signings in a way show that the club doesn’t have as much confidence in it’s players?

I think some people can look at it like that, but we have had goals set for us all season long, and a manager that wants to reach those goals no matter what. It’s definitely not a great feeling to know players might be coming in to replace you, but it’s the business. And if it’s for the best for the team, then you have to get on board. These are obviously high class players.

What memories do you have playing against them? I’m sure you remember Bill Borekambi’s unbelievable knack for his 1-1 scoring.

Honestly, I have no idea who these players are. I don’t think I’ve seen or played against any of them before so I’m interested in what they can bring. They wouldn’t be here if they couldn’t help, so I’m all for it. I’ve heard they’re all extremely talented and should give us that push we need!!

You have a tough game this week against Dresden who are 9-2. What can we expect from this game and what will be key to getting the victory?

I think rebounding is going to be the key to this game. Cutting off their point guards penetration and boxing out as a team. They’re tall and physical and are playing with a lot of confidence at the moment. We have to find a way to get this Win.

Who will win the Super bowl Kanas City or Tampa Bay and where does Tom Brady’s legacy get to now win or lose having reached a record 10th Super bowl.

My heart wants to see Brady win another ring. So I’m picking Tampa to win. But My brain knows that the Chiefs are unstoppable and should get this game easily. And Tom has been the Goat for years at this point. This is just creating further separation from him and the rest of the best players that have ever played.

Thanks DJ for the chat.