Cobie Barnes (201-F, college: St.Mary of the Woods) is a 201cm forward playing his second professional season and first with BC Mess (Luxembourg-Nationale 2) currently averaging 35,3ppg, 10,3rpg, 4,0apg and 2,0spg. Last season he played his rookie season with Ferro Carril Salto (Uruguay-LUB) averaging 21.5ppg, 12.0rpg, 1.0apg. He began his basketball career at Floyd Central High School and then played 2 seasons and 54 NCAA games for Indiana State University averaging 2.1ppg, 1.9rpg and 3.4ppg, 2.3rpg. He then played the next 3 seasons at John A. Logan College (JUCO) averaging 14.4ppg, 6.8rpg, 2.2apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 50.1%, 3PT: 31.3%, FT: 74.5%, at Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville (NCAA) averaging 2.5ppg, 1.8rpg and at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (NAIA) averaging 23.3ppg, 7.2rpg, 2.4apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 51.0%, 3PT: 35.5%, FT: 72.8%. He spoke to germanhoops.com after his magical 51 points in the win over North Fox
Thanks Cobie for talking to germanhoops.com You scored 51 points in a second division game in Luxemburg for BC Mess in the win over North Fox. How does it feel 2 days after your explosive performance? It feels amazing. It was a great game and still feels a little bit like a dream.
You once scored 35 points in the NAIA. Was 51 points the most in your life? 51 is the most I’ve ever scored.
Did you have a special breakfast on Saturday and feel different going into the game or was it just a normal game day for you? It felt like a normal game. But I will be eating the same thing before games now.
How quickly did you know after the game started that you could have a very good scoring day? I had a feeling it could be special during the first quarter. My teammates were finding me, and I felt like I wasn’t missing much.
Did you have an idea that you were close to 51 points in the game? Did your teammates or coach keep you updated? My teammates brought to my attention that I had 29 points at halftime and told me to try to get 50. I have a lot of good and selfless guys on my team so a major shoutout to them.
You had 6 assists and your teammates dished out 17 additional assists. How much percent do you believe were your baskets on isolation play? I scored a good amount off of good passes from my teammates. I would say probably about 60% iso and 40% assisted.
You shot 19/28. Was picking your spots on this day easier than on other days? It felt like I couldn’t miss from anywhere on the court. It was nice being in that flow state for a whole game.
How valuable was it having fellow explosive scorer Denathony McCallum being aggressive and opening up space for you? Having someone like Deanthony on my team makes my life way easier. He is very efficient, a great passer and defender too. And he always makes the defense guard him so me being able to score is easy.
How much hope does a game give you for your grind and hope of continuing to move up the basketball ladder overseas? It keeps you motivated for sure. I just want to show I can not only play, but dominate in every league I play in.
How much feedback did you get after this performance? Was your phone flooded with messages? I had a good amount of congratulations texts and happy people messaging me.
After scoring 51 points something special has to be done? Will you pick up dinner for the teammates or get donuts? Yeah I have to figure out something for the guys!
What was your favorite basket of the game for you? I would say my last 3. It was the one that gave me 51.
Instead of coming home to the Dragon Dome to continue a winning streak, the Dragons Rhondorf were seeking to start a new winning streak. After the incredible season opening win over SC Rist Wedel with the young German guns, the former pro A team was brought back down to reality with a tough 80-74 road loss in Schwelm. It was a game where the troops of head coach Max Becker had difficulty taking care of the ball and they had miserable shooting percentages. 48 hours later they met 0-2 Iserlohn that was hungry to get their first win of the season. The Iserlohn team led by head coach Toni Prostran had 2 solid Americans with Trey Hubbard and Tyson Leitao and many talented German players ready to step up. On a rainy. cool early Autumn day, The Dragons Rhondorf were involved with the same kind of pattern that they witnessed 48 hours earlier in Schwelm in that they had to play catch for most of the day, but the only difference that this time there would be a happy end. The Dragons Rhondorf were able to take a lethal 13-2 run in the fourth quarter and regain the lead again and then were able to close out the game and win 87-84. “We battled all game long. That has been our focus this season. When the fourth quarter arrives, we look at the score at 0-0. We have shown the last 3 games that we can always come back when down. We simply fight hard the whole game”, warned Dragons Rhondorf Dragons guard Juhwan Harris-Dyson (198-SG-1999, college: California). Iserlohn was in the game in the last minute, but an easy missed lay in to force overtime and a technical foul cost them the game. “This was a great fight from both teams. The game was up and down and it was exciting for the fans. In the end, it was simply details that decided the game. That run in the fourth hurt us and allowed them to get the momentum back”, stressed Iserlohn Kanagaroos head coach Tony Prostran.
Tyson Leitao at the FT line
The first minutes were very tight as no team could lead by more than 3 points. Both teams attacked the rim diligently. The Dragons Rhondorf got a hard dunk from ex Oberaching center Benjamin Sadikovic on the pick and roll with Jorge Mejias and the big then scored again while the guests also got easy baskets inside from ex Schwelm center Sadiq Ajagbe who did a good job getting to his spots and American Trey Hubbard also scored on the drive for the 9-6 Iserlohn lead. Spanish magician Jorge Mejias then dead locked the game with a trey at 9-9. It always seemed like Iserlohn would try to get away, but the Dragons always had an answer and this would happen until the end. Iserlohn got baskets from German David Pavljak and free throws from American Tyson Leitao for the 13-11 lead, but the energizer Lagui Diallo gave instant production with a trey for the 14-13 lead. But then came the first big run of the game as the guests exploded on a ruthless 11-0 run which was sparked by 3 steals in a row by Jordan Illoanya, Tyson Leitao and Trey Hubbard. Two steals led to transition baskets from Hubbard and Leitao while ex Ehingen guard Daniel Zacek nailed a trey for the 24-14 lead. However the Dragons Rhondorf didn´t wilt in the last 2 minutes, but clawed back with 2 clutch three´s from Mejias and ex Neustadt center Duje Dujmovic as the Dragons Rhondorf trailed 26-21 after 10 minutes. “It is always tough suffering back to back turnovers. We just went play by play and stuck to our principles. We knew that it was still a long game and just played our game”, stressed Juhwan Harris-Dyson. The Iserlohn Kangaroos shot 67% from the field and 50% from outside and had 6 rebounds and 3 turnovers while the Dragons Rhondorf shot 58% from the field and 57% from outside and had 4 rebounds and 6 turnovers.
Kenna Reinhart from outside
In the second quarter the Dragons Rhondorf had to play catch up basketball and trailed by as much as 11 points, but they were able to stage a late come back before the break and trail only by 2 points. Iserlohn began with a 8-3 run to extend their lead to 35-24 as Daniel Zacek remained aggressive scoring 5 points and young 18 year old German Julius Gebauer added a clutch trey from the bench. The Iserlohn zone continued to be a thorn in the Dragons side as well as their press. The Dragons Rhondorf also got away from their team basketball as ball movement was weak. Iserlohn continued to be aggressive and attack the rim as Leitao continued to be super efficient and Hubbard scored again. The Dragons received 2 jumpers from Kenan Reinhart and a lay in by young German Carlo Schmid on transition, but couldn´t make any real ground as the guests led 41-32. Iserlohn continued to execute at ease and get easy buckets inside as ex BBL player Kevin Strangmeyer scored as did Ajagbe while the Dragons got continued input by Reinhart with free throws and a lay in, but the Dragons couldn´t make any sufficient ground as they trailed 46-38. But the Dragons had some energy left and closed out the first half with a vital 9-3 run to trail 49-47. In the run, they got a basket by young German David Boning who made a lay in after getting a pretty behind the back pass from Carlo Schmid that had something Larry Bird about it. “We know that he can pass the ball like that. We see it every day. He works very hard. His game reminds me more of Franz Wagner than Larry Bird”, smiled Juhwan Harris-Dyson. In the run, Reinhart continued to shoot the ball well hitting a trey and Mejias made a lay in. “Iserlohn got into foul trouble early. We attacked the guys more and that helped us get to the free throw line and get back into the game”, commented Juhwan Harris-Dyson. The Iserlohn Kangaroos shot 56% from the field and 25% from the three point line and had 14 rebounds and 9 turnovers while the Dragons Rhondorf shot 58% from the field and 60% from the three point line and had 12 rebounds and 11 turnovers.
Trey Hubbard with the lay in
In the third quarter the Iserlohn Kangaroos had a few more runs, but the Dragons Rhondorf always had an answer and rallied. The Dragons Rhondorf last run rewarded them with the one point lead after 30 minutes. The Dragons got on the board first as Kenan Reinhart executed a perfect pick and roll that led to a lay in by Sadikovic to tie the game at 49-49. But once again Iserlohn was able to get away on a 7-0 run as Strangmeyer added 5 points and a trey and Ajagbe was in beast mode again with the offensive rebound and put back to lead 56-49. But just as easy as the Kangaroos could go on a run so could the Dragons slapping their opponent with a 7-0 run to trail 57-56. In the run, the Dragons got baskets from Mejias, Dujmovic with a steal and transition basket and Harris Dyson lay in. However Iserlohn continued to execute well on offense as Tyson Leitano was a pest all day long getting to the free throw line netting 4 points while Zacek hit a trey and Iserlohn was threatening again to get away leading 67-61. With a few minutes to play, the Dragons Rhondorf buckled down on defense and went on a 7-0 run to lead 68-67 after 3 quarters. In the run, the Dragons Rhondorf got another clutch trey from Diallo off the bench and Reinhart was able to stroke home another three pointer. “We never ever feel like we are out of the game. We are always fighting. Dujmovic was huge with his defensive pressure which helped us get transition points”, expressed Juhwan Harris-Dyson. “It was an up and down game. They played with more intensity in the last minutes. We lost too many easy balls. That just can´t happen”, added Toni Prostran. The Iserlohn Kangaroos shot 50% from the field and 50% from the parking lot and had 23 rebounds and 14 turnovers while the Iserlohn Kangaroos shot 47% from the field and 31% from the parking lot and had 26 rebounds and 15 turnovers.
Juhwan Harris-Dyson at the FT line
In the fourth quarter the usual happened with Iserlohn trying to get away, but then came the real game changer as the Dragons Rhondorf went on a 13-2 run to take the lead back and manage it until the end. Iserlohn began with a slick 8-1 run to lead 75-69. In the run, the Kangaroos got key production form their bigs Leitano and Ajagbe with lay in´s while Pavljak made a big three pointer as the Dragons had less intensity. However the Dragons Rhondorf were able to turn the lever around to their benefit going on a lethal 13-2 run to retake the lead at 82-77. In the run, the Dragons Rhondorf were led by Harris Dyson with 8 points as he sparked the defense with his play as good defense led to easy offense. “The game is never over. I didn´t t have a good first half. I knew I had to help the team somehow. I helped them on defense which led to transition baskets”, stated Juhwan Harris-Dyson. Ajagbe and Sadikovic then traded baskets but Rhondorf still led 84-79. Leitao kept Iserlohn in the game with 3 free throws as the Dragons led 84-82. Sadikovic then missed an easy lay in as did Leitao to possibly force overtime. However then came the real game ender as Daniel Zacek was hit with a technical foul with less than a minute to play. That led to 3 Reinhart free throws for the 87-82 advantage. German Christian Schultz then added free throws to end the game. “We had a little cushion at the end, but they really fought hard. It was a real grind out game. I´m happy we got the win”, stressed Juhwan Harris-Dyson. “We lost intensity in too many crucial times in the fourth quarter. Details was key and we missed that easy lay up at the end”, stated Toni Prostran. The Dragons Rhondorf were led by Kenan Reinhart with 24 points while Juhwan Harris-Dyson added 13 points while the Iserlohn Kangaroos were led by Tyson Leitao with 27 points while Daniel Zacek and sadiq Ajagbe added 13 points a piece. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 44% from the field and 45% from outside and had 33 rebounds and 16 turnovers while the Iserlohn Kangaroos shot 41% from the field and 25% from outside and had 41 rebounds and 21 túrnovers.
Tim Smith Jr. (201-F-2000, college: N.Alabama) is a 24 year old 201cm forward that is playing his second season overseas with the EPG Baskets Koblenz. Last season he played his rookie season with the Dragons Rhondorf averaging 17.1ppg, 5.2rpg, 1.8apg, 1.0spg, 1.2bpg, FGP: 57.0%, 3PT: 33.6%, FT: 82.5%. He began his basketball career at Lakewood high school and then played at 3 Universities. He began at California University of Pennsylvania (NCAA2) averaging 8.9ppg, 4.0rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 45.6%, 3PT: 30.3%, FT: 88.9%. He then played 2 seasons at Walsh University (NCAA2) averaging 10.9ppg, 5.4rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 45.1%, 3PT: 37.5%, FT: 72.1% and 16.1ppg, 7.8rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 48.1%, 3PT: 34.4%, FT: 87.1%. He then finished at the University of North Alabama (NCAA) averaging 9.4ppg, 4.7rpg, FGP: 48.9%, 3PT: 44.4%, FT: 79.2%. He spoke to germanhoops.com after the big 107-89 win over Bayreuth.
Thanks Tim for talking to germanhoops.com. Congrats on the 107-89 win over Bayreuth. How good did it feel getting the first win of the season? This was a really good win. Calvin just told me that the fans had voted us to win in Bayreuth from the Barmer Bundesliga Instagram page. It is always huge to win on the road against a good team.
Did it feel a bit better since you were top scorer? Winning in general always feels good. I´m really happy that I had a good game as well as DJ Jefferies in his first game.
The EPG Baskets allowed 32 points in the first quarter and scored 28 points. Did you expect so much scoring?
No I didn´t. I was worried after that first quarter that it would be a high scoring game as we were on pace for 120 points. We didn´t want to have a shoot out against them.
What was giving the team the most hard ache defensively in the first quarter? Our 1-1 defense really hurt us. They attacked us on the penetration and found holes in our defense. Their back up big Artem Kovalev killed us. We didn´t know what to expect. We then adjusted better against him as the game went on.
The second quarter was a lot better defensively for the EPG Baskets Koblenz. What adjustments did the EPG Baskets make?
We built walls and didn´t allow them to get easy penetration. We didn´t give up anything easy and allowed less turnovers. We also had better transition defense.
The EPG Baskets had a 11-1 run early in the third quarter where you and Calvin Wishart came up big. Did this set the tone for the rest of the game? Yes I think so. I told Calvin to be more aggressive. He just had to do what he knows how to do best which is getting buckets whenever he wants to. I was also aggressive and got offensive rebounds. Many made an impact in the run.
The EPG Baskets led 77-66 after 30 minutes. What was coach Stephan Dohrn´s approach for the team going into the last quarter? He told us to go out and finish it out strong. We had them where we wanted them. We didn´t ease up and kept putting pressure on them and maintained it to the end.
Even if the team gave up 23 points in the fourth quarter, was it possibly the teams best quarter simply because it finished the game so strong? The fourth quarter was really good. But really the whole second half was good. We showed in the second half what kind of a team we can really be. We finished strong on the road against a strong team. That is something that will separate us from other teams this season if we can continue to do that.
New player DJ Jefferies had a 18/13 game. Did the league just meet the new beast? Yes, He is definitely a dog. He will be a huge help for us this season. He made my job a lot easier. Now we have 2 big guys on the court. We take up a lot of space and will help the team. He was aggressive all game long. He has everything that I love in a player.
You had your Pro A break out game with 25 points and 7 rebounds and shot 12/18. Did you wake up with a good feeling? No. I just knew that I had to be a lot more aggressive than in the first game. I felt good going into the first game, but sometimes the ball just doesn´t jump your way. I was glad that I was more aggressive, got rebounds and some blocks.
What did you learn about your game tonight that you didn´t know about before? I learned that I can still post up and be a threat in the paint. Even if I didn´t play much in the post last season, I can still be aggressive and get buckets in the paint. I think that being able to do that this season will be huge in my role.
Did the team explain to DJ Jefferies the 100 point donut rule? Oh DJ knows that he got Donuts.
The 1-1 EPG Baskets Koblenz next battle top team Crailsheim. What will be key to getting win? We played them in pre season and gave them a good game for 3 quarters. We lost by like 10 points. They are a really good shooting team. We have to find a way to contain them. We also have to have good 1-1 defense. Nothing will really change with our game plan. We just have to go out and execute and really be locked in on defense. We also have to rebound better.
Ivan Crnjac (203-F-2007) is a 18 year old 201cm forward that averaged 20,5ppg, 7,9rpg, 2,2apg, and 1,7spg in the NBBL (U-19) and in the Pro B averaged 11,0ppg, 4,1rpg, 1,3apg and 1,0spg in the 24-25 season. He helped the Fraport Skyliners win the B League title at the U-18 International Cup in Tokyo, Japan. In 2023 he reached the JBBL (U-16) top 4. He won the NBBL MVP award for the 24-25 season. Currently he is injured, but will return soon back to action. He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball.
Thanks Ivan for talking to germanhoops.ttzcom. Your injured at the moment and had to watch the Fellbach win in Frankfurt. How did your injury happen? I twisted my leg in practice during the first week of training camp.
How is your current status? When will you be back in action? I had torn ligaments. I will be out 2 more weeks.
How is your rehab going? The rehab has been going well. I have been jogging.
Last season you made a big jump in the Pro B averaging 3,8ppg and 1,6rpg in 2023-2024 to 11.0ppg, 4.1rpg, 1.3apg last season. How did your game grow in the Pro B? I had a bigger role and my self confidence grew. I feel like I improved in all aspects of my game. I also became more of a scorer.
You also shot the ball really well with 36% in the Pro B to 34% in the NBBL from outside. What do you still have to do to reach 40%?
I was around 40% the whole season. I just had a weak shooting phase at the end. I need to be more consistent even when I´m not shooting well. I have to take better shots off the dribble or on the pin down.
You had many great games last season. What was your favorite game? Possibly the 29 points against Ludwigsburg? Yes I would agree. The Ludwigsburg game was a cool one.
On what areas of your game did you work on most last summer? I worked a lot on my ball handing as well as getting stronger. I want to be able to compete against BBL centers.
You played at the U-18 European Championships last summer. The team didn´t get a medal. What was your summary of the team performance? In my eyes, we were a better team than the result. I think it was still a good team result. I think the team showed more of a done dimensional game. We weren´t able to showcase the individual qualities of each player.
You averaged 7,0ppg and 4,0rpg and shot 24% from outside. What was your summary of your own game?
The way I played wasn´t what I expected. I would have liked to have doubled my average of 7/4. I was in good form. I awaited more trust and more possessions and shots for me.
I thought that you couldn´t showcase your whole game. Do you feel like you were a bit in the shadow of Matthieu Grujicic? Yes. But he is a very good player. He was the number #1 option, but I feel like more guys could of contributed. It was too many quick pick and rolls with Gurjicic and the center.
What did you learn from the Euro experience? I learned that sometimes things don´t happen the way you want them to happen. You just have to take what comes. I also saw that there are better players than me. I know that I can always improve.
What is your impression of the 2025-2026 Skyliners Juniors? We are a young team that has a good attitude. It is a talented and hungry bunch of players.
What is your impression of massive 18 year old talent Lukas Smazak from the Czech Republic?
He is a good point guard. We actually played together once in a fun tournament in France. He is a pass first guard with very good passing skills. He also has a good shot. He will be a good fit.
Do you feel like you will crack the easyCredit BBL roster? It would be great to crack the BBL roster. I will need to produce for that to happen.
What are your personal goals for this season?
I want to play in the BBL and get in the rotation and make an impact. In the Pro B, I want to be dominant and perhaps be the scoring leader.
Who wins a 1-1 in practice you or Max Peters? I win.
Dusan Nikolic (191-PG-2005) is a 20 year old 190cm guard playing his fifth season with the Skyliners Organization. He played many years in the NBBL (U-19) team where he made big strides averaging 16.3ppg, 4.2rpg, 3.8apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 53.1%, 3PT: 23.8%, FT: 88.2% and PPG-5 (21.4), 5.0rpg, 3.0apg, 2.4spg, FGP: 52.9%, 3PT: 26.3%, FT: 76.5% in his last 2 seasons. Last season he played his first full season in the Pro B averaging 8.7ppg, 3.3rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 54.9%, 3PT: 21.4%, FT: 78.0%. He is also injured, but will return to action soon. He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball.
Thanks Dusan for talking to germanhoops.com. Your injured at the moment. How did it occur? I was very unfortunate getting injured during the first week of pre season. I suffered a foot injury.
What is your status and when will you be back in action? I´m in the process of making a full recovery. I hope to be in action in the next weeks.
How is the rehab going? What have you been doing?
My rehab has been going well. I have done a lot of foot exercises as well as well as calf exercises.
On what areas of your game did you work on last summer?
I mostly worked on my shooting and getting my body stronger and on my athleticism.
What are your personal expectations coming into the 2025-2026 season?
My expectations are to be a leader and take on even more responsibility than last season. As a team we want to play aggressive and quick. We want to win as many games as possible.
Last season you made a big jump in the Pro B averaging 8/3/1. How did your game grow? I got more experience and played with more confidence. I gained more responsibility with more minutes.
You became more of a leader. How did you see your development there? My leadership skills grew with time. A big help was Philip Hadenfeld. When he left for his semester break, I fell into the roll of being a leader. My communication got a lot better.
Your three pointer is still a work in progress. Last season in the Pro B you shot 21%. Will you shoot better this season? I hope so. New coach Markus Klusemann helped me a lot. We worked on my shot during the summer. He helped me with my mechanics first and then it was just reps, reps and reps. My shot feels good.
You had many big games last season like scoring 21 points against Coburg. What was your favorite game? My favorite game last season was the home game against Ulm. I did a bit of everything in that game.
What is your impression of the 2025-2026 Skyliners Juniors? This is a very interesting team. It is a lot younger than the last years. It will be exciting. We are young and wild.
The team is younger than ever. Will a lack of experience be a problem?
That is hard to say. I mean we are young, but enough guys who have played at the Pro B level. We won´t have the most experience in the league, but we will find ways to win.
What is your impression of massive 18 year old talent Lukas Smazak from the Czech Republic? Lukas is very intelligent and has a good game. He has a great passing game and his shooting is underrated.
If Jamie Edoka and Ivan Crnjac are out, will you be the go to guy? I don´t know. I hope so. My expectations for myself are that I would be.
What is your biggest wish this season as a player?
I just want to make another step in my game. I want to show and prove that I´m ready for the next step in a higher league. I want to be a leader and make a difference this season.
After a long summer, the Skyliners Juniors were back home again for the start of the 2025-206 Pro B season. They had begun the season on the road in Leitershofen and suffered a tough 90-79 loss. Frankfurt was battling sicknesses and injuries and had to play with a 7 man rotation. Their next opponent were the Fellbach Flashers who won the Pro B title in 2023 and have played 2 solid seasons in the Pro B. Fellbach may have been without ex easyCredit BBL slam dunk contest winner Brian Butler who doesn´t play all games, but were with Kris Borisov´s biggest catch of his coaching career with Joanic Gruettner who had just been reeled in. He played 5 seasons in the BBL with BG Goettingen, Bayreuth and Bamberg and was a major attraction for the Pro B. He did score 13 points, but the big attraction was rising Pro B player Nik Schlipf (196-G-2002, college: Alliance) who led the Flashers to the 84-83 win scoring 23 points. It wasn´t a beautiful game, but games like these can always occur at the start of a season. “It was an ugly win. The important thing was that we always stayed together when it mattered most. We kept encouraging each other through every slump in the game. We didn´t shoot well, but kept attacking the paint. We were aggressive minded the whole game and moved the ball well”, stressed Fellbach Flasher Tysem Lyles. The Skyliners Juniors had a lot deeper roster than in Leitershofen, but believed in a 9 man rotation despite being without youngsters Ivan Crnjac, Max Peters and Dusan Nikolic. The Skyliners Juniors fought until the end and had a lot of misfortune at the end, but they should have won the game in other areas. “We made a lot of mistakes and allowed too many fast break points in the first half. It wasn´t our best defensive game. We did a good job on the offensive glass. You don´t see that all the time”, stressed Skyliner Junior Marvin Esser.
Florian Dietrich at the FT line
The Fellbach Flashers got off to a rapid start to lead 8-2 as ex Alliance (NCAA2) forward Nik Schlipf got the hot hand early dropping 2 three pointers for the 8-2 advantage. Ex Nurnberg center Nelson Okafor also got going being aggressive inside getting a lay in and dunk. Alvin Oniya got hot early with a trey and heads up play sneaking in for an offensive rebound and put back as Frankfurt trailed 12-8. Fellbach continued to keep the lead as Schlifp continued to wreck havoc with a 20 footer and alley op pass for the Okafor dunk as Frankfurt trailed 16-10. The game was of a high tempo and many turnovers as both teams remained aggressive on the defensive end. Frankfurt had to play pick up basketball, but always had an answer as German Jamie Edoka hit a trey as Frankfurt trailed 18-16. Fellbach kept the lead as they continued to get easy buckets inside from crafty Gruettner and flashy diminutive guard Travis Davis for the 22-17 advantage. Frankfurt continued to have answers as they also liked to attack the paint as Oniya and German Julius Messer scored for the 23-22 lead and first Frankfurt lead. However it didn´t remain long as Griettner scored at the buzzer for the 24-23 Fellbach lead. “We had good mental concentration. We were never to high or too low. We began well. I was happy for Nik Schlipf who was coming out of a shooting slump. He will have his break through season”, stressed New York native Tyseem Lyles. The Fellbach Flashers shot 55% from the field and 29% from outside and had 8 rebounds and 6 turnovers while the Skyliners Junioers shot 43% from the field and 50% from outside and had 10 rebounds and 6 turnovers.
Mateus Rodriguez from outside
The second quarter was the quarter of the runs that looked like this. 6-2 run for Fellbach, 7-0 Frankfurt run, 4-0 Fellbach run, 5-0 Frankfurt run and 8-0 Fellbach run. Both teams were up and down as day and night. Schlipf and Gruettner scored inside on the first run while Frankfurt countered with ex Kronberg big man Florian Dietrich and and a trey by Czech Republic guard Lukas Smazak to dead lock the game at 32-32. Frankfurt then had a lull again as Fellbach took advantage of it with a Mateus Rodriguez floater and Schlipf lay in for the 36-32 lead. Frankfurt struck back with a run as Leif Zentgraf made a trey as Smazak made a behind the back acrobatic pass and he then made a jumper as Frankfurt found themselves leading again 37-36. However Fellbach also always had an answer and struck back with a 8-0 run to lead 44-37 as Schlipf contributed 5 points and Rodriguez a three pointer. Frankfurt stopped the Flashers run with a Messer tip in to trail 44-39, but they were unable to get over the hump as Gruettner scored as did German Thomas Billinger. However Frankfurt got some key production from undersized German big man Marvin Esser who scored twice in the last minute as Frankfurt trailed 50-46 at the break. “That quarter was full of runs. We remained focused and together. Frankfurt responded always being able to find an answer and start a run. My shot wasn´t falling at all in the first half. I stayed part of the team and did other things to help the team”, stated Tysem Lyles. The Fellbach Flashers shot 56% from the field and 33% from the three point line and had 14 rebounds and 11 turnovers while the Skyliners Juniors shot 48% from the field and 43% from the three point line and had 18 rebounds and 14 turnovers.
Lukas Smazak jumper
In the third quarter the Skyliners Juniors continued to have bad phases, but never allowed the Fellbach Flashers to get away. Frankfurt continued to fight and stay with Fellbach trailing by 3 points after 30 minutes. The Skyliners Juniors got off to a slow start offensively getting stopped 6 times, but defended solidly allowing only 5 points as Lyles made free throws and Schlipf drilled home another trey for the 55-46 lead. The Flashers played high intensity defense getting blocks from Micky De Souza and Lyles. The Skyliners Juniors finally got on the board on their 7th possession as Dietrich had a clear route to the rim and made a thunderous left handed dunk to trail 55-48. Frankfurt went on a 8-2 run to trail 57-55 as Oniya made another big play making a tip in while Smazak hit a three pointer. But the Skyliners Juniors continued to have difficulty slowing down the drive as Mark Golder and Jonathan Gerlinger scored for the 63-57 advantage. The Skyliners Juniors kept fighting, but just couldn´t get over the hump. Leif Zentgraf made a lay in to trail 63-60, Messer a lay in to trail 65-62 and Esser and lay in on transition to trail 67-64. Fellbach continued to execute well offensively and led 69-66 after 3 quarters. “Frankfurt did a good job getting out on transition. We didn´t do a good job on transition defense. We allowed way too many offensive rebounds”, said Tysem Lyles. “We came out fighting and stayed close. We never gave up. We are young and hungry. Our offensive rebounds helped us stay in the game”, said Marvin Esser. The Fellbach Flashers shot 53% from the field and 28% from the parking lot and had 24 rebounds and 15 turnovers while the Skyliners Juniors shot 46% from the field and 33% from the parking lot and had 29 rebounds and 16 turnovers.
Tysem Lylles at the FT line
In the fourth quarter the game remained tight until the end as Fellbach always had the lead except for once early and the Skyliners Juniors had the opportunity to win it on the last possession. Gerlinger and Dietrich traded baskets in the first minute as Fellbach led 71-68. Fellbach remained aggressive as Swiss guard Rodriguez got to the free throw line twice and scored 4 points, but Frankfurt remained alert and let it rain three´s as Leif Zentgraf and Lukas Smazak hit three´s for the 75-74 Skyliners Juniors lead. However the Skyliners Juniors were never able to take that key run when they had the lead. Instead Fellbach fired with a 9-0 run to lead 83-75 as crunch time appeared. The Flashers were led by clutch Lyles and Schlipf three´s. It looked like this may have been the moment where the Skyliners Juniors would cave in for good, but they didn´t. Frankfurt buckled down on defense and got consecutive stops while Leif Zentgraf scored 5 points including a trey to trail Fellbach 83-80. Okafor then made 1 of 2 free throws for the 84-80 Flashers lead The Skyliners Juniors continued to get stops and 3 free throws by Messer to trail 84-83 with 50 seconds to play. “Frankfurt came back giving us different looks on defense. They got mulitiple defensive rotations which gave them open looks”, commented Tysem Lyles. The Juniors then stopped Schilpf and had the ball with 24 seconds to go. The Skyliners Juniors had fate in their own hands and didn´t get any support from the basketball God. Frankfurt got 3 offensive rebounds and Joscha Zentgraf got fouled with 3,2 seconds remaining. He had fate in his hands, but missed both free throws. He got the offensive rebound and then traveled. Gruettner did lose the ball to Dietrich at center court, but his last second shot only hit the back board ending the contest. “I was still calm when he missed first free throw. My heart sank when he missed the second and had the offensive rebound. But we grinded out the win and a win is a win”, stressed Tyseem Llyles. “We can´t be in a situation like we were at the end. We have to find a way to win the game earlier”, commented Marvin Esser. The Fellbach Flashers were led by Nik Schlipf with 23 points while Mateus Rodriguez added 19 points while the Skyliners Junioers were led by Leif Zengraf with 18 points while Lukas Smazak and Alvin Oniya added 14 points a piece. The Fellbach Flashers shot 49% from the field and 30% from outside and had 29 rebounds and 17 turnovers while the Skyliners Juniors shot 40% from the field and 30% from outside and had 48 rebounds and 23 turnovers.
A little more than 2 years ago German basketball fans in Germany witnessed an incredible JBBL (U-16) semi final between Alba Berlin and the RheinStars Cologne. It wasn´t Larry Bird vs Dominique Wilkins, but Matthieu Grujicic of Alba Berlin (35 points) and Davi Remagen of Cologne (41 points) that offered an incredible scoring battle that showed once again how much talent is in Germany. These two 16 youngsters played the game they love and showed absolute no fear playing as if they were all alone on a court. But there was one more player on the court who had just as much talent, but was a bit in the shadow with Kenan Reinhart (194-SG-2007) who supplied 16 points in the 84-79 loss to Alba Berlin. 2 years later both Grujicic and Remagen are playing in the NCAA and profiting from NIL while Reinhart is in Germany playing in the Pro B for the Dragons Rhondorf. All 3 guys have gone separate ways and are on a mission to continue to develop further. All 3 have some pressure, but for Kenan Reinhart it is a kind of pressure that he can live and deal with. Last season he averaged 3,0ppg in 10 minutes. I can imagine he will average 20 plus minutes this season and will have to step up as a teenager in the Pro B. “I make a lot of pressure for myself, because I have high expectations of myself. My season was unacceptable last season. I want to make the next step so I need to prove myself in the Pro B. I really like this pressure, because I need it to reach my full potential”, warned Kenan Reinhart.
Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and Kenan Reinhart in the Dragon Dome 2025
Kenan Reinhart who is a mix of Andi Obst and Reed Shepherd on the court is very excited going into his second season with the Dragons Rhondorf. “I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I´m very excited and on the other hand very happy. I understand that I will have a bigger role while having a complete new team. We will see what the season brings us”, smiled Kenan Reinhart. One of the biggest changes was bringing in a head coach with Max Becker. At first glance he looks like a kid and could be Reinhart´s teammate, because he looks so young, but he is already 26 years old and had done a good job with the Telekom Baskets Bonn youth department. His smile is infectious, but can he ever get mad? “He may look like a kid, but he can get mad. Then he definitely doesn´t act like a kid. He is still young, but I´m confident that he will do a good job”, stressed Kenan Reinhart. Becker has already stressed early in pre season exactly what his basketball philosophy will be. “Max wants us to push the ball and play as fast as possible. If that doesn´t work, then we will do the set offense. We want to play good defense and function as a team”, stated Kenan Reinhart. The question will be can this team be successful with a new young coach and young team? Will there be enough consistent fire power besides from Jorge Mejias and Juhwan Harris Dyson? “This season we are playing in the North which is tougher than the south. I feel like the hunger was missing a bit last season. This season we have a good mix of old and young and have hunger. I think we have other possibilities to score with Daniel Mayr, Duje Dujmovic, Lagi Diallo and myself. Vuk Scepanovic can also hit the occasional three pointer. We will see from game to game which scorers will evolve”, warned Kenan Reinhart.”, warned Kenan Reinhart.
The ex RheinStars Cologne guard who beats Vuk Scepanovic everytime in a battle of 1-1 in practice has many new teammates this season. He has been joined by 2 young big men with Benjamin Sadikovic and Duje Dujmovic. Can they be stable scorers at the Pro B level? “I thought that Sadikovic was older when he signed. He is a stable center that is great on the pick and roll. I was teammates with Dujmovic once already in Cologne. He is also hungry and continues to develop nicely”, said Kenan Reinhart. One player that will produce not only in the scoring department, but fill the stat sheet like Kam Taylor and Curtis Hollis from back in the day will be Juhwan Harris Dyson. “I really adore his physicality. He is always playing hard. He gives his all in each movement. His effort is excellent. He is simply a high level player”, warned Kenan Reinhart. Another player that will be watched with enjoyment is young player Dusan Iiic who had a great youth career with BBA Hagen. Last season he averaged 20,0ppg and 10,0apg in the NBBL. It seems like despite his young age of 17 could also play an instrumental role. Could he have a break through season like Janne Muller 2 years ago? “I think he can. This will be his first Pro B season. It will be interesting to see how well he can produce. He will be a vital player that we will count on”, commented Kenan Reinhart. The leader of the team will be Spaniard Jorge Mejias who has a lot of experience like Daniel Mayr and was walking around the Real Madrid training facility 8 years ago and bumping into Luka Doncic. “I´m really happy to play with him and against him in practice every day. I´m working on my court vision and passing. There is nobody better than to learn those things from than him. I´m learning fast. He does it all”, warned Kenan Reinhart. The team has many talented young guys like Schmidt, Volkers, Scepanovic, Boning and Dobiecki. Is there a player form this bunch that could make the biggest splash in the Pro B this season? “I think that Carlo Schmid will be the guy. He has only played basketball for 2 years. He has a good body for basketball. I believe he can play well at the Pro B level”, added Kenan Reinhart.
The sniper who lists big man Andreas Seifert as the toughest player that he has ever faced on the court is more than eager to make the next step this season. His expectations and goals are high. “I want to help lead the team into the playoffs as a starter. I want to not only stand in the corner and shoot three´s, but be versatile. I want to be able to do it all and integrate, rebounding, passing, scoring and defense into my game”, said Kenan Reinhart. Last season he averaged 3,0ppg in 10 minutes of time. Can he average scoring in double figures this season? “I think I can. I won´t do it each game, but I feel like I will be consistent”, explained Kenan Reinhart. He only shot 23% from the parking lot in the pro B last season. It is only obvious that he wants to improve those percentages drastically. “My three pointer is one of my best qualities. I have high goals with my three pointer. My team is counting heavily on me. I have to have a good shooting season”, warned Kenan Reinahrt. But he doesn´t only want to make an impact on the offensive end, but also on the defensive end. His ex head coach 1993 Euro winner Stephan Baeck always told him that if he defends well than he will stay on the court. “I want to average at least 1 steal per game. My goal is not to let my guy score on me”, stressed Kenan Reinhart. He definately has the right mind set as he is getting up many shots every day and always trying to prefect his craft. “I think that if I add it all up, I get up about 300 shots on the machine and in total 500 shots a day. When I´m spot up shooting, I make around 80% with the first 100 shots, 70% with the second 100 shots and somewhere between 65%-70% with the last 100 shots”, added Kenan Reinhart. It will be interesting to see where the journey of the Dragons Rhondorf will go this season and how well Kenan Reinhart continues to develop. In the last few years, I was helping rebound for Janne Muller before games. I mostly heard only swish with his mid range shot. Maybe this season, I can rebound for Kenan Reinhart and then hear swish when he is firing away from down town before games.
There are hundreds and hundreds of American ballers in Europe playing in lower leagues living the dream. Guys that played in the NCAA 2, NAIA and even JUCO that had no real guarantee of ever making it overseas. All have sheer talent and here and there had some luck as well as they were aided by competent agents and maybe even had the prefect contact that helped along the well. These guys faced a lot of adversary in their careers often being doubted for whatever reason. A common one being the height. You simply don´t see many 173cm guards doing cross overs overseas. Thankfully for Toru Dean, he is a 183cm guard that has an acceptable guard height overseas, but then again not 190cm which would still make many things easier. Dean suffered some real adversary half way through his University career that not many have faced. Size and school league level are common reasons why skilled guys get overlooked, but in the case of him, it was a lot worse. Between his transfer from Barry (NCAA2) and Langston University (NCAA2), he was shot twice. First his right leg was hit and the second shot nailed his upper left leg. He thankfully got through rehab despite not knowing if he could ever play again, but thankfully he could and the rest is history. He is playing his rookie season in Germany and feels so blessed, but those hard times more than 3 years ago is still with him today. “Of course I had doubts about my basketball career but thank god for my family. I just had the perfect support system to build me up again”, remembered Toru Dean. Despite being shot twice Toru Dean overcame all odds and is showing his true point guard Skills with the TSV Bargteheide Bees.
The Miami native who lists Anthony Edwards and Scottie Barnes as his toughest players that he ever faced on a court began his basketball career at South Miami high school. He then played 3 years at Barry University (NCAA2) from 2019-2022 playing a total of 64 games. Unfortunately in his second season he only played 7 games because of Covid. “Being locked into those dorms drove the team a little crazy then no fans at the games made the season 10x harder. Also the COVID testing everyday to workout was very frustrating. Also I couldn’t see family members and friends and I really had to have my best mentally”, remembered Toru Dean. In his first season he averaged 8.8ppg, 2.6rpg, 2.3apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 41.4%, 3PT: 32.9%, FT: 65.1% and in his last season averaged 9.1ppg, 4.3rpg, 4.1apg, 2.0spg, FGP: 39.9%, 3PT: 31.7%, FT: 62.9%. He helped the team reach the SSC final in 2022 and was named to the all tournament team. He had many great games against Embry Riddle and also against Lynn. In the 87-84 victory over Embry Riddle, he had 19 points, 6 boards and 7 dimes. “That was one of my best games of my career being so young showed me I could actually play at a very high level”, stressed Toru Dean. He then transferred to Langston University (NAIA) averaging 10.3ppg, 4.2rpg, 3.5apg, 1.9spg, FGP: 46.5%, 3PT: 37.1%, FT: 81.0% and 9.4ppg, 4.3rpg, 4.1apg, 2.1spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 29.3%, FT: 69.4%. He won 2 SAC titles. Was one title sweeter than the other? “Both titles meant the same to me, because both of the teams played a huge role to where I am today. I appreciate and love each and every guy that I met at Langston because it was a true BROTHERHOOD”, remembered Toru Dean. He reached NAIA final in 2024. The team defended incredibly allowing only 50,0ppg up to the final. In the final they had to suffer a tough 71-67 loss to FHU. “Honestly that year really taught me how me to appreciate and respect the game”, said Toru Dean. In those 2 magical years at Langston, he played 64 games and scored in double figures 31 times including 26 points against TxWes and 21 points against USAO. He was more than fortunate playing for the right coach with Chris Wright. “He held me to the highest standards because I was the leader of the team. Which molded me as a Man. Things I learned from him I could use in the real world. One of his sayings is “How you do something is how you do everything “and the standards he held me too made me feel like I can overcome anything with the right mindset”, commented Toru Dean who remembered his 1-1 battles with teammate Gquavious Lennox being a tie. He made the SAC All-Tournament Team and NAIA All-America Third Team in 2024.
The guard who lists LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Shaq on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore is playing his rookie season in Germany with the TSV Bargteheide BEES.The first real shock is the weather as it is already very cold in early autumn as opposed to the warmth of Florida. “I hate the cold weather but it’s definitely something I’ll have to get used to but I’m looking forward to it. Miami weather is always the best weather”, expressed Toru Dean. Just like in school, he has to continue to prove himself as he is playing in the fourth division called Regionalliga. The chip is still on his shoulder as height is always a question mark for others, but never for him. “Of course height has always been the problem until they faced me and wondered why I played at the high level and wondered why my team went so far. Because I was always underrated because of my height”, stated Toru Dean. Despite his height he has needed no adjustment period posting a double double in an early season game. “Honestly it’s very different from playing in the USA. The pre-season games really helped me get used to the physicality and after those 2 games I knew I could play and be able to produce on this level”, said Toru Dean. Not only does he feel very comfortable on the court, but also off the court. He is very fortunate to be teammates with ultra veteran Abdulai Abaker who knows the ropes of overseas ball. “ABU” he is an awesome human being nice guy. He made it easy for me to come to the team and fit in comfortably without guys turning their heads not knowing what to expect. He is a competitor and we make each other better every practice”, warned Toru Dean who lists Lebron James as his GOAT
The Florida native who lists Cortez “ ice Tez ” G Lennox Jake”J swish” Tylan Birts and Anthony Roy as his 5 best teammates of all-time is 183 cm guard who is a great mix of Chris Paul and Patrick Beverly and is a very feisty defender that knows how to run a team very well and make everyone him better. But what kind of a point guard is he? He is way more than just a pass first point guard. “I would label myself as a TRUE POINT GUARD. Someone that leads and makes his team better. Getting everyone involved and looking to make the right play”, warned Toru Dean. The question is how well will his playmaking translate to overseas ball? He never averaged more than 4,0apg in school. Could the Regionalliga be a league where he could average 6-8 assists. “Offensively I can average 6-8 assists just based off playing in the system not including fast break opportunities and steals leading to fast breaks opportunities”, stressed Toru Dean. He knows exactly what he wants to accomplish as a rookie with his shooting. “Shooting 40% from the three and 85 from the free throw line. And being more consistent I always have been an all around player so I never really focused on just shooting”, stressed Toru Dean. Not only will he shine on the offensive end, but also on the defensive end as being an impact player is the name of the game. “I’m just a hard-nosed defender. I can guard almost anyone between 5’10-6’5 on the perimeter. As long as it’s not in the post I’ll be okay. The defender I want to become is like a Patrick Beverley someone that just doesn’t stop and annoys other team with being a pest on ball defender”, warned Toru Dean. There are still many areas of his game to improve. “Just working on improving my game all around. But I really have been focusing on shooting more consistently off the dribble pulls and being to make open threes consistently”, warned Toru Dean. He has a lot of free time in the Regionalliga and knows exactly what areas he will be working on most in the lab. It will be interesting to see how his rookie season in Germany will go. He is definitely a player on a mission to continue to prove all doubters wrong.
Nate Watson (208-C-1998, college: Providence, agency: Octagon Europe) is a 26 year old 208cm center playing his fourth professional season and first with Panionios Athens (Greece-GBL). Last season he played with AS Karditsa Iaponiki (Greece-GBL) averaging 14.9ppg, 7.1rpg, 1.2bpg, 2FGP: 67.4%, FT: 47.7%, later signed with Casademont Zaragoza (Spain-Liga ACB) averaging 6.8ppg, 2.1rpg, FGP: 63.5%, 3PT-2 (50.0%), FT: 52.2%. In the 2023-2024 season he played with KK FMP SoccerBet Beograd (Serbia- Adriatic League averaging 7.1ppg, 3.0rpg, FGP: 63.6%, FT: 58.5%. He played his rookie season with ERA Basketball Nymburk (Czech Republic-NBL) averaging 9.6ppg, 4.2rpg, FGP: 63.4%, FT: 63.9%. He began his basketball career at Bishop O´Connell High School and then played at Providence College (NCAA) from 2017-2022 playing a total of 154 games. He spoke to germanhoops.com before a Eurocup game against easyCredit BBL team Niners Chemnitz.
Thanks Nate for talking to germanhoops.com. Your playing your fourth pro season and second in Greece and first with Panionios Athens. What kind of an experience has it been playing for this organization? The experience has been nice. I love Greece and I love being here. Playing for this organization is great. The coach is good and I love my teammates. The chemistry is great and we can still get better.
After 2 seasons in the Czech Republic and Serbia you had your break out season overseas last season playing well in Greece and reaching the ACB in Spain. Is your confidence because of that on an all-time high? I had my break out season last season and it definitely boosted my confidence, because the ACB is one of the best leagues in Europe if not the best. I played really well against Euroleague teams and it definitely gave me confidence. I hope one day to reach the highest level.
You averaged 14/7 in Greece last season. Do you feel like your game is specially well suited for the style in the GBL?
I think that my game is suited really well for Greece, but I feel like it also depends on the situation I´m in. Having chemistry with my teammates and coaches all matter. Fortunately I had so much chemistry last season. It was just me, but a whole collective effort that helped me be successful.
What is your biggest goal as a player this season besides winning games? Is becoming a well known big man in the GBL a goal?
My biggest goal is just to be the best that I can be. I want to win titles and just continue to grow as a player and become a better player every year.
Let´s talk about your game. You’re a 208cm center. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would best fit the description? I don´t really compare my game to any NBA bigs, but just try to pick up skills from many different players. I used to always watch Al Jefferson who was a really good post player. Sometimes I like to try to steal his moves like his up and under or ball fakes or bully ball to the rim. I don´t believe that I´m a one way 5 player. I can do many things like play 1-1 in the post or catch alley oops.
You demonstrated in the NCAA and Czech Republic that you can be a valuable shot blocker. What kind of a defender are you at the moment and what kind of a defender do you still want to become?
I want to become an elite defender and be able to guard all 5 positions. Sometimes late in the shot clock, you have to switch on the point guard and I want to be able to do that at an elite level. I showed that I could do that last year, but I want to be bale to do it consistently. I also want to become a better shot blocker. Not only blocking my man, but also other guys coming into the zone. I don´t want anyone to score on me or my team.
On what areas of your game are you working on most at the moment so you can continue to improve your game? I´m working most on areas outside the paint. I´m working on shooting jumpers and also playmaking.
Last season you split time with AS Karditsa Iaponiki (Greece-GBL) averaging 14.9ppg, 7.1rpg, 1.2bpg, 2FGP: 67.4%, FT: 47.7%, later signed with Casademont Zaragoza (Spain-Liga ACB) averaging 6.8ppg, 2.1rpg, FGP: 63.5%, 3PT-2 (50.0%), FT: 52.2%. You got a first tast of Greece and held your own against Euroleague team Panathinaikos and Olympiakos. Which player do you remember standing out most then from those 2 clubs? The 2 players that stood out the most were Alexsandar Vezenkov who is an amazing player. He can get so many points without dribbling. He rebounds really well. He really just does everything so well. I remember my adrenaline being so high against Panathinaikos, because I was so excited, I don´t really remember so much from that game. All I remember is Omer Yurtseven. I had already played against him with Providence when he was with Georgetown. He really stood out the most, because he has a big body and played really well against us.
You then finished in Spain and had good games against Euroleague teams FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. Did games like these and in Greece give you confidence that you could be a Euroleague player one day? Playing well against Euroleague players definitely gives me confidence that I could be a Euroleague player one day. But I can´t be content with how I´m playing right now. I have to continue to keep working hard every day and get better
You played your second pro season with KK FMP SoccerBet Beograd (Serbia-KLS) averaging 3.5ppg, 1.8rpg; and in the Adriatic League averaged 7.1ppg, 3.0rpg, FGP: 63.6%, FT: 58.5%. What memories do you have of this season. You had some growing pains. Despite that what positives could you gain from the season? I definitely did have some growing pains in Serbia. I don´t know if the situation was bad or I was? I just didn´t work out. I went from having a bad season in Serbia to having a great season in Greece. It was a humbling season in Serbia. I wanted to get better so I got stronger and better in shape so I could be better. I took no days off. I was first in the gym and last to leave. I had a statement to make. I wanted to prove everyone wrong who had doubted me in Serbia. I think that I did that.
You played your rookie season with ERA Basketball Nymburk (Czech Republic-NBL) averaging 9.6ppg, 4.2rpg, FGP: 63.4%, FT: 63.9%; and in the BCL averaged 8.5ppg, 5.5rpg, FGP: 56.4%, FT: 58.3%. What do you remember being your wake up call to being overseas where you knew that you were far away from home? I knew that I was far from home when I was at the grocery store and I was asking for Mayonnaise and nobody knew what I was talking about. Nobody really knew what I was talking about and the village I was living in was called Podebrady and it was very small.
What was it like being teammates with legend Petr Benda who has won an incredible 27 titles with Nymburk? Was he like a mentor for you? It was an amazing experience being his teammate as a rookie. He won so many titles for Nymburk and was also a big like me. He was always in my ear and how to become a better player. We always battled in practice. He was an old man, but very strong. It was definitely a good experience going against such an experienced player every day in practice.
You played at Providence College (NCAA) from 2017-2022 reaching 2 NCAA tournaments losing to Texas A& M and then losing to Kansas. What do you remember most from the second run at March madness?
In my second run at March Madness, it was a great time. It was a dream to get so far. It was really hard losing, because it was my last NCAA game. It really hurt to lose, but just a great experience to get that far. Even if we lost to the champions, it was cool being able to play against them.
You had 3 great games against Butler as a senior. Was one of these games your fondest moment in the NCAA?
My fondest moments from these games was just how hard everyone plays. For some players, it is their last game as a college player, so they give all that they got. There is a lot of emotion on the court and you have people crying after the game. Everyone is my locker room were shedding tears. We knew it was over. We knew that we would never play a college game again. It is a bitter sweet moment knowing you have things after college most likely being a professional athlete or make money in the real world. There is this uncertainty that you don´t really know what will happen. That is why there is so much emotion.
Who was the toughest player that you ever faced in the NCAA that reached the NBA?
The toughest player I faced was Markus Howard who went far in Europe. He scored 50 points against us. He was a great player.
Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time? My teammates from Providence David Duke, Alpha Diallo, Aljami Durham, Noah Horchler, Jared Bynum
Please list your personal NBA Mount Rushmore? Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Steph Curry, Lebron James and Nikola Jokic
Who is your GOAT? Lebron James
Did you see the sequel to the classic Coming To America? Shouldn´t they have left it alone? I didn´t see it, but like always sequels are never as good as the first one. It probably makes sense to leave it alone.
Tyson Leitao (199-F-2002, college: Tampa) is a 22 year old 203cm forward playing his rookie season overseas with the Iserlohn Kangaroos (Germany-ProB). He began his basketball career at Magnet High School. He then played at the University of Tampa from 2021-2025 playing a total of 106 games. In his last 2 seasons he averaged 12.9ppg, 10.5rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 45.4%, 3PT: 37.0%, FT: 67.1% and 13.9ppg, 10.7rpg, 1.3apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 46.4%, 3PT: 35.1%, FT: 76.0%. he spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball.
Thanks Tyson for talking to germanhoops.com. Not many guys form Tampa (NCAA2) have gone pro. How blessed do you feel living the dream in Germany?
Extremely blessed! Not many people know my story, but I was also a walk-on my first year at Tampa. I wasn’t highly recruited out of high school and got lucky enough to walk on. After starting every game that year I was able to earn a scholarship. Everything that happened there I had to work for and to be in this position to live out a dream like this is surreal.
Have you ever heard of Jeremy Black? He played at Tampa form 20024-2008 and had a great career in Germany?
I have not heard of him, but I’ll definitely do some research. There are a lot of Tampa greats that went on to have great careers overseas and I’m hoping to become one of them.
Your playing your rookie season with the Iserlohn Kangaroos (Germany-ProB). What kind of an experience has it been? What have you enjoyed most about the experience? It’s been a fun learning experience. Adjusting to European basketball isn’t easy but my teammates and coaches have been a great deal of help. I think the biggest adjustment for me is learning how to think about the game of basketball in a different setting and style. Something that I have enjoyed most is how much time I can spend focusing on basketball, like watching film, getting extra reps, or getting recovery.
What was your wake up call to being a rookie overseas where you knew that you were far away from home?
It was definitely the time difference. I’m a sports guy so I watch a lot of sports and having to adjust to watching games at different or later times has been hard.
Iserlohn lost a tough 86-84 game to Rostock. You had a great first game of 20/10. You needed no adjustment period. How would you compare the pro B to the NCAA 2 in terms of competitive level?
I think the level of competition is pretty similar. It’s a little more physical and there are a lot of different schemes and adjustments in Pro B but the competition is right there.
You had a great career at Tampa Bay (NCAA2). What are your most important goals for your rookie season with your personal game?
Personally I want to bring as much intensity and energy as I can. Energy is transferable and if I can bring energy to help the team win I will do it to the best of my ability.
What has it been like playing for ex guard Toni Prostran? What have you enjoyed most about his basketball philosophy?
It’s been great Toni is a very likeable guy and when it comes to basketball you can tell he is very well versed in all aspects. He understands the player perspective because of his long career, but he knows what it takes to win. I have enjoyed his level of intensity he brings to every game, practice, or even film session.
What has it been like battling Malik Diagne on a daily basis? How do you guys compliment each other best? Malik is a great guy on and off the court. He always has great energy and helps the team in a lot of ways. I think the best way we compliment each other is just knowing the space on the floor, when to cut or when to stay spaced he’s a smart player so it always works.
Let´s talk about your game. You’re a 203cm center. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would make the best description?
A current NBA player I could compare to and one of my favorites to watch right now is Alperen Sengun. I watched a lot of the eurobaseket recently and he’s so talented from all aspects of the court. He can score around the rim, rebound at a high level, and even space the floor and shoot.
You’re a player that can score and rebound at ease. What other strengths does your game have? I think I can bring a lot of defensive intensity to the team.
You also take the three pointer and show that you’re a modern day big man. How would you describe the development of your three pointer in your rookie season?
I would say I work on it a good amount. In today’s basketball you can make a lot of money by just being able to space the floor and make open shots.
Talk about your defensive skills. What kind of a defender are you now and what kind of defender do you still want to become? Currently I think I can use my athleticism to my advantage on defense and communicate as much as possible. It’s always been a goal of mine to be the loudest on the court. I want to become a defender that can guard all positions no matter the size or skill.
On what areas of your game are you working on most now so you can continue to improve your game?
Currently just working inside the paint and becoming as consistent as I can so I can go inside and out on the court.
How valuable has your dad Dave been for your basketball development? He coached many years at Depaul. How did he help you most with your development? My dad has been a huge part of my basketball development. For as long as I can remember I have been in a gym with my dad. We kind of have 2 relationships: him as a coach and him as a dad. He’s taught me everything I know and paved a way for me to be successful. He helped me understand a lot about the game of basketball and being able to be one of the smartest players on the court. He’s also a huge part in helping with the mental side of basketball and even tells me basketball is 50% skill and 50% mental.
You played at the University of Tampa (NCAA2) from 2021-2025 and made big jumps in your game in your last 3 years averaging 11.0ppg, 9.1rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 47.8%, 3PT: 32.0%, FT: 64.6%, 12.9ppg, 10.5rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 45.4%, 3PT: 37.0%, FT: 67.1% and 13.9ppg, 10.7rpg, 1.3apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 46.4%, 3PT: 35.1%, FT: 76.0%. How did your game grow in those years? I think the most crucial way my game grew was consistency and being mentally more stable.
You had so many great games and usually in losing causes. What was your fondest moment on the court and Tampa? I think that I couldn’t choose just one moment. I would say anytime that I could share the court with my teammates was a fond moment.
How did head coach Linc Darner groom and prepare you best for a professional career? He was great and we played really fast paced so that was a great segway to how its been transitioning to my pro career.
Who won a 1-1 in practice you or Jaxon Toney? Definitely ME. Lol
Who was the toughest player that you ever faced on the court that reached the NBA? There’s been a few either Amen and Ausar Thompson or Anthony Edwards
Who are your 5 best teammates of all-time? No order: Dj Steward, Max Jones, Dalen Davis, Bryan Williams, and Kaden Froebe
Please list your personal NBA Mount Rushmore? Lebron James, MJ, Kobe Bryant, Steph Curry
Who is your GOAT? Lebron James
Did you see the sequel to the classic Coming to America? Shouldn´t they have left it alone? I did not see it so I can’t comment.
German Hoops 