BBL

Peyton Siva (Alba Berlin) I Didn´t Lose Confidence In The Way I Know How To Play

Peyton Siva is a 27 year old 183cm point guard from Seattle, Washington playing his fifth professional season and second with Alba Berlin. Currently he is averaging 13,4ppg, 2,2rpg and 5,3apg. Last season with Alba Berlin he averaged 9.4ppg, 1.9rpg, 4.8apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 47.8%, 3PT: 40.7%, FT: 83.8%; and in the Eurocup averaged 11.3ppg, 2.8rpg, Assists-3(6.3apg), Steals-2(2.0spg), FGP: 53.5%, 3PT: 44.7%, FT: 86.7%. In his first season in Europe in 2015-2016 he played with Pasta Reggia JuveCaserta (Italy-Serie A) playing 21 games averaging 13.3ppg, 2.7rpg, Assists-1(6.5apg), Steals-1(2.0spg), FGP: 43.2%, 3PT: 30.3%, FT-1(91.9%). He played his first two professional seasons in the G-League with Fort Wayne and Erie and played 22 NBA games with the Detroit Pistons. He played at Louisville from 2009-2013 playing a total of 144 games and as a senior helped them win the NCAA title and played 40 games averaging 10.0ppg, 2.4rpg, 5.7apg, 2.3spg, FGP: 47.6%, 3PT: 28.8%, FT: 86.7%. He spoke to German Hoops before the BBL game against Science City Jena in Jena.

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber with Peyton Siva in the Fraport Arena in Frankfurt after the Alba Berlin loss to Frankfurt in 2017

Peyton thanks for talking to German Hoops. A sweep of Bamberg, the cup top 4 around the corner and a second place in the BBL standings, how good is basketball life now?

It´s really good. I am enjoying being around my teammates and playing in a good environment. Coach Aito makes it a good environment to play basketball.

There aren´t many players that can say that they swept Bamberg in a season. How good does it feel having had their number this season?

It feels good. Those were two very big wins. You always want to get those tough wins out of the way when going into the playoffs. It was great getting these wins, but we are focusing on the next game against Jena.

You were the best player on the floor scoring 25 points. Do you feel like you took your game to another level?

It was just me playing with confidence. Coach Aito put me in a position where I could play with confidence. But my teammates like Spencer Butterfield also were a big factor making big shots in helping getting this win.

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Deandre Lansdowne (Basketball Lowen Braunschweig) I Have An Obsession Of Being Great And Never Satisfied With Where I Am

Deandre Lansdowne is a 28 year old 187cm guard from Albuquerque, Mexico that is playing his first BBL season with the Basket Lowen Braunschweig. Last season he played with the Hamburg Towers averaging 12,3ppg, 5,0rpg and 2,3apg. He started his career in Germany in 2015-2016 in the Pro B where he played with Hertener Loewen Basketball (Germany-Pro B) playing 27 games: Score-2(22.9ppg), 8.1rpg, 3.6apg, Steals-5(2.6spg), FGP: 61.5%, 3PT: 30.8%, FT: 66.5%. He played college ball at Fort Lewis (NCAA2) and as a senior played 32 games averaging 15.3ppg, 4.8rpg, 2.1apg, 2.0spg, FGP: 47.2%, 3PT: 37.1%, FT: 50.7%. He then gained his first professional experience with Pioneros de Delicias (Mexico-Chihuahua Vive) before continuing career in Germany. He spoke to German Hoops about basketball shortly after the new year.

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber has covered the Cinderella career of Deandre Lansdowne since he played in the Pro B with Herten via Pro A team Hamburg Towers. The American has adjusted well to the BBL as he dropped 11 points and dished out 6 assists in a 78-71 loss in Frankfurt

Deandre thanks for talking to German Hoops. Where are you at the moment and how did you celebrate the holiday season?

Hi, Good speaking with with you again. I’m in Braunschweig. I didn’t do much. We had quite a few games the last weeks. So I’ve just been focusing on basketball. But the good part is my mother has been in throughout the holidays, so it’s been nice spending time with her.

You played in Herten and Hamburg before moving to Braunschweig this season. Was there anything special in your new home in the holiday season that you hadn´t seen before in Herten and Hamburg?

Nope, nothing new. I would say Hamburg had a better holiday season with their huge Christmas market.

Congrats on reaching the easyCredit BBL in your third season with Braunschweig. In our last interview in April 2017 you stated that “My Next Step Is To Be One Of The More Dominant Players In Pro A”. Did you not sell yourself a bit short? You must of felt after that strong Pro A season that you could reach the BBL or not?

My plan was always to get to the BBL, but if I happened to play in Pro A again, that was my goal, so that I could only spend 1 more season there.

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Thomas Walkup Upends The Webster Show Propelling The MHP Riesen Past The Fraport Skyliners 88-81

It is always a special basketball treat when one sees two basketball minds and two top coaches in the easyCredit BBL with Gordon Herbert and John Patrick go head to head on the sidelines and since the 2010-2011 season where Herbert was coach with Alba Berlin and the Fraport Skyliners while Patrick was head coach with BG Goettingen, Wurzburg and now Ludwigsburg, the two have had some intense battles as the current record stands at 10-10. Herbert won the first five duels, but Patrick is 10-5 since that first season where Frankfurt had BG Goettingen´s number. But not only watching the best two coaches bark the commands and witness how the players execute is a delight, but also seeing each team´s best player go head to head. That unfortunately didn´t happen in the return game in Frankfurt as Thomas Walkup was on the court, but Frankfurt´s best player Philip Scrubb was not. One can argue all day long as to who are each team´s best players, but these two surely would get a good share of the votes. Scrubb showed as a rookie two seasons ago why many in Canada called him the best Canadian college player ever as his high IQ, scoring and passing game made many Skyliner fans´s two hour basketball experience a very enjoyable time. This season Scrubb heightened his game as Frankfurt was hit with the injury bug and he had to really show his scoring gene and did being the leagues top scorer, but a knee injury put him out of action again. The MHP Riesen have many talented players, but of all Thomas Walkup may go the farthest. He came from a lesser known school SF Austin, but made a name of himself scoring 33 points against West Virginia and 22 points in his last NCAA game against Notre Dame. Many basketball experts saw him as a guy that could fit the mold of the New look NBA as a versatile player that can do a bit of everything which isn´t always appreciated from clubs at that level, but the American impressed. “The basketball world is so connected that you can play anywhere in Europe and still be on a NBA team´s radar. I am playing good ball now after not playing as well last season. I will just continue to keep working and see where it takes me”, warned Thomas Walkup. But instead of landing in the NBA, he played a season with the Windy City Bulls (D-League) playing 40 games averaging 7.6ppg, 3.9rpg, 3.4apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 53.4%, 3PT: 28.2%, FT: 84.5%.. He put the NBA on the back burner and is concentrating on his game and help Ludwigsburg get a title. He has put up impressive stats as he understands how to fill the stat sheet and really has improved his shooting from downtown averaging 42% in the BBL and BCL competitions. Not only his stellar all-around play has rubbed off on his teammates, but also his winning mentality that has allowed them to be an early BCL title candidate and his hidden strength of having that important winning mentality also has been key. In the first meeting with the Fraport Skyliners, the MHP Riesen toppled Frankfurt 79-62 as he led all scorers with 19 points and while they keyed in on Scrubb limiting him to six points on 1/7 shooting. The Fraport Skyliners had a lot of revenge on their minds as they welcomed the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg into their living room and for three quarters looked like they might win, but couldn´t handle Thomas Walkup as he stole the show from Tai Webster pouring in 27 points and scored 12 of the last 14 Ludwigsburg points propelling them to the come from behind 88-81 win.

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The Perfectionist In John Patrick Has That First Title For The MHP Riesen Lurking In His Rear View Mirror

Sometimes the basketball world can be so small as the day after the horrible loss to Alba Berlin a week into the new year 2018, I was flying over to the States for my annual visit with my family over the all star break and I remember getting ready to say farewell to my son at the area where one disappears and is on it´s way to the departure gate at Frankfurt airport. I remember having to look twice as I didn´t see an Eintracht Frankfurt jersey or FC Barcelona of a fan, but one of a German easyCredit BBL club. I remember wondering wow nice to see a MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg fan roaming Frankfurt airport. I quickly realized that was no fan wearing the club´s attire, but top American player Thomas Walkup who walked by me not knowing I had interviewed him once on the phone. A little less than a week earlier I had interviewed him before a game in Oldenburg. I had never met him in person, so when finding out who he was came another “wow what a small world” moment. He didn´t hesitate to mention that his parents had adored the question answer session with him. Quickly I saw more players turn up with the likes of Kerron Johnson, Adam Waleskowski, Dwayne Evans and all the rest. Soon I found out, I would be on the same flight to Copenhagen, Denmark before our ways would separate as I would be heading over the big pond to Boston and Walkup and co would be heading to Lithuania for a Basketball Champions League game the next night. With all the players slowly appearing, head coach John Patrick couldn´t be far away I thought. After a short, but as always interesting and entertaining chit chat with Adam Waleskowski on our way to the boarding gate, I soon recognized John Patrick who was relaxing in a corner. As I approached him, I remembered many encounters I had over the years with him the first being in the 2007-2008 season either in the Fraport arena or Lok Halle. He looked more tired than his players as his eyes looked bigger than usual. I had learned the club had traveled to Frankfurt during the last night following the home loss to Alba Berlin so they would have less of a hike in the morning to catch their flight to Lithuania from Frankfurt. I didn´t ask about where the tiredness came from, but a logical explanation surely could have been that he had been up the last hours trying to digest the loss to Alba Berlin via video. After a short talk we flew to Copenhagen. Then when we were in Denmark, our ways crossed again as this time I had some further chit chat with the 2010 Eurochallenge winning coach and as always our topic was basketball and the big German talents Isaac Bonga of Frankfurt and Ariel Hukporti of the MHP Riesen. His eyes had become more normal as the morning was winding down and his body was getting used to the regular day routine that he has had as a coach since entering the BBL in 2007. 48 hours later he was already on his way back to Germany having experienced a solid 87-71 win over Neptunas. This was just another short chapter in the successful basketball coaching career of John Patrick who is a perfectionist that has that first title for the MHP Riesen lurking in his rear view mirror.

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Malcolm Hill (Telekom Baskets Bonn) Is More Than Just A Scorer

Malcolm Hill is a 22 year old 198cm guard from Illinois playing his rookie season as a professional for the Telekom Baskets Bonn. He had a four year career at Illinois(NCAA) from 2013-2017 playing a total of 136 games and as a senior played 35 games averaging 17.2ppg, 5.1rpg, 2.9apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 49.2%, 3PT: 35.5%, FT: 78.4%. With Illinois he reached the NIT Sweet 16 in 2014 and Elite 8 in 2017. He spoke to German Hoops before the easyCredit game against the EWE Baskets Oldenburg.

Malcolm thanks for talking to German Hoops. Six days ago you witness the biggest win of the season destroying Bamberg and then a few days later got ousted from the Basketball Champions League competition losing to Besiktas 95-79. Was this one of the worst up and down weeks you have ever had or did you witness that at Illinois(NCAA)?

I don´t see this week as an up and down experience, but more of a new type of learning experience for me. We have a positive attitude going into the Oldenburg game. I thought that we competed well against Besiktas, but they were a very good team.

How is the state of the team at the moment. In a moment like this do veterans like Josh Mayo or Julian Gamble do extra to keep the team spirit up or are there other factors involved?

Those two guys have been a big help keeping everyone positive. They understand that an experience like this can be tough for a rookie.

You are in Oldenburg preparing for an easyCredit BBL game against the EWE Baskets. You won the first game in Bonn rather easily 90-68. You shot very well as a team from outside, won the rebounding battle and coughed up the ball only 7 times. Was this one of the best defensive efforts of the season?

Yes for sure. We did a good job guarding Paulding in that game who can be explosive at any time. Key in that game was Yorman Polas who set the tone on defense and set the bar and we followed him. We were already clicking on offense which helped.

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Julian Gamble (Telekom Baskets Bonn) Beating Bamberg Was A Great Performance For Us Maybe Our Best Of The Year

Julian Gamble is a 28 year old 207cm power forward/center from Durham, North Carolina that is playing his fifth professional season and second in Germany with the Telekom Baskets Bonn. He started his basketball career at Miami(NCAA) in 2008 and played there until 2013 playing a total of 127 games. In 2013 he started his professional career with Saint Vallier Basket Drome (France-ProB): 44 games: 16.3ppg, Reb-3(9.0rpg), 1.1apg, 1.2spg, Blocks-1(1.5bpg), FGP: 59.8%, 3PT: 10.0%, FT: 62.9%. In 2014 he moved to the Basic-Fit Brussels (Belgium-Scooore League) playing 25 games: 17.0ppg, Reb-3(7.6rpg), 1.4apg, 1.1spg, Blocks-1(1.6bpg), FGP: 57.0%, FT: 69.2%. Two seasons ago, he remained with the Basic-Fit Brussels (Belgium-Scooore League) playing 36 games: Score-5(16.6ppg), Reb-2(8.3rpg), 1.3apg, 1.5spg, Blocks-1(1.9bpg), FGP: 60.8%, FT: 68.1%. Last season with the Telekom Baskets Bonn he played 37 games averaging 13.2ppg, 6.0rpg, 1.7apg, Blocks-3(1.2bpg), FGP: 61.7%, 3PT: 25.0%, FT: 58.0%; He also played 16 FIBA Europe Cup games averaging 12.8ppg, 6.4rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 61.8%, 3PT: 25.0%, FT: 58.2%. He spoke to German Hoops after the amazing 106-69 bashing of Brose Bamberg.

Julian congrats on the huge 106-69 victory against Brose Bamberg. How long did the celebration period go Sunday? Was the atmosphere after the win in the Telekom Dome an extra special one?

The celebration didn’t last long. We enjoyed the victory while we were at the gym but as soon as we left our focus turned to the big game we have tomorrow. The atmosphere was great, especially against the three time defending champion our fans Energy was definitely high. It was a good evening for us all.

If some one had boasted jokingly in shoot arounds before the game that you would crush Bamberg by 37 points what would you have thought?

Bamberg is a good team and you have to be ready to play them. We are always confident no matter who we play and our focus was always to win the game. Someone could say something like this, but just winning the game was our goal regardless of the score.

You had many great wins in your career including beating Bamberg last season in the playoffs 93-92 where you produced 16 points. Where does this win rank up with your all-time best wins?

It was a great win for us, but in the end just another game in the season. Going into it, many people probably didn’t think we would win but like I said we were still confident. We will definitely remember this game but need to use it as motivation going forward to play the rest of our games with this type of energy and intensity.

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The Fraport Skyliners Cup Meeting With medi Bayreuth Has A Twist Of The Pope And Tom Brady Banter

It was a packed arena on enemy ground and throughout the game it almost seemed like a boxing match as punches were being traded back and forth in forms of buckets, but it really heated up in the fourth quarter as both guys stepped it up playing for their teams and fans like no other and random Jordan chants being blurted out from the supporters. There wasn´t one Jordan, but two Jordan´s setting the loud arena on fire and it wasn´t Michael Jordan and the United Center that was involved, but Jordan Theodore of the Fraport Skyliners and Jordan Taylor of the Alba Berlin while the Audi Dome was the show place in Munich. It wasn´t the NBA, but the German BBL as both Jordan´s were putting on a show as the arena was electrifying as the German fans were witnessing a real battle that had the perfect cup atmosphere as it couldn´t have been more exciting in crunch-time. Even if Fraport Skyliner guard Jordan Theodore won the point duel of the Jordan´s with 22 points, it wasn´t enough as his opponent Jordan Taylor who dropped only 12 points saved his best for last making the big shot that counted most sealing the 79-76 win as he nailed a tough pull up jumper from the top of the key with 1,1 seconds to play. Theodore would have one more chance, but fell short. The current Euroleague player with Milan rememberd the final seconds. “ “All I needed was one more second on the clock and I believe I would have made it”, stressed Jordan Theodore.

Alba Berlin would capture their eighth title in their storied history and third under legendary coach Sasa Obradovic beating home team FC Bayern Munich the next day while the Fraport Skyliners had a long bus ride home thinking about the loss as they had had extra time to vent with no game for third place. After the Berlin loss a disappointed Philip Scrubb remembered how vital that last shot can be. ““We trusted our defense to get stops. We wanted to buckle down at the end and not foul. They hit the big shot that counted”, said Philip Scrubb. It has almost been two years since that mid February day in Munich and the Fraport Skyliners are back and have a chance to get back to the cup top 4, only one road block stands in their way with shooting star medi Bayreuth. Two years later Scrubb is excited about getting back to the Cup Top 4. “The last cup semi final I played in was a great game, obviously we came up short but it was a good atmosphere so we’re excited at the opportunity to get back there”, added Philip Scrubb.

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Konstantin Klein Leaves The Steam On The Bench Rallying The Telekom Baskets Bonn Past The Fraport Skyliners 81-76

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber interviewing TJ Dileo of the Telekom Baskets Bonn after the hard fough 81-76 win in Frankfurt

The holiday season wasn´t one of the greatest for the Fraport Skyliners in terms of their basketball success. Off the court a Mike Morrison could of played the perfect Santa Claus for the kids with teammate Quantez Robertson as his handy Elf, but on the court the club was unable to get some much needed wins that could of secured a visit to the 2018 EasyCRedit BBL cup top 4 qualifying game. Overall the Fraport Skyliners have been their own plague on the road having lost four of their last five games. A day before Christmas eve, they played one of their worst halves of basketball in the last 10 years as they totally collapsed against their worst enemy Giessen. Eight days later, they must not of had digested their Christmas goose well as they couldn´t escape Wurzburg with a win as their usual trusty defense couldn´t get stops on a regular basis in the second half. The good news for the 2000 BBL cup winner Fraport Skyliners is that whenever they lost on the road, they were able to bounce back and win at home in their living room where they are 7-1 this season and are always very very difficult to beat. The Fraport Skyliners had a do or die game with the Telekom Baskets Bonn for a ticket and chance to reach the EasyCredit BBL top 4 qualifying game. The Telekom Baskets Bonn came into the first game of 2018 with a lot of self confidence having won three of their last four games and had beaten the potent Giessen 46ers at home. The stakes were high for both teams wanting to get into 2018 on a winning note and get closer to that cup qualifying game and fans saw a very exciting game that was played at a high intensity for 40 minutes, but the Fraport Skyliners were unable to close out the game as they controlled the game for 35 minutes, but allowed ex player Konstantin Klein find a quick rhythm which shifted the game in the direction of Bonn who nipped Frankfurt 81-76.

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When Will The Real Telekom Baskets Bonn Please Stand Up?

Even if the weather in Germany doesn´t feel like January, 2018 is here and everybody is more than content that it is what it is as in cities like Boston and New York the arctic cold has made the one or other quick trip to the grocery store for top European players Daniel Theis and Kristaps Porzingis a struggle, so for Telekom Baskets Bonn guard TJ DiLeo who hails from Cinnaminson,New Jersey, the -13 degrees Celsius that his family and friends woke up to on the first day of 2018 was something where he could only half-jokingly mutter over the phone with “well better bundle up” as the seemingly tropic like temperature in comparison of 8+ celcius in Bonn was something that Americans on the east coast could only have dreamt about. In Telekom Baskets Bonn country, the last thing on the mind of basketball followers was the balmy winter weather, but moreover about the current season and the very suitable and topical question of “When will the real Telekom Baskets Bonn please stand up?” With 2018 here there have been interesting basketball topics that have developed rather nicely in the last months like the abrupt continuation of the rise of Slovenian wonder boy Luka Doncic. For many he is a one in a million talent that only comes around once in a century and for many is better than Dirk Nowitzki was at that age as he is easily the best Euroleague player at the moment and best 18 year old player on the planet. Some other interesting basketball developments has been the stellar play of the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg who continue to be a quiet title aspiration in the league and a Basketball Champions League title contender as head coach John Patrick continues to demonstrate why he is one of the best coaches in the league. In the NBA, the sudden rise of the Boston Celtics who belong to the top teams in the league despite having lost Gordon Hayward early in the season has been a hot news item. But one topic that just seems to drag on half heartedly and just seem to be going through the motions and not taking off the way the New England Patriots can at any time when they are behind in a game and can react like a wounded coyote are the Telekom Baskets Bonn who have so much talent, but aren´t developing the way they should, but there are reasons for that. The positive aspect is there is a lot of potential in abundance in the roster, but the question is will they be able to implement it n the best way possible which will lead to more success?

It is no secret that the Telekom Baskets Bonn have been the German basketball version of the NFL Buffalo Bills who reached 4 NFL Superbowls losing each one as Bonn have reached their fair of finals in the last 20 years, but are still looking for their first real club title as they are a five time BBL finalist and a three time cup finalist.

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Jarvis Ray Has The Scoring Gene, Versatility And Leadership To Shine Anywhere

Jarvis Ray is a 27 year old 198cm forward from New Orleans that played at TCU(NCAA) and has experience in Europe in Austria and Cyprus. Last season he played with Enosis Neon Paralimni (Cyprus-Division A) playing 22 games: Score-4(15.1ppg), 3.7rpg, 1.5apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 52.0%, 3PT: 27.1%, FT: 65.0%. In his rookie season he played with Basket Swans Gmunden (Austria-A Bundesliga) playing 41 games averaging 10.3ppg, 3.6rpg, 2.7apg, FGP: 46.0%, 3PT: 32.2%, FT: 56.4%. He played at TCU from 2010-2014 playing a total of 81 NCAA games and as a senior played 31 games averaging 9.3ppg, 4.3rpg, 1.3apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 48.7%, 3PT: 15.2%, FT: 67.5%. He spoke to German Hoops about basketball.

Jarvis thanks for talking to German Hoops. Where are you at the moment and how did you enjoy the holiday season?

At the moment me and my family is are located in FortWorth,Texas. I enjoyed my holiday got the chance to see some family that I haven’t got a chance to see in a couple years.

With 2018 here are you a guy that believes in setting new years resolutions or do you more refrain from that?

Yes sir you can say that, but not so much of changing myself but always trying to set a goal for myself and find a way to better myself.

After two very solid seasons in Austria and Cyprus, you are currently without a team. How difficult is it for a competitive guy like you to accept that?

Its very tough for me to be without a team because I know what I did in Austria and Cyprus. And both years I’ve gotten better. But one of goals always is to just stay positive and stay ready.

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