Jacob Burtschi is a 27 year old 198cm forward from Chickasha, Oklahoma who is playing his first season with the Fraport Skyliners. He completed his rookie season for Phoenix Hagen averaging 14.2ppg,6.9rpg,2.5apg,Steals3(1.5spg),FGP:56.0%,3PT:44.2%,FT:82.2%. He played at the Air Force from 2003-2007. In his senior year, he played 35 games averaging 13.5ppg, 6.0rpg, 2.3apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 49.7%, 3Pts: 39.0%, FT: 77.3%. He had offers to play in the NBA, but served in the Air Force the last three years and could only play club ball. Some achievements that he got in the NCAA were All-MWC Honorable Mention -05, MWC Regular Season Runner-Up -06, All-MWC 2nd Team -06, 07, NABC All-NCAA District 13 2nd Team -07, and NIT Final Four -07. He spoke to German Hoops after the 81-62 season ending loss in Bonn.

As you came to the Fraport Skyliners, the team started to have success. Now the season is over. How quickly has time flown by?

Time went fast in the last five months, but that is what happens when your playing basketball.

Was the do or die game loss in Bonn your toughest loss as a professional athlete?

Yes it was. There was a lot on the line in this game. Bonn wanted it more and this loss was a tough pill to swallow.

How much did the absence of Michael Thompson hurt the Fraport Skyliners?

It hurt a lot. It was tough for Devin Gibson to play so much. Bonn was playing with two point guards at a time and had the deeper rotation while Gibson was running on E. That was a lot to expect from him, but he did a solid job.

Was the first quarter to high of a tempo and scoring for your appetite?

We didn´t want Bonn to get going. At times we can score with the best of them, but we were unable to then and Bonn got going and then took over.

In the second quarter, The Telekom Baskets Bonn got going. What were the reasons for them breaking away?

They got two fast breaks in a row and Ensminger got going. Bonn also often got big plays at the end of the shot clock which really broke our back.

What did head Coach Muli Katzurin tell the team to do better in the third quarter?

We told us that we were only down by 12 and had been in that kind of situation in Berlin. The game was not out of reach and we had to cut down their fast breaks.

Muli Katzurin stated after the game that the team wasn´t at the same level as in the wins against Munich, Bamberg and Ulm. Would you agree with him?

Yes absolutely.

The Fraport Skyliners gave up 56 points in the paint. Why was the team unable to turn off their softness?

Ensminger plays very physical and he just whipped our butts. We were unable to force him baseline so the help could come and sometimes the help wasn´t even there and he just took advantage of it.

Is Chris Ensminger the best 38 year old player that you have ever seen?

He has to be. He has good competition with Jason Kidd that is still playing, but you really have to respect him for the way he can still perform at that age.

Before the Tuebingen loss, the Fraport Skyliners had given up 59 points per game in the last 10 before the loss, but since the loss 84 points. Was the team mentally tired?

I think we were tired at times, but we hadn´t been executing in the last two games. We can´t make the excuse that we were tired. There were two games to play and we had the chnace to put everything aside and win, but we didn´t.

What is yur fondest memories of the last five months that you were here?

The Bamberg win and all the ups and downs in the season. There aren´t many teams in this league that go from 3-9 to being 40 minutes away from the playoffs.

How does it make you feel when you hear someone say that you were a big reason for the turn around of the team?

It feels good, but in the end, it is a team effort. It doesn´t come down to one guy, but there are always five guys on the floor. I brought some special energy to the team.

Who was the most improved Skyliner?

Devin Gibson. It was impressive what he was able to do as a rookie.

How disappointed are you that Quantez Robertson didn´t get best defensive player?

I am disappointed, because Tez always brings energy and has to defend the other teams best player. However Anton Gavel is a great player, but for Tez to be mentioned in that crowd is a compliment.

What did you improve most on this season?

I improved most on defense. I don´t want to say to much coming from hagen where we didn´t defend much and am not like a Gavel or tez, but I feel good how I was able play against some big athletic players making it hard for them boxing them out or playing them in the post.

Who was your best opponent this season?

It is tough defending PJ Tucker.

In Trier you were diving for many loose balls. Would you dive into the third row for a ball?

Yes I would.

What are the chances that you will return to the Fraport Skyliners?

I think the chances could be good. We will stay in contact.

How confident were you that your ex team Phoenix Hagen would stay in the Beko BBL?

Since the game was at home, I was confident that they would win with the game on the line.

You said in the last interview that if you and German national player Johannes Herber were stuck in the wilderness that you would hunt while Herber built the house. If Herber was absent and Jermareo Davidson was there, what would he do?

We would be in trouble. He would have no idea what to do in the wilderness.

Do you see any upsets in the NBA playoffs and who will win?

I don´t see any upsets happening. I would like to see the Thunder beat the Heat, but the number one team to beat are the San Antonio Spurs.

What are your summer plans?

Spend time with family and take a month off. Then I will start preparing for next season.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

The good sell with Jeremy Piven.

Thanks Jake for the chat.

Rich Melzer is a 32 year old 203cm forward/center from Minneapolis, Minnesota that is playing his first season for the New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig. He played at : Wisconsim-River Falls (NCAA3) from 2000-2004. In his 8 year professional basketball career, he has played in countries like New Zealand, France, Israel and Australia. He had his first tour of duty in Germany in the 2007-2008 season with Artland Dragons Quakenbrueck (Germany-1.Bundesliga): ULEB Cup: 2 games: 5.5ppg, 2.0rpg; German League: 1 game: 11pts, 2reb, 1steal. In his rookie season, he took part at the Washington Wizards training camp. Last season he played for Hapoel Holon (Israel-Premier League, starting five): 30 games: 16.8ppg, 6.7rpg, 1.6apg, FGP: 48.6%, 3PT: 27.3%, FT: 75.3%. He spoke to German Hoops after the big 83-74 win against the Telekom Baskets Bonn and securing a playoff place.

Congrats on the big 83-74 win at home against the Telekom Baskets Bonn. The first step for the playoffs is successful. Did the team feel more or less pressure having to play at home despite having to win anyway?

I don’t believe we’re giving in to the pressure at this point as a team. We were all very confident and ready to win this game no matter where we played. We’ve been really trying hard to implement a theme of “togetherness,” in our group. When everyone knows they can rely on the man next to him no matter what the situation, it takes some of the pressure off of all of us. Hats off to my teammates as everyones made an effort to buy into it and its starting to show.

The game was very tight in the first half as the game was deadlocked at 35-35 at halftime. What was giving the Phantoms the biggest problems on the court for the inability to have more of a lead?

Bonn came out in the first half with guns blazin’. They were making everything it seemed, especially from outside the arc. However, we knew it was going to be tough for them to keep up at that pace with such accuracy for entire game. At half-time, for us it was just about sustaining their first couple runs and then trying to give em a difficult evening for the rest of the game.

What did Sebastian Machowski tell the Phantoms to do better in the second half?

It seemed coach knew as well as we did that it was just a good first half for them and we were still tied despite not playing that great. We didn’t necessarily start the game as we’d hoped, nonetheless, he was as certain as we were we’d play better in the second half, and he just continued to encourage us to play harder and do whatever it takes to secure a playoff spot.
Braunschweig exploded for 28 points in the third quarter and never looked back. What was key in the third quarter for gaining control of the game?

Again, its all about playing together! Defensively, offensively, its contagious when you make the extra effort to make your teammates better. We don’t have any more time to improve this season. We must at all costs begin and continue to play our best basketball of the season right now. I believe we almost had 7 or 8 players in double figures. That’ll be a must if we’re going to compete and have success in the playoffs. We have so many weapons in our group and last night everyone contributed.

How important was the production of Branko Jorovic who not only helps out with his three point shooting, but was a force under the boards?

Branco has been rebounding his ass off as of late and shooting the lights out. He’s in a good rhythm right now and everyone sees it and knows how vital he is to our teams success. He’s playing his best ball at the time we need him to most and its fun to watch and be a part of. He’s literally good at everything on the basketball court.

Do you think that the short bench of Bonn might have pooped out the starters more?

I think they’ve maybe exhausted Gaffney a bit as he’s their only true power-forward. He’s tough so I know he can manage, but there is little rotation for them without Buljan. It could definitely play a role I guess.

What last minute tip can you give the Fraport Skyliners for their do or die game on Saturday in Bonn?

No tips my man! At this point in the season everyone is our enemy. Granted we feel we’re better matched with Ulm so a 7th seed would be in our favor. Either way, we’re entering the post-season with every intention of winning no matter who we play.

The Phantoms have nice memories of the last game in Berlin winning to reach the cup. Can the Phantoms win again and what will be key in getting the win?

We can win again, absolutely. We wouldn’t compete if we didn’t think so. However, beating Berlin at their place twice is going to be a difficult feat. Nonetheless the keys will be defending them well inside and out as they have strong players all over the board. All of us must be greatly in sync towards accomplishing our goal of winning in Berlin.

Was the NBA 7 game suspension for Metta World Peace fair or should it have been more?

Look, anyone who didn’t know David Stern was going to hand out a 5 to 10 game suspension for that isn’t really following the game closely enough. Fair or not, I can’t really say. But the game is physical and gets dirty, and sometimes people react emotionally at the wrong time. Its definitely unsportmanlike on many levels. He’s not goona win any academy awards for trying to convince us it was an accident. Sorry Meta.

What has been the worst cheap shot foul that you have ever seen in the NBA?
Oooooo, good question. Meta World Peace’s doesn’t even crack the top 50 most unsportsmanlike fouls in my book. I would say with absolute certainty the Rudy Tomjonavich incident where he got sucker punched by Kermit Washington in L.A.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

Last DVD I just watched was the Expendables with Stallone and the whole crew. Great cast in that movie of action heroes!

Thanks Rich for the chat.

Marius Nolte is a 31 year old 206 cm German center playing his third season with The Fraport Skyliners He started his basketball career at Salzkotten. He played with The Paderborn Baskets from 2001-2009. He was an important part of the team with Tim Black and Steve Esterkamp helping Paderborn advance from the second Bundesliga to the BBL in 2006 winning 50 games in a row. Last season he played 35 games averaging 6.1ppg, 3.0rpg, FGP: 55.8%, FT: 65.9% and helping the team reach their first BBL playoffs losing in a tight five game quarterfinal playoff series against 8 time BBL champion Alba Berlin. He played 226 games for The Paderborn Baskets. He is a dynamic inside player with good athletic abilities, runs the floor extremely well, has a good mid range shoot and is a very solid free throw shooter. He has a a good back to the basket game where he has a variety of moves and is a good defensive player who can defend both inside positions and likes to use his body and his strength to his advantage. He is a physical player who at times gets his opponents frustrated with his style of play. Last season for Frankfurt, he played EuroCup Qualifying Round: 2 games: 4.5ppg, 4.5rpg, 1.0spg; EuroChallenge: 6 games: 5.2ppg, 4.5rpg, FGP: 55.6%, FT: 61.1%; German League: 42 games: 5.1ppg, 3.2rpg, FGP: 56.1%, FT: 71.4%. He spoke to German Hoopst about the current season in Frankfurt.

Could one call Jacob Burtschi the basketball Boris Becker after his game in Trier?

Yes that is a good comparison. That was the first time that we have seen him play like that and so much on the floor.

If someone had told you four months ago that the Fraport Skyliners would b ein 7^th place on April 16^th, would you have thought they were crazy?

That is hard to say. I would of thought that it could be difficult, but in basketball nothing is impossible. I always felt that we could reach something if we kept working hard and was always optimistic that we could make it. I am very happy with our development.

Did you get any special tips from Pascal Roller about the role of the captain?

I didn´t really talk to much with him. I would never be able to follow in his foot steps, because he had his own unique way. I wanted to make my own style. I did ask him how he manged to lead the team in the 2005-2006 season when they were struggling.

What part of being captain do you like most?

It is a lot easier to be vocal now being captain, but speaking with teammates is something I like to do. Now when I see something, I just speak my mind.

German national player Tim Ohlbrecht lauded you recently about helping him this season mentally. Could one call you Dr Marius now?

Well I don´t want that roll. Tim has become a good friend. You really are able to see his talent and he is playing a very good season. You might not see it with his scoring, but he is doing a lot. Of course I was there to try to help him when he needed it.

The Fraport Skyliners started to play better with their win in Hagen. This also happened to be the last game of Jon Leuer who went to the NBA. Would the Fraport Sykliners be where they are now if he had stayed?

Leuer got the NBA. He helped us in many games with his offense, but I think our team was missing something. But as Jacob Burtschi came, he gave us so much things that we didn´t have before. So I think we would not be where we are now without him

How much fun is it now playing defense in a team that defends so well?

It is so much fun to play defense now. My definition of basketball is always defense.

Where would the Frankfurt defense be without Quantez Robertson?

Tez is so special for us. He helps us so much. He makes steals, runs after players on the fast break tipping balls away. It is funny, there might be some players that are more athletic, because at times, he makes the most amazing dunks and then misses easy ones. It seems at times as if he can turn on a switch to make amazing plays.

Phoenix Hagen American Marc Carter said that not so much has changed from four months ago. Frankfurt still has the same size and athletic ability, but now they are clicking more.

Yes Carter is right. Our motto was always that we are a team. It just took a while to click.

You played for the Paderborn Baskets form 2001-2009 and now your third season for Frankfurt. Do you think that Frankfurt could ever be as close in your heart as Paderborn?

Yes absolute. They are different teams, but I am living the moment now. I feel so comfortable in Frankfurt and it gets stronger with time. I feel comfortable with the team, office, media and fans. Frankfurt is like a second home.

You extended your contract for two season as a player, but will also have a function in the office. On what task are you looking forward to most when you work in the office for the Fraport Skyliners?

I am really looking forward in the future to get to know a new world and get away from the daily practice routine. I am looking forward to be able to challenge my brain and just do something new. I was recently in the office for half the day with Pascal Roller. It is always nice when there is a birthday like Kamil Novak had and then eat cake.

Nobody can stop Jermareo Davidson in the low post. How do you stop him?

Its a secret.

How proud are you about your friend Steven Esterkamp who conquered adversity an dis having so much success with ratiopharm Ulm?

I am so happy for him. We talk much and after the win against ratiopharm Ulm, I told him how happy I am for his success and I will keep telling him. It is amazing how he came back from the last two tough years. He is captain of the team and despite many top players, he remains so important for the team. He is the second arm of the coach on the court. He is having a very consistent season.

You played some years with Tim Black with Paderborn. When will he make the jump to Spain or Italy?

That is hard to say, but if a player feels comfortable somewhere, plays well and gets the recognition that he deserves, why should he have to go. If you look at guys like Casey Jacobson or Seth Doliboa who signed long term contracts somewhere, you can see that guys are capable to stay in one place when they are happy.

Tim Ohlbrecht said that if the Fraport Skyliners had an Easter egg hunt that you would win. Do you share his optimistic thought?

Yes I think that he is right. I would be so motivated, but I would have Tim in my team.

How do you make Skyliner head coach Muli Katzurin laugh?

It is not easy to make him laugh. He has a very dry humor, but sometimes you just have to laugh when he uses it.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

Man on the ledge with Sam Worthington.

Thanks Marius for the chat.

One of the most interesting Beko BBL news stories this spring in Tuebingen hasn´t been when Igor Perovic will have a GQ battle with guard Josh Young or when it will come to a new friendly one on one battle between friends Vaughn Duggins and Dashaun Wood, but four Walter Tiger Tuebingen Tiger players staying on board to wear the yellow and green instead moving on to a new cage somewhere else next season. In the world of basketball where money usually reigns, the news of Vaughn Duggins, Tyrone Nash, Reggie Redding and Josh Young staying has been as delightful, but also as seemingly unlikely as believing a woman would be capable of stripping at a Denver airport for fun, singer Melissa Etheridge´s former domestic partner having the audacity to burn one of their kids, basketball players having the nerve to crack jokes at the disappearing hair line of NBA superstar Lebron James or some filthy rich NBA player deciding to work overtime as a dead beat dad. Despite missing the playoffs, the Walter Tigers Tuebingen and their four Americans who will be returning next season marched into the Fraport arena and showed the Skyliners that they could be a team to be reckoned with next season beating them 96-89 in OT. “The key to team sports is keeping the team nucleus. If you look at Bamberg, they have been doing it for years and been successful. I remember when I played with Giessen, we played against Frankfurt who were successful holding guys like Tyrone Ellis and Chris Williams. It has been great playing with the young guys even if it felt weird at times being the oldest this season. I have seen them develop and come into their own and I believe that next season they could be a very dangerous team”, warned ex Oldenburg point guard Lou Campbell. Skyliner Jimmy Mckinney rarely changes his demeanor after a win or a loss, but one knows quickly that the team has lost by the brittle tone of his voice. Both teams are very much different and better than the first time they met and the American saw a very much better team than what the standings show. “This is a great team with a lot of young talent. There is no reason why this team is where it is in the standings. They hit everything and we just couldn´t get over the hump”, expressed St Louis native Jimmy Mckinney. “Nobody thought that we had a chance at the start of the season with such a young team. Many thought we would go down, but we love to play for each other and coach Igor Perovic. We got better as the season carried on with experience and learning about the league, said Walter Tigers Tuebingen guard Reggie Redding.

The game had big playoff ramifications for the Fraport Skyliners in that they would have been qualified for the 2012 Beko BBL playoffs with a win, but with a loss would have to keep hoping to reach the promised land with a do or die win in Bonn next weekend. The Fraport Skyliners have been giving up an average of 59 points in the last 10 games prior to the Tuebingen game, but left their physical and team basketball back on the court in Trier as they had given up 82 points after 40 minutes and 15 points in the five minute OT period. “Tuebingen played a great game out playing us and out hustling us. They simply wanted to win more than we did. Our defense was awful. But I still have to give them a lot of credit, because they hit a lot of tough shots. We left the middle open all day long. This was similar to the Goettingen game in which they took game from us”, stressed ex Phoenix Hagen forward Jacob Burtschi. For the Walter Tigers Tuebingen, their season was over, but they still wanted to finish strong and they also wanted to erase some unwanted history in which the team hadn´t won in Frankfurt in more than 6.5 years. The last win for the Walter Tigers Tuebingen was in the 2005-2006 season as Frankfurt lost 73-68 as Ivan Sunara was head coach, Pascal Roller was captain and Dominik Bahiense De Mello was a Beko BBL rookie. “This was a big moral win for Tuebingen. After losing here for so many years, coming in here with a young team is just phenomenal. Our young players carried the load today. Gibson and Mckinney gave us some problems, but overall, we shot very well and defended well”, added Lou Campbell. “It is good to finish the season on a strong note. We started the season very bad and we have many guys coming back next season and our goal for next season is to start strong”, stressed ex Villanova star Reggie Redding.

Before the jump ball was thrown, there were various interesting pregame things that could be observed on the court as both teams were warming up. Oklahoma natives Jacob Burtschi from Chickasha and Josh Young from Lawton had a lot to discuss while Wright State alumnist Vaughn Duggins was showing his resemblance to Artland Dragon Adam Hess with his blond mop. Many Tuebingen fans were in attendance and had special card board figures of the players including a life size one of Ruben Spoden who comes from the Frankurt area. Frankfurt was without Michael Thompson who hurt his shoulder in practice and Tuebingen without Nicolai Simon who is out for the season. When the game finally did get started it was Dashaun Wood friend Vaughn Duggins that got the first points on the board with a catch and pop jumper. Both teams then exchanged baskets as four lead changes were exchanged. Jimmy Mckinney hit a three pointer, Notre Dame alumnist Tyrone Nash made some pretty stutter steps and hit over Tim Ohlbrecht, but it was Jacob Burtschi that gave Frankfurt the lead for good at 6-4 with a three pointer from the top of the key. Frankfurt started to hit from all cylinders as Devin Gibson scored inside with his typical all business penetration and Mckinney and Quantez Robertson dropped three point bombs for the 14-6 advantage. If there was one guy Frankfurt couldn´t control was Iowa native Josh Young who is one of the few players to have made the jump from PRO B to the Beko BBL and made a fruitful transition. Young stopped the Frankfurt momentum carrying his team on a 5-0 run to cut the Frankfurt lead to 14-11. Young who like Gibson is dangerous in the penetration somehow scored under the hoop between Burtschi and Ohlbrecht and then the next time down nailed a pull up jumper. In the last minutes, the Fraport Skyliners were able to hold the lead as Duggins scored over Jermareo Davidson and Jimmy Mckinney hit his third three pointer of the afternoon. “Frankfurt was hitting their shots, but not able to get much going inside”, added Fraport Skyliner junior Jan Novak. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 47% from the field and 83% from outside while the Walter Tigers Tuebingen were shooting 55% from the field and 50% from outside. The rebounding was knotted at 6-6, but Tuebingen had five turnovers and Frankfurt only three turnovers.

The Walter Tigers Tuebingen had the better start in the second quarter escaping out on a mini 4-0 run as Tiger rookie Adnan Hodzic made some moves and finished with a hook shot over ex NBA player Davidson making him search for something he wears below his shorts. Josh Young then nailed a pull up jumper making the shot with the self confidence of an Oklahomian risking to be one minute away from an oncoming tornado as Tuebingen tied score 21-21. After Gibson made two free throws, it was Hodzic who took advantage of the many mismatches on the day making a hook shot over Gibson as the score was 23-23. Robertson then made a swift dribble behind the back split the defense and no look fed Davidson for a thunderous one handed dunk as Frankfurt led 25-23. The game stayed close as Tuebingen was playing more like a team that needed to win than Frankfurt as Reggie Redding scored on the penetration and made four free throws as score was 28-28. Then there was five lead changes as Lou Campbell found Lithuanian Paveles Cukinas with a lob pass and two quick points, Mckinney hit another three pointer, Cukinas scored inside again for the Tigers 32-31 lead, but Gibson used his quickness scoring hard to the hoop as Frankfurt led 33-32. Duggins gave Tuebingen the lead back 34-33 with a lay in via a quick Campbell back door pass. Gibson then hit a jumper and Burtschi another three pointer as Frankfurt led shortly before halftime 38-34. However Tuebingen still had some energy as Campbell got to the free throw line for two buckets and Young found Nash all alone down low with a no look pass as the score was 38-38. Skyliner captain Marius Nolte scored the last basket of the second quarter after a Super Tez Robertson steal. “Frankfurt let up a bit in the second quarter as Tuebingen got easy baskets and more on the transition. Frankfurt should of tried more inside. Frankfurt continued to hit big shots keeping the lead”, added Jan Novak. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 45% from the field and 64% from the three point line while the Walter Tigers Tuebingen were shooting 61% from the field and 50% from the three point line. Both teams were still knotted at 12 rebounds a piece. Tuebingen had nine turnovers while Frankfurt had seven turnovers.

In the third quarter, the game remained tight and exciting until the second half of the third quarter where the Walter Tigers Tuebingen were able to build a lead. Just like at the start of the second quarter, the Walter Tigers Tuebingen had the better start and sped out on a mini 4-0 run to regain the lead 42-40. Redding scored inside sneaking behind the Frankfurt defense and getting a back door pass from Young. Campbell then made a steal and went coast to coast for a quick two points as the score was tied 42-42. Frankfurt was trying to get the ball more inside as Ohlbrecht drew a foul and gave Frankfurt the 44-42 lead. Then the momentum changed in favor of the Walter Tigers Tuebingen as they made use of their advantage of the fast break as great defense translated into two transition buckets as Campbell made a steal which led to a Redding lay up, and Young then scored on the fast break after Redding made a monster block on Gibson as the Tigers led 47-44 Sometimes one just needs Super Tez Robertson to put on his superman cape and get a quick coast to coast bucket which he did. Tuebingen continued to set the tone on offense as Redding hit a jumper and they could have done more damage as Young saved a ball but passed it to the wide open Tez under the basket who made the easy lay up as Tuebingen only led 49-48. However despite Frankfurt staying with the Tigers, the Schwaben team was the more calm team and executing at a high level as they exploded on their biggest run of game at 11-1 leading 60-50. In this run, Young started it off with a three pointer, Cukinas made a jumper punishing Frankfurt as they couldn´t secure two defensive rebounds, Duggins scored twice inside and Redding hit a fade away over Davidson. Basketball remains a game of runs and Frankfurt was able to somewhat weaken the Tigers furry ending the third quarter with a 7-3 run. In the 90s it was Jordan who made basketball house calls, in the millenium it was a Kobe Bryant and this season it has been Jimmy Mckinney in Frankfurt. When Frankfurt needs a spark just say J-roc. Mckinney stepped it up nailing three consecutive shots as Frankfurt trailed only 63-57 after three quarters. “We lost our composure on defense and they executed better on offense. We let up easy buckets and we didn´t communicate well with our help defense. We were just flat on defense”, stressed Ohio native Quantez Robertson. “Coach Perovic had told us to stick to our team concept of defending well and getting out on transition and we were able to do that”, stressed Lou Campbell. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 42% from the field and 53% from the parking lot while the Walter Tigers Tuebingen were shooting 64% from the field and 44% from the parking lot. Tuebingen had the 23-17 rebound edge, but 13 turnovers while Frankfurt had only 10 turnovers.

In the fourth quarter, the Walter Tigers Tuebingen picked up where they had left off in the third quarter blasting out on an 8-0 run to lead 71-57 and silencing the Fraport arena about as quickly as Natchos are being bought during the game. Duggins started the attack with a three pointer, Young scored inside as help defense continued to be off the main course and Redding finished the fast break with a basket as Tuebingen led 71-57. Everybody was wondering when the comeback would commence and it slowly would as Frankfurt retaliated with a 7-0 run battling back to 71-64 slicing the lead in half. Ohlbrecht got to the free throw line twice and Gibson nailed a three pointer. The Frankfurt come back was being annoyed a bit with continued easy baskets inside as Duggins escaped inside and scored high off the glass over Ohlbrecht and Adnan Hodzic made an easy lay up as Tuebingen still led 75-66. Frankfurt continued to use their own claws and kept chipping away at the Tigers lead as Burtschi, Gibson and Tez all scored free throws as Frankfurt suddenly only trailed 75-72 and the 5000 sold out crowd was back to life. The last two minutes were pure excitement as one could feel that the Skyliners would sometime retake the lead. Ohlbrecht made a big offensive rebound and put back and Mckinney three free throws gave Frankfurt the 77-76. But the Tigers also have their array of players that can make big shots as Hodzic hit a clutch bomb from outside giving Tuebingen the 79-77 lead back. “Hodzic has improved so much this season. He is a lot more aggressive now”, warned Josh Young. Frankfurt didn´t get nervous, but erupted on a 5-0 run to lead 82-79 as Gibson scored inside and Gibson and Mckinney made free throws. With 30 seconds to go, Redding hit a mammoth three pointer to knot the game at 82-82. Redding showed his eye of the tiger not only making this shot, but through out the game as he finished with 24 points, eight rebounds and five assists. “I play to win. I bring a versatile game and just try to get the big buckets, rebounds and assists”, stressed Reggie Redding. “Redding brings so many different elements to the game. He is so versatile and creates so many mis match problems for teams. His biggest attribute today was his toughness how he hit that big three to bring the game into OT”, added Josh Young. With 10,1 seconds to go, the Fraport Skyliners had one more chance to win the game, but Mckinney missed a floater as the game went into OT. “We had a nice lead, but let it slip away. They have a great team and made big shots. That is what great teams do”, added Reggie Redding. “We fought back in the fourth quarter. We showed a lot of character and self confidence in making the shots”, added Jimmy Mckinney. “We had mental lapses in the fourth quarter. Frankfurt is really tough at home. They made many desperation shots”, commented Lou Campbell. “We limited them on the offensive end and got fast break baskets. Mckinney hit big shots and we got key steals”, expressed Quantez Robertson. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 39% from the field and 43% from outside while the Walter Tigers Tuebingen were shooting 59% from the field and 37% from outside. Tuebingen had the 33-26 rebound edge, but 17 turnovers while Frankfurt only had 11 turnovers.

In the overtime, both teams quickly exchanged baskets as Duggins scored inside as the Tigers punished Frankfurt on the boards again as Hodzic secured two offensive rebounds. Robertson tied the score at 85-85 with a lay in. However then all of a sudden as if the Fraport Skyliners had seen a tiger ghost, the guests sped out on a 6-0 run getting to the foul line as Redding and Young hit free throws for the 91-85 lead. Robertson found one last breath of energy scoring inside cutting the Tuebingen lead to 91-87. However Tuebingen stayed strong as Cukinas scored inside and Duggins hit two free throws as Frankfurt trailed 95-87. Campbell then made a quick steal with one minute to play securing the win for the Tigers. With 30 seconds to play, Mckinney was able to add to his best Beko BBL point total with a lay up and Redding hit one free throw as the Tigers snapped the five game winning streak of Frankfurt. Running out of gas wasn´t an option of the Fraport Skyliners. “We didn´t run out of gas. We just weren´t focused, didn´t get stops and were unable to execute”, added Jimmy Mckinney. “We didn´t lose focus and didn´t let Mckinney get going. Many guys made big plays”, added Reggie Redding. “In the OT, it is always, who wants it more and they showed early that they wanted it more getting offensive rebounds”, commented Jacob Burtschi.

The Walter Tigers Tuebingen were led by Reggie Redding with 24 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Vaughn Duggins added 22 points and six rebounds. Josh Young contributed 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Adan Hodzic produced 11 points, and six rebounds. The Fraport Skyliners were led by Jimmy Mckinney with 28 points. Devin Gibson had 20 points and six assists. Quantez Robertson had 13 points, three rebounds and six assists. Tim Ohlbrecht had 13 points and nine rebounds. Jacob Burtschi had 10 points. Mckinney is playing in his sixth season and it is a huge amazement that the American has never had more than 22 points in a Beko BBL game which he achieved as a rookie in Karlsruhe. “This has been the break out year for Jimmy Mckinney. This is the best that I have seen him. He is very aggressive this year. I always knew that he can score this much. It isn´t so much a shock that he had never had more than 22 points in a game before today. If you look at the supporting cast that he has had in Frankfurt the last years”, stressed Lou Campbell. Frankfurt had a weak day under the boards being out rebounded 41-29 and got hammered inside with 44 points from Tuebingen. The defense will have to find to its old ways in Bonn. The Fraport Skyliners now have a do or die game in Bonn this weekend. With a win, they will be able to secure a spot in the playoffs. “That is going to be a real war in Bonn. These are the type of games that players live for. I would like to see it, but I will be having a game myself. I think that both teams match up well”, warned Lou Campbell

There is always a certain kind of risk in life when speculating if it is playing your luck on the stock market, playing the lottery one too many times and realizing at the end of the week that there is no extra money for the misses, a 15 year old hanging out in New York at one of the 275 hotels and hoping that Justin Bieber is staying there for his concert, going with Duke in the 2012 NCAA tournament or booking a summer trip to the UK in hopes of not catching unending rain. This season, two teams gambeled heavily in the Beko BBL with BG Goettingen and the Walter Tigers Tuebingen with new young player signings and the success rate wa slike night and day. In Goettingen, the team brought in 5 NCAA players and only Paris Horne was able to make an impact while the club had to say farewell to the other four during the season. In Tuebingen, the club brought in three NCAA players with Vaughn Duggins, Adnan Hodzic and Tyrone Nash, second year man Reggie Redding and PRO B player Josh Young and despite a slow start by the team, this core of players who were younger than 24 have been a big reason for the Tigers breathing a little bit of playoff air even though the season goal of the team was to land somewhere in no mans land between the end of the standings and the playoffs places. Not only did the speculation of Igor Perovic work, but he managed to already keep one third of the team for next season by giving Americans Tyrone Nash, Josh Young, Vaughn Duggins and Reggie Redding together and showing that he wants to build for the future by giving these players the chance to further develop in Tubingen. With a bad start where the Walter Tigers Tuebingen started the season with a six game losing streak, the team was able to stay on the same page with has to do a lot with coach Igor Perovic and the solid play by Nash, Young, Redding and Duggins which stayed very consistent with the two Beko BBL rookies and other two that have combined two years professional experience before coming to the Schwaben town. “ I’m very happy that the team was able to bounce back from adversity and show their true character. It’s not easy losing a lot of close games, especially early in the season, and then to bounce back the way they have is really special. I think Igor’s attitude went a long way in helping the team achieve their success. He’s a very calm and easygoing person, so it’s good that he didn’t get rattled early on and just approached every practice day by day, just like chipping away at a large deficit in a game. You don’t get it all back at once, you have to remain patient and continue working, and that’s exactly what they have done”, stressed ex Walter Tiger Tuebingen Canadian Velimir Radinovic.

SincecomingintotheBBLin2004-2005,theWalterTigersTuebingenhavebeentreadingwaterintheBBLmiddlestandingsandattimesscrappingthederegulationarea.Thebestfinishoftheclubwas2006-2007astheyfinishedin10thplace.TheTigershavebeenmoreaharmlesscreaturethatseemstohavetheirmouthsealedwithlittlepowerescapinginsteadofshowingtheirabsoluteunconquerablequalitiesofatigeronthecourt.TheteamhasbeenknownfordevelopingahealthyfanbaseandlettingguyslikeRaskoKaticandAJMoye(hisfirstyear)developintotopBBLplayers,butthenagainalsohavegonetheusualBBLrouteofsigninganabundanceofAmericansandclosinganeyeforfurtherdevelopingGermanplayersandtheorganizationalsohasbeenpronetogettinginvolvedwithminorscandalslikein2006withTamienTrentandMikeMotenwhowerebannedbytheGermanbasketballfederationfollowingadrugtest.MakingthejumptotheBBLisnoteasyandifoneweretoaskexpertsintheTuebingensurrounding,onewouldalwaysheretwothings.AslimbudgetandnotgettingtherightmixofplayersseemedtobethemostimportantreasonswhytheclubhasneverbeenabletoplaygamesinMaywhenitcountsmost.SinceenteringtheBekoBBLin2004,theteamhasalwayshoveredbetween10^thand15^thplaceandtheirbestfinishwas2007astheywerein10^thplace.

Last season, The Walter Tigers Tuebingen finished in 12^th place with a record of 15-19. Lacking more consistence at home in the Paul Horn arena showed with their 9-8 record. Last season the team celebrated huge victories against The EWE Baskets Oldenburg, Alba Berlin and The Telekom Baskets Bonn before the Allstar break, but then again showed their inconsistency losing games to teams like the Mitteldeutscher BC or Phoenix Hagen. Just like the season before, The Walter Tigers Tuebingen made a dash for the Beko BBl playoffs in winter winning six games in a row and heightening the playoffs hopes for the fans with big wins against Bonn Oldenburg and Ulm. However then as if each player had seen a black cat and then walked under a ladder for so called bad luck went on an unlucky losing streak losing six games in a row and finishing the season 2-7 and once again not making the playoffs. A 40 point loss to Bamberg in the heat of their six game winning streak and an 18 point loss to the LTi Giessen 46ers just seemed uncharachteristic after their successful run. “It was an up and down season. The season started rough, then we had a nice winning streak, but then had a long losing streak, but closed out the season well. We hurt ourselves with our inconsistency. We were unable to bring the same effort night in and night out which killed us”, stressed ex Walter Tigers Tuebingen forward Chris Oliver who is playing in France this season with SIG Strassburg.

This season, The Walter Tigers Tuebingen might use a motto that German basketball player Christian Standhardinger might be using after a few miscues in the NCAA and always coming back to try his luck in the NCAA with “If you don´t succeed at first then try try again” in hopes of reaching the Beko BBL playoffs. However if a strong starting five last season with Bane Ratkovica, Johannes Herber, Chris Oliver, Dane Watts and Anatoly Kashirov wasn´t potent enough for May basketball, how does the team see making an impact this season in the even stronger Beko BBL and a new starting five? Guys like Dane Watts had a very strong season whereas other starters solid seasons, but were still able to double their market value and get better financial contracts with other teams. Some teams play for titles, while other teams play for the playoffs and in the last years , The Walter Tigers Tuebingen seem to be a team that brings in younger talented players guaranteeing them playing time so they can develop further and then go to more attractive and more lucrative teams. “You can expect a group of guys that play with a lot of passion and play extremely hard. We will defend well and can score with anybody in the Bundesliga”, warned Vaughn Duggins. Last season, Tuebingen already had established Beko BBL players like Dane Watts and Chris Oliver, but this season the team has their youngest team ever having six guys that were only 23 years old this summer. With Beko BBL babies Vaughn Duggins, Tyrone Nash and Adnan Hodzic coming from the NCAA and Americans Reggie Redding and Josh Young coming off their rookie years last season and born in 1988, Igor Perovic has indirectly shown that these guys will have perform right away getting their feet wet quickly. Perovic has much experience with thirty something players Lou Campbell and Velomir Radiovic and Nicolai Simon who has title experience with Alba Berlin, but still many young bucks that will be in a nasty shark infested basketball pool each weekend. “. I think if you have a good chemistry of players then it is a good thing. Experience is key in close games early in the season but once your out on the court all that age goes out the window in most cases. It is risky but if you got good chemistry it will help in a lot of ways. I think the team will play hard and will surprise a lot of teams. Young teams are usually hungry and they may struggle at times but just like most young teams we may not know which team may show up. But they will be a team that competes just like the rest of the BBL”, warned TBB Trier guard John Bynum. Still having so much youth can also be a positive thing. “I think their strength will be them playing hard, I didnt really get a chance to see them in preseason but on paper they have some solid individual players. I really dont know about weaknesses but I’m sure that will show up as the season goes along”, added John Bynum. “We just need to continue to get better as a whole. Our ceiling with how good we can be is so high because we are so young. If we get better every day we will be fine during the season”, added Walter Tigers Tuebingen guard Vaughn Duggins. The glue for the Walter Tigers Tuebingen will be Lou Campbell and teams will learn quickly that keeping the American in check will make basketball life on the court very difficult for the Tigers. “I think they Campbell is a key but we have to see what the newcomers bring to the table as well. To put so much pressure on one guy meaning Campbell isnt fair but I think they got some young guys who can make a difference as well”, stressed John Bynum. One Skyliner that will be motivated to play hopefully his first official professional game and against the NCAA players is Michael Thompson who is aware of the NCAA rookies in Tuebingen. “I will be great to be on the court with those three great players with Duggins, Nash and Hodzic. All three had great careers in the NCAA. I played against Nash. We will have to keep an eye on him. He can do it all, shoot the three, play with his back to the basket and play aggressive defense”, warned Michael Thompson. “Tuebingen isn´t the same team that we played at the start. They have improved their chemistry and can compete with any team. They are a very good offensive team that are good on the transition and switch a lot on defense. They are coming into the game with no pressure and this can always lead a team to play better”, stressed Skyliners head coach Muli Katzurin.

The speculating really played dividends for head coach Igor Perovic despite starting with a six game losing streak. Much like the Fraport Skyliners, the Walter Tigers Tuebingen didn´t have any luck with their draw at the start getting opponents like Bamberg, FC Bayern Munich, Artland, Alba Berlin and ratiopharm Ulm. However they finally got their first win in Bremerhaven and from then on slowly got going getting out of the Beko BBL cellar. After an unneeded loss at home against BBC Bayreuth followed a three game winning streak as they beat Phoenix Hagen and potential playoff teams B raunschweig and Bonn displaying that they are atalented team that can play with anyone. In February followed the highlight of the season where they went on a four game winning streak beating FC Bayern Munich and the EWE Baskets Oldenburg at home. It wasn´t quite enough for the Beko BBL playoffs, but this team should be stronger next season with the core that is staying and it will be interesting to see if they can bring back point guard Lou Campbell. In the first meeting of the season, the Tigers lost to the Fraport Sklyiners 73-66 in a game that was on the line in crunch time and a game they could of won. Duggins brought the Tigers to 66-69 with 1.13 to play, but a Jon Leuer bucket and Justin Gray free throws sealed the win for Frankfurt.

The first and most important signing this past summer for the EWE Baskets Oldenburg was Lou Campbell whoisa32yearold190cmpointguardfromNewJerseythatplayedthreeyearsinJapanwaseasilythetopplaymakerintheBEKOBBLin2009-2010.HadhebeenwithOldenburgin2009-2010,hemighthavemadethedifferencebetweenanearlyexitintheplayoffsandasecondchampionship.AftergettingajumpstartinGiessenfrom2004-2006,heplayedfortheEisbaerenBremerhavenin2009-2010leadingtheteamintotheplayoffsplaying43gamesaveraging13.0ppg,3.6rpg,Assists-2(5.7apg),1.1spg,FGP:48.7%,3PT:35.2%,FT:81.6%.Hecanguideanoffense,butalsoscorewhenneededespeciallyincrunchtime.HoweveralotofthemagicthathehadforDouglasSpradleytwoyearsagowasn´tpresentlastseasonforPredragKrunicandtheEWEBasketsOldenburgasheplayed40gamesaveraging9.8ppg,2.4rpg,3.4apg,1.1spg,FGP:49.6%,3PT:27.8%,FT:82.1%.Howeverwhatmanydidn´tknow,CampbellhasaseriousAdductorinjury.Mostguyswouldofsatout,buthecontinuedtoplay,becauseOldenburghadnootheralternativeatthepoint. The team brought in 29 year old 210cm Lithuanian Paveles Cukinas who has Good size, Good turn around jumper, can control the game, is smart player and hasery soft hands for a man his size. He played for top team Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius from 2002-2006 playing 12 Euroleague games. He then came to Germany in 2006-2007 and helped EnBW Ludwigsburg reach the playoffs playing 40 games: 9.8ppg, 4.5rpg, 1.0apg, 2FGP: 53.0%, 3FGP: 27.3%, FT: 56.2% . Since then he has played in countries like Latvia, Italy and Lithuania. EventhoughNicolaiSimonisonly24andshouldbelongtotheyoungergeneration,isthethirdmostexperiencedplayerontheroster.Heisa191cmguardthatisplayinghissecondseasoninTuebingen.HeismadeacomebackinTheBEKOBBLin2009-2010aftercomingintotheBEKOBBLin2006-2007afterbeingheraldedasabigGermantalent.In2006-2007,hewasabletoplay33gamesforAlbaBerlindespitebeingonateamwithadeeproster.In2007-2008,heinjuredhimselfplayingonlyfivegames.Lastseason,hetookastepbackandplayedforErgasEhingenintheGermanPROBaveraging8,9ppg,2,4rpgand5,2apg.andtodevelopfurtherasaprofessionalbasketballplayer.In2009,heplayedattheWorldUniversitygamesinBelgradaveraging4,1ppg,3,6rpgand1,4apg.LastseasonforTuebingen,heplayed31games:2.8ppg,1.4rpg.

 

 

VaughnDugginsisaBekoBBLrookiethatisa24yearold187cmguardfromPendelton,Indiana.HeplayedatWrightStatefrom2006-2011includinghisfreshmanseasonwith2011BekoBBLMVPDashaunWoodashasfondmemoriesoftheAlbaBerlinguardonthecourtandtheironeononebattles. “EveryonceinawhileatpracticeI’dbewalkingbyDashaunandhewouldstopmeandtellmeexactlyhowhewasgoingtoscoreonhisopponentthatnextpossessionandsureenoughhewouldgooutthereanddothatexactthingandlookatmeandlaughwhilerunningdownthecourt.Thatseasy!Dashaunbeatme9outof10timesononeonone.Iwasayoungpuppyoutofhighschoolandhewasthehorizonleagueplayeroftheyear.Idon’trememberhimhavinganyweaknessesotherthanhewassmallerthanmesoIcouldposthimup”,stressedVaughnDuggins.Inhissenioryear,theAmericanplayed33games:18.0ppg,3.8rpg,2.2apg,1.5spg,FGP:44.7%,3PT:31.1%,FT:82.2%.BekoBBLteamswillhavetobeawareofthedangerousgameoftheAmerican.Heisascorer,butalsohashiddenattributes. “Myjumpingabilityisn´talwaysnoticed.I’vesurprisedalotpeoplewhenIgetuptoblockashotordunk”,warnedVaughnDuggins.AnotherBekoBBLrookiethisseasonisTyroneNash.Nashisa23yearold203cmforwardfromQueens,NewYork.HeplayedtogetherwithFCBayrenMunichguardBenHansbroughatNotreDameandinhissenioryearplayedNotreDame34games:9.5ppg,5.9rpg,2.6apg,FGP:48.7%,3PT:50.0%,FT:68.9%.AnotherBekoBBLrookiefortheTigersisAdnanHodzicwhoisa23yearold203cmforwardfromBosniaandHerzegovina.HeplayedatLipscomb(NCAA)from2007-2011togetherwithBGGoettingenguardJoshSlaterandinhissenioryearplayed30games:17.7ppg,7.5rpg,1.0apg,FGP:56.3%,3PT:12.5%,FT:72.6%.Despiteplayingforalessknownschoolandlosingsomecredibilityofhisworth,hehadsomegreatperformancesattheNCAAlevelwhichbroughtnotice. “Itdidhurtabit,however,someofmybestgameswereagainstbiggerschoolsandbettercompetition.ThebestplayerIplayedagainstintheNCAAwasmyjunioryear.IplayedagainstDerrickWilliams.Ihad34pts13rebIjustplayhardeverynight.Thecriticsanddoubterswillalwaysbethere”,warnedAdnanHodzic.Hodzicalsohasahiddenstrength. “Onestrengththatisveryoverlookedismyabilitytoshootfromoutside.AllspringandsummerIhavebeenworkingonexpandingmygame.Ihavedevelopedagoodmidrangeandlongrangeshot.Iamalsogoodatdrivingtheballtotherim”,stressedAdnanHodzic.

TheteamalsobroughtinReggieReddingwhowillbestartinghissecondprofessionalseasondespitebeingonly23yearsold.Reddingisa196cmguardfromPhiladelphiaandpossessesagreatfeelforthegame,moveswellwithouttheball,offerssizeandtheabilitytoscorefromtheguardposition.HeplayedatVillanova(NCAA)withexBGGoettingenforwardDwayneAndersonandinhissenioryearplayed23games:7.3ppg,4.7rpg,2.4apg,1.4spg,FGP:40.8%,3PT:39.5%,FT:63.8%.hereachedtheNCAASweet16in2008.LastseasonheplayedforInterCollegeEthaEngomis(Cyprus-DivisionA)winningtheleagueandcuptitleandplayed16games:9.5ppg,4.3rpg,2.1apg,1.0spg,FGP:46.1%,3PT:44.4%,FT:73.9%;EuroChallenge:8games:7.0ppg,3.4rpg,2.3apg,FGP:40.0%,3PT:31.3%,FT:62.5%.TheclubalsobroughtinJoshYoungwhomakesthejumpfromthePROBtotheBekoBBL.Youngisa23yearold185cmguardfromShawnee,Oklahoma.HeplayedatDrakefrom2006-2010includingtwoyearswithexSkylinerAdamEmmenecker.Inhissenioryear,heplayed32games:14.4ppg,3.9rpg,2.7apg,1.0spg,FGP:44.0%,3PT:35.8%,FT:73.0%.LastseasonhecametoGermanyandplayedforBayerGiantsLeverkusen(Germany-ProB)tearinguptheleagueplaying11gamesaveraging26.7ppg,6.4rpg,3.0apg,2.3spg,FGP:45.2%,3PT:45.3%,FT:79.0%.RuebenSpoedenisa22yearold202cmforwardfromFrankfurtthatisplayinghissecondseasoninTuebingen.HestartedhisbasketballcareerwithEintrachtFrankfurtandthenplayedforTVLangenwherehisteammatewasRobinBenzing.HealsohasalicenseforErgasEhingen.LastseasonhewiththeWalterTigersTuebingenheplayed8games:1.3ppg;alsoplayedatErdgaEhingen/Urspringschule(ProB):28games:7.4ppg,3.8rpg,FGP:50.4%,3PT:21.7%,FT:60.7%.GermanAmericanAkeemVargasroundsouttheroster.Heisa21yearold190cmguardthatstartedhisbasketballcareerwiththeSGUrspringschulejuniorteamin2005.In2009-2010,hegotexperienceintheStatesplayingforIowaLakesCC(JUCO):31games:5.6ppg,3.0rpg,1.5apg,1.2spg,FGP:53.0%,FT:94.0%.LastseasonwithTuebingen,hegotinto12games:0.4ppg;andalsohadalsoalicensetoplayforErdgasEhingen/Urspringschule(2.BundesligaProB)playing27games:8.6ppg,3.7rpg,1.9apg,1.4spg,FGP:50.4%,3PT:25.5%,FT:77.6%.