Photo credit Cliff Williams

Cortez Edwards (188-PG-1997, college: Southern Miss, agency: Octagon Europe) is a 25 year old 188cm point guard from Kissimmee Florida playing his fourth professional season and first with SCM CSU Craiova (Romania-Liga Nationala). Last season he played with LoKoKo Bisons Loimaa (Finland-1st Division) averaging 13.5ppg, 6.1rpg, 4.9apg, Steals-4 (2.0spg), FGP: 47.3%, 3PT: 32.3%, FT: 72.4%. He played his first 2 professional seasons in the UK with teams the Worcester Wolves (United Kingdom-BBL) averaging 12.7ppg, 6.9rpg, 6.4apg, Steals-3 (1.8spg), FGP: 50.9%, 3PT: 26.3%, FT: 75.0%; and in the BBL Cup and averaged 14.3ppg, 7.0rpg, 4.8apg, Steals-5 (1.9spg), FGP: 51.6%, 3PT: 42.5%, FT: 64.9% and then played with the Newcastle Eagles (United Kingdom-BBL) averaging 15.1ppg, 7.3rpg, 4.9apg, Steals-1 (2.7spg), FGP: 51.9%, 3PT: 37.7%, FT: 73.7%; and in the BBL Cup averaged 13.4ppg, 7.4rpg, 4.7apg, Steals-2 (2.1spg), FGP: 55.8%, 3PT: 31.8%, FT: 77.8%. he began his basketball career at Osceola High School and then played at the University of Southern Mississippi from 2015-2019 playing a total of 123 games and averaged 16.9ppg, 6.5rpg, 2.9apg, 2.1spg, FGP: 54.7%, 3PT: 29.1%, FT: 77.3% as a junior and as a senior averaged .3ppg, 6.0rpg, 3.2apg, 2.1spg, FGP: 48.3%, 3PT: 34.7%, FT: 72. He spoke to germanhoops.com before a Fiba Europe Cup game against the Hakro Melrins Crailsheim.

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

Hello, I am in Craiova, Romania for this season basketball life has been treating me well it comes with many new challenges every year but that’s the beauty of it .

Your playing your first season for SCM CSU Craiova (Romania-Liga Nationala). After playing in the UK and Finland, what kind of an experience has it been lacing them up in Romania. What do you feel has been the biggest challenge on the court for you?

Playing in Romania has been fun so far you know every country has a different style of play so just making minor adjustments to my game that will allow for most success here has been the biggest challenge so far

There are guys that are lucky to win one chip as a professional in a career, but you have already won 3 in your first 3 years. How big of a challenge is it coming to Rumania and go for titles on a team that has never won before?

Winning championships is the best feeling ever although the club has never won one I feel management and the staff we have here are taking necessary steps to give us the opportunity as players we just have to make it happen

You put up really good stats in your first 3 pro seasons. Where do you want to go with your game in Rumania. Is scoring a part of your game where you feel that you could take it to a new level?

Yes I think scoring at a high level is where I could take to a better level , mainly for me to be aggressive every possession will allow my scoring ability to show more

How much of a plus has it been being teammates with ultimate veteran Giordan Watson. I interviewed this guy for the first time in Germany and you were 12 years old. How has he helped you with your game best since you arrived?

Giordan has been a major help for me always giving me advice Everyday I try and pick his brain about different things how defenses will gameplan to stop us

Let’s talk a bit about your game. You’re a 188cm guard. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would best fit the bill?

If I had to compare myself to anyone it would probably be Jrue Holiday because like myself he can be dominant on offense and defense

How big is versatility in your game. You have the ability to be a very good playmaker. What areas in your playmaking do you want to improve to make the next step?

I think my versatility is what stands out most in my game. I can improve my playmaking by being more aggressive opening things up more to pass

Your already an excellent defender, but where do you still want to get to with your defensive game in the next years?

Defensively I can be a lot better at communicating with my teammates letting them know where they’re help is and just being more vocal out there .

Last season you played with LoKoKo Bisons Loimaa (Finland-1st Division) averaging 13.5ppg, 6.1rpg, 4.9apg, Steals-4 (2.0spg), FGP: 47.3%, 3PT: 32.3%, FT: 72.4%. Finland is a league that Americans like to play in to make the next step. How do you feel did your game grow playing there?

I grew a lot playing in Finland the style of play there is very intense and fast so I learned how to make decisions much quicker and playing with more intensity every night

In your second professional season you played for the Newcastle Eagles (United Kingdom-BBL) averaging 15.1ppg, 7.3rpg, 4.9apg, Steals-1 (2.7spg), FGP: 51.9%, 3PT: 37.7%, FT: 73.7%. I guess one can say you had the London Lions number winning the title 68-66 and earlier in the season achieving a triple double.What will you always remember from that final game win and your triple double?

The season in Newcastle was very memorable for me in the final game I just remember being in a zone where everything was going my way. The triple double was exciting because I kept getting close every week but that night I was finally able to make it happen

Photo Credit Cliff Williams

In your rookie season you played for the Worcester Wolves (United Kingdom-BBL) averaging 12.7ppg, 6.9rpg, 6.4apg, Steals-3 (1.8spg), FGP: 50.9%, 3PT: 26.3%, FT: 75.0%. What do you remember being your wake up call to being overseas where you knew that you were very far away from home?

My wake up call my rookie year was when I saw people driving on the right side of the road and I then knew I was far away from home

You played at the University of Southern Mississippi (NCAA) from 2015-2019. You put up consistent stats in your last 3 years. How do you feel did your game grow in your time there?

My time is college allowed me to grow so much being the focal point of the team for three years forced me to have to find a way to produce every night

Near the end of your senior year you had 2 exciting 2 point wins over Florida Atlantic and Louisiana Tech where you scored 22 and 21 points. Were those 2 of your most memorable games there in terms of excitement?

Yeah those two games were very memorable me being from Florida and my family there at the Florida Atlantic game meant a lot and the Louisiana Tech game the fans were amazing the energy that night was incredible

How did head coach Doc Sadler groom and prepare you best for a professional career?

Doc Sadler taught me so many things fundamentally that allowed me to make the transition to European basketball , from footwork to defensive schemes and different offensive sets, everything .

Who won a 1-1 in practice you or Kevin Holland?

I was never the type to play 1 on 1 much but I would normally win if I ever played

Who was the toughest player that you faced in the NCAA that reached the NBA?

Charles Bassey would have to be because those guys beat us 3 times my senior year and he was a big reason why. Also Terrence Mann and Duncan Robinson were two my other toughest opponents.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?


Tyree Griffin Rahmon Fletcher Mark Hughes Jordan Williams and Justin Gordon

What is your personal NBA Mount Rushmore of past or present heads?

Allen Iverson LeBron James Michael Jordan Kobe Bryant

What is your personal opinion of the neverending debate of who is the greatest of all-time Jordan or Lebron?

I think Jordan is the greatest of all time but the argument for Lebron is a valid one

Did you see the sequel to the classic Coming To America? Shouldn’t they have left it alone?

I think the sequel was funny but it doesn’t come close to the original

Thanks Cortez for the chat.

Tags : CORTEZ EDWARDS, SCM CSU CRAIOVA, GERMAN BASKETBALL

Demonte Flannigan (201-F-1995, college: CSU) is a 27 year old 201cm forward from Cleveland playing his 6th professional season and first with SCM CSU Craiova (Romania-Liga Nationala).Last season he played with Mega Tbilisi (Georgia-Superleague) averaging 17.6ppg, 9.1rpg, 2.1apg, 1.0bpg, FGP: 50.8%, 3PT: 41.2%, FT: 75.5%; and in the Caucasus League) averaged 17.2ppg, Reb-4 (11.0rpg), 3.4apg, FGP: 59.7%, 3PT: 34.7%, FT: 73.5%. He also sampled professional experience in countries like England, Denmark, Austria and Serbia. He began his basketball career at Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School and then played Cleveland State University (NCAA) from 2013-2017 playing a total of 105 games and in his last 2 years averaged 11.4ppg, 5.4rpg, FGP: 49.6%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 66.7% and 11.2ppg, 5.3rpg, FGP: 48.1%, 3PT: 27.3%, FT: 65.5%. He spoke to germanhoops.com before a Fiba Europe Cup game against the Hakro Merlins Crailsheim.

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

I’m currently playing in Romania. Basketball life has been good for me. In the past I’ve dealt with small injuries and unfortunate events that have set me back a bit, but I understand it happens. Last year was a full year in my element, and the numbers show. I plan on capitalizing on that this year.

Welcome to Germany. What do you know about the country Germany and it’s basketball?

I’ve been to Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin and Hamburg in the past and it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve traveled to. I know a lot about basketball in Germany because my favorite player as a kid and growing up was Dirk Nowitzki, along with Lebron James. I was a nerd so I looked up everything there is to know about him and Germany at that age. It would be great to play there one day.

You’re playing your first season with SCM CSU Craiova (Romania-Liga Nationala). You’re a player that has moved around a lot as Romania is your 6th country in 6 pro seasons. Do you sometimes view yourself as a basketball globetrotter?

I do travel to many places to play the game that I love, so in a way I am a basketball globetrotter. It’s been great being able to go to these countries and experience the different cultures, people, and especially food. You learn so much from these adventures.

You won a title last season in Georgia. Talk a little about your new team. What are the expectations and how far can the team go in all 3 competitions?

The team that I’m on this year is filled with talent in all areas of this game. We were fortunate enough to get a veteran leader, Giordan, who not only leads us vocally but by action as well. We’re surrounded by shooter while also having big guys that are good in the post. Not only is our team filled with talent but everyone works HARD. We play for each other and not as individuals which I think is the primacy for a great team. I think this team will do really well this season in the Euro Cup and also in the league play. We just have to continue to build on what we have already established and success will come. Our coach Vitaliy demands perfection from us. That will continue to elevate us individually and as a team.

You are a veteran, but you have a lot of other veterans like Giordan Watson. How much of a pleasure has it been being a teammate and how important are his vast leadership skills?

I’ve never played with a player that knew the game so well and could articulate what he is vocalizing so well. In the two months I’ve been on this team I have learned so much from him. You can look at the game a in different way when you understand it better. His willingness to basically coach and motivate is encouraging. Makes you want to be a better player and a better teammate. Every team needs a player as such.

Last season you played with Mega Tbilisi (Georgia-Superleague) averaging 17.6ppg, 9.1rpg, 2.1apg, 1.0bpg, FGP: 50.8%, 3PT: 41.2%, FT: 75.5%; and in the Caucasus League averaged 17.2ppg, Reb-4 (11.0rpg), 3.4apg, FGP: 59.7%, 3PT: 34.7%, FT: 73.5. What was most special about this team?

What was most special about this team was that we all believed in each other and our abilities. This team knew what I was capable of, let me play my game and I felt free on the court. I feel like I speak for most athletes when I say that when you play your sport and you do not have any constraints or worries, you are at your best. Of course you have to do the things you are efficient at and can’t play out of control, but this was important for not only my success, but the teams.

You always have been a good rebounder, but in Georgia you raised your rebound game to another level. How do you feel did you grow as a rebounder?

Before going to play in Georgia I have always played with centers who were dominant rebounders or on teams that had guards that contributed effectively in that category. When I arrived in Georgia the team needed me to be a rebounder and a scorer so I did what the team needed me to do. Every team that I’ve played on has required me to implement a different skill outside of scoring, and it has stuck with me since. Once I seen that I can be a really good rebounder at my position, I expect myself to get close to ten a game. That is a part of me now.

In the Covid season you played with KK Pirot (Serbia-KLS) playing 7 games averaging 3.4ppg, 2.4rpg. You left at the end of November 2020. How tough was this season and how much of a role did COVID play in your season being shortend?

Earlier when I spoke about unfortunate events, this was one of them. The year that I joined this team it was their first year in the Serbian first league. There were internal problems within the team that I had no control over. The team did not pay me after three months and my agent and I decided it was best for me to go home. I understand what that team was going through but it was just very unlucky I was put in that situation. On the contrary, I learned a lot about myself as a person and a player. I also knew that most players go through something like this, sometimes much worse, which helped me feel like I wasn’t alone and I can persevere through this circumstance.

In your third professional season you played with Cheshire Phoenix (United Kingdom-BBL) averaging 13.5ppg, 7.4rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 55.0%, 3PT-1 (50.0%), FT: 86.7%. You came late to the team but still had a solid season. What did you enjoy most about that year?

Honestly, the fans! Not only did they do a great job cheering us on for home and away games, but I knew a lot of them personally. There were multiple people that invited me over to have dinner with their families throughout the season and I never spent a holiday alone while playing for this team. They even celebrated American holidays that are not normally celebrated in England just to be there for me. The people there were amazing and it made it so much easier for me to be away from home. It has been two years since I played there and I still talk to a lot of the people there. I’ve actually been back there twice to visit some of them. Cheshire will forever hold a place in my heart.

You were teammates with Parker Jackson-Cartwright who had to pay dues his whole life. He was the German BBL MVP last season and this season and continues to climb the basketball ladder. Did you know then that this guy would continue moving up levels?

I would lie if I said I knew he would be where he is today winning the MVP and having the season he had, but I always knew he was a special player. I followed him at Arizona and was impressed with his game. Then finding out I would be able to play with him made me look forward to come play in England again even more. He had glimpses of what he is doing in Germany during the time we played together but he took his game to another level and I’m very happy for my friends success.

In your second professional season you played with BC Raiffeisen Flyers Wels (Austria-A Bundesliga) averaging 9.3ppg, 5.0rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 47.7%, 3PT: 31.0%, FT: 50.0%. Here your season was also cut short. What positives do you feel did you get out of it?

During my time with the Flyers I was dealing with a lingering strained calf injury in the beginning of the season. I believe it was due to lack of stretching and preparing my body for the wear and tear of the preseason and season. I was out for a couple weeks a few months in and during that time my team was not winning games. The team and I agreed to cut the contract short due to my absence. They needed to win games and I was no use. The games I did play I was not at my best. It was very hard for me not being able to play that year but I learned a couple really important lessons that make me the player I am today. The most considerable one is that this is a business. If you are not doing what you were brought there to do, just like any job no matter the circumstance, you will be replaced. Simple. The second positive I took out of this is I need to train during the summer time so when I arrive to wherever I’m playing, I’m game time ready and not using the preseason to get in shape. Also to make sure I’m taking care of my body in terms of what I consume, stretching and lifting. These things are essential. It is not just basketball when you’re doing it for a living. It is your job.

As a rookie you split time with the London Lions (United Kingdom-BBL) averaging 14.5ppg, 6.5rpg, 1.5apg, 2FGP: 48.7%, 3FGP: 52.9%, FT: 66.7%, In Dec.’17 moved to Svendborg Rabbits (Denmark-Ligaen) averaging 11.7ppg, 7.1rpg, 1.5apg, 1.2bpg, FGP: 49.5%, 3PT: 23.5%, FT: 69.4%. What do you remember being your wake up call to being a rookie overseas where you knew that you were far away from home?

In high school and college, things are pretty much taken care of for you. Your meals are prepared for you, your schedule is set, you’re pretty much catered to. When you enter the professional world, outside of training and games, you have to do everything yourself, which is normal for most people but can be challenging for athletes. You don’t have anyone calling to wake up on time or bring you to practice. You have full responsibility for yourself and it is a quick transition. For me, it was hard because there was a sense of entitlement there. I felt like things should be given to me. I was just used to it basically from the time I started playing basketball at 12 years old until I graduated at 22. I had to learn how the world worked and that you had to do everything yourself and earn everything you want. Once I learned that I was much better off as a professional.

In Denmark you were teammates with one of my favorite guys Terrell Harris. He went from the German third division via Denmark to the first division. What memories do you have of his game and how he approached the game in general?

What I remember most about Terrell was him being the greatest person. He treated everyone with respect and his biggest thing was treating people well that couldn’t do anything for him. As far as basketball, he approached it from such a zen point of view with a level head. He was always calm and collected but his game told a different story. He played with tenacity and aggression as a guard. He’s what they call a ‘big guard’.

You played at Cleveland State University (NCAA) from 2013-2017 and your game really took off in your last 2 seasons averaging 11.4ppg, 5.4rpg, FGP: 49.6%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 66.7% and 11.2ppg, 5.3rpg, FGP: 48.1%, 3PT: 27.3%, FT: 65.5%. How do you feel did your game grow in your last 2 seasons?

From my sophomore to junior year my roles switched from being a role player to being the main guy. The reason for this happening, outside of becoming a better player, is that five players transferred to a new school. Four of them were starters. It wasn’t easy being in that position because after all our players left there wasn’t much talent on our team. Going from being a role player to being the main player getting double teamed most possessions was challenging but it helped me become a better decision maker and a better passer. As soon as you catch the ball you have to think shoot, drive, or look for the open man. It really increases your basketball IQ.

In your second season you played a game with a crazy score of 45-33 against Louisville with guys like Terry Rozier and Montrezl Harrell. What memories do you have of that game? I guess shots weren’t falling.

The game against Louisville was one of the best I’ve been a part of. The score makes it look like it was a blowout but it was really close until about three minutes left. I did not have my best game as a sophomore going up against Montrez, but watching my teammates Trey Lewis, Bryn Forbes and Charlie Lee battle against this powerhouse was exceptional to me. At the end it just came down to making shots and free throws, and the Cardinals did that better than us.

You had many memorable games in the NCAA but where does your 30 points in the exciting win over Youngstown State rank?

That game is ranked in my top three. It was the beginning of my junior year and it was my first year being the main player on my team. It was a statement game telling my teammates and coaches that I am ready to lead this team. I’d done it off the court vocally but from that point on I truly lead by example on the court.

How did head coach Gary Waters groom and prepare you best for a professional career?

Coach Waters took care of the ‘professional’ part of professional athlete. More than anything he prepared me for the world outside of basketball and how to be a great man. He preached integrity, character and simply professionalism which I still carry with me until this day. He was very meticulous paying close attention to every detail, correcting any and every mistake I made. This made very detail oriented myself aiming to perfect anything I took on, whether it’s basketball, a relationship or cleaning my room. He is a big reason I am the person and player I am today and I appreciate and love him like a family member.

Who won a 1-1 in practice you or Jibri Blount?

No question, Demonte Flannigan.

Who was the toughest player that you ever faced in your life that reached the NBA?


It’s between Andrew Wiggins and Julius Randall. I played them in high school, and they were both just as athletic and skilled as they are now.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

Alex Caruso Rondee Hollis-Jefferson Trey Lewis Derek Sloan Parker Jackson-Cartwright

Please name your personal NBM Mount Rushmore of past or present heads?

Michael Jordan Lebron James Shaquille O’Neal Steph Curry

What is your personal opinion of the neverending debate of who is the greatest of all-time Jordan or Lebron?

I can be very biased with this question growing up in Cleveland and watching the whole process of LeBron go from a high school phenom to NBA superstar. He’s been my favorite player since I started playing basketball. Also I learned that it was considered ‘illegal defense’ to double team Michael Jordan back in the 90’s, so he wasn’t facing two players guarding him most of the game like Lebron or Kobe. Would he still be considered one of the greatest? Of course, but I’m not sure he would have been as dominant as he was.

Did you see the sequel to the classic Coming To America? Shouldn’t they have left it alone?

I did see the sequel. I didn’t think was as funny as the first Coming to America, but it was really good seeing those actors and actresses after so long. Eddie Murphy is one of my favorite comedians so anything he does still makes me laugh.

Thanks Demonte for the chat.

Tags : DEMONTE FLANNIGAN, SCM CSU CRAIOVA, GERMAN BASKETBALL

Devon Goodman (184-PG-1997, college: Pennsylvania) is a 25 year old 184cm point guard from Fort Washington, Pennsylvania playing his second professional season and first in Germany with the Dragons Rhondorf. Last season he played he was a rookie with S.C. Lusitania EXPERT (Portugal-Liga Betclic) averaging 14.6ppg, 3.7rpg, Assists-4 (5.2apg), 1.9spg, FGP: 54.2%, 3PT: 31.0%, FT: 47.3%. he began his basketball career at Germantown academy and then played at the University of Pennsylvania (NCAA) from 2016-2020 playing a total of 114 NCAA games and in his last 2 seasons averaged 13.9ppg, 3.3rpg, 2.3apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 56.4%, 3PT: 37.5%, FT: 68.7% and 13.8ppg, 3.3rpg, 3.0apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 58.2%, 3PT: 27.8%, FT: 58.8%. He spoke to germanhoops.com after helping lead the Dragons Rhondorf to a 80-65 in over the EN Baskets Schwelm to go 2-0 on the season

Congrats on the massive 80-65 win over the EN Baskets Schwelm. How good does it feel being 2-0 with 2 road wins?

It feels good. We hope to keep the momentum up next week when we finally play our first home game.

How did the club get better in the last 2 weeks after having a week off from playing games?

We definitely got better in the last 2 weeks. We fixed a few things from the last game and our chemistry got better. We have gotten more comfortable as a team and also bring more energy on the court and on the bench. The support has been great from all.

The Dragons Rhondorf won the first 3 quarters. How content were you with the 40 minutes of play?

I was pretty content for the way we played for 40 minutes. Schwelm went on a little run to start the second half. But we didn’t panic, but stayed together and then went on a little run. We were able to close out the game well and played good team offense and defense.

The team allowed 65 points. What steps did it make on the defensive end?

I felt we were more aggressive an d our 1-1 defense improved. We didn’t let guys in the paint as easily as before. I felt like our team defense also got better. We made them take tougher shots.

The team let it rain three’s, but allowed 20 offensive rebounds and had 23 turnovers. Does that worry you?

Brett Reed was a work horse. Even when we had 1 guy on him, it wasn’t enough. He was everywhere. We have to do a better job of getting rebounds. It isn’t just the responsibility of the 4-5 guys, but also the others have to help. We definitely have to clean up the turnovers. Sometimes we play to fast, but I’m very confident that we will limit them more in the future.

What was your impression of Brett Reed who had a monster game of 29 points and 17 boards. Was that a good wake up call on how to get better on the rebound?

For sure it was a wake up call. Our goal each game is to win the rebound battle. Reed can do it all. We have to focus on rebounding more and just keep improving and helping each other better. I’m confident that we will get better.

Zaba Bangala continues to make great strides. I saw that dude for the first time recently. I mean he is 4 times as big as me. Wouldn’t he be better suited for football?

He has for sure a big body. He is also very agile, but yes he could play football.

He continues to make strides. But he still gets too many fouls.

He needs to find a way to know and how to play aggressive without making fouls. This goes for the whole team. We have to know how to play aggressive while staying solid on defense.

What has it been like playing with Jonas Falkenstein? Has he given you the needed push in practice?

He is a great player and shooter. We compete against each other a lot in practice. He brings valuable energy and helps teach the other young guys a winning attitude.

You had another great game like in the first game being the scoring go to guy for the Dragons. Could the team rely too much on you?

It was just one of those games where my shot fell so I kept shooting and helping my team. Some of the other teammates shot’s weren’t falling, but they did other valuable things to help us. I’m very confident that other guys will shoot better in the next games

Is it tough having to stay consistent now when you had 2 great games? Can you heighten your scoring even more if needed?

I love being aggressive and am always confident. It isn’t about how many points I score, but how I can help the team be better. My first focus is always to win and when that happens, my stats will be good.

You shot 80% from the field and outside. Has the good shooting adjustment surprised you?

I really worked hard this past summer and my work is paying off for me now. I’m confident and expect my shot to fall which also has helped me be successful.

You next play in another gym in St Katharin that is a home game. Do you feel like despite it being a home game you will still have an away game feel?

We haven’t practiced there yet. It will feel like an away game going there, but once we hear our fans rallying for us, it will feel like a home game.

You next play top Pro B team Wolmirstedt. What will be key to building off the Schwelm win?

We want to take the good things from the Schwelm game and apply it to Wolmirstedt. We want to continue to build chemistry, remain aggressive and get better each day so we will be playing our best basketball at the end of the season.

Thanks Devon for the chat.

Tags : DEVON GOODMAN, DRAGONS RHOENDORF, GERMAN BASKETBALL

One thing I completely hate is coming to a game and being surprised about a player being on the court. It doesn’t happen so often, but every now and then it does especially in lower leagues where the information politics of organizations aren’t that widespread. I just like to be prepared and know exactly who I will be witnessing running up and down the court leaving everything they have on the floor. It was an hour before game time between Regionalliga team Bona Baskets Limburg and the Sunkings Saarlouis in September 2021 when I took some time to talk to one of my favorite players in Germany Mr Regionalliga Ricky Easterling. Basketball wasn’t even the main topic, but moreover life in general and all the hardships people have suffered with COVID and my cancer victory also was on the menu. I don’t remember exactly who told me before the game that a certain TJ Lang (201-G-1995, college: S.Florida) was playing, but I do remember being told this dude balled in the G-League. I was impressed right away. I mean it isn’t every day that you can observe a guy with those qualities in the German fourth league. I didn’t know it at the time, but everyone in the gym were about to experience an incredible display of scoring that is seldom seen in the Regionalliga unless your named Ricky Easterling who averaged 34,0ppg and 32,0ppg in a season early in his Regionalliga career. The fans would be in for a treat seeing a season opening scoring fest with 242 points and a Jesse Ani buzzer beater. The only down point for Limburg fans was that they would lose the game on a buzzer beater in OT. What was even stranger was that the buzzer beater wasn’t accomplished by a Easterling or Lang, but by young German Jesse Ani. The game got going and this rookie TJ Lang just began doing his thing and never stopped. The guy never averaged more than 7,0ppg in the NCAA, but he learned his scoring somewhere. He showed his amazing inside out qualities driving and scoring with ease but also dazzled everyone with his great shooting touch dropping 11 three’s. At the end of the contest, I would have guessed he had scored somewhere around 35-37 points, but at the end it was a tantalizing 45 points. At the end of the game he was as humble as could be about his amazing rookie performance after playing his last NCCA game on April 5th 2019 against Depaul. He never had an explosive game like that in college, but had showed his scoring instincts earlier in life. ‘In high school I actually had 46 in a game in Atlanta. I’ve always knew I could score big numbers but the majority of the teams I have played on have been so talented in every position that we all could score. So I had to find different ways to help impact and help the team win’, said TJ Lang. As is so often the case, he had no idea that his scoring output was so high at the end. ‘I was just playing the game and taking what the defense gave me. I actually missed some shots I felt like I should not have missed. But, I honestly was just trying to win it wasn’t until after the game my manager and teammates came and told me after and I was just as shocked as everyone else was’, remembered TJ Lang who last saw the flick Candyman. Ricky Easterling was eves dropping on my conversation and you couldn’t have had two more humble guys side by side. It wasn’t until I did research when I got home where I discovered that his dad is ex NBA player and two time NCAA winner with Duke Antonio Lang. You would never have thought that he had a famous dad. That was how humble he was. He had to learn to be that great teammate in the NCAA something that will surely carry over into his professional career.

TJ Lang who lists Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Kevin Durant, Wilt Chamberlain, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore was born on December 26th 1995 in Mobile, Alabama. One might have thought that being the son of a well known ex NBA player might have it’s downs, but it actually didn’t. ‘It actually was pretty cool growing up I felt like I had to live up to expectations. But, as I started to make a name for myself basketball wise and get some national recruiting attention I kind of came into my own and people didn’t even refer to me as son of a NBA player but a great player myself’, stressed TJ Lang. His dad has been a very important influence on his life since childhood and it’s still present today. ‘ I talk to him every day. In the off season I work out with him also. He teaches me a lot though playing in the NBA and overseas so he gives me a lot of pointers that normal people would never be able to have. But the workouts and the teaching points he has given me has definitely made me a better player’, warned TJ Lang. When it comes to boasting about the zillion memorable stories he must have had with NBA legends in the last 15 years, he prefers to refrain and remain humble. ‘I really don’t have any memorable stories I’ve meet so many people it’s kind of like normal for me especially with him being a coach in the NBA now they are like family to me. The craziest thing people say to me is when I tell them I have photos with Shaq holding me and Grant Hill pretty much being family to me I can always reach out and talk to him for advice or about anything’, stated TJ Lang.

He attended McGill-Toolen High School and put up impressive stats in his last two seasons averaging 17.1ppg, 4.9rpg 2.1apg, 3PT:43.2%, FT:82.1% as a junior and 19.4ppg, 8.4rpg, 3.2apg, 3PT: 38.3%, FT: 78.4% in his senior campaign. He achieved AWSA Class 6A Second Team as a senior and Mobile Press-Register Coastal Alabama Player of the Year as a junior. He committed to Virginia Tech, but a coaching change allowed him to switch to Auburn (NCAA). He played three seasons there playing a total of 86 NCAA games. He never averaged more than 7,1ppg at Auburn, but he had a particular role that he was able to fulfill and has good memories of his three years there. ‘It was a great experience playing at the highest level of college basketball. I was given the role of being a 3 and D player. I had to shoot every time I was open. I was also tasked with guarding players like Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray some nights and then other nights Ben Simmons or Danuel House so I experienced a lot’, stated TJ Lang. Even though he never was able to be that high scale scorer, he accepted that he had to shine in other ways. ‘It was disappointing but there were things out of my control that contributed to that so I just had to be a great teammate and find another way to help my team win but that ultimately led to me transferring schools to get a better opportunity’, stated TJ Lang. He finished his sophomore season well having some vital scoring games in wins over Arkansas and Georgia. He then finished at the University of South Florida. There he also didn’t have a major offensive role averaging only 5.5ppg, 2.1rpg, FGP: 39.0%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 70.7%, but it was another experience that was worth it. ‘My fondest moment was winning the CBI championship with my teammates. I had games there where I had to play the point guard which I didn’t have to do since high school. So that helped me out in my pro- career because I got back out of the mindset of just being a shooter to going back to how I played during high school and AAU’, expressed TJ Lang. At South Florida he rarely lost a shooting contest and split against teammate David Collins in the game king of the hill and will never forget his two college coaches Brian Gregory and Bruce Pearl who helped him mature into a professional player. ‘They taught me how to handle adversity and pushed me to be a better player and person every day. I was team captain for both teams under both coaches so I had a lot of responsibility put on my shoulders but I could handle it’, remembered TJ Lang.

The Alabama native who has Jared Harper , Bryce Brown, Kareem Canty, Laquincy Rideau, and in high school AAU Jaylen Brown as his best five teammates of all-time was slowed down a bit becoming a professional player. Technically he could of began his professional career in 2019, but instead signed his first pro contract in 2021. In 2019 after finishing school he decided to press his luck at home and pursue a career in the G-League. He had some workouts and was going to go to training camp with the Canton Charge. He turned down offers overseas and was drafted by the Maine Red Claws. The G-League didn’t work out so he signed in Australia, but then COVID came stopping the season. He didn’t want to just sign with just anyone, but waited for the best opportunity and the Sunkings Saarlouis turned out to be the best. Of course having to experience COVID just like everyone else hampered his basketball life. Even if he didn’t play professionally earlier, the time away from the competition was used wisely to becoming best friends with his own game. ‘ It was definitely different not being able to get in the gym every day and workout or travel. It made me miss the game so much so it motivated me to work on my ball handling and things that I could do outside or at my house. The job market was all over the place to jobs I recently was offered before were taken by good players so I just had to make sure I was in shape and ready’, expressed TJ Lang. Of the court, he was able to take positives from COVID that will benefit him in life now and in the future. ‘I feel like it definitely made me stronger. It made me slow down as a player and person and take every day as a blessing and make the most of it’, warned TJ Lang. Even if the Regionalliga is worlds away from the NBA and not around the corner from the G-League, he saw the Sunkings Saarlouis as a very positive adventure. ‘I loved playing there, we had a lot of offensive freedom in the offense and defensively. We had guys who communicated well and as the season went on I felt like we got better. But everyone here was really welcoming and definitely made Germany feel like home for me’, said TJ Lang. He also couldn’t have found a better teammate than Ricky Easterling who has dominated the German Regionalliga for more than a decade and has a mid range game that would make Kemba Walker smile as a mentor to help him adjust to overseas basketball. ‘ Ricky was amazing and he pushed me every day to continue to be the best player I can be. We worked out every day and got shots up together every morning so he’s definitely took me under his wing and I just tried to soak up everything he told me to make myself a better player and person’, stressed TJ Lang.

The ex Auburn (NCAA) player remembers Devin Booker and DeAaron Fox as being his toughest opponents in the NCAA. He played against Booker in high school and remembers him being unguardable and you had to hope he missed. Fox was one of the fastest players he ever saw and also remembered Ben Simmons as very tough to guard. Playing against incredible competition like that helped shape and develop his game at the NCAA level. The 201cm guard compares his game to Klay Thompson in regards to shooting, defense, and size. He also watches a lot of Bradley Beal in order to learn how to create space and taking tough shots. He has displayed his potent shot, but his game has so many more attributes. ‘I have been working on my ball handling and passing. I have been able to shoot but teams key on that so I have just been trying to be just as efficient off the dribble making tough shots and creating for my teammates’, commented TJ Lang. He also knows that in order to become that very special player and keep moving up the basketball ladder, he will have to be more than just an outstanding offensive player. ‘I feel like I can be very good on defensive end. I had to put my scoring to the side in college at Auburn and guard the best player from every team from the point guard to the 4 man. I feel like when I step on the court I can guard anyone at any time’, warned TJ Lang. He wants to be as multi talented as possible and continues to grind in the gym to get better. ‘I’m continuing to work on creating shots for myself. The more versatile I make myself with being able to run the offense from a point guard role the more dangerous I feel like offensively I will be’, stressed TJ Lang. It will be interesting to see where TJ Lang‘s journey will go in the next years. He has already proved that he can be a great teammate in the NCAA. If he can continue to be a great teammate overseas, then he will go far, because being that great teammate weighs so much more overseas then it does back home.

Tags : TJ LANG, SUNKINGS SAARLOUIS, GERMAN BASKETBALL

Jeremy Ingram (183-G-1991, college: AAMU) is a 191 cm guard that was born in Alabama and has played his entire professional career in Germany for teams like Speyer, Idstein, Bensheim and recently SG Mannheim.This season he is playing for Regionalliga team Bargteheide. Last season with SG Mannheim he picked up South West Regionalliga player of the year while averaging (32.1ppg), 5.7rpg, 4.2apg, Steals-4 (2.6spg), FGP: 55.4%, 3PT: 35.4%, 9%. He began his career with Enterprise State Community College (JUCO) and then finished with Alabama A&M University (NCAA). He spoke will team up with Miles Schmidt-Scheuber on a weekly basis this season to talk basketball.

Congrats on the huge 85-74 win over Braunschweig. How good does it feel to get that first victory?

I’m very happy for my team and the whole organization. Maybe that 1st win will jumpstart us in the right direction.

What was it like for you having to watch again? How do you go through a 40 minute game on the sidelines?

I mean it’s tough watching my team go out there and compete and I can’t be out there with them fighting. All I can do is cheer for them and support them. Thats all they need from me at the moment.

Is it almost fair to say that your team didn’t need you on this night?


I wouldn’t say all that but what I will say is they did a great job without me and they handled their business!

Talk a little about the 40 minutes. What was key for getting the win in crunch-time?

Both teams battled and exchanged the lead a few times but the Bees stayed aggressive, and ultimately the 2nd half outplayed the other team when it mattered most.

What was the biggest strength in the game for Bargteheide? You forced Braunschweig to 24 turnovers. Were you content with the 40 minutes of how the team defended aggressively?

It was great team defense. We got the loose balls and also got fast break points from those turnovers we forced. We came up with big stops also, especially in the 2nd half when it mattered most.

How key was the pick up of veteran Abdulai Abaker? What impresses you most about his game? Possibly his defense?

I have only watched him this game but I’m happy to have another good ball handler and aggressive guard to play with. I’m sure we will create havoc together out there on the floor.

The team next faces ASC Goettingen. Coming off this big win what will be key to getting the win?

I think we should carry that momentum from the 1st win and come back with the same energy. Our team has enough weapons to beat any team in this league , we just have to play with that confidence and aggressiveness for all 40 minutes.

Thanks Jeremy for the chat.

Tags : JEREMY INGRAM, TSV BARGTEHEIDE, GERMAN BASKETBALL

Christopher Miller (192-G-1993, college: Salem) is a 29 year old 193cm guard from Brooklyn, New York who is playing his eighth professional season and first with VFL Bensheim. He played 3 seasons with the Giessen Pointers (Germany-Regionalliga) and last season averaged 17.4ppg, 5.6rpg, 3.2apg, 2.0spg, FGP: 50.5%, 3PT: 17.5%, FT: 78.6%. He has had experience in countries like El Salvador and Bosnia. He recently played for the South Shore Monarchs (TBL) playing 8 games averaging 22.4ppg, 5.6rpg, 4.3apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 50.8%, 3PT: 35.0%, FT: 83.3%. He began his basketball career at Clinton Community College and also played two years at Salem University (NCAA2). This season he teams up with Miles Schmidt-Scheuber with weekly chats about his basketball season.

Congrats Chris on a huge 92-81 win over Kronberg. How did this win feel after the tough loss to Lich last weekend where you fouled out early on?

Thank you. It felt good being available for my team. Last week I felt like I let the guys down so I wanted to make it up with a win this week. I’m happy we were able to pull one off against a tough opponent.

Talk a little about the summary of the game. What was the deciding moment in crunch-time where Bensheim had the win wrapped up?

The game was back and forth the entire time. It was one of those games you love to be a part of. It was close up until the 4th Q. I think the turning point was our defense for sure we were able to get stops at key times and punish them with shooting when they decided to go to zone.

How much of a factor did the turnovers play? In that respect Bensheim had 5 more turnovers.

Anytime a team has turnovers you give the opponents more opportunities on offense. We were a bit hectic sometimes looking to squeeze in difficult passes which resulted in TO’s. They also did a great job at pressing and trapping us. They forced us to play uncomfortable most of the game and I think that resulted in a close game.

Bensheim had a bit of a shorter rotation than Kronberg. Did fatigue play a factor? How tough is it in general playing with a reduced roster?


This week was tough. A few of our guys were out due to being ill. The shortened roster caused rile changes for some of our guys. In some cases shorter rosters help because everyone is in a groove and a part of the game. Fatigue plays a small role but we should be in shape 4 games in the season. I’m happy with the way we responded to having some of our key guys missing.

What was your impression of Kronberg? They didn’t have a star but a well rounded team that spread out the scoring well?

Kronberg is a well coached team. They are disciplined and each guy knows his role and stays within their realm. They have a system that tries to find the weakness in your defense and capitalize off that. They are not a team to sleep on they have many guys who are capable of scoring big which can make them dangerous.

Bensheim got super support from Jan Tschakaloff. Talk a little how valuable he was in this game?

Jan is our X factor I believe he is an incredible shooter with range. When he gets hot it can be a great thing for us. He hit some big shots for us and played very well on defense. I see he is getting more comfortable with his role and starting to excel.

You rebounded well from the last game pouring in 27 points. How content were you with your game?

I’m never satisfied with my play honestly I see 27 and 8 I see the fact that I should have had 30 and 10. It’s a motivation to be almost perfect that keeps me from letting up and relaxing. Theres always room for improvement. On the other hand it was what was needed this week to win so I’ll take it.

You had 6 turnovers. How would you classify them? Sometimes turnovers aren’t what they seem in the way they are scouted. How was it from your perspective?

On paper it was bad but in real time I don’t think it was that horrible . A few calls from the refs that were questionable a couple miscommunications between our team inbounding. I am not happy with this number but I know it won’t happen too often. We are turning that corner in learning our tendencies so the miscommunications will decrease and so will the turnovers.

Bensheim next battle 0-4 Giessen. This is a huge game to keep ground in the standings. What will be key to getting the win?

The key to winning is respecting our opponent and coming in with the same intensity as any other game. This game is important for us because we need to start gathering some wins in a row and also get our first home win this season. We are very hungry for this win and will go into this game focused and determined to get it.

This isn’t the Giessen Pointers, but how will you feel playing against another Giessen team?

This is the exact team I helped coach last season. So for me it is a bit weird to play against some of the young guys I coached in NBBL and Oberliga. I am proud of them for taking another step in their careers but at the same time that means nothing in between the lines. Even if my grandmother was on that team I’m not taking it easy. I’m here to compete and I know they are too.

Thanks Chris for the chat.

Tags : CHRISTOPHER MILLER, VFL BENSHEIM, GERMAN BASKETBALL

The Telekom Baskets Bonn have began off very well into the easyCredit BBL season sporting a 2-0 record as the departure of top point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright hasn’t put a dent into the new team as other top point guard TJ Shorts (175-PG-1997, college: UC Davis) has taken over the way everybody had expected. But unlike last season where the Telekom Baskets Bonn played only once a week, this season they have extra duty also competing in the Basketball Champions League. They caped off the campaign losing a tough nail bitter to Italian team Reggio Emilia 88-84. They wanted to get on the winning road, but it didn’t get any easier as they faced off against current 2-0 Italian Serie A team Pinar Karsiyaka. This season the team has a smorgasbord of great players like ex NBA players Mindaugas Kuzminskas and Angel Delgado as well as CJ Mccullum brother Errick and other talented Americans like Jaylon Brown and Vitto Brown. Pinar Karsiyaka came to Germany wanting to keep their BCL record spotless, but got off on the wrong side of the bed and witnessed TJ Shorts score 7 unanswered points at the gte go and they never recovered as the Telekom Baskets Bonn played with high intensity for 40 minutes winning 83-71. ‘We gave a gutsy effort for 40 minutes against a very high level team. We got off to a nice start thanks to high defensive energy. We had good phases in the game and were able to go from the fifth to sixth gear thanks to our identity for keeping our high intensity for 40 minutes. We did a good job dictating the game something we didn’t do as well in the last BCL game’, stressed Telekom Baskets Bonn head coach Tuomas Iisalo. Pinar Karsiyaka fought, but couldn’t match the intensity of Bonn for 40 minutes and just had no answer for diminutive guard TJ Shorts who could do whatever he wanted. ‘We missed many shots. They worked very hard and we didn’t match it. We have a lot of talent, but need to be more like a team thanjust individuals’, stressed ex NBA player Mindaugas Kuzminskas.

3,310 spectators wanted to see the BCL clash and quickly witnessed the TJ Shorts show as scored 7 unanswered points for the 7-0 advantage. The Turkish side knew what to expect, but probably didn’t expect Shorts to be so quick and so annoying with his agile play. The problem for any defense is, that you can’t let Shorts any time or space, because he will display his excellent mid range game or sink the trey with authority which he did in the first few minutes. Even as Pinar switched to zone, it didn’t hamper Bonn’s play as ex University of Northern Iowa forward Jeremy Morgan sunk a runner and ex New Zealand Breaker Finn Delaney nailed a trey for the 12-4 Bonn lead. Bonn established a fine offensive rhythm quickly while the guests had to work hard for their shots and met a brutal physicality by Bonn that even a beast like Angel Delgado couldn’t come to terms with. After some misses ex NBA player Mindaugas Kuzminskas finally got going showing his vast versatility making a three and lay as Bonn still led 16-9. Bonn showed nice team play while the Turkish team couldn’t move the ball as well and opted for 1-1 play. Bonn also had more fortune getting the majority of the 50/50 balls. Shorts hit a three at the end of the first quarter having 10 points while the Telekom Baskets Bonn led comfortably 19-11. ‘We worked all week long to hit them first and that is what we did. We had more intensity and locked down on defense which carried us through the game’, stated TJ Shorts. The Telekom Baskets Bonn worked harder on the boards and were rewarded with the 15-8 rebound edge and shot 50% from outside. The Turkish sides best stat line were their 2 turnovers.

In the second quarter Pinar Karsiyaka came back into the game courtesy of scorer Errick Mccollum will always be seen for hiss coring abilities as his playmaking is overlooked added 9 points and 5 dimes. The guy who is the brother of NBA star CJ Mccollum is what you call a walking bucket who was a top player in the Euroleague with Efes and once led the Chinese league in scoring with 39,0ppg. He hit two off balance shots early as Bonn led only 21-19. Despite the Turkish team rallying, Bonn played good defense as they were very contested shots. But basketball is a game of runs and Bonn struck back going on a 8-2 run to lead 29-21 as ex Fraport Skyliner Leon Kratzer made a massive dunk, ex Wurzburg guard Tyson Ward made a left handed dunk and ex Trier guard Sebastian Herrera hit a trey. Pinar Karsiyaka continued to play zone and got frustrated on offense electing to keep doing 1-1 play. The Turkish side have incredible individual talent and that is what got them over the hump as they went on a 12-4 run to dead lock the game at 33-33. In the run the Turkish team was led by the Browns as Vitto scored twice and Jaylon once while Mccollum continued to have the reins on the offense. Pinar Karsiyaka were shooting 2/13from downtown, so they upped their aggressiveness and began to attack the rim with a passion and were rewarded. Bonn kept the slight lead as Jermy Morgan made a three and Shorts made an off balance shot for the 40-36 lead. Mccollum and Jaylon Brown scored the last Pinar baskets as the Telekom Baskets Bonn led only 42-40 at the break. ‘We came back but it wasn’t enough. Errick is an important player, but we have to share the ball more. We need more than one player’, warned Pinar Karsiyaka head coach Ufuk Sarica. ‘Errick is so talented. We knew that he would make tough shots. We knew that we had to make it as tough for him. We knew that we could turn the game around if we threw bodies at him’, expressed TJ Shorts. Pinar Karsiyaka improved their rebounding in the second quarter trailing only 18-17 and had only 3 turnovers while the Telekom Baskets Bonn were shooting better than their opponent.

In the third quarter The Telekom Baskets Bonn once again had a great start like when they began the game led by Delaney and Shorts who carried the team. The German side continued to keep up their fierce defensive intensity that Pinar Karsiyaka couldn’t come to terms with. Bonn gave up a quick basket, but then halted the Turkish team’s next 5 possessions and they didn’t get their second basket from ex NBA player Angel Delgado until the 4,56 minute mark of the quarter. Delgado was a beast, but Bonn did an incredible job not letting him do what he wanted holding him to only 7 points and 3 boards in 27 minutes. Ex Hamburg Tower Jaylon Brown did get the first score, but Bonn reacted going on a 11-0 run to lead 53-42. Delaney nailed 2 three’s while Shorts made a lay in and free throws and German national player Leon Kratzer made a tip in. The German giant who was lost a bit in the shadow of Shorts who had a great game, more than fulfilled expectations with a fine 15 point 6 rebound game. The Telekom Baskets Bonn continued to move the ball well, and kept the fine lead with added buckets from Shorts who executed the perfect give and go with Delaney and even Tyson Ward got into the action with an enormous alley-op dunk getting the perfect pass from Sebastian Herrera for the 57-44 lead. Pinar Karsiyaka continued not to play team basketball and elected for more individual plays which worked at times as Mccollum and American Vito Brown showed with baskets. With 7 seconds to play TJ Shorts once again showed why he belongs to the top players in the easyCredit BBL going coast to coast for the final lay in as the buzzer sounded giving Bonn the satisfying 62-51 advantage after 30 mites. ‘Finn Delaney is one of the best on the team at both ends of the court. He does the nitty gritty on defense, but he is also a great shooter. He has the most confidence when he is shooting. We rode with him as he gave us a huge boost and sparked our offensive flow’, added TJ Shorts. The Telekom Baskets Bonn continued to shoot better with more than 50% from the field and the 43% from outside totally outmatched the pathetic 13,3% shooting of Pinar Karsiyaka from outside.

The fourth quarter was just a matter of the Telekom Baskets Bonn not letting up and finishing the game strong and not losing their strong intensity. Bonn got quick points from Kratzer and a huge three pointer from Jeremy Morgan for the 67-53 advantage. It was evident to see that Bonn wanted it more than Pinar as they just continued to attack attack attack while the Turkish team was always a step behind and seemed lack luster. Pinar Karsiyaka did find some more energy for their second best few minutes of the game going on a 11-2 run to cut Bonn’s lead down to 72-64. The run was sparked by ex ACB player Jaylon Brown who showed that teammate Mccollum isn’t the only walking bucket making a steal and lay in and then a coast to coast run and basket. Kuzminskas always contributed scoring twice and exhibiting his fine moves inside and ability to use the angles well while ex Wisconsin (NCAA) great Vitto Brown made a three pointer. After Shorts free throws, Delaney and Mccollum traded three’s, but Pinar Karsiyaka couldn’t make any ground as Bonn led 77-67. But that was as far as the Turkish team would come as TJ Shorts had seen enough and slammed the BCL door shut scoring twice with a runner and off balance shot for the 81-67 lead. ‘It helps a lot when you have a player like TJ Shorts. It puts my mind at ease knowing he won’t turnover the ball in big situations. It is a great feeling to have that he can create a shot, but at the same time one has to understand that his teammates are constantly working hard to create space. We are not a one man team. I like our chemistry’, warned head coach Tuomas Iisalo. Kratzer made a massive dunk and Kuzminskas closed out the game sprinkling his stat line a bit with 4 points. ‘We had problems with the pick and roll defense and on the defensive rebound. They deserved to win’, stated Pinar Karsiyaka head coach Ufuk Sarica. ‘We know that we had ups and downs, but overal we try to limit our mistakes as much as possible. We had the same intensity throughout the game and played together as a unit on defense. The ball was popping late and there were many switches. I had it going, but credit my teammates for getting me the ball’, warned TJ Shorts. The Telekom Baskets Bonn were led by TJ Shorts with 28 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists while Leon Kratzer added 15 points and Jeremy Morgan had 13 points and Finn Delaney 12 points while Pinar Karsiyaka was led by Errick Mccollum with 18 points and 10 assists while Mindaugas Kuzminskas added 16 points and Vitto Brown contributed 12 points. The Telekom Baskets Bonn shot 50% form the field and 39% form outside and had 41 rebounds and 13 turnovers while Pinar Karsiyaka shot 42% from the field and 18% from outside and had 33 rebounds and 8 turnovers.

Tags : TJ SHORTS, TELEKOM BASKETS BONN, GERMAN BASKETBALL

Ernie Duncan is a former University of Vermont guard. He was born in Los Angeles, California and began his basketball career at William Henry Harrison high school in Indiana.. He was a 4 time IBCA All-State and averaged 20/4/6 in his career and is the all-time leader in scoring passing ex NBA players Calbert Cheaney and Walter McCarty) and in assists and games played. At Vermont he had a stellar 4 year career averaging in double figures in scoring average in 3 of 4 years and won the AEC title twice. He played a season with new MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg guard Ben Shungu (188-PG-1997, college: Vermont). He spoke to germanhoops.com about his career and Ben Shungu. Please check out his website at http://www.ernieduncanhoops.com

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

I am currently living in Vermont. I’m a skills development coach and run my own business here in the Northeast. Basketball life is treating me very well as I get to work with athletes of all ages every day.

You played at the University of Vermont from 2015-2019. You had decent stats and could of played professionally. Was that an option for you then?

I had options to go overseas but didn’t heavily pursue it. I found a chance to start my own business that I would love right after my college career was done and felt that I couldn’t pass up that opportunity.

I read that in high school you passed former NBA players Calbert Cheaney and Walter Mccarty in scoring. Isn’t that pretty mind boggling. Does that sometimes make you wonder how you could of faired as a professional player?

I do sometimes wonder how I could have fared as a pro. I had a very successful career at Vermont and know that could have had a long career as a pro if I wanted it. I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish at UVM and felt that it was time to move onto a different chapter of my life.

How are you keeping busy today and is basketball still in your life?

Basketball is my full time job. As I mentioned I run Ernie Duncan Hoops in the Northeast and train kids of all ages. I’m very blessed to be able to have the job that I do as it feels that I don’t really work a day in my life. I train 2nd graders all the way up to pros. I’m actually training Trae Bell-Haynes all next week here in Vermont and have done some private work with Ben as well. So basketball fills up my daily schedule!

You won 2 AEC titles in 2017 and 2019. Which one was sweeter?

I would say the 2019 title was sweeter. I went through a lot of adversity heading into that season so the feelings of winning that 2019 championship were off the charts. I then had the chance to play with my two brothers at the NCAA Tournament stage which was something that felt like it was out of a movie. All in all, both titles were dream experiences!

You played 2 seasons with Ben Shungu. What memories do you have of him as a teammate? He played little minutes then and didn’t have a big role?

I actually spent three seasons with Ben. I didn’t play with him until my senior year. He was an incredibly hard worker the day he stepped on campus. Always had an underdog mentality that continues to drive his game. My senior year he stepped into a big role at the end of the season. He became our starting point guard and really set the tone for us on the defensive side of the ball and really orchestrated our offense at a high level. A great locker room guy that I enjoyed spending time with.

He kept developing and really broke out as a senior. How much credit does a guy like John Becker get for how he turned out as a player?

Coach Becker and the staff get a ton of credit. They are really good at developing players and getting the most out of them. The unseen hours that are spent in the offseason to help the athlete is where the growth is. During the season they do an excellent job of putting the player in the right spots to succeed. If you put the time in as a player, the coaches will put you in the right spots.

Talk a little about Ben’s strengths. What does he do best on the offensive end and defensive end?

Ben plays both sides of the ball really well. Offensively he has really grown as a shooter. When he came to UVM he really couldn’t shoot very well. He now is a respectable shooter and someone you have to be aware of. He is an elite driver and finisher at the rim. He’s very strong and uses that to his advantage to get by defenders and to hold them off at the rim. The best part of his game may be his defense. He again uses his strength very well on that side of the ball and causes a lot of disruption as an on ball defender. A very smart player on both sides of the ball.

Have you followed his career a bit since you left school? He will play in the same league that Trae Bell-Haynes did. Do you feel like he will be able to meet the challenge?

With still living in Vermont I have watched just about every one of Ben’s games since graduating. He will do very well in that league. He’s an all around player that is also a fantastic teammate. No doubt in my mind, he will thrive in that league and will have a long career as a professional.

You played together with Trae Bell-Haynes at his peak in the NCAA and Ben Shungu when he was still young. Compare them a bit. Bell-Haynes is so quick and Shungu has 12 kilo’s on him. Could Shungu be the next Bell-Haynes in terms of having mega success as a professional?

I think Ben has the potential to follow in Trae’s footsteps. Both are similar in so many ways so they are very hard to compare. Both are elite finishers at the rim, solid shooters, great teammates. I would say Ben doesn’t have Trae’s speed and agility but Ben has the strength and size advantage on Trae.

What is the fondest memory that you had with Ben Shungu? Maybe you have a story off the court that shows what kind of guy he was?

Ben is one of the nicest dudes around. If I ever needed help he would extend a hand. I would say the fondest memory is just the countless hours we have spent together off the court sharing laughs. We have some inside jokes that we always greet each other with every time we see one another and it’s always a fun time.

Thanks Ernie for the chat. For more information about Ernie please check out ernieduncanhoops.com

Tags : BEN SHUNGU, MHP RIESEN LUDWIGSBURG, GERMAN BASKETBALL

Choosing what to do on a night in Berlin and Speyer is like night and day as Quadre Lollis could easily report about after spending time with Alba Berlin in the 2005-2006 season. His son Quadre Jr who played at 2 JUCO schools and 1 NAIA school and is playing his fourth professional season is playing in Speyer this season and wouldn´t be lying that sometimes it is just better to stay inside with the minimal night life activities in the city that has 50,000 inhabitants. I mean you can only visit the cathedral so much. The only difference between 2006 and 2022 in terms of staying in and watching exciting things online, is that today you have Netflix and other things which one couldn´t see as well back in the day when papa Lollis was balling in Berlin. It was Saturday night and Quadre Lollis Jr was at home in Speyer in his apartment and decided to watch the new Redeem Team documentary about the 2008 team USA run at the Summer Olympics in Beijing. The documentary chronicles Team USA rebounding from their embarrassing showing at the 2004 Olympics where they lost to Argentina in the semi finals. It couldn´t get any worse, but they lost to Puerto Rico by 19 points to open the games ending their 24 game winning streak since 1992. If that wasn´t a bad omen then for Kobe, Lebron and co. “It was a great documentary. Kobe was talking about helping push his teammates and getting everyone involved, but when crunch time came, he would bring his A game”, stressed Quadre Lollis. Little did Lollis know, but 24 hours later, he would be reminded of the Redeem Team documentary as the buzzer sounded in Frankfurt.

It was a very mild evening in early October as the Fraport Skyliners Juniors were set to battle the Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer on a rare Sunday night game as both had began 0-1 and were reeling for their first win. Lollis knew coming to Frankfurt that this was a massive game for teammate DJ Woodmore. “DJ talked about him never having won in Frankfurt in 4 tries. It was a huge game for him. He kept telling us and putting it in our ears that he really wanted to get the win”, stated Quadre Lollis Jr. Speyer had come off a tough loss against the Basketball Lowen and had to be prepared against a tough Frankfurt team where you never know who will play on account of their deep roster. “We wanted to come out and play our game and have more energy than against Erfurt. We started solid against Erfurt, but then it went down hill because we didn´t keep our energy. We knew that if we could keep our energy in Frankfurt, then we would have a chance to win”, warned Quadre Lollis Jr. The Fraport Skyliners had the 42-36 lead at the break as they were totally dominating the boards as Lollis and co had difficulty matching Frankfurt´s intensity. “The Frankfurt bigs are very big. They are really tough to handle and got a lot of second chance points. They had a lot more offensive rebounds. We knew that we had to step up our physicality”, remembered Quadre Lollis Jr.

It was no secret that the Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer had to make adjustments in the second half and they did going to a zone that perplexed the Fraport Skyliners Juniors. Speyer also stepped up their offense scoring 31 points as they finally got into rhythm. “I believe that Frankfurt wasn´t expecting a zone. They were surprised. We switched back to man every now and then which mixed them up. It helped us because it was easier to box out then if we were playing man”, expressed Quadre Lollis. A player that was huge for Lollis and Co was 20 year old ex ANGT player Dejan Bruce who developed well the last years in Ludwigsburg. He was a force on offense getting key buckets. “Dejan did very well. He was very efficient. He is a great player that showed his versatility. This game was a very good confidence booster for him after having a tough first game”, commented Quadre Lollis Jr. In the fourth quarter Speyer got valuable support from Germans David Aichele and Samuel Schally while DJ Woodmore also stepped up helping them keep the slim lead. But the Fraport Skyliners Juniors were never out of the game as they roared back trailing 80-73 getting 2 big buckets from 19 year old German center Alexander Richardson who has 9 easyCredit BBL games on his resume to trail only 80-77. “That kid is really big. I´m not lying about that. On the ride home DJ and I were talking about how many times we thought we had the rebound but he came out of nowhere to swipe it away. He is a physical presence that will be a big problem for teams”, warned Quadre Lollis. Crunch time had finally arrived and with a little less than a minute to play Speyer got a huge basket from 212cm center David Aichele displaying a perfect executed play by head coach Carl Mbassa who had just drawn it up in the time out. “That was an isolation play. We knew that once we got the ball in the post that they would double. So we drew up the 45 cut and had David come cutting in straight to the rim. It was a great pass form Hugo Cluysen”, remembered Quadre Lollis Jr.

There were 8 seconds left on the clock and the game tied at 86-86 and Frankfurt had possession. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors had a routine play of throwing the ball in, but totally botched it as they couldn´t get the ball thrown in in the 5 seconds allowed. “We showed the will to get the turnover. We knew that we still had a chance to win. We just focused on getting the stop. We wanted to give our all and then worry about what happened next”, added Quadre Lollis. Speyer then called timeout and Cral Mbassa drew up the last play. There only could be 3 guys who would get the shot with Woodmore, Lollis or Cluysen. I personally was hoping for Woodmore to get it to win the game himself, but it was also realistic that Lollis would get the ball since he had been the team´s best scorer with 19 points up to that point. It also wasn´t surprising that Woodmore didn´t chose himself in the time out showing the kind of character he really has. “It didn´t surprise me that much that I was given the last shot. I also thought that DJ might get the last shot. But coach and DJ chose me. They wanted me to get ball off a screen and be a mismatch. It would either be me attacking or taking a jump shot”, said Quadre Lollis. Speyer had possession and didn´t waste anytime getting Lollis Jr the ball. “I was in a good spot to get the ball. I always feel comfortable with that step back mid range shot. I first thought about going to the hole, but I was cut off so I did the step back. I got my Mamba mentality going. I had watched the Redeem Team documentary the night before”, laughed Quadre Lollis Jr. With the mid range step back being a sort of bread and butter shot for him, it was no surprise that he knew that it was going in after he released I, because it felt very good. He has had 5 buzzer beaters in his young career and has a very special ranking for this one. “This was my first one in Germany and I rank it #1. This was the first time that I hit a jump shot as the others were me attacking the basket”, remembered Quadre Lollis Jr. It was a black weekend for the Fraport Skyliners organization as the easyCredit BBL team lost Saturday night on a buzzer beater by Eric Washington to the MLP Academics and on Sunday night the Juniors lost to Speyer. “I hadn´t known that. I found out after the game. That is really tough”, stated Quadre Lollis. Next the Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer tackle a real tough opponent with top Pro B club EPG Koblenz who are 2-0 and one of the favorites to move up to the Pro A. Despite Koblenz being favorite, he is confident for a good result at home in his living room. “I think we can take the momentum of the Frankfurt game into the Koblenz game. This win will boost our whole team and we will have extra confidence”, added Quadre Lollis. Despite winning the game in spectacular fashion, he knew who the win was dedicated to. “This win was for DJ. I will never forget how happy he was in the locker-room. It felt great for him and me”, stressed Quadre Lollis. This game showed that the Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer don´t only have 2 fantastic players with DJ Woodmore and Quadre Lollis, but also 2 high class individuals that definitely were brought up the right way at home showing true character. That will definitely make papa Lollis proud and smile.

What can be worse for a club when you have to battle one of the top teams in the Pro b and your also missing some key players because they are using their double license to help the easyCredit BBL team who were playing at the same time. That is exactly what happened to the Fraport Skyliners Juniors who put up a great fight against Koblenz but lost by 13 points. Now they were finally home in their own living room for their first home game of the season and had to battle the Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer who were also reeling from a tough 21 point loss to the Basketball Lowen Erfurt. For Speyer guard DJ Woodmore it is always a special experience to play in Frankfurt as over the years, he has had massive games there, but had never won. He finally wanted that first win in his fifth try at Basketball City Mainhatten and after 40 minutes had the biggest smile of anyone in the BCM even larger than Mr buzzer beater Quadre Lollis Jr. (196-PF-1994, college: Presentation) who had supplied the heroic buzzer beater with the 88-86 victory over the Fraport Skyliners Juniors. The Virginia native didn’t have his best scoring game but made some big plays down the stretch when it counted most. ‘This was a big win. It is always hard to prepare, because you never know what to expect and what line up Frankfurt will have. It feels good to win. It has been a long time since starting in 2014 and making the drive here and always coming up short. But tonight I thought we played solid and made the plays when we needed them. They killed us on the offensive rebounds, but once we made adjustments and were able to limit them to one shot, we were finally able to play our game’, stressed Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer guard DJ Woodmore. It was a brutal weekend for the Fraport Skyliners organization as they lost on a buzzer beater in Heidelberg and again in Frankfurt. Both games were sprinkled with big time mistakes in the last seconds. ‘It was a rough game. I thought our offense was Ok. They brought us out of rhythm with their zone. We had some good moments on defense, but overal we didn’t play well. Winning so many statistical categories and not winning the game is unacceptable. Our 1-1 defense really hurt us. We need to have more pride on defense’, warned Fraport Skyliner Junior Marco Voeller.

The first quarter was a tight affair as there were 5 lead changes. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors didn’t waste anytime trying to get their inside game going as they gave young German Alexander Richardson many touches while Speyer quickly got guys like Quadre Lollis Jr. Jr and Hugo Cluysen involved. With Frankfurt down 6-5, they got a little push going on a 7-0 run as Richardson made a dunk, 2019 NBBL allstar Jordan Samare a three pointer and ex Lok Bernau guard Nolan Adenkunle made a lay in after getting served up the sweet dime from Richardson. Frankfurt was doing a good job being physical which Speyer couldn’t match. But basketball wouldn’t be basketball without runs as Speyer got going with a slick 10-0 run to grab the lead back at 16-13. French forward Hugo Cluysen took the load on his shoulders scoring 5 points while 212cm center David Aichele showed his soft touch from outside. ‘Hugo is very skilled and still young. He plays well in the low post, but also can expand the floor. He can be a real match up problem and loves his hook shot. He struggled in the first game, but really bounced back today’, stated DJ Woodmore. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors responded by breaking the Speyer run and went back to their game roots banging the ball inside and outmuscling their foe. German undersized big man Jordan Samare supplied 2 buckets in the paint while 18 year old German Justin Onyejiaka made a lay in and tip in dunk at the end for the 23-21 advantage. The ex JBBL MVP gave the team a lot of energy on the boards with his intensity. Both teams shot over 50% from the field and were pretty even on the boards.

In the second quarter the Fraport Skyliners Juniors took control of the game, but could never totally shake the Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer not being able to lead by more than 9 points. Frankfurt’s offense found it’s rhythm again playing their smooth inside out game while also running whenever they could to display how transition works correctly. Onyejiaka began the second quarter with a dunk on transition, Philipp Hadenfeldt made a lay in while ex Ehingen forward Nils Leonhardt made a trey for the 31-25 Frankfurt lead. After young German Samuel Schally hit a trey, Frankfurt bounced back again going on a 6-0 run to extend their lead to 37-28. In the run, Frankfurt was in constant attack mode getting 2 lay ins from athletic forward Nils Leonhardt and a lay in from Richardson who got the perfect pass form Adenkunle. Speyer remained in striking distance and didn’t allow Frankfurt to get away as Woodmore who was having a quiet night made a lay in, Cluysen made a step back and Lollis completed a floater. But Frankfurt went into the break with the 42-36 lead as Samare scored 5 points down the stretch to keep Speyer at bay. ‘Frankfurt hit us hard with their physicality. But we made enough shots and plays to stay in the game’, warned DJ Woodmore. Both teams shot over 40% from the field, but were still looking for their rhythm from outside while Frankfurt dominated the boards having the 24-14 rebound edge and 9-1 offensive rebound edge. ‘Frankfurt had problems talking and helping and were just losing their men. Speyer made some tough shots over hands and just had guys that could create their own shots’, said Fraport Skyliner Quantez Robertson.

After mustering only 36 points in the first half, the Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer exploded in the third quarter scoring 31 points, but couldn’t lead by more than 67-64 after 30 minutes. Frankfurt was able to keep pace with Speyer simply because they executed pretty well. Both teams also had a little phase of hitting three’s as 4 in a row came from Adekunle, Lollis, Samare and Woodmore, but Frankfurt still led 48-47. Frankfurt then went on a 4-0 run to lead 52-47 as Alvin Oniya made a floater and Leonhardt a tip in. But Speyer once again saw some daylight as they went on a 8-0 run to regain the lead 55-52. Lollis Jr continued to be a mismatch horror for Frankfurt as he scored and then came the big moment of 20 year German and ex Ludwigsburg forward Dejan Bruce who hit a trey and made a lay in. He finished with 14 points and 71% shooting and his athleticism definitely raised some eyebrows in the BCM. ‘He is another one of our skilled players. When he gets locked in, he will be a really good player. He needs to have that confidence to keep getting better’, warned DJ Woodmore. Speyer continued to keep the lead as Bruce got free throws and Lollis scored again for the 59-57 lead. But Frankfurt kept fighting and grabbed the lead back 60-59 getting a three pointer from Leonhardt. But Dejan Bruce wasn’t finished as he continued to be aggressive scoring in the paint and then made a crushing dunk. A Samare lay in and Richardson tap in kept Frankfurt close down by 3 after 3 quarters. ‘We finally began to hit shots and went to zone. Our zone limited their second chance points and started our offense. But Richardson still was a big force for them’, warned DJ Woodmore. The Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer lifted their shooting to above 50% from the field and 40% from outside while Frankfurt had the overwhelming 31-24 rebound edge and 15/4 offensive rebound advantage.

In the fourth quarter the Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer kept the lead, but the Fraport Skyliners Juniors stayed on their heels. Justin Onyejiaka gave Frankfurt vital energy and production with a hard 2 handed dunk and reverse lay up to keep Frankfurt close down only 70-68. Speyer retaliated with a 5-0 run to lead 75-68 as Cluysen converted on a trey and Schally scored inside. But Frankfurt also responded with a 5-0 run to trail only 75-73 as Richardson made a left handed lay in over Aichele. The game became a game of small runs as Woodmore scored 3 points and Niclas Geier drove into the paint and scored for the 80-73 advantage. Frankfurt had too many turnovers, weren’t aggressive enough on 1-1 defense and didn’t have that classic inside game anymore. With crunch-time having arrived the Fraport Skyliners Juniors had to react and did with another run as Richardson continued to be a raw beast inside scoring twice while Adekunle made a floater as Frankfurt trailed only 80-79. ‘We played too timid and weren’t aggressive enough. We played not to lose instead of to win. Frankfurt hit tough shots’, expressed DJ Woodmore. Cluysen stopped the Frankfurt run with a pretty hooks shot, but Mr energizer Philipp Hadenfeldt who had been quiet scoring made a massive trey to give Frankfurt the 83-82 lead. Geier and Richardson then traded free throws, but Frankfurt still led 85-84. Frankfurt then played great defense packing the paint and stopping Aichele. After Samare made one of two free throws for the 86-84 lead, Aichele responded with a lay in as he cut into the paint. The Fraport Sklyiners Juniors had 8 seconds to play and possession of the ball, but coughed up the ball not being able to get into play within the 5 seconds. ‘We didn’t do much on that inbounds play. It was sheer will power. We just wanted the stop. We denied the ball and switched on the screen. That was a long 5 seconds’, smiled DJ Woodmore. The Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer then had the last play and executed as Quadre Lollis Jr. made the last shot with 2 seconds remaining. ‘In the huddle, coach and me decided for the ball to go to Lollis. We wanted him to use the mismatch and attack the big. We were willing to live with the result. We trusted him and he made the shot’, stated DJ Woodmore. ‘We should of fouled after the switch. We had the same problem as in Heidelberg. I thought we defended the last play well’, added Marco Voeller. The Ahorn camp BIS Baskets Speyer were led by Quadre Lollis Jr. Jr with 21 points. Hugo Cluysen added 16 points while Dejan Bruce added 14 points and Niclas Geier 11 points while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors were led by Jordan Samare with 19 points. Alexander Richardson, Nils Leonhardt and Nolan Adekunle added 14 points apiece. The Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer shot 56% from the field and 42%form outside and had 28 rebounds and 16 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 45% from the field and 32% from outside and had 36 rebounds and 11 turnovers.

Tags : QUADRE LOLLIS JR., AHORN CAMP BIS BASKETS SPEYER, GERMAN BASKETBALL