Jermale Jones (186-G-86, college: Tuskegee) is a 35 year old 186cm guard from Birmingham, Alabama is playing his 11th professional season and first with Nift Al-Shamal (Iraq-Superleaguen): Last season he played in Switzerland playing for Swiss Central Basket Luzern (Switzerland-NLB) averaging 18.1ppg, 3.3rpg, Assists-5 (3.8apg), Steals-3 (2.6spg), FGP: 58.1%, 3PT: 36.0%, FT: 76.7%. He can look back at a long career having played 6 seasons in Germany with 5 in Lich and 1 in Bernau while also getting experience in Luxemburg with Black Star Mersch (Luxembourg-N2) and played two seasons with CS Politehnica Unirea Iasi (Romania-Liga Nationala). He spoke to germanhops.com on his 35th birthday.

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

I’m currently in Iraq and basketball is treating me well. We had a slow start but we will pick it up.

You turned 35 today. Do you cherish birthdays as you get older more than say 10 years ago where the world was fine?

Yes every year I cherish my birthday because God gives me my health and strength to make it each year.

Last season you played with Swiss Central having a very solid season averaging 18.1ppg 3.3rpg, Assists- (3.8apg), Steals-3 (2.6spg), FGP: 58.1%, 3PT: 36.0%, FT: 76.7%. Was there any thought of having continued your career there?

I would have went back if I had a chance to but things didn’t work out like that. So when one door closes another door opens.

Covid seems to be acting up again. How has it been experiencing it in Iraq where you ball now? Are the protocols any different to what you saw in Europe and the States?

Yes it’s very different here compared to Europe & in the states. In Europe they start closing things ASAP, in the states they close things gradually but here it’s not even talked about.

Your playing for Nift Al-Shamal (Iraq-Superleague) this season. The most logical question is was money the biggest factor in helping you make the decision to play there?

No it wasn’t all about the money, but it was more about the opportunity and getting a chance to play in a different market to show myself also.

What kind of experience has it been balling in Iraq? How would you compare the skill level and play compared to other leagues that you have played in?

I have had a great experience so far. Walking through the streets of Baghdad was the best experience for me. Never in my life would I have thought that I would be walking through that city. Comparing this league in Iraq is really hard to say because it’s very different and each team is only allowed 1 foreign player.

Your team Nift Al-Shamal has started slowly. What have been the biggest problems that the team has faced that hasn’t allowed you to win more games?

We have a very young and inexperienced guys that’s the cause of the slow start but things lately have been getting better and they are starting to understand what it takes to work to be successful & to win games.

How big is the challenge this season for you to lead the team to success? How inviting are your Iraqi teammates to an American leading the charge?

My challenge for me is just lead the team the best way I can. Teach the young guys things from my experience and show them small details to help them be a better player. My teammates are very welcoming and they take my advice on a lot of things I say to them on the court.

You have put up very good numbers as usual. It seems like your getting better with age. Do you feel like your game has come to a new level?

Yes every year it seems like another level of myself is unleashed. During the summer working so hard in the gym and learning new things from guys that have played on a very high level every summer helps my game tremendously.

Your 35 years old. You continue to be that lethal scorer. Does the game become more fun as you get older and you can still be able to compete with young bucks?

Yes, being a scorer is natural to me and the game is very fun because the younger guys always joke about me being a little older but then when going up the court I’m still so faster than them. So I always have a lot of fun and jokes with my teammates.

Do you continue to watch the same NBA guys and their games for inspiration or does every now and then a new guy pop up where you try to get inspiration from?

I don’t watch the NBA that much. I only watch when it comes down to the playoffs. Those are the most important games and watching those games and how players handle themselves in certain pressure moments helps me learn.

What has it been like for you as an American living in Iraqi. Was there any doubt at first to do this? How have you been welcomed in that country as an American?

Well before I decided to come I did my research and all over the media it said do not travel to Iraq because it’s very dangerous and bad. I prayed about it and God lead me to go. I have been here a month now and I haven’t had any problems. Everyone looks to help me and make sure I don’t need anything. The media makes this place sound really bad.

Have you celebrated any wild party’s in owners palaces? What has been your most interesting experience that you have had living in a new culture?

I haven’t been to any parties.

Rickey Paulding is retiring this season. You watched him for years. What legacy will he leave in the BBL when all is said and done? Would it be fair to say he was the greatest American that ever played in that league?

His name will forever be rememberd and his dedication to the game won’t go unnoticed. He had a great career but I wouldn’t say that he was the best American that played in the BBL

Your buddy Quantez Robertson has a nasty injury. How much longer will he play? Could you imagine him playing until his body breaks down?

Yes Tez is a warrior. He will play until he can’t anymore. He might give it 5 more years. He will be back playing in no time.

Some NBA experts have stated that Anthony Davis isn’t a top 5 player at the moment and needs to make the next step now with Lebron Hurt. What is your opinion on that?

I really don’t have one because I haven’t watched much of the NBA

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

They shouldn’t have tried to do a part 2. Part 1 was good enough.

Thanks Jermale for the chat.

John Murry (192-G-95, college: Austin Peay) is a 26 year old 193cm guard from Indianapolis, Indiana that is playing his third professional season in Germany with BSG Grevenbroich (Germany-Regionalliga). Before that he had experience with the Kitchener-Waterloo Titans. He played two years at Owens Community College playing 63 games and two years at Austin Peay State University (NCAA) playing 56 NCAA games and as a senior averaged 16.7ppg, 2.7rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 54.0%, 3PT: 33.9%, FT: 81.1%. He and Miles Schmidt-Scheuber talk weekly about basketball.

After getting your first win last week, Grevenbroich suffered the next loss against Essen. How tough is it going from an ultimate high to a low again?

It is tough we are just trying to stay focused and keep the consistency in our play so we can grind out some wins.

How frustrating is it playing your heart out and scoring a career high 36 points and then losing?

It can definitely be frustrating at times but being positive is the key to the game so that’s how I try to remain at all times.

Talk a little about the game. I believe in this game, controlling the boards was a huge factor. You allowed as a team 15 offensive rebounds.

Yes and that’s something we talked about in practice, it doesn’t matter how tall people maybe boxing out doesn’t have anything to do with height so that’s something that we have to get better at.

What was key in crunch time for the ETB Miners being able to pull out the win?

Like you said in the previous question, we would get stops in the 1st possession but they would get 2 chance points off offensive rebounds and score of the second try and that’s what hurt us the most.

How crucial is the bench in general in a league like the Regionalliga? Essen won the bench points 31-5.

Definitely important for us to have the support off the bench, I can say we are getting better and better each day.

Was this another game where just not enough came from everyone else? You had to be that savior with 36 points.

I just feel like it’s a key of how focused you are on gameday, we can’t come in with the lack of focus like we did against a good team like Essen.

What positives do you feel could the team take from the loss? The team took better care of the ball again or not?

Yes the team definitely is taking better care of the ball and making smarter plays on offense, we fought hard and battled for 40 minutes so I must say I am super proud of my guys for the effort they gave. I definitely told them that’s afterwards.

You had 36/3/4 stats. When you lose a game like this do you feel like you could have done more with your playmaking?

Sometimes I do but then I look at the film and try to learn more about my teammates and ways I can make them better in certain situations.

You belong to the top players in the Regionalliga. You have such a huge desire to move up leagues, but does your exceptional play not feel the same when your losing so much?

Yes because at the end of the day I am a winner and as a team we have to all have the winning mindset because the game is played to win.

You next battle tough team Deutzer that are 6-2. What will be the focus this week to see that 2nd win?

Just keying in on defense trying to be better every day on help side and just making shots
When we are doing those things we are just as good as any team in the league.

Do you feel like the great Scottie Pippen is damaging his legacy in the way he seems to bash Michael Jordan in every interview?

I just feel like he deserves just as much respect as MJ because as good as MJ was he didn’t win a ring until Scottie Pippen arrived with the Bulls. Facts are facts.

Thanks John for the chat.

Stanley Whittaker (183-G-94, college: Keiser) is a 26 year old 183cm point guard from Philadelphia playing his third professional season and first in Germany with PS Karlsruhe. He played his rookie season in Lithuania and last season had his break through with UBSC Raiffeisen Graz (Austria-BSL) playing 24 games: Score-2 (21.5ppg), 6.3rpg, Assists-2 (8.0apg), Steals-1 (2.6spg), FGP: 49.3%, 3PT: 40.5%, FT: 78.4%. He played his college ball at Frank Phillips (JUCO) and Keiser (NAIA). He teams up every week with Miles Schmidt-Scheuber to talk basketbal

PS Karlsruhe suffered a tough 113-109 loss to the hands of Medipolis SC Jena. When was the last time you lost in double OT in your career?


Definitely a very tough loss in double overtime, as I try to think back I can’t recall a time I lost in double overtime in my career.

How tough is it in general for a player to lose after 50 minutes of a hard grind opposed to 40 minutes? I can imagine your muscles felt different than after 40 minutes. You played an insane 50 minutes. That must have been the most in your career.

It’s not easy but if that’s what is needed in the game to give our team a chance to compete at the highest level, I’d sign up for it time and time again. It’s what comes with this profession. My body was pretty sore, I took a tough fall in the first half and got hit with a hard screen in the first half as well, but I’ll be fine.

Jena was all over PS Karlsruhe in the first half leading 53-34. What lapses did you have as a team on the defensive end?

We just weren’t aggressive enough defensively, most of their offense in the first half came fairly easy to them, which is unacceptable on our end. We have to make opposing teams work a lot more on offense, and make them beat us with difficult shots. We weren’t disruptive at all in the first half.

PS Karlsruhe finally exploded in the third quarter scoring 31 points. What adjustments did you make to get back into the contest?

Our third quarter run all started with us playing defense and finishing possessions. On the defensive end, we came out with more of a sense of urgency and wanted to show some pride!

You could have won the game in the fourth quarter with free throws but missed one. Were you able to mentally let go quickly after missing?

That will haunt me, the game was ours to win, me at the free throw line to put us up 1 with two seconds left and I wasn’t able to give us the lead. And I had no other choice but to let it go we had an overtime to play so I had to lock back in. But that’s on me, I have to be better and knock the free throws down.

You brought your team into the second OT with a basket. You were in total control of your destiny. How much fun is it as a player to make these big shots. They aren’t that typical but more rare.

I play the game of basketball with a sense of joy and fun but in those moments I am extremely locked in so I won’t ever get the real chance to feel it, but it is nice when my teammates trust me in those moments to take shots of that magnitude to try and help us get a win.

The second OT was so exciting, but the guests won the game. Did the Jena free throws decide the game?

We gave up some free throws down the stretch in the second overtime but we still had an opportunity, it just didn’t go our way this time unfortunately!

Three guys combined for 86 of the 109 team points with you, Tylka and Pluskota. Is that a healthy thing to happen on a consistent rate?

I would love for it to be a consistent rate haha, but as long as we are playing as a team, and making plays that are going to give us opportunities to win games, that works for me.

What was it like battling Rayshawn Simmons who belonged to the top guards in the Pro A a few years ago and is back. Was he the toughest player that you have played this season at the guard spot?

It was good being in that battle with him, high level competitor and plays well with his group. He gave us trouble with his ability to drive the ball to the basket and he hit a big three in the second overtime.

How do you rate your own game of 32/5/12. Would it have been better had you won?

I was alright, made some plays but it wasn’t enough for our team to come out victorious.

When you look at your efficiency over 50 minutes, you probably could have done even more. Is this something that you thought about?

Definitely, I think it was more I could’ve done on both sides of the ball. The objective is to win and we came up short so figuring out what more that has to be done to pull out wins like that is what I’m thinking of.

You next play Bremerhaven. How will the team want to rebound after this? What will be the main focus this week?

We just want to get out of this Losing funk. So by any means, whatever it takes we want to get a win!

Do you feel like the great Scottie Pippen is damaging his legacy in the way he seems to bash Michael Jordan in every interview?

I think Scottie Pippen seems a bit bitter. I think his legacy is cemented because of what he accomplished on top of the athlete he was and skills he possessed. But these comments and statement in today’s media can make you look a bit foolish.

Thanks Stan for the chat.

Kendrick Ray (188-G-94, college: KSU) is a 27 year old 188cm guard from Middletown, New York that is playing his fifth professional season and first with ASP Promitheas Patras (Greece-A1). Last season he played with Socar Petkimspor (Turkey-TBL) playing 29 games averaging 15.0ppg, 2.8rpg, 4.4apg, FGP: 50.5%, 3PT: 34.0%, FT: 82.1%.He also got extra experience playing with :Maccabi Fox Tel-Aviv (Israel-Winner League), Le Mans Sarthe Basket (France-Jeep ELITE ProA). And AEK Athens (Greece-A1). He began his professional career with CEZ Basketball Nymburk (Czech Republic-NBL), averaging 13.6ppg, 3.9rpg, 2.8apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 59.1%, 3PT: 39.2%, FT: 73.8%; and in the BCL averaged 15.3ppg, 4.8rpg, 2.6apg, FGP: 54.5%, 3PT: 36.0%, FT: 86.1%. He began his basketball career at Middletown high school. He then played two years at Quinnipiac University (NCAA) and then finished at Kennesaw State University (NCAA) averaging 18.7ppg), 5.6rpg, 2.7apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 52.9%, 3PT: 36.0%, FT: 71.4%. He spoke to germanhoops.com before a Eurocup game against ratiopharm Ulm.

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

I’m good. I can’t complain just taking it day by day. basketball wise I’m good just trying to be the best player I can be day in day out.

You have played in Germany before. What stories do you remember hearing from your brother Allan who played in Germany during 2012-2013 for ratioopharm Ulm?

I haven’t really talked to him about Ulm, but 2 years ago I was close to signing with Ulm had the contract, met with coach and everything but I switched agents so the deal didn’t fall through.

Before we talk about basketball, I have to ask you about your experience with COVID. You were in Greece and Turkey during the time. What were the biggest challenges for you on and off the court?

Off the court was catching covid of course and dealing with that being stuck in the house, also coming back from covid and having to get back in shape.

With everything that you experienced with COVID, how do you feel did you get stronger as a man?

it definitely helped me get mentally stronger dealing with that stuff on and off the court a lot of challenges but I got through it

You won 2 professional titles. How big is the urge each season to win a title?

It’s definitely always a goal to end the season with championships and every year I try to do what I can to help the team win.

Your playing your first season with ASP Promitheas Patras (Greece-A1)Your having a great statistical season so far in Greece. To what factors can you attribute that? Freedom and great aggressiveness on your part?

I just think my work is showing and what I do in the off season paying off and a team that believes in my abilities.

What is it like being teammates again with Jerai Grant? Are you guys like brothers now?

Jerai is a good guy and I love being able to compete with him.

Last season you played for Socar Petkimspor (Turkey-TBL) averaging 15.0ppg, 2.8rpg, 4.4apg, FGP: 50.5%, 3PT: 34.0%, FT: 82.1%. What was it like playing in the up and coming league in Turkey? How did your game grow there?

It was great to play in the Turkish league. It was tough night in and night out you were playing a good team so you had to be ready. My game grew in different ways but most importantly I think I improved more in a leadership role being more vocal with my teammates and coaches.

You played the 2019-2020 season with AEK Athens (Greece-A1) averaging 9.7ppg, 1.9rpg, 2.3apg, FGP: 47.1%, 3PT: 34.8%, FT: 81.5%; and in the BCL averaged 9.5ppg, 1.5rpg, 2.2apg, FGP: 46.9%, 3PT: 37.1%, FT: 88.9%. The team was stacked with a lot of talent. COVID messed up that season. How much of that lingering feeling did you have of what could have been?

This is one season I wished that we could’ve finished. I caught my rhythm at the right time and the season was over.

What was it like being teammates with ex NBA player Mario Chalmers? Even if you had had 2 years of pro experience was he like a mentor for you?

He helped me a lot I still talk to him from time to time it was great to share the court with him.

There aren’t many pro’s that can say that they played together with Marcus Slaughter and Keith Langford together at the same time: How eye popping was it having two great Euroleague players on your side?

It was a great experience to play with these guys. The amount of things they’ve showed me how to be a professional on & off the court was good for me to grow as a person also on the court:

In your second season you played with Maccabi Fox Tel-Aviv (Israel-Winner League) and Le Mans Sarthe Basket (France-Jeep ELITE ProA). Do you feel like playing in the Euroleague came a little too soon in your career and you weren’t possibly ready for it?

I definitely believe I was ready because when I did play on the court: I showed how great of a player I am, however I think it wasn’t good timing

Even if you lost a tough playoff series to Asvel, was ending the season with two strong games a good consolation to a tough season for you?

It’s always good to play well but if it doesn’t transition to wins it doesn’t matter.

Early in your career you played NBA Summer League in 2018 with the Utah Jazz and 2019 with the Boston Celtics. How was that whole experience for you? Was playing in the G-League and trying to get to the NBA never more of an option for you? D

Definitely the NBA is always the goal but I never really thought about playing in the G League

Your brother Allan had played a season in the NBA with the Boston Celtics. What do you remember being the best piece of advice he ever gave you about basketball?

Just to be consistent with what you do and focusing on the small things that’s what gives you the advantage

You played your rookie season with CEZ Basketball Nymburk (Czech Republic-NBL) averaging 13.6ppg, 3.9rpg, 2.8apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 59.1%, 3PT: 39.2%, FT: 73.8%; and in the BCL averaged 15.3ppg, 4.8rpg, 2.6apg, FGP: 54.5%, 3PT: 36.0%, FT: 86.1%. What do you remember being your wake up call where you knew that you were very far away from home?

To be honest as soon as I got off that flight and noticed the time difference

How important was it for your whole self-confidence playing for a famous organization like CEZ Basketball Nymburk? How did the mentoring of veteran Eugene Lawrence play a role or didn’t it as much?

He helped me a lot that’s like my big brother, we are both from New York so even before I got to Nymburk we were working out together in the summer.

You began your NCAA career with Quinnipiac University (NCAA). How tough were the two years there? Despite the hardship did you get anything positive from that time?


It was tough but I took it as a learning experience and got better from it

You then finished at Kennesaw State University (NCAA) where you put up incredible stats of (18.7ppg), 5.6rpg, 2.7apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 52.9%, 3PT: 36.0%, FT: 71.4% and 21.2ppg, 3.7rpg, 3.1apg, FGP: 48.6%, 3PT: 39.4%, FT: 78.8%. Did you find yourself in the year you sat out? How big was work ethic in your success here?

That’s when I became a gym rat and fell in love with the process of getting better I lived in the gym the year I sat out and it showed my two years there.

You had so many great games as a senior like against USC Upstate, Florida A & M or Alabama State just to mention a few. What do you remember being your best game?

NJIT in New Jersey was my best game to me I hit the game winner in front of all of family and friends I still remember that game to this day.

You were teammates with a great player and even better person Nigel Pruitt. What memories do you have of him who has played most of his career in Germany?

Nigel was the first person I met coming to Kennesaw he was my host on my visit and since then we’ve been good friends

Who won a one on one in practice you or Yonel Brown?

We played a lot of one on one & got different results every time.

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

Brandon Goodwin

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

Kobe , MJ, Lebron, Iverson

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

I didn’t see it.

Thanks Kendrick for the chat.

Steve Zack is a 28 year old 211cm center from Lewisberry, Pennsylvania that is playing his seventh professional season and first with Hereda San Pablo Burgos (Spain ACB). He began his professional career in 2015 that has taken him to many countries in Europe including Latvia,Bulgaria, Polan, Israel and Turkey. He has won 3 professional titles so far. He began his basketball career with Red land High School and then played at La Salle University from 2011-2015. He spoke to germanhoops before a Basketball Champions League game in Oldenburg.

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


Right now I am in Burgos, Spain. Basketball life has always treated me well. No matter the situation it’s a blessing to be able to play the game and be paid for it!

You were in Israel and Turkey during the pandemic. How have you experienced COVID and what were the most challenging things you had to cope with?

I was in Israel when it first broke out and luckily the league and government gave us fair warning that they were going to close the border and thanks to the great management at Beer Sheva they allowed us foreigners to go home and be with our families. The following season in Turkey was challenging in the aspect that there were zero fans in attendance, the weekly covid testing and then obviously dealing with the roster and game plan adaptations when someone was out with covid because it seemed like every 2 weeks it was someone different. I’m glad that things are starting to get back to normal!

With everything that you witnessed during COVID off the court how do you feel did you get stronger as a man?

As a husband and father you really see that at the end of the day, the most important thing in life is your family. Covid really allowed me to take a look at the little things I take for granted every day and appreciate them much more!

Your in your seventh professional season and have played in 6 countries. When all is said and done, in about how many countries could you imagine playing in?

I honestly have no idea lol! It could be maybe just those 6 if I return or if I’m blessed to go experience more countries I’d be more then happy too. One of my favorite parts of playing all over is learning about new cultures.

Your playing your first season in Spain in the ACB which is considered the second best league in Europe after the Euroleague. What has been the most challenging thing for your game in this league?

The most challenging thing is how every single team and player is good. There is no off night in the ACB and you are less likely to catch your opponents making mistakes during games to allow easy baskets.

You have put up consistent stats where ever you have played including in good leagues, but it still took you 6 seasons to reach the ACB. For some guys reaching the ACB comes easier while you had to pay your dues. How do you feel your game has profited from all the experience you have seen.

Every year I learn something new and am able to add it to my game, at the same time building my knowledge and experience. ACB is tough to reach as an American passport holder because I’m sure you know the rule you can only have two American passports per team.

You have been a top 5 rebounder in every country you played. Do you feel like rebounding was your main ticket to having this longevity?

Absolutely. My assistant coach in college, Horace (Pappy) Owens told me if you rebound the basketball and play defense you’ll have a job for life!

Your averaging a lot less minutes than other seasons. You obviously have a totally different role. How will your game profit from being as efficient as possible in the minutes you get?

That’s been a struggle for me this year honestly coming into a new role I’m not really used too. On paper it doesn’t look great but I try to add everything I can that might not show up on a stat sheet during my time in game!

In Latvia and Poland you put up great stats in the minutes you got. Do you sometimes wonder where you could be or if the ACB had come years earlier had you played 30-33 minutes consistently?

There’s always the What If questions with anything in life. I don’t like to look at it with this mindset. Everyone runs a different race, it’s about staying level headed and positive through it all!

Last season you played for Socar Petkimspor (Turkey-BSL) averaging 8.9ppg, Reb-5 (7.6rpg), 1.7apg, FGP: 58.5%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 58.0%. You had a very good game off the bench in a loss against 2021 Euroleague winner Efes with 14/7 stats battling top German and ex NBA player Tibor Pleiss. Did a game like this give you extra self-confidence or was it just another game

There’s always a self confidence boost when you play games like that against top competition. Afterwards you can reassure yourself that you’re in these leagues and games for a reason!

In 2019-2020 you played with Hapoel Beer Sheva (Israel-Winner League) averaging 11.8ppg, Reb-1 (10.7rpg), 2.7apg, FGP: 53.9%, FT: 62.0%. Was this one of your best seasons as a professional? You led the very competitive Winner League in rebounds including having a monster 15/21 game against Hapoel Tel Aviv.


Absolutely! Rami Hadar will forever be one of my favorite coaches. He challenges and pushes his players to give their max and I really bought into his coaching style that season which led to a very successful season that was unfortunately cut short due to Covid.

All Americans that I talk to always rave about Israel being their favorite play to play off the court. Was it the same for you?.


Who doesn’t like sunny weather and warm beaches basically all year round!?

In 2018-2019 you played for VEF Riga (Latvia-LatEstBL) averaging 11.3ppg, Reb-5 (7.2rpg), 1.7apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 57.2%, FT: 78.0%;in the VTB league and winning a title in Lithuania. What was special about this team winning the league title?

We had a very close connection within the team. Any time 12 guys from all over the place can come together quickly as possible and build good chemistry usually the seasons are very successful and Riga will always be a place I’d take my kids back to one day to see!

You battled top Euroleague power house CSKA Moscow twice losing. What was it like battling Mr Euroleague Kyle Hines. Where does he rank with all the centers you have played against in Europe?


Go outside and play basketball against a Brick Wall and that can give you a quick idea of what Kyle Hines is like. Much respect to him!

In 2017-2018 you gathered further experience with Trefl Sopot (Poland-PLK) averaging 12.0ppg, Reb-2 (8.2rpg), 2.1apg, FGP: 57.1%, FT: 69.5%. What was it like playing in Poland and being able to make another step there with your game?


I feel like Poland was my big exposure year! After that season a lot of options opened up to me to continue advancing my career and climbing the ladder.

In your second professional season you won your first two professional titles with Lukoil Academic Sofia (Bulgaria-NBL) averaging 10.7ppg, Reb-5 (8.8rpg), 1.1apg, FGP: 56.7%, FT: 67.1%; and averaged 12.3ppg, Reb-2 (9.1rpg), 2.4apg, FGP: 60.2%, FT: 65.9% in the Fiba Europe Cup. What was it like living in Sofia and playing the game you love? What did you cherish most about this opportunity?

We actually lived right outside the city in Pravets on the Riu Resort which might’ve been my best apartment set up to the day! That was my first year I got to travel Europe to play in differentcountries, opening myself for more exposure! So I’m very thankful for that opportunity with Lukoil.

You played your rookie season with Liepaja/Triobet (Latvia-LBL) averaging 14.0ppg, Reb-1 (11.9rpg), 1.3apg, Blocks-5 (1.2bpg), FGP: 51.6%, FT: 64.4%; and in the Baltic League averaged 12,3ppg Reb-1 (11.0rpg), FGP: 50.5%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 69.2%. You needed no adjustment period to being the top rebounder in 2 leagues. What was your secret to being able to be such a force inside?


It was my rookie season making very little money and I knew what kind of money was out there to be made, so the hungry underdog mentality played a big role that season.

What was your wake up call to being a rookie in Latvia where you knew that you were very far away from home?

Being in a small Latvian city where very little to no one spoke English and I remember I stayed in a hotel when I first got to the city and as you might know, small city European hotels are drastically different to Hilton’s in Philadelphia per say. So I at that moment I knew I was in for a very big test mentally at the young age of 22.

In the summer of 2015 you played NBA Summer League with the 76ers. What memories do you have of that time and did you ever feel like reaching the NBA could be realistic for you?

Just how amazing the NBA works. Those guys really have it good! I went in with that mentality to be a very positive and energetic role player during mini camp and summer league, at the time backing up the newly drafted Jahlil Okafor . I didn’t have much expectations I just wanted to do as much as I possibly could to be remembered positively.

Did you meet any big time NBA players at the Summer League? What do you remember taking with you with all the people you came in contact there?

I didn’t really have any contact with other players outside the 76ers organization during the summer league. However a few years later I did summer workouts with the Thunder and remember meeting Westbrook and seeing how professional and kind he was by greeting every single person in the building from the new guys, to the janitor, to the trainers. He made sure to greet everyone the same which is something I’ll always remember and try to implement into my life.

You played at La Salle (NCAA) from 2011-2015. Was reaching the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2013 your most memorable experience and beating Kansas State 63-61?

I actually tore ligaments in my foot the second to last game of the regular season so I didn’t get to experience the joy in playing in the tournament but to see my teammates achieve such an incredible accomplishment was awesome to be a part of!

You finished your NCAA career with losing to Davidson 67-66 and having a 24/15 game. I guess this a game you will never forget because it was your last and how you played?

One of the most heartbreaking games to as we lost on a Tyler Kalinoski left handed buzzer beater. I’ll forever remember him no matter how old I am for ending my career after my best college performance!

How did head coach John Giannini groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career?

Coach G has had many guys under him go into playing professionally so he did a great job of telling me what to expect at the next stage and I know if I ever need anything or advice that he’s a phone call away!

Who won a one on one in practice you or Garvin Hunt?

I love Garvin but me haha!

Who was the toughest player that you encountered in the NCAA that would reach the NBA?

Daniel Ochefu at Villanova was always a tough, hard matchup.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?


I would be doing a displeasure to other teammates by only naming 5. I’ve been blessed to build a ton of great relationships with teammates in the US and in Europe.

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

Amare Stoudamire, Steve Nash, LeBron James, Vince Carter These were the 4 guys I loved watching growing up. Also the 4 NBA jerseys I owned as a kid.

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

I was born in 1992 so I never got to appreciate Jordan in his prime so it’s unfair for me to even make a comparison.

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


That’s the case with most Sequels. They take something great and knock it down a few pegs with a sequel.

Thanks Steve for the chat.

Shavar Newkirk (183-PG-96, college: St.Joseph’s) is a 25 year old 183cm guard from the Bronx, New York that last played his second season in Germany in 2019-2020 with FC Schalke 04 (Germany-ProA) averaging 13.3ppg, 3.7rpg, 3.6apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 43.5%, 3PT: 27.3%, FT: 78.2%. As a rookie with FC Schalke he averaged 15,4ppg, 4,2rpg, 2,8apg and 1,5spg. He began his basketball career at Cardinal Heyes HS /Bronx, NY. In 2014 he began his NCAA career with St.Joseph’s (NCAA) playing 31 games averaging 3.3ppg, 1.7rpg, 2.3apg. In his sophomore season with St.Joseph’s (NCAA) he played 37 games averaging 8.1ppg, 2.4rpg, 2.7apg, FGP: 41.8%, 3PT: 31.2%, FT: 73.8%. In his junior season at St.Joseph’s (NCAA) he played 12 games averaging 20.3ppg, 4.8rpg, 3.5apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 49.6%, 3PT: 39.6%, FT: 84.7%. In his senior year with St.Joseph’s (NCAA) he played 32 games averaging 17.4ppg, 4.3rpg, 3.9apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 42.3%, 3PT: 32.7%, FT: 76.4%.He spoke to german hoops.com and his current basketball situation.

Shavar thanks for talking to german hoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how is basketball life treating you at the moment?

Hey, thank you for having me. I am currently back home in New York City. Basketball will and forever treat me great. I been working on my craft during this stint of not being with a organization.

We spoke a year ago. At that time you had just been released from a team in Iceland. Since then you didn’t find a team. How tough has the last year been for you?

The last year have been really tough for me but that doesn’t discourage me of keeping my eye on the main goal. All I can do is stay ready and when the opportunity presents itself , I will have to seize the moment.

Did COVID become less or more challenging since we last spoke? I guess you don’t have any problems anymore finding a gym.

Covid has been more challenging due to the world assuming it wouldn’t last this long. We are currently trying to adjust back to regular programming while having this virus still around . No I do not have any problems getting in the gym anymore . My good friend and trainer Jr Levy has been doing a good job for the community allowing middle school, high school , college and pro hoopers to get in the gym and work on their craft.

Your not the only player that isn’t playing now, but do you feel like you’re a victim of COVID? How tough has the market been in your case?

Yes I feel like I am a victim of Covid. The market has been very tough. It’s been hard to find the right fit for me, but as time passes, I know something good will come along.

How tough is it seeing guys you know playing the game they love and earning money and your sitting around? How mentally challenging is life right now?

It’s not that tough . I am happy for my friends knowing that they are living out their dreams . On the other hand , I have never been a person focusing on what others do. I just know I have to control what I can control. Right now what I can control is being in shape and staying ready for my chance.

Have you had some contact to your old teammates like Deandre Bembry, Charlie Brown or Isaiah Miles? They have been busy playing?

Yes I have been in contact with them . We all have each other on social media in some form whether it’s Facebook, Instagram or snap chat . They have been busy playing to succeed at the level they playing at.

So no disrespect to your ex teammate Javon Bauman, but he never averaged more than 3,6ppg per season at St Joe’s and is playing his fourth season in the German Pro A. I guess it is generally tough for guards to get work, but you should be having work. How have you stayed positive in the last year? Has there been a person who has been very important for you in this time and has kept you mentally tough?

Yes I have stayed positive last year. I’m just a person that is positive and comes from a great family . My family have been important at this tough time , especially my girlfriend Dequanea. She showed me to find the benefit of a difficult situation.

Has any thing changed in how you keep in shape and work on your game since we last spoke? Do you change up your work outs or are they generally the same?

They are generally the same. My trainer and I work on situational things that can happen during the game . Different defenses I may see and how I react to it and when to use certain moves we practice on.

Do you feel like your game has improved in the last year? You have had a lot of time of being able to work on your craft.

My game have improved extremely during the past year . More importantly my mentality has changed.

In our last interview you stated ‘With Covid being here, I am well aware of how blessed I am and fortunate to continue to do what I love . I am extremely hungry to get back on the court and show what I have and what I got to prove’. How do you feel now having had another year of not playing competitive?

I’m feeling extremely anxious to step back on the court. I have just been fueling my mind and body right to get prepared for basketball again. I have worked hard to improve my craft so I can be ready for whatever opportunity I hope I have in the near future .

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

Yes I have seen the sequel to Coming to America. It wasn’t as bad as people made it seem like , I enjoyed the movie. In my opinion about anything in general , the original is always better. People can never duplicate that original masterpiece . It’s always one of a kind.

Thanks Shavar for the chat

It really doesn’t matter what is happening, if the city of Koblenz is experiencing some flooding or if the Covid infections suddenly rise, basketball life has been very pleasant for the hardcore fans as everything had been very rosy until last weekend. The 6-0 team experienced a shocking and surprising 87-64 drubbing on the road at the hands of the TSV Tropics Oberaching. The number two team in the Pro B south couldn’t let it rain three’s and they gave up a disappointing 22 turnovers while allowing sniper and captain Janosh Kogler to play his solid offensive game and allowed ex BBL player Peter Zeis to get hot from downtown. The 6-1 EPG Baskets Koblenz wanted to begin a winning streak and faced off against the 1-3 White Wings Hanau who had began the season off on the wrong foot. 900 fans showed up to celebrate the first game of the EPG Baskets Koblenz in the beautiful state of the art CGM arena and weren’t disappointed as they witnessed a Sunday afternoon scoring power that was helped by a strong defensive effort as they destroyed the White Wings Hanau 84-54. After a big win a happy Brian Butler explained why the team was so dominating. ‘It was important for us to show a reaction after the loss last weekend. We didn’t defend the way we know how last weekend. Today we kept our zone as small as possible and gave up the open shots. We all played for each other. We are all one big family and that showed today. There are no ego’s or 1-1 play on the team. We always try to win as a team’, stressed 2017 easyCredit BBL dunk champion Brian Butler. Hanau had problems all day long against the Hanau zone and coughed up 23 turnovers which led to the big loss. ‘We just weren’t there from the start. We began slow. There zone kept us down. They always had 4 guys in the paint and we couldn’t hit our shots’, explained ex Bowling Green State University (NCAA) player JD Tisdale.
The White Wings Hanau began with a quick trey from German Philip Hecker, but it didn’t take Koblenz long to get their offense going as they had their three point shooting on as German Niclas Sperber scored as did ex BBL player Dominique Johnson and 16 year phenom Jamaal Phatty. Two of the three were bank shots as Hanau trailed 11-5. The offense was flowing and the zone was a rock for Koblenz. The only White Wings player that was really dangerous was athletic forward JD Tisdale as he was difficult to control. Koblenz continued to up the lead as their offense continued to execute as Phatty scored again on a huge one handed stuff as did Johnson from outside giving Koblenz the 18-8 advantage. A big strength on the day for Koblenz was their deep bench as guys like Brian Butler and Indrek Sunelik came off the bench fresh and gave massive minutes. Butler made a lay in and free throws and Sunelik a lay in and three pointer as the EPG Baskets Koblenz led 26-15 after 10 minutes. ‘Our focus on the game plan was to be better than last week. We showed where the hammer was and put a stamp on it’, warned Brian Butler.

The EPG Baskets Koblenz shifted up a few more gears in the second quarter and were able to continue to score at ease and added more intensity on defense to win the quarter 23-14 and lead 49-29 at the break. The Koblenz defense stopped Hanau’s first 7 possessions and forced them to 4 turnovers. Offensively they rushed a bit getting only 4 points from Butler and ex Eisbaeren Bremerhaven point guard Marvin Heckel (190-PG-97) to lead 30-15. Hanau finally received their first bucket of the quarter at the 5,55 minute mark as their go to guy JD Tisdale scored inside. The White Wings Hanau then found a little daylight as Hecker made a 4 point play and German Niklas Krause scored to cut the Koblenz lead down to 32-23. But that didn’t disturb Koblenz as they wiped that little run to the side and exploded for 12 unanswered points to extend their lead to 44-23. Another big strength in this game for the EPG Baskets was their ability to easily stop little runs from getting to big and then bang making their own run to up the lead again. In the run, they got two huge three’s from ex Georgia Tech (NCAA) guard Shembari Philipps who had a very efficient game netting 12 points in 13 minutes while adding 4 boards and 3 dimes, a 20 footer from German Lucas Meyer and 4 points from Marvin Heckel. Hanau got baskets in the last minutes from JD Tisdale and German Matthias Fichtner, but Koblenz countered with another trey from Philipps and a 20 footer from Heckel as they had the comfortable 49-29 lead after 20 minutes. The Koblenz defense continued to be their staple as Hanau couldn’t buy a basket inside against the wall. ‘We knew that if we could play solid defense then we could go and run and get easy baskets. If defense works so does our offense’, said Brain Butler.

In the third quarter the EPG Baskets were able to continue to heighten their game as they were able to lead by as much as 34 points. They once again showed that they could be able to react to some adversary against them and then just explode with their game. Hanau began well with a rapid 4-0 run as Tisdale made a steal and hard one handed dunk and Hecker used a mismatch inside to score over the young and inexperienced Jamaal Phatty to cut the Koblenz lead down to 49-33. But then the EPG Baskets Koblenz demonstrated just how lethal their offensive attack can be as they unleashed a nasty 13-0 run to extend their lead to 62-33. In the run they got solid support from German Niclas Sperber who sports a white hair dew nailed two three’s, while Philipps and Heckel made jumpers and Phatty a lay in. Phatty continues to shine despite his 16 years. He got the green light and confidence from head coach Mario Dugandzic from the first day and one can see that he is a big fan of his. The young German is allowed to make mistakes and get the minutes that regular 16 year old’s don’t see in the Pro B. He finished with 11 points, 3 rebounds and 4 steals in 21 minutes. ‘Jamaal is my small brother. He works very hard and wants to get better. We try to compensate from his defense. He is a big talent that needs to see minutes’, warned Brian Butler. Down the stretch, Hanau could muster little offense and really only had Tisdale who could break through the zone and score with his individual class scoring 6 points. Koblenz continued to get ample support from everyone including Brian Butler who scored twice in the paint. Last season he was the only consistent big time scorer, but this season his work load is a lot less mainly because there are two other Butler’s on the team in terms of being able to have huge nights each night with Johnson and Heckel. He finished with 13/5/2 stats in 16 minutes. ‘I do what the team needs me to do this season. If that means playing 40 minutes of defense and scoring 2 points then I will do it. We have a team this season like I did in Elchingen where the team was stacked. A good team is when you never know who can score 20 points on a night. I have no problem with my role. I don’t need to have the ball in my hands all the time’, warned Brian Butler. The EPG Baskets Koblenz led 71-40 after 30 minutes. ‘We stuck to our game plan of doing what we need to do for 40 minutes to be successful. We had great ball movement and there was no ego play. When we get stops, it makes the offense easier’, explained Brian Butler. ‘We had bad turnovers which affected us mentally. We began well, but then they went on that run and our momentum went down’, remembered JD Tisdale.

The EPG Baskets Koblenz let up a bit in the fourth quarter losing it 14-13. When you lead by 30 points, it can happen that a team loses a little focus. The EPG Baskets Koblenz began well going on a 6-2 run to extend their lead to 77-42. Butler made a hard dunk, Phatty a reverse dunk and Meyer a step back jumper. Nobody was going to take this win from the EPG Baskets Koblenz and they shifted a few gears down. The White Wings Hanau finished the game with a positive 12-7 run. In the run the guests got good support from 20 year old ex Hakro Merlins youth player German Stefan Vasovic who contributed 7 points. Hecker also added 5 points as the sniper nailed another trey and also used a mismatch again for an easy bucket. Butler helped his efficiency and stat line with two more baskets inside. ‘We lost a little of focus in the fourth quarter. It’s hard to be focused when your up by 30 points. Our next step as a team is to keep giving gas in the fourth quarter when were up by so much’, commented Brian Butler. ‘We showed moral and never gave up. We want to take this energy into the next game’, added JD Tisdale. The EPG Baskets Koblenz were led by Marvin Heckel with 22 points. Brian Butler added 13 points and Shembari Philips 12 points while the White Wings Hanau were led by JD Tisdale with 22 points while Philip Hecker added 14 points. The EPG Baskets Koblenz shot 55% from the field and 42% from outside and had 28 rebounds and 13 turnovers while the White Wings Hanau shot 41% from the field and 29% from outside an dhad 22 rebounds and 23 turnovers.

Basketball life continues to be extremely good for the Fraport Skyliners Juniors as so far everything is working for the farm team of easyCredit BBL team Fraport Sklyiners. After an expected loss against the EPG Baskets Koblenz to kick off the season, the club that helps develop German young talents have been perfect and were riding an impressive 5 game winning streak having a 5-1 record. They had blow out wins against the TSV Oberaching Tropics and FC Bayern Munich and made it real exciting and memorable in the last two games winning two come from behind games and winning it in the last seconds against the Arvato College Wizards and the Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer. The Frankfurt club wanted to ride the momentum and extend their winning streak to 6 games against the pesky 4-2 Basketball Lowen Erfurt. The Eastern Germany team have been playing fine basketball under Bamberg legend Uvis Helmanis winning four of the last five games including two classic nail bitters against Speyer and FC Bayern Munich. They were able to keep their spirited good play alive as they were able to halt the Fraport Skyliners Juniors five game winning streak with a 77-61 victory. The Erfurt club would have won by more had they not allowed Konstantin Schubert to polish his game stats and let Frankfurt close out the game with an energetic 12-2 run. 32 year old French forward Guy Landry Edi (202-F/G-88, college: Gonzaga) who played his first professional game at age 16 for Gordon Herbet was thrilled after the big win. ‘We didn’t have a good start and gave them self-confidence. But as the game continued, we were able to dictate our game, take advantage of the mis matches and inside. We also played very good team defense’, stressed Guy Landry Edi. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors had good lapses, but overall made too many mistakes and had one vital aspect missing. ‘Erfurt had more energy than we did all game long and just wanted it more. We didn’t shoot well and they used their physicality to hurt our small size. Offensive rebounds and turnovers hurt us most today’, said Fraport Skyliner Junior Philipp Hadenfeldt.

The Fraport Skyliners Juniors caught the Basketball Lowen Erfurt napping early speeding out to a rapid 5-0 lead with baskets from ex Giessen guard Niklas Bilski and Leon Pullen who tested his 100% three point shooting percentage with a trey. Another Bilski bucket gave Frankfurt the 7-2 advantage, but early mistakes with offensive rebounds and lax defense inside which would plague Frankfurt the rest of the way quickly tied the game at 7-7 as ex PS Karlsruhe guard Tyseem Lyles and MIles Osei scored. Frankfurt did a good job early on getting transition baskets. Frankfurt continued to dictate the game leading 12-7 as Leon Pullen continued to be an offensive spark scoring inside. But then came the turning point of the game as Frankfurt allowed Erfurt to go on a 10-0 run to lead 17-12 and they would never look back. The guests got a lift from ex Science City Jena guard Jan Heber who scored twice and young German Dominykas Pleta made a two handed stuff. The guests did a good job using the mismatches and getting easy baskets and slowed down Philipp Hadenfeldt. Down the stretch Frankfurt got baskets from Hadenfeldt and Risto Vasiljevic who was back after having played a season of Pro A ball with the MLP Academics Heidelberg, but Erfurt had the 21-18 lead after 10 minutes.

In the second quarter the Fraport Skyliners Juniors remained on the guests door step, but half way through they were able to break away and lead by double digits and would never look back. The powerful physical Noah Kamden began the second quarter with a lay in, but Frankfurt countered with baskets from Bilski and Hadenfeldt to trim the Lowen’s lead down to 25-23. The Basketball Lowen continued to have a grip on the game and had fine offensive execution getting timely baskets from Guy Landry Edi who let his mid range game take control and Noah Kamden made a two handed dunk for the 36-29 lead. Frankfurt received baskets from Konstantin Schubert and Leon Pullen. It was no secret that Frankfurt was missing their two big men Marco Voeller and Alexander Richardson who were in Braunschweig for a BBL cup game and it showed inside as they had no muscle to combat the intensity and physicality of Erfurt. The guests closed out the second quarter with a 9-4 run to lead comfortably 45-33 at the break. Edi who played 56 NCAA games with Gonzaga showed his classic inside out game scoring inside and nailing a trey. Pleta also scored twice gaining an offensive rebound and put back and a back door lay in. Edi was instrumental with the guests having the double digit lead. He finished the night with 18/12/4 stats shooting 54% from the field. ‘I didn’t force anything early on and was finding my teammates more. Later I got to my spots better. I knew I had to score more to get my team going’, stressed Guy Landry Edi. Frankfurt’s two sore spots rebounding and turnovers were thorns in their side and were the main reason why they trailed. They had 12 turnovers to Erfurt’s 6 after 20 minutes.

In the third quarter the Basketball Lowen Erfurt were able to use their rising self-confidence and raise their lead and limited the Fraport Skyliners Juniors to only 11 points. Erfurt began with a swift 7-2 run to lead 52-35. Kamden began with an easy basket as Frankfurt had nobody that could combat his game. Heber followed with a dunk on transition and Edi let his athleticism shine with a lay in. Then followed three three’s from Bilski, Lyles and Hadenfeldt, but Frankfurt just couldn’t get consistent stops and still were seeking a way to get over the hump trailed 56-43. The Basketball Lowen Erfurt did a great job pressuring the Frankfurt guards and sneaking in annoying presses that Frankfurt couldn’t come to terms with. Tyseem Lyles had a dark shooting night 1/16, but they got good support from other guys. Frankfurt just couldn’t muster any offensive efficiency often getting forced to take tough shots. Pleta made a second chance play to points and Heber and Calvin Schaum added free throws, but Frankfurt still trailed 61-44 after 30 minutes. ‘We haven’t been good this season starting the third quarter. Tonight we came in more focused. Everybody stepped up helping us keep a good lead. We still had too many turnovers. We need to cut down on them’, stressed Guy Landry Edi. ‘They punished us each time we made a mistake. They pressured our guards well and we couldn’t contain Edi. He is very difficult to defend, because he has a very good shot for a 4 man’, commented Philipp Hadenfeldt. Frankfurt had a very poor third quarter shooting the ball and were behind on the boards 33-24 and had 15 turnovers.

The fourth quarter was the Fraport Skyliners Juniors best quarter of the game as they won it 17-16. Kamden and Hadenfeldt traded baskets to kick off the last quarter, but a lethal 10-0 run by the Basketball Lowen Erfurt sealed the win as they led 71-47. In the run, it was Jan Heber again who supplied his energy and offense scoring twice Latvian guard Otto Fahrenhorsts connected on a runner, Edi once again scored an easy bucket and Kamden made a two handed dunk on the fast break. Frankfurt’s energy level was sinking rapidly on the defensive end as the physicality of the guests left massive scars on the Frankfurt players. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors then found some last gas in their tank and closed out the game with a 12-2 run that made the score look a little bit better. Frankfurt finally began to execute better led by Konstantin Schubert’s 6 points. Hadenfeldt and Calvin Schaum also added three pointers. ‘We needed to be more focused at the end. Coach gave some guys from the bench the opportunity to step up and show that they can play. We played too soft. The young guys need to learn from these situations’, stated Guy Landry Edi. ‘Every point is valuable. We have to look at the point differential. We know that we play them again. We took our last energy for the run at the end. We had some guys play today that usually don’t get the chance’, said Philipp Hadenfeldt. The Basketball Lowen Erfurt were led by Guy Landry Edi with 18 points. Jan Heber added 17 points and Noah Kamden 16 points while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors were led by Philipp Hadenfeldt and Niklas Bilski with 14 points apiece. The Basketball Lowen Erfurt shot 45% from the field and 15% from outside and had 44 rebounds and 17 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 35% from the field and 27% from outside and had 35 rebounds and 19 turnovers.

John Murry (192-G-95, college: Austin Peay) is a 26 year old 193cm guard from Indianapolis, Indiana that is playing his third professional season in Germany with BSG Grevenbroich (Germany-Regionalliga). Before that he had experience with the Kitchener-Waterloo Titans. He played two years at Owens Community College playing 63 games and two years at Austin Peay State University (NCAA) playing 56 NCAA games and as a senior averaged 16.7ppg, 2.7rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 54.0%, 3PT: 33.9%, FT: 81.1%. He and Miles Schmidt-Scheuber talk weekly about basketball.

How positive was the mentality going into the game against losing team BG Dorsten? You must have had some confidence going in without being to cocky?

Yes we are just learning so much about ourselves as a team, we beat ourselves sometimes so the key is just staying focused for 40 min with us.

Talk a little about the first 4 quarters. What didn’t allow you to get this win in regular time? Perhaps not being able to slow down Brevard and Cica who combined for 60 points?

Like I said previously, Just mentally staying focused for 40 min and grinding out a win. It’s in us to do that we just have to prepare our minds to stay locked in for the whole 40.

Grevenbroich was able to force overtime. What was key in the last 5 minutes that allowed BG Dorsten to get the win?

One of their players made 8 3’s and that took the momentum going into overtime. Just making sure we stay committed to shooters and not let them get their feet set.

Guarding the three point line and turnovers were the main problems once again. Have you ever been hit by 18 three’s by a team?

Never in my life but we are working to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

Talk about the vital energy that Thabiso Mkwanazi gave with 12 points in 14 minutes. Is this kid still raw?

Yes but Thabiso has so much potential to be a good player in this league, with growth and experience he can be a strong offense tool.

You had a massive game with 35/8/4/5/4. Do you ever remember combining for 9 steals and blocks in a game in your career?

This is probably the first time since high school I’ve had a combination of 9 blocks and steals.
I’ve been studying myself on the defensive end trying to get better and better each opportunity I get.

If you would have connected better on the three you could have had 50 points. How disappointing was your 2/13 shooting?

I just kept saying the next one is going in, especially shooting shots I normally make but I got back in the gym and fixed it for the next game.

You have one on one talks with the other guys? What are you doing to combat this losing streak?

Yes, and most of the guys are young so mentally you can’t do too much but just trying to be positive and let them know certain situations and timing during the game so they can understand the game better.

Congrats on the first win over BG Hagen. How good does it feel finally getting the money off your back?

Felt great, the guys were happy to get this first one so we are looking forward to building on top of this win and hope to create a lot more.

Maybe you should keep playing games within 48 hours. What was key in getting the win?

That would be something mentally everybody would have to key in on, but we just took our time and took care of the ball, making our free throws down the stretch and just being solid on defense.

The team also coughed up the ball only 11 times. You had always stressed the last weeks that you would make this change and it did. What did you guys do better this time?

We just buckled down on offense, took our time and got what we wanted instead of forcing a play that’s not there and it leading to a TO and 2 points on the other end. We are growing in this area very rapidly

Veteran Bastian Becker had 23 points. How vital was his play and he finally showed what he could do every night.

Basti is our X factor, and played an amazing game for us last game. We will have to find him a lot more in catch and shoot situations so he is effective in the games to come. Super proud of the Veteran.

Next you have another must win against the 3-4 Miners from Essen. What will be key in getting the win?

Just locking in on defense, making sure we box out and play smart.
Giving the extra effort on defense will take us farther then we can Imagine.

Thanks John for the chat.

Stanley Whittaker (183-G-94, college: Keiser) is a 26 year old 183cm point guard from Philadelphia playing his third professional season and first in Germany with PS Karlsruhe. He played his rookie season in Lithuania and last season had his break through with UBSC Raiffeisen Graz (Austria-BSL) playing 24 games: Score-2 (21.5ppg), 6.3rpg, Assists-2 (8.0apg), Steals-1 (2.6spg), FGP: 49.3%, 3PT: 40.5%, FT: 78.4%. He played his college ball at Frank Phillips (JUCO) and Keiser (NAIA). He teams up every week with Miles Schmidt-Scheuber to talk basketball

A tough weekend where PS Karlsruhe lost both games to Nurnberg and Paderborn. How tough is it to digest these loses considering both are teams close to you in the standings?

It’s very tough to lose both games, in Nurnberg we were up and couldn’t close. And against Paderborn we were totally demolished. But we look to learn, put those games behind us and bounce back.

You were leading Nurnberg in the fourth and let it slip away. What were the causes of the defense not being able to hold down the fort?

Yes we were leading but Nurnberg made some tough plays offensively against us what I felt was good defense. Good offense beats good defense any day but we still have to find a way to get stops no matter what. Sometimes being able to execute very well from outside won’t win you the game.
Rebounding lost you this game. Was this the worst rebounding performance of the season?

I’m not sure if it was the worst rebounding game of the season, the numbers may say so though. We haven’t rebounded well collectively thus far, we definitely have to get better immediately with rebounding.


As usual you had another solid game scoring 21 points. What do you believe could you have done better to seal the win?

I think I should’ve been more aggressive offensively and been more disruptive defensively.

In the Sunday game PS Karlsruhe was mauled 88-57. You guys couldn’t generate any offense in the first three quarters. Was this just a game where nothing worked or was the Paderborn defense responsible more than your own actions?

I think it was more of a game where not much went our way, offensively or defensively. It was a bad performance from us as a group.

PS Karlsruhe rebounded the ball better, but gave up an acceptable 22 turnovers. How much blame do you give yourself?

We won’t win any game with such high turnovers so we have to take care of the basketball. I’m at fault big time because my 3 first quarter turnovers ignited them early on.

Jordan Barnes gave you headaches all day long. He almost achieved a triple double. He is competing with you for top Pro A guard.

He’s a good player, he has a good system around him that allows him to thrive . Respect to him and his team.

You only took 6 shots which is unusual for you. Did their scouting on you surprise you?

It wasn’t much about their scouting report that surprised me, I just wasn’t aggressive at all, I was much passive and deferred.

It doesn’t get any easier as you next meet Science City Jena and Bremerhaven. How do you rebound after last weekend?

Two good tests for us, we look forward to the challenge. And just like any other game, we prepare and try to come out with the victory.

What NBA player are you observing the most at the moment?

I’m observing Kevin Durant the most right now.

Thanks Stan for the chat.