The last time the Fraport Skyliners played a home game in the Fraport arena with fans was almost 19 months ago. Back then you had Skyliners running up and down the floor with Lamont Jones, Shaquille Hines and Daniel Schmidt while the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg still had a raw BBL player with Jaleen Smith who was continuing to grow as a player as well as potent players like Marcos Knight and Nick Weiler-Babb. Now at the start of two seasons later one thing never changes. Quantez Robertson is still here playing his 13^th season and not seeming to slow down. COVID changed everything in the world and not playing in front of fans was a difficult task for every one. Finally the loud atmosphere was back again everywhere This season´s roster is a very interesting one firstly with new Spanish head coach Diego Ocampo as well as many new players like Donovan Donaldson, Matt Haarms and Brooks DeBischop and many questions marks. As usual the club has suffered the injury bug. Good for them that they would meet the Basketball Lowen Braunschweig as they are one of the weaker teams this season. A victory off the bat was vital, because the club would meet some real tough teams in the next weeks and didn´t want to be in the hole right away. The Fraport Skyliners were in control in the first half even if they could never shake the guests, but in the second half the tide changed as Braunschweig stepped up their defensive intensity and found a way to execute better offensively winning 89-76 despite a great day from Quantez Robertson scoring a career high 29 points. “We had a lack of execution when we needed it most in the fourth quarter and we also gave up too many second chance points and turnovers which helped them get the win”, stressed ex Auburn(NCAA) guard Quantez Robertson.  The Basketball Lowen Braunschweig got a massive win on the road and most importantly give them a good chance to win the head to head points against Frankfurt for t5eh season winning by 13 points. “We started slow, because we were a bit nervous. It was the first BBL game for some guys. But in the second half we started to run and play better defense. We also hit timely shots and played more aggressive defense. The only problem we had was trying to stop Quantez Robertson”, stressed Czech Republic national player Ondrej Sehnal.

                The first quarter was a tight affair as no team could escape each other as the Fraport Skyliners led 21-20 after 10 minutes. Both teams found their offensive rhythm, but couldn´t find an identity on the defensive end. Frankfurt got some early energy from 221 cm Dutch giant rookie Matt Haarms who did a good job establishing position and then letting his arms and shot do the rest. Branschweig got massive early production from ex Georgia Southern University(NCAA) guard Tookie Brown who scored three buckets showing his classy mid range game and penetration. With the contest dead locked at 8-8, Frankfurt coach Diego Ocampo inserted ex wiha Panther Rasheed Moore who as usual gave the team instant support with a jumper and trey for the 13-10 advantage. Frankfurt would get the lead back just before the end of the first quarter. At the 3,27 minute mark, new Skyliner Senegal guard Brancou Badio who last played with FC Barcelona was inserted and saved his best for last as he made a crushing one handed dunk as he sprinted from center court and showed his brutal athleticism that almost knocked Quantez Robertson off his chair on the bench. “His dunk was a bit surprising, because I didn´t see it coming. He attacked the rim and I was sipping some water on the bench and almost choked after that dunk”, laughed Quantez Robertson. Both teams were shooting at a very high clip going into the second quarter.

                The second quarter didn´t begin as smoothly for both clubs as the first few minutes brought an ugly turnover party as both teams coughed it up at a high rate. It seemed like a sequel could be happening to the Pro B game of the night before between the Fraport Skyliners Juniors and TSV Oberaching Tropics where both teams produced an incredible 51 turnovers combined. The Fraport Skyliners recovered from the mishaps better as they snuck out on a 11-2 run to give themselves their biggest lead of the game at 32-22. In the run it was Badio who continued to shine. He made a lay in and his concentration and confidence made it look like he had been with Frankfurt for a longer time and not just three days. Frankfurt also got massive support from their leader and league identity figure Quantez Robertson who nailed two three´s and also contributed a steal and went coast to coast for the lay in. Frankfurt was flourishing on offense, but had serious lapses on defense allowing the guests to go on little spurts. Braunschweig got support from Sehnal, ex MBC center Benedikt Turudic and ex FC Bayern Munich German Robin Amaize to cut Frankfurt´s lead down to 33-30. Down the stretch Badio continued to be that reliable scorer that Frankfurt so desperately need making a floater and 20 footer. At the end of 40 minutes he had produced 14/4/4 stats and impressed his teammates like Quantez Robertson even if he did have 5 turnovers, his first game was refreshing. “He was very poised and was very aggressive. He shot the ball well and played good defense. He will be a very good addition for us”, stated Quantez Robertson. Despite leading 38-30, Frankfurt got careless at the end allowing a 5-0 Braunschweig run to lead only 38-35. “We executed better did a better job getting rebounds and getting out on the fast break”, said Quantez Robertson.

                In the third quarter the Basketball Lowen Braunschweig came out refocused and took control of the game, but still couldn´t shake the Fraport Skyliners allowing them to hang around and always be in striking range. Braunschweig got vital production from their guard duo of ex ratiopharm Ulm guard David Kramer and Sehnal as they made big baskets, but Frankfurt stayed on their door step getting key buckets from ex Alba Berlin big man Lorenz Brenneke, Robertson and Rasheed Moore to tie the game at 47-47. Braunschwieg executed better playing more team basketball and pressured the Frankfurt guards more efficiently. The gusts continued to keep the slim lead getting further important scores from Brown and Owen Klassen, but Frankfurt stayed with them cutting the lead to 52-51 as Quantez Robertson was alert getting out quickly on transition and beating the Braunschweig transition defense. Klassen got two more baskets, but Frankfurt always had an answeras  Donovan Donaldson scored a lay in and free throws to tie the game at 59-59. But the Basketball Lowen Braunschweig still had something up their sleeve as Robin Amaize made a catch and pop jumper as time expired in the third quarter giving Braunschweig the 61-59 advantage. Both teams shot over 50% from the field, but Frankfurt had the rebound edge 29-21, but had an unacceptable 16 turnovers. “Coach told us at half-time that we weren´t playing Braunschwieg basketball. We came out running more and played more aggressive defense. As we hit our shots more, the more confidence we got”, said Ondrej Sehnal.  “Braunschweig played more aggressive defense and executed better. They simply wanted it more than us. They pressured us well and we had bad turnovers”, expressed Quantez Robertson.

                In the fourth quarter the Basketball Lowen took total control and despite a furious offensive explosion by Quantez Roberson, the Fraport Skyliners couldn´t get over the hump. Braunschwieg didn´t waste anytime racing out on a 7-0 run to take their biggest lead of the game 68-59. In the run they got baskets from Peterka, Sehnal and Turudic. Braunschweig had incredible intensity while Frankfurt couldn´t muster anything in their set offense. The point guard play was below average and they had no real center input on this day which hampered their production. But sometimes things can move so rapidly when you fire away as Rasheed Moore and Quantez Robertson did guiding a lightening blitz form the parking lot and suddenly Frankfurt trailed only 68-65. But Braunschweig always had answers scoring twice quickly as Klassen and Amaize countered to give Braunschweig the 72-65 lead. But then came the big time of Quantez Robertson as he nailed three consecutive three´s, but Frankfurt still was unable to make ground still trailing 77-74. “I came out aggressive and just tried to help my team”, stated Quantez Robertson. It seemed like Frankfurt might have the momentum now, but they didn´t because they couldn´t get stops. After Klassen and Haarms traded baskets, it was Sehnal that put an early stamp on the game with a three giving the guests the 84-76 win. “I started sloppy, but came better into the game in the third quarter with my defense and then started hitting shots”, said Ondrej Sehnal. Braunschweig then put the nail on the coffin securing three offensive rebounds in two possessions while getting two stops. A Brown lay in and Peterka trey closed out the game. “We changed up our defense after the three Robertson three´s and that was key for the win”, expressed Ondrej Sehnal. “Second chance points hurt us in the pre season and did again today at the end. We also couldn´t get the defensive rebounds at the end”, expressed Quantez Robertson. The Basketball Lowen Braunschweig were led by Martin Peterka with 16 points. David Kraemer and Ondrej Sehnal added 14 points a piece and Owen Klassen, Tookie Brown and Robin Amaize had 13 points a piece while the Fraport Skyliners were led by Quantez Robertson with 29 points. Brancou Badio added 14 points and Rasheed Moore had 13 points. The Basketball Lowen Braunschweig shot 55% from the field and 50% from outside and had 33 rebounds and 15 turnovers Fraport Skyliners shot 49% from the field and 38% from outside and had 33 rebounds and 21 turnovers.

It doesn´t happen often in the German Pro B, but every so often it does when two teams meet within only a few days. Last season the schedule allowed the Fraport Skyliners Juniors to meet the TSV Oberaching Tropics  within 4 days where the two clubs split. In the meeting in Frankfurt the Bavarian team led by head coach Mario Matic who was a teammate of 2009 easyCredit BBL scoring champion Omari Westley with Nordlingen was spanked 99-76 as Len Schoorman and Noah Kamden combined for 41 points. This time around both players were absent and the Fraport Skyliners Juniors were reeling from a very tough blow out loss to Pro B favorite EPG Baskets Koblenz. On the other hand the TSV Tropics Oberaching came to Frankfurt with a massive 61-59 home win over Erfurt and had a lot of chemistry and self confidence coming to Frankfurt. The Bavarian guests who had to let go from rising German talent Benjamin Schroeder who decided to stick to youth team IBAM, but still had a very strong team led by captain Janosch Koegler and many experienced players that know how to play together. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors as always have a very deep young team that are always ready for a surprise and once again they came ready to play and spanked the TSV Oberaching Tropics again this time without Len Schoorman 93-59. It was a game that saw the Fraport Skyliners Juniors spray three´s from all over  in an ugly turnover slugfest that saw both team cough up the ball combined an incredible 51 times. Frankfurt came out and dominated from the start, but gave up way too many turnovers and against smarter and deeper teams could of seen a totally different game. After the first win of the season, center Marco Voeller displayed his feelings about the result. “For the most part it was a good game. We made way too many bad decisions. We gave up too many offensive rebounds. The ball movement was good, but then again we sometimes made too many passes. When a guy was open came an extra and an extra pass. I felt like we made good decisions out of the pick and roll”, stated ex BBL player Marco Voeller. The guests came out flat and could never find a consistent game rhythm. It was a game too forget and now they have three weeks to practice and get better until their next game. “They came out and put us on the spot right away. We tried to figure it out, but they always had an answer for us. We couldn´t figure it out on offense or defense. We gave our all, but weren´t ready mentally or physically. I´m still proud of the guys the way they stuck together”, stressed ex University Of Buffalo(NCAA) guard John Boyer.

                The TSV Oberaching Tropics having got trapped under the bed covers at the start and before they even knew what had struck them, they were staring at a 9-0 deficit. In the strong early run, Frankfurt got vital production from 18 year old young German buck Alexander Richardson who muscled home a lay in over three defenders and made a lay in while ex Hanau guard Felix Hecker dropped free throws and ex TG Hanau forward Calvin Schaum made a steal and went coast to coast for the bucket. Who knows where the guests would have ended up had they not had the early brutal production from 208cm big man Bernhard Benke who got the guests on the board for the first time at the 6,42 minute mark after the team had not scored on it´s first 6 possessions. Frankfurt had found their offensive rhythm early and continued to execute finding their range from outside as point guard Alvin Oniya nailed a trey as did Schaum for the 15-4 lead. Frankfurt had many helping hands including 8 year man Konstantin Schubert who hit a trey for the 18-11 advantage. Frankfurt had great ball movement, controlled the boards despite Benke doing his thing inside and pressured their guards well. The guests still hadn´t found a team rhythm, but rather it was Benke who scored 9 points in a row keeping his team in the game as nobody else was a factor. “I feel bad for Bernhard. His back must be hurting from carrying us so much. He played with so much passion and we didn´t support him. He is a stable force and he brings it each day”, stressed John Boyer. Oberaching had no outside shooting, but rather did damage inside as ex Wurzburg power forward Fynn Fischer who played 3 BBL games made two baskets at the end, but Frankfurt still had the commanding advantage 25-15. The game turned into a turnover fest as both teams had combined for 13 turnovers after one quarter. “Frankfurt got off to a hot start. They had good ball movement. Guys like Oniya, Richardson Hecker practice with us so it becomes contagious. They just couldn´t stop the kid Benke”, stated Fraport Skyliner Quantez Robertson.

                In the second quarter, the Fraport Skyliners Juniors were able to extend their lead to 20 points, but the turnover slug fest continued as both teams coughed up the ball at a high rate as both had 26 at the break. The guests actually got on the board first as Fynn Fischer made an offensive rebound and put back, but Frankfurt struck back getting a Voeller lay in and Philipp Hadenfeld trey for the 30-17 lead. Then came the high point of the turnover slug fest as a few minutes transpired as no team scored, but the possessions changed rapidly with many turnovers. Oberaching had little offensive fire power as ex FC Bayern Munich 2 German Moritz Noeres made a floater, but Frankfurt always had an answer. Hadenfeld got hot scoring 8 points while Alvin Onyia nailed a three pointer for the 41-21 Frankfurt lead. Frankfurt continued to defend aggressively and with passion not allowing the guests to get off good shots while their pressure always got them into problems. Benke scored 4 points in the last minute, but Frankfurt continued to have the comfortable lead leading 45-25 at the break. Frankfurt continued to have the rebound lead 22-12 and both teams were dead locked at 13 apiece in the turnover column. “Their were so many turnovers. I think a big problem that Frankfurt had was that they tried to play too fast. Hadenfeld and Schubert hit big shots and carried the team”, said ex Auburn(NCAA) player Quantez Robertson.

                The Fraport Skyliners Juniors continued to do their thing in the third quarter and had absolutely no mercy for TSV Oberaching Tropics continuing to let it rain three´s and extended their lead to an incredible 34 points winning the quarter 27-13. . Diminutive guard Alvin Oniya did a sneaky act racing to catch an offensive rebound and put back to give Frankfurt the first points in the fourth quarter. Oberaching captain Janosch Koegler who dropped 32 points in Frankfurt last season in a losing effort couldn´t muster any offense in the first half, but finally executed better in the third quarter scoring 5 points early to cut the Frankfurt lead to 48-30. But that didn´t rattle Frankfurt as they continued to let big three´s fall from the sky as they went on a rapid 15-3 run as Hadenfeld nailed two three´s and Nils Leonhardt and ex Giessen guard Niklas Bilski also connected in the run. Then everyone seemed to get in on the three point action as forward Leon Pullen who is more known for his cutting and rebounding work dropped two trey´s in a row to give Frankfurt the overwhelming 71-35 advantage. Oberaching closed out the quarter with a 5-1 run to trail 71-40 as Benke made a lay in. Frankfurt´s shooting rose above 50% from the field and outside and they still had the rebound edge 31-21 and the combined turnovers had rose to 37 as Oberaching had 21 and Frankfurt 16. “We had the big lead, but we still continued to make too many turnovers. We can´t relax as other teams can come back and change the game. We have to learn to stay more clam”, stated Marco Voeller. “We tried different things on defense with pressure, doing press, zone and switching, but nothing worked. It just wasn´t our day”, warned John Boyer.

                TSV Oberaching Tropics had their best offensive output in the fourth quarter, but the Fraport Skyliners Juniors also continued to execute to keep the big lead. The turnovers continued to happen as 16 more were produced. Benke continued to execute scoring left and right while for Frankfurt, Philipp Hadenfeld wasn´t only scoring, but also helping on other fronts. After coughing up the ball, he made a big play stealing an inbounds pass and then throwing an outlet pass to Voeller for an easy transition bucket. Later he led the fast break and made a pretty behind the back pass to Hecker who found Schaum for the two handed stuff as Frankfurt led 78-44. “Philipp had a great game. He played with a lot of self-confidence”, stressed Marco Voeller. Konstantin Schubert had a second straight game after his long injury of scoring in double figures with 12 points. Even if the stat sheet registered only one block, he had two. “I have had two blocks before, but it was long ago. I have been here for a while. The first was coming over from the help side and the second was on Benke face up”, smiled Konstantin Schubert. Bilski hit a trey for the 81-46 lead. Oberaching got some offensive execution in garbage time as Philipp Bode who was hot on defense with 5 steals scored as did Noeres and Fischer. Frankfurt also got some baskets from Hadenfeld and Richardson. “We were a bit tired at the end. We let up, but we can´t allow that to be standard. It is always tough when you lead by so much to stay concentrated. That belongs to the game”, stated Konstantin Schubert. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were led by Philipp Hadenfeld with 23 points. Alvin Onyia added 12 points while TSV Oberaching Tropics were led by Bernhard Benke with 23 points and Fynn Fischer assed 13 points. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 50% from the field and from outside and registered 41 rebounds and 26 turnovers while TSV Oberaching Tropics shot 38% from the field and 17% from outside and had 31 rebounds and 27 turnovers.

Parker Jackson-Cartwright (176-PG-95, college: Arizona) is a 26 year old 176cm point guard from Los Angeles, California playing his fourth professional season and first in Germany with the Telekom Baskets Bonn. He played at the University of Arizona (NCAA) from 2014-2018 reaching the NCAA Elite 8 and two NCAA Sweet 16’sand winning three Pac 12 tournaments. He played his rookie season for the G-League team Westchester Knicks and then came overseas playing for the Cheshire Phoenix (United Kingdom-BBL) and last season for the Saint-Quentin Basket-Ball (France-ProB) playing 33 games averaging 15.6ppg, 3.2rpg, Assists-1 (7.1apg), Steals-1 (2.4spg), FGP: 52.9%, 3PT: 35.7%, FT: 77.1%. He spoke to germanhoops.com after guiding the Telekom Baskets Bonn to a very impressive opening season 88-86 win over Alba Berlin

Congrats on a great 88-86 win over 2021 easyCredit BBL champion Alba Berlin. How did it feel for you personally winning your first game on the road against the defending champion?

We knew going in that it would be a difficult game. They have a lot of history. I think that we showed that we can surprise a lot of people. We never stopped fighting, withstood all their runs and showed a lot of character. You can imagine something like this happening but in a way it’s also surreal. It is incredible what kind of leaps and bounds we have taken from pre-season until now. We did make a lot of mistakes last night, but you can’t teach effort. Our preparation and will to win helped us get this big win. We never gave up and stayed together.

Alba Berlin began very well showcasing their offensive arsenal, but the Telekom Baskets Bonn found into the game better in the second quarter. What was key for being able to execute better?

Key for us was taking what they gave us. They are a team that is very traditional in how they make adjustments. They have a smart coach and players that will always switch things up. We were very poised in how we attacked them. At times we were out of control, but important was that we did make shots when we needed to. We locked down on defense and didn’t get away from what we do.

The fourth quarter was really tight and Bonn stepped up their defense. What adjustments did the team make being able to clamp down better on defense?

Key was attention to detail and just sticking to our principles. The way they played fit our mold and players. We locked down more on defense and just played a little harder. We have very versatile players and guys like Tyson Ward and Karsten Tadda made big plays. I got hands on balls as well. Big defensive plays turned our defense into a monster at the end. We picked the right time to do it. Now we have to do it for 40 minutes.
Bonn played their best defense in the last seconds forcing a turnover and then getting another stop. How big was the overall team spirit there to help you get that stop?

Yes our spirit was big. It is easy to panic on the road, but we never did. We were down by 8 points with something like 4 minutes to go and took a time out. Their lead could of easily ballooned to 20. We refocused and were able to stick to our principles. Coach had a lot of trust in us and we just played harder. Staying poised in that moment helped us a lot. We fought very hard and made a few more plays at the end to win.

You have made some massive free throws in your career. How big do you rank those against Alba Berlin?

They weren’t any bigger than others in my career. I think that I did a good job putting my team and myself into good position to win the game. I give a lot of credit to coach and my teammates for giving me trust with the ball. They had a lot of confidence in me. I wasn’t always perfect, but my intent was always good to make the right play.
Alba Berlin was missing three bigs. How much of an effect did that have on their game. Was their outside shooting more predictable and easier to defend?

I wouldn’t say that. They had some injuries and needed to adjust so they went smaller. At times they played four guys on the perimeter. There was so much space. I still think that it played into their favor. They still found ways to find the paint and get us in trouble. They were able to get the ball inside to Sikma and he found ways to spray the ball to shooters. They found a way to adjust without their bigs and did a good job. They were already dangerous like this and will be even more dangerous when the bigs return.

How proud are you of the Bonn guard rotation in general on their effort on containing Smith, Lo, Blatt and Mattissek? What was key for being able to slow these guys down?

The way we play defense, we are able to take them out of rhythm. We like to pressure guards full court and that isn’t easy to do for 40 minutes. A guy like Mo is uber fast. He changes the pace and can be by you in the blink of an eye. I felt we did a good job disrupting him. We weren’t always able to stop him, but we slowed him down well and not let him set up their offense.

What kind of an experience was it for you seeing and battling the great versatile Luke Sikma who filled the stat sheet. Is there anything this guy can’t do?

I knew what type of player he was. The whole league has a lot of respect for him. He is so smart and knows how to set up his team to be successful. He is so solid and you can’t rattle him, but just try to slow him down. There is a reason why he was MVP. You can’t ever fall asleep, because he always makes the right play.

What has been like being teammates with Skyler Bowlin? He is a big time veteran. Can a veteran like you still learn something from his game?

After only two months, I can say that he is already one of my favorite teammates of all-time. I totally mean it. He is really smart and has been around the game for so long. He knows what has to be done on and off the court. I have become a better professional in the first two months because of him. He always gives me guidance and never disappoints me. The whole team trusts him.

You had a very impressive debut having 25/5/6/6 stats. What words of encouragement did brother Miles give you this time?

He told me just to stay focused. I should never get to high or low, because it is a long season. Now teams expect me to play the way I did. Now it gets more challenging. I have to stay grounded and remain hungry. It is a long road. I have to keep working and stay confident. When you play with a chip on your shoulder, good things happen.

You have an amazing first step? Is their danger that teams have you off the radar, but will be able to key in on you better in the second half of the season?

I think this is the way in any other league. There are good coaches everywhere that scout and you play a team twice. That is just the way the game is. I’m not always perfect and need to always push myself to be better. I feel like the sky is the limit for me. I love the challenge. Everybody will push me and I will continue to watch film and see how I can get better. I feel like I could have been 10 to 20 times better against Alba Berlin.

What kind of self-confidence did you win seeing that you were the best player on the court and that a guy like high class player Jaleen Smith who had other Euroleague offers is still searching for his game?

Smith is a good player and will be an important piece for Alba Berlin. You could see glimpses of it last night. I’m battle tested and have been playing at high levels my whole life. This isn’t new for me. I thrive in these situations. I have been under the radar my whole life mainly because I’m small, but I was able to overcome it. I know that there are still people that don’t expect me to play like this and I love it. That is why I can play my best. I’m never surprised.

How big was this win for the self-confidence of the team? Is a win like this dangerous or has coach Iisalo been able to keep the team grounded?

The big question now is how will we move forward from this big win. Coach Iisalo shows up each day with a totally new mindset to attack the day and get better. This was a big win, but we need to look at the long term. We need to be locked in just as much against Ulm the way we against Alba Berlin.

The Telekom Baskets will have no time to rest form top competition as you next face ratiopharm Ulm and Alba Berlin again in a span of four days. Having these back to back challenges must be very exciting for you?

That is the way it is when you play at a high level. I think it isn’t any different if you play against Braunschweig and Ludwigsburg. It’s all the same. You can never relax and need to respect everyone. You have to always be prepared. The next games will be tough, but it will be more about how well we prepare. We will watch film and get better. At game time we will give our best and live with the result

What was the last movie that you saw?

Rush Hour.

Thanks Parker for the chat.

With two weeks to go before the start of the 2020-2021 easyCredit BBL, I wasn´t necessarily awaiting a 30 point scolding by the Fraport Skyliners over Pro A team PS Karlsruhe in a pre season contest, but at least having Frankfurt control the game. Instead the Fraport Skyliners didn´t get up off the wrong side of the bed, but moreover seemed to be in a nasty sleep walk getting down 11-0. Nothing worked at both ends of the court. On offense they couldn´t execute the easiest passes while on defense gave up easy baskets and had no communication. As usual it was Mr Cinderella Rasheed Moore who came off the bench and gave the 2004 BBL champion the needed energy to get going. The guy who is one of the few players ever in Germany to go from the Regionalliga to the BBL step by step in three years saved the club´s butt numerous times last season with his versatile play. It wasn´t a cake walk, but at the end Frankfurt did win, but it was simply ugly. If this is was a preview of how the 20-21 season could go, well then it will be a very long season. Of course the organization hopes it will reach the playoffs again after not having been there often in the last years, but this season could go either way. There are positives and negatives to the Fraport Skyliners team this season and it will be interesting where exactly the journey will go for them. The question is can the new Spanish presence head coach Diego Ocampo lead the Fraport Skyliners to success despite nagging injuries and unproven players?

The biggest positive and strength has to be the presence of head coach Diego Ocampo. . After Aito brought titles to Alba Berlin and Pedro Calles helped Vechta and Hamburg reach the playoffs, it was obvious that other clubs in the BBL might go this trend of bringing in Spanish blood. Frankfurt and Braunschweig followed. He is a guy who hasn´t had any big success as a head coach in terms of titles, but has two things going for him. He has learned from legends like Aito and Joan Plaza and is known for being able to shape and develop young players. He coached the Spanish U-16 and U-17 teams and won a Bronze medal at the U-16 European championships in Lithuania in 2011.  Everyone knows the reputation that the Fraport Skyliners have had in the last 10 years with their ambitious youth program. They have belonged to the top youth development addresses in Germany and have helped Johannes Voigtmann and Danilo Barthel reach the Euroleague and assist Isaac Bonga to making the NBA. Ocampo has worked with players like Leandro Bolmaro, Kristaps Porzingis, Marc Gasol and Tomas Satoransky helping them move ahead. He also coached FC Barcelona 2 for two years enriching their youth program. “Diego is amazing with young players. He has worked with a lot of young players in his career and I think that he is able to teach young players a lot. Teaching individual skills is one of his greatest strengths as a coach”, warned ex Ocampo player Scott Bamforth. Ocampo doesn´t only foster vital player/coach relationships on the court, but off the court is a genuine human being who won´t turn off his phone after practice, but also be there for the player. ““I really liked him as a person. He cares deeply about his players and family. We had some differences on the court. His solutions for every problem was work harder, work harder, work harder. Spend more hours practicing. My mindset is identify the problem and find the smartest solution. So we didn’t see eye to eye. Both of us cared so much about basketball & the team, but with different philosophies it was a conflict”, remembered Ocampo ex player Garrett Stutz. It will be interesting to see what Ocampo can produce out of the roster.

With a limited budget, it is always like playing the sweepstakes when it comes to reeling in the best possible players with the money you have. Frankfurt haven´t had the most talented import point guards the last two seasons, but this season hope that Donovan Donaldson can make a difference. He played in lower leagues in Europe, but has shown in pre season that he can push the ball and score in bunches, but can he be the reliable playmaker when his shot isn´t falling? The club also got two young bigs with Dutch 221cm giant Matt Haarms and American Brooks DeBisshop. Haarms is a rookie who last season played at Brigham Young. He has shown that he can dunk and make good passes out of the pick and role, but can he become a consistent scorer at the BBL level, while DeBishop has shown that toughness and does a lot of things that you don´t see on the stat sheet. Plus his self-confidence of wanting to be the best rebounder in the BBL is enriching. A steal could have been ex NBA player and G-league legend Reggie Hearn. This guy can really shoot the ball and is a prolific scorer. His character according to ex Skyliner legend Tyrone Ellis is incredible. But he is already departed again as he suffered a long term injury where the club couldn´t wait to heal. Instead they brought in Zaccheus Darko-Kelly who had been with the MHP Riesen in pre season to fill the void. German Lukas Wank was on the German national team 12 man roster at the 2021 Olympics and is a versatile player that can score and will have to play point guard this season. He will give the team another dimension on the defensive end being able to defend many positions with his aggressiveness and length.

The club kept two imports with Skyliner legend Quantez Robertson and Mr Cinderella Rasheed Moore. Robertson is playing his 13^th season with the Fraport Skyliners and is with Mr Oldenburg Ricky Paulding the identity figure of the easyCredit BBL. He isn´t as quick as 8 years ago, but still quick enough to belong to the top defenders every year. “I want to be more of an offensive threat this season and shoot better. ‘You will continue to see me attached to guy’s hips and read the offensive guys eyes on the weak side and continue to rack up steals”, warned Quantez Robertson. Last season Rasheed Moore was my unsung hero and belonged to the best players on the team together with Matt Mobley and Quantez Robertson. This season his role will be even more important. Of course his versatility, scoring and rebounding will have to be spot on like last season, but in addition he can be an added mentor type with Quantez Robertson helping the many inexperienced BBL players. With the injuries to Bruno Vrcic and Len Schoorman who were projected with vital roles this season, the team will have to rely on other German players to have to come in. Jordan Samare and Lorenz Brenneke could be these type of players. Both will get extended minutes in the Pro B with the Juniors, but especially Brenneke could emerge as a big winner in the BBL finally getting a real chance breaking into the Frankfurt rotation. He is an allrounder, but his biggest strength is that he is fearless. Samare can give the club stable shooting and rebounding and doesn´t miss much form the free throw line. Also 18 year old German Alexander Richardson who is mainly projected to make the next step in the Pro B could be the big surprise this season with his first BBL minutes. He has a big body that is still very raw, but has an incredible will to learn

            In the seasons where new German national coach Gordon Herbert was behind the bench, the Fraport Skyliners belonged to the best defensive teams in the BBL often allowing in the high 60´s in points per game. Last season the team allowed 82 points per game which was still eighth best in the league. In the pre-season the style of Frankfurt and defensive effort have shown that they want to defend with passion. They have kept the points down and their aggressiveness has led to an abundance of transition buckets. The team wants to play fast and get up a shot as quickly as possible in the first 8 seconds and when they can´t execute then go into the half court offense and work for a good shot. The two biggest questions marks is the walking wounded list which continues to be a massive thorn in the side of this organization. Germans Vrcic and Schoormann will be out for a while and that is just very bitter. The club has a void at the German position. Reggie Hearn was out right away and will need some time to get into rhythm not only with the club, but also with the flow of the BBL. The other void is can the imports Donaldson, Haarms and DeBisshop make a difference in the very strong easyCredit BBL. The club just doesn´t possess much BBL experience on the roster. That could be the difference from scrapping at the playoff places or landing in no man´s land at 13 or 14. Crucial could also be how they begin the season. They have to start well and get some wins off the bat. Getting wins over Braunschweig and Bonn have to be made while stealing a win against Hamburg would be golden while beating Alba Berlin isn´t realistic. After these four opponents come tough teams Munich, Ulm and Bamberg. It looks like this will be another season where the Fraport Skyliners won´t make the playoffs. I see them somewhere between 8-14, but more realistic is 10-17. The problem is that the easyCredit BBL is so extreme competitive anything can happen.  The most exciting thing to observe this season will be what kind of an impact Diego Ocampo will have on the success of the team. A close second will be how many words of Spanish Quantez Robertson can pick up from Diego Ocampo on long road trips?

In the last seasons finding the right nickname for Dragon Rhondorf import players Kameron Taylor and Curtis Hollis wasn´t always easy, but after some hard felt thought, I was able to come up with the appropriate one. For Kameron Taylor saying “It´s Seton Hill and Not Seton Hall was a funny one, because he had often had to tell people his school was Seton Hill and not the more known Seton Hall. For Dallas native Curtis Hollis, I actually didn´t have to do any thinking at all as he came up with the “Easy Work” nickname. I actually never asked him why he picked it, but when looking at his skilled game, often it looked so easy, the way he flew through the air letting his spectacular athleticism go to work. For new Dragons Rhondorf player, William Christmas finding a nickname is a lot easier, because when you have a last name like Christmas, the imagination can really go crazy. What really struck me right away were the phrases William “What do you want for” Christmas or William “What will you get me for” Christmas. Having to hear the non stop phrases about the holiday season referring his last name probably won´t be as much as in the States here in Germany, but overall the constant references to his special last name never bothered the laid back youngster. “I have literally heard every name concerning my last name. It´s a funny thing, but really it´s love that people are showing me. I think it´s cool and it has been something that I have rolled with an owned my whole life. Two things that really stand out are this one person said you should call your daughter Merry, then she would be Merry Christmas. Then there was this kid freshman year in high school who would call me a different holiday each day for a month”, laughed William Christmas. Wiliam Christmas is so much more than just having a famous last name, but a very versatile player that has a unique and special character.

                William Christmas who lists Washington State diminutive and shifty guard Tyrell Roberts and current ratiopharm Ulm guard Justin Simon as his toughest foes in the NCAA was born in Oceanside, California and began his basketball career at Oceanside high school.  In his senior year he was team MVP averaging 23,0ppg. He was a three time first team all leagues election and second team all county as a senior. He also won the Simon Scholar and Silver President award for excellence in English and math. He then attended  California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (NCAA2) from 2016-2020 playing a total of 106 games. One of the best known players to come out of Cal Poly was Larry Gordon who recently retired after a great 10 plus professional career where he spent six seasons in Germany. Everybody knew about Gordon´s legacy there and coach Kamansky didn´t mention his name too much. “Coach motivated us and pushed us to create our own legacy”, remembered William Christmas.  He was able to improve his scoring average each season and in his last three seasons put up 12/6, 15/6 and 16/7 stats. He scored in double figures in 68 games in his four year career. He nailed Chico State for 31 points in a win and 31 points against Cal State Bernadino in a tough 95-94 loss. It is often the bitter loses that players remember most. “I had some great games in big loses. I missed some potential game winning shots. My team relied on me a lot to take those tough shots. Unfortunately it wasn´t always the result we wanted”, remembered Will Christmas. But what was worse then losing those tough games was losing in the CCAA final three times in a row. Only the Buffalo Bills were worse losing in 4 Super Bowl finals. “The loses were heartbreaking. I felt somewhat proud getting to the final. It is tough to get to three finals, but even tougher to lose three in a row. I hope I can somewhat turn the streak around with the Dragons”, warned Will Christmas. The forward who would never have lost a one on one battle against teammate Tavian Henderson had a stellar career at Cal Poly winning CCAA freshman of the year award and was a three time tournament and first teams election. He understands that head coach Greg Kamansky had a lot to do with his development and becoming the player he did in his four years there. “The most important thing that coach helped me was getting me stronger and playing physical. The pro level is more physical and you have to be ready. He also helped me take good shots, take pride on defense and just do the little things”, stressed William Christmas.

            The California native who last saw the movie Seven was a Kinesiology major at Cal Poly and instead of turning professional in 2020, he opted to remain in school and get his degree. This is an act that one doesn´t see often today as guys are in a hurry to get money and help provide for their family. He took a different route and instead wanted to have that degree in the bag before the contract. Just doing this and declining to be a professional player at first shows just how much of a role model he is for young kids. “I feel very good that I did this. It is important that a player makes right decisions in life and know what happens after basketball. I´m very happy to have a degree. We all love the game, but we also need to have longer term views”, warned William Christmas. Even if physical therapy is his field of knowledge and he will have an advantage knowing how to take care of his body, he isn´t sure what he will do after basketball. “Right now it is still up in the air. Knowing about my body is a plus for sure. It is important to create good habits and use the knowledge that I have attained. I know more about the body then the average person. Maybe I will get into coaching one day”, expressed William Christmas. Having so much success on the floor at Cal Poly and being able to shine in the class room wasn´t hard enough, everything was really put to the test with COVID as it arrived in March 2020. He won´t forget all the challenges that he had to accept and master to achieve his goals in the last year and a half. The guy was so busy that one has to wonder how he found the time to get everything done. “The biggest challenge was taking so many classes online as well as always being ready to play. Plus being in the gym and having a job”, stated William Christmas. During the Pandemic, the ambitious guy didn´t have one job, but actually had three jobs. “I worked for Amazon in a warehouse, also did behavioral therapy and worked in a car park factory on the assembly line”, said William Christmas. People experienced so many new things during COVID that effected their lives, but also helped them get stronger as people and it wasn´t any different for the young man. “I was by myself a lot early during lock down. I had to develop a certain level of focus and make tough decisions. I learned how to work on things in certain situations not having my family around. This really helped me grow as a man”, commented William Christmas.

            Now the ex CCAA 2020 Regular season Co champion who lists Jordan Ogundiran, Jeremy Dennis, PJ Dozier, Phoenix Shackelford and Johnny Dee as his best teammates of all-time is playing his rookie professional season for German Pro B team Dragons Rhondorf. He obviously got some well needed advice from Larry Gordon, but also from ex German teammate at Cal Poly Finn Eckhardt. “I also talked to Jordan Faison who played in the Pro B. They all said good things about the country. They all said that playing in Germany is an easy transition and all know English. They also said the league is a good place to start as a rookie. I thought that playing with the Dragons was the best opportunity to maximize how much I will be able to improve my game my first year”, warned William Christmas. Also going into a new situation, it is always vital overseas that one has a good feeling about management and the coaching staff. He felt something special after having talks with CEO Yassin Idbihi. “He is a genuine good person. He works for all in the organization. I find it important that he has experience and did it all at a high level. He can show the way and it is great to have a guy that you can always call on when you need something”, stressed William Christmas. He will match up against very talented players in the Pro B and even will meet up with a player Vincent Golson who is playing his third professional season with the Rhein Stars Cologne that played in the CCAA conference with California State University Dominguez Hills(NCAA2). “It´s crazy but I actually saw his name on a stat sheet recently here. I remember everyone calling him two two. He was a very good player and shows how strong the conference was. That gives me a sense of pride of where I played”, added William Christmas.

            So what kind of player will German basketball fans see this season with William Christmas who lists his personal NBA Mount Rushmore with legends like Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant(his favorite player) and other Laker greats Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar? When asked who he would compare his game best to, there was  a long pause, but after a long thinking moment he came up with Oklahoma Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Christmas is a player that can do it all and guard the positions 1-4. He is crafty, long and like a slithery snake, but his biggest strength is his versatility something that ex Rhondorf guard Kameron Taylor possessed four years ago. “I´m a guy that can put it on the floor and make things happen at both ends of the court. I think having been a player that could always do what is needed kept me on the court”, warned William Christmas. His three pointer is still a work in progress, but nothing that he is worried about. “My mechanics are solid. For me it has been more a matter of getting up reps, being confident and shot selection. You make more shots if you take better shots. I am always ready game time”, stressed Wiliam Christmas. Even if he can fill up the stat sheet with ease and be that impact player on the offensive end, he will also make waves on the defensive end. It is here that he takes very much pride. Obviously his athleticism plays a big part for his success, but there is also something different that helps him excel. “Playing defense is one of the most important aspects for me. I want to shut down guys and make it very tough for them against me. My athleticism is vital, but so is my length and basketball IQ”, warned William Christmas. He is constantly working on his game to be the best player he can be. “Shooting is the number one thing I´m working on. Another thing is working on my decision making. Making smart decisions on the floor keeps you on the court”, stressed William Christmas. Even if the Rhondorf organization stresses youth development, the American will see many minutes this season and should also make the fans happy with his play. He also may here the one or another Christmas joke in English, but that is something that he has been used to his whole life. Basketball and Christmas go hand in hand for the amiable American who will enrich the Dragons organization with his versatility and character.

It was a long and extended summer period for the Fraport Skyliners Juniors as their 20-21 season ended early in March. As usual they have a very deep roster with many young guys and also kept a number of guys who have been there for years like Konstantin Schubert, Leon Pullen, Alvin Onyia or Jordan Samare, but also added new youngsters like Nils Leonhardt, Lorenz Brenneke and Devin Jacobi, and brought back Felix Hecker and added veteran Marco Voeller who will help out like Marius Nolte did some years ago when he ended his BBL career. The always ambitious club EPG Baskets Koblenz had a disappointing 20-21 season where they wanted to play for the Pro B title. Like last season they built a very potent roster with new players Dominique Johnson, Marvin Heckel (190-PG-97)l, Shembari Phillips and Leo Saffer while also keeping veteran Brian Butler and young gun Lukas Meyer. New head coach Mario Dugandzic hopes to carry the team to the playoffs and make a run in the post season. While Frankfurt’s goal is always to continue to develop it’s young players for higher challenges. On an untypical Tuesday night, both teams opened up their seasons in Frankfurt and the home team stuck with the favorite EPG Baskets Koblenz for a half, but in the second half the guests showed their true colors and set an explosive fourth quarter offense scoring 37 points and getting the easy 98-72 win. After the win a satisfied Ben Marello explained why his team could get the win. ‘We had a few moments where we had a lack of focus. It didn’t have anything to do with Frankfurt, but moreover with us. Once we move the ball well we are as good as anyone in this league. We gave a collective effort and played together’, described forward Ben Marello. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors gave a spirited effort, but when push came to shove, the EPG Baskets Koblenz were simply a few classes above them. ‘You have to give a lot of respect to Koblenz. You could see that they are a top team in the second half. When we helped too much, they hurt us with their three’s. We moved the ball well at times and did a good job getting offensive rebounds’, stressed forward Konstantin Schubert.

You could see in the first quarter that this was a season opening game as both teams were coughing up balls left and right as there were a total of 16 turnovers. Both teams had serious problems on offense trying to find a rhythm. Frankfurt tried to establish an identity inside getting baskets from ex Trier forward Nils Leonhardt, Alex Richardson and Marco Voeller, while the guests had a second secret weapon behind Brian Butler with Marvin Heckell who showed his aggressiveness early getting to the free throw line. With Frankfurt leading 9-6 half way through the first quarter, Koblenz then suddenly went on a 8-0 run to lead 14-9. In the run the guests got superb support from rookie Shembari Phillips who played at Tennessee (NCAA) making a fade away and trey and Florida native Ben Marello drilled home a trey. Frankfurt just didn’t have much offensive rhythm and couldn’t get the lead back. The EPG Baskets got further support rom Estonian forward Indrek Sunelik who won two titles in his homeland last season and a jumper from Marello. Both teams had low shooting percentages while Frankfurt rebounded the ball better and hadn’t allowed Brian Butler to do any damage, but they still trailed 19-15 after one quarter. ‘That first quarter was brutal. We obviously didn’t want to have so many turnovers. I still felt like we sold ourselves well despite the turnovers’, stated Konstantin Schubert.

The second quarter remained a tight affair with a few lead changes in the first few minutes, but then the EPG Baskets calmed down got the lead and kept it until the end even if Frankfurt was hanging on their door step. There were four lead changes in the first few minutes as Schubert and Leonhardt scored for Frankfurt while Marvin Heckell continued to be that valuable spark plug killing Frankfurt with his drive, but also causing annoyance with his pull up jumper. Heckel was a real menace and whenever Frankfurt was threatening to come back, he had an answer. His whole game reminded one of two years ago where he had led Baunach to a road win in where he steered home 23 points. Ex BBL Player Dominique Johnson who played with Chemnitz last season was also unstoppable pouring home his jumper from all over the floor. Two scores from Johnson gave Koblenz the 32-27 lead. Frankfurt was lax on the 1-1 defense as they had no answer to slow down the penetration. But the EPG Baskets Koblenz couldn’t get away as Nils Leonhardt was aggressive getting to the free throw line and also dropping a two handed dunk in transition. Phillips closed out the second quarter with a lay in as the Fraport Skyliners Juniors trailed 38-34. Frankfurt continued not being able to hit consistently, but continued to have the rebound lead. ‘Slowing down Brian Butler was part of the gameplan. That was why we started with Voeller and Richardson to bring that physically. Hadenfeld did a good job and led us to staying in the game’, stressed Konstantin Schubert.

In the third quarter the Fraport Skyliners Juniors had a very good phase getting vital support from Felix Hecker and Konstantin Schubert, but they couldn’t hold that
momentum as the guests closed out the quarter with a little run leading in double digits after 30 minutes. Koblenz got on the board first with a Johnson trey to extend their lead to 41-34, but Frankfurt retaliated with baskets from Richardson and Hecker to cut the Koblenz lead down to 41-39, but whenever Frankfurt was about to turn the tide, it was Marvin Heckell who found answers. He led Koblenz on a 8-0 run to get their biggest lead of the contest at 49-39. Heckel shone with a basket and beautiful shovel pass to Moses Poelking while Sunelik scored again. Frankfurt had lost that energy that Philipp Hadenfeld had supplied as he had caught his fourth foul and had to sit. Frankfurt got some energy from Konstantin Schubert. He led Frankfurt on a magnificent 11-2 run to trail Koblenz only 51-50. The German who is in his eighth season with Frankfurt hit back to back three’s while Hecker also dropped one. ‘It was a great feeling making those three’s. It was worth doing all that rehab. That is why we play the game’, warned Konstantin Schubert. Schubert had broke his foot last season and played only one game. He was all smiles being able to step back on the court. ‘It was unbelievable being back. I felt normal. I’m top fit. It was a cool atmosphere playing with the guys and seeing fans again. It’s also nice that my brother is on the team. That was a huge reason why I returned’, stressed Konstantin Schubert. But basketball is a game of runs and Koblenz closed out the quarter with a 10-2 run and game then 47-22 displaying a very lethal offense. In the run, the guests let it rain three’s as Johnson connected again as did Sunelik. The EPG Baskets Koblenz had the commanding 61-53 advantage and would never look back. ‘We stuck to what we had to do. We knew that they would try to make a run. We didn’t freak and stayed focused’, stated Ben Marello.

The EPG Baskets Koblenz began with a bang and decided the game in the first four minutes going on a 10-0 run to extend their lead to 71-53. They stopped Frankfurt on their first five possessions and punished them on offense getting key production from Phillips on transition, a Poelking lay in and another trey from Sunelik. Hecker finally got Frankfurt on the board with a lay in with 6,40 to play, but trailed 71-55. Frankfurt had their moments on offense getting buckets from Onyia and Hecker, but they got no stops on defense as Koblenz seemed to shift up a few more gears. Sunelik and Johnson three’s gave Koblenz the 83-66 advantage continued to weaken Frankfurt as the more energy they gave the weaker they got. And before Frankfurt even knew what had hit them, ex Schalke Forward Niclas Sperber and Heckel followed with two more three’s and the 89-66 lead. It would have been interesting to have found out what kind of a bus ride home Brian Butler would have had if he would have put up the big goose egg, but lucky for him, he scored his first points with 1,34 to play. He finished with two points, three boards, two assists and two steals in 20 minutes. ‘We like to get all involved. There will be nights where Brian will dominate. We have so many guys that can play. We put the individuality aside and focus as team’, stated Ben Marello. 16 year old Jamaal Phatty got some garbage points at the end showing his great athleticism and Marello closed out the game with a lay in. ‘We relaxed on offense and didn’t let them speed us up. We dictated the game and made them react to us’, said Ben Marello. ‘We try to hold teams to around 70 points a game. We had allowed 73 after three quarters. That makes it hard to win games. I think that we were tired in the fourth, but that isn’t an excuse. We just have to defend better on great shooters like Johnson’, warned Konstantin Schubert. The EPG Baskets Koblenz were led by Marvin Heckell with 25 points. Dominque Johnson added 18 points and Indrek Sunelik produced 15 points while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors were led by Felix Hecker with 19 points. Marco Voeller and Konstantin Schubert had 12 points a piece. The EPG Baskets Koblenz shot 59% from the field and 55% form outside and had 36 rebounds and 16 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 44% form the field and 30% form outside and had 30 rebounds and 19 turnovers.

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 will team up every week with Miles Schmidt-Scheuber to talk basketball

Stanley thanks for talking to germanhoops.com. You finally opened up the season and played your first German Pro A game. Despite the blow out loss in Leverkusen how did it feel to play your first game in Germany?

Honestly it wasn’t the best first experience playing and losing that bad. A very tough defeat. But I think we can build from this game for sure and try to only look forward to the next game and prepare accordingly!

PS Karlsruhe had traffic problems getting to Leverkusen. Then you arrived and got spanked 109-71. How tough is it in general to come off the bus after a 3 hour bus drive and preform very well?

Man it’s tough. You can’t really put words for it. We were on the bus for actually 5 hours and had to get off and play. It was whispers that we would have to forfeit the match, however we played, the odds and circumstances was against us and we tried to compete just wasn’t our best game.

PS Karlsruhe was only down 27-20 after one quarter, but still giving up 27 points is way too much. The turning point came in the second quarter as Leverkusen outscored you 34-13 to lead 61-33. Why did PS Karlsruhe have such big problems defending?

Firstly our turnovers led to easy offense for Leverkusen, we can’t turn the ball over against a such high power offenses, because they’ll make us pay every time. We weren’t focused defensively and didn’t really put up a strong enough battle. From my perspective, Leverkusen had easy clean looks the for the majority of the game. So we just have to be better and I’m confident we will.

PS Karlsruhe came out reborn winning the third quarter, but then stunk up the building losing the fourth quarter 31-15. Where do you see the causes of this inconsistency?

Third quarter we wanted to come out and show some pride & grit. I think we did that, cut the lead to 16, 67-51 at one point in the third, then we had some bad turnovers that led to them making a run. We have to be more composed as a group.

Could the club take any positives from the game? You did secure 12 offensive rebounds as a team?

I think we can take some positives from the game, which were how we started the game as well as the third quarter. We give ourselves a fair chance when we are focused and not beating ourselves, especially with turnovers and not getting any 50/50 balls.

It seems like PS Karlsruhe will have to get another import player. You have many young talented Germans, but in the competitive Pro A league not having depth is going to hurt you.

I’m not sure what’s the process with that, however all we can do is focus on what we have in our locker room right now. And with that, we have to focus at a higher level, stay together and produce.

You had a solid game with 22 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. How much blame do you personally take after a blow out loss like that?

I take a lot of responsibility for this loss, I wasn’t anywhere close to actually being myself tonight. Way too many turnovers and bad decisions. I didn’t lead well tonight at all but I’ll be better for sure!

How much film do you watch after a loss like that? What did you analyze most about your play via video?

I usually watch film as soon as I can from the game, I’ll watch it 2-3 times to see all things. Our defense, our offensive execution, different reads and looks we may or may not had. So things of that nature, I surely do my studying!

What was it like battling Quenton Goodin? How enriching is it being able to present your game to these talented American point guards?

Man it’s always good going up against another American guard, and Americans in general. Although I’m a relentless competitor, it’s great to see other American guys playing the game abroad and being able to further their playing careers after college. Everyone isn’t blessed with that opportunity, so it’s a great thing in my opinion!

The NFL has started again. Do you follow the league and possibly the Philadelphia Eagles on Sundays in Germany?

Yes, I follow the Eagles, I also keep up with the other teams as well. Football was my first sport, so I still love to watch it!

Thanks Stanley for the chat.

With the exception of a few games in June in a special tournament to crown a new Pro B team, there hadn’t been a lot of basketball in Limburg in the last 19 months due to the pandemic. The Regionalliga season was cancelled last season which left a very sour taste in the mouths of the hardcore basketball fans in the Limburg region. But the long wait finally ended as the 2021-2022 season finally commenced against the Saarlouis Sun Kings. Some things never change with Limburg basketball as the famous Stahlbohm family just don’t go away and continue to support basketball like crazy with the father son duo of coach Danny and son player Justin continue to be the heart and soul of the organization. But one thing was different as the club changed their name and now are called Bona Baskets Limburg. Right on the first game day, they welcomed a legend into their living room with Ricky Easterling who is in his 14th season with the Sunkings at age 37 and without a doubt belongs to the greatest Regionalliga players ever to play in Germany. Just being able to see a player like that still do his thing at that age is an enrichment. The Bona Baskets Limburg wanted to begin the season out with a bang and did scoring 120 points, but couldn’t find that defensive intensity and consistency from the past summer and pre season battle against Pro A team Kirchheim Knights losing a wild shoot out 122-120 OT win. It was one of those special games that had an extra lot of scoring, a weird time out of 15 minutes as the gym lost power and a lot of heart and passion from the players. After the big season opening win Mr Regionalliga Ricky Easterling who had another normal day at the office with 27 points reflected on the crazy victory. ‘I remember a game like that a few years ago here. This game is on the top of my list of crazy games I have played. This was a collective win and we fought hard on offense and defense. We stepped together in tough times all through out the game’, stressed ex BG Karlsruhe guard Ricky Easterling. For the Bona Baskets Limburg, it was a very bitter shocking loss. ‘This was one of the more crazy games that I have ever played in. Both teams were hitting a lot in the second half. This game was good promotion for the sport. They took advantage of the mis matches and we couldn’t stop Lang. Also our zone wasn’t that good either’, stressed Bona Baskets Limburg captain Justin Stahllbohm.

Both teams were feeling each other out in the first few minutes before the Bona Baskets Limburg began to take control of the game. Ricky Easterling had a slow start missing too many shots, but teammate ex Auburn (NCAA) guard TJ Lang (201-G-95, college: S.Florida) who was playing his first professional game began to hit from everywhere and it wouldn’t stop until the buzzer sounded. Limburg got good production from ex EPG Baskets Koblenz forward Noah Westerhaus and ex Cuxhaven (PRO A) forward KJ Sherril, but it was point guard Croatian Matej Kljaic that took total control and scored 14 points in the first quarter. His tenacious drive to the hoop was unstoppable, but he also demonstrated that he can drop the long distance jumper. Westerhaus was very instrumental in the 20-7 run in the latter part of the first quarter as he got more aggressive on offense as he dangerous drive with his left hand always kept the guests off guard on defense. Limburg also did a good job on Easterling who scored only one bucket, but to give him an off day and cold for 40 minutes is about as difficult as forever taking away his ruthless mid distance weapon. ‘I know that when I start slow, that it will start to click sooner or later. I never hang my head and just stay true to the game. Good things will happen’, warned Ricky Easterling. After 10 minutes the Bona Baskets Limburg had the commanding 29-17 advantage. ‘We didn’t play good defense. We figured it out later and found ways to slow down their offense’, stressed Ricky Easterling.

In the second quarter the Sunkings Saarlouis began to execute better on offense and cut into the big Limburg lead. On defense they also made adjustments and didn’t allow Limburg into their sets as well and caused hurried shots. The Sunkings Saarlouis got massive support from German guard Edgar Schwarz who has 17 Pro B games on his resume as he hit two three’s. Lang also continued to hit three’s. Limburg kept the lead because KJ Sherril had two baskets. Easterling began to find a groove, but also lent his hand to the playmaking duties finding young German Leon Knop with an easy basket via the no look pass as Limburg led 39-35. Limburg then had a good offensive stretch going on a 8-2 run to extend their lead to 47-37. In the run they got good playmaking and offense from ex Idstein player Kljaic who brings over so much calmness finding the open guy and finishing himself. Limburg also did a good job securing extra chances as they retrieved the offensive rebounds. But basketball wouldn’t be basketball if runs didn’t occur in games and the Sunkings Saarlouis rode into the break with a commanding 12-2 run to dead lock the contest at 49-49. In the run the guests got added help from Lang and Ani who supplied all the scoring power. ‘We made adjustments on defense. We did a better job on their post players and paid attention better to their offside shooter’, stated Ricky Easterling.

In the third quarter the game remained tight despite the Bona Baskets Limburg trying to get away. Both teams also got some added rest as there was a 15 minute break because the gym lost power and the scoreboard was out of commission. Saarlouis halted Limburg’s first three possessions while taking the 53-49 lead thanks to baskets from Lang and Easterling. But then came the awakening period as the heart and soul of the Limburg squad Justin Stahllbohm went to work. He has been with the club since 2011 and is known as a sniper. He didn’t hit anything in the first half, but came to life in the third quarter. He led his team on an inspiring 16-5 run for the 65-58 lead as he nailed three three’s including two from the same spot. His line drive shot reminded one a bit of ex Florida (NCAA) sniper Lee Humprey. He would finish with 18 points on six trey’s. ‘I have experience and don’t get down if I don’t hit shots. I’m lucky that I have great teammates who told me to keep shooting. My dad has always told me to shoot higher, but I have stuck with my line drive shot. It works for me’, smiled Justin Stahllbohm. Saarlouis fought back playing more aggressive defense and forcing Limburg to crucial turnovers. 19 year old Young German Jesse Ani hit a big three and showed that he can take important responsibility in a team with so many veterans. Then with three minutes to play the mini power outage arrived as Limburg led 67-66. That didn’t faze TJ Lang who is the son of ex Duke (NCAA) and NBA player Antonio Lang as he scored 9 points giving Saarlouis the slim 75-73 advantage after 30 minutes. ‘The break due to the power benefited Limburg. We were pushing the ball at that time and they could rest and refuel during the break’, added Ricky Easterling.

In the fourth quarter the Sunkings Saarlouis had the lead, but could never really get away as they continued to allow the Bona Baskets Limburg to hang around. The Sunkings Saarlouis broke out on a 11-4 run to extend their lead to 86-79. It was evident that the two best players Lang and Easterling were taking matters into their own hands as they combined for 9 points. Limburg played a lot of zone, but that couldn’t stop Lang as he continued to set up and score from downtown netting three after three as he finished the long night with 11. But Limburg continued to fight and Justin Stahllbohm still had a lot in his gas tank as he riffled home back to back three’s to cut the Sunkings lead down to 98-96. Limburg took that momentum and retook the lead getting a transition basket from Norman Klima who has been with the club since 2013 and a steal and coast to coast bucket from Kljaic for the 100-98 lead. The last minutes were really exciting as there were four lead changes. Lang dropped a trey for the 101-100 Sunkings lead, but a beautiful floater from the baseline from Kljaic gave Limburg the 102-101 advantage. Then Easterling connected on a rare trey as his bread and butter is his mid distance shot for the 104-102 lead. Then with 22 seconds to got Stahllbohm hit another clutch three for the 105-104 lead. The Sunkings Saarlouis had one more opportunity as it seemed like Jesse Ani was blocked, but there was contact. He only hit one of two free thows forcing the game into overtime. ‘We took advantage of the mismatches against the bench players’, said Ricky Easterling.

The Sunkings Saarlouis had a great start in the overtime period stopping Limburg’s first four possessions and going on a 5-0 run to lead 110-105. Ricky Easterling came up big at both ends as he made a block and on offense broke the Limburg zone with a beautiful assist to Lang where he broke free from a defender with a behind the back dribble feeding Lang for a trey. He then dropped free throws for the 110-105 lead. It seemed like the guests would seal the win as further baskets from Easterling and Lang gave the Sunkings the 115-109 advantage. But the Bona Baskets Limburg never gave up getting a gigantic basket from the Lithuanian giant Mantas Bernatavicius to trail Saarlouis only 115-114 with 46 seconds to play. Then came a vital playfor Saarlouis from little used German Paul Fuchs who secured an offensive rebound and then connected on a three with the 118-114 lead with 18 seconds to go. Limburg just continued to chip away having no fear as little used guard Kan Kus hit a big trey with 10 seconds remaining trailing only 118-117. After a Lang free throw, it was again a little used young German Mickael Johhannes who hit the three to give Limburg the 120-119 lead, but with 3,5 seconds left the Sunkings Saarlouis had one more trick left up their sleeve as Jesse Ani let it rip at the buzzer for the amazing 122-120 win. ‘The horn sounded after the shot. A clutch shot from Jesse. We did get pretty lucky though. We had to push the ball quickly and just found Jesse who knocked down the shot’, added Ricky Easterling. ‘That was a long 3,5 seconds. We made a mistake at the end. We can’t leave a shooter like that open’, stressed Justin Stahllbohm. The Sunkings Saarlouis were led by TJ Lang with 45 points while Ricky Easterling added 27 points and 7 dimes and Jesse Ano contributed 26 points while the Bona Baskets Limburg were led by Matej kljaic with 33 points and Noah Westerhaus added 20 points. Justin Stahllbohm and KJ Sherrill added 18 points a piece. The Sunkings Saarlouis shot 55% from the field and 58% from outside and had 26 rebounds and 12 turnovers while the Bona Baskets Limburg shot 55% from the field and 41% from outside and had 28 rebounds and 8 turnovers.

Evan McGaughey (203-PF-94, college: Quincy, agency: Slash Sports) is a 27 year old 203cm forward from Carthage, Illinois that completed his fourth professional season and second in Germany with the MLP Academics Heidelberg averaging 9.8ppg, 4.0rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 52.3%, 3PT: 36.9%, FT: 73.8%. Last season he played with Benacquista Assicurazioni Latina Basket (Italy-Serie A2) playing 12 games averaging 9.9ppg, 6.4rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 44.1%, 3PT: 35.4%, FT: 59.3%. The year before he played with BK JIP Pardubice (Czech Republic-NBL) playing 38 games averaging 7.8ppg, 4.1rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 49.7%, 3PT: 36.3%, FT: 66.7%; and played 6 FIBA Europe Cup games averaging 10.7ppg, 4.7rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 29.7%, FT: 60.0% . He completed his rookie season in Germany with the MLP Academics Heielberg averaging 11.8ppg, 6,4rpg and 2,1apg while shooting 41% from outside. The American played an illustrious career at Quincy (NCAA’) where he averaged double figures in scoring average each season. As a senior he played 25 games averaging 16.6ppg, 8.3rpg, 2.0apg, 1.2spg, 1.4bpg, FGP: 58.2%, 3PT: 50.6%, FT: 77.8%. He spoke to germanhoops.com following the 20-21 season.

Congrats Evan on the 2021 Pro A title. As a guy from Illinois, did you learn something new about celebrating Heidelberg style after a title win?

Celebrating the title this year was definitely a lot different than any other. With Covid rules still in affect we couldn’t really do anything special after we won.

It was an interesting final series. You won game one by 30 points and the second game was 93-93. Will you remember that game two was a tie in 30 years?
I’m not sure which game I will remember more from the championship series. We played very well the first game and took care of business. When you have a 30 point lead it’s easy to go through the motions the second game and I think that might have come into play.

How did it feel ending a game in a tie and have you ever had that before in your career?

I’ve never had a game end in a tie before. It was weird to be honest. You always picture yourself running out on the court and celebrating with your teammates but it wasn’t all of that this year.

The second quarter of game one decided the title as you won it 24-9. Was that the perfect quarter of balanced offense and defense?

That’s second quarter of the first game was just what we needed. We knew we were a great team and we played like it. Then we took that momentum into the second half and never looked back.

The MLP Academics shot better, rebounded better and took care of the ball better in game one. Did the MLP Academics want it more than the Bayer Giants Leverkusen?

I think to an extent we did want it more than they did. We were playing for the championship to cap off the season while I had the feeling they were happy to make it to the finals and didn’t worry about the result.

The team had six guys in double figures. How much fun did this season have taking care of the ball?

Scoring usually came pretty easy to us this year. There were always 3-4 guys on the floor who could score whenever we needed to, and that makes a team dangerous.

It was a crazy and unpredictable PRO A season with COVID. How highly can one rate this title win with all the drama happening around COVID?

Some may say that we should have an asterisk next to our name this year. I would argue that this year was harder than ever. The league was super competitive and you were never really sure if the next game was going to happen. It was mentally demanding all year.

The MLP Academics obviously had a great bunch of guys, but if you look back on the season what was the secret to the success?

I think you nailed it. Our team chemistry this year was the best I’ve ever seen on a team before. We all got together very well and we all knew our role and accepted it.

How much credit do you have to give coach Frenki and manager Matthias Lautenschlager? How strong was their vision and what was key for them be able to transport this belief of moving up to the team?

Of course you have to give them some credit. They put this team together and did a very good job of doing so. We knew from our first team meeting of the year that it was going to be something special for us.

Let’s talk about your teammates. How much of a pleasure was it to be reunited with Shy Ely who is a Heidelberg lifer. How did his game keep progressing since your rookie season?

Shy is definitely one of the best players, and all around guys, that I have ever played with. His determination and will to win is unmatched, and that’s why he was the best player in the league this year.

How key was scorer Jordan Geist this season? What did you appreciate most about his game?

Jordan was also big for us. He gave us that sharpshooting element from the outside and was good at creating his own shot. As he keeps maturing he will just continue to grow and have a great career.

Saaed Nelson played a very good rookie season. How did you see him develop in the season and is he a guy that you see making the jump to internal ball competition in the future?

Sa’eed has a huge future ahead of him. Another guy that was always putting in extra work and focus on what needed to be done. If he continues to work on his jumper and once that comes then he has no ceiling.

The team ahs so many scorers, but how important was the consistency inside form the two German big men Armin Trtovac and Philipp Heyden? How much did they give support to the success?

Just to have players of that size on your team is very helpful. They were always grinding down low every game with the bigs and helping us out even if their stats didn’t show it sometimes.

With all the players you witnessed this season with the MLP Academics, who do you feel was the most improved?

I would say that Sa’eed Nelson gets the most improved award for the season. Which is wild to say because he was already super talented when he came to the team.

Let’s talk about your game. You averaged 10/4/1 stats and shot 37% form outside. How content were you with your play this season?

It was an up and down year for sure. You always want to be the best on your team, but with our talented guards this year they carried most of the load.

You stated in our last interview ‘Teams are certainly looking for talent and athleticism first, but they also want to know what type of person you are. If you have all three then they really have no reason to turn you down’. How key was your leadership and positive attitude in this title winning season?

I think it always helps. You have to be willing to buy in and be a positive leader throughout every situation. Lead by example and it makes it easier to be followed.

Your outside shot continues to be a work in progress. Was your 37% a percentage that is a positive motivation for next season in terms of continuing to improve it?

That’s something I’ll be working on. I always have a goal to be over 40% every year and I came up just short. A lot of different elements came into play this year that contributed to that.

You stated in our last interview that timing is everything when blocking shots. How do you feel did you make further steps as a defender in a winning culture this season?

Timing is still everything. You need to know when is the right time to take the chance on when to go for the block or stay down, and I’m working on that still as I continue to play.

On what area’s of your game will you be working on most this summer? You have stated that your always working on all area’s, but there must be one or two area’s where you will focus more on?

I’ll be focusing on my body a lot more this summer. Getting my legs stronger to be able to move quicker and play pain free.

What is the next step for you? Remaining in Heidelberg must be a no brainer so you can play easyCredit BBL.

I wish that was the case.

Who was the toughest player that you battled this season in the Pro A this season?


There were a few that come to mind from this year. Mahoney from Kirchheim and Ugrai from Bremerhaven to name a couple.

Chris Paul recently passed Magic Johnson for fifth all-time in assists. Where do you rank him with the best point guards all-time despite never having won a ring?

I would say he’s a top 5 pg of all time. Winning a ring isn’t everything, but it certainly helps. He still has time left to chase that though.

Where do you see the journey going with Jayson Tatum who recently scored 60 points? Is he a top 10 player in the NBA now?

He’s definitely top 10 now. I’ve grown to like him more and more over the last few years. He will continue to be something special for the league.

Dino Radja recently said he couldn’t see Russell Westbrook leading a team in Europe to success. Do you agree?

I’m not sure his style would work. Although I’m sure he would still do fine and could lead a team. The play style would be a big adjustment for him though

Draymond Green recently said he is the best defender of all-time. Do you agree?

Draymond is definitely not the best defender of all time.

Have you seen the Coming to America sequel? It has had mixed reviews. Shouldn’t they just have left it alone?

I haven’t seen that movie yet, although it’s still on the list.

Thanks Evan for the chat.

Ricky Easterling (189-G-83, college: Bridgewater) is a 37 year 189cm guard form Baltimore, Maryland playing his 16th professional season and 14th season with the Sunkings Saarlouis (Germany-Regionalliga). He has made a name for himself in the Regionalliga over the years as he averaged over 30,0ppg twice and led the Pro B in scoring from 2014-2016. Last season he averaged 24.9ppg), 6.3rpg, 5.0apg, 2.0spg, FGP: 56.8%, 3PT: 38.3%, FT: 83.2%. He began his basketball career with Bridgewater College (NCAA3) and as a professional also has had experience with the the Baltimore Pearls (ABA), TSG Reutlingen (Germany-Oberliga) and the Bergheim Bandits (Germany-Regionalliga). He spoke to germanhoops.com before the 2021-2022 season opener in Limburg.

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

It’s always a pleasure chopping it up with you my friend! Thanks for contacting me for another interview. I’m in Saarlouis at my second home preparing for the new season as a player and a coach.

Basketball is finally back. How excited are to finally be competing again. What did you miss doing most on the court? Possibly unleashing your lethal mid distance jumper? *


To be honest I miss just being out on the court playing real games. Rather than just training, playing pick up, or meaningless games.

It was a real shame that the Regionalliga was cancelled last season. You never take a day off. You were in involved with F& R Basketball workouts. Despite not playing games how do you feel did your game profit from grinding in the lab without playing games? Did you train differently or do different things working on your game that you might not have done had you had the weekly games? *

Even though the season was cancelled I stayed true to my routine. I stayed in the Lab and tried to stay sharp. I also worked on aspects of the game that I needed to improve. For example my 3pt shot. To make up for not having games I added more cardio to my workouts and played a lot of 1v1, 3v3, and 5v5 once the covid rules started to lighten up a little bit. I also look at the lockdown as an advantage because at my age a break like this is good for my body.

Your turning 38 in less than two months. How do you feel physically and in what kind of shape is your game currently?


I feel pretty good for my age. I got a couple aches and pains but nothing I can’t handle. As far as the shape of my game I guess we will find out on Saturday! Haha!

What are your personal goals? The last three seasons after the Pro B, you continued to put up very strong consistent stats. Will the Saarlouis offense continue to go through you?

My goals for this season is to have a winning season with my team and try to end up somewhere in the top of the league standings. Not really concerned about individual accomplishments. I’m still a key player in our offense attack so you will see me continue to be a scoring/ playmaking threat for my team.

In 2019-2020 you had one of your best assist seasons. Can you see yourself becoming more of a playmaker and be able to trim down your scoring if you had to? * I can see me continuing to make plays for me and my teammates.

If it is better for me to be a dominate scorer I can still do that, and if I’m needed to be more of a playmaker I can handle that too. Just want to have a successful season. So whatever needs to be done is what I will do.

What kind of defender are you now at age 37? What do you continue to try to do most on the defensive end despite not being 27 anymore?

I can lock up and I will take more pride on that side of the floor this season. In the summer I worked out with some up and coming talent and they are quick, strong, and very hard to stay in front of. Guarding them keeps my Defense on point. Even though I’m there to help them get better, whether they know it or not they are also helping me to continue to compete at a high level. Even with my older age. Shot-out to my young guys Nick Parish and Dion Brown for helping me just as much as I try to help them when we are working out in the off season at Kutshers Sports Academy.

What can we expect from the Sunkings roster this season? The team continues to have continuity. The chemistry has to be amazing. *

We continue to be family here in Saarlouis. The main core of guys are still around, plus we have a couple new faces. Thankfully we added some good guys. They are good players on the court and they have great character. They fit in with us perfectly on and off the court. I’m looking forward to playing with this group this season.

When you read the number 43 what could you imagine it meaning? *


Only thing I think of when I see that number is how old I will be in the near future! Haha!

Well it is 43 seasons combined that you, Mukarem Mujkanovic and Jimmy Lauter have played in Saarlouis including this season. Do you guys have a special bond that not many have on teams? *

That’s crazy we have that type of longevity together as teammates! I’m very thankful to have these guy on my team and in my life as lifelong friends! Our bond is amazing and I am very thankful for that! We are brothers and we will always be. Even after our basketball days are over they will remain my guys 4 ever!

Saarlouis opens the season in Limburg. You have had some real battles against them. Do you have a particular game that you remember? *


I have a couple memories playing them. Some good and some bad but it’s all apart of the game. Looking forward to see what happens this time around.

The heart and soul of Limburg is shooting guard and captain Justin Stahlbohm. How much of a challenge is it having to deal with him on the court? *

He definitely is a key member to his team. He plays hard and leaves everything he has on the court. So playing against him is always a challenge. But I’m about that life! So I’m looking forward to the game this weekend.

When you enter the court in Limburg, what will you be most thankful about finally be able to play the game again that you love? *

Just being out there is a blessing. I will embrace it because we never know what will happen. Every time we step out there it could be the last time. So that’s how I’m going approach it this weekend. Especially after dealing with Covid.

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


I haven’t seen the sequel yet unfortunately. To be honest I totally forgot about the movie. Thanks for reminding me about it. I will check it out in the near future for sure!

Thanks Ricky For the chat.