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.

The first month of the Fraport Skyliners was a disaster as the 2016 Fiba Europe Cup team had started 0-5 as first thoughts about a possible Pro A demotion next season was prevalent. The club was very young, had problems defending and had a point guard problem. Head coach Diego Ocampo had been very diplomatic the last weeks after every new loss saying that he didn’t want to point fingers and that the record was a team problem. It was clear though that the organization had to respond some how and searching the market for a point guard wasn’t difficult to understand. I personally would have loved to have seen Jordan Theodore back for a second tour of duty, but it was also apparent that the club wouldn’t be able to satisfy his salary wishes. My article about my Theodore demand wasn’t even 48 hours old and the Fraport Skyliners had announced their new player Will Cherry (185-PG-91, college: Montana). I remember in the early afternoon getting a message from a friend saying that Will Cherry was going to sign with Frankfurt. My first thought was ‘Ok yes I remember him. He formed that potent point guard duo with Jordan Taylor at Alba Berlin in the 2015-2016 season where they won the cup in Munich.’ I also remember witnessing that incredible Alba cup win in Munich and also thinking that they would also win the BBL title. But that didn’t become a reality as they were swept by the Fraport Skyliners a few months later. I was excited about the ex NBA player Cherry coming to Frankfurt. But then a few hours later, that same friend sent me some disturbing tweets about Will Cherry where I first had to take a deep breath and wonder what Frankfurt was thinking in getting a guy that had had his spats here and there. He had had a disagreement with ex NBA player Wade Baldwin in Greece, not stuck to quarantine requirements and didn’t pass a medical test before coming to Frankfurt. Plus he had a heart condition. I had had little hope of the Fraport Skyliners winning their first game in Ulm the next day. Boy was I wrong and very pleasantly surprised how well Frankfurt played and was led by Will Cherry to the 88-80 win as he added 14 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists while shooting 6/8 in 20 minutes. ‘I stayed true to myself. You shouldn’t believe all that you read. Having this heart condition was scary, because there had been nothing in my family before. I have always been healthy. When I came to Frankfurt, everything was fine health wise. I want to thank the Skyliner organization for taking a chance on me. It is now my duty to keep proving to them that they made the right decision with me’, stressed Will Cherry. He feels no pressure to perform well and to deal with all the rumors and his rocky past as of late. ‘I don’t care what other people think. The guys who know me know the truth. I’m so happy to be playing again. My smile is so big. For me it is like being a kid in a candy store’, warned Will Cherry.

Will Cherry who has Justin Stanley, Kareem Jamar, James Johnson, Frank Otis and Jordan Taylor as his 5 best teammates of all-time was born on Feburuy 8th, 1991 in Oakland, California. He attended McClymonds High School in Oakland, California. As a senior, he averaged 12.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 4.0 steals per game for the Warriors who went an incredible 33-0. He achieved league and team MVP. He then played at the University Of Montana from 2009-2013 playing a total of 116 NCAA games. He was able to average in double figures in scoring in his last three years. In his 4 years there he averaged 12,8ppg shooting 43% from the field and 3,6rpg, 3.4apg, and 2.3 spg in 30.7 minutes per game. He was named first team All-Big Sky Conference three times, was the Big Sky Defensive Player of the year from 2011-2013, and became seventh on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,484 points. In his 4 years at Montana, he was able to hoist the Big Sky trophy 3 times. ‘Winning it my third time my senior year against Weber State was the sweetest, because of what I went through. I had had a bad foot injury. It was crazy winning that title. I had had bumps and bruises and hit the game winner’, remembered Will Cherry who hit for 18 points in the 67-64 victory. At Montana he played for head coach Wayne Tinkle, a guy who allowed him to play his game. ‘He gave us a lot of freedom. He let us figure out things on our own. If we were in a bad situation, he gave us the needed advice. If we fell on our faces, he would pick up the pieces’, stated Will Cherry who never played teammate Jordan Gregory who could shoot out the lights at 1-1, but believes he would have won had they played.

The California native who lists childhood friend Damien Lillard as his toughest foe ever on the court played his rookie season with the Canton Charge (D-League) playing 21 games averaging 11.9ppg, 3.9rpg, 5.0apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 53.3%, 3PT: 30.1%, FT: 68.5%. He had some good games against Maine and Sioux Falls nailing 21 points apiece. Despite putting up solid stats the transition to the pro ranks was still a big adjustment to the speed and physicality. ‘The D-League was so fast paced compared to the NCAA. I had to get used to the 24 second shot clock. That 11 seconds difference was big’, said Will Cherry. In the D-League he was teammates with the Ukrainian beast Kyrylo Fesenko who was a journey man for a few years in the NBA. I saw him play once in Frankfurt and I for sure never forgot him. It was obvious that he didn’t forget him either. ‘He was real big. He would get you open with his body. He was a really funny and cool dude’, remembered Will Cherry. In his second season he finally reached the big show. He was with the Toronto Raptors in camp and then was cut. He then was signed by the Cleveland Cavaliers and played 8 games. But it was before getting to Cleveland, where he actually witnessed his NBA wake up call. ‘I went to Toronto and a fan actually recognized me. I had never worn a NBA jersey yet. I was totally shocked’, remembered Will Cherry. He also will never forget his first NBA basket against the New Orleans Pelicans. ‘Lebron passed me the ball on the fast break. Not many guys can say that Lebron James passed them the ball on their first basket. Lebron is so unselfish sometimes to a fault. If you are open he will pass you the ball. He doesn’t care who you are. He will make the right play’, warned Will Chery.

Many guys would dream to have been able to mention to their grand children that they were teammates with a Kevin Love or Shawn Marion, but very very little guys can boast that they were also teammates with Lebron James and Kyrie Irving at the same time. Even if he only played 8 games with the Cavs, he did gather some special stories concerning Lebron and Uncle Drew. ‘I was able to have some 1-1 time with Lebron. It was after a practice. I was showering and there he came. At first I was a little scared and nervous. I knew that I had to ask him a question. I asked him a question not knowing how he would reply. He answered great. I had the luck of the draw to have had this moment with him. I never had a chance again 1-1 with him after that. He gave great advice. One time I was at lunch after a practice with some of the guys and he told us some funny stories when he was with the Miami Heat. I remember reading something on Social media about Chris Brown and I told Kyrie that. In a matter of 30 seconds, he was on face time with Chris Brown. He called him right away wanting to know what was up. That was crazy’, stressed Will Cherry. He also saw close up how fierce the NBA was. It is no secret that the feelings of players in the NBA are the last concerns of organizations. ‘I remember during an NBA Summer League during half-time of a game that Scotty Hopson was told not to go back on the floor, because he had been traded. I remember him saying he had no idea what hotel to go to. He would get traded a few more times that season’, added Will Cherry. He then finished the season with B.C. Zalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania-LKL) playing 36 games averaging 6.1ppg, 2.6rpg, 2.5apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 45.3%, 3PT: 30.5%, FT: 71.1%; and played 15 Euroleague games averaging 7.1ppg, 2.4rpg, 1.7apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 41.4%, 3PT: 36.8%, FT: 70.8%. He remembered his wake up call being the spacing of everything on the court and just playing against the many no calls and brutal physicality of the Euroleague. The style of play was also one that he had never witnessed before.

In the 2015-2016 season he came to Germany for the first time playing with Alba Berlin averaging 10.9ppg, 4.1rpg, 4.0apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 52.1%, 3PT: 35.5%, FT: 84.6%; in the BBL and in the Eurocup averaged 10.3ppg, 4.6rpg, 3.7apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 46.0%, 3PT: 26.5%, FT: 71.4%. He would win his first professional title beating FC Bayern Munich in the semi-finals and then teaming up with Jordan Taylor to beat the Fraport Skyliners and up and coming guard Jordan Theodore in the cup final in Munich. He played for the very tough head coach Sasa Obradovic who is known for having invented his own unique body movements on the sidelines and a guy who can make a player come to tears. ‘He was real demanding. He always tried to get the best out of his players. But he didn’t understand the concept of rest. That was a big reason why we got swept by Frankfurt in the playoffs. We had nothing to give. The physical and mental side was so demanding that our bodies gave out. Off the court, he was a cool and amazing guy. He is very intelligent and you could talk hours about basketball with him. It was just hard to forget his antics on the court and get to really know him off the court was demanding’, remembered Will Cherry. It is also not every day that a player can play with a two time NCAA champion and it is even rarer when that special winner is German. He was fortunate to have been teammates with German national player and team player Niels Giffey who Cherry will always remember as that glue guy. ‘Niels is a real good player. He always did everything that the team needed to win if it was scoring, rebounds or defense. Winning was always more important than stats. He always put in a lot or work. Going to Zalgiris was a big step. I know how much he loves Berlin, but he wanted to take that next step in his career’, commented Will Cherry. He scored in double figures in 21 BBL games netting 22 points against the EWE Baskets and scored in double figures in 9 Eurocup games including 18 points a piece against Le Mans and FC Bayern Munich. After his season in Germany, he continued to explore Europe and signed with Gaziantep Basketbol (Turkey-BSL) averaging 11.0ppg, 5.0rpg, 4.0apg, Steals-5 (1.7spg), FGP: 52.0%, 3PT: 27.6%, FT: 74.1%; and in the FIBA Europe Cup averaged 10.5ppg, 4.4rpg, 4.4apg, Steals-5 (1.9spg), FGP: 58.4%, 3PT: 22.7%, FT: 81.8%. The Turkish BSL league has been on the rise for years and with the money swirling around attracts many Americans. ‘There was already a lot of money in that league when I was there. I think a reason why the league is so good, is because there are many Americans there. Every team has 5-6 highly skilled Americans. You can never take off a night there. There is also a lot of money in the second league. It’s crazy’, remembered Will Cherry. He scored in double figures in 20 games including 29 points against Best Balikesir and 23 points against Usak. In the Fiba Europe Cup he scored in double figures in 8 games including 19 points against AEK Athens. In the 2017-2018 season he gained further experience with KK Cedevita Zagreb (Croatia-Premijer Liga) averaging 10.5ppg, 3.1rpg, 3.4apg, Steals-3 (1.9spg), FGP: 66.4%, 3PT: 34.5%, FT: 71.1%; and in the Eurocup averaged 11.8ppg, 2.7rpg, 4.1apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 47.9%, 3PT: 27.4%, FT: 73.9%; and in the Adriatic League averaged 11.1ppg, 2.8rpg, 3.2apg, Steals-4 (1.7spg), FGP: 50.7%, 3PT: 35.3%, FT: 80.0%. He has great memories of this season even if the end wasn’t that rosy. ‘Cedivita was amazing. We had a NBA like schedule playing in 3 leagues. The coach was great and so were my teammates and the city. My only regret was not getting to the ABA final as Buducnost beat us’, remembered Will Cherry. He scored in double figures in 15 Croatian League games including 24 points against Split. In The ABA league he scored in double figures in 14 games including 24 points against Buducnost and in the Europcup scored in double figures in 9 games including 19 points against Levallois.

After being overseas 3 years, the American who didn’t see the sequel to Coming To American, because he felt it should have been left alone decided to give the NBA another shot and played with the Golden State Warriors G-League team Santa Cruz Warriors averaging 8.9ppg, 3.6rpg, 4.4apg, 1.7spg, 2FGP: 44.5%, 3FGP: 20.5%, FT: 72.3%. It was here that he noticed that reaching the NBA would probably never happen again. He just didn’t understand what NBA teams were really looking for anymore in a player. ‘I felt like at that time I could of scored more and shot the ball better. I actually began to shoot the ball better near the end of the season. I could have done more. Now when I look back at that season, I can’t understand why I didn’t get a call up. We were the best team in the league and almost got the record for the least amount of points let up. Nobody got called up that season. I just don’t understand what the NBA is looking for? Are they looking for stats or winners? I have given up trying to figure out what the NBA really wants’, stressed Will Cherry. He scored in double figures in 22 games including 24 points against South Bay and 21 points against Memphis. He also has seen a big change in the NBA to when he was there in 2014. The NBA is getting younger and younger. ‘I think it is a lot easier to get to the NBA now than when I was there. Social media has a lot to do with it. The young players today don’t know how to play the game and don’t know the ins and outs. I think that many of the guys that have had an impact are the last first round picks and second round picks like Draymond Greene. These guys know how the game works and were longer in college’, expressed Will Cherry .He finished the season in Greece with Olympiacos Pireus.
In the 2019-2020 season he resigned with Olympiacos Pireus averaging 5.4ppg, 2.0rpg, 1.7apg, 2FGP: 47.2%, 3FGP: 36.4%, FT: 66.7%, in the Euroleague and finished the season with Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia (Italy-Serie A). Even if there were some positive aspects in Greece, it was definitely a season to forget. ‘It was an all-right experience, but not the best. It may look lovely looking in from the outside, but it wasn’t. When your losing all is bad, but when your winning it bothers no one. It was my worst year in my career. I mean I had never averaged 5.0ppg before in my life. I had never sat in a corner before. It was just a weird situation. The whole experience taught me a lot though. The organization and teammates were great though’, said Will Cherry. Then there was that well known altercation that he had with ex NBA player Wade Baldwin. After 3 years in the NBA, it was Baldwin’s first season overseas and like Cherry, it wasn’t a good one for the ex Vanderbilt (NCAA) stand out. ‘We had an altercation in practice that led to me leaving. There were no punches. It was a simple practice scuffle. There was just some pushing and shoving. The club was up in flames at that point’, remembered Will Cherry. Two things he won’t forget was teammate Vassilis Spanoulis and the fans. ‘Vassilis was the man. All saw him as the basketball legend, but off the court he was an even greater man. You would think that a decorated guy like that could be a butt hole, but he wasn’t. He knew the game so well. I learned a lot from him. It was like being around the star of Europe. In Greece one minute the fans love you and the next minute they don’t. I never lay down lightly and would talk back at them. They will attack you. I think that the real fans support you even in bad times. Many of the fans don’t even know the game, but there are good fans there. They take the good with the bad’, stated Will Cherry.

Now let’s fast forward to 2021. The ex NBA player who has Jordan, Magic, Bird, Chamberlain and Russell on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore has come in to be that saviour type of player for the Fraport Skyliners. The COVID time was difficult for him as he couldn’t play the game he loved as he was in the dark in Italy not knowing what would happen. It gave him an opportunity to find ways to learn about things outside of basketball and about things after his basketball career. But for now the 30 year old still has a lot of basketball in front of him. ‘I’m very excited to be here. Frankfurt is a good and young team that just hasn’t been able to put it all together. I want to use my experience and instill confidence in the players. The young players are pro’s for a reason. They just need to execute and do what they have done their whole life. I want them to go out play their game and have fun’, warned Will Cherry. One guy who has been in a tiny funk as of late has been Rasheed Moore ‘Rasheed has some experience. We talk all the time. Part of being a leader is knowing how to relate to your teammates. He can do a lot more and I will help him’, stressed Will Cherry. One guy he doesn’t need to help is captain Quantez Robertson. His eyes light up when I mention him. ‘Aw Tez is a dog. He is so strong and physical and a great perimeter defender. He is a winner. The last time I played him he won the Fiba Cup. He was such a big factor in that title’, said Will Cherry. German basketball fans got a first idea of what Will Cherry can still do on the court in Ulm. That game has gotten Fraport Skyliner fans reborn again this season. Will Cherry definitely doesn’t want to disappoint them. ‘Ulm was just a taste. Fans will see a guy who knows when to score and when to find his teammates. I will do whatever the teams needs. That is all that I care about. In the last couple years I was put in a box to just fill a role, but now with the Fraport Skyliners you will see me play my game wholeheartedly’, warned Will Cherry. It is finally exciting to follow the Fraport Skyliners again as there is new hope with Will Cherry in town.

Marcus Thornton (193-G-93, college: William & Mary) is a 28 year old 193cm guard from Forestville Maryland playing his seventh professional season and first with medi Bayreuth. Last season he played with the NINERS Chemnitz (Germany-BBL) averaging 13.8ppg, 1.9rpg, 4.2apg, FGP: 47.8%, 3PT: 39.3%, FT: 74.2%. In 2019-2020 he played with ES Chalon-Sur-Saone (France-Jeep ELITE ProA) playing 23 games averaging 10.4ppg, 1.8rpg, 1.9apg, FGP: 43.8%, 3PT: 34.9%, FT: 68.2%. He began his professional career in 2015 and has played for organizations Sydney Kings (Australia-NBL), Consultinvest VL Pesaro (Italy-Serie A), Banvit Basketbol Kulubu (Turkey-BSL), Guangxi Rhinos (China-NBL) and for two G-League teams Maine Red Claws and Canton Charge. He played at the College of William & Mary (NCAA) from 2011-2015 playing a total of 125 es and as a senior averaged 20.0ppg, 2.8rpg, 2.9apg, FGP: 51.8%, 3PT: 40.2%, FT: 82.5%. He spoke to germanhoops.com after a convincing 81-64 Fiba Europe Cup win against Donar Groningen.

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and Marcus Thornton in Frankfurt in 2021

Marcus thanks for talking to germanhoops.com. Congrats on the 81-64 win. Medi Bayreuth was never in danger of losing this game. How big was this win for the self-confidence with Alba Berlin coming in this weekend?

It was big! It was a good win leading up to a big game this weekend. We are really focused after this win to get it done this weekend.

Medi Bayreuth stepped it up a notch in the second half. Did Donar Groningen get mentally tired?

They may have. Cam Wells and Basti Doreth put a lot of pressure on them. We felt early on that we could wear them down. I feel like that showed as the game went on.

Medi Bayreuth played good aggressive defense forcing Donar Groningen to 23 turnovers. Is the offensive rebounds that the guests got the only real flaw that you had as a team?

Yes probably so. We are really trying to clean that up. That hurt us a lot in our win against Heidelberg. Our focal point at the moment is rebounding. I know that we will get it under control.

The bench contributed 35 points. German Kevin Wohlrath had 12 points. How instrumental has he been in the early going of the season?

Kevin has been really huge for us with all the injuries that we have had. Our team has that next guy mentality stepping up playing and delivering. We are very lucky to have him. He has messed into his role very well. It is also good that he continues to shoot the ball well.

Your playing your first season with medi Bayreuth. How good does it feel playing with fans again?

It has been great. They have an energy that you can’t recreate in any other way. We are very happy to have them back again. They always support us so well

What kind of an experience has it been playing with medi Bayreuth? What is special about this organization?

This organization has been a staple in the BBL for years. This is a family group in a small city that all believe in basketball. The organization really cares about the players and the fans supports us during ups and downs. I am blessed to be here and hope that we have a special season.

How big was the win against Heidelberg stopping a 3 game losing streak. Is this the start of the turn around of the season with Alba Berlin as the next opponent?

I do. That will be a big game. The crazy thing is that we didn’t even play well against Heidelberg, but the fact was we were able to bear down and pull out the win. We want to continue to build off the win leading into the cup game and the next BBL games.

In the easycredit BBL your struggling as a club. Can the team step up the offense with the player personal that you have?

Yes we can. We still haven’t all clicked on the same day yet. Some guys have big games, but on different days. I feel that once we are all rolling, we will be very tough to beat. I think we have good depth. Things will start to happen and we will make some noise.

The team is playing inspired ball in the Fiba Europe Cup. Is the team thinking title or taking it one game at a time?

Of course we want to win the title, but at the same time are taking it day by day. We are always looking to take it one game at a time. We aren’t in it just to play the competition, but want to go far and win it. For us it has been a team goal since the start of the season to take the full ride.

What has it been like being teammates with Cameron Wells. Back in the day he played at Citadel (NCAA) and in the same conference as Steph Curry and wasn’t too far behind in the stats category. You are an enthusiastic passer. Have you been able to take something extra from his playmaking?

Yes for sure. Cam has played in this league for a while and is very knowledgeable. He is always talking to us about certain situations like the pick and roll. I’m a student of the game and always watch him and he helps me. He is a great passer and good player. He has had some double double games with points and assists this season. I expect him to continue to lead the team and try to pick up things form him along the way.

This is your first time in your career playing two competitions in a season. How challenging is it always being ready for battle?

I love it. It had been my goal for some time to be able to play in a competition like this. I’m very excited to play Fiba Europe Cup. More the games the better for me. Playing two competitions, you have more mental practice and have to take care of your body better. It has been fun.

How content have you been with your game with medi Bayreuth. Is your role different than with Chemnitz?

I’m more a two this season. Last season I played the one more. I haven’t even scratched the surface of where I can be this season. I haven’t shot the ball well yet, but I’m not worried, because it’s a long season. For me the most important thing is to find out our team chemistry and get wins. Coach wants me to be aggressive. That suits my game best and I will continue to do that.

Your playing great in the Fiba Europe Cup, but still searching for your three pointer in the BBL. Is your self-confidence up and down with your game or have you been able to keep steady?

My self-confidence never wavers. I never doubt my game. I have worked too hard in my career that I know what I can do. For me it’s just a matter of time. Usually sooner than later. I will get the ball rolling.

What did you get most from Rodrigo Pastore in Chemnitz and how have you profited most from Raol Korner?

In Chemnitz I was exclusively a point guard. I was really grateful to have that job. I was able to show my playmaking qualities and lead the team. Coach Korner has allowed me to be myself and be that three level scorer. He allows me to be aggressive, score the ball and also create. He has let me come into my own. I really appreciate his trust and want to continue to make him look good.

How have you followed the development of the Boston Celtics this season? The team belongs to Jaylon Brown and Jayson Tatum and have with Dennis Schroeder and Marcus Smart two talented guards. Where will the journey of this team go this season?

I think that people get to caught up with the start of seasons. There are too many games in the NBA. There is enough time to figure everything out and mesh. I haven’t watched too many of their games because they come on so late. I think it has been tough with Brad Stevens not coaching anymore. The main thing is that it is still early and so much will change. They will figure it out.

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

For sure they should of left it alone. Some movies just aren’t meant to be remade. Money rules all.

Thanks Marcus for the chat.

Henry Caruso (194-G-95, college: Santa Clara) is a 26 year old 194cm guard from San Mateo, California playing his third professional season and second with Donar Groningen. Last season with Donar Groningen (Holland-DBL) he played 25 games averaging 8.3ppg, 5.7rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 52.7%, 3PT: 42.9%, FT: 75.0%. He played his rookie season with Heroes Den Bosch (Holland-Eredivisie) playing games averaging 11.2ppg, 5.0rpg, 1.3apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 48.9%, 3PT-2 (47.9%), FT: 85.9%. He began his basketball career at Junipero Serra High School. He then played at Princeton (NCAA) from 2013-107 playing 74 games. He then finished his NCAA career with Santa Clara University (NCAA) playing 31 games averaging 12.2ppg, 7.0rpg, 1.7apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 53.8%, 3PT: 36.1%, FT: 84.3%. He spoke to germanhoops.com before a Fiba Europe Cup game against medi Bayreuth.

Thanks Henry for talking to germanhoops.com. Welcome to Germany. What do you know in general about Germany and it’s country? Have you visited since being overseas?

Thank you. Germany has a highly developed and industrialized social market economy, which is highlighted by its commitment to technological advancements and foreign trade. As the most populous nation in the European Union, Germany has a strong influence throughout the EU. I have been fortunate to visit Germany on several occasions for basketball purposes. I was impressed with the German culture, architecture, and love for sports.

Since playing in Holland, how aware have you been of basketball in Germany? A lot of guys use Holland as a early platform and then move to Germany to play.

I am familiar with basketball in Germany as two of my former college teammates, TJ Bray and Hans Brase, played in the BBL and preformed quite well. Also, my current teammate, Leon Williams, played in Goettingen for multiple seasons.

With everything that you witnessed during COVID, how do you feel did COVID make you stronger as a man?

COVID has been a challenging time for everyone. In terms of basketball, COVID made me appreciate things such as the opportunity to compete at the professional level, play in front of fans, and my relationships with teammates and coaches.

Your playing your second season with Donar Groningen (Holland-DBL). What kind of an experience has it been playing for this organization? A few years ago they had won 4 titles from 2015-2017.

Playing for Donar Groningen has been a great experience. I am honored to represent the team and the Groningen community. I hope that we can give our fans a lot to cheer for throughout the season.

Have you felt like the club has pressure to win again? How big is the organization hunger to get that next title again?

The hunger and fire is certainly there. We want to be playing our best basketball at the right time and I am confident that our players, coaches, and support staff will help us achieve our goals.

The team is very deep and talented this season. Winning the league and cup title has to be the goal. What can this team achieve this season?

Building and working together day by day , step by step will help our team achieve goals. If we keep chipping away and staying true to the process, the results will follow.

What has it been like sharing the court with the experienced veteran Marquis Addison? How have you profited from his presence on the court?

Marquis Addison is an extremely talented basketball player, but an even better person. I have really enjoyed getting to know Marquis over these past months. Seeing his preparation and approach on a first hand basis has been valuable to me.

Let’s talk about your game. You’re a 194cm guard. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would best fit the bill?

I enjoy watching Donte DiVincenzo of the Milwaukee Bucks.

You’re a player that has always been able to score and has a deadly three, but your rebounding really stands out for your height. Talk a little about how your rebounding instantly improved in your junior year at Princeton?

Rebounding & defense are two areas of the game that you can always control. Playing with energy and effort, combined with having awareness can heavily impact winning on every level.

What do you still want to add to your game to keep moving up the basketball ladder and to improve your game?

Win a championship at the professional level.

How tough was losing that three game playoff series against your former team Den Bosch last season? What will you remember most from that playoff series?

It was difficult. Losing is never fun, especially in a playoff series when the stakes are high. Den Bosch got hot at the right time, and unfortunately for us, the ball didn’t bounce our way in the final playoff game of the series

You played your rookie season with Heroes Den Bosch averaging 11.2ppg, 5.0rpg, 1.3apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 48.9%, 3PT-2 (47.9%), FT: 85.9%. As a rookie you were teammates with an incredible sharp shooter named Seger Bonifant and athletic freak Elijah Clarance. What memories do you have of these two talented players?

Seger Bonifant was a pure shooter and a tremendous teammate. Elijah played with great energy and had a highlight reel dunk almost every game.

What was it like having TJ Bray as a teammate as a freshman at Princeton. He recently retired because of injuries. Was he like a mentor for you then?

As a freshman entering Princeton, I was unsure what to expect. TJ Bray was our senior captain and took me under his wing. He showed me how to navigate college basketball, play the right way and be successful in school. To this day, TJ is a great mentor for me. He had an unbelievable career making it all the way to the Euroleague and I know he will achieve wonderful things in the future.

You were teammates with Devin Cannady for two years. Did you sense he was NBA material when he was there?

Definitely. Devin Cannady is a gym rat. He was one of the first guys in the gym and one of the last guys to leave the gym. His ability to create his own shot combined with his strength and athleticism were things that stood out right away.

How did head coach Mitch Henderson groom and prepare you best for a professional career?

Coach Henderson taught me to be a complete basketball player and make good decisions on the court. He stressed the importance of being able to pass, dribble, and shoot at a high level. Coach Henderson was a terrific basketball player at Princeton during the mid-late 1990s. Being able to learn from someone as successful as him was very impactful on my development as a basketball player.

You played another year at Santa Clara as a graduate student. How did your game benefit from playing a fifth season best?

My time at Santa Clara taught me how to lead a team and be a role model for the underclassmen. I was fortunate to play for Herb Sendek and his staff. His preparation and discipline are two things that I try to emulate. This past summer, I completed my M.B.A. from Santa Clara.

Who was the toughest player that you ever battled on the court that reached the NBA?

Aaron Gordon. During high school, our schools (Junipero Serra & Archbishop Mitty) played each other 10+ times. Those games were always down to the wire, sold out crowds, and some of my best basketball memories.

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

Jordan. Lebron. Bird. Nash. These were the guys I grew up watching.

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

Michael Jordan.

Did you see the sequel to the classic Coming to America? I have not watched it yet. I’ll have to add it to my bucket list.

Thanks Henry for the chat.