In the NBA you have always had those amazing 1-1 battles . Who could forget the amazing duel in 1988 in the playoffs between Larry Bird and Domingue Wilkins or even more recent Lebron James against Kevin Durant or Vince Carter against Allen Iverson or back in the day Wilt Chamberlain against Bill Russell, but probably the most fierce and competitive battles were between Bird and Magic in the 80´s. No interview in my book can ever not have who won a one on one in practice or my famous what was the last movie that you saw? I usually ask the one on one practices at the end of my college ball questions and usually take a guy that was the same height as the player I´m interviewing and then hoping that they played. I can´t say accurately, but I will predict that most of the time I´m about70/30 right that the opponent I picked had played against my interview partner. Sometimes the reactions are hilarious especially on the phone interviews. How often do I get this loud roar of a laugh from the player I´m interviewing when they hear the guy I picked. Sometimes I will pick a guy that had great stats, and sometimes it may be a guy that hardly played. 98% of the time the player that I interview always takes himself. Very seldom do I get a guy that will outright say that he lost the battles. Sometimes a player will be fair and say that they split the one on one battles. At the beginning of 2020, I interviewed ex California(NCAA) forward Richard Solomon and when I asked him about how he had done against his ex team David Kravish, he didn´t have to pause long to proclaim who was best. “I did every time. David was my guy. Honestly I don’t think that we ever played. But I would take myself each time. He was a great teammate. He was fun to be around. When we were on the court together, we were always locked in. We always wanted to block every shot and get every rebound”, warned Richard Solomon. When I asked David Kravish the same question, he was a lot more diplomatic and didn´t follow his ego at all. “We didn’t play a lot of one on one, but when the situation came to me vs him I think we probably split pretty evenly. I’d love to play with or face him again someday just to see how much we’ve both grown as players.”, remembered David Kravish. The great thing though what I have observed in so many of my one on one questions, is that no matter how competitive the players are and how sure they are about themselves, almost every guy always has something good to say about their ex teammates. Their battles are more than 5 years old, but for David Kravish, he can reminisce all he wants about the good old days at California(NCAA), but at the end of the day all he cares about now on the court is becoming an even better defender so he can continue to move up the basketball ladder and to do the best he possibly can to always get his team in the best position to win ball games.

Kravish was born on July 12, 1992 in Joliet, Illinois. He began his basketball career at Lee’s Summit North high school and averaged 13.0ppg, 9.1rpg in his senior year. On account of his stellar play, the big man picked up HS Suburban Big-6 All-League honors -in 2010, and 2011 and made the HS Missouri All-State team in 2011. He then began his NCAA career with the University of California at Berkley where he played from 2011-2015 amassing a total of 136 games. In his freshman year he played 34 games and started 24 games and averaged 6.9ppg, 5.6rpg, 1.2bpg, FGP: 59.4%, FT: 69.1%. He showed his quality early on the defensive end blocking 41 balls. He was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team and was a  Pac-12 Regular Season Co-Runner-Up  and Pac-12 Tournament Semifinalist. Asa freshman he scored in double figures in 9 games including a 17 point, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks in a 77-63 win over Oregon State. In his sophomore season he played 34 games averaging  7.9ppg, 7.0rpg, 1.0apg, 1.7bpg, FGP: 49.6%, FT: 69.0%. He scored in double figures in 9 games and registered 3 double doubles. He scored 18 points and grabbed 13 boards in a 77-63 win over UCLA and had 14 points and 11 rebounds in a 62-46 win over Colorado. In his junior season he played 35 games averaging  11.4ppg, 7.7rpg, 1.1apg, 2.1bpg, FGP: 54.3%, 3PT: 28.6%, FT: 74.1%. When I covered Justin Cobbs in his rookie season in Frankfurt in the 2014-2015 season, I remember him telling me of his fondest moment when he defeated Arizona with a buzzer beater  where he hit a classic fade away ffalling into his own team bench and it wasn´t any different with Kravish. “My fondest memory from college was when we played Arizona in Berkeley when they were ranked 1 in the country, and we won at the buzzer. The fans rushing the floor was crazy. I’ve watched that game back several times as a pro”, remembered David Kravish. He played 3 seasons with Cobbs in the NCAA and knows too well that he could play in the NBA, but as so often is the case, there are simply too many talented guards in the world and too little jobs. “Justin is an amazing player with many great traits. I think that is a good way of putting it in terms of too few jobs, but I think you could take many of the top players over here and exchange them with some guys in the NBA and they wouldn’t miss a beat. I’m not talking about the superstars in the NBA obviously”, warned David Kravish.

In his senior year, the American played 33 games averaging 11.3ppg, 7.0rpg, 1.2apg, 1.5bpg, FGP: 48.6%, 3PT: 28.6%, FT: 72.6%. He scored in double figures in 19 games and had 5 double doubles. Some of his best games in his last year included a 25 point, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks in a 84-59 win over Washington State and he hit Washington for 21 points in a 81-75 victory. It is no surprise that one of these two games belonged to his most memorable personal games in the NCAA. “I remember the second to last game of my career was against Washington State. One of my favorite people and coaches of all time had moved from Cal to Washington State, Scott Thom, and I just remember really wanting to beat him. I had an incredible game that put us over the top. I still travel basically every summer to workout with him and improve as a player on the court and in the weight room. He has had the biggest impact on my career since I’ve left college”, stated David Kravish. He made huge steps in his game and it wasn´t just the fierce one on one battles against Richard Solomon that helped raise his game, but just the daily presence of his teammate on the floor. “Rich was always pushing me in practice. He is such a skilled player, while also being the most athletic person I’ve ever played against. Having to go up against him every day absolutely  raised my level of play”, stressed David Kravish. Not only Solomon was huge in his development, but also head coach Mike Montgomery. If it hadn´t been for Montgomery´s words of wisdom, Kravish may have landed in a hospital. “Coach Montgomery and his staff were essential in my growth as a player. He is the one who really convinced me that I had a chance to play the game professionally. I had gone to school with the intention of being a doctor, but I sat down with him after practice one day, and he asked me what I wanted out of basketball, and went on to tell me I should really consider pursuing basketball as a career.  Coach Montgomery also is an incredible coach, so he taught me a lot about the game and how to play as a big even if I wasn’t the biggest guy. I’m incredibly grateful for his coaching. I really wish he had been able to stick around for my senior year, but he’s gone on to be a great commentator”, expressed David Kravish.

Before turning professional, the big man got some valuable experience playing NBA Pro Summer League in Las Vegas with the Golden State Warriors playing 4 games: averaging 3.3ppg, 2.5rpg. He had mixed feelings about the whole NBA experience in Las Vegas. “I learned that 10 days in Las Vegas is way too long. I don’t think summer league is a good representation of the NBA, but I am very appreciative for the opportunity they gave me to be on the team”, said David Kravish. He then went overseas for the 2015-2016 season joining  BC Nokia (Finland-Korisliiga) playing 46 games averaging 13.7ppg, 7.7rpg, 1.3apg, Blocks-5(1.2bpg), FGP: 61.1%, FT: 80.5%. Playing in a league like Finland was important for him, because he could gain confidence quickly showing he was able to play well at his first station. He scored in double figures in 34 games and had 6 double doubles. Some of his best games that season occured against the Salon Vilpas where he netted 26 points and 21 points in a win over Lapua. Despite having little problems on the court, he did remember having a wake up call that he was far from home that not everything was easy at the start off the court. “I think it was before my wife arrived a few weeks later, when I was sitting in my apartment on the second day thinking to myself, “I don’t know anything about this language and I have no idea where anything is. When it started to become dark at 2:30pm was also tough”, stated David Kravish. The American slowly continued to climb the professional basketball ladder as in his second season overseas, he played in a higher league with Energa Czarni Slupsk (Poland-TBL) playing 41 games averaging 12.9ppg, 8.0rpg, 1.1apg, Blocks-3(1.3bpg), FGP-1(67.8%), FT: 75.2%. He showed that he belonged to the top centers in the league. He scored in double figures in 32 contests and registered 11 doubles. He had some fine performances against Stal Ostrow having 24/11 stats in a 82-77 victory and hit MKS DG for 22 points and 9 rebounds in a exciting 89-85 win. He had an exciting 5 game playoff series against Anwil, but he definitely wasn´t bored off the court either. “The thing I’ll remember most is probably the GM stealing money from the team and us not getting paid for the last 5 months of the season. The Americans were also detained in Stamsted airport because the team didn’t get us our visas and tried to send us to the UK to “reset our 90 tourist visas.” This was also very memorable. All of the adversity we faced from such a poorly run organization would have made the season difficult, but our coach, Roberts Stelmahers, really fought for us and did an amazing job of bringing us together despite all of the issues off the court.  The veterans on the team like Marcus Ginyard, Greg Surmacz, Anthony Goods, Mantas Cesnauskis, and Lukasz Seweryn really helped teach me what to expect when playing in Europe. I think this year I learned more about how to be a pro in Europe than any other year and I have these guys to thank for that. The series with Anwil was great because we had like 6 guys on the roster by that point in the season and coach Stelmahers just knew how to make it work”, remembered David Kravish.

He was able to make another step with his game in Poland which also helped him make the next step to a higher league as he played with Tsmoki-Minsk (Belarus-Premier League) playing 24 VTB United League games averaging 12.1ppg, Reb-3(7.5rpg), 1.3apg, Blocks-2(1.3bpg), FGP: 62.7%, FT: 82.8%; and 14 FIBA Europe Cup: 14 games averaging 10.3ppg, 7.2rpg, 1.6apg, Blocks-3(1.5bpg), FGP: 52.9%, FT: 61.5%. “My year in Minsk was my first year in one of the high level domestic leagues so it forced me to raise my level of play while giving me the opportunity to show that I can be successful at a high level”, said David Kravish He also has been fortunate to have played with high quality guys each season and one of those was ex Wake Forest great Justin Gray who was teammates with Chris Paul and carved a great career in Europe. “Justin was a great teammate to have, especially early in a career. He helped bring us along and to believe in the quality of players we had on the team at that time”, stressed David Kravish. He scored in double figures in 7 Fiba Europe Cup games and had 4 double doubles. His best games happened against the Bakken Bears where he had a 20/10 game in a 96-75 win and had 18 points and 14 rebounds in a 83-65 victory over Bnei Hertzeliya In the VTB, he scored in double figures in 14 games and had 5 double doubles. His best games were against Bnei Hertzeliya with 26 points and 12 boards in a 84-77 win and against N.Novgorod with 23 points in a 91-82 victory. In the 2018-2019 season, he switched teams, but remained in the high level league VTB to continue to polish his game. He played with Avtodor Saratov (Russia-VTB) playing 26 VTB games averaging 12.3ppg, Reb-1(7.9rpg), 1.2apg, Blocks-5(1.1bpg), FGP: 65.3%, FT: 78.2%; and played 13 FIBA Europe Cup averaging 10.2ppg, 7.8rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 55.0%, FT: 83.3%. He showed that his first season was no fluke in the VTB league. “That was my second year in the VTB, so I was more familiar with a lot of the players and styles of the different teams going into that season. The VTB is one of the strongest domestic leagues, so it was great to demonstrate  that I can compete and succeed against high level opponents”, expressed David Kravish. In the Fiba Europe Cup, he scored in double figures in 5 games including scoring 26 points in a 129-91 pounding of BK Pardubice and scored 21 points in a 104-86 loss against Nes-Ziona. In the VTB he scored in double figures in 15 games and had 7 double doubles. He pounded Enisey with a 30/11 game in a  106-91 win and had 23 points in a 93-76 win over Parma. He played against top Euroleague team CSKA Moscow 4 times in his 2 year VTB career getting pounded twice and then losing two close games. He scored in double figures of three of the four games and will always remember his battles fondly especially against 4 time Euroleague winner Kyle Hines. “It was great to play against CSKA because, as you said, they are one of the top teams in Europe every year. I think it is important to treat every game the same, and not to worry about how this opponent is a Euroleague team or generally at the bottom of the table. Kyle Hines is a great player who has a great feel for the game on both sides and makes things very difficult for the opposing teams. It is very obvious why he’s played at the highest level basically his whole career”, said David Kravish. His game has also always been fortified where ever he has played with great guards and one of those was American Trae Golden. “Trae made it very easy for me because he is such a great player that he made teams pay if they worried too much about the roll, and if they stepped up to stop him then he was good at getting the ball to the open man in a spot to score. He is definitely one of the better guards in Europe, and I’m hoping he kills it in China this year”, warned David Kravish.

 He was able to make a jump every season through very hard work which helped him put up consistent stats and rewarded him last season with playing in Europes top league ACB in Spain. He played with club BAXI Manresa playing21 ACB games averaging 12.1ppg, 6.2rpg, 1.6apg, 1.0bpg, FGP: 55.6%, FT: 83.3%; and played 9 games averaging  10.0ppg, 5.9rpg, 2.9apg, 1.2bpg, FGP: 59.1%, FT: 92.3%. He scored in double figures in 5 Basketball Champions League games including 19 points in a 76-70 win over Lietkabelis and 18 points in a 121-102 victory over Polski Cukier. In the ACB, he scored in double figures in 16 games and had 4 double doubles including a 20/11 game in a 85-67 win over Zaragoza and a 18/10 game in a 106-104 win over Joventut. He played against top European clubs Real Madrid and FC Barcelona losing each time, but held his own scoring in double figures each game. “I think my time with Manresa in the Spanish league helped make me a more well rounded player. The ACB is such a good league top to bottom that you see all different types of defenses and offensive styles which forces you to learn how to read each and find a way to attack it. As a big, I was helped a lot by our point guard Dani Perez who is one of the best and most creative passers I have ever played with”, stressed David Kravish.

He believes when all is said one day that Luka Doncic could be the greatest European to ever play in the NBA played his last game in the 19-20 season on March 7 scoring 13 points in a 84-74 loss against Real Betis. Then basketball was cancelled in most countries and he suddenly was home again a lot earlier than in previous years. Like for so many players around the globe, the COVID-19 time was a huge challenge as nothing was the same for anybody anymore. “I was in Manresa, Spain last year when the league stopped due to Covid. “Once I got home to Missouri in late April the gyms and everything were closed down. I was running outside and doing different forms of cardio to try to stay in shape while lifting whatever weights I could find. I got lucky and through a friend of a friend was able to work out on an indoor basketball court they had built in their backyard, but that wasn’t until June. It was very challenging for sure“, remembered David Kravish. Of the court, the American was able to affirm his huge faith in GOD to come to terms with all kinds of experiences that he met. “I think those experiences just remind me to trust in God even more, because life isn’t always going to go well, and things aren’t always going to be easy, but if we trust in Him we can find peace and joy in any circumstance(Phillipians 4:11-13: “Not that I speak [a]from need, for I have learned to be [b]content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with little, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things [c]through Him who strengthens me.”), added David Kravish.

Despite COVID-19 still being alive and very present, it hasn´t hindered the German easyCredit BBL from shutting down. David Kravish who lists Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lebron James, and Shaq on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore has found a new challenge in the EasyCredit BBL with Brose Bamberg. When you played in the ACB, it is difficult to get to a much better league except the Euroleague. The easyCredit BBL isn´t the ACB, but still considered a top 5 league in Europe. It wasn´t a difficult decision for him to pick Brose Bamberg as his new employer. “I was familiar with my coach from several summers ago, that was a contributing factor for me. Every year I hope to take a step up and progress my career, and Brose Bamberg is a very well respected club known for their success. I do enjoy learning the new cultures and seeing new places with my wife. There aren’t that many people who have the opportunity to see this much of the world and experience it like this, so it is truly a blessing. I’m really enjoying the season, but it definitely isn’t the same without having the fans there at the games”, stressed David Kravish. He has seen very much basketball in many different countries the last years that he feels confident the team will shine in the BBL and BCL. “We have had a slow start in the BBL, but I see us competing for a top spot in both leagues”, warned David Kravish. Bamberg has a very talented and deep roster with guys like American Devon Hall who has given a huge spark in the back court. “The addition of Devon was great for us. He gives us a strong offensive and defensive option with versatility at the guard positions. He also has an edge to him that helps drive the team”, warned David Kavish. Another player Like Kravish who is playing his first season in Germany is Chase Fieler who will be a huge impact player this season and also bring other great skills to the table. “Chase brings leadership and a good eye for the game. He makes  a lot of reads and sees a lot options during play that lead to some easy baskets and stops for the team as a whole, not just himself”, commented David Kravish. He also has kept a close eye on young diminutive German point guard Bennt Hundt. He is one of the rare very short guards in the league that has a huge future ahead of him. “Bennett brings great energy for us on the court and on the sidelines. He is a little undersized, but he doesn’t back down from matchups or switches. He sticks his nose in there no matter what, and that is very important for the team”, added David Kravish.

It is no secret that the American who last watched “The Devil All the Time” with Tom Holland has a very fine offensive game that has proven over the years that he can fit into any league and any coaching system while at the same time being an impact player on the defensive end. He has proven that he belongs without a doubt to the best centers in the league currently averaging 14,5ppg, 8,3rpg, 2,4apg, 1,0spg and 1,4bs. While in the BCL he is averaging 13,3ppg, 5,5rpg, 2,0apg and 1,3bs. He also isn´t shy about naming a few greats that he has admired most over the years. “I’m not sure who my game best fits, but I always admired the way Dennis Rodman approached rebounding with such intensity and skill. I respect the way Tim Duncan was always level headed no matter who he was playing or what the situation was during the game”, warned David Kravish. A big strength of his on the defensive end is his special knack of blocking shots. He was already a menace in the NCAA, but it hasn´t changed in the pro ranks. He continues to swat away balls where ever he has played and just frustrates opponents offenses with his superb defensive game. “I’ve always had kind of a knack for shot blocking. I hold the record for most career blocks at the University of California. I think gaining experience in all of the different leagues helps to adapt my play so that I can be more effective defensively regardless of the opponent”, stressed David Kravish. He continues to be a very consistent player where ever he has played and thus far in Germany is playing very effective and has become a greater scorer than ever before in his career. But the famous basketball phrase defense wins titles is something that has stuck in his mind. He knows that he will always be able to score and haul down rebounds, but that won´t necessary guarantee a title. He isn´t getting any younger and knows exactly where he wants to continue to improve on as he continues to climb the basketball ladder to the top. “One of the things I’m trying to focus on is defense. Improving defensively not only helps my team to win, but will help me move up the ladder like you said”, warned David Kravish. Who knows who would win a one one tomorrow should he and Richard Solomon be reunited again on a court again. It surely would be an intense battle as both guys have improved and developed their games further. It would probably be a big challenge to duel Solomon again, but at the end of the day he would rather lose that battle then any match ups on defense in games, because it´s all about wining titles and not about satisfying your ego and being able to tell your buddies over a cold one you just won a one on one game.

DJ Woodmore is a 29 year old 190cm point guard that is playing his first season with the EPG Baskets Koblenz. Last season with Morgenstern BIS Basket Speyer (Germany-ProB) he played 21 games averaging 15.1ppg, 4.4rpg, 2.3apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 60.0%, 3PT-2 (50.0%), FT: 87.3%. In 2018-2019 13.8ppg, 4.5rpg, 2.8apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 60.2%, 3PT: 36.5%, FT: 71.6% in the Regionalliga. In his first two seasons with Speyer he averaged 14.5ppg, 5.2rpg, 2.3apg, FGP: 44.6%, 3PT: 40.1%, FT: 72.1% and 17.5ppg, 7.0rpg, 3.4apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 47.5%, 3PT: 33.0%, FT: 76.4%. he played at Virginia Wesleyan College (NCAA3): from 2010-2014 and as a senior played 31 games averaging 20.1ppg, 5.9rpg, 2.4apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 50.3% (219/435), 3Pts: 46.0% (91/198), FT: 76.9% (93/121). Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and DJ Woodmore team together each week to talk basketball.

DJ thanks for talking to germanhoops.com. A tough 90-69 loss against FC Bayern Munich 2. What kind of an experience is it playing in the Audi Dome knowing what type of Euroleague players have played there?

Beautiful arena! A lot of history and playing on one of the biggest stages in all of basketball is always a great experience. Just would be nice to get a win there for once.

How disappointing is this loss after the EPG Baskets Koblenz came off that huge win at home against the Hebeisen White Wings. The team inconsistency continues.

Really tough Loss. We’ve had a lot of ups and downs all season, really thought we were going to turn the corner this game and start playing our best basketball!

FC Bayern Munich 2 was up by 6 at the break. What did head coach Danny Rodriguez tell the team to do better in the second half?

We just needed to take care of the ball better. I think we had about 14 turnovers at halftime, which led to easy transition points for them. We’re probably winning going into halftime if we would have cut those down some.

In the second half of the third quarter FC Bayern Munich went on a run only to be stopped by Chad Wellian who showed his scoring in bunches qualities. How valuable has the Dutch man been for the team?

He’s been extremely valuable, with his size and strength he creates mismatches all the time. Now that we’ve moved him to the 3 position, it’s opened up his game even more and allowed him to be more of a factor on offense.

The deciding moment of the game came in the fourth after you had fought back hard, FC Bayern Munich went on a 16-0 run. It seemed like the basketball God just hated the EPG Baskets Koblenz. Turnovers, numerous missed shots and blocks by Matej Rudan turned the tide of the game?

Yea, I thought we just lost our composure during that run. We had a lot of calls that didn’t go our way and we let that affect us. We have to find a way to stick together and stop the bleeding before it starts.

How lethal was the inside duo of Rudan and Rataj? Brian Butler and Bill Borekambi had their problems against them.

They were solid. I thought Rudan made some big shots but he was bailed out a lot with fouls. Seemed like he was untouchable sometimes. But we have to collectively be better on the defensive glass. That way we can limit his touches.

You saw Jason George a few months ago and he continues to get minutes in the BBL. How much has he grown in the last months with his game?

I think he’s coming into his own as a scorer. He’s their go to guy now and the BBL and euro league experience is definitely boosting his confidence. He’s definitely got a bright future ahead!!

You had a solid offensive game with 10 points six rebounds and 7 assists, but I know that your 4 turnovers annoyed you. What do you feel gave the team the biggest problems with the intensity and aggressiveness of the Munich defense?

I just thought we were rushing too much. A lot of miscommunication on offense which led to the turnovers. We want to play fast and up tempo, but stay under control. Sometimes it just felt like we didn’t have any structure. And like I said before, we have to do better rebounding.

With what positives can you take from this game and what will be the biggest areas the team will need to work on this week?

Not too many positives from this game. We need to find a way to stick together when things get tough. Besides that, I think we just need to move forward and focus on Coburg. They’re playing with a lot of confidence and they’re a really tough team in their home gym.

The EPG Baskets Koblenz will make the playoffs, but the fight for home court will be a dog fight between you and Munich and Giessen. The next game doesn’t get any easier as you have a date in Coburg. You won the first game of the season easily 103-85, but Coburg is a much improved team and in first place. What will be key in getting the win?

Absolutely. It won’t be easy at all but I think as long as we can string some wins together, we’ll be okay! But I think they key will be rebounding and contesting their shots. They live on the 3point line, and if we can make it a tough shooting night for them, we’ll be okay.

Tom Brady had fun drunk throwing the Super Bowl trophy from one boat to another during the celebrations in Tampa Bay. Who would have had to go fishing for the trophy had he lost accuracy and let it fall into the water?

I think you have to send one of the Rookies in there to get it lol. I don’t think Tom was too worried, he has 6 more at home.

Thanks DJ for the chat.

The Fraport Skyliners Juniors continue to suffer with their up and down play in the last weeks. They continue to play with a lot of spirit and intensity at home, but aren´t able to put together a consistent performance on the road. Last week they suffered a brutal 97-81 loss at the hands of Giessen as ex German national player Johannes Lischka was a tough menace exploding for 35 points as he dominated the paint area like no other. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors returned back home and met cross town rival Ebbecke White Wings Hanau who have been playing good basketball in 2021 having won six of their last eight games. Hanau came to Frankfurt having witnessed a hard 82-60 loss in Koblenz where they were very effectively manhandled on the boards. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were seeking revenge after losing their first meeting on the road with Hanau 69-61 and had to play a lot of catch up basketball, but came back and took control of the game, but made the contest exciting again as Hanau rallied and tied the game at 81-81, but German forward Maxi Begue took matters into his own hands hitting the game winning three pointer to lift the Fraport Skyliners Juniors past the Ebbecke White Wings Hanau 84-81. “We never hung our heads and always fought back. We played good defense and made some adjustments in the second half. It was hard playing against their zone, but we did a fine job moving the ball well and getting a good flow”, stressed Maxi Begue. The Ebbecke White Wings played a solid game, but couldn´t get away from Frankfurt early and later had to play catch up basketball and even had the opportunity to send the game into overtime on the last play, but were stuffed by the Frankfurt defense. “We played as if it was a Sunday afternoon stroll. We were way too sluggish. Frankfurt outhustled us on the boards all day long. They also got most of the 50/50 balls. We tried to wake up in the last 10 minutes, but it was too late. Frankfurt deserved to win”, stated Hanau guard Omari Knox.

The Ebbecke White Wings Hanau were without German Till Joschka Jonke who broke his finger while the Fraport Skyliners had to accept being without Len Schoormann who was playing with the Fraport Skyliners against ratiopharm Ulm which was taking place at the same time. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors got off the wrong side of the bed allowing a big Hanau run, but then recovered to trail only by 5 points after 10 minutes. The Ebbecke White Wings Hanau jumped all over the Fraport Skyliners Juniors leading 8-0 quickly. In the run, the guests got solid production from Eduard Arques Lopez who scored twice in the paint and young German Justus Peuser who showed his fine mid range game with a pull up jumper and also drove by Noah Kamden for an easy basket. Hanau had the higher intensity and aggressiveness at both ends while Frankfurt was sluggish and couldn´t move the ball well yet. But it didn´t take the Fraport Skyliners Juniors long to finally get going as they also demonstrated that they can go on runs taking a 9-5 run to cut the Hanau advantage to 13-9. In the run the Fraport Skyliners Juniors got some early offensive production from Maxi Begue who let his mid range game sparkle, while ex Coburg center Noah Kamden got aggressive on the boards making an offensive rebound and put back while ex Nurnberg guard Matthew Meredith nailed a trey as Hanau had the 13-9 lead. Hanau kept the pressure on getting some big buckets from German veteran Josef Eichler who played 17 BBL games with Nordlingen as he hit a trey and made a lay in. Ex Skyliner Felix Hecker also dropped a three pointer as Hanau held the 21-14 lead. Frankfurt received some key baskets from their youngsters 17 year center Alexander Richardson and Bennett Schubert as Frankfurt trailed 23-18. “We were able to convert our offensive game plan. We got Eichler involved who attacked Kamden in the paint. Our zone also worked very well against their offense”, said Ebbecke White Wings Hanau guard Till Joschka Jonke. The Ebbecke White Wings Hanau shot 60% from the field and 40% from outside and had 8 rebounds and 1 turnover while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 44% form the field and 40% from outside and had 9 rebounds and 3 turnovers.

The Ebbecke White Wings Hanau controlled the contest in the first five minutes, but the Fraport Skyliners Juniors fought back and trailed only by one point at half-time. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors continued to get fine support from their two German youngsters Alexander Richardson and Bennet Schubert who scored again. Bennet Schubert who is the younger brother of injured Konstantin is an efficient defender that always gives 100% and he brought the needed energy from the bench drilling home a trey as Frankfurt trailed only 25-21. “He helps us a lot when guys aren´t able to play. He was ready stepped up and did a good job”, added Maxi Begue. Hanau held the lead thanks to two baskets from New York native Omari Knox who had been contained well in the first quarter broke free in the second quarter, but Frankfurt kept the pressure firm and continued to come back getting key baskets from Alvin Onyia, a running hook shot from ex Cologne player Jordan Samare and a clutch offensive rebound and put back by 2017 JBBL finalist Calvin Schaum to cut the Hanau lead to 31-30. Frankfurt had found a good rhythm on offense and continued to have more fortune with the 50/50 balls while Hanau couldn´t execute as well like they did in the first quarter. But basketball remains a game of runs and three consecutive turnovers by Frankfurt allowed Hanau to break free again and go on a 8-2 run to extend their lead to 39-32. In the run, they received two transition baskets from ex Schwelm forward Malik Kudic and from ex Manchester(UK) forward Eduard Arquez Lopez. “Those three turnovers helped us get out on transition”, added Til Joscha Joenke. Young German Justus Peuser also contributed with another pull up jumper as he finished with 8 points and did a good job in the playmaking. “He is taking a good development. He has the freedom to play. His biggest strength is his work ethic, but his mid range game is cash”, smiled Till Joscha Joenke. But the Fraport Skyliners Juniors continued to battle back getting 5 points from ex Wurzburg guard Philipp Hadenfeldt to cut Hanau´s lead to 41-37. Frankfurt did a good job getting to the free throw line, but Schaum  and Samare could only hit one of two free throws, but they trailed only 41-40. Frankfurt continued to be super aggressive on offense as Alvin Oniya who continues to improve his trey scored from outside and Meredith made free throws for the first Frankfurt lead in the game at 45-44. After Felix Hecker made free throws, Noah Kamdem scored in the paint leading Frankfurt into the break with the 47-46 advantage. “We did a good job having a fine balance of our inside out game”, stressed Til Joscha Joenke. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 53% from the field and 42% from the three point line and had 19 rebounds and 10 turnovers while the Ebbecke White Wings Hanau shot 55% from the field and 25% from the three point line and had 10 rebounds and 5 turnovers.

In the third quarter the Fraport Skyliners Juniors were able to lead by as much as 10 points, but they were unable to totally shake the Ebbecke White Wings as they chipped away at the Frankfurt lead trailing only by 4 points after 30 minutes. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors entered the court after the break refocused and hammered out a swift 12-3 run to extend their lead to 59-49. They came out aggressive on defense stopping the first three Hanau possessions while getting a three pointer from Alvin Oniya and a free throw. Felix Hecker who once blasted Urspring for 44 points in a NBBL game connected on a trey , but Frankfurt countered back quickly getting a Meredith trey and Kamden lay in. Frankfurt continued to execute their offense well scoring well against the Hanau zone. Hanau got some key baskets inside from Éichler and Arques Lopez to cut the Frankfurt advantage to 61-55. But Frankfurt continued to have an answer on offense as Meredith and Begue scored to keep a healthy 65-57 lead. Hanau closed out the third quarter strong as Josef Eichler hit a trey and made free throws to trail only 66-62 after 30 minutes. “We had our ups and downs, and let them back into the game. We had some mental lapses near the end of the quarter”, said Maxi Begue. “We started to find some energy and had this sense of urgency. It kicked in and our energy got us back into the game”, stressed Omari Knox. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 55% from the field and 47% from the parking lot and had 25 rebounds and 16 turnovers while the Ebbecke White Wings shot 49% from the field and 29% from the parking lot and had 17 rebounds and 12 turnovers.

The Fraport Skyliners Juniors had another good start in the fourth quarter and led by as much as 9 points, but the Ebbecke White Wings stormed back making life very difficult for Frankfurt getting a last shot to try to bring the game into overtime. Frankfurt stopped Hanau on it´s first four possessions, but couldn´t take a real advantage of their stops as only Hadenfeldt scored from the parking lot. Omari Knox then got Hanau´s first field goal of the fourth quarter unleashing a pretty finger tip roll lay in to cut Frankfurt´s lead to 69-64. Frankfurt continued to keep their lead and execute well on offense as Kamdem scored inside again and Maxi Begue scored as Hadenfeldt made the prettiest pass of the night making a no look bounce pass that looked like a Doncic/Rondo combination. Hanau was on Frankfurt´s heels and wouldn´t let up as Knox hit a three pointer as did Felix Hecker as they clawed back trailing only 75-70. Hanau still had some gas in their tank as they went on a 7-1 run in crunch-time to grab back the lead at 77-76. Josef Eichler was massive in this sequence scoring two baskets in the paint. “Eichler stepped up and I got going. We had the momentum and just needed one more basket”, stated Omari Knox. But Hadenfeldt responded with a clutch trey to give Frankfurt the 79-77 lead back. Eichler continued to be active and scored inside again to dead lock the game at 79-79 with 1,52 minutes to go. Both teams got some stops at with 59 seconds to go, Hanau got a severe blow as Josef Eichler got his fifth foul. Frankfurt then took the lead as Jordan samara made a key offensive rebound and put back with 34 seconds remaining. Hanau stayed strong and responded tying the game with a Felix Hecker lay in with 21 seconds to go to tie the game at 81-81. Frankfurt had possession and Maxi Begue came up with the clutch shot for the 84-81 lead with 4 seconds to go. “There was no help on me and Meredith found me. I was open and didn´t hesitate. It felt good after the release”, stressed Maxi Begue. “We wanted to foul but couldn´t. Frankfurt had a man wide open and he made it”, said Omari Knox. Knox then had the last shot, but missed. “We set up for man to man, but they went to zone. I didn´t have a clean look”, stressed Omari Knox. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were led by Matthew Meredith with 16 points. Maxi Begue added 14 points, Philipp Hadenfeldt had 13 points and Noah Kamdem added 10 points while the Ebbecke White Wings Hanau were led by Josef Eichler with 23 points. Felix Hecker added 19 points and Omari Knox contributed 11 points. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 53% from the field and 45% from outside and had 33 rebounds and 22 turnovers while the Ebbecke White Wings Hanau shot 48% from the field and 27% from outside and had 24 rebounds and 18 turnovers.

Marcus Thornton is a 28 year old 193cm guard from Forestville Maryland playing his sixth professional season and first with the NINERS Chemnitz (Germany-BBL) averaging 12,7ppg, 1,2rpg and 3,8apg while shooting 44% from outside. Last season 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 during the 2020-2021 sea

Marcus thanks for talking to germanhoops.com. Despite all the turbulence that the world has experienced in the last months, how blessed are you to be playing professional basketball again with your new team Niners Chemnitz?

I’m extremely blessed to be able to play professionally and with Chemnitz this season. With everything going on, there was a stretch where we weren’t even sure how overseas play would be able to continue. So I’m grateful for the opportunity to be here right now

How did you experience COVID-19 in the States? What do you feel was the most challenging thing that you faced in this time on a daily basis on and off the court?

My experience I’m sure was similar to many other professional players, lockdowns in our respective states, curfews, limited access to being outside of our homes in the early months. I think the most challenging part for me at least, was just accepting the fact there was absolutely no way to get into a gym for a good 2-3 month stretch. Outside of basketball, I didn’t face any personal struggles, I’ve been playing overseas for some time now & I’d say I’m quite comfortable being by myself & occupying my time for long stretches without seeing friends and family.

Some players had no difficulty staying in shape and finding court time while other guys struggled. How was it for you? Were you able to do all the things you normally can during COVID-19 or was it more of a challenge?

I took the time during the lockdown to just focus on my body even more than usual. Without having basketball workouts, I was able to get more into stretching & detailed cardio work to keep me busy. I also used it to clean up my diet and be more mindful of how what I was eating was affecting my body and performance. I just challenged myself to try to be in the best shape I could be and that was motivating enough for me. First, that started with running & eventually got me into jump rope which I found to work well for me.

How do you feel did COVID-19 make you stronger as a man?

I feel like COVID-19 just reassured my passion for the game and my willingness to continue to work hard even without a clear endpoint at the time. It was a test of patience and faith to trust that we’d get back to playing again & I’d be ready whenever it came.

You have seen different countries and leagues in Europe, but what have you learned to appreciate most so far about the country Germany and it’s basketball?

The food has been really good here in Germany, and I’ve loved how easy it’s been to continue with my overall diet and trying to eat cleaner and more healthy. As far as basketball is concerned, I think Germany has a great physical presence. That presence can alter games and keep teams in games, making it very competitive.

The Niners Chemnitz are playing their first season in the easyCredit BBL. How exciting has it been playing for an ambitious team like this and what are the goals of the club?

It’s very exciting to be a part of this and their 1st time being in the BBL. We’ve been able to learn and see what type of atmosphere they’ve built here in Chemnitz over the last few years and I’m excited to join and help continue to build upon what they’ve instilled in this organization. We’re not concerned with focusing on the fact that it’s our 1st year in the league, we know what type of team and talent we have & have high expectations for ourselves. We expect not only to make the playoffs but to be a real contender around that time of year.

What has it been like playing with the point guards Virgil Matthews and Shannon Bogues? Matthews knows German basketball inside out while Bogues brings that American basketball mentality to the club. How do they compliment each other best and what you appreciated most about their games and character?

It’s been great playing with both Virgil and Shannon. Obviously, Virgil has been with this club for some time and has played in Germany even longer, so his knowledge as it pertains to Chemnitz and Germany is just a huge advantage for us as a team, and especially for myself also being a guard and it being my 1st time in Germany. He’s another coach on and off the floor for us and very important to our team. Shannon brings an exciting young energy to our team. His quickness on both sides of the ball really stands out and he brings an energy that I think every good team has! Having the knowledge and intuitiveness of Virgil alongside the talent and speed that Shannon has can only lead to good things and I’m excited to see it all unfold

How have you experienced Terrell Harris as a player? He has gradually moved up the basketball ladder in Germany starting in the 3rd league as a rookie. How much does his chip on his shoulder and competitiveness help build success for the team?

This is my 1st time playing with or against Terrel, he’s another leader on this team that we appreciate. He understands the game, how to play, and deeper than getting to his spots, he also sees how to get other guys in spots to succeed. His competitiveness helps push us to be better in practice every day and shows on the court in his play

You have played with very many coaches in your life, but what has been your early impression of Rodrigo Pastore. He is a top coach in Germany. Is he a guy where you feel that you will be able to learn new things that will continually help your game?

Coach Rodrigo is very passionate and committed not only to the game and x’s & o’s but also to the development and consistent improvement in all of us individually. I do feel I’ll be able to continue to learn under his coaching, he believes me not only as a scorer but as a passer too which I feel is a very underrated part of my gam

Let’s talk about your game. You’re a 193cm guard. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would best fit the description?

That’s a tough one for me, I don’t feel I identify with anyone NBA player in terms of playing style. But I feel I score the ball well on 3 levels, shoot the 3 at a high clip & create space out on the perimeter whether it be the mid-range or 3 pt area to score similar to CJ McCollum

You were an explosive scorer in the NCAA and as a professional has been consistent helping teams with your scoring ability. What other strengths does your game have that helps not label you only as a scorer?

As mentioned before I feel I have a really good ability to not only pass but to be a playmaker in general, for myself and teammates. I feel my quickness and capabilities with the ball allow me to get others involved seamlessly with my play.

You shot 40% or better from outside in 3 of 4 NCAA seasons and as a professional only in the G-League and Turkey. Do you have a special regimen besides the normal reps and shot selection that you believe in in continuing to become that great shooter?

I have a few different things I do shooting wise I try to do during the season with my shot. I’m grateful that the Niners have 2 shooting machines at our practice facility that are available to us & I spend a lot of time using them. I try to make between 300-500 shots per day and I switch up between different routines to keep it from being boring, also shooting drills with coaches after practice as well.

On what part of your game did you work on most this summer so you would be best prepared for your season in Germany?

This off-season we worked a lot with ball screen scenarios, I wanted to play more of point guard this year to show what I’ve always felt comfortable doing in playing the 1.

Last season you played in France for Chalon. It was sort of a strange season. The club lost a lot, but had this insane ability to win some real tight exciting games at the end against Nanterre, Orleans (129-125), Le Mans and Boulazac. How will you always remember this season?

Yea the season in Chalon was definitely strange, I had some great teammates there during my time and I’m always grateful to meet and bond with other guys embarking on the same journey that make playing together easy as well as being away from home. Each of those guys wanted the best for myself and vice versa

Two seasons ago you played a shorttend season with Banvit Basketbol Kulubu (Turkey-BSL) playing only 7 games. Was this your toughest season to experience as a professional?

Yea that was tough for me, I was looking forward to playing in Turkey and in Banvit that year. I felt I was never really given a chance for whatever reason, the games I played I showed well but everything doesn’t always go your way, so I just tried to learn from it and it’s just another thing added on to the chip on my shoulder

In your third season you played with the Canton Charge (NBA G-League) playing 37 games averaging 18.8ppg, 3.0rpg, 2.9apg, FGP: 43.0%, 3PT: 40.5%, FT: 75.6%. You had some really strong stints that season like scoring 20 or more points in 8 of 9 games and later another stint of 20 points or more in 8 of 9 games. Did you ever feel like you were close to a call up?

It’s hard to say really with those things, you never really know about a call up until it happens really, so many different things go into that situation I feel. But I was grateful to get the call up I did with the Cavs.

You played your first season overseas in 2016-2017 with Consultinvest VL Pesaro (Italy-Serie A) playing 30 games averaging 13.5ppg, 2.1rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 52.1%, 3PT: 34.2%, FT: 74.7%. What was your wake up call to being overseas for the first time where you knew that you were far away from home?

Europe for sure was a different experience for me after being in Australia, I think the more rigorous practice schedule and passion from fans stood out the most

You were drafted by the Boston Celtics in 2015 and began in Australia. After being drafted and playing NBA Summer League, why did you go down under at first and later play in Maine in March 2016?

I was told there was no roster spot available for the team that year, so we decided to go over to Australia to play and with their shorter season I’d be able to come back and play in the G League with the Celtics’ g-league team

What kind of experience was it playing for the Celtics organization and was it disappointing that you never got a NBA call up? Does one feel like you were let down by the organization?

The Celtics are a world-class, great storied organization, I’m grateful for the time I did spend there. It was disappointing as I didn’t get a chance to put my best foot forward, my draft class with the Celtics included 2 other guards before me in Terry Rozier & RJ Hunter, plus 4/5 man Jordan Mickey before choosing me 4th, so I just wasn’t really anywhere near their list of priority of development or seeing what could play out

In your time in the G-League and seeing how NBA organizations function can you vividly recall an experience that you saw with a player where one easily saw that the NBA will always be a business first before anything else?

I don’t recall any up close and personal experiences but you see it all the time I think inside as players but always publically amongst the world as well. Players always seem to vow their loyalty to a team but when teams are ready to discard or move on from guys, the same loyalty isn’t reciprocated

You had a stellar career at the College of William & Mary playing a total of 125 NCAA games. You reached 2 CAA tournament finals, had your number #3 retired and broke Chet Giermak’s school scoring record that lasted 65 years. How do you feel did you not only grow as a player there, but also as a man?

College is always a pivotal time for growth in every player’s career, no matter how much time they spent there. As a man, I felt I was able to come into my own and establish myself as more of a leader than I ever was in high school. Taking more accountability for the team not only through my play but being vocal and trying to keep the team morale at a high level. Confidence wise it just reinforced what I’ve always known, when you put in the work, you reap the benefits, at any level

You had many big wins at William & Mary, but also tough loses like the 75-74 game against Delaware. Is this a game that you can go back and watch or have you forgotten that game over time?

I haven’t gone back to watch that game, but I definitely haven’t forgotten about either. Very tough loss for us but games like that you learn from and carry with you as you move on and up

How did head coach Tony Shaver groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career?

Shaver always believed in me as a player, he helped me a lot with understanding the leadership role I had at W&M and getting me to a point comfortable enough to exude that outwardly

Who won a one on one in practice you or Daniel Dixon?

Daniel Dixon is my guy! Brother for life but no doubt I won any 1 on 1 I’ve played with him and he knows that! Haha

Who was the best player that you ever battled in your life that made it to the NBA?

CJ McCollum, I believed we played Lehigh when I was a sophomore in college at W&M. I had no idea who he was before that game, but that changed after

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

My 5 best teammates of all-time: Landry Nnoko, Daniel Dixon, Rashawn Thomas, Brandon Britt, and JaCorey Williams

Please list your personal own NBA Rushmore of past or present NBA players?

My personal NBA Rushmore, past or present: Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and LeBron James

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

It’s Michael Jordan for me as the greatest of all-time. Different eras of course as everyone says, but 6-0 in the Finals says it all!

What was the last movie that you saw?

Black Box.

Thanks Marcus for the chat.

                It is always a joy when you can observe ex NBA players strut their stuff on the court in the Fraport arena. Last season you had guys like Jordan Crawford and Archie Goodwin demonstrate what brought them to the big show, while this season, the BBL has brought new ex NBA players to Germany with the likes of Diante Garrett, Jajuan Johnson, Wade Baldwin and Phil Pressey just to name a few. But there are more ex NBA players in the easyCredit BBL. A few nights ago Devon Hall who played with the Oklahoma Thunder last season put on a show in Frankfurt as he led a furious third quarter comeback where he scored 9 points in a blaze during a Bamberg 13-4 run. Twice he burned ex St Bonaventure sniper Matt Mobley nailing a jumper over him and the other time showed him that his first step is as lethal as Anthony´s Davis´s knack to secure rebounds for the Los Angeles Lakers. “It was one of those times where they came down and we didn´t have our assignments. We didn´t match up well against him in the second half”, stressed Quantez Robertson. Robertson was matched up against Hall a few times and was impressed by his game. “He stayed composed even when they were down. He kept his cool the whole game. He made some very tough shots”, explained Quantez Robertson. Bamberg has proved in the last 10 + years that ex NBA players that went to Bamberg could get back to the NBA as Casey Jacobsen, PJ Tucker and Darius Miller proved. With the good track record that Bamberg has, Devon Hall could be the next to get back. “He has a very good chance of getting back to the NBA. If he can keep playing the way he has then I feel that he will get another shot”, warned Quantez Robertson. It was Quantez Roberton´s third season when PJ Tucker helped Bamberg win the BBL title and played against Frankfurt twice. In the first game, Bamberg creamed Frankfurt 97-63 and he dropped 12 points, but in the return date in Frankfurt, the Fraport Skyliners came up big with a well deserved great defensive effort winning 76-68 as Robertson had a solid game scoring 12 points and helped keep the versatile Tucker to only 2 points. Robertson has battled many NBA players in his career including Washington Wizards German Isaac Bonga on a daily basis for two years, but PJ Tucker is a player he will never forget. “The NBA player that stood out the most to me was PJ Tucker. He played the positions three and four in Bamberg and was my toughest challenge. It was a tough task in Frankfurt, but we beat him”, remembered Quantez Robertson.

                The Fraport Skyliners continue to have massive up and down phases in the very exciting 20-21 easyCredit BBL season. They continued to play good games beating Bonn and Vechta on the road, but then give away crunch time games to a ratiopharm Ulm and then played a great half and a poor half losing to rival Brose Bamberg. Frankfurt gave up a pathetic 54 points in the second half against Bamberg and left head coach Sebastian Gleim almost speechless after allowing an unbelievable 36 points in the fourth quarter. After doing a superb job on the boards in the first half, they totally lost control in the second half and seemingly gave up offense rebound after offense rebound to German Christian Sengfelder who was cleaning the glass as if he had gotten a special seminar from Bob Villa. But there was so much more things that the Fraport Skyliners suddenly couldn´t do anymore after showing in the first 20 minutes that they could execute very well at both ends. “I thought we took good care of the ball. It was just poor execution. We were too lax and not aggressive enough on defense allowing them to get on a roll. They did a good job cutting into the lead. That is what good teams do. They fight back and chip at the lead”, said Quantez Robertson. There are just some days where teams can´t put it together for a longer period of time, but this season this has been a massive problem for Frankfurt. “I really don´t know how we could have the two halves that we did. We got away from our game plan in the second half. They were a lot more aggressive in the second half and did a good job getting us out of our offense”, added Quantez Robertson. There was one positive that Frankfurt can take to Munich. “I thought that we moved the ball very well in the first half”, warned Quantez Robertson. The big key and focus to success is consistency and that is something that every team desires. “We have to keep playing hard and backing each other up. No matter what happens, we have to be there for one another”, warned Quantez Robertson.

                One player who has really turned heads in the easyCredit BBL has been American Rasheed Moore who was playing in the Regionalliga for the Wiha Panthers only three years ago. His ascension to the BBL via the Pro A and Pro A has been like a Cinderrella story as his good play and further development has continued with Frankfurt where he is currently averaging 11,4ppg, 4,1rpg, 1,5apg and is shooting 40% from the parking lot. He had a little slump in the last two games shooting only 3/10, but came back strong against Bamberg netting 22 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists while shooting a potent 9/14. Sometimes a small slump can affect a player mentally, but he didn´t need to talk to anyone, but moreover solved the problem on his own. “He continued to do what he normally does after weights which is get up extra shots and that translated over to the game”, added Quantez Robertson. Another guy who continues to have a fine rookie season is Iceland guard Jon Axel Gundmundsson who is averaging 13,5ppg,2,9rpg, 3,5apg and 1,1spg while shooting a respectable 35% from downtown. But his role has changed a bit as he is coming off the bench more. “He is adjusting coming off the bench.  He isn´t playing as many minutes as usual. Jon is a scorer and we need that extra fire power off the bench. We expect him to get baskets”, stated Quantez Robertson. Matt Mobley is leading the team in scoring and has saved the Fraport Skyliners and carried them on many occasions this season that when he doesn´t come through then people are disappointed. After averaging 28,0ppg in a three game span, he netted only 17 points in the loss to Bamberg while shooting a dismal 5/20 from the field. His playmaking continues to rise as he had 5 assists, but his urge to need to do too much with his scoring led to him forcing way too much. “Matt knows that we expect a lot from him. We live off his scoring. We have to always stick behind whether he makes shots or not. We need him to keep shooting so he opens more space to us. He is also a great passer. He shows that when he is double teamed of trapped that he can make the extra pass”, commented Quantez Robertson. After two strong scoring games where Quantez Robertson had 14 points in a row, he scored only 7 points, had only 1 rebounds and two assists. He continued to be very active on defense getting 4 steals. He had 8 steals in the last two games, and had 8 steals before that in 9 games. “I felt I did what I could on offense. I didn´t get as many shots as usual. On defense I tried to create extra possessions. We do well in the open court. That is one way how guys get going”, stressed Quantez Robertson.

                The Fraport Skyliners meet FC Bayern Munich tonight who are only in fifth place at the moment with a record of 13-3 as teams like Ludwigsburg and Berlin continue to be the teams to beat with only one loss a piece. In the first meeting, the Fraport Skyliners played a spirited first half, but like against Bamberg lost total control in the second half as FC Bayern Munich rolled to an easy 75-52 victory. Frankfurt was creamed on the boards losing that battle 42-26 and allowed 15 offensive rebounds. “They are bigger than us. We will have to find different ways to execute and just out smart them. We have to be a lot more aggressive on box outs”, warned Quantez Robertson. A big plus for teams during this period where there are no fans is the atmosphere on the bench. During the huge Bamberg second half, one could hear the Bamberg bench half way to Frankfurt, while the Skyliners were less vocal. “We were more vocal in the first half. We need to keep the noise for 40 minutes”, warned Quantez Robertson. FC Bayern Munich is current news for Quantez Robertson and the Super bowl is old news. Robertson´s buddy Mike Morrison who is a St Peterburg native and Tampa Bay Bucs fan was a little disappointed that his friend Tez didn´t congratulate him to the Super Bowl win and joked calling him a hater. “I was pretty sure that Mike would call me. I was surprised that he didn´t call me and leave a crazy message. I´m not a hater. He just wants to stir something up so next time we have something crazy to talk about”, expressed Quantez Robertson. Even if Robertson is a Bengals fan, he and Morrison do have something in common which is a big respect for the Bucs and Tom Brady. “The Bucs win was impressive. Nobody expected a blow out. Most thought that it would be a shoot out and one team would win by something like 3 points. Tom Brady has more rings than all NFL organizations. That speaks a lot. It is tough getting 7 rings and getting to the Super Bowl. It was also impressive that Mahomes got there two years in a row. I´m sure he will get a few more tries and later we will see how good he does in comparison to Brady”, warned Quantez Robertson. For now Quantez Robertson has to wait another year for the Super Bowl, but no waiting for the next NBA encounter as he battles Jajuan Johnson and Wade Baldwin tonight.

DJ Woodmore (190-SG-92, college: VWU) is a 29 year old 190cm point guard that is playing his first season with the EPG Baskets Koblenz. Last season with Morgenstern BIS Basket Speyer (Germany-ProB) he played 21 games averaging 15.1ppg, 4.4rpg, 2.3apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 60.0%, 3PT-2 (50.0%), FT: 87.3%. In 2018-2019 13.8ppg, 4.5rpg, 2.8apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 60.2%, 3PT: 36.5%, FT: 71.6% in the Regionalliga. In his first two seasons with Speyer he averaged 14.5ppg, 5.2rpg, 2.3apg, FGP: 44.6%, 3PT: 40.1%, FT: 72.1% and 17.5ppg, 7.0rpg, 3.4apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 47.5%, 3PT: 33.0%, FT: 76.4%. he played at Virginia Wesleyan College (NCAA3): from 2010-2014 and as a senior played 31 games averaging 20.1ppg, 5.9rpg, 2.4apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 50.3% (219/435), 3Pts: 46.0% (91/198), FT: 76.9% (93/121). Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and D

DJ congrats on the massive 82-60 win against the Ebbecke White Wings Hanau. How good did it feel getting that monkey off your back?

Felt great to finally be able to breathe again. After 5 losses in a row, roster changes, team meetings and everything in between, this win was absolutely a sigh of relief.

The way the EPG Baskets Koblenz started was like night and day in comparison to the last games. What did head coach Danny Rodriguez tell you on Friday night where the team had a meeting?

He told us that we have to get back to playing with passion and heart. Our team needs energy to be successful. Everybody on the court and everybody on the bench needs to be completely locked in and bringing that passion. When we do that, we’re definitely an exciting team to watch.

I feel like you were a huge reason for the fast start, because you were super aggressive and was all over the court. How much of a toll did the 5 game losing streak have on you and did you just feel the moment to take charge?

I mean after missing two and half games, and coming back slower than expected in the last two weeks, the Hanau game was the first time I felt close to my old self again. My teammates told me all day to stay aggressive the whole game and kept feeding me confidence even after a few misses. I knew it was going to be important to get myself going early and get off to a good start.

The offense has always been a big plus for the EPG Baskets Koblenz, but I felt that against Hanau the offense was totally recharged. What positives did you see on offense that the team didn’t show this season?

I thought the whole team played like we had nothing to lose again. Not desperate basketball but loose and free. Not pressure, no overthinking. Just back to playing like we know how.

The EPG Baskets Koblenz took control of the contest in the third quarter extending your lead to 20 points. What was key for the team being able to decide the game then?

Keeping that same energy we had from the beginning. Usually 3rd quarters are a nightmare for us. We get uptight and play to hold on to the lead, and not play the way that got us the lead. Felt like we didn’t let that happen Saturday.

As a team you outrebounded Hanau 48-28. What steps did the team finally make on the boards?

I think it was just effort. Had 5 guys crash the defensive glass on every possession. Limited Hanau’s second chance points and gave them fewer possessions. Makes the game so much easier that way.

German Henning Schaake had a huge game with 13 points, 5 rebounds and 3 blocks. How huge was his performance and what do you appreciate most about his game?

Huge performance from Henning. He came in right away and got an offensive rebound then spotted up in the corner for a quick release three. Everybody knew right away he was locked in. We needed it big time. I thought it was huge for his confidence and the team’s energy going forward. I’m sure that won’t be the last time he has a monster game for us.

You had another strong game with 17 points, 8 boards, 4 assists, 2 steals and a block. How vital was the whole team effort in allowing you to play the way you did?

I thought they made it extremely easy for me to stay in attack mode in the first half. And we did a good job of creating mismatches in transition. Allowing me to create for myself and others.

The next game is against FC Bayern Munich who you beat 71-67 on the road. What will be key to making the sweep this season?

Making sure we can handle their pressure and keep their two guards in check. They really make them go, and if we can contain them, we have a good chance of coming away with the sweep! Much easier said than done!

The Dallas Mavericks are in a slump and in last place in their division. Is this a surprise for you and will they get out of it?

Yess I think they’ll be fine, I think it’s still early enough in the season for them to make a run. I think they’re only 2 or 3 games out of 8th place, and Luka is starting to heat up. Plenty of time.

Thanks DJ for the chat.

The Fraport Skyliners are momentarily going through a tough stretch where they have five games in a two week period. They began their February run with a huge victory at home against the Telekom Baskets Bonn, but 48 hours later were unable to pull out a win in Ulm as they were unable to make the big plays in crunch-time. They returned back last weekend with a great performance in Vechta winning easily 96-72 where they shot over 50% form the field and from the parking lot and only coughed up the ball a strong six times. They returned home to meet Brose Bamberg who are playing a superb Basketball Champions League and in the easyCredit BBL had the exact same record as the Fraport Skyliners at 7-9. Brose Bamberg has been up and down in 2021 bringing a 3-3 record to Frankfurt and it looked like they would go home with a loss after a poor first half, but in the second half the Bavarian team buckled down and showed their total offensive arsenal outscoring Frankfurt 54-28 and wining 86-76. Bamberg got serious production from Devon Hall, Michele Vitali and David Kravish who combined for 66 points as Frankfurt had absolutely no answer how to slow them down. “We were soft in the first half and had way too many turnovers. We started to get more aggressive on defense in the second half. Once you begin to play better defense and rebound better, you get more confidence which helped to get our offense going”, stressed Bamberg guard Devon Hall. The Fraport Skyliners once again showed why they are a team of night and day qualities. After a solid first half where they led by 16 points at the break, they returned back in the second half and stunk up the house letting Brose Bamberg play their game. “We got outscored by 54 points in the second half. Something like that can´t happen. We played well in the first half, but in the second half had no energy and couldn´t control our game. We had bad communication and gave them confidence. They got way too many offensive rebounds and we had no flow our ball movement on offense”, stressed Fraport Skyliner center Michael Kessens.

                The first quarter remained a tight battle as no team was able to break free from the other. There were five lead changes and both clubs were able to find a quick offensive rhythm. After two games where Rasheed Moore scored less, he found his touch again against Bamberg and scored the games first basket. Ex NBA player Devon Hall then gave Bamberg it´s first lead with a three pointer that saw nothing but net. Frankfurt gained the lead back as Moore continued being a one man wrecking scoring on transition and then drilling a trey making his first three shots. Frankfurt had the 9-6 advantage as they did a good job getting the ball inside and keeping  Hall off the ball. Frankfurt continued to hold the lead as they did a great job putting ex Vechta center Michael Kessens into great scoring position as he completed a hard two handed dunk and lay in and ex Auburn(NCAA) great Quantez Robertson scored on transition as Frankfurt led 15-12. Kessens was very present in the first quarter. Kessens finished with a strong game with 16 points and 6 boards and shot 63%, but after the loss he had nothing good to say about his game as he was slowed down well in the second half. “I played with little energy in the second half and little aggressiveness. I also didn´t play the pick and roll well”, stressed Michael Kessens. Basketball always remains a game of runs as Brose Bamberg found some day light and sped out on a 7-0 run to grab the lead back at 19-15. In the run the Bavarian club got excellent production from ex Banco di Sardegna Sassari (Serie A) three point specialist Michele Vitali as he scored, a floater by diminutive ex BG Goettingen guard Bennet Hundt and a lay in by ex California(NCAA) center David Kravish who retrieved a no look feed by Hundt. Hundt did a good job in this phase leading the Bamberg offense with his playmaking. Bamberg upped their defensive pressure which led to good offense. Frankfurt got the lead back getting another three pointer from Rasheed Moore and a floater by ex Davidson(NCAA) guard Jon Axel Gundmundsson for the 20-19 lead. But Frankfurt wasn´t able to keep the lead as ex George Mason(NCAA) center Shevon Thompson gave Bamberg some energy with a lay in and tip in dunk for the Bamberg 24-21 lead after 10 minutes.

            The Fraport Skyliners upped their intensity and aggressiveness at both ends of the court in the second quarter scoring 27 points and allowing only 8 points to totally break open the game. The Fraport Skyliners came out with a bang going on a 10-0 run to get the lead back at 31-24. In the run Frankfurt continued to get Michael Kessens involved as he scored 6 points with two lay ins and free throws. Gundmundsson also added 4 points with a lay in and free throws. With Hundt on the bench, the Bamberg offense suffered and on defense they were unable to keep Kessens in check. Frankfurt showed that their offense could produce points without the usual Matt Mobley points who still hadn´t scored, but was active in the playmaking. Bamberg finally got their first field goal at the 6,27 minute mark as Kravish got free and scored inside to cut Frankfurt´s lead to 31-26. But that didn´t faze Frankfurt as they continued to execute well on offense and get stops closing out the second quarter with a brutal 17-6 run. There is only so much time that one can keep Mobley scoreless and it was only obvious that he would get going sooner or later. In the run Mobley began scoring in bunches with 6 points including a trey. Frankfurt then got baskets from Quantez Robertson and a hook shot from Kessens and Mobley then used his speed to his advantage with a finger tip lay as Frankfurt led 43-30. Bamberg got some buckets from Vitali and Hall, but just couldn´t muster a healthy offensive rhythm. Moore ended the second quarter with a turn around shot and free throw as the Fraport Skyliners led 48-32 at the break. “We did everything well. We had good ball movement, played good defense, got rebounds and got transition baskets”, stated Michael Kessens. “We had tons of turnovers including me. I dribbled a ball off my foot. We got outrebounded and couldn´t clean up the boards”, added Devon Hall.

            In the third quarter the tide of the game changed as Brose Bamberg heightened their game as they buckled down on defense allowing only 8 points and cut into the comfortable Frankfurt lead trailing only 56-50 after 30 minutes. Brose Bamberg came out of half-time recharged and slapped Frankfurt with a hard 13-4 run to trail only 52-45. In the run the Basketball Champions League team received strong production from ex Virginia(NCAA) guard Devon Hall who scored 9 points.  He showed his basketball class with an immaculate inside out game He outclassed Matt Mobley on two occasions nailing a jumper over him and then getting by him on a lay in. He also drilled home a trey showing his scoring in bunches qualities. “I became more sure with the ball and just took care of the ball better”, stressed Devon Hall. He ended the game with 6 turnovers the most for him in a game this season most which were produced in the first half. Frankfurt´s biggest weakness was not executing their offense calmly as they were sloppy making bad decisions and being to hectic in their sets. In the last minutes, Hall banged home another trey as he made it look so easy with his smooth way while Rasheed Moore made a runner. Gundmundsson and Kravish closed out the third quarter with free throws. “Stops and rebounds were key for us. Frankfurt miscommunicated on defense and we took advantage of it”, stressed Devon Hall. “

            In the fourth quarter Brose Bamberg continued chipping away at the Frankfurt lead and eventually gained the lead back and then wouldn´t give it up again coasting home with the win. Brose Bamberg continued to execute well on offense going on a rapid 9-4 run to trail Frankfurt only 60-59. Bamberg got huge production from German Christian Sengfelder who played at Boise State and finished with 13 points and 9 boards including 4 offensive rebounds was instrumental in the run and later being very active in the paint. In this run he got two baskets while Kravish got free throws and Hall scored again. “Sengfelder got huge offensive rebounds and he finishes so well. We trust him to crash the offensive boards”, stated Devon Hall. Mobley kept Bamberg at bay momentarily with a trey, but Bamberg was simply too aggressive and had too many weapons. Vitali got hot giving Bamberg the lead back with his own version of scoring in bunches with 4 free throws and a trey. Sengfelder also added an offensive rebound and put back for the 69-65 Bamberg advantage. Frankfurt had lost total control on the boards. Frankfurt tried to shorten the lead with Moore and Mobley points, but they couldn´t get stops as Kravish scored and Vitali hit another massive trey for the 76-69 Bamberg lead. “Vitali is a hell of a player. He made huge plays. We have total trust in his shooting”, stressed Devon Hall. Frankfurt couldn´t get closer as Bamberg just continued to execute well on offense. Another Kravish bucket and fade away jumper from Vitali gave Bamberg the 81-71 lead with a few minutes to play. A Gundmundsson free throw and Robertson basket gave Frankfurt a little hope trailing 80-74, but they were running out of time with only 34 seconds to play. Vitali then put the stamp on the win with a trey and a Frankfurt turnover led to a Kravish hook shot basket for the 86-74 lead. Moore closed out the game with free throws. “We were more aggressive and physical on defense and rebounded well”, added Devon Hall. “The flagrant foul hurt us which led to 5 Bamberg points. We were never able to react to that. They hit big shots until the end”, stressed Michael Kessens. Brose Bamberg was led by Michele Vitali with 23 points. David Kravish added 22 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 blocks while Devon Hall scored 20 points while the Fraport Skyliners were led by Rasheed Moore with 22 points. Matt Mobley added 17 points and Michael Kessens 16 points. Brose Bamberg shot 56& from the field and 30% from outside and had 37 rebounds and 20 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners shot 43% from the field and 27% from outside and had 29 rebounds and 12 turnovers.

There were years in Freak City where winning a title or more each season was as common as it is for CSKA Moscow guard Mike James to make multiple acrobatic shots in traffic, but in the last three years getting those chips have become less as the only title they were able to achieve was the 2019 German cup. There were amazing years in the Chris Fleming and Andrea Trinchieri era´s where winning was like a middle name for the organization. Of course the club had many amazing players that contributed to the club being so successful like Casey Jacobsen in 2007 and after that they had some special players with PJ Tucker and Darius Miller. Both guys played instrumental roles in the organization having consistent success. A common similarity between both is that they both began in the NBA, came to Europe to seek glory and continue to develop their game and then returned back and have remained in the NBA. Tucker returned in 2012 and has since carved a nice NBA career becoming an important role player for the Houston Rockets while Darius Miller returned back to the NBA in 2017 and has played with the New Orleans Pelicans the last three years being a reliable role player. Can three be a charm for the NBA for new Brose Bamberg player Devon Hall? Hall played his second professional season last season splitting time with the Oklahoma City Blue of the G-League and played 11 NBA games with the Oklahoma Thunder. Now he has begun his overseas career, but is still very young and could always return back to the NBA. It would be an amazing story if Hall could follow the other two, but he isn´t thinking about that and knows what his main goal is now. “I obviously want to play at the highest level. I believe that I´m an NBA player. The NBA is still my goal and you should never lose sight of this, but at the same time, my main focus now is Bamberg. All I want to do now is win and get better with that organization”, warned Deon Hall.

                Devon Hall is a 25 year old 196cm guard that was born on July 7, 1995 in Virginia Beach. He had a very successful high school career at Cape Henry Collegiate School: where he played for his father Mark Hall Jr where he was a four year letter winner. In his junior year he averaged 16ppg, 7rpg, 7apg and as a senior he averaged 13.7ppg, 7rpg, 8apg. He led his school to the 2012-2013 Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools (TCIS) tournament title. In 2013 he was nominated to the Mcdonalds All-American team. Some other awards that he got in high school included HS All-TCIS first team -11, 12, 13, HS VISAA state champion -12, HS VISAA Player of the Year -12, and HS Most Valuable Player of the VISAA State Tournament -12. He then attended Virginia(NCAA) from 2013-2018, because of the super graduation rate of African Americans but red shirted his first season. That first season was very tough as he wasn´t even sure if he would play his first season. He knew that he had to use his red shirt year as best as possible. “I worked my butt of and got my body in good shape. I played many practice games against the players who played in games. I used these practice games as if I was playing in real games. I didn´t have to worry about anything in these practice games”, remembered Devon Hall. It also helped his game as a red shirt that he could look over the shoulder of his teammates future NBA players like Malcom Brogdon, Joe Harris and Justin Anderson.  “I learned how to work my red shirt year. When I was in high school, I had no idea what it meant to work. In high school you just shoot and work off your talent. In college you can´t live off your talent. You have to work to get better “, warned Devon Hall. He then played 4 years with Virginia(NCAA) playing a total of 127 NCAA games. In his freshman year he played 23 games averaging 1,8ppg. He scored 9 points in a 70-34 drubbing of Wake Forest, but also remembered seeing action in a tough 69-63 loss against NCAA powerhouse Duke where he dueled against future NBA players Tyus Jones, Quinn Cook, Justise Winslow, Amile Jefferson, Grayson Allen and Marshall Plumlee. “I don´t remember so much, but I do remember Justise Winslow playing very well. Duke had an elite team. It was cool being able to be a part of that game and seeing just how good the ACC is”, added Devon Hall.

            In his sophomore year he played 35 games starting 20 games averaging 4.4ppg, 2.7rpg, 1.9apg. He scored in double figures in 4 games including 13 points against Morgan State and 12 points against Long Beach State. He split against North Carolina including a tight 79-74 win where he contributed 11 points. He held his own against future NBA players like guys like Kennedy Meeks, Justin Jackson, Marcus Paige, Isaiah Hicks and Theophilus Pinson Jr. This was an occasion where he knew that he really belonged on the court with these amazing skilled guys. “I have always believed in myself from day one. I knew that I could make a good impression in this game.”, said Devon Hall. He then really had North Carolina´s number beating them in a tight defensive game 53-43 his junior season and topping off his career with the ACC title against them. “Reaching the NCAA Elite 8 was one of my most memorable moments as well as beating North Carolina for the ACC title. Beating such a talented offensive team and holding them to only 43 points was huge. That game was one of the best defensive games that I have ever been in”, expressed Devon Hall. In his junior year he played 35 games starting each one averaging 8,3ppg, 4,4rpg, 1,9apg FGP: 42.5%, 3PT: 37.8%, FT: 77.6%. He scored in double figures in 15 games including a 18 point effort in a 70-55 win over North Carolina State, 17 points in a 71-48 romp of Virginia Tech and 15 points in a 54-48 victory over Miami, Florida. In his senior year he made another jump in his NCAA development playing 34 games averaging 11,7ppg, 4,2rpg, 3,1apg ,FGP: 47.2%, 3PT: 43.2%, FT: 89.4%. He scored in double figures in 25 games including 25 points in a 68-51 win over North Carolina State, 20 points in a 80-60 victory over Davidson and scored 19 points a piece in a win over Austin Peay State and a loss against West Virginia. He also led his team is assists in 11 games. He racked up some awards with All-ACC 2nd Team -18, ACC All-Defensive Team -18, ACC All-Tournament 1st Team -18, ACC All-Academic Team -17, 18, NABC NCAA D1 All-District 2 2nd Team -18. He never played his teammate future NBA player Ty Jerome in a one on one at school, but did have his battles during the summer. And Hall doesn´t belong to the 98% of guys who usually take themselves. “I have to be honest he got the best of me. I would be lying if I didn´t say this. But I will always take myself going into a one on one game”, warned Devon Hall. The American is very thankful for his head coach Tony Bennett, because without his guidance, he wouldn´t be the player that he is today. “I learned how to be a professional. He helped me progress each year and helped me with how to approach the game. He taught me that if I want to play at a high level, then I always have to get better”, stressed Devon Hall.

            The American who lists his ex teammate NBA player Malcolm Brogdan as being his toughest opponent had a busy summer of 2018 first raising eyebrows at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (Pre-NBA Draft) playing 3 games averaging  17.3ppg, 5.7rpg, 3.3apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 43.2%, 3PT: 60.0%, FT: 84.6%. He then played at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago and then travelled a lot and worked out for 19 NBA teams. His effort and persistence was rewarded as he was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round at #53. He then played at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, NV (Oklahoma City Thunder) playing 5 games averaging 5.4ppg, 1.2apg, FGP: 42.1%. It was a good experience for him even if his game wasn´t on par. ”I didn´t play well. I didn´t shoot the ball well which sucked, because I had worked my butt off before going to Las Vegas. Sometimes these things happen, but despite that, I didn´t loose my confidence shooting the ball. I remember celebrating my birthday party in Las Vegas and having some of my ex teammates like Ty Jerome, Deandre Hunter and Kyle Guy show up”, commented Devon Hall. He began with the Oklahoma Thunder, but then went down under and played with Cairns Taipans (Australia-NBL) playing 28 games averaging 9.2ppg, 4.4rpg, 2.4apg, 2FGP: 38.7%, 3FGP: 33.9%, FT: 75.0%. He remembered  that he was very far away from home when he got off the plane. “I realized I was 16 hours away form home. That season was up and down. We didn´t win much. There was a new coach and players and you had to get used to them. I think that first experience helped me with the business side and learning how to be a pro”, said Devon Hall. He scored in double figures in 13 games including a 24 point game in a 109-80 win over the Bullets. He then returned back to the States to finish the season with the Oklahoma City Blue (NBA G League) playing 12 games averaging  6.1ppg, 1.4rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 27.3%, 3PT: 37.3%. He scored in double figures in 3 games including 14 points in a win over the Naz Suns and 13 points in a victory over Memphis. ”I only had a short stint. I got a lot of love form coach Mark Daigneault. He let me play even if I was only a shooter”, said Devon Hall. In the summer of 2019 he played NBA Summer League in Las Vegas again with the Oklahoma Thunder playing 4 games averaging  7.3ppg, 1.0rpg, 1.0spg, FGP: 70.0%, 3PT: 11.1%, FT: 81.8%

            He began his second professional season with the Oklahoma Thunder playing 5 games in November and December and then played 6 games in the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida in August 2020. In between he played with the Oklahoma City Blue (NBA G League) playing 30 games averaging 15.6ppg, 5.7rpg, 4.1apg, FGP: 57.4%, 3PT: 36.0%, FT: 86.0%. His minutes rose from 20 to 31 and finally getting minutes helped him get more noticed and get that NBA opportunity. “I finally got real minutes. That helped my confidence grow. Coach allowed me to mess up and learn from my mistakes”, added Devon Hall. He scored in double figures in the G-League in 24 games. He hit Capital City and the Naz Suns for 26 points a piece and scored 24 points a piece against Stockton and South Bay. He did get his NBA chance and had a big adjustment for him was having that big gap between March-August 2020 when the NBA resumed. “All I had been doing in that time was playing pick up. I was waiting and was just confused about when the season would continue right after the G League ended I went home to Virginia Beach and trained for a few months. Then I went up to UVA and trained for a while just to stay prepared for whatever came next. I was always in contact with my agent and he was in contact with teams as well. He let me know I was on a short list of guys that OKC wanted to pick up for the bubble and I just stayed patient. I ended up getting the call in the car from my agent that they wanted to sign me for the bubble and I was super excited about the opportunity. I just prepared the best that I could as if I would be playing for a team”, remembered Devon Hall. He played his first game in the bubble against the Los Angeles Lakers and Lebron James playing 2 minutes in a loss. Unlike other players like ex NBA player Darrun Hilliard who was in total awe when he played against Kobe Bryant, Playing against Lebron James didn´t mean too much to Hall. “I don´t think I was even on the floor with Lebron. It was a special moment and one that I will tell my children and grand children one day. But at the end of the day I´m a competitor and just kept it moving. There was no small talk. I don´t know him and I´m just not that type of guy that will go up to him. Besides we lost the game”, remembered Devon Hall.

            The last movie that he has watched was Jingle Jangle and he saved his best for last scoring 12 points and dishing out 4 dimes in a close 107-103 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. That is a game that he definitely won´t forget. “I remember making a behind the back pass. That was put on social media. We lost the game in OT. I missed some free throws that will haunt me. But all in all it was good to play some real minutes and fell like part of the game”, said Devon Hall. In his brief time with the Oklahoma Thunder, he wasn´t only teammates with German national player Dennis Schroeder, but became best friends with the 2013 NBA first round pick of the Atlanta Hawks. He remembered being invited to a special dinner by the German and wanted to visit him in Germany, but then Corona hit. They have a special relationship and bond that isn´t always typical of a veteran and more younger player. “Dennis and I are super close. We spent a lot of time on the road together. Even when I was in the G-League we had close contact and I was often at his hose. We just clicked from the start. I was his rookie and he was my older brother. He taught me a lot about the game with the most important being patience on the pick and roll”, stressed Devon Hall. In 11 NBA games he averaged 1,8ppg and 1,2apg. During the long and extended 2019-2020 season, the American also had the opportunity to play for team USA. He played a World Cup qualifying game helping beat Puerto Rico. On the team he was introduced to one of the many talented guards in Europe that definitely is good enough to play in the NBA. “It was a great experience representing my country and one I would never take for granted. Most guys on my team were from the G-League, but Kyle Fogg had come from China. He was a good older guy. He was a big time player and super skilled. He is making good money in China, but I don´t see why a guy like that couldn´t play in the NBA”, stressed Devon Hall

            Now let us fast forward to December 2020. He is playing his first season in Europe playing with top German club Brose Bamberg. COVID-19 is still present and not really going any place. 2020 has been an insane year for everyone and everyone has their own story. “This year has been really crazy. From playing to not playing and then going to the bubble. Then having to deal with free agency was a bit much as well. But I’ve been able to keep a good mindset about it all and only control what I can control.”, stressed Devon Hall. Every player had their own unique story about how they remained in shape. One guy travelled 1000 miles to get gym access, while another player ran and did ball handling drills in the underground parking lot while Devon Hall found a holy place to keep grinding. “It wasn’t very hard for me to keep in shape because I had access to a gym that was in a church. So I was one of the very lucky ones able to continue to workout thankfully. I had access pretty much whenever I wanted it“, said Devon Hall. He also was able to make strides off the court due to COVID-19 being able to look at life in a totally different light “I think dealing with Covid has just given me real perspective on life. I don’t want to take it for granted because this virus is very real and has taken plenty of lives. It has helped me continue to stay mentally strong in the midst of a lot of the unknown”, warned Devon Hall. Now he is with the club Brose Bamberg trying to help the team as best as he can win games on a consistent basis. Once you have been in Australia, it is difficult to have a wake up call in Germany. “I’m excited to be in Bamberg. And I was a lot further away from home when I was in Australia so Germany feels like home compared to that”, laughed Devon Hall. So far the club has gotten off to a great start in the Basketball Champions League, but is still trying to find it´s groove in the easyCredit BBL. “I think I we are a very good team with a lot of good pieces. We are going to take each game, in both leagues one at a time. I think we are learning each other better and improving with a great group of guys. We all want to get better for each other so I think we are on the right path”, warned Devon Hall.

The American who lists his 5 best teammates of all-time as Isaiah Wilkins, Ty Jerome, De´andre Hunter, London Perrantes and Anthony Gill knows that the success will only come if everybody is on the same page. One of those players that has really exploded is ex California(NCAA) great David Kravish. “He has been huge and been a monster at both ends of the court. He has infectious energy and we wouldn´t have won games without him. He is a motor that we love and need”, stressed Devon Hall. Another valuable piece on the club has been veteran Chase Fieler who really can do it all. “He has a great knowledge for the game and has a ton of versatility. He can push the ball in transition, handle the ball, score and rebound. Having that versatility at the 4four spot is nice”, said Devon Hall. This season the American is roommates with German guard Dominik Lockhart and he knows just how vital he is on the court for the team. “He is always so steady. You always know exactly what you will get. He is a physical defender that can shoot and finish. He also has great court vision. I like playing with him”, added Devon Hall.

            Hall who lists his personal NBA Mount Rushmore with legends like Jordan, Lebron, Kobe, Magic and Shaq is a player that has extreme difficulty comparing his game to a current NBA player. But he does remember watching a lot of Deron Williams in high school and also enjoyed Kobe Bryant and Eric Gordon. He has come into the German easyCredit BBL and scored consistently from the get go, but has had to adjust to certain things. “The speed is a bit slower in the BBL compared to the NBA. The BBL is physical and the paint is clogged. I think important for me being successful so far has been finding ways to make plays and to be able to adjust on the fly. I have been watching a lot of film figuring where to pick my spots and learning how the defense plays. I just try to help as much as possible”, added Devon Hall. As a scorer one needs to have that three point range and that is something that the American has. He last shot over 40% as a senior at Virginia(NCAA), but he knows that there is one key ingredient that he has to keep to continue to be a good shooter and get better. “I just have to stay confident. My percentage went down in Australia, because I took more shots. I still trust my shot. I just have to shoot when I´m open”, warned Devon Hall. “One of his biggest strengths is his defense. He played for one of the NCAA´s best defensive coaches with Tony Bennett. He wants to keep growing as a defender in the pro ranks. “I think that choosing and picking spots on defense is just as important as on offense. I think I´m good at cutting off the angles. I can´t allow guys to blow by me. I want to become an impact defender and I can do that by taking gradual steps”, warned Devon Hall. In his third professional season he is no where near the end of his development. He knows that he has to take the extra time before and after practice to keep working on his game to continue to climb the basketball ladder. “I have to finish better at the rim. I also want to continue to work on my skill set. I also want to be able to create better. Important is to take it game by game and put my game within the team game”, stressed Devon Hall. Another thing that has stuck with him forever is his winning mentality. It may not be anywhere near that of a Kobe Bryant, but still he has the winning touch and always wants to make winning plays. “That winning mentality has been installed with me since the start. I have been a winner almost my whole life except for in Australia. Even if I´m not playing well in a game, I always want provide as much as I can so my team will win. I want to always be able to say I did all I could to help the team win”, warned Devon Hall. Even if he isn´t back in the NBA yet, he does have something in common with PJ Tucker and Darius Miller. He is a winner just like they were in Bamberg. That can only be a good omen for this season for Brose Bamberg.

Mike Morrison is a 31 year old 206cm center from St Petersburg, Florida that is playing his 9th professional season and first with Semt77 Yalova Belediye Spor (Turkey-TBL). The ex George Mason (NCAA) standout has played in many countries in Europe including for teams like Cytavision Apoel Nicosia (Cyprus-Division A), Joensuun Kataja Basket (Finland-Korisliiga)Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt (Germany-BBBL), Panevezys Lietkabelis (Lithuania-LKL), s.Oliver Wuerzburg (Germany-BBL), Peristeri GS Athens (Greece-A1) and Mono Vampire Bangkok (Thailand-TBL). He and germanhoops.com came together to give a special Super Bowl LV post game interview

Congrats Mike for your Tampa Bay Bucs win. What does this win mean for the city during these hard times?

The best or worst of times, we love the Bucs. Means everything for the Bay area

You joked you couldn’t watch because of a Monday game, but you could have gone to sleep early and caught the end at 5:30 when you woke up. How did you experience watching this win?

I went to bed early and caught the 4th Q. Still got my. 8 hours and got to see my boys do work.

This was the first Super bowl where Tom Brady fans didn’t have to worry throughout the game that he might lose. Does it surprise you how easy this win looked?

I knew that they couldn’t defend us and our defense dominated the entire playoffs so I wasn’t shocked. I said if we hit Mahomes we can stop him.

Tom Brady got the MVP, but the whole Bucs defense should of gotten it. Did the Bucs defense save their best for last with their performance?

Brady came to a losing team, brought Gronk, Fournette, and AB with him, and won the FIRST YEAR! THE trophy is his.

A s a professional athlete does a defensive performance like the one the Bucs gave motivate you to lift not only your defensive game to a new level, but also your team?

Greats just motivate you to go out and be your best. Brady is no exception.

It felt like Pat Mahomes was running for his life 80% of the time like a headless chicken. Could a loss like this really affect him for a while or will the champion in him get this loss out of his memory bank quickly?

Pat Mahomes is a Unicorn. The man was still making some of the craziest throws despite all of that pressure. This loss will only make him more hungry. Just the thought of that is scary!

How would you describe the competitive level of a Tom Brady. Is this something that the sports world has never seen before?

Tiger, Serena, Jordan, Kobe, LBJ, Brady.. Its just a hand full of guys/women with that GOAT gene. That push there teams to the next level.

How does this Super Bowl win compare to the one in 2003. Which one did you enjoy more?

It’s funny because the teams were very similar. In 03 we were able to dominate on defense but had a pretty good offense too. Played cover 2 and dominated the line of scrimmage. It was weird seeing us repeat with the same style of play.

It can be expected that Tom Brady will continue to play and want that eighth ring. How many more years do you honestly think he can play?

I believe Tommy (that’s what his friends call him) can play for as long as he wants. The work ethic is still there. TB (we call him that too) always says his favorite Superbowl ring is “the next one” so don’t count him out.

Everyone talks about Jordan, Lebron and Brady as the best of all-time, but as a big man why Is Bill Russell with his record 11 NBA titles always fall of the radar?

Bill Russell is loved by players. Fans may not be as familiar with the things he did on the court, as well as the major things he did off the court. Legend, no doubt “Bill Russell swag, Yal think Michael Jordan bad? I got 5 more rings than Michael Jordan had” -Jay Z

Did Quantez Robertson congratulate you? What special message do you have for him?

Listen world I love Tez like a brother, but he’s 1 of the biggest haters you’ll ever meet! No call, no message, nothing. Smh, I will be waiting by the phone Tez

Thanks Mike for the chat.

Mike Morrison is a 31 year old 206cm center from St Petersburg, Florida that is playing his 9th professional season and first with Semt77 Yalova Belediye Spor (Turkey-TBL). The ex George Mason (NCAA) standout has played in many countries in Europe including for teams like Cytavision Apoel Nicosia (Cyprus-Division A), Joensuun Kataja Basket (Finland-Korisliiga)Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt (Germany-BBBL), Panevezys Lietkabelis (Lithuania-LKL), s.Oliver Wuerzburg (Germany-BBL), Peristeri GS Athens (Greece-A1) and Mono Vampire Bangkok (Thailand-TBL). He and germanhoops.com came together to give a special Super Bowl LV interview

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

I’m in Yalova, Turkey. Basketball is a blessing as always. Different without the fans though.

Your playing your ninth season overseas. What memories do you have of watching the Super Bowl? Is there a particular Super Bowl that has stood out since you have been here?

2015, The Seahawks throwing an interception instead of giving the ball to Marshawn Lynch Still the worst decision I’ve ever seen!

You were 13 years old when Tampa Bay destroyed Oakland 48-21 in 2003. What memories do you have of that Super bowl from your childhood?

In Florida we LOVE football so this was a huge deal just making it. The whooping we have Oakland was the ending to a perfect season

It’s Super Bowl Sunday. Where will you be watching the Super Bowl and what are you looking forward to the most?

I actually have a Monday game and the football game comes on around 2:30 am here in Turkey. I will have to miss the game so you know I’m sick

What is a typical Super Bowl Sunday meal for you? What would you eat at home and what will you eat this Sunday in Turkey?

I dont have any typical meal, just wings or whatever.

Your from St Petersburg, Florida and are a Tampa Bay Bucs fan. How thrill ed are you that they made the Super Bowl and where did you honestly think they would end up this season in pre season?

We take football pretty seriously so thrilled is an understatement. From the time we got Tom Brady i thought we could win it.

How have you experienced being a Tampa Bay Bucs fan in your life? How difficult has it been for you over the last 20 years being a Bucs fan?

The way i look at it, we won a Superbowl (02 season) this millenium and most teams can’t say that. So it hasn’t been hard at all. We always feel like we have a decent team

The Tampa Bay Bucs play the Kansas City Chiefs. As much as I adore Tom Brady, I don’t think that he will be able to pull out the win. How confident are you that we will see another Tom Brady miracle?

The Chiefs are good, there’s no doubt. But to bet against Tom just isn’t smart. We have just as many weapons and are peaking the right time. Add in the revenge we owe KC and I think we have a chance.

Everyone knows how strong the Kansas City offense is, but Tampa Bay has a great defense. What will Tampa Bay have to do to slow down a Patrick Mahomes?

It’s a simple plan to slow down Ma’homey’. The same plan we had for Brees and Rogers, HIT HIM IN THE MOUTH AGAIN AND AGAIN! Hard to throw the ball from the ground.

Your ex teammate Quantez Robertson said that he will be in contact with you during the Super Bowl and even more if Tampa Bay loses. What kind of a ribbing will Tez get if Tampa Bay wins?

Honestly, Tez is a Bengals fan. His call should get ignored for how bad they have been.

Tom Brady has reached a 10th Super Bowl. Where does Tom Brady stand win or lose on Sunday with the all-time great American athletes?

It’s hard enough to compare players from different positions. To compare players from different sports never made any sense to me. I will say this though, he’s the greatest QB ever. I stopped fighting this fact after the Atlanta come back in Superbowl LIII

Who throws a football farther you or Quantez Robertson and how far do you think will each one be able to throw a football?

I don’t have a deep ball so I will go ahead and give that to Tez. Accuracy is all me though. It wouldn’t shock me if Tez could roll out of bed and throw a 50 yard bomb. We’ve thrown the ball around in Frankfurt before. There’s footage somewhere.

If they made a football movie about you and Quantez Robertson which football players would each guy play?

If there was a movie with us Tez would be the star quarterback and I would be the new guy that came and took his spot. Don’t worry, we become friends at the end of the movie.

What is your favorite football movie?

Remember The Titans is my favorite. But i named my son ‘Boobie’ Miles from the star running back in “Friday Night Lights”

Thanks Mike for the chat.