Julian Harris is a 24 year old 196cm forward from Mansfield Texas. He has one season of professional basketball under his belt playing for the Raleigh Firebirds (TBL) and Kitchener-Waterloo Titans (Canada-NBL Canada) playing 22 games averaging 2.6ppg, 1.9rpg He began his basketball career at Lake Ridge High School and then played at the University of Texas at Arlington (NCAA)from 2014-2018 playing a total of 93 NCAA games. He helped the school reach the NIT Elite 8 in 2017. He spoke to germanhoops.com about his basketball career.

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

I am currently in the Dallas Texas area. Basketball life right now is mostly working out in mornings with my trainer and watching some games on the TV.

Before we talk about your career, let’s us talk about how you experienced COVID-19 in 2020. You played your last professional game on March 8. How did you experience COVID-19 and what was most challenging about staying in shape and being able to keep working on your game?


Yeah so talking about Covid, I played my last game on March 8th. I got a flight back to Texas and probably a week later, I actually caught COVID 19. I was quarantined for 14 days. Didn’t get my taste and smell back until 2 months later. It was a little rough. But thank God I didn’t have to be hospitalized. Once I made a full recovery, the biggest struggle was just finding gym time during the lockdowns. So me and my trainer had to improvise with outside workouts and dribbling drills.

With everything you experienced of the court how do you feel did COVID-19 made you stronger as a man?


This year of COVID taught me a lot of lessons. But the one that’s stuck with me the most is, that things can get taken from you in a matter of seconds, so whatever that you are doing or investing into put your all into it. Give it everything because it could be gone before you even know.

The 20-21 season is underway, but not all leagues are playing. How difficult was this season’s transfer period? Do you feel like COVID-19 has played a major role in you being without a team now?

I think COVID had a big part in me not being on a team right now, you know it blocked a lot exposure and film that could’ve been used to get myself out there.

You finished at Texas Arlington (NCAA) in 2018, but began your rookie season in 2019-2020. How tough was that year after finishing school? Did you have a job and did you ever doubt the basketball process?

My first year out of college wasn’t tough at all, it was really like a weight off my shoulders. I didn’t have to buy into a system anymore, I could focus solely on myself and my skillsets. Which me and my trainer hit hard right after graduation that whole summer. I had been playing the 4 and the 5 in college. I could finally focus on my guard skillsets. Which I would need for the pro level. I also did play basketball that year. I played for the Raliegh Firebirds in the TBL (The Basketball League). Where I got rookie of the year there and got to play at the guard and wing positions. The TBL is a smaller league in the US that pros can play in and travel around America.

You played your rookie season with the Kitchener-Waterloo Titans (Canada-NBL Canada) playing 22 games averaging 2.6ppg, 1.9rpg. What was your rookie wake up call in Canada where you knew that you were very far away from Texas?

So the shocker that I knew I wasn’t in Texas anymore was when we were on the road for our first scrimmage in Sudbury and I woke up and looked at my phone and saw -8 degrees on the screen. I had never been to place that cold.

Was your rookie season such a big adjustment considering you hadn’t played that much either in school?


No, it wasn’t to much of an adjustment compared to college, you know I had to play my role for the success of the team. But that just gives me more fuel to the fire that I have to play this game, t work harder so there is no question that the coach needs me to on the court for the success of the team and not on the bench.

What kind of an experience was it playing in the Canadian NBL? The league is on the rise. What did you enjoy most about the whole experience in Canada?


.Playing in the Canadian NBL was great experience, I was like a sponge up there just trying to learn and grow as a professional. It was great competition, the biggest thing I enjoyed the most was learning from some of the vets on my team and just creating some good relationships.

How valuable was a guy like veteran Olumuyiwa Famutimi? Was he one of those players you paid extra attention to and tried to soak up as much as possible from his game?


Yeah Olu is my guy, he was a great vet to me. He helped me with some of the mental side of the game. Talking to me, encouraging me. I was always keeping a eye on how he approached the game, on and off the court. Awesome experience to play along side him.

Let’s talk about your game. You’re a 196cm forward. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would best fit the description?

If I had to compare my game to anybody, I would say Kawhi. Because we have the same demeanor when we play. Don’t really show too much emotion. I can defend like him and same type of style on offense.

Talk a little about your strengths on the court. What area on offense do you see you helping teams most as well as on the defensive end?

I would help the team improve the most in is the ability to score off the dribble and getting to the rim. I also would help improve the flow of the offense with smart movement. Then on the defensive side would be on ball defense, one thing that every coach has done is put me on the best player to guard. I am also a very good help defender.

On what areas of your game are you currently working most on so you can continue to climb the basketball ladder?


I am enhancing my ability to be more proficient with my jump-shot and to build up my percentages.

How big is your hunger to play overseas? Do you have any ex teammates or friends that have played overseas?

It is tremendous, I am hungry and humble. Yes I have a couple old teammates that play overseas.

Describe in a few sentences as to why you could help any team at this moment?

I would bring an overall set of skills, that has been proven to enhance a team wherever I go. What I bring also is leadership ability along with enhancing the elevation of everyones game around me. I believe in team and team wins championships.

You played 4 years at University of Texas at Arlington (NCAA). What was your fondest moment there? Possibly reaching the NIT Elite 8?


My fondest moment at UTA was winning the Sun Belt Conference and also yes playing in that elite 8 game at home for the NIT.

As a freshman you played 11 minutes and scored 2 points against powerhouse Kentucky that had 10 future NBA players including Devin Booker. What do you remember from that game and did you have that feeling that you belonged?


Well how I felt about it was, It was great experience but a bit overwhelming at times. Due to the talent level that they had in comparison to what we were accustomed to playing against, but it was a great experience for me because that’s when I saw myself with comparable skillsets had I played in my proper position.

Despite not having the biggest role on the team how do you feel did your game grow and mature in your 4 years?


My overall game matured each year due to good coaching, level of play, IQ and hard-work.

How did you witness future NBA player Kevin Hervey grow as a player and what was your fondest memory with him in those 4 years?

.Yeah Kevin was actually my roommate for 3 of the years I was there. Tha’ts my brother we’ve been through the fire together. It was great to grow with each other and push each other everyday. 

How did head coach Scott Cross groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career?


He taught me good work ethic, and just an overall basketball insight.

Who won a one on one you or Kevin Hervey?


Kevin and I would play a lot of one on one. We both got some wins on our belt he might be ahead by like 2 games. Lol

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


The toughest player that I played against that is in the NBA was Devin Booker. He shot the lights out against us.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

Erick Neal Kevin Hervey Olu Famutimi Jacob Van Faith Pope

If you had to construct your very own NBA Rushmore which 4 heads would you pick old or new?


Micheal Jordan Julius Erving Kareem Magic Johnson

What is your personal opinion of the never ending debate about who is better Lebron or Jordan? As a player and stats Lebron owned him, but Jordan has 6 rings?

.I am a Jordan fan all the way, my dad grew me up on MJ. My first ball was a MJ ball. Now Lebron has my full respect with everything he has done. But Jordan is still the G.O.A.T. His drive and passion for the game is above the rest.

What was the last movie that you saw? 

I just recently watched this movie on Netflix called AVA.

Thanks Julian for the chat.

Justin Cobbs is a 29 year old 191cm point guard from Torrance, California playing his seventh professional season and second with KK Buducnost Voli Podgorica (Montenegro-Erste Liga). Last season he played 20 Adriatic League averaging 15.7ppg, 2.1rpg, 5.0apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 46.9%, 3PT: 40.5%, FT: 84.7%; and played 9 Eurocup games averaging 15.4ppg, 2.4rpg, Assists-2 (7.3apg), 1.0spg, FGP: 47.0%, 3PT: 35.0%, FT: 80.0%. He played his rookie season in 2014-2015 with the Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt (Germany-BBL) playing 27 BBL games averaging 14.4ppg, 2.5rpg, 4.4apg, FGP: 47.9%, 3PT: 31.6%, FT: 80.3%;and played 12 EuroChallenge games averaging 16.3ppg, 2.9rpg, Assists-4 (6.1apg), FGP: 46.6%, 3PT: 40.6%, FT: 83.1%. In the 2015-2016 season he also gained further experience with Istanbul Buyuksehir Belediyesi (Turkey-BSL) averaging 7.6ppg, 2.1rpg, 3.3apg, FGP: 47.9%, 3PT: 30.8%, FT: 64.3% and averaging 5.2ppg in Eurocup in Dec.’15 moved to FC Bayern Muenchen (Germany-BBL):playing 26 games averaging 6.8ppg, 1.3rpg, 3.1apg, FGP: 43.5%, 3PT: 39.0%, FT: 83.3%, 2.1apg, FGP: 42.6%, 3PT: 14.3%, FT: 75.0%. In the 2016-2017 season he played with BCM Gravelines Dunkerque Grand Littoral (France-ProA) playing 34 games: Score-3 (16.9ppg), 3.6rpg, Assists-5 (5.5apg), 1.4spg, FGP: 48.5%, 3PT: 30.4%, FT: 87.9%; and played 11 FIBA Europe Cup games: Score-4 (18.9ppg), 4.0rpg, 5.5apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 53.2%, 3PT: 36.7%, FT: 89.4%. In the 2017-2018 season he played with Le Mans Sarthe Basket (France-ProA) playing 47 games averaging 14.1ppg, 2.9rpg, Assists-4 (5.9apg), FGP: 48.2%, 3PT: 36.3%, FT: 88.7%. In the 2018-2019 season he played with KK Cedevita Zagreb (Croatia-Premijer Liga) averaging 12.1ppg, 1.9rpg, 4.3apg, FGP: 44.3%, 3PT: 37.0%, FT: 91.8%; played 25 Adriatic League games averaging 13.9ppg, 1.8rpg, 4.2apg, FGP: 46.9%, 3PT: 35.8%, FT: 83.0%; and played 16 Eurocup: games averaging 14.4ppg, 2.2rpg, 5.5apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 53.0%, 3PT: 38.7%. FT: 82.8%. He played at Minnesota (NCAA) and California (NCAA) reaching the Elite 8 in 2014 and has won professional titles in Croatia, France and Montenegro. He spoke to germanhoops.com before a Eurocup game in Ulm about basketball.

Justin thanks for talking to germanhoops.com Welcome back to Germany. How did it feel returning back to Germany where you had your first success with the Fraport Skyliners?


It was good to be back in Germany and see some of those familiar faces. It brought back many memories like playing against DJ Cooper with Frankfurt in the Eurochallenge. I always think good things about Germany. 

Before we talk about your career, I have to ask you about how you experienced COVID-19 the last 7-8 months. What was the biggest challenge for you in terms of being able to keep in shape and work on your game during the hard times.

I was in Los Angeles. There was no big challenge. My circle is very small. I usually work out in the mornings and am by myself. The hardest part was keeping my little one inside. It wasn’t easy being locked in the house. 

With everything that you experienced how do you feel did COVID-19 make you stronger as a man?

I was locked in. It was a good time to relax my mind. It was also good to be able to spend more time with my family.

Your playing your seventh professional season and second with KK Buducnost Voli Podgorica (Montenegro-Erste Liga). What kind of experience has it been playing in a new country? How has it been different from other places that you played in?


I think that the biggest difference in comparison to other countries is the format of the playoffs. Every game is important as only 4 teams make it. Having that home court advantage is huge. The pressure and expectations are higher in the ABA league. You always have to be on you’re A game. You need to always have good results and be able to do that consistently. 

The club is doing well in the ABA and Eurocup. Where do you see the journey of the team going this season?


We are doing great in the ABA. We are in the Top 16 of the Eurocup I see us as being one of the best teams. I feel that if we peak right then we can go far in both. My goal is the Eurocup final and winning the ABA title.

You have 2 new teammates with Melvin Ejim and Willie Reed. What have you learned to appreciate most about both guys play?

Melvin helps the team in so many ways. He is so humble and always gives advice. You always know what you will get from him. He always gives the same energy. Willie is an athletic presence. He can dunk at a high rate and always disrupts the other teams offense. He is a great rim protector and rebounder. 

What kind of experience was for you sharing the back court with ex NBA player Sean Kilpatrick? You both turned professional in 2014. 


We actually were together many years ago at a Charlotte (NBA) work out. We relived those times. This was only his second time overseas. Everything was new to him. My job was it to help him. Often guys coming from the NBA have a difficult time making the adjustment to overseas ball. He has done a good job figuring out and is playing with Gran Canaria now.

In 2018-2019 you played with KK Cedevita Zagreb (Croatia-Premijer Liga) playing 12 games averaging 12.1ppg, 1.9rpg, 4.3apg, FGP: 44.3%, 3PT: 37.0%, FT: 91.8%; played 25 Adriatic League: games averaging 13.9ppg, 1.8rpg, 4.2apg, FGP: 46.9%, 3PT: 35.8%, FT: 83.0%; and 16 Eurocup games averaging 14.4ppg, 2.2rpg, 5.5apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 53.0%, 3PT: 38.7%, FT: 82.8%. What did you appreciate most about last season? You won a cup title.


There were two things I appreciated the most. One was the coaching staff who deserve a lot of credit. They had a lot of faith in me. It was a bit shakey with some of the guys they kept. They were totally behind me and Jacob Pullen to lead the team. Jacob was a great guy to have in the back court. Sean Kilpatrick and me were the most dynamic back court. 

You won the France pro A title with Le Mans. How good did it feel winning your first professional title in your fourth professional season. Did it feel a little extra sweet simply because Le Mans came into the season having missed the playoffs.

I actually wasn’t familiar with the club when I arrived. It isn’t always typical that you know about the history when you get to a new team. We started off well, but we didn’t really realize that we had a chance to win it all until we reached the playoffs. We knocked off teams like Asvel and Strasburg. We didn’t read any of the newspapers, but we were told that we were picked to looe every playoff series. We really had good chemistry. 

Not only was the regular season amazing, but what you experienced in the playoffs was nothing for bad nerves. First you beat Asvel, then beat Strasburg in five games and then Monaco in five games. Was there any point in the playoffs where you knew that nothing was going to take you from winning the chip?


I think the only time that we questioned not being able to win it was when Romeo Travis was suspended for game two. We lost game one and had to win game two with out him. We found out only one hour and a half before the game began. That was when guys knew that they had to step up. 

After being up 2-1 against Monaco, you lost at home and had to come back on the road. You won game 5 76-74 and had to rally to win. Talk about the last seconds and how you witnessed winning your first chip?


I honestly was never worried. Chris Lofton made a big shot and I made important free throws. Paul Lacombe took the last shot and missed a tough floater. It was an exciting time seeing all the energy in that game. It was fun to win on the road in Monaco.

What made the season so amazing was that the core players were all new. What was the secret to this team always being able to come out of holes and being able to win when you needed it most?

I just credit our team. We were a team that always played with the hot hand. It didn’t matter if it was me, Romeo Travis, Chris Lofton or DJ Stephens, someone always made the big shot. We had many guys that contributed on a consistent basis. We always fought hard and never stopped believing. We proved in the playoffs that we could get it done. 

How vital was it for your game to have a guy like Chris Lofton. How much easier was it for you to play your game having such a lethal sniper by your side?


He could catch fire at any time. He scored 34 against Monaco and 25 points against Strasburg. He is one of those guys that can take over a game at any time in 10-15 minutes. He took a lot of pressure off me and when I had a bad night, he would pick it up.

One of the true professionals is Romeo Travis who won the playoff MVP. How key was his character for this team having success? Would the team have won the title without him?

He kept everything together. If things got hectic, he would calm us all down. He had a lot of experience and had been in those moments before. He was a tremendous leader.

How many Lebron James questions do you suppose slipped out from you over the course of the season or did everybody respect his friendship with the king and not hassle him with questions?

He didn’t have too many crazy Lebron stories. I know that all 5 guys form the movie have a group chat. He talked a lot about his high school days. People were always asking him about Lebron.

Before we talk about your current game, I would like to go back a few years. After a stellar rookie season with the Fraport Skyliners, you suffered some sophomore blues in Turkey where you didn’t find your groove and with Munich got lost in the shuffle with less minutes to spare. What did you learn from this season?

That season taught me that if there are situations that don’t work out, you just have to embrace the journey. I wasn’t the same player in Turkey the way I had been in Frankfurt. I learned if something goes wrong, just keep playing your game and keep that same confidence.

How big of a challenge was it for you in 2016 going into your third professional season wanting to turn around from your second season. You struck back with BCM Gravelines Dunkerque Grand Littoral (France-ProA) playing 34 games: Score-3 (16.9ppg), 3.6rpg, Assists-5 (5.5apg), 1.4spg, FGP: 48.5%, 3PT: 30.4%, FT: 87.9%; and in the FIBA Europe Cup played 11 games: Score-4 (18.9ppg), 4.0rpg, 5.5apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 53.2%, 3PT: 36.7%, FT: 89.4%. What was key for you this season for being able to bounce back? Did you work extra hard in the summer or was your self confidence somehow increased quickly?


That team was smaller and had a lot of confidence coming in. I always bring the same work ethic where ever I go. I also use each summer to get better. I think a big factor in my good play was changing my mind set and getting back to playing thew ay I know I can. 

How important was it having that familiar face around with Richard Solomon from the university of California who was your teammate there. How much of a role did he play for you being comfortable and finding back to your game?

The life style and food is different abroad for Americans so any time you have a familiar face around, it makes everything easier. Richard helped me relax and just be myself. 

You have always been that scoring point guard, but already showed that special knack of knowing exactly when to score and when to set up your teammates which you demonstrated time in and time out as a rookie in Frankfurt especially in that do or die game against Enisey in Frankfurt. How do you work on continuing to improve decision making? How vital is watching film in your preparation?

Film is key for my game. It helps knowing where guys will be open and the opponents defensive schemes. I always know where a guy will be open on the pick role before it happens because of film. Watching film and knowing the scouting report always gives you an upside. 

Except for your second season in Turkey and Germany, you have been so consistent. What has been your personal secret for doing this? Some players say that they played for good coaches. How has it been for you?

Playing for the right coach is always key. I have been lucky to have played for coaches that have let me play my game. It is important for them to believe in you and let you play through your mistakes. If that doesn’t happen then you won’t have confidence. I think that me putting in the work has also been key. Since playing in Munich, I have always had the best defender defending me. I always had to be prepared and my team helped me also.

What do you believe kept you from the NBA? I interviewed your ex teammate David Kravish recently and he said you could have been in the NBA


I speak to guys about this all the time. If you take a Mike James the best player in Euroleague and switch him with Cameron Payne then I feel like James could help the Suns more than a Payne could CSKA Moscow. No disrespect to the player Cameron Payne. That is just how I feel. I think to get to the NBA has more to do with timing than talent. Guys come form the NBA to Europe and are unable to play here. 

How important was your rookie season in Frankfurt for you personally? How important was head coach Gordon Herbert for you as a rookie? He had the confidence in your game and gave you total freedom. Is this something that you will always remember?

My first real job was with NBA team Charlotte. Then I went overseas to Riga and was instantly thrown into the fire. I thought coming to Europe would be easy, but it wasn’t In Riga I was expected to be a program changer. The expectations were really high. I played against top teams CSKA and Khimky after only 2two practices. I didn’t produce. I was cut. After that brief experience, I questioned myself if I could play in Europe. I thought that I was done. Gordie believed in me and revamped my career. I came to Frankfurt and believed in myself and the process. Sean Armand and Quantez Robertson allowed me to play my game. Without that time in Frankfurt, I really wouldn’t have known where I would be after.

You probably have many very fond memories from your Frankfurt days, but what is your fondest memory? Possibly that do or die Eurochallenge game in Frankfurt against Enisey where you were down by 18 points at the break and still won?

I remember telling the guys at half time, ‘Come on guys do you really not want to win this game’ ? I remember how much fun we had as a team in Frankfurt. It was great times. I remember the exciting playoff series against Munich. Everybody counted us out, but we proved them wrong. I remember when I got to Frankfurt, we were something like 14th in the league and then finished 4th. Those were some of the best teammates that I had in Frankfurt.

How have you been following the career of your ex teammate Johannes Voigtmann? He is playing his 6th season in the Euroleague. Any memorable story with him from Frankfurt?

We had two of the best big men in Europe with Joe and Danilo Barthel. We were all hungry to play at the next level. Joe can do it all. Both deserve the success they have achieved. Watching them grow over the years has been amazing. I still tell stories today about how Joe and Danilo were my big me my rookie year. 

Who would win a one on one today if you played again. You or Sean Armand?

I will always take myself. Sean would put up a tough fight. He loves to paly defense. I will always take myself except if I go against a Lebron or Jordan.

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


I remember two guys. I remember when we played Washington State and Klay Thompson going off for 44 points. Those were the most impressive 44 points I ever saw. The other was Damian Lillard. You could tell he had potential. 

If you had to construct your very own NBA Rushmore which 4 heads would you pick old or new?

Jordan, Lebron, Shaq, Kobe, Iverson

What is your personal opinion of the never ending debate about who is better Lebron or Jordan? As a player and stats Lebron owned him, but Jordan has 6 rings?

They are two different players. Lebron is more like a Magic. Jordan had that killer mentality and scoring

What was the last movie that you saw? 

Set it off.

Thanks Justin for the chat.

DJ Woodmore is a 28 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 up each week to talk basketball.

Congrats DJ on the massive 88-45 win over the Fraport Skyliners Juniors. Did this at times feel like a practice game? 

Thank You!! I wouldn’t say it felt like a practice but it was definitely one of the best defensive games we played this year. We were prepared for almost everything and came out with a better sense of focus. We didn’t want to give them a chance to gain some confidence throughout the game like we have in the past!! 

Mental lapses is something that happens to all teams but also something that happens frequently to the EPG Baskets Koblenz. You were up by 18 points, but allowed a 9-1 run shortly before the break. Why does the team allow these kinds of runs by the opponent? 


You’re absolutely right! Happens way too often with us. But I think it’s because we take our foot off the gas for a split second, and teams take advantage. There’s no time to relax in this league because everybody is capable of beating everybody. We’re still trying to fix that but it seems like we’re getting a little bit better each week. 

Head coach Danny Rodriguez got very loud at half time in the locker room. What did he remind the team that it had to do to get back on track? 


Yeaa Coach can be.’passionate’ at time times lol but he just wanted us to stay focused. Like you said we gave up a small run right before the half and that could have easily been a time where we put the game away. But I think he woke us up again and we were able to put together a great second half. 

The team heeded his words and exploded for 28-5 third quarter. Was this the best 10 minutes of basketball by the team this season?

By far!! I thought we combined good defense with out best offensive display as well . I didn’t realize they only scored 5 points. Felt like we were doing everything right on both ends. Now if we could duplicate half of that throughout the entire game, we’d be cruising. 

The team allowed only 17 points in the second half. What adjustment did you make on the defensive end? 

Thought we adjusted well to their high pick and roll play because They killed us with it in the first half. We started closing the middle on closeouts and rebounded the ball extremely well. Limited the second chance points we always give up. 

It is never easy to play against a young and inexperienced team. What do you feel was the team’s biggest strength today?


Focus and energy. I thought we did a great job of being locked in for 37 of the 40 minutes. Even when the younger players from us came in, they brought the same energy. Always good to see them playing at a high level. 

You had another great scoring 18 points to lead all scorers. You took command in the second quarter scoring 9 points. Was this production more of a result of what the defense gave you?Yess I think so. When we went into a small scoring drought in the first half, Brian and a few other teammates reminded me to be aggressive. So I looked to score a lot in transition and get easier points from our defense.

I love how easy you make hitting a three pointer. You had a special relationship to the basket. Does it at times feel like nothing will fail with this relationship? 

Sometimes it actually does. Constantly working on my shot throughout the week. Like I said in the past, I know the shots I feel comfortable taking and I’m pretty confident when I can get to those spots. But when something is off, I try to force myself to the free throw line just to see the ball go thru the basket.

You were matched up at times against Joshua Bonga. What was your impression of his game?


You can tell he’s going to be a special player. I thought he was extremely quick, very good first step, and incredibly confident for his age. He hit a few shots that were really tough. Shots I don’t know if most 15 year olds are taking, and he’s making them look easy. I think he has a bright future ahead of he keeps working. 

Kyrie Irving recently proclaimed he will have a season black out with the media. Do you feel like this will hurt or help his game more?

I actually use to be a huge Kyrie fan but the last years he’s kind of got under my skin a little with his relationship with the media. I think he’s one of the most talented players in the world for sure but he’s hurting not only himself, but his teammates by causing an unnecessary distraction for something that’s not that serious. Just answer a few questions and leave. Doesn’t seem so hard to me. But we’ll see what happens after the 25k fines start adding up.

Thanks DJ for the chat.

What is better than having two totally different teams face off, but having come off two huge nail bitters wins. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors had began the season with a severe drought losing their first 6 games, but finally won their first game of the season at home against the Arvato College Wizards 79-75. In that game Frankfurt received some clutch crunch-time shooting from guards Philipp Hadenfeldt and Matthew Meredith which carried the team to victory. The EPG Baskets Koblenz on the other hand rebounded from a massive drubbing in Ulm and returned 72 hours later to eek out a breathtaking thriller win 82-81 in Giessen despite having to accept a 35 point explosion from ex German national player Johannes Lischka. The EPG Baskets Koblenz had 4 guys to score in double figures and were led by athletic flyer Brian Butler with 23 points and ex Speyer guard DJ Woodmore filled up the stat sheet like no other with 16 points, 10 boards and 6 dimes. Now Koblenz welcomed a very very young team with the Fraport Skyliners Juniors who have an average age of only 19 and the home team was heavily favored on paper. The contest also marked the return of 15 year huge German talent Joshua Bonga who is the younger brother of Isaac who currently plays for the Washington Wizards and began his career in Koblenz. Bonga had a tough start, but then finished with 6 points, but was unable to give any heroics as the EPG Baskets Koblenz controlled the game despite having some ups and downs in the first half showing no mercy destroying the Fraport Skyliners Juniors 88-45. After the gigantic win, EPG Baskets Koblenz head coach Danny Sullivan stood at the press conference with the usual same expression and didn´t really seem impressed by the domination. “Overall we gave a good performance. We couldn´t hold our energy level in the first half and allowed Frankfurt to come back shortly before half-time. The team has to understand that we live off our energy level at both ends of the court. When the team starts to understand that we have to give gas for 40 minutes, then we will be difficult to beat”, stressed head coach Danny Rodriguez.  Fraport Skyliners head coach Miran Cumurija knew that he had just faced the best team in the Pro B and that his team would have needed a perfect performance to win. “All guys can score on this team and that is why they are one of the best teams in the league. They have so much experience that they just know how to play. We didn´t invest enough to be able to stay with a team like Koblenz”, stressed Miran Cumurija.

                The Fraport Skyliners Juniors got on the board first executing their first play well as German forward Clavin Schaum nailed a trey. But that didn´t impress the home team as they rapidly sped on a 7-0 run. In the run, Koblenz got a three pointer from ex Speyer guard DJ Woodmore and as usual got German forward Brian Butler involved quickly and early as he connected on a turn around shot and then made a hard one handed dunk tip toeing around Calvin Schaum Frankfurt got a tap in from German Matthew Meredith, but Koblenz just kept pouring on the sound offense as Butler scored two more times and ex Fordham(NCAA) guard Zaire Thompson dropped a trey for the 15-5 advantage. The EPG Baskets Koblenz offense was flowing with beautiful ball movement and just great ball movement while Frankfurt´s offense was sloppy and they couldn´t get adjusted to the aggressiveness and physicality of Koblenz´s defense. However Frankfurt may be a young team, but not one that will hang their heads in the sand. They came back going on a swift 9-1 run to cut Koblenz´s lead to only 16-14. In the run they got some big support from Schaum with two baskets and Meredith used his stellar inside game scoring first on a reverse lay up and then nailing a three pointer. Koblenz lost their offensive rhythm and had mental lapses something they have had to live with all season long. Frankfurt increased their intensity at both ends and helped better on defense. But out of nothing the EPG Baskets Koblenz erased the great Frankfurt comeback by slapping a rude 7-0 run in their face taking a 23-14 lead after 10 minutes. Koblenz got baskets from ex Leverkusen forward CJ Oldham and a runner from ex Tuebingen forward Jacon Mampuya. A big strength of the EPG Baskets Koblenz is their great ability to be able to dominate their opponents by their individual skill class something that Frankfurt couldn´t match on this night.

In the second quarter the EPG Baskets Koblenz dominated for the most part leading by as much as 18 points, but then lost focus in the last few minutes allowing the Fraport Skyliners Juniors to cut their deficit under 10 points. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors actually had a good start going on a quick 4-0 run getting baskets from ex Wurzburg guard Philipp Hadenfeld and a lay in from 18 year old German Alexander Richardson while getting 4 consecutive stops to trail only 23-18. But once again a little burst of energy and baskets didn´t faze the EPG Baskets Koblenz as they then exploded for a lethal 15-3 run to totally open the contest and take the overwhelming 38-21 lead. In the run the EPG Baskets Koblenz got some serious production from Virginia native DJ Woodmore who took matters into his own hands scoring 9 unanswered points. The club also got a clutch three pointer from ex Schwenningen center Edin Alispahic who had a super efficient game finishing with 9 points and 6 boards in 8 minutes off the bench. The EPG Baskets Koblenz once again used their individual class from DJ Woodmore to break open the game while Frankfurt was unable to match the physicality of Koblenz. But like in the first quarter, the Fraport Skyliners Juniors didn´t want to crawl back into the locker room at the break down by 20 and clawed back together going on a 9-1 run to cut the Koblenz lead down to 39-30. In the run, Frankfurt got a trey from 15 year old German Joshua Bonga and got vital support from German big man Jordan Samare who dominated inside the paint getting two lay in´s and then finishing off the second quarter with a pretty alley op dunk getting the nice pass from ex TV Langen forward Leon Pullen. It was no surprise that Frankfurt coach Miran Cumurija had to answer his thoughts about the young German gem Bonga who was back home in Koblenz. “Of course I wish him to reach the highest level with the NBA like his brother Isaac. He is a super guy who is always working hard and just wants to play. He shows each day that he isn´t afraid of anybody”, added Miran Cumurija. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors showed once again that they are always good for a surprise while the EPG Baskets Koblenz were up and down.

In the third quarter the EPG Baskets Koblenz shifted up from second gear to fifth gear winning the quarter 28-5 and thus deciding the game after 30 minutes.  The EPG Baskets Koblenz really buckled down on the defensive end upping their aggressiveness and physicality and didn´t allow the first Frankfurt field goal until the 3,19 minute mark. Butler scored the first points for Koblenz with a free throw and then was followed by a trey by DJ Woodmore for the 43-30 lead. It is always a pleasure to observe DJ Woodmore stand somewhere and just release that three pointer with so much confidence just as if he is in a relationship with the basket. He just knows that nothing will fail with his special relationship with the basket. Koblenz continued to defend with passion and expertise causing Frankfurt turnovers while also increasing their three point execution as CJ Oldham and Dutch forward Chad Wellian connected for the 51-31 advantage. The EPG Baskets Koblenz also showed their presence inside as they used their immense physicality getting baskets from Butler and Alispahic for the 55-31 advantage. Koblenz was also doing a great job getting extra possessions with increased offensive rebounds. Frankfurt finally received it´s first field goal of the third quarter from Alex Richardson to cut down the huge Koblenz lead to 55-33. Frankfurt had no rhythm on offense and just continued to cough up the ball while the EPG Baskets Koblenz continued to be super consistent and closed out the quarter with a 12-2 run to lead 67-35 after 30 minutes. In the run, the home team continued to share the ball so unselfishly as Butler made a massive two handed dunk, sniper Jean Louis Marley nailed a trey, Woodmore made a steal and lay in and Alispahic made free throws. “We kept the pressure on as Frankfurt lost it´s soul and had no more energy”, stressed EPG Baskets Koblenz head coach Danny Rodriguez. “We weren´t in the game and hung our heads. Koblenz was more prepared then we were and wanted it more”, added Fraport Skyliners Juniors head coach Miran Cumurija.

In the fourth quarter, the EPG Baskets Koblenz had the massive 28 point lead and just closed out the game well winning the quarter 21-10. The EPG Baskets Koblenz began the fourth quarter well producing 4 stops on Frankfurt and got two baskets from German Noah Westerhaus and a trey from Chad Wellian for the 72-35 lead. Frankfurt got their first field goal of the fourth quarter from Cem Akbayir who dropped a trey. Koblenz wasn´t as forceful on offense, but still got baskets when they needed to from German Henning Schaake and another trey from Jean Louis Marley to extend their lead to 77-41.The EPG Baskets Koblenz did  agreat job on the defensive end allowing only 15 points in the second half. “We switched a lot in the first half and played better on the pick and role in the second half. We also rotated better and had better communication”, added EPG Baskets Koblenz forward CJ Oldham. With the contest more than decided EPG Baskets Koblenz head coach allowed some of his young German kids to come in with ex Giessen guard Lukas Meyer and ex Alba Berlin center Joshua Luebken. Both didn´t disappoint as Luebkem executed two pretty hook shots as he took some of that Brian Butler inside presence to his game muscling close to the basket and scoring while Meyer made a pull up jumper and free throw. “We played well together and played fast. We had our ups and downs in the first half, but did a good job controlling the game in the second half”, said German Henning Schaake. All 12 EPG Baskets Koblenz players recorded points. The club was led by DJ Woodmore with 18 points and Brian Butler added 15 points while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors were led by Jordan samara with 8 points and 7 rebounds and Calvin Schaum and Matthew Meredith chipped in with 7 points a piece. The EPG Baskets Koblenz shot 43% from the field and 32% from outside and had 43 rebounds and 12 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 32% from the field and 26% from outside and had 41 rebounds and 29 turnovers.

                 It was March 7th, 2020 as the whole COVID-19 hype was continuing to grow and the reality of basketball not continuing was slowly creeping into some minds, but on this night the Fraport Skyliners Juniors and Orange Academy were involved in a do or die game to reach the Pro B playoffs. The Frankfurt side had played poor basketball the last weeks playing like they wanted an early summer vacation letting it come to this do or die situation while Orange Academy had won 3 of their last 4 games and had the momentum going in. As usual the Fraport Skyliners Juniors were fortified by many talented young Germans and 2 imports with Nigel Pruitt and Bruno Peric while Orange Academy had played most of the season with only Germans until mid January 2020 when they decided it wouldn´t hurt adding the typical talented American guard you see on so many rosters in this league. Orange Academy had signed Joe Rosga in the playoff hunt to give the team added offensive scoring punch at the guard position as well as giving that potential keen playmaking ability as he hit Giessen 2 for 9 dimes in a 93-76 victory. Frankfurt had the easy 50-43 lead at the break, but broke down in the second half as Orange Academy picked up their defense allowing Frankfurt to score only 34 points to win 92-84. Rosga had a strong game contributing 15 points. Another player that had a huge night was his teammate Zach Ensminger who was on triple double course exploding with 18 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists in 26 minutes. Rosga may not have been on the team long enough to learn something about German basketball history, but there wasn´t any doubting that he played the last 6 weeks with an aura of Bamberg legendary. Ok so Zach Ensminger was only 6 years old when dad Chris won his last of 2 BBL titles with Bamberg in 2007, but papa Ensminger was working in the Ulm organization when Rosga had arrived. Plus his head coach Anton Gavel had won 7 titles with Bamberg during Chris Flemings´ tenure a few years later. Playing with the younger Ensminger and learning from Gavel was something that not every player will get the opportunity to have but one that will help any player. “Zach was super competitive and hated to lose. The thing I appreciated most about his game was his ability to see the floor and get his teammates involved.  He is a good kid. His dad brought me here. I loved playing with him. Coach Gavel helped me the most with my finishing and ball handling I think. He was obviously a great player and he was great as a coach too. He was very engaging in workouts and wanted us to get better. Just doing different drills with me really helped me improve in those two areas”, warned Joe Rosga. Anytime you have Ensminger and Gavel around, you will profit as Joe Rosga found out with Orange Academy.

            That huge win in Frankfurt was the last game he would play in the 2019-2020 season. The club went home to Ulm on a massive high having reached the playoffs, but only a few days later the season was cancelled just like that. “It was tough, I was very disappointed when the season got cut short especially because my team had just made the playoffs and we were playing really well. I think we could’ve surprised some people in the postseason. I loved my teammates and coaches too so it was tough to leave so abruptly”, stated Joe Rosga. Just like about every other player I have interviewed since COVID-19 popped it´s ugly head into our lives, the American couldn´t believe that it would have such a big effect on the world and spread so rapidly. Like most players in Germany, he didn´t stick around long enough to experience how Germany handled the COVID-19 situation, but instead did the logical thing by returning home before Trump set the travel ban. There were a few games overseas without fans and over the summer the NBA season continued in Orlando where the games went on without fans. He got a taste on TV what it would be like playing without fans, but that wouldn´t be the same as if he were on the court battling without fans. “It would definitely be tough to play a game without fans. The environment would be very weird and pretty quiet. In college we used to have closed scrimmages all the time which we’re basically games without fans. So I have some experience with it and it’s definitely a weird feeling but if I had to play without fans I would”, added Joe Rosga.

            He soon returned home to Minnesota and there witnessed a totally new life as COVID-19 was wrecking havoc on his homeland. It was a new experience and one that wasn´t easy to get adjusted to. “My day to day life is much different. Typically wake up and get a workout in. I have some dumbbells at home as well as TRX straps so I’ve just been coming up with things to do with those. I can also go for runs outside which is nice. After working out I usually try and play some cards with my girlfriend and then the rest of the day is just spent hanging out and making a good dinner. I try not to watch any tv until a movie at a night but that doesn’t always happen”, expressed Joe Rosga in April 2020. He came home so early, a time where in the last years he would still be back at school for months. Now the American who had most contact during COVID-19 with ex roommate Kristofer Krause of Orange Academy had the opportunity to get ready for his next job a lot earlier. “I don’t think it will be a big adjustment. I love training so it won’t be hard for me to do. What will be hard is finding gyms to get into because everything is the United States is shut down right now. So it could be a lot of outdoor basketball training this summer which I don’t mind. The advantages will be you have a lot of time to let your body heal from this last season and also to work on and polish new skills. Disadvantages are that it is a long time before the season starts”, warned Joe Rosga in April 2020. It has been an eye-opening summer on the transfer market as players have had to take serious pay cuts as clubs don´t have the type of budgets they once had. The whole COVID-19 crisis has shaken the transfer market, but Joe Rosga isn´t worried about finding a new job. “That is a tough question. Especially because I just finished up my rookie year which was a complicated year for me. I am just taking it day by day. I know I want to keep playing and I am just hoping for another opportunity and I know that I will be ready if that opportunity comes”, added Joe Rosga. Nobody knows exactly when COVID-19 will be history, but the American has taken the whole crisis to heart. “I have learned that anything can happen at any given time and that life can’t be taken for granted”, warned Joe Rosga.

            Rosga who has MJ, Kobe, Lebron, Larry Bird on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore was born on March 30^th, 1997 in St Paul, Minnesota and has 4 siblings. He began his basketball career at Cretin Derham Hall High School where he averaged 19.0ppg, 4.1rpg, 4.2apg. He then embarked on a solid 4 year NCAA at Denver University  where he didn´t win any titles, but put up strong individual stats. He played a total of 115 NCAA games and averaged double figures in scoring all 4 years. His most productive personal season was his junior year where he played 30 games averaging 16.1ppg, 4.1rpg, 2.9apg, FGP: 52.6%, 3PT: 44.0%, FT: 90.1%. “My game grew in lots of ways. I improved my finishing and my passing as well. I was also a solid rebounder and had a few double doubles with rebounds. I also became a leader and a voice for the team. I was a captain all 4 years so I was constantly growing as a leader and competitor”, said Joe Rosga. He scored in double figures in 87 games in the NCAA and his 2 best scoring games was a 33 point explosion against Navy and 30 points against Jacksonville. He found his touch from down town consistently scoring 40% or better in 3 of 4 seasons. He mostly had ups at Denver like when hitting North Dakota State and Omaha for 54 points in a span of 4 days, , but also his downs losing by 61 points to well known school Gonzaga, but he reflected back on his NCAA days with joy. “Those two games my junior year was probably my best week with Denver, because both of those games were wins and I shot very efficiently. That game against Gonzaga was an eye opener for-sure because they were the Number 1 team in the country at that time and it really showed what it takes to be that good as a team”, stressed Joe Rosga. He was also lucky to have a head coach with Rodney Billups who is the younger brother of ex NBA great Chauncey who gave him freedom to use his biggest strength, “He just told me to go in with a chip on my shoulder and do what I do best which is shoot the ball. He prepared me every day and was always giving me advice”, remembered Joe Rosga.

            He came to Europe in the summer of 2019 and got his first professional experience with OKK Sloboda Tuzla (Bosnia-Division I), but his stay was short as he played only 5 games. “Bosnia was a short stint because I wasn’t getting much of an opportunity to play and showcase what I could do. I knew I could play at that level but it just wasn’t the right fit”, stressed Joe Rosga.  Coming to Germany is often a big joy for Americans and the adjustment period is short, because it seems like everyone can speak English. But sometimes a player will go to a country where he might not see a Mcdonalds or hear good English conversation for months. “My first wake up call was probably just hearing everyone speak a different language and not knowing what they were saying. That was defiantly when I knew I was very far from home”, remembered Joe Rosga. He then moved to Orange Academy and on account of COVID-19 played only 7 games, but he cherished the whole special experience playing with the ratiopharm farm team. “They gave me an opportunity and let me play. I also really bonded with the guys quick and got along with all of them great. It was just a lot of fun playing with them. I feel like what is special about their program is that the guys are all really close and get along and they all want to win and get better each day. They are all competitors and love the game”, added Joe Rosga. Even if his season was shortened, he felt happy that he was able to help the team achieve their goal. “They brought me there in order to help them make the playoffs and I was able to help them achieve that, so I was very pleased that I was able to help them win enough games to make the playoffs”, explained Joe Rosga. He most likely will never forget the season ending game in Frankfurt or the exciting 73-72 win over FC Bayern Munich 2. “Yeah, that was a great game. I will probably just think of all the things I did well and the things I didn’t and need to improve on over the summer”, remembered Joe Rosga.

            Even if the American who lists Jake Pemberton, Christian Mackey, Abiola Akintola, Marcus Byrd, and Daniel Amigo as his 5 best teammates of all-time,was a professional rookie he was the second oldest on the team to Nils Mittmann who was 18 years older, he sensed this special respect from the other young German players who were only 4-5 years younger, but knew that he had achieved a lot playing in the NCAA. “I did sense a certain level of respect. Some of them wanted to try and go play in the NCAA so they were asking me questions about what it was like all the time”, added Joe Rosga. He not only was a role model to the other young talented Germans like Christoph Philipps, but also could learn a lot from 40 year old Nils MIttmann who had had a long fruitful BBL career in Germany. “It was a great experience playing with Christoph Phillips, he was a great teammate and you always knew what you were going to get from him each game. I don’t think his game really effected how I played other than if he had the hot hand I was looking to get him the ball. Yeah, Nils definitely loves the game and has a lot of knowledge and experience which was really nice to have on such a young team because he was a major voice and the guys listened to him and respected him”, stressed Joe Rosga. He compares his game to a Steph Curry on account of his shooting had an interesting rookie season in Europe playing for 2 clubs and is content that his game grew. “Playing overseas was definitely different from playing in college. I feel like my game grew as a rookie most in learning some of the new rules and adjusting to the physicality of the European game. Also learning different types of finishes to score over bigger players and knowing when to take shots and when to move the ball”, warned Joe Rosga. This past summer he had the opportunity even if the conditions with finding gyms wasn´t always optimal, he wanted to work on these areas of his game so that he will be well prepared for his second professional season. “I have to keep improving my ball handling and my finishing for-sure. Floaters are a great thing for me to have in my game as well so continuing to work on those as well”,warned Joe Rosga. No Matter where he plays in the future, no one can take away from him having had that Ensminger/Gavel Aura with Orange Academy something from which he could only profit from and did.

DJ Woodmore is a 28 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 will team up each week to talk basketball. He spoke to germanhoops.com after the big 82-80 victory in Giessen.

Congrats DJ on the impressive and exciting 82-80 win in Giessen. How huge was making this statement on the road after the tough loss in Ulm? 

Thank you !! I thought it was a huge bounce back win for us. Games like that, after a big loss, are usually hard to play well. I thought we had great energy and focus during Monday’s Practice and carried it over to the game. I think we made it a little tougher than it had to be but I’ll take the W any day.

How tough was it preparing for this game? What was the secret to the pre game preparation for Giessen? Was a lot of film and one practice about all you could do? 

Yes that was about all there was time for. It was extremely tough to prepare because they had a different line-up than they had been playing with all season. I think the key was focusing on ourselves more, making sure we limited mistakes and got back to what works well for us. Danny had a great game plan for us and I thought we did a really good job executing it 

In the third quarter Giessen broke away a bit scoring 27 points. What struggles did the team encounter on the defensive end? 

I thought after we jumped out to an 11 point lead, we relaxed. That was our chance to put the game away but we let off the gas. We’ll get better at that for sure. But defensively we had a tough time guarding their bigs inside. They were making some tough shots; one legged fade-aways with contact, but I think we just needed one or two stops in a row and the cane would have completely changed in our favor. 

Talk about the crunch-time. How valuable was Jacob Mampuya who scored 8 of his 12 points in a one minute span. Did this show again just how valuable the depth is on this club?


Jacob was huge down the stretch for us. He had struggled a bit to start the game. But everybody on our roster knows what he is capable of. It wasn’t a surprise to us that he finally found his rhythm. Yes I think this club is extremely deep. We mixed up the starting lineup tonight and that just added much more depth and fire power off the bench. 

The fourth quarter was a tight struggle. What kind of steps do you feel did the club make once again with this close victory? 

I mean we’ve had so many games that have come down to the wire this season already, and we’re finding a way to win most of them. I think that’s a huge step for a team. Having a big lead and losing it, trailing by double digits and coming back, tight games from start to finish, foul trouble, crucial free throws, game winners. We’ve seen it all and it’s only been 8 games. Finding a way to win is always the most important thing, and we’ve done that so far. 

How proud are you of the team nerves and stamina on the last stop on Tim Kopple and David Amaize? What new steps did the club make on defense tonight?

Definitely a crucial stop and a big defensive play, but to be honest we got a little lucky. It was a tough drive to defend because he caught the ball on the run after the free throw rebound. All I could do is stay in front of him and try not to foul. I thought Amaize had an easy put back on the offensive rebound but left it short. Could have easily been an overtime game. But once again I’ll take it. 

Obviously Giessen is the opponent, but still what kind of a feeling is it seeing a performance like that by Johannes Lischka. How inspirational is a guy like that for you considering what he has gone through health wise in the last years? 

Basketball has always been an outlet for some people, an escape from what the world can throw at you at times. Lischka has been amazing all year long. I heard about his story last season and for him to still be dominating this league the way he does is crazy to see. Hope to see him continue his journey and inspire others along the way. 

How big was the play of Zaire Thompson. He isn’t known for consistent scoring, but how valuable was his scoring output tonight? 

Z was huge for us again tonight. He gave us the spark we needed at every crucial moment in the game. They were helping down so much on Brian the entire game, it just opened everything up for him to create and get to the basket. And once he did that enough, it opened up his outside shooting. His speed gives us another weapon on offense and fits right into the up-tempo style we like play.

You had a great game with 16 points, 10 boards and 6 assists. How good did it feel filling the stat sheet again? 


Felt like I struggled a bit shooting the ball. I ad so many easy looks that didn’t fall. But I really wanted to focus tonight on being aggressive on offense and help out rebounding as much as possible because of how big their post players were. I always feel like I can impact the game in more ways than scoring. 

How excited are you to be playing 15 year old Joshua Bonga on Saturday who is the brother of Washington Wizard Isaac Bonga. Will you feel slightly old?

I always feel old when we play against these farm teams!! Always makes me think about what I was doing when I was 15 and 16 years old. But it’ll be interesting to see how he plays this weekend. You can tell the talent and mindset are going to be there. Frankfurt does a really good Job at consistently developing their youth players I don’t doubt that they’ll do the same with Joshua 

Some area’s in Germany are going to sharpen the closing down of certain things. How conscience are you aware that the season could end any moment and all the hard work will have been done for nothing?


I try not to think about it so much but it’s hard not too. Every day I feel like we’re getting closer and closer to shutting the season down. I’m hearing lower leagues are postponing even more than they’ve already had to, and now that the league is making us test before each game, players are testing positive and more games are being canceled. I’m trying to stay optimistic about it but a phone call saying the league is postponed wouldn’t surprise me at all. All We can do is try to stay healthy. 

What was the last movie that you saw? 


I haven’t really been into watching movies lately. But I’m rewatching these British series: Sherlock. One of my favorites. Each episode is about the length of a movie so I guess it counts. Highly recommended if you have some time. Won’t regret it.

Thanks DJ for the chat.

Imagine battling easyCredit BBL legends Ricky Paulding and Quantez Robertson on a daily basis in practice in back to back seasons, but never really playing in official games. That is what happened to American Nigel Pruitt in the seasons 2018-2020. He was fortunate to play for the farm teams of both the EWE Baskets Oldenburg and Fraport Skyliners. He was fortunate enough to play 1 minute in a easyCredit BBL game in a 87-76 loss to Bamberg with the Fraport Skyliners, but that amazing experience probably went by faster than Quantez Robertson does when he makes a full sprint coast to coast. Of course being able to practice with 2 different BBL teams on a regular basis in a 2 year period surely heightened his game. When he suited up with the Fraport Skyliners Juniors, it wasn’t rare to see a Quantez Robertson in the stands watching and supporting the team. Robertson had that special ability to be playing games on his phone, but still be able to give an accurate summary of the first half as multitasking is an art for the ex Auburn (NCAA) player. In Oldenburg, he saw an ultimate legend with Rickey Paulding who has been with the same team since 2007 a feat that you rarely see in any league by an American. Paulding is 38 years old and not slowing down as he is statistically as strong as even 10 years ago. Just being able to see the ex Detroit Pistons draft pick from 2004 operate in practice and present his unbelievable work ethic must have left an impression on him like he had never seen before. There are guys that would have died to have been able to work together with both guys and having been able to have this experience is something that Pruitt would never have taken for granted. ‘One thing I will never forget about Tez as a player is his work ethic and his defensive motor. He works extremely hard to bring results and never backs down from any challenge. Rickey Paulding was a hardworking guy who always had a smile on his face. He was always about the team and never focused on individual stats and he was always super competitive’, stressed Nigel Pruitt. When I put Pruitt on the spot as to who would win a 1-1 between the two legends Paulding and Robertson, it was obvious that he would be unable to pick sides. ‘Both Rickey and Quantez are both legends in their own rights for their teams and the BBL. They were both very friendly and encouraging people who always pushed you to do what you did best. They were also both team first guys so they would both do whatever it took to help their teams succeed. It is hard to say who would win in a 1-1 game. That would be a close game. I would rather say that they are two great players who have made their stamp on their respective clubs. I couldn’t root for just only one guy because they both are great competitors and even greater individuals’, warned Nigel Pruitt. 

Pruitt was born on October 3rd, 1994 in Knoxville, Tennessee and began his basketball career at Northwest High in Germantown, Maryland and then played a season at the well known Montrose Christian High in Rockville, Maryland that produced famous NBA players like Kevin Durant, Linas Kleiza, Greivis Vazquez, Patrick Mccaw and Jason Conley who carved out a nice career in Europe and was an important player for the Telekom Baskets Bonn. He also gained further experience at the Bullis school in Potomac, Maryland averaging 17,5ppg as a senior. ‘I played at The Bullis School for the last 2 years of my high school career. There were many great memories there, but the best was winning the league title during my senior year. During my one year at Montrose, it was challenging because I was super young at the time. It was my sophomore year in high school (second year) I was really trying to just improve my game and gain my confidence with the game of basketball. I had some pretty talented teammates there at the time. To name a couple who went on to play in the NBA were Terrence Ross, Justin Anderson’, remembered Nigel Pruitt. 

He then went on to play at Kennesaw State University (NCAA) from 2012-2016 playing a total of 115 NCAA games. In his freshman year, he averaged : 5.1ppg, 2.2rpg, FGP: 41.3%, 3PT: 31.3%, FT: 61.4%. In his junior year he upped his stats a tad bit more averaging 7.3ppg, 2.0rpg, FGP: 39.7%, 3PT: 30.7%, FT: 80.0%. He had his breakout season as a junior averaging 12.2ppg, 4.0rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 48.3%, 3PT: 37.0%, FT: 76.8% and as a senior averaged 8.1ppg, 4.2rpg, 1.5spg, FGP: 46.7%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 75.5%. In his last 2 years he played 55 games and scored in double figures in 26 games. In his junior year, he scorched USC Upstate for 32 and 26 points, but lost each game. He hit Youngstown for 29 points in a victory and had 21 points in a win over Samford. ‘I would say my fondest memory was being able to play against Ben Simmons during my senior year. It was a great experience to go toe to toe with him at the time, NBA prospect. We lost the game, but I was able to showcase my ability to play against bigger talent’, added Nigel Pruitt. He held his own against Simmons finishing with 15 points and 12 rebounds. He also remembered his personal good games against USC Upstate. ‘The USC Upstate game was definitely my best game. That game was a conference game, so it was huge, and we were in it until the end but in that game, I was fortunate enough to showcase my ability to take over a game’, stated Nigel Pruitt. He was fortunate to learn from 2 coaches with Lewis Preston and ex Boston College coach Al Skinner and remembered vividly exactly how both helped him to be able to perform well as a professional player. ‘The biggest way they groomed me to prepare for a professional basketball career would be how to handle adversity mentally when situations are not as clear or concise as they need to be’, commented Nigel Pruitt. 

He crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 2016 and went on to play 2 seasons with TSG Westerstede (Germany-Regionalliga). He needed no real adjustment time on the court as he averaged 20.2ppg, 6.4rpg, 1.9apg, Steals-4 (3.1spg), FGP: 47.1%, 3PT: 47.0%, FT: 81.0% and 21.4ppg, 10.5rpg, 2.6apg, 3.3spg, FGP: 39.6%, 3PT: 40.4%, FT: 85.0% in his 2 seasons. He was 100% consistent in producing points scoring in double figures in all 25 games he played and registered 8 double doubles. He scored 20 points or more 12 times and 30 points or more 5 times. He remembers his wake up call to beinga rookie as more being mentall. ‘The game of basketball itself wasn’t so different for me but what really caught my attention as to saying that I am an actual professional and not at home, was the responsibility that was put on my shoulders daily to constantly perform in practices and in games’, remembered Nigel Pruitt. His best scoring games in the Regionalliga included a 33 point explosion against Vechta 2, and 32 points and 31 points against Wusterhausen. His consistent play in the Regionalliga rewarded him a job in the Pro B with the EWE Baskets Oldenburg farm team Baskets Akad.Weser-Ems/Oldenburger TB (Germany-ProB). He had a solid first Pro B season playing 27 games averaging 14.0ppg, 5.8rpg, 2.4apg, 1.9spg, FGP: 50.8%, 3PT: 38.3%, FT: 76.7%. There he had the opportunity to play with many young German kids, but was also teammates with ex Alba Berlin veteran Philipp Zwiener. ‘A special experience we had together would be making it out of the first round of the Pro B playoffs when we defeated the defending champions at the time ScanPlus Baskets Elchingen’, remembered Nigel Pruitt. He proved that he could be a strong player at the Pro B level where he scored in double figures in 21 of 27 games including scoring 28 points, getting 10 boards and dishing out 5 assists in a 88-82 win over Bochum and hit Schwelm for 23 points in a 91-79 victory over Schwelm.

In the 2019-2020 season the American who lists his own personal NBA Mount Rushmore with legends like MJ, Kobe, LeBron, Shaq and Magic Johnson moved to the Fraport Skyliners Juniors playing 18 games averaging 14.9ppg, 3.1rpg, 1.6apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 59.1%, 3PT-1 (51.7%), FT: 86.8%. He had his best season ever shooting an incredible 51% from the parking lot leading the Pro B in that category. Playing a second season with a easyCredit BBL farm team definitely helped his game mature another step. ‘I profited the most just being able to practice with the first team at Frankfurt. That allowed me to see how their system was supposed to be ran and also it gave me more confidence that I could perform and play at the BBL level’, stressed Nigel Pruitt. It wasn’t always an easy season for him as sometimes his minutes went up and down, but he made the best of the situation and still scored in double figures in 13 of 18 games. He had some great games exploding like a volcano against Baunach with 32 points netting 10 treys and scored 30 points against the Lowen. The game against Baunach was a special experience for him. ‘Professionally, I would say that the Baunach game was definitely my best in game performance to date. It was a great night for my team and me. During this time, we were on a three or four game winning streak, so it was important that we kept it going. For me I just wanted to continue to do what I was doing for the team during the winning streak so that is what I did, and God blessed me and allowed me to have a remarkable game’, said Nigel Pruitt. He also played his first easyCredit BBL game playing only a minute in a loss against Bamberg, but he knows that if he ever had the opportunity to battle in the top German league, he would be confident he could play a role with any team. ‘I don’t remember much from that game, but I do remember that I was super excited about the chance to possibly play and help the team. If given the chance I feel 120% positive that I could compete at that level. My game would fit in very well’, warned Nigel Pruitt. 

The last movie that he watched was the week of with Adam Sandler and Chris Rock and is a player that compares his game to a Paul George in that he can help teams with his hot and timely shooting, attack the rim and defend many positions. He is a guy that can do many things on the court and remembers growing up who influenced him most at a young age. ‘The two main players that were my favorite and role models growing up were Tracy McGrady and Dwayne Wade. I loved the way that T-Mac could destroy you in a game. He could shoot, dunk on you or play make at a high level. He was the complete package. D-Wade was an electrifying player to watch and made the game of basketball fun for me and made me want to really pursue a career with basketball’, commented Nigel Pruitt. A hidden strength in his game is his playmaking ability as well as doing the little things not always seen on the stat sheet, but he also recognizes that he still has things to work on with his game so he can continue to climb the basketball ladder. ‘Right now, what I am working on the most to continue to improve my game is the leadership aspect of the game. Just trying to be more vocal on the court with my teammates. Also, I am really working on increasing my IQ for the game as far reading the game even faster than I do now and being able to be 2 to 3 steps ahead of my opponent’, said Nigel Pruitt. 
The American has made the next step in his career and is playing in the first Austrian division with the Unger Steel Gunners Oberwart (Austria-BSL). He has been pleased with his deveoplment in his first 4 professional seasons in Germany and is ready for the next step. ‘I believe that since my rookie season, I was able to always take something away from every station or team I played at. During the 2 years in the regional league, I was able to get a taste of the European game. I was able to find my game and get comfortable in Germany during these 2 seasons. Then, in the next two seasons in the Pro B, I was able to take my game up a notch and prove to not only myself but to many others that I belong and that my game can translate through multiple leagues’, stressed Nigel Pruitt. 2020 has been a very tough year for every one including Nigel Pruitt. One of the biggest obstacles was being able to stay in shape and work in the lab to continue refining his game. ‘The last 7-8 months, I was in Germany the entire time. I really wanted to go home to the States to see my parents, but I wasn’t able to due to the travel restrictions. I could have still traveled to the States, but I would have had to quarantine when I returned so it was better for me and my wife to just stay in Germany. During this time the most challenging part was trying to find place to get into a gym to shoot and workout. The small area that my wife and I live in is like a small village so there aren’t many available gyms to shoot at. I was lucky to be able to lift and keep up my conditioning at the local home gym. I feel that COVID-19 definitely slowed down my usual summer of work’, stressed Nigel Pruitt. Even if so much negative things have happened during COVID-19, there were also positives that players could experience and Nigel Pruitt is thankful for the extra time he had to accomplish new things. ‘Obviously, the news of COVID was alarming for me just like it was for everyone. I didn’t go out at all and I stayed home mostly. But that allowed me to find new interest and new skills. I was able to improve my German language skills. That allowed me to obtain the German passport this summer which was a huge accomplishment for me. It was a lot of work, but I successfully passed all the requirements needed for it so now I am a dual citizen (US-German Citizen)’, added Nigel Pruitt. Many players haven’t had as much luck finding new teams in this difficult time while others were patient and lucky as a guy like Orlando Parker who played in the German Pro A and moved up to the UK BBL joining the London Lions and Pruitt also took his time and signed in late November.’The transfer market was definitely not the nicest. It was a lot of talks of interest but nothing coming through on paper for a long time but thanks to my agency (The Sports Law Group) and my agent Rob Falk, they were able to help find me a great next step for my career. I am extremely thankful’, stated Nigel Pruitt. 

He finally has reached a first division team in his fifth professional season and is a guy that definitely deserved it and his overwhelming joy about showing that he belongs is high. ‘It feels great to finally get the breakthrough opportunity I have been working hard for, for the last four years. But I’m still hungry and working for the next step in my career’, said Nigel Pruitt. Not only on the court does he have much new challenges to conquer, but off the court he is extremely lucky to be living in an area in the eastern part of Austria only a 10 minute drive from Hungry and 45 minute drive from Slovakia. ‘I have only been here for 2 and half weeks and at the moment there is a lockdown going on so I haven’t been able to see much other than the gym and my apartment so maybe once the lockdown here is lifted then I will be able to explore a bit more and see more of Oberwart’, commented Nigel Pruitt. His new team has won 7 titles and is off to a perfect record in the Austrian BSL and the goals of the team are very clear. ‘The goals of this team are the same as it is for most successful clubs, which is to win the league title and to continue to improve on a daily basis to be better than the day before. We have a talented group of guys, so I believe that we can go very far and contend for the title as long as we take it day by day and focus on being a better team daily’, warned NIgel Pruitt. For the first time in his professional career, he has the fortune to be playing for an organization that has many nationalities with many young Austrians, a Dutch player, a Lithuanian player, a Serb player and 2 other Americans including the experienced ex easyCredit BBL player Quincy Diggs. He has only been there a short time, but knows that a guy like Diggs will be instrumental in his development there. ‘Quincy Diggs is good player who can do a little bit of everything. He is also a great teammate who is always encouraging not only me but every one of his teammates to be the best they can be daily. Since this is his second stint with Oberwart, I have been able to get a better understanding of how the coach wants things to be done by just always talking with Quincy’, expressed Nigel Pruitt. The American had a solid NCAA career and could have started in a higher league in Europe and might have been further up the basketball ladder. But instead the basketball God chose a different path for him. Vital for him was that instead of trying to be a one man show in the Regionalliga, he stayed calm and level headed and showed his true team colors and played 2 very strong seasons that carved his path in a positive way to where he is today. He remembered how tough the beginning in Germany was. ‘Due to unfortunate circumstances, I knew that I was starting a lower point than expected, but my story has always been different. I have always had to go the hard route and prove myself every step of the way, so this was nothing new. I embraced the challenge and just went out to prove to myself and everyone watching that I can play and that I belong in the higher leagues’, warned Nigel Pruitt. The American may be far away now from being able to referee a one on one duel between Rickey Paulding and Quantez Robertson, but now he is ready to continue to prove that he can play at a higher level in Austria. He also recognizes that the whole professional basketball life is a process and so far he has adjusted very well to it and will continue to climb the basketball ladder at his own pace. 

DJ Woodmore is a 28 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 will team up each week to talk basketball. He spoke to germanhoops.com after the tough 98-75 loss against Ornage Academy.

After a big win against Speyer, the EPG Baskets Koblenz suffered a tough 98-75 loss. You knew going in that this would be a tough game, but was their play for 40 minutes tougher than you expected?

Yea, they were really tough to defend. We knew going into the game that they belonged in the top half of the league. But I don’t think we were expecting to run their sets so well, and shoot the lights out. I felt like there was a point where they didn’t miss a shot for 5 or 6 mins each quarter. Huge credit to them, they were ready from the start and kept their foot on the gas the entire time. 

Orange Academy exploded in the second and third quarter combined for 64 points while Koblenz tallied only 42 points. What were the main reasons for the team defense destructing? 


Our defense wasn’t great tonight at all, but honestly I thought Ulm killed us with great offense. We were a little late on rotations for sure but they still had to make the shots. I think they shot 50% from 3. And 57% from the field. Hard to beat a team that isn’t missing shots.

Orange Academy is a very young team. What makes this team so good? It seems like a big key is how well it’s coached from Anton Gavel? 

They are a well coached team and extremely disciplined. Run each play with a purpose and know exactly which option they need to look for when a team defends a certain way. Everybody knows their role: guards create, shooters shoot, slashers drive hard, and big men play big. They play with tons of confidence and trust in each other. They’re by far the toughest team we’ve played so far this season but we’ll learn from it and bounce back. 

Even though Koblenz did a very good job registering 10 offensive rebounds, it still lost the rebounding battle 40-30. Is rebounding becoming more of a problem as the season wears on?


I think it’s something we can definitely work on. But I don’t think it’s a huge problem right now. Tonight they were just making every shot, so there weren’t too many chances to rebound. With Edin injured at the moment, we have to find a way to team-rebound. That’s the best solution until he returns. 

Was the Koblenz 18-11 fourth quarter the only positive thing you could take from the game? 


Yes. There wasn’t much going right for us tonight. But our younger guys came in and did a great job on both ends. Brought the energy to cut the deficit down some. We need to bring that same intensity and energy from the jump if we don’t want to have games like this anymore.

Orange Academy have many very talented young players, but one who could go really far is Nat Diallo. What was your impression of him? How did Koblenz have him scouted going into the game? 

We knew he was a big force for them but He’s changed his game completely compared to last year. He’s the key in everything they do. Averaging multiple blocks a game. Switching onto guards, and making legitimate post moves down low. He was a beast tonight. And with his size and athleticism, he has a chance to dominate at a higher level as well.

You scored 9 points, had 2 rebounds and 3 assists in 28 minutes on 2/7 shooting. Was it just one of those days where you couldn’t get into a good shooting groove? 


Yea it was a tough night for us shooting again. But I thought I got some easy looks early but didn’t get the same ones later on in the game. They forced us into a lot of bad shots and turnovers, and there just wasn’t a chance to get in my rhythm at all offensive since they were killing us on the other end. 

After a big loss like this how do you return to the lab on Monday. On what things will you focus on most this week?


We have a quick turn around luckily. But we’ll watch this film and take some notes from them. See what changes we need to make to our defense and offense and hopefully be ready to go for the next game. No reason to hang our head on this game. Still a long season to go. 

The next game is against the Fraport Skyliners Juniors who won their first game of the season against the Arvato College Wizards. They have an average age of only 19 years. How confident are you that you won’t underestimate them and will you be able to defend better as a team?

We’re actually playing against Gieen on Tuesday for a make-up game due to Covid. So we’ll focus on that Sunday and Monday. And turn our attention to Frankfurt for on Wednesday. But I’ve seen them once or twice this season and they have some young talent too. I Don’t think we’ll take them lightly after tonight. But it’s important that we stay focused for 40 minutes this time. 

You can watch 2 NFL games every Sunday night on German TV Pro / Maxx. Are you able to follow NFL Football or do you spend your Sunday nights differently? 


Yes I’m following all the time. My teammates and I are in a couple fantasy football leagues. My team is absolutely horrible but we’re trying to make a playoff push. I’ll watch a few games throughout the night but my Sundays are usually filled with sleep and Call of Duty lol. I’ll sometimes squeeze football somewhere in there just so I can talk trash to the team on Monday.

Thanks DJ for the chat

A new month has arrived with December and possibly finally better days for the Fraport Skyliners Juniors. The last weeks have been very very difficult for the easyCredit BBL farm team as losing has been as frequent as it has been for the first team as the Fraport Skyliners who also were still searching for their first win. The biggest problem that the farm team Juniors have is that they lack the needed experience as the club boasts an average age of only 19 years. They have difficulty on the offensive end as multiple scorers are simply missing in the offense. On defense, they are also missing experience giving up 80 points on the floor. They didn´t have an easy opponent with the Arvato College Wizards as they arrived in Frankfurt with a 3-3 record with an explosive offense with the trio of oldie ex BBL sniper Rouven Roessler, dominating big man Eyke Prahst and new American Alexander Thompson. It is always a pleasure for any basketball fan to witness another game of Rouven Roessler who at age 40 still isn´t slowing down The Fraport Skyliners Juniors had been close the last 2 weekends losing at home to Giessen and on the road in Hanau, but this time three was a charm as they finally put together a good effort for 40 minutes against Karlsruhe winning their first game of the season 79-75. The German leaders of the team Matthew Meredith and Philipp Hadenfeldt combined for 36 points and saved their absolute best for last letting it rain three´s in crunch-time nailing 2 a piece. After the big win a relived Miran Cumurija explained what was key for Frankfurt to win their first game of the season. “We had the passion and were prepared tonight like we were against Giessen two weeks ago. The difference to the Giessen game was that we knew that we had to play well until the end. We showed that we wanted to win today. We fought, played good defense and pushed the ball well. At the end we had good looks when they were defending well. Everything worked well for us”, stressed Fraport Skyliners head coach Miran Cumurija. The Arvato College Wizards fell to 3-4 and had their moments, but just couldn´t put together their game in certain moments of the game. “We had some health problems. I still feel like we had a stronger  team. I don´t want to show any disrespect towards Frankfurt, because they are young and have a lot of talent. We gave them way too much confidence in the first half to allow them back into the game. Frankfurt took their emotion, confidence and talent and combined it with their belief to win the game. We just didn´t have enough intensity”, stressed Arvato College Wizards head coach Daniel Nelson.

                The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were without point guard Alvin Onyia who had departed Frankfurt with the easyCredit BBL team Fraport Skyliners for the game in Chemnitz on Sunday. The first minutes were a brutal back and forth struggle as no team could break away as there were 5 lead changes. Frankfurt received the first bucket as ex PS Karlsruhe center Noah Kamden used his physicality to muscle down an offensive rebound and made the put back. Frankfurt had found their early go to guy as Kamden would make two more baskets with a 20 footer and 5 footer while the guests also had found their early going go to guy with 209cm Eyke Prahst who played 37 Regionaliga games the last two seasons with Karlsruhe and scored in double figures in 34 games and had 29 double doubles got 4 buckets in the early going including a trey totally for a quick 9 points and 10-8 Arvato College Wizards advantage. Karlsruhe would keep the lead letting it suddenly rain three´s as ex Rhondorf guard Aaron Schmitz who is the brother of ex BBL player Simon Schmitz scored as did three point specialist Christop Rupp who shot 42% from outside last season. Frankfurt got two valuable buckets from ex Nurnberg guard Matthew Meredith who supplied aggressiveness from the get go getting two baskets inside as his quickness always got the best of the defense, but Karlsruhe led 16-12. Frankfurt had it´s problems covering the three point line while the guests had found a nice groove on offense.  The Arvato College Wizards continued to drop gigantic trey´s from 40 year Karlsruhe legend Rouven Roessler and Rupp. A big strength on this night for the Fraport Skyliners Juniors was that very often when it seemed like the Arvato College Wizards might break away got sufficient support from their young bench. 15 year old guard Joshua Bonga came up big making a rapid lay in displaying his nice fist step and then hit a trey cutting the Karlsruhe lead down to 23-19 after 10 minutes. “Prahst had a huge game last weekend. He took that confidence into this game. Frankfurt did a good job switching and tagging him. He had to take some farther away shots and some late into the shot clock”, stressed Arvato College Wizards head coach Daniel Nelson. The Arvato College Wizards shot 57% from the field and 50% from outside and had 7 rebounds and 3 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 56% from the field and 25% from outside and had 7 rebounds and 4 turnovers.

                The Arvato College Wizards jumped all over the Fraport Skyliners Juniors in the first few minutes of the second quarter and it seemed like they were going to run away with the game, but Frankfurt made a rapid comeback and actually led 42-41 at half-time. The Arvato College Wizards broke out on a 6-2 run to extend their lead to 29-21 over Frankfurt. In the run the guests got vital production from Prahst who grabbed an offensive rebound and produced a put back while German Florian Rothenberg who began his career in Leverkusen and has 94 Regionalliga games on his resume made a 20 footer from the wing and Irish guard Sean Flood who played at Longwood(NCAA) from 2018-2020 made a lay in. Frankfurt got a lay in off the pick and role from 18 year old German Alexander Richardson. But the Fraport Skyliners Juniors didn´t let that quick start get in their heads as they buckled down and surprised Karlsruhe with an annoying 14-5 run to recapture the lead 35-34. In the run Frankfurt first got back to back baskets from Noah Kamden who dropped a trey and then made a lay in. A quiet Rouven Roessler who finished with 9 points in 34 minutes hit a trey for the 32-26 lead. But Frankfurt continued to chip away at the Karlsruhe lead and had a formula of 3 things that allowed them to get the lead back. Big hustle plays from Alexander Richardson, aggressive defense which then led to transition opportunities and easy baskets. Huge in the tail part of the big 14-5 run was Richardson who shot a rare three pointer, but followed up his miss and some how got on the rim and made the tip in dunk. Soon after he showed his presence inside and made a lay in. The big man finished with 6 points and 5 boards in 19 minutes. “He played very solid and knows how to use his body. He isn´t afraid of anybody. I want to continue to watch him grow and see how he can solve problems on the court. I´m not afraid to put him. He does a good job scoring and rebounding”, warned Frankfurt head coach Miran Cumurija. The guests then got the lead back 36-35 with a Schmitz lay in, but that didn´t last long as Joshua Bonga faked one player out stepped up a few steps and iced a pull up jumper. Rupp continued to penalize Frankfurt with his trey giving Karlsruhe the 39-37 lead. However Hadenfeldt was getting warmed up for his crunch-time heroics nailing a trey and Bonga made free throws for the 42-39 advantage. Rupp closed out the second quarter with an offensive rebound and put back, but Frankfurt led 42-41 after 20 minutes.  “We gave Frankfurt the confidence to come back. They played good pick and role defense mad took that confidence into their offense”, stated Arvato College Wizards head coach Daniel Nelson. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 53% from the field and 31% from the parking lot and had 16 rebounds and 7 turnovers while the Arvato College Wizards shot 53% from the field and 44% from the parking lot and had 13 rebounds and 7 turnovers.

                In the third quarter the Fraport Skyliners Juniors played their best defense allowing only 13 points and always held the lead despite the Arvato College Wizards were always threatening, but Frankfurt´s offense mostly was able to find a good answer in their execution success.  Frankfurt began very well getting 2 quick steals while Hadenfeldt sped by two defenders and made the easy basket for the 44-41 advantage. Frankfurt was for once not playing catch up, but setting the tone and keeping their lead over Karlsruhe. Meredith continued to get easy baskets on transition and always pushed the ball on transition. The guests got important baskets from Roessler who played five seasons in the BBL and 134 games and 145 Pro A games and Rupp, but still trailed 48-47 and just couldn´t get over the hump. Frankfurt continued to get vital production from their bench as German/Turk Cem Akbayir who began his career in Offenbach and only plays when Frankfurt is missing bodies scored 5 huge points to keep the slim 53-50 lead. In this phase, Joshua Bonga made a huge play on defense chasing a Karlsruhe player on transition and making a monster block. The block brought back memories to when his brother Isaac was playing in the NBBL in the 2016-2017 season when he also shone with big monster blocks. “I like Joshua a lot. He is always prepared and never gives up. He gives everything. The best thing about him is that he is isn´t afraid of anything. He just loves to play”, added Miran Cumurija. Frankfurt was playing with a lot of heart and just fighting to keep the lead. They did a good job forcing Karlsruhe to bad shots and often rushing their shots. Frankfurt kept the lead down the stretch getting 2 baskets form Kamden at the end holding the 59-54 lead after 30 minutes. “We did a good job defending and kept the lead. It is easier to always be leading then playing catch up”, stressed Fraport Skyliners head coach Miran Cumiurija. “They found added confidence with their switching defense and their bench made big shots. Their defense gave their offense confidence”, stressed Arvato College Wizards head coach Daniel Nelson. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 51% from the field and 36% from the three point line and had 28 rebounds and 13 turnovers while the Arvato College Wizards shot 45% from the field and 35% from the three point line and had 20 rebounds and 11 turnovers.

                The fourth quarter was a real dog fight in the first 5-6 minutes, but then it was the Hadenfeldt and Meredith show that let it rain three´s to power Frankfurt to the win. The Arvato College Wizards came out strong going on a rapid 9-1 run to gain back the lead again at 62-61. The guests played more aggressive on offense and got Eyke Prahst the ball  more and he delivered scoring two baskets inside while using the mismatches each time and using his physicality to get easy baskets. Flood and Rupp also also added baskets in the run. Karlsruhe were more calm on offense and just played smart taking the best possible shots. Frankfurt just came out rusty and were stagnant on offense. As usual basketball is a game of runs and Frankfurt saved their best for last on offense going on a 8-2 run to somewhat break away from the guests to lead 68-62. In the run, Frankfurt got a 5 footer from Maxi Begue who had a quiet day in the scoring department netting only that basket. Hadenfeldt continued to be a one man wrecking crew hitting consecutive three´s. Karlsruhe stayed with Frankfurt getting two buckets from Thompson, but now it was Meredith´s time to excel nailing two three´s to keep Frankfurt comfortably ahead 76-69. Thompson continued to step up making an easy Frankfurt win turn into a nail bitter. Thompson scored 7 points in a row and suddenly the Arvato College Wizards trailed only 77-75 with 26 seconds to play. But Hadenfeldt slammed the door shut for the win with two free throws for the 79-75 victory. “Hadenfeldten played well the whole game. I told him before the game that we needed more from him today. Meredith did a good job at the end not over pacing, but letting the game come to him”, stressed head coach Miran Cumurija. “We knew that Hadenfeldt could shoot. They played good pick and role which took the attention off him. Meredith also played very well. He is an excellent player that any team would want to have”, warned head coach Daniel Nelson. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were led by Noah Kamden with 21 points while Philipp Hadenfeldt added 20 points and Matthew Meredith scored 16 poiunts while the Arvato College Wizards were led by Christoph Rupp with 19 points while Eyke Prahst added 18 points and 11 boards and Alexander Thompson had 14 points. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 515 form the field and 38% from the parking lot and had 40 rebounds and 20 turnovers while the Arvato College Wizards shot 42% from the field and 28% from the parking lot and had 28 rebounds and 13 turnovers.

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When your living during COVID-19 times, life can be boring at times especially when you’re a professional player. It doesn´t get any easier when your in a foreign city like Haywood Highsmith is called Crailsheim that has a population of 32,000 people. Not too long ago, the American was playing in the States for the G-League club Delaware Blue Coats and even reached the big show playing 5 games for the Philadelphia 76ers. Today he is in the German easyCredit BBL which isn´t bad, but actually a top league in Europe, but still it isn´t the NBA. Today he is living in a simple apartment and only has the luxuries of the travel and hotels of the NBA in his memories. He also remembers the way he was spoiled in the NBA getting meal money and excellent room service in 5 star hotels, but on the other hand, he is an easy man to please as he lists his one special luxury in Germany having his own team car. The language barrier has been a problem as sometimes when he is alone and doesn´t have a German teammate to help him order, he has to figure it out himself. But other than that, the American is content with his current situation and really enjoys the fact how enthusiastic the fans in Crailsheim are for their team. But his eyes really light up when the topic of the NBA is brought up and January 8^th, 2019 the day that changed his life. On this day he not only played two games in one day which is rather rare, but also played his first NBA game and even scored his first NBA points on his first shot. “I never played NBA Summer League with the 76ers as I was cut shortly before. But they gave me a G-League contract. I began the day beating the G-League Raptors team and then I went to the 76ers training facility and signed a contract. They told me that they would call me up that day for the night game against the Wizards. My whole family was there. We were winning easily against the Wizards and then coach Brett Brown gave me the call and the only thing I was thinking then was please don´t mess up. I remember the first time that I got the ball, I almost turned it over. I remember playing a floppy pin down screen with Shake Milton having the ball. I came down off the screen, got the ball and made the three pointer. I remember my family and teammates going crazy. It was my first day with the team and I made my first shot. It was a wild and great game. It was without a doubt the best day of my life”; stressed Haywood Highsmith. I don´t know how many he has already told this story to teammates and others and how many more times he will recount his first day in the NBA, but for now he is entrenched in Germany in the easyCredit BBL and is highly motivated to be an impact player at both ends of the court.

                Haywood Highsmith is a 23 year old 198cm forward from Baltimore, Maryland that began his basketball career at Archbishop Curley High School. He then moved on to  Wheeling Jesuit University (NCAA2) where he played form 2014-2018 playing a total of 110 NCAA 2 games. He had a stellar career there and was able to improve his scoring, rebounding and assists each season., In his freshman season, he became a starter near the end of the year and averaged 9.5ppg, 6.1rpg, 1.2bpg, FGP: 64.1%, 3PT: 25.0%, FT: 56.8%. He made another gigantic step in his next two seasons averaging 14.5ppg, 9.4rpg, 2.1apg, 1.2spg, 1.4bpg, FGP: 56.2%, 3PT: 35.3%, FT: 63.8% as a sophomore and as a junior averaged 15.4ppg, 11.0rpg, 2.7apg, 1.1spg, 1.2bpg, FGP: 60.0%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 64.0%. His development continued to go up as he exploded in his senior year averaging 22.0ppg, 12.5rpg, 3.0apg, 1.9spg, 1.8bpg, FGP: 55.4%, 3PT: 40.5%, FT: 75.7% wining the All-MEC Player of the Year award. He had many great games, but the pinnacle of his NCAA 2 career came when he won the AEC tournament in 2018 after having reached the semi-finals in his first 3 years. “After being so close the first 3 years, we really wanted to win it all. One of my teammates was hurt and couldn´t play and we wanted to win it for him. That was one of my top days in my life together with my first NBA game”, stressed Haywood Highsmith. In the 80-65 final win over Charleston, the American exploded scoring 31 points, hauling down 11 boards, dishing out 4 assists and had 3 steals. “It was a great game for me, but I couldn´t have achieved that without my teammates. I went into that game knowing that there was no way that I would lose. I went into the game with that killer mentality”, remembered Haywood Highsmith. He exploded that senior year scoring in double figures in all 31 games and had a stretch from November 18^th to Feb 3^rd where he scored 20 points or more in 15 of 16 games including 30 points or more in his last 4 games. “I believe that my aggressiveness and having that self-confidence that went through the roof helped me have that type of season I had as a senior. I also put in a lot of work that helped”, said Haywood Highsmith. The American who remembered having many one on one duels in practice with Jeremiah Wilson and winning them is also extremely thankful for having the guidance and push from head coach Danny Sancomb who played a big role in helping him become the player he is today. “Key with coach was that he always got the best out of me. He made me the best that I could be. He cussed at me at times, but that was simply tough love. You can´t ask more from a coach. I wouldn´t be where I am today without him”, warned Haywood Highsmith.

            Highsmith who last watched the movie Tag left the NCAA 2 remembering two guys very well with Thomas Wimbush and Segr Bonifant who both have played in Germany with Ludwigsburg and Ehingen and will forever be etched in his mind as the toughest players he ever witnessed playing against. If somebody had told him in March of 2018 as he was finishing up school that he would be in the NBA shortly after the new year, it would probably been difficult to accept. “My dream was always to play in the NBA. I probably wouldn´t have believed it, but on the other hand, I wouldn´t have seen it as impossible. I did put in a lot of work in school to become as good as possible”, stressed Haywood Highsmith.  He began his professional career in 2018 with the Delaware Blue Coats and quickly found his rhythm scoring in double figures in 8 of his first 9 games. He had a few off nights after that, but overall picked up his game scoring 20 points or more 4 times including 23 points against OKC and 22 points against Greensboro. He also dropped 22 points against Fort Wayne and hit Greensboro again with 20 points. Then came the call up to the Philadelphia 76ers on January 8. His NBA run in his rookie season would last 5 games. His second game was against Denver and then he went back down to the G-League until being called up in April again where he would play 3 more NBA games. Back in the G-League, he showed better consistency and finished the season strong scoring in double figures in his last 11 games. He continued to demonstrate his overall versatility in many games including a 10 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks in a loss against Windy City. He finished his first season in the G-League playing 45 games and averaging 12.3ppg, 6.9rpg, 2.5apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 50.4%, 3PT: 34.0%, FT: 66.7%. He scored in double figures in 32 games and had 5 double doubles. When the G-League season ended, he was called back up to the Philadelphia 76ers. He lost against Dallas and Miami, but won his last game against the Bulls. He scored 2 points in each game and increased his minutes in the last 2 games from 10 to 15 minutes. He didn´t have the pleasure to battle German legend Dirk Nowitzki who was out that game, but at least can tell his grand children one day that he dueled against Luka Doncic. “I really didn´t know anything about him. He had come form Europe, but quickly established himself and today is a top 10 player in the league. His skill level and how he operated was pretty scary. He knew what would happen before it already happened. I can see why he was a top player in Europe”, stressed Haywood Highsmith. Not only did Highsmith have the opportunity to battle against many great players in the few games he played, but also was extremely lucky not only having NBA superstar Jimmy Butler as a teammate, but also had his locker next to his. “Butler was an unbelievable worker. I remember always asking about his routine. It was really important that I could learn as much as possible. I can see why he was able to carry the Miami Heat to the finals. I remember asking him one day how many workouts he did per day. He said 3-4 per day. That is pretty impressive”, remembered Haywood Highsmith.

            Even if his NBA stay was a short one, it is one that the Baltimore native will cherish forever. Even though that amazing experience was almost 2 years ago, he likes to think back to all the great moments he had. Like any guy that has been in the NBA and left, he definitely wants to return. There have been so many examples of guys reaching the NBA after many years in Europe with guys like Brad Wanamaker or Malcolm Delaney or guys that began in the NBA, went to Europe and returned like PJ Tucker. The American knows that nothing is impossible, but also knows that you need to trust the whole process 100%, because the NBA will be a business first forever. “You will see that anywhere you play, it is a business first. The goal for teams are to win. You see guys getting cut left and right and guys that could play not getting signed. You have to go into the situation prepared to know it´s a business. It´s not easy to stay in the NBA. It always depends on what role fits you. Nowadays all it takes is to be able to do one thing really well to help a team win. The NBA will always be a dream for me. I was there and the goal is to go back. I need to continue to put in a lot of work and just keep believing I can return. I don´t feel like getting back is impossible”, stressed Haywood Highsmith. In his second professional season he remained with the Delaware Blue Coats playing 43 games averaging  10.4ppg, 6.7rpg, 2.5apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 48.1%, 3PT: 33.7%, FT: 70.2%. He scored in double figures in 23 games and registered 6 double doubles. After having played in the NBA in his rookie season, the expectations may have been higher for him to put up bigger stats which he didn´t do. “The expectations may have been higher, but I wasn´t so disappointed with my season. There was a lot going on in Philly. I thought that I did what I had to do. I knew my role which was to guard the other teams best player, hit three´s and rebound. That second year was a good experience. I had good stretches and should have put everything together better. I was let down a bit with my shooting numbers, but overall it was a solid season”, warned Haywood Highsmith.

            The American who lists guys like Shake Milton, Pat Moseh, Drake Goddard, Chris Carmody and Kyle Ritz as his best teammates of all-time has made the trek overseas to play in the German easyCredit BBL with the HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim. Like for many other players, he had to deal with COVID-19 the last months. He had a long road in 2020 to finally land with a new club, but did the best that he could with the new situation with his dealings on and off the court. “I was in the G-League and the season was first postponed and then cancelled. I went home not knowing what to expect. It was hard to work out with the lockdown so at first I trained at home and ran outside. Then I worked out with guys like Stanton Kidd and Keandre Cook who just signed with the Charlotte Hornets It was also a good opportunity for more family time and playing video games. Later in the summer, I went down to Miami to work out with guys like Ronald Taylor and Michael Beasley. Off the court COVID-19 helped become more patient and levelheaded and just let God figure everything out. I became mentally and spiritually stronger and got in better shape during COVID-19”, added Haywood Highsmith. After playing 2 seasons in the States, he took his time finding the right fit for his third professional season. “I really didn´t know anything about the country Germany or it´s basketball. I heard good things about the league in that it is a top 4-5 league in Europe. Frank Barkley who plays with medi Bayreuth also gave me advice saying it would be a good step for me. I chose the Merlins, because I wanted to play for a good team that has a good coach, enthusiastic fans and that fits my style. They needed a player that can do many things on the court”, stressed Haywood Highsmith. The club is off to a great start having won it´s first 2 games against MBC allowing only 66 points and then winning a shoot out against the tough Brose Bamberg. Highsmith is confident that the club will show the fans many sides of success. “We play a hard physical style and like to share the ball. We want to have the ability to hold teams down as well as score a lot of points. Our defense will determine this season how well we play. We will show many different ways of winning”, warned Haywood Highsmith. An instrumental factor in the success has been Canadian Trae Bell-Haynes who is leading the easyCredit BBL in scoring and assists and continues to prove that his ex coach Gordon Herbert of the Fraport Skyliners didn´t lie saying that he is the best penetrator together with ex Seton Hall(NCAA) standout Jordan Theodore that he has ever seen. “Trae is the ultimate point guard. He is a pass first guard, but can score also. He can make a lot of plays off the dribble and attacks the close out well. He is great at pushing the tempo and have to agree that he is one of best drivers that I have ever seen”, expressed Haywood Highsmith.

            Highsmith who lists Jordan, Lebron, Kobe, Bird and Magic on his personal own NBA Rushmore is a player that best compares his game to NBA player Robert Covington. He is a special defensive player that is able to defend many positions. He is that classic three and D player which is his biggest asset on the court similar to a PJ Tucker in the way he plays. Even if he can score in double figures and haul down many rebounds, it may just be his defensive work that will be the biggest strength that he will give the Merlins. “I am able to guard different types of players from the positions 1-4. I like playing that tough and physical defense and getting over screens. Playing good defense is all about effort. I like picking up guys full court and making them work hard for everything”, stressed Haywood Highsmith. He also will give the Merlins offense a special quality that still seems to be under the radar. “People don´t realize that I´m a good passer. I love pushing the ball and throwing up lobs. I feel like I´m a pretty good playmaker for the 3-4 position”, added Haywood Highsmith. Currently he is off to a slow start on the offensive end averaging 4,5ppg, 3,0rpg, 1,0apg, but has found a rhythm on defense averaging 2,5spg getting 4 steals in the victory over Bamberg. It isn´t always easy to adjust to a new style of play. “There are different rules in the BBL. Attacking off a closeout and different defensive schemes are things I need to get better used to. The ball is different and three point line is closer”, said Haywood Highsmith. Having that first strong season in Germany is a huge priority and of course never letting that NBA dream slip away will be important as well as continuing to grind in the lab and improve his game. “COVID-19 helped me getting better shape. I have cut out bad food. I worked a lot on my lateral quickness last summer as well as ball handling. I want to become an even better playmaker and just all around better player”, commented Haywood Highsmith. The season is still young and Haywood Highsmith is no where near playing the game the way he  knows how to play, but with head coach Tuomas Iisalo, he has one of the better head coaches in the easyCredit BBL that will help him adjust quicker as well as helping him add new nuances to his game. He may be farther away from the NBA like he would wish at the moment, but then again  sometimes all it takes is one good season and right situation coming along to reach the big dance. With new added experience in Europe and added development in his game this season, if he ever does get that next first call back on to the floor in an NBA game, he surely won´t be thinking those words of “please don´t let me mess up”.