Corey Raley-Ross is a 28 year old 193cm guard from Charlotte, North Carolina that has three professional seasons under his belt and this season played with KB Bashkimi Prizren (Kosovo-Superliga) averaging 18,7ppg, 6,4rpg, 3,9apg and 2,0spg. Last season he played with C.B. Aridane (Spain-EBA) playing 30 games averaging 15.9ppg, 4.6rpg, 3.0apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 57.8%, 3PT: 38.6%, FT: 71.1% In the 2017-2018 season he played with CB Virgen de la Concha Innova Chef (Spain-EBA) playing 28 games averaging 18.3ppg, 6.8rpg, 2.7apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 57.0%, 3PT: 41.4%,FT: 64.8%. As a rookie he played for TTU Korvpalliklubi Tallinn (Estonia-Alexela KML) playing 28 games averaging 6.6ppg, 3.0rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 45.7%, 3PT: 30.4%,FT: 63.6%; and played 9 Baltic League games averaging 8.7ppg, 3.8rpg, 1.8apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 43.8%, 3PT: 11.1%, FT: 76.0%. He played at Buffalo (NCAA) from 2010-2014 playing 59 games. He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball.

Corey thanks for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how was your summer?

Thanks for the opportunity! I’m currently in Charlotte, NC gearing up for the 2020-21 season. The summer was unconventional as we know but great. I’m thankful that I was able to prepare the way I wanted considering the rules and regulations.

You played your fourth professional season with KB Bashkimi Prizren (Kosovo-Superliga) playing 22 games averaging 18.7ppg, 6.4rpg, 3.9apg, 2.0spg, FGP: 57.4%, 3PT: 28.4%, FT: 81.4%. You’re currently unsigned. How different has this summer’s transfer been and what has been the biggest challenge about finding the right fit this year?


This year’s transfer market is intriguing. I’m aware that there are many great players like myself without jobs at the moment. As for me it’s humbling. However, it gives me more time to prepare mentally and physically so my outlook is positive.The right fit will present itself at the right time, hopefully sooner than later.

How tough was it for you for the season to abruptly end in March 2020? You had won 5 of your last 6 games. How much of that ‘what if’ feeling was on your mind this summer?

I let it go as the season ended. What if’s are only hypotheticals. Though, we were surging as a team picking up steam for the playoffs. I thought we all believed that we could win the championship. That was the end goal from Day one.

How did you experience the whole COVID-19 crisis back home in the States. What was most challenging about life and basketball?

I was fortunate with the whole Covid-19 experience. My brother was playing in China so he was always a month or two ahead of what was happening on our side of the world. This allowed me to move accordingly. Also, I was able to work through my family business that gave me unlimited access to sports facilities. On the flip side the biggest uncertainty was how this season would unfold. 

How challenging was it for you to stay in shape and work on your basketball skills in the last 6 months? Did you come up with some new unique exercises to compensate the loss of gym time?


It wasn’t hard at all! I’m blessed to train with a group of professionals throughout the summer. Essentially, I’ve been in optimal shape for some time now. I’m always innovative in my approach to training. This summer I focused more on injury prevention, stability and balance as unique exercises.

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

It has challenged me immensely. Mainly to stay the course, capture my goals and create new ones.

Let’s talk about your last season. You played in the Kosovo Superliga. How would you compare that league in skill to the leagues you played in in Estonia, Germany and Spain?

There are very talented players in all leagues. Being a middle tier European league, Kosovo is most similar to Estonia. It was very competitive. Competing against Fiba Cup teams, Balkan League, and VTB teams is more my flavor. 

You averaged 18.7ppg, 6.4rpg, 3.9apg, 2.0spg, FGP: 57.4%, 3PT: 28.4%, FT: 81.4%. and was top 10 in scoring. Were you content with your personal season?

I’m never content. Hindsight we could have won more games with better preparation, and I don’t feel that my 3pt percentage reflected well on how good of a shooter I’ve become. I believe that I can perform at a higher level, without a doubt.

Your stats were similar to what you put up in Spain a few years ago. Which season do you feel was your better one?

I’d take my season in Kosovo (Superliga) any day of the year. I performed in a much stronger league and we won more games!

How tough was the 93-91 loss to Feronikeli where you put up 32 points? Was this a game that you remembered into the summer?

This game was hard to swallow! I had a chance to win it and couldn’t deliver for my team. No worries, we returned the favor when we matched up with them again.

A year ago you really worked on your three point shooting, but wasn’t rewarded in Kosovo shooting only 28%. How much does a stat like that annoys you?

It’s encouraging. It’s a goal to shoot in the high 30s and 40s as a basketballer. For me it’s routine. As long as I’m confident and shooting quality shots for the team I have no doubt that they will eventually fall.

How do you believe you grew as a player in Kosovo? Do you feel like you improved in a certain aspect of your game?

I grew mentally a lot. First I had to make my imprint on the team. Gain my team’s trust, and then lead by example. That’s in practice, the weight room and off the court. I like to think that improving mentally allowed me to become a better leader and grow in every other area as well.

On what things did you focus on most this summer in helping you continue to improve your game?

My focus was primarily improving my skill and durability. Specifically IQ, decision making, efficiency and training regiment. My work habits changed and as a result I’ve taken my game to a new level. 

You’re a basketball junkie who constantly is watching basketball. Did you follow a bit more the NBA in Orlando? What do you watch more there than when you were watching the 2019 World Cup?


The ‘Bubble’ so they call it has been great to watch. It’s RAW and uncut. There aren’t any distractions, just players playing for themselves and their teams.I appreciate more how they’ve used their platform for social reform. This is the underlying issue after all.

In our interview a year ago you stated this in terms of how you could help any team now. ‘I believe I can help any team with my knowledge of the game, positive energy, athletic ability, defensive prowess; guarding 94 feet, defending multiple positions, play-making ability, shot-making ability, being accountable and by leading by example’. Is there anything new that you can add to that?

At this very moment, more experience. I’m excited for the next challenge

Who was the toughest American player that you battled in Kosovo?

There were two! My teammates Terick Bridgeman and Stevie Clark. Both of these guys like myself received accolades throughout the league. They challenged me every day to improve hence is why I felt so strongly about winning the championship. They are two guys who can take their careers where they believe!!!

You have been in Europe 4 years and saw the rise of Luka Doncic. Is it just ignorance or why can’t certain well known NBA figures accept how great this guy is?

It’s ignorance not to accept how good he is. And I’m not so sure if there’s anyone who doesn’t. His flare and court savvy is unmatched. Not to mention his age. All I can say is that the future of basketball is in good hands with him and a crop of other young players performing at an extremely high level. All in all, he’s a joy to watch.

Which 2 teams will reach the 2020 NBA final and who will win?

Lakers and Heat. The Lakers will take the championship!!!

What was the last movie that you saw?


Tenet!!! It’s a must watch.!!!!Thanks for the interview.

No problem Corey.

Kyle Hines is a 34 year old 198cm power forward from Sicklerville, New Jersey that completed his seventh season with CSKA Moscow averaging 8,8ppg, 4,9rpg and 1,4apg in the Euroleague and 5,9ppg, 4,6rpg and 1,6apg in the VTB league. He recently signed with AX Armani Exchnage Milan after winning 2 Euroleague titles and 6 VTB titles with CSKA Moscow. He also won his first title with his new Italian squad beating Virtus Bologna 75-68 to clinch the Supercoppa title. He played at NC-Greensboro (NCAA) from 2004-2008. In his senior year, he played 31 games averaging 19.2ppg, 9.1rpg, 1.4apg, 1.8spg, 3.1bpg, FGP: 55.6%, 3Pts: 12.5%, FT: 62.8%. He was invited to play at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (Pre-NBA Draft): 3 games: 17.3ppg, 7.3rpg, 1.3apg, 2.3spg, 3.3bpg, FGP: 78.6%, FT: 72.7%. He then had pre draft workouts with Sacramento Kings and the Charlotte Bobcats (NBA). In 2009, he took part in the Orlando Pro Summer League (Oklahoma City Thunder). In 2009-2010, he stayed in Italy with Prima Veroli (Italy-Lega2) playing 40 games averaging 18.5ppg, 8.1rpg, Steals-2 (3.5spg), Blocks-4 (1.6bpg), FGP-3 (64.0%), 3PT: 18.8%, FT: 57.8%. He played NBA Summer League in Las Vegas (New Orleans Hornets) in the summer of 2010.In 2010-2011 he played for the Brose Baskets Bamberg (Germany-1.Bundesliga) playing 10 Euroleague games averaging 12.9ppg, 5.4rpg, 1.1bpg, FGP: 64.3%, FT: 46.7%; and in the German League played 46 games averaging 10.4ppg, 4.6rpg, Blocks-3 (1.2bpg), FGP-3 (61.1%), 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 52.4%. He won the double with Bamberg. He played for Olympiacos S.F.P. Pireus (Greece-A1) from 2011-2013 winning two Euroleague titles. germanhoops.com conducted it’s 20th interview with him earlier in the summer during the COVID-19 period. 

Thanks Kyle for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how is your current mood with all the drama going on in the States?

I’m home right now in New Jersey. There is really a lot going on at the moment. Every one is dealing with the COVID-19 and social distancing as well as with the economy and how that will keep going. In the last week we have been seeing a lot of the racial protests. 2020 has been a very trying time that has impacted so many lives. All we can do is stay positive and worry about what we can control.

While most basketball seasons were cancelled in Europe, you remained longer in Russia waiting to hear if the Euroleague would start up again. When did you leave Russia and did it surprise you that the whole Covid-19 got worse after it didn’t have much of an effect at the start?


I have been home a while now. It has been about 2 months. My family and I left before they closed the boarders. We felt it would be better to be home just in case a loved one got sick. I have a yard here and my kids have a lot more space. I think the reason it didn’t spread right away at the start in Russia was because people thought that it was under control, but it really wasn’t. The Russians have been affected greatly by the COVID-19. CSKA lost it’s doctor. It is really sad. I feel for my Russian teammates who are going through COVID-19 now. 

How disappointed are you that the Euroleague season was cancelled. Why was the overall fear of the players to play this tournament so great? In Germany the players had nothing to say as the league and teams decided on playing the season. Do you feel like if the players wouldn’t have had a say that you might be playing Euroleague now?

I feel that the Euroleague did a great job in including the players in their decision. The Euroleague showed that it was a leader unlike many of the other leagues who are old fashioned and dictate the players and doesn’t allow them to speak. The players have their mind and the right to voice their opinion, because they are the ones effected. The Euroleague listened to the players which was a good thing. The players respected the competition and felt that if they had played that they wouldn’t have presented a good competition. We didn’t want to have that situation where the winner would be decided over which teams had access to a gym and not. There were a lot of teams like us that couldn’t practice. We thought not playing out the season was the best route. We also thought that we didn’t know how COVID-19 would play out if we didn’t have all the information. There were too many players that had been stuck in their apartments for 8 weeks and didn’t want to risk injury. 

How great is your ‘what would of happened’ feeling knowing that you will never know how CSKA would have finished in the Euroleague. How much does this put a damper on your season?

I think that every player has this question on their mind. For me having to end the season this way really sucks. Especially now that I’m leaving the club for Milan. I will never have that opportunity to have been able to defend our title. I would have had a chance to close out my CSKA career the right way. I think that every player will be asking that question ‘what if’ for a long time.

What is your summary of the CSKA season? You were a surprising second in the VTB and 4th in the Euroleague. Did the club underachieve?

I mean it’s hard to rate our season when we had no conclusion to it. I feel that right when COVID-19 hit we were starting to play our best basketball of the season. We had celebrated big wins on the road against Panathinaikos and Lok Kuban. We were struggling early on in the season as we were still feeling each other out. It was that time of year during March-June where teams want to reach their peak. Having to end the season like this is a very hard pill to swallow. 

How have you lived day to day at home with COVID-19. Are you shocked how Americans have been treating the Coronavirus or have the Americans become more disciplined with time?


It’s difficult to say, because each state has different rules and different laws concerning COVID-19. I live in the New York/New Jersey area which was one of the worst area’s that were hit. We followed the rules as best we could and have stayed home. The best way to fight it is to limit your contact with others.

You spent time in Russia and also in the states during COVID-19. How do you feel have you gotten stronger as a man in these difficult times?


COVID-19 has changed my perspective on life in general. When COVID-19 came nobody knew how it would play out. In a period of 1-2 weeks, life changed for everyone. People lost family, lost their jobs or were infected. So many people were going through so many issues. I learned that you have to enjoy the moment. I think that people in general look at the past or future, but forget the moment. My wife and I like to say ‘We win today’. I think that it’s important to do as much as possible each day with your loved ones. 

How difficult is it being an American at the moment? The senseless murder of George Floyd has put American upside down. How have you experienced the last week and what has been the most difficult thing for you in this time to see happening?


Being a black man in America today isn’t easy. I think that the rest of the world have taken notice of this senseless murder and see what we are dealing with now and have been for many years. This has put a spotlight on our culture. I am fortunate that I live in an area where this isn’t as prominent, but there are other places where this type of thing happens every day. It is a difficult video to watch, but the rest of the world have gotten a glimpse of what blacks deal with. I’m very happy that people have come together around the world to unite and try to help stop this. I hope that more people will fight against racism all over the world. 

If it was easy then Racism would have been solved many years ago. Why do you feel can’t we live in a world where every skin color is 100% accepted?

That is the million dollar question. This is the question that all human beings that try to figure out for the test of time. I really wish that I knew that answer. All I can do is spread awareness and educate my kids and community. This is a huge goal of mine. The only way to fight the injustice of racism is to educate people. 

The German BBL will finish their season with a 10 team tournament in Munich. Ratiopharm Ulm German legend Per Guenther who you have played against has stated he will pay the first 10,000 euro in player fines should players get involved with making some kind of protest during the tournament. Do you think that these could happen with the influx of Americans that are taking part in the tournament?

Not only Americans, but we have seen protests all over the world. I tip my hat off to Per Guenther for taking a leadership role. The BBL still have an old fashioned mentality not allowing players to have a voice. This is an important issue. Why can’t they allow players to express their feelings in this matter? 

Congrats on signing with AX Armani Exchange Milan. Do you feel like if COVID-19 hadn’t happened that you would have remained in with CSKA Moscow?


I honestly don’t know. For me leaving and going to Milan had nothing to do with CSKA Moscow. It was a decision solely made by me. I wanted a new challenge. I’m coming near to the end of my career and before I walk away, I wanted to have one more new experience. Milan allowed me to have that experience. I will be reunited with my old coach and former teammates. I think this new opportunity is great for me. 

Is COVID-19 part of the reason for the move to Milan? CSKA Moscow lost millions and most likely couldn’t pay you anymore

That wasn’t the case. Making the decision to join Milano had nothing to do with money. I wanted to have a new experience and do something different. 

How tough was it making the decision to leave CSKA Moscow. Did it give you some sleepless nights?


It was definitely a very tough decision to make. If you would have asked me 7-10 days ago about what I would do, I would have said I would be preparing for another season with CSKA Moscow. I wasn’t seriously thinking of leaving. But once I sat down and took deep thoughts and weighed what was best for my family, I knew that it was a decision that I had to make. It is tough to leave after 7 years and being captain. We had a life there and had friends. It wasn’t easy to walk away. 

You played 7 seasons for CSKA Moscow. The memories must be endless as you won 2 Euroleague titles and 6 VTB titles. How did the 7 seasons with CSKA Moscow shape you as a player and person?

My 7 years with CSKA Moscow changed me completely as a player and person. I arrived at CSKA Moscow at age 26 and was a single man. I left married with 2 kids. CSKA Moscow made me more mature as a player and man. I was able to be able to work with a great coach with Dimitris Itoudis. He helped me see and understand the game. The organization wanted me to step out of my comfort zone when I got there. When I got there, I was quiet and laid back. They wanted me to be a leader and more vocal in the locker room. The club helped me become a better player and person. 

How did Mike James grow as a player with CSKA Moscow? What was it that halted his way back to the NBA and to sign a 3 year deal?

He had his best season as a professional. He was asked to take more of a leadership role this season. CSKA Moscow has this special way to help make players become leaders. He was able to adapt to the system and felt comfortable. Coach Itoudis and him grew together. Key was that coach allowed Mike to be Mike and play his game. This paid huge dividends for the whole club. He also enjoyed being in Moscow and decided to remain. CSKA is like a family that treats all well. He was looking to find a place where he could stay his whole career and found it. CSKA has been a place where guys like De Colo, Langdon, Holden and I have stayed for a long time. 

Could Mike James take your role now as the new identity y figure in the making?

I don’t think that I was the identity figure of the team. We always had great players. He will put down his foot print and make his mark with CSKA. 

Congrats on with AX Armani Exchange Milan. How key was it for you to sign here knowing you would be reunited with your old coach Ettore Messina?

That was real key and one of the main reasons to come to play for Messina. I knew that Milan would also be an ideal situation, because I had played in Italy before and knew the league. Messina brought me to CSKA and even after he left, we still had a good relationship and remained in contact. 

You and your family are very excited to move to Milan. It will be your second time playing for an Italian team. What are you most looking forward to being able to play in the Serie A again?

When I first came to Italy, I played in the second division. It was always my dream to play in Serie A. I remember the great teams then with Milan, Siena, Rome and Treviso. It is almost a full circle in that now I have the chance to finish my career in Serie A. 

Milan has 24 team titles. Will the fact that they aren’t a dominant Euroleague team give you an extra motivation to play an incredible season at age 34?


Another reason about going to Milan is the whole aspect of having a new challenge. They haven’t won a league title in a few years and haven’t been to the Euroleague playoffs since 2014 or 2015. I want to help bring a title to Milan and try to bring back the glory years that they once had. It would be a big moment for the club to do that again. 

How excited are you to be playing together with ex NBA player Malcolm Delaney and one of the better young players in Europe Shavon Shields. Talk a little about them and your feelings being able to be their teammate?


Messina and management have shown early that they want to build a great balance within the team. They have older guys like Sergio Rodriguez and I that have experience and won titles while also adding younger guys like a Shavon Shields who has had success with Baskonia. I am really excited to get the opportunity to be able to play with them. I will try to help the younger guys grow and help the team come together. Delaney is a proven winner and has won everywhere he has played. He won in Germany with Munich and helped Lok Kuban reach the Euroleague final 4. He has proven that he can play at the Euroleague level. I have been very fortunate to have played with great guards in my career like Brian Roberts, John Goldsberry, Vassilis Spanoulis and Nando de Colo. Now I can add Malcolm Delaney to that list. 

Do you feel like you will have that type of role you had with CSKA or do you think Messina might give you a bigger role?


The club is building a balanced team. I will try to help my team win and put them in the best position to win. Whatever they need me to do, I will full fill it. My role has been different each season. I will be prepared to answer the call whenever needed.

What is your plan this summer? The tournament has been cancelled. Will this be a summer with more focus on you’re your work outs and preparation for Milan

At the moment I go day to day. We don’t know when things will open up. I want to get consistently into the gym again. Now I try to stay in shape as much as possible. I am looking forward to getting back on the court. When that happens, then I will be able to make a plan how my training will be.

The NBA will finish their season. Will there be any surprises by teams and what can be expect by the shorter season?

It will be interesting to see how the teams and players come back. They haven’t played in a long time. The NBA will give them enough time to get ready. It will definitely be a different kind of basketball. But at the end of the day it will be basketball. The guys are excited to play again. It will be different, but the fans are excited to have basketball back again.

What was the last movie that you saw?

The Trolls World Tour with my kids.

Thanks Kyle for the chat.

Almost a year ago John Murry´s annoying calamity began as instead of wearing a smug jersey of the NEW Elephants Grevenbroich (Germany-Regionalliga) during games, instead he was slouching into gym´s in Germany with an expression on his face that could of even scared away the nastiest figures who lurk in the night. After playing only 8 games in his first 2 years of his professional basketball career in Canada and the CBA, the American from Indianapolis came into the 2019-2020 season excited and motivated to finally play his first full season. But instead he suffered a bitter metatarsal fracture that ended his season in preseason and then soon after during his rehab was hit with a second whammy with COVID-19 or was it really a whammy? Obviously getting injured was a massive tough set back for the athletic guard, but he didn´t mope around or hang his head in the sand like an ostrich, but got into a serious rehab mode and worked like mad to come back 100% again. But along the way, the world was hit by COVID-19 which also changed the basketball world as this summer´s transfer period was a lot different than ever before with falling prices. Even if COVID-19 effected the whole world in so many different aspects, the whole crisis actually was a blessing in disguise for him. Plus having the trust from NEW Elephants Grevenbroich (Germany-Regionalliga) manager Hartmut Oehmen didn´t hurt either. “As the world was affected by COVID-19 I was blessed by not being affected with the pandemic, also with the world being in a pandemic, it kind of slowed everything down for me and gave me more time to heal and get back to my old self again. The injury helped me slow my thinking down and study the game, I got smarter in areas where I was weak and got dominant in areas where I was strong. Things WERE NOT difficult for me AT ALL, I prayed and stayed focused on being better every day and before you know it, I was better after my injury than I was before! I am extremely thankful that Hartmut stuck behind me because a lot of people would not have done that. Me and Hartmut have developed a relationship during the time I was hurt and kept in touch while I was in the states. He knew how bad I wanted this opportunity to further my career. I feel like Hartmut appreciates my hard work and dedication to the game, he sees that I work my butt off, from the time I got hurt, until the time I was cleared to get back on the court. I don’t make excuses, nor do I take days for granted, I take full advantage of elevating and getting better at all cost”, warned John Murry.

                The 25 year old 192cm guard that began his basketball career at North Central High Schooland then played 2 years at Owens Community College (JUCO) returned back home before COVID-19 struck the world. He didn´t waste anytime and began his comeback. I spoke to so many players during COVID-19 and not surprisingly most were able to find ways to stay in shape and work on their game even if it meant finding courts outside and battling the weather conditions, but it wasn´t always easy for guys as the conditions weren´t always great. But COVID-19 was never a road block for Murry to keep continuing his comeback. He did everything possible to be able to come back stronger even traveling hundreds of miles just to be able to work in a lab. “The phrase “The grind NEVER STOPS”!!! is not just a saying, it is a lifestyle that I live and maintain daily, so no matter what I had to do, where I had to go, or who I had to call. I was determined to put this work in. It got to the point where I had to fly to South Carolina and stay there  almost 2 weeks just so I could work out every day. I didn’t care what I had to, I refused to settle for being average, I wanted to be GREAT and the only way that was possible was by putting in work mentally and physically every single day”, stressed John Murry. COVID-19 has so many restrictions that has limited the interaction of people in society. So staying in contact with friends wasn´t always easy, but for John Murry the only contact he needed was with the equipment in a gym and a basketball. His focus was so strong that he sacrificed his relationships with people which didn´t help for the future and some friendships, but in the end his comeback was rewarded by his hard work. “During COVID-19 I stayed focused on my mission plan and took advantage of the world being shut down and elevated during that time to a level I had never been at before. There was nothing that I was willing to not do to make myself better. In all reality my time with family and friends decreased because I was so determined to be great and come back stronger that I used every minute of every day to be better. My schedule was so tight during that time that I kept anything that did not have to do with GOD or basketball away from my mental”, added John Murry.

                The guard who played at Austin Peay State University (NCAA) and averaged: 16.7ppg, 2.7rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 54.0%, 3PT: 33.9%, FT: 81.1% as a senior and has an unending chip on his shoulder because of playing in the fourth German league whereas there are other guys on this planet that had a lot weaker stats in the NCAA, but have made it to higher leagues is 100% healthy now. But the price he had to pay in terms of losing friendships was high, but he didn´t want to come back at 80% or 90%, or not even at 99%. He didn´t go the whole nine yards, but far beyond in his quest to be the old John Murry again. “Things were very difficult and I’m putting emphasis on the difficulty. I reached new levels, my whole body felt better after the injury, things that hurt before didn’t hurt anymore and my flexibility increased tremendously, which allowed me to be more active and athletic. I had to tap into a different place and lock in mentally for 6 months straight. It was like doing a plank core workout and holding that position for 6 months straight. The rehab period was very difficult because people didn’t understand what I was going through and the odds that I was up against. People only understand what they wanted to understand and nothing more. I lost relationships with people just because I had made up in my mind every single day I’m going to work, I did not believe in cheat days or off days, during my rehab process. Some people were not very supportive with that idea. As of today, I am glad I went through it because it changed me, it made me mentally tougher and gave me the mindset of being even more unstoppable then before. It’s like I could feel myself turning into an assassin. People telling me “no I can’t help you out” or ignoring me was one of the best things to ever happen to me. I NEVER doubted myself in any way at any time, I had unbreakable confidence during the whole process because I took time and stayed focused on the end result. I believe in God and I know with him NOBODY can beat me. He gave me the strength possible to get through and once I seen myself touch new heights; I knew the sky was the limit for me”, warned John Murry. With basketball on hold all over the world, John Murry had a lot of extra time in 2020 to work on his game while being 100%. He didn´t lack working on many parts of his game as well as the metal aspect and the scouting part. “This summer I studied the game over and beyond the point of focus. I made sure I locked in on my decision making and put myself in a better position on the floor to have more options as I make my moves. Also, I made sure I got my body right in areas to where I can set down on defense and shrink the floor with my length and quickness, aside from those things I just kept doing reps on reps on reps to perfect and polish areas that I already had success in. This summer was dedicated to being better than last year, that goes from performance on the court to be a better person off the court. I put just as much work in on my personality as I did my game, that is what made all the difference. Like I said before it was complete ELEVATION. The American got back to 100% physically as well as continued to work on his game to get better, but COVID-19 also had another big impact on him something he may not have witnessed had COVID-19 not become reality. “During the pandemic I was able to slow down which I probably needed to do years ago lol. I played chess with my life, I processed my thoughts, and made my next move my best move every time I made a move. Every move made was with a purpose to be better. My theme all pandemic was ELEVATION. I watched film on myself and others EVERY single day. I searched for weaknesses in my game and my personality and attacked them full on. I narrowed my thinking down to God and basketball all pandemic/summer and never let a day go by without putting work in on the court and in the weight room. Things I joked about before I took seriously, I isolated myself and challenged my mind. When I thought I was good I did things over again to be GREAT! Long story short, with God as my leader, I made the impossible, POSSIBLE”, warned John Murry.

                Murry is back in Grevenbroich now and preparing for the new season. Not to much has changed in the city except for the obvious with everyone wearing masks around which he calls the new normal. He is really excited to test the German Regionalliga west for the first time as is optimistic about the chances that the club has for being successful this season. “I feel like we have some really good pieces on the team in order to be really successful. I like our energy every day in practice and we have done a great job in preseason. I don’t see any reason why we can’t keep this up heading into the regular season and into the playoffs. As far as myself, I’ll let my game do the talking. I will say I pushed myself to exhaustion this whole summer, I spend countless hours in the weight room and on the floor being uncomfortable. I will carry that mentality onto the floor this season and throughout the playoffs”, stressed John Murry. The club has a nice mix of experienced guys as well as young Germans and he is sharing the back court with Jonathan Coles who played at Emory University (NCAA3) and in Mexico and with ex BBL player German Moritz Krume(41 BBL games). He has formed a nice bond with them already on the court. “Myself and Johnathan complement each other well. We are both pests on defense which makes a good backcourt, especially with our style of play from our tremendous coaching this preseason, we are looking pretty strong heading into this season.  Mo is my guy. He performs well in practice and comes up big late in games with strong finishes around the rim and tough rebounds down the stretch. I have nothing but positive remarks about my new teammates. I really like his game and basketball mind”, expressed John Murry.

                It will be interesting to see how John Murry will present himself on the court in Regionalliga gyms this season. He put in the work and has the massive self-confidence that he will put many smiles on basketball fans in Grevenbroch this season. “I was anxious to come back and show exactly what it is the city of Grevenbroich and all of Germany had missed with me being hurt. I’m fearless when it comes to this game and had no fear when returning to Germany because I knew that I had put the work in. I gave it my all to be better, I did the little things and won the small victories day in and day out, ESPECIALLY during the pandemic and during rehab. That is what left no doubt or no fear in my return to basketball this season. I’m ready to give the city of Grevenbroich what they should have had from me a year ago”, warned John Murry. The American who believes that the 2020 NBA final will consist of the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers and hope to recreate the old gold and green tradition from back in the Larry Bird and Magic Johnson days has the game to be very successful in the German Regionalliga, but it hasn´t only been his abilities on the court, but having that incredible mindset of being unstoppable which has been there forever. It hasn´t always been easy being mentally consistent of being unstoppable with the seemingly unending adversary that he has had in his career, but in the end, this nonstop mindset of no one being able to stop him has made him stronger. “Keeping the mindset was definitely tough, but in the end, it was also what made me better. I wasn’t even cleared to play basketball and I was walking around my city saying nobody can stop me and although at that time it may or may not have been true, it was the principle of getting my mind and body on the same accord. Yes, I was probably at 65/75% but it’s the constant conversations you have to have with yourself to keep pushing yourself to absolute greatness. I remember an open gym in my city with all the pros being back who played in top leagues all over Europe and even in the NBA, I just kept telling them and myself, NOBODY can stop me I don’t care who you are, that was what I call “Mental Gymnastics”. I just knew once I could think mentally that I could perform the moves and actions physically after the injury. That was probably the sweetest part, just watching myself excel to new levels of the game”, warned John Murry. The last movie he saw was the incredible Netflix series about Michael Jordan called “The Last Dance”. No matter if it´s flying around the country to get better, working in the gym to exhaustion or finding another way to be able to study the game and get better with “The Last dance”, John Murry is the real deal who won´t stop to being the best he can possibly be.

Cameron Hunt is a 23 year old 193cm guard from Duncanville, Texas that completed his rookie season in Germany withTG s.Oliver Wuerzburg (Germany-ProB) playing 19 games: Score-1 (21.7ppg), 4.9rpg, 4.4apg, 1.7spg, Blocks-3 (1.2bpg), FGP: 60.4%, 3PT: 41.2%, FT: 88.2%. He picked up Eurobasket.com All-German 2.Bundesliga Pro B Player of the Year -20, Eurobasket.com All-German 2.Bundesliga Pro B Guard of the Year -20, Eurobasket.com All-German 2.Bundesliga Pro B Defensive Player of the Year -20, Eurobasket.com All-German 2.Bundesliga Pro B 1st Team -20, and Eurobasket.com German 2.Bundesliga Pro B All-Imports Team -20. He began his career at Duncanville High School and then played 137 NAIA games for Southwestern College, KS (NAIA) from 2015-2019. As a freshman he played 34 games averaging 6.9ppg, 2.4rpg, 2.1apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 37.9%, 3PT: 32.8%, FT: 63.2%. In his second season he played 36 games averaging 24 .5ppg, 6.4rpg, 3.4apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 58.5%, 3PT: 37.0%, FT: 81.8%. In his junior year he played 35 games averaging 23.3ppg, 5.7rpg, 3.7apg, FGP: 50.7%, 3PT: 38.0%, FT: 82.4%. In his senior year he played 32 games averaging 31.5ppg, 4.8rpg, 6.8apg, FGP: 50.7%, 3PT: 41.8%, FT: 88.6%. He will remain in Wurzburg until 2023 and spoke to eurobasket during COVID-19. 

Hi Cameron where are you at the moment and how is your current mood despite the world turmoil at the moment because of the out break of the Corona Virus?

Hey how’s it going? Well right now I’m currently in Dallas Texas and I would say this outbreak is a bit frustrating. Knowing lives are at stake every day. I know better days are coming and I’m just praying that it is sooner than later.

When you first heard about the Corona Virus did you ever think that it could have such an effect on the world?

At first when I heard about Corona I thought it was a very minor problem that would’ve been taken care of immediately. I never thought it would become this bad.

How did you experience the day to day life in Wurzburg when you were still in Germany? What things did you notice in the surroundings there that showed that life wasn’t normal?

In Wurzburg a lot of people like to walk around the city. When the corona virus came you saw less and less people in the city which was very weird to see.

Did you become more aware about how you handle yourself in public in terms of shaking hands and not being in the line of fire with somebody coughing?

A: Yes I’ve been more aware of my surroundings. Making sure washing my hands more often is always on my mind. I can’t remember the last time I’ve given someone a normal handshake.

Basketball leagues have shut down all over Europe including the Pro B. How disappointed were you about this and not being able to finish the season?

I was pretty disappointed as I felt we had a championship team. I also knew this might be my last time playing with those guys so it was hard to end a season like that.

Before leagues were shut down there was a BCL game in Bonn against AEK Athens and a Fiba Europe Cup game in Bayreuth without spectators. What is your overall opinion of playing a game without fans?

I personally play basketball because I love the game. I would still play with no fans, but at the end of the day basketball is a spectators sport. The fans brings out the best in players.

What have you learned about these tough times that has made you stronger as a person?

I have learned that some of the things that I complain about are not worth it. People right now are fighting for their lives while I’m complaining about missing a jump shot.

Wil it be a big adjustment having to start 3 months earlier with workouts and basketball skill development? What will be the advantages and disadvantages of this?

I feel it is a huge advantage for me as I get to focus on my health more this offseason. The disadvantage is not knowing when your next basketball game is going to be.

How have you been staying in shape at home? Are there any special home work plan or exercises that you are doing to stay in shape and on the ball?

I have been sticking to a home workout plan to improve my strength. It has been kind of tough to get into basketball gyms so I’m just doing what I can right now.

The whole world economy is going to be affected including German basketball. How worried are you about the future of professional basketball. The next season will have many changes. How are you handling this mentally now not knowing what to expect?

My mindset is to be ready for whatever and whenever. I am still preparing as if we will be starting up in the fall.

If you had to name another player besides guys from Wurzburg that you have been in most contact via Social Media who would it be?

I wouldn’t just say it is one guy as Ive been trying to talk to a lot of my former teammates and upcoming teammates.

How has your approach to family changed since the outbreak of Corona? What things have you seen yourself do that you may not have done before?

I have realized to not take family time for granted. This pandemic has just put things in perspective that not every day is promised.

Congrats on a great rookie season in Germany in the pro B with Wurzburg. You had the second best record in the Pro B south and second best record overall. How would you summarize the team season best?

The word I would use is unity. I feel for the most part we played for each other and stuck together through tough times which made us a better team.

How much does it hurt that you weren’t able to really know how the season would have panned out in the playoffs? The club had lost 2 of the last 3 games to begin the playoffs. You stated to me in January that ‘I think we play very hard on defense which is always good but we can improve on our pick and roll defense. Once that is solved I feel the sky is the limit for this team’. How did the defense improve in the last months and was it tweaked for a strong playoffs?

Once the season started to wind down it was obvious we were already looking forward to the playoffs. I feel we would’ve been the most ready in the playoffs.

What was the secret to the success of the team. Obviously you and Rytis Pipiris were a huge part of the offense, but what was key for the German role players buying into the system?

Everyone understood their role on the team and it showed every game.

The team had many highs, but describe a bit how it was playing top ScanPlus Baskets twice within a week in December. You lost both games, but one 90-89. What memories do you have of that series 

During that series we weren’t completely healthy. So I think that played a huge part, but that was a solid basketball team.

Let’s talk about your teammates. You said this to me about Jonas Weitzel in January 2020. ‘Jonas has been great for us. You never have to worry about how hard he will play because he will always give 100%. He is also improving every day and I feel he has a very bright future’. How did he improve the most during the season?

A: I feel he improved the most on the defensive end. He is very talented on the offensive side but I saw him become better and better on the defensive side.

How much of a pleasure was it being teammates with Rytis Pipiris. You stated to me in January 2020 that you would love to have his athleticism. What one thing do you feel helped your game most having been able to run an offense with him?

Rytis was very unselfish. This made it easy to play with him as he was always looking to make the best play possible.

What was your impression of German point guard Nils Hassfurter? I really love his high energy game. You practiced with the BBL team Wurzburg. Does he have the game to become an impact player in the BBL?

Nils is a great guy who always brings 110% to practice everyday. Which I feel makes the team a lot better.

Let’s talk about your game. You averaged 21.7ppg), 4.9rpg, 4.4apg, 1.7spg, Blocks-3 (1.2bpg), FGP: 60.4%, 3PT: 41.2%, FT: 88.2%. How content were you with your rookie season in Germany?

Personally I felt I could’ve did more. I am very happy with our team success though.

You had some very explosive games at the start, in the middle and at the end finishing strong. How would you describe your development throughout the season. How was Cameron Hunt a different player at the end than in September 2019?

I felt during the end of the season the game was slowing down for me as I was able to make better reads in the offense.

A hidden strength in your game is getting unusual blocks. You averaged 1,2bpg as a rookie. Please explain how you have continued to keep making the next step as being a very good shot blocker for your height?

A: I think shot blocking is more about timing than height. I feel I have very long arms for my height and use them to my advantage.

You had the opportunity to practice a lot with the BBL team s.Oliver Wurzburg. On what things do you still need to work on to be able to get a legitimate chance of playing at that level?

A: I feel I can be very successful if I just lock in defensively for a longer period of time. I feel I will make the adjustment smoothly.

s.Oliver Wurzburg had some good guards. What do you feel could you soak up most from ex Citadel (NCAA) great Cameron Wells the most? Back in the day he belonged to the best guards in his conference with Golden State Warrior Steph Curry.

My time spent with Cameron Wells I tried to ask as many questions as possible. He probably got sick of me at one point, but I just wanted to pick his brain about his career.

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

I wouldn’t say it was one player but the team of ScanPlus Baskets was a well put together ball club.

Luka Doncic had an amazing sophomore campaign. Is he a top 3 NBA player now?

I don’t think Luka is Top 3 yet. My top 3 is LeBron James, Kawhi Lenoard, and Kevin Durant.

Where were you when you heard about the death of Kobe Bryant. What kind of influence did he have on you during adolescence? 

I was in my living room in Germany and it hit pretty hard as he was my favorite player growing up.

How bitter is it that the NCAA March Madness has been canceled? This tournament for some kids is the greatest time of their lives. What advice would you give that senior who worked hard for 4 years and would have had his one and only chance now?

I would tell these kids that everything happens for a reason. There will always be more joys in life.

What was the last movie that you saw?

A: Office party

Thanks Cameron for the chat.

Keith Hornsby is a 28 year old 193cm shooting guard from Mouth Of Wilson, Virginia that is playing his fifth professional season and first in Germany with the EWE Baskets Oldenburg. Last season the American played with Polski Cukier Torun (Poland-EBL) playing 19 games averaging 15.1ppg, 3.1rpg, 2.5apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 55.0%, 3PT: 42.2%, FT: 75.7%. He played his first 3 professional seasons with the Texas Legends (D-League) playing 116 games and averaging 4.5ppg, 2.0rpg, 1.0apg in his first season, 10.1ppg, 3.0rpg, 1.6apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 49.4%, 3PT: 36.8%, FT: 78.3% in his second season and 12.3ppg, 2.7rpg, 1.5apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 50.2%, 3PT-2 (49.1%), FT: 84.1% in his final season. He began his basketball career with Oak Hill Academy. He then split time with 2 schools with the University of North Carolina – Asheville (NCAA) and : Louisiana State University (NCAA) playing a total of 116 NCAA games. His best season with the: University of North Carolina – Asheville (NCAA) was his last season where he averaged: 15.0ppg, 4.2rpg, 3.1apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 46.8%, 3PT: 37.9%, FT: 92.5%. He put up very consistent stats with Louisiana State University (NCAA) in both years averaging 13.4ppg, 4.2rpg, 2.1apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 44.9%, 3PT: 39.3%, FT: 78.4% and in his senior year averaging 13.1ppg, 2.9rpg, 1.6apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 56.8%, 3PT: 41.5%, FT: 81.8%. He spoke to germanhoops.com about his basketball career.

Keith thanks for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how has your summer been despite the whole COVID-19 effecting the world?

I’m currently in Oldenburg, but I spent most of the last six months in the United States split between Virginia and Dallas, Texas. The summer was unpredictable, especially in the states. It was a struggle sometimes taking Covid precautions seriously in a place where many people weren’t following proper protocols, but my wife and I did a good job existing and being safe in that world before leaving for Germany.

How have you experienced the whole COVID-19 crisis in the States? How much did the last 6 months change your life and how much of a challenge was it finding the time and places to be bale to stay in shape and be able to work on your game?


When I started training again in early May, it was extremely difficult finding gyms that were open. I found myself working out outside much more than I ever have. At first it was frustrating, but eventually I found ways to be productive despite the limitations on open facilities. I can find a way to stay in shape, but it was tougher finding consistent basketball workouts. As the summer went on, I found a good group to workout with to keep things relatively fresh. The one thing I wasn’t able to do was play 5 on 5. No games were being played around me due to Covid, so I haven’t played 5v5 basketball since my last game in Poland. Luckily, I have a long preseason ahead to get my rhythm back.

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

Living through these past few months with Covid definitely made me appreciate certain freedoms from life before the virus. Little things like going out to dinner or venturing out to places without a mask. It made me appreciate those who made efforts to be responsible during the crisis. It made me frustrated with many people who failed to take the virus seriously, and you see how we’re still dealing with it in a way most countries aren’t.

Do all the questions about your famous father sometimes get on your nerves and how important was the fact that he was a very talented basketball player help you with your path as a basketball player from your youth until today?

I used to get semi frustrated in college, because the questions about him came in more frequently. I don’t get frustrated with questions about my dad at this point. I realize that it’s a unique thing to have a famous musician father as a basketball player, so it’s always an interesting topic to broach for the media. My dad loves basketball, and he’s more knowledgeable about the game than anyone would predict. A career in basketball on the sidelines is probably his road not taken, and I’m sure he would admit that. He’s done so much for me in the game. I won’t discredit myself, because I’ve put endless work in to give me new opportunities, but he instilled in me that mindset of work at an early age. Sometimes I like his fresh perspective on different issues I may be facing within the game.

Congrats on signing with the very ambitious EWE Baskets? What do you know in general about the country Germany and it’s basketball? Have you had any friends play here in the past? 

I’m excited to play with Oldenburg this season. I’ve been aware of the BBL ever since I left college, but it took me a little while to get here haha. Germany has such a great reputation as a country. I’m very happy that my wife and I can call the country home during these times of Covid. I feel like there’s almost no better place to be. I’ve had tons of friends play in Germany from the BBL level to Pro B. German basketball rarely gets a bad rap. I will see this for myself very soon.

They are very high on your abilities. What was the deciding factor where you knew that you wanted to play your second season in Europe in Germany?

They were one of the first clubs to recruit me nice Covid hit and my season was canceled. A lot of the basketball benefits of Oldenburg speaks for itself, but in these times of uncertainty, I felt like you could hardly get a more stable place than One of the top clubs in Germany. I was also surprised excited to play in Eurocup, but the club decided against participating. I was disappointed at first, but when I woke up and put things in perspective, I realized in these times that’s a small thing to lose. There will still be a lot of great and challenging basketball to be played in the BBL.

You had a very strong season stat wise in Poland last season. What are your goals this season as a player concerning your game? It won’t be easy to top those stats as your playing with more talented teammates and in a higher league?

I’m sure the experience as a whole will be very different than my experience in Toru. I aim to be as unselfish as possible regarding stats, because I realize I have a lot of talent surrounding me. If I had to choose one thing I will want to improve at, its decisions in the pick and roll. With such a great front court in Oldenburg, I think it’s a must I’m able to make good reads in PnR actions and feed the big guys when they’re open. I know it’s a cliche, but I’m really aiming to come in to Oldenburg and focus entirely on winning. With the roster we have, I feel if things work out we should be competing for a BBL championship. I will do my best to be as productive as possible and control what I can control, but if my stats aren’t what they were last year and we’re winning, I will be extremely happy.

Let’s talk about your game. EWE Baskets Oldenburg CEO Herman Schuller compares your game to the ex Wright State great Vaughn Duggins. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would best fit the description?


Vaughn Duggins. I’ve heard that before from them. I’m guessing that comparison is a good thing, so I’m happy with it. It’s hard for me to compare myself to anybody. I try to move without the ball like JJ Redick, but I feel my speed and athleticism makes that comparison a little fuzzy. I’m a scorer, so you can compare me to other scorers, but I can’t give you a specific comparison.

What stands out right away in your game is that you’re a fantastic shooter. Despite that, your good athleticism and good penetration skills on the court, what do you honestly feel like is your biggest asset on the court?


People always underestimate my speed and jumping ability. It’s always benefitted me to have that asset due to my shooting ability. If defenders close out too closely on my shot, I can get around them with my first step and create plays off the dribble. I’d say my pull up is my strongest offensive weapon. I try to get good elevation on the shot so it’s hard to block.

How much pride do you take on the defensive end? What is your biggest strength as a defensive player?

I’ve always been an offensive threat, but I truly try to dig in on the defensive end. I’ve always been a believer in the defense creates offense. Last season in Toru, we traded baskets too many times with people and it made it harder to defeat the intelligent teams (especially in BCL). I think my best attribute defensively is my strength. Bigger guys have a hard time posting me up directly. Sometimes I feel I’m too energetic. Almost to a fault.

On what area’s of your game are you working on most now as you prepare for your first season in Germany?

I mentioned above my decision making and productivity in the pick and roll action. I think I can improve my ball handling in the half court as well. I also want to improve my passing to the point where I consider it a true strength. Defensively, I want to work on positioning and fighting through screens. I got stuck on too many screens last year guarding the ball, so hopefully this year I can do a better job.

Last season your first overseas you played with Polski Cukier Torun (Poland-EBL) playing 19 games averaging 15.1ppg, 3.1rpg, 2.5apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 55.0%, 3PT: 42.2%, FT: 75.7%. What do you remember being your wake up call to being overseas for the first time last season in Poland?


For the most part, I did pretty well for being my first year overseas, although I was more mature than the average euro rookie, which always helps. Due to my good play, I think the biggest wake up call was the extreme scouting and defensive efforts from some of the Polish players/teams last season against me. Their aggression, commitment, strength, and intensity would not be found in the G-League. I’d say that was somewhat of a wake up call.

You played your first 3 seasons in the G League with the Texas Legends improving your scoring stats each season. Some guys leave after 1-2 seasons to go overseas. How confident were you that you could make the NBA in your third season and do you sometimes wonder what might have happened had you returned for a 4th season?


I felt kind of trapped in the G League. I did not want to return for my third season, but due to almost zero European interest, I didn’t have much of a choice and appreciated the Texas Legends faith in me. The talent in the G League is top notch, so every year you compete with new, great players for playing time. During my third season while leading the G League in 3pt%, I figured I had a shot. After I never received that call during that stretch, I was over it. It was time to move on to a different basketball situation.

In your rookie season you were with the Dallas Mavericks and played 5 pre season games. What kind of experience was it being teammates with Dirk Nowitzki? Do you have a special Nowitzki story that you won’t forget?

That was an unbelievable couple of months with the Mavs. It was a dream come true to put on an NBA uniform with your name on the back of it. The only downside is that it was my first pro experience, so it gave me an unrealistic idea of how difficult the G League could be in the oncoming months. Sharing a locker room with Dirk Nowitzki was surreal. What a legend! He’d always made fun of me for being too muscular up top. He’d call me ‘upper body’ and tell me to do some leg work and stop doing bicep curls. Good guy!

That first season you were teammates with some real veterans in Texas with Dejuan Blair, Ben Gordon, and Courtney Fells. What was it like being with guys like this on a regular basis and did you take the time to pick their brains about the business?

I learned a ton that first year. It was the first time in my career I was competing against legit grown men and guys of all ages. I realized they had a different comfort within the game. Something I wasn’t close to obtaining at that point. Playing with Ben Gordon was amazing other than the fact he came in and took most of my minutes haha. That first year was incredibly eye opening. The gave me stories about overseas. A lot of them were horror stories haha because those are more interesting. I didn’t know what to think.

What is the best example that you can remember in your 3 years in the G-League where you can honestly say the NBA is a business first before a players feelings?

My first year Pierre Jackson was my PG. during November and December he was absolutely killing on the court. I’d never seen someone play so amazing. At times it was truly mind boggling. He thankfully got a call up to the Mavs in January and was playing well for a few games. In his first start, he had nine points in the first quarter before hurting his hamstring. They waived him later that night and he was back with us almost immediately. I couldn’t believe it. Then the Mavs signed Yogi Ferrell, and he took off on that whole Yogimania stretch. Pierre was with us for the rest of the season after that, and I could tell it took a slight mental toll on him. The guy could not have played better in many regards.

You played at the very well known Oak Hill Academy that has graduated countless NBA players like Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony. How do you feel did this experience help your game most in young years?

It made me a man to some degree. I was a late bloomer in so many ways. Playing with the type of competition you see at Oak Hill every day helped my confidence incredibly.

You then began your NCAA career at University of North Carolina – Asheville and made a huge jump from your freshman season averaging 4.0ppg, 1.9rpg to 15.0ppg, 4.2rpg, 3.1apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 46.8%, 3PT: 37.9%, FT: 92.5% as a sophomore. You averaged 21 more minutes in your second season. Do you sometimes wonder how your career may have gone had you remained there?

Some people are surprised when I say this, but that first year at Asheville was one of the most important years of my career. I learned so much that season thanks to the seasoned seniors who were ahead of me in the rotation. My sophomore year, I came in a different player, and I was ready to contribute at a major level. If I had stayed at Asheville, I would’ve had a great career. A lot of people initially thought it was stupid of me to transfer from there to a major program, because I was giving up a great situation for myself for the unpredictability of the high majors. The one thing that was alarming for me at Asheville was how little respect their star players got on a professional level. My freshman year I was behind two all conference senior guards who I thought were amazing players, but they never got much of a shot at the next level. I figured if I wanted to play professionally, I would have to try my luck at success at a bigger program , and that’s exactly what I did.

How do you feel did your basketball experience at North Carolina-Ashviille help your game most as you then went on to Louisiana State?

Asheville gave me the opportunity to play a lot my sophomore season and naturally improve. Asheville also plays at least five high major schools every season, which was always exciting along with being somewhat of a trial against the big boys. I had some big time games, especially against Ohio State and NC State. It mainly came down to getting the opportunity to play. It was a huge confidence booster realizing I could have success at the division one level my sophomore year, and Asheville gave me that opportunity.

You had many great games at LSU, but do you still have memories form the tough 71-69 loss to powerhouse Kentucky where you steered home 17 points? That team had so many future great NBA players like Devin Booker, Willie Cauley-Stein, the Harrison brothers, Tyler Ulis, etc. What player from Kentucky stood out the most?

Oh wow…. that game! That was arguably the most exciting game of my life. What a team that Kentucky group had. Most LSU people give me fun loving crap about missing the game winner at the end, but I’ll never forget the positives from that game including the unrelentingly rowdy crowd of purple and gold. The player who stood out most to me was Devin Booker. He played beyond his years. He was so calm, collected, and efficient with everything he did. He killed us that game. He hit several shots in my face where I figured I defended him extremely well. I was bummed I missed the tough game winning attempt, but I walked away from that game proud of myself and with a little disbelief at how far I’d come.

How easy was it playing with top NBA player Ben Simmons? Is there a play that has been cemented in your mind with him over the years?

Playing with Ben Simmons was quite the experience. He is the most naturally gifted athlete I’ve ever encountered. He had such raw basketball ability, but it was clear from the start of his only season that his game would be better fitted for the NBA. His passing is the most impressive to me, which shouldn’t surprise anyone. One game against Mississippi State he threw me a full court chest pass like nothing I’ve ever seen. It was like a bullet. It was so crisp. I caught it in motion with awe as I realized what had just happened. No normal player can do stuff like that.

How did head coach Will Wade groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career?

I never played for Coach Wade. I played for Johnny Jones, who is now coaching at Texas Southern University. I think Wade is a damn good coach, even if he’s a bit potentially controversial during this time period.

Who won a one on one in practice you or Antonio Blakeney back at LSU?


Great question. Antonio Blakeney is a skilled offensive player. That was a good match up. Tone is known for hitting tough shots, but how can I say I wouldn’t win. I was the senior after all. 

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


I may have to give Alex Caruso this award. His teams at Texas A&M were always hard to beat! He’s just a tough player, and he was always an annoying defender and pesky presence each time we matched up. He talked a fair amount of trash too. I’m not surprised he’s carved out a role for himself in the league with his size and PG abilities.

Please list your 5 best teammates of all-time? 

I’ll list these as best teammates and not necessarily most skillful. Josh Gray (LSU) Chris Wright (Toru) Jameel Warney (Legends) JJ Avila (Legends) Aaron Cel (Toru)

Please construct your personal NBA Mount Rushmore of past or present players?


Nice! LeBron James – George Washington Michael Jordan – Thomas Jefferson JJ Redick – Teddy Roosevelt Steph Curry – Abe Lincoln

What is your personal opinion between the never ending debate between Michael Jordan and Lebron James concerning who is the greatest of all-time?

Although everybody’s opinion seemed to shift towards MJ during the airing of the Last Dance, I’m still going to go with Lebron James. It’ll forever be a difficult debate, but I just think what LeBron has done on and off the court is unrivaled.

What was the last movie that you saw?

Toy Story 1 with my wife. We’re going to watch the whole series of movies, because none of us have seen 3 or 4! We’ve been in a Pixar craze lately. These movies have been giving us positive vibes in times of unrest in the USA.

Thanks Keith for the chat.

Marco Porcher Jimenez is a 28 year old 193cm guard that was born in Cordoba, Spain and grew up in Benalmadena Costa, Spain, but also has the American citizenship and is playing this season for Pro B team RheinStars. He began his basketball career with the well known Oak Hill Academy. He began his NCAA career in 2010 at Fairleigh Dickinson University (NCAA) playing 14 games averaging 2.8ppg, 1.4rpg. He then moved to Florida International University (NCAA) in 20102 and played 3 years there amassing a total of 89 NCAA. He played his first 2 professional seasons in Spain with Lucentum Alicante (LEB Silver) playing 27 games averaging 5.7ppg, 1.7rpg, FGP: 44.0%, 3PT: 27.8%, FT: 71.0% and with CB Novaschool Malaga (Spain-EBA) playing 19 games averaging 11.4ppg, 2.5rpg, FGP: 47.7%, 3PT: 30.6%, FT: 85.5%. In 2017-2018 he played his first season in Germany with the: Hertener Loewen Basketball (Germany-Regionalliga) playing 23 games averaging 13.7ppg, 3.6rpg, 2.3apg, FGP: 51.4%, 3PT: 30.3%, FT: 75.4%. In 2018-2019 he played with WWU Baskets Muenster (Germany-ProB) playing 27 games averaging 6.9ppg, 1.9rpg, FGP: 53.0%, 3PT: 26.7%, FT: 60.5%. Last season he played with TV Ibbenbueren Basketball (Germany-Regionalliga) playing 23 games averaging 15.7ppg, 4.0rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 52.9%, 3PT: 35.9%, FT: 83.0%. He spoke to germanhoops.com during the Coronavirus crisis.

Hi Marco where are you at the moment and how is your current mood despite the world turmoil at the moment because of the out break of the Corona Virus?

At the moment I’m in Ibbenbueren. The team allowed me to stay here during this time since things are so much worse back home in Spain. 

When you first heard about the Corona Virus did you ever think that it could have such an effect on the world? 

Not at all! I knew it was something to be taken very seriously. But I never imagined it getting to this point. 

How did you experience the day to day life in Germany during the Corona Virus outbreak? Did you see that corona effect on the culture there or was it not so much different happening in your day to day dealings?


My day to day here since the outbreak has been very chill. I try to keep busy with training and learning German. Other than everyone wearing masks and gloves and the social distancing, things seem pretty normal here in Germany. 

Did you become more aware about how you handle yourself in public in terms of shaking hands and not being in the line of fire with somebody coughing 

For sure! Now I’m way more conscious about what I touch, how often I touch my face, and also washing my hands a lot more than before.

Basketball leagues have shut down all over Europe. How disappointed were you about this and not being able to finish the season?

I was pretty disappointed when they announced that the season would be canceled. My teammates and I were really looking forward to the playoffs.

Before leagues were shut down there was a BCL game in Bonn against AEK Athens and a Fiba Europe Cup game in Bayreuth without spectators. What is your overall opinion of playing a game without fans? 

For the sake of finishing competitions and declaring a champion, I think this is a great idea. However, the element of the fans is one that will be missed if these ‘Ghost Games’ continue. 

What have you learned about these tough times that has made you stronger as a person? 

Basketball wise, I’ve learned that with some creativity and effort you can really get a lot of work done when it comes to training. Really all the exercises I would normally do in a weight room can be done from home with some simple materials. I’ve also learned how small and connected the world truly is. In times like these Nationalities, race, gender, age, ect. Make no difference. We are all in this together. 

Will it be a big adjustment having to start 3 months earlier with workouts and basketball skill development? What will be the advantages and disadvantages of this? 

Personally this won’t be an adjustment for me. I see no disadvantages to the extra time in the off-season. I think athletes can take this time to really assess their bodies and their games and any weaknesses they have down to the smallest details. And really take this time to work on that. 

The whole world economy is going to be affected including Polish basketball. How worried are you about the future of professional basketball. The next season will have many changes. How are you handling this mentally now not knowing what to expect? 

I am pretty optimistic about things. Although the uncertainty of it all can be stressful I am trying to stay positive and focus on the things that I can control. Eventually things should be back to normal and I’ll be ready when that time comes. 

How have you been keeping in shape inside your home. Talk about the type of exercises and work out you have been able to perform inside your own 4 walls. 

My day to day life hasn’t changed so drastically compared to others since I really love chilling at home and watching movies and things like that. But when it comes to training, not having access to a weight room and gym to shoot has been the biggest thing for me. At home I’m training pretty much everyday. I’m working a lot on my strength and flexibility thanks to an online program called ATG (check it out!), and also my explosiveness and vertical jump. Since I can’t shoot I found an old beat up basketball and I work on my ball handling a bit each day. 

If you had to name another player besides guys from your team that you have been in most contact via Social Media who would it be? 

I’ve been talking to my former teammate and good friend from FIU, Juan Ferrales a lot. And also another former teammate and good friend from Spain named Joaquin Reyes. 

Let’s talk about the season of Ibbenburen. The club finished in 4th place with a 15-9 record. How would you summarize the season from a team standpoint?

In my eyes the season was a success despite the slow ending. We proved that we were a top team in this league and when we played our game we were very tough to beat. 

It was a tale of 2 seasons. The club started strong winning 10 of 12 games, but then went 5-7 the rest of the season. What were the main reasons for not being ever to get out of the hole in the last 3 months. 

Slumps are just part of the game. Be it individually or collectively I think when in a slump you have to keep things simple and focus on the basics. Overthinking or overanalyzing is probably the worst you could do. Perhaps we were just thinking too much into it.

Do you feel like the team underachieved in that 5-7 run? How disappointing was that negative turnaround? The team didn’t have any serious injuries and everyone on board.

We definitely underacheived in that last stretch of games. We all knew how good we were so we expected that each night. Although it was disappointing looking back now, I think the most disappointing thing is us not having the chance to redeem ourselves in the playoffs. 

How key were the two narrow loses to Reckilinghausen and BG Hagen at the end of November. Do you feel like those loses stuck in the heads of players? 

Those were 2 big loses for us. Because it was 100% in our hands to close those games and leave with a W. Road wins are extremely valuable in any league and you can’t afford to let them slip away. However we did not dwell too much on those losses. We were focused on getting back on track. 

Let’s talk about your teammates. Bryce Leavitt said this about you. ‘Marco belongs in the Pro A, I don’t think he’s missing anything. He has a really complete game for an off-ball scorer, and he’s physical enough to play at that level. I think he just needs a team to believe in him and put him in a role that fits his strengths’. What did you appreciate most about his game? 

Man. Bryce is my guy! We had instant chemistry on the court in practice. He is probably the most unselfish teammate I’ve ever had in my career and his basketball IQ and court vision are off the charts. It’s a blessing to play with a PG like this, especially for a wing player that is good at moving without the ball and getting to open spots, because he ALWAYS sees you. Another aspect of his game that is overshadowed is his scoring ability. Me and Bryce played a lot of 1-on-1 this season and they were always really heated. This is probably overshadowed because of how unselfish he is. 

Do you understand why a versatile player like that is only playing in the Regionalliga?


Unfortunately for Bryce he had a serious injury at the end of his season with WWU Baskets Muenster. That season he led them to a championship and a promotion to Pro B. If it wasn’t for the injury Bryce would have been right there with me in Muenster at the Pro B level doing his thing. And who knows where that could have led to. Many GMs were insecure about his health so he used this season as an opportunity to show he is healthy. I think he successfully showed this. 

You are a versatile player as well. How important was it having another versatile player like Juan Manuel Barga on the squad. How do you feel did you profit most from his game? 

Juan was huge for us and for me individually as well. I profited most from his rebounding ability as a guard. Our identity this season was to play fast pace and when you have rebounding guards like Juan it makes things easier, because they can rebound themselves and start the break. Defensively Juan also pushed me a lot in practice and prepared me for going up against tough defenders in the league. He took practice very seriously and helped me improve because of that. 

Let’s talk about your game. If you had to describe your game to an NBA player who would you pick? 

This is always such a hard question to answer for me since I really take pieces from many players. But if I have to pick 1 I would say Jimmy Butler, because he is physical, loves the mid range, can score at all levels and he is a lock-down defender. Other guys that I watch a lot are Demar Derozan, Jrue Holiday, Manu Ginobili, and James Harden (really any lefty in the league I watch a lot of). 

Talk a little about your best attributes on the court. You were never a scorer in the NCAA because you didn’t get sufficient minutes. You proved in Spain and Germany that you can be a scorer. Have you always been a scorer or is that something that you developed further as a professional?

My best attribute on the court is just my versatility. If a coach needs me to score I can do this, if they need a stop on defense or a rebound I can do this as well. I pride myself for being a threat in any situation. I always knew that I had the ability to be a scorer. However in the NCAA I was much more of a spot up shooter, as this was the role I had on the team. This never kept me from working on other aspects of my game because I knew sooner or later I would have the opportunity to show my full ability. 

You shot the ball really well this season from outside at a clip of 35% the best percentage since turning professional. What was your secret to being able to do this? Was it more reps and shot selection or did you change up something with your mechanics? 


The only secret was consistency and confidence. Me and Bryce really worked a lot on our free time and we held each other accountable to not miss these extra workouts. The confidence aspect came from that work. This season I could’ve missed 10 shots in a row and I would’ve believed the 11th would go in. I give a lot of credit to my coach, Marc Pohlmann, for having that same confidence in me. A coach’s confidence can really make or break a player. 

You have played in the Pro B with Munster. What is the next step for you. Do you believe that you can play in the Pro A now or is proving yourself in the Pro B the next step? Or would you play in the Leb Silver or Gold in Spain? 

My plan is to stay here in Germany and continue to grow here. I know for a fact that I can help a Pro A team, and if that opportunity presents itself I will be ready for the challenge. Having another season in the Pro B to really prove myself and showcase my abilities at that level seems like a more realistic plan for next season. I know I could dominate that league. 

What are the most key things that you are continuing to tweak in the lab that will continue to help you improve your game? 


I’m really focusing a lot on my ball handling and my decision making in the Pick n’ Roll. I would like for coaches to feel confident playing me at the point guard position if needed. Also I’m really focusing on my body and just being more explosive, more flexible, quicker, faster and stronger. 

This season you hit Grevenbroich for 34 points on 7 three’s. Was this one of the best games in your career?

Scoring wise it was one of my best games so far. But overall I don’t consider it one of my best games since all I really did was score.

Last season you played with the WWU Baskets Muenster (Germany-ProB) playing 27 games averaging 6.9ppg, 1.9rpg, FGP: 53.0%, 3PT: 26.7%, FT: 60.5%. How cool was it having that exciting season and great run? What did you cherish most from that season?

That experience is one I’ll remember forever. I think it’s every athlete’s dream to be part of a ‘Cinderella Story’ and with WWU Baskets I got that chance. The thing I’ll cherish the most is the city and the love and support that they showed us. The entire city really rallied behind us and made us feel super appreciated. That feeling was amazing. Big shout out to all the fans of WWU Baskets.

In 2017-2018 you played your first season in Germany with the Hertener Loewen Basketball (Germany-Regionalliga) playing 23 games averaging 13.7ppg, 3.6rpg, 2.3apg, FGP: 51.4%, 3PT: 30.3%, FT: 75.4%. What was your wake up call to being your first season in Germany where you knew that you were far away from home? 

Honestly the wake up call was when I was offered an extremely low contract to play in Spain. That really made me question my value and what I believe I’m worth. There I kind of realized that maybe it was time for me to leave Spain and try my luck elsewhere. It was a great decision. 

You played your second professional season with CB Novaschool Malaga (Spain-EBA) playing19 games averaging 11.4ppg, 2.5rpg, FGP: 47.7%, 3PT: 30.6%, FT: 85.5%. The EBA is Spain’s 4th league. How competitive is this league exactly and how would you compare it in skill and level to the German Regionalliga?


I would say that EBA is at the level of Regionalliga 1 overall. However, there are many clubs in EBA that are more like the Pro B level. It really depends on where you go in Spain. 

In your rookie season you played with Lucentum Alicante (LEB Silver) playing 27 games averaging 5.7ppg, 1.7rpg, FGP: 44.0%, 3PT: 27.8%, FT: 71.0%. What memories do you have of your rookie season and is this a league you might like to play in again? 

What I remember most about my rookie season is how close we were as a team. A lot of those guys I still talk to now and they will be my friends for a lifetime. Also Alicante is such an amazing city. I really loved it there. If the opportunity presents itself I would love to go back home to play. However, I’m very happy playing and living in Germany. 

You played at the very well known school Oak Hill Academy for a year that has graduated many many future NBA players like Kevin Durant or Carmelo Anthony. What kind of experience was this and talk a bit about the history and kids you played with that would go to the NBA. 


I could probably write a book about this experience haha. I was at Oak Hill for 2 years and I have to admit that they were 2 of the hardest years of my life. The experience was extremely humbling, as I went from being the best player on my team in Spain to being the worst player on the team. Life at Oak Hill was school and basketball. Nothing else. We probably played basketball at Oak Hill an average of 6 hours a day. And playing against that kind of talent you have no choice but to get better. But it was for sure very challenging. I remember my first day there being embarrassed in practice by Doron Lamb. It’s funny now but back then not so much lol. I got there the year after Brandon Jennings. I played with players like Doron Lamb (drafted to NBA, now in turkey), Juwan Staten, Momo Jones (who played last season in the BBL), and many others as well. They are all somewhere in the world playing pro ball. 

You began your career at Fairleigh Dickinson University (NCAA) in 2010 playing 14 games averaging 2.8ppg, 1.4rpg. What memories do you have of your freshman year and could you gain anything positive from that time? 

My fondest memory of my freshman year was playing Uconn, who actually ended up being the national champion that year. In that game, for some reason, I got a lot more minutes than usual and was assigned to play a box and 1 on Kemba Walker. That is something I’ll always remember.

You then played at Florida International University (NCAA) from 2012-2015 amassing a total of 89 NCAA games. Talk a little about that amazing season and tough 65-63 loss to W Kentucky in the Sunbelt tournament final. 


That season was amazing! It was the first season for our new coach Richard Pitino (son of legendary coach Rick Pitino). I remember the first team meeting we had and just the intensity and drive of coach Pitino. He transformed us from a bottom of the league team to a team that was 2 points away from the NCAA tournament. He is easily the best coach I’ve had and I learned so much from him that year. I’m very grateful for that opportunity. 

You got more minutes mid way through your first season and scored in double figures in 4 straight games against LA Lafayette, S Alabama, Middle Tennesse State and LA Monroe. Was that some of the best basketball that you played there? 

Definitely. I almost forgot about that stretch of games. Coach Pitino really had confidence in me and that meant a lot to me at the time. 

What memories do you have of guard Dennis Mavin? He is a guy that has really had to fight for getting jobs. Is he a good example of just how much abundance there is of very talented guards in the world and just not always enough jobs available at higher levels?


I remember clearly when Dennis first came to FIU. We played 1-on-1 as soon as he got there and I remember thinking “wow this guy is quick!”. We had a few battles in practice. He for sure made me a better player. Dennis is a clear cut example of the talent that’s out there. I have so many friends back in the USA that are working a regular job and these guys love basketball and have so much talent. Unfortunately the foreign player rules makes things a lot harder for them to get an opportunity to play over in Europe. 

How did head coach Anthony Evans groom and prepare you best for a professional career?

Coach Evans really instilled toughness in me. He made it clear that if I did not defend and play physically, then I would just not play. That physicality and defense is still with me today. 

Who won a one on one in practice back in the day you or Dennis Mavin? 

Back in the day Dennis won most of the time. He ended up being one of the leading scorers in the country that season. It would be really interesting to see us go at it now.

Who was the toughest player that you ever faced that reached the NBA? 

There’s so many that I can’t say just one. The one and only guy that truly left me in awe when I saw him play was Kyrie Irving. I had the chance to see him in high school then with FIU he actually practiced with us a few times when he was preparing for the NBA Draft. Other guys that I just feel bad not mentioning are Demarcus Cousins, Kemba Walker, Lorenzo Brown, Keith ‘Tiny’ Gallon, Domantas Sabonis, and many more. 

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time? 

Tough question. But I think I have to say: Bryce Leavitt Jojo Cooper Eduardo Guillen Juwan Staten Keith Hornsby 

Please produce your own personal NBA Mount Rushmore with 4 heads past or present? 

Michael Jordan Kobe Bryant Lebron James Hakeem Olajuwan

What is your general opinion with the debate between who is greater Michael Jordan or Lebron James?

It’s a tough debate and honestly a never ending one. I think MJ is the greatest of all time and he has a competitive drive and intensity that can’t even be compared to LeBron’s. However when you talk about them both as players, MJ was an elite scorer and defender, while LeBron does it all. 

What was the last movie that you saw?

Guardians of the Galaxy vol 2

Thanks Marco for the chat.

All I could think the last days was nothing would be the same. As I was approaching Basketball City Mainhatten, the short phrase “nothing would be the same” got louder and stronger as I was in the building. I passed the restaurant and the entrance to the Titus Terme and then I reached the BCM. Instead of just walking in, I was greeted at the door and there was that COVID-19 mask once again something that has become a part of everyone´s life in 2020, the way us Bostonians love our Fenway Franks at Boston Redsox games. Those Franks and masks are a part of life. Seeing no fans was something I had to get used to, but the worst thing for me personally was the post game procedure something that I would have to get used to quickly this season. Having that special proximity to the players is very important, because I love getting those exclusive quotes to spice up my tell all articles and just going up to them and introducing myself was as normal for me now for more than a decade the same way it is for me to brush my teeth or do my 10 KM training each day on the roads. I didn´t want to think about the post game yet and just enjoy 40 minutes of basketball. One thing that hadn´t changed was that Skyliner legend Quantez Robertson was still there as each season. That will most likely not change until the Alabama native can´t run anymore. The only thing that really remained the same was that there were many new faces on each team. 2010 Eurochallnge winner BG Goettingen had many new faces and for me the 2 most interesting were ex NBA player Jorge Gutierrez and rookie Christian Vital who came from legendary NCAA school UConn and will handle the point guard duties this season. On the other side the Fraport Skyliners as usual weren´t complete yet as a few Americans were still missing, but also had many new interesting faces on the floor like Jon Axel Gudmundsson, Rasheed Moore, Michael Kessens and Matthew Meredith. An old known head was back with the versatile guard Konstantin Klein. Another thing, I had to get used to was the special seating arrangements. Each journalist had a certain place to seat which made me feel like I was not at a basketball game, but in the German cinema where seating arrangement has always been an option. Even If the Fraport Skyliners led after the first, second and third quarters, a game has 40 minutes and in crunch-time, the 2016 FIBA Europe Cup team let the game slip away and in the end lost 83-76. After the game Fraport Skyliners head coach Sebastian Gleim stood behind a plastic like window and answered the journalists questions. Despite the loss, he was upbeat since you can´t overrate the first test game. “Everyday we have 2 opponents with COVID-19 and our basketball opponent. Life right now is a big challenge for all. We were all happy today that we could play a game again. I thought it was a pretty good game to watch. I liked our energy on the court. At the end there was a difference in the physicality and we missed some things on defense and didn´t make shots. We had a lot of players not playing their natural position. But overall we reached more today than I expected”, expressed Fraport Skyliners head coach Sebastian Gleim. After the win a low beat Christian Vital expressed his thoughts about the win. “This was the first time that we played against a different team. We didn´t respond well in first half, but in the second half brought more energy, we started hitting more shots, rebounding and finishing better”, explained ex Uconn Huskie Christian Vital.

                Both teams were without key players as the Fraport skyliners were without Konstantin Klein while BG Goettingen was without ex NBA player Jorge Gutierrez. Frankfurt also presented Belgium national player Emmanuel Lecomte who has been in Frankfurt just staying in shape. Sebastian Gleim called him up 10 days ago and asked him if he wanted to come to Frankfurt and he obliged and took a train from Brussels to Frankfurt to help the team. Also practice player Alex Herrera who had belonged to the best Pro A forwards the last years with Phoenix Hagen and Science City Jena had left after signing with a club in Austria. The Fraport Skyliners got up on the wrong side of the bed as BG Goettingen jumped all over Frankfurt in the first few minutes taking a swift 8-0 lead. BG Goettingen got huge support from young German Marvin Omuvwie who last played with the Hamburg Towers scoring twice, big man Tai Odiase who came from the Greensboro Swarm (NBA G League) and also played in Greece made a tap in and Aubrey Dawkins who is the son of ex NBA player Johnny Dawkins made free throws. BG Goettingen played aggressive at both ends of the court while Frankfurt were erratic in their set plays. The Fraport Skyliners finally got on the board at the 7,10 minute mark as ex wiha Panthers Schwenningen forward Rasheed Moore dropped a trey. Basketball is a game of runs  and now it was the Fraport Skyliners turn and they produced with a 13-0 run to take the 16-10 advantage. Key in this run was Emmanuel Lecomte who didn´t start came off the bench scoring in bunches with a jumper and trey and young German talent Jordan Samare who wasn´t playing his natural position made a tap in and lay in and German veteran Marco Voeller also made a tap in. Lecomte gave Frankfurt instant offense and confidence while BG Goettingen let up on aggressiveness on defense. Down the stretch BG Goetingen got some crucial baskets from rookie and ex North Carolina A&T State University (NCAA) forward Ronald Jackson and Christian Vital nailed a tough three pointer while Frankfurt got baskets from new players Jon Axel Gudmundsson and Michael Kessens as Frankfurt led 22-18 after 10 minutes. Both teams shot over 40% from the field, but poorly from outside while the story of the game was the Frankfurt 14-6 rebound advantage where Michael Kessens had 7.

            In the second quarter the Fraport Skyliners were able to keep their lead upping their defense and holding BG Goettingen to 13 points. Tai Odiase got BG Goettingen on the board first, but their inconsistency in execution allowed Frankfurt to go on a 5-0 tun to extend their lead to 27-20 getting a tip in from Moore and free throws from Lecomte and Len Schoorman. Both teams were sloppy, but that is expected in the first preseason game, but Frankfurt kept their lead and got valuable baskets from Gudmundsson and Moore for the 32-24 lead. One interesting stat in the second quarter was the team fouls. Frankfurt had got 4 early, but BG Goettingen could take advantage of it and later were hit with their 5^th as Frankfurt still had 4. Every once in a while, BG Goettingen got some points as Dawkins and Jackson scored, but at the break, the Fraport Skyliners still had the 37-31 lead. Frankfurt had a bad shooting quarter from the field while BG Goettingen was still over 40%, but both teams shot 25% from outside. Frankfurt continued to dominate the boards 24-16 and had 11 offensive rebounds, while BG Goettingen couldn´t take care of the ball having 8 turnovers in the quarter.

            In the third quarter the Fraport Skyliners were able to keep the lead, but had problems generating sufficient offense as BG Goettingen defended better and held Frankfurt without a field goal for almost 7 minutes. Despite defending so well, BG Goettingen had massive problems scoring and could compensate holding Frankfurt 7 minutes without a field goal. Despite Kessens controlling the boards, BG Goettingen big man Odiase continued to be a work horse as well on the boards made a put back while the German combination of Omuvwie and Nelson Weidemann who was 2017 NBBL champion with FC Bayern Munich combined for a bucket. Omuvwie made a block and Weidemann went coast to coast for the basket, but Frankfurt led 38-37. BG Goettingen was close to taking the lead on a British national player Luke Nelson´s three to tie the score at 40-40, but Frankfurt was able to find ways to get to the free throw line while still waiting to get that first field goal of the quarter. Frankfurt then went on a crushing 8-0 run getting free throws from Moore and Lecomte and Kessens then scored twice giving Frankfurt it´s first goal of the quarter at the 3,30 minute mark. Frankfurt has Lecomte for scoring in buckets while BG Goettingen countered with Dawkins who scored 6 unanswered points to get his team back close to 48-46. Vital scored and Dawkins then gave BG Goettingen the 51-50 lead, but Lecomte had the last laugh getting a lay in for the 52-51 Frankfurt lead after three quarters. “We picked up our defense and just continued to stay poised”, stressed Christian Vital. The Fraport Skyliners continued to shoot poorly from the field at 33% and only 16% from outside While BG Goettingen was still above 40% from the field and at 20% from outside. Frankfurt continued to control the boards at 34-28 and had an amazing 15 offensive rebounds. BG Goettingen continued to be careless with the ball getting 8 turnovers in the quarter totaling 18.

            The fourth quarter was a dog fight, but in crunch-time, it was BG Goettingen that executed better. BG Goettingen also began the fourth quarter better going on a quick 6-0 run to retake the lead at 57-52. The run was started by Vital making a pull up jumper which was followed by a three pointer and free throws by 25 year old German Andrew Onwuegbuzie. Frankfurt had no rhythm on offense and made bad turnover´s including a missed dunk. Frankfurt found some daylight with a Rasheed Moore offense rebound and put back to cut the BG Goettingen lead to 57-55. But Vital quickly silenced Frankfurt with a big trey for the 60-55 lead. “I always try to help my team. I made a good read and made the shot”, stressed Christian Vital. “Vital is a good shooter. We had to have done a better job taking that away from him”, added Frankfurt head coach Sebastian Gleim. Frankfurt suddenly executed well getting 3 consecutive baskets to tie the score at 62-62. Skyliner legend Quantez Robertson scored inside, Marco Voeller scored in the lane and Moore nailed a three pointer. Both teams were high on adrenaline and were trading baskets and runs. BG Goettingen took the lead back with a Weidemann trey and Vital free throws to lead 67-62, but Frankfurt responded right away with a Kessens bucket and three free throws from Lecomte to dead lock the game at 67-67. After Dawkins and Kessens traded buckets, it was Odiase who made a exciting and spectacular hard two handed alley op dunk for the 71-69 lead. But Frankfurt had an answer again as Quantez Robertson stroked home a clutch trey for the 72-71 advantage. But Frankfurt then would have no more answers as BG Goettingen rattled off a 9-0 run to secure the win. In the run, BG Goettingen got clutch baskets from ex MBC player Benedikt Turoic, Dawkins and Weidemann for the 80-72 advantage. Len Schoorman made 1/3 free throws and Vital and Robertson traded three pointers to end the game. “Basketball is a game of runs. After we took the lead, we took control late getting the win”, said Christian Vital. “We weren´t tired. They hit some tough shots. If they make 2 less three´s then it´s a different ball game”, stated Marco Voeller. BG Goettingen was led by Aubrey Dawkins with 21 points. Christian Vital produced 21 points and Tai Odiase added 12 points. The Fraport Skyliners were led by Emmanuel Lecomte with 16 points, Rasheed Moore added 14 points and Michael Kessen had 13 points and 14 boards. BG Goettingen shot 50% form the field and 32% from outside and had 36 rebounds and 23 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners shot 36% from the field and 25% from outside and had 43 rebounds and 16 turnovers.

Summer pretty much began in March for all basketball players because of COVID-19 and for a while it seemed like it would never end. The last official game for the Dragons Rhondorf was on March 7^th where they got creamed 100-82 in Cologne and 2019 German batchelor Andrej Mangold was as close to a triple double and the Dragons Rhondorf were led by Dijon Allen-Jordan with 22 points. It was a long extended summer where the easyCredit BBL and NBA was available for basketball in those times when you needed it most. With summer having found it´s way back to Germany in September, it was finally time for basketball again even if it was only preseason. The Dragons Rhondorf traveled south down the beautiful Rhein river to battle new Pro B team EPG Baskets Koblenz who could quietly be a contender as they have built up a very competitive squad and seemingly feels like they persuaded half of the BIS Baskets team to come play for them. The Dragons Rhondorf have built a very interesting young squad while Koblenz has formed a very scary team with established Pro B players like Brian Butler, CJ Oldham, DJ Woodmore, Michael Acosta, Zaire Thompson, Jacob Mampuya and Eidn Alispahic. This was definitely going to be a tough challenge for the ex Pro A team Dragons Rhondorf, but since it is preseason, it was an opportunity for all to get better acquainted with each other on the court and start building team chemistry. Going into the game, new Pro B team EPG Baskets Koblenz were the huge favorite, but one would never have believed it through 40 minutes of play as they only had 3 leads as the Dragons Rhondorf played a hard spirited game, but especially a solid defensive game something they couldn´t do last season as they upset Koblenz 64-61 in preseason action. After the game a relaxed and very pleased Paul Albrecht broke down the 40 minutes. “We had a short rotation with an average of something like 18 years of age only. We worked really hard today. It was amazing how calm and collected the team was in tough situations. I like how we adapted to their physicality. We have a special team. Nobody needs to score 30 points. I´m very proud how the team fought and played today”, explained ex Hanau forward Paul Albrecht. After the upset loss, the Koblenz players were quiet while doing their post game stretches as they were trying to digest the embarrassing loss. “The bad start hurt us. We allowed them to build their confidence up as the game went on. They hit tough shots early on and having to constantly come back cost us a lot of energy. We had to many turnovers and have to improve our defense”, stated ex ScanPlus Baskets forward Brian Butler.

                The EPG Baskets Koblenz were without their starting point guard DJ Woodmore while the Dragons Rhondorf were without 4 double license players including Kilian Binapfl and Gabriel De Olveira and it didn´t take the Dragons Rhondorf long to jump all over the EPG Baskets Koblenz as they led 9-1 after only a few minutes. 18 year old Lithuanian talent Simas Lukosius who shot an overwhelming 48% from outside last season in the Regionalliga got going at once nailing a three, the young talented not officially signed player got a trey  and new Dragon Clint Schonheiter who came from FC Bayern Munich made a lay in. Rhondorf forced 3 turnovers while Koblenz was playing terrible one on one defense. After a timeout Koblenz found to their game a lot better slowly starting to claw back, but Rhondorf didn´t relinquish the lead yet. Koblenz got extra force from ex easyCredit BBL slam dunk champion Brian Butler who was controlling the offensive glass getting one offensive rebound after another as Rhondorf looked like a helpless child. Butler made a tip in and put back dunk while also getting free throws from ex BBL player Jacob Mampuya and ex Giessen player Lukas Mayer to cut the Rhondorf lead to 15-10. But Rhondorf stayed in command getting consistent baskets as Paul Albrecht and ex Leverkusen point guard Jacob Englehardt perfected the pick and roll and back to back three´s  gave Rhondorf the comfortable 24-17 advantage. The EPG Baskets Koblenz never let up as Butler continued to live on the glass making another put back dunk, but the Dragons Rhondorf led 27-22 after 10minutes.

                In the second quarter the offensive arsenal that both teams supplied in the first quarter was doused a bit as both teams stepped it up on the defensive end. Once again the EPG Baskets Koblenz got off to a rocky start allowing the Dragons Rhondorf to go on a 5-0 run to extend their lead to 32-22. Athletic teenager number 11(not officially signed yet) made a lay in while going coast to coast and Lukusius also went coast to coast for a lay in as the club was perfecting their transition game. But a talented and offensive hungry team like Koblenz can´t stay cold long as they went on a 7-2 run to cut the Rhondorf lead down to 34-29. In the run they got valuable support from Mampuya who took on the Butler role and scored twice inside including a dunk and 32 year old Bosnian veteran Edin Alispahic nailed a trey. The EPG Baskets Koblenz were shooting the ball better while Rhondorf didn´t always make the best decisions, but that is expected from a young team. Both teams continued to defend with heart while making baskets. The Dragons Rhondorf kept the lead getting a three from Eddy Burgunder and a late lay in from the young talented unsigned player after getting the no look pass from Lukusius. At the break the ex Pro A team Dragons Rhondorf led 39-34.

                After getting up on the wrong side of the bed in the first and second quarters, the EPG Baskets Koblenz finally began well in the third quarter rushing out on a rapid 7-2 run to take their first lead of the game 42-41 at the 6,01 minute mark. The EPG Baskets Koblenz had their best set play of the game up to that point as Butler made a lay in. Koblenz got more points from ex Fordham(NCAA) guard Zaire Thompson who scored on transition, another lay in on transition from ex Leverkusen Forward CJ Oldham and Alspahic gave Koblenz the lead with a 20 footer from the baseline. But that lead didn´t last long as Engelhardt dropped a trey to give Rhondorf the 44-42 lead. Oldham showed his athleticism with a nifty floater to dead lock the contest at 44-44. Rhondorf captured the advantage back with a clutch trey from Paul Albrecht and 16 year old Serbian guard Nikola Petojevic answered with a lay in. Rhondorf really put on the pressure in the last few minutes as Koblenz lost concentration on defense and allowed a tap in by Paul Albrecht and a tap inside by Clint Schonheiter for the 53-47 Rhondorf lead. “We never lowered our heads which can occur with a young team but played consistent defense. We played for each other. We did make mistakes, but compensated in other areas”, added Paul Albrecht. “We defended better. Not defending well in the first half was mental. We fought more and stayed in the game”, said Brian Butler. The halftime talk from EPG Baskets Koblenz head coach Danny Rodriguez was a loud one as one could hear him yelling “Stop feeling sorry for yourselves and stop playing like girls”.

                The fourth quarter was a real dog fight as both clubs found a way to continue to play aggressive defense as offensive execution was limited despite fatigue creeping in. The Dragons Rhondorf got off to a good start getting a beautiful high rainbow from a yet not officially signed young player to help Rhondorf lead comfortably 56-47. But the EPG Baskets Koblenz were on their home court and weren´t about to fade in the late summer afternoon sun, but put all they had and put on a strong comeback attempt going on a hard fought 12-2 run to get their second lead of the game 59-58. In the run, Koblenz got a difficult lay in in traffic by Mampuya, a hard two handed stuff by Butler, a trey by Thompson, a lay in by Mampuya and another lay in by Thompson. Koblenz were rewarded by their hard defense which led to good offense and points on good set plays and they continued to get key offensive rebounds. Rhondorf was erratic in many moments as their youth and inexperience took a toll. “It is difficult to play consistent defense for any kind of a team. We kept our cool”, stated Paul Albrecht. But the Dragons Rhondorf got the lead back as the young unsigned and not official yet player made a tough runner in traffic to get the lead back at 60-59. The EPG Baskets Koblenz would lead one more time 61-60 thanks to a Butler lay in. Then came the deciding moment of the game as the so strong offensive rebound team Koblenz couldn´t secure a defensive rebound as they allowed the guests 5 chances and on the last Paul Albrecht made the lay in for the 62-61 advantage with 28 second remaining. Rhondorf closed out the game in style with 2 stops and free throws from Engelhardt and Schonheiter for the well deserved 64-61 win. “We kept our cool and luck always plays a part. We happened to get many extra chances and I made the offensive rebound and basket. Yassin Idbihi continues to tell us that last team´s defense was the worst of all-time. Well I think that today we showed that we can play a good defensive game”, said Paul Albrecht. “It was anybody´s game at the end, but we were tired. I like how we came back in the second quarter and showed that we could fight and we showed that we can build on it. Rhondorf played very good. They are a young team and will be able to compete in the Regionalliga”, warned Brian Butler. The Dragons Rhondorf were led by Mystery unsigned player with 15 points, Paul Albrecht netted 12 points while Nikola Petojevic, Clint Schonheiter and Jacob Engelhardt added 7 points a piece. The EPG Baskets Koblenz were led by Brian Butler with 19 points and Jacob Mampuya added 13 points.

Ricky Ledo is a 28 year old 201cm forward from Providence, Rhode Island who recently finished his 7th professional season and first with Anwil Wloclawek (Poland-EBL) averaging 16.7ppg, 4.8rpg, 4.5apg, Steals-4 (2.0spg), FGP: 55.4%, 3PT: 35.1%, FT: 79.7%. He never played in the NCAA, but was drafted by the Drafted by Milwaukee Bucks in the second round at #49 in 2013. From 2013-2016 he played in the States in the NBA and D-League. He played 28 NBA games with the Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks and also played in the G-League with the Texas Legends and Reno Bighorns. He has played overseas since 2016 playing in countries like Turkey, Spain and Italy. He also played in China with the Beijing Dragons (China-CBA) averaging 32.5ppg, 9.6rpg, 5.3apg, 2.4spg, FGP: 53.6%, 3PT: 29.5%, FT: 77.5%. He spoke to germanhoops.com during the Coronavirus crisis. 

Hi Ricky where are you at the moment and how is your current mood despite the world turmoil at the moment because of the out break of the Corona Virus?

I’m back home in Providence, Rhode Island with my family. My mood is ok, but the shut down isn’t a great feeling, but at the same time it’s like a blessing being able to spend time with my family which I usually didn’t have at this point in the season.

When you first heard about the Corona Virus did you ever think that it could have such an effect on the world?

When I started hearing more about it, I knew it was serious. I knew quickly that I didn’t want to be in Europe when the shut down came and be alone. I wanted to see which would be the safest and smartest thing to do and kept an eye on the situation. Then the season was canceled and I returned home.

How have you experienced the day to day life in Poland during the Corona Virus outbreak? Did you see that corona effect on the culture there or was it not so much different happening in your day to day dealings?

It was normal at the time and hadn’t become that bad yet. When the boarders were closed down and I had 48 hours to leave and the season was cancelled I saw to it that I would leave. 

Did you become more aware about how you handle yourself in public in terms of shaking hands and not being in the line of fire with somebody coughing

I’m lucky that I have never been in the line of fire when someone coughs. When I grew up I learned how to handle myself in those kind of situations.

Basketball leagues have shut down all over Europe. How disappointed were you about this and not being able to finish the season?

It was definitely very very disappointing. We had a great team with Anwil. We won both Cups and were in second place in the Polish league. We also played solid in the BCL. We had the chance to be the first Polish team to win all 3 national titles.

Before leagues were shut down there was a BCL game in Bonn against AEK Athens and a Fiba Europe Cup game in Bayreuth without spectators. What is your overall opinion of playing a game without fans?

I don’t really like it. You play for the love of the game, but you also need the fans there. We as players feed off the fans and they give you energy and help you get into the game. 

What have you learned about these tough times that has made you stronger as a person?

This whole crisis really hasn’t affected me in that regard. I had an upbringing that helped me become mentally strong. I was already away from home at a young age going to prep schools so I was far away from my family at a young age. I was used to isolation. 

Wil it be a big adjustment having to start 3 months earlier with workouts and basketball skill development? What will be the advantages and disadvantages of this?


It depends on the player. Some guys will take longer off before getting back into the gym. I haven’t been doing anything yet just resting and recovering from season. But I will get back into my routine and get into rhythm. There is nothing else like it.

The whole world economy is going to be affected including Polish basketball. How worried are you about the future of professional basketball. The next season will have many changes. How are you handling this mentally now not knowing what to expect?

There isn’t really anything you can do at the moment. I’m just waiting like everyone else. It will all be resolved at some time. Even if it means playing without fans for a while. I will weigh my options and continue to wait and see what happens.

How have you experienced the day to day life back home in the States? How has the Coronavirus affected your daily life? How have you been keeping in shape inside your home. Talk about the type of exercises and work out you have been able to perform inside your own 4 walls.

I haven’t started to work out yet. Like I said I’m just resting and spending a lot of time with my family laughing and joking.

If you had to name another player besides guys from Anwil that you have been in most contact via Social Media who would it be?

Just my normal friends. From Anwil keeping in touch with Tony Wroten.

You played your fourth season in Europe after playing your first 3 seasons in the NBA and G-League. How much is the NBA still on your mind and even if guys are returning back there still seems to be many many guys that don’t. Why does it still seem difficult for an NBA player after going to Europe for some reasons to go back? 

I don’t think that that is a correct statement. The NBA is always in the back of my mind. I know that I’m talented and know what I can do. I have always succeeded where ever I have played in my career. To play in the NBA, it’s all about being in the right situation at the right time. I believe you are seeing players at the moment getting a second chance more than ever now. The NBA takes the Euroleague very seriously.

The trend in the NBA now for years has been believing in the young guys. A Vince Carter type of player that is older is dying out. Why do you believe has the NBA gotten younger instead of trying to keep the flair of having those experienced guys stay?

The NBA is exciting and the league now is like back in the day when guys were coming out of high school. The talented young kids of today are doing stuff that the older guys can’t do. That is just how the NBA is now. You keep seeing less and less guys staying 4 years in school. 

Another season another country. You have played in various countries and this season it was with Anwil. What did you appreciate most about the Polish experience on and off the court?

The Anwil fans were the best and some of the best I ever played for. They were always at away games and it felt like home there. They had some real diehard fans and that helped me have one of my best seasons in my career. Off the court I appreciate most being able to gain relationships with my teammates 

How much of a pleasure was it being teammates with Tony Wroten. He said in my interview he had no problems talking about the NBA when he was in Poland. Did you guys exchange some stories of the NBA?

We were neighbors in Poland and we hung out every day. He is my guy. We talked a lot about the NBA and how we had transitioned to Europe and how trying to get back to the NBA. 

Last season you split time in Italy and China with Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia (Italy-Serie A) averaging 23.5ppg, 4.9rpg, 3.4apg, 2FGP: 47.0%, 3FGP: 31.6%, FT: 71.7%, left in Nov.’18, in Jan.’19 moved to Beijing Dragons (China-CBA) averaging: 32.5ppg, 9.6rpg, 5.3apg, 2.4spg, FGP: 53.6%, 3PT: 29.5%, FT: 77.5%. What kind of experience was China. What are the main differences between the NBA and CBA in terms of defensive effort?

They definitely play defense in China. If you want to play in China and be successful you have to be a scorer. What many might not know not everyone that goes to China succeeds. There have been high level NBA players that didn’t succeed in China. The difference in China is that your the man there. You are given a special confidence which you had in high school. They let you be the player you can be and you don’t have to worry about looking over your shoulder. You get the freedom. They play with a lot of effort in China and guys play their hearts out.

You were putting up amazing stats in Italy including a 41 points explosion against Cantu and then continued so in China. Was this some of the best basketball that you played in your professional career?

Yes last season was one of my best season’s scoring wise. I was in great shape and that had a lot to do with the weight training of the organization. I thank them for that. My being in great shape showed on the court.

In 2017-2018 you split time with Anadolu Efes Istanbul (Turkey-BSL) averaging 12.2ppg, 5.5rpg, 2.7apg, FGP: 29.0%, 3PT: 32.4%, FT: 95.7%; and in the Euroleague averaged 8.6ppg, 4.0rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 33.8%, 3PT: 26.4%, FT: 61.1%, in Jan.’18 moved to Wisconsin Herd (NBA G League, starting five) averaging 15.4ppg, 6.5rpg, 2.7apg, 1.6spg, 2FGP: 45.6%, 3FGP: 33.3%, FT: 96.4%. How beneficial was it playing Euroleague? What part of your game benefited the most there?

It was my second year in Europe and playing Euroleague really helped me learn the game better. The reason I left in mid season was because my dad passed away. He was my best friend. I wanted to be near my family. I loved the pace of the Euroleague and being able to learn different defenses and there were good players everywhere. 

You finished the season in the G-League with the Wisconsin Herd putting up respectable stats. Besides going there to be near family did you get some interest from teams and the tip to play in the G-league again or was that NBA dream itching harder again?


At that stage I didn’t think of the NBA. I mean I’m not about playing in the G-League for pennies. I am a grown man with a little daughter and have to do what is beneficial for my family. I have established myself in Europe and it isn’t bad. There are guys in Europe making more money than guys in the NBA

You have had many memorable games as a professional but was your 21 points in the 89-85 Euroleague victory against FC Barcelona one that you may always remember?

This was a tough time for me. My father had just passed away and I had been in a slump. I really needed that game to get over the hump. It was a road win and it was nice playing against my childhood friend Rakim Sanders.

Is Erik Mccullum one of those guys that could play in the NBA with his lethal scoring, but just gets lost in the prominent guard shuffle? 

So many guys can play play in the NBA. All it takes is having the right opportunity and having a coach that likes you and your all set. 

In 2016-2017 you played your first season overseas splitting time with Yesilgiresun Belediye (Turkey-BSL) leading he league in scoring 21.2ppg), 6.3rpg, 2.8apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 43.4%, 3PT: 35.6%, FT: 81.8%, then joined Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz (Spain-Liga ACB) averaging 9.4ppg, 2.4rpg, 1.9apg, FGP: 65.4%, 3PT: 38.1%, FT: 88.9%. What was your wake up call to being a rookie in Europe where you knew that you were very far away from home?

The first couple of weeks were tough, but I was lucky and glad that having gone to prep school prepared me. I adjusted well off the court and did the same on the court. I proved that I could play in Europe because the domestic Turkish league is one of the best in Europe. 

You had some massive games in Turkey scoring 40 points or more twice. How quickly did you realize that your game can translate to anyplace?

I feel like my game translates to anyplace. I have the self confidence to be able to walk in anywhere and be the man. My self confidence gives me a boost showing I am the boss. 

In Spain with Baskonia you were teammates with Shane Larkin and Johannes Voigtmann. Who was the best point guard this season in Europe him or Mike James and do you feel like Voigtmann is an NBA player?

Shane is my guy We played together in the NBA with Dallas and New York. That is tough. Mike also had a great year. Shane and Efes were in a better position than Mike and CSKA. Plus Shane had two 40 point games. I would go with Shane. But Mike is also a dog. Both should be in the NBA. Joe is a beast. He has been one of the best versatile big men that I have played with. He made life easier for me on the court. He also was one of the best passing big men that I have played with. He is so versatile and could play in the NBA. More and more Europeans are coming back to Europe. I would like to get back to the NBA. You get treated so well there.

In your third professional season you played with the Reno Bighorns (D-League) averaging 21.1ppg, 6.1rpg, 2.8apg, 1.1spg, 2FGP: 46.1%, 3FGP: 40.2%, FT: 81.9%. Do you feel like you were close to an NBA call up and how disappointing was it not getting one?

I thought that I would get a NBA call up, but didn’t. I had many 30 point games. I was surprised that I didn’t get a call up. I talked a lot with my agent who was telling me what was going on. I shot over 40% from outside and was having a great season. Everything happens for a reason.

Please describe how the NBA will always be a business first before anything else? Do you remember experiencing players coming and going where the NBA organization had little concern for the feelings for the player?

Just look at Harrison Barnes. He got traded during a game. You see so many different situations in the NBA with many guys getting effected. Demarcus Cousins is the man and then he gets an injury and nobody wants him is another good example. Carmelo Anthony is another good example. He is back now with Portland and played well. Now everyone wants him again while before no one did. 

Between 2013-2015 you played a total of 28 NBA games,16 with the Dallas Mavericks and 12 with the New York Knicks. I have interviewed guys in the past that also had minimal NBA experience but in their youth didn’t necessarily do everything so they could have a better chance of staying in the NBA. When you look back at your time there, do you feel like you did everything in your power to remain or were you a bit naeve in certain things because of your youth?

I don’t think that I did everything in my power to stay. I had a lot of eagerness then to play. I hadn’t played in college and just wanted to play. In my first year with Dallas, I was working veryhard, but only playing sometimes. In my second year, I thought I was playing really well in practice and in the D-League. I was young and just didn’t understand the situation. I could of definitely done something different. I didn’t understand New York. I felt that I deserved more of a chance with them. I saw that the NBA was a business. In Dallas it was a win now situation. 

Please talk about your experiences with Dirk Nowitzki. What is a memory you have of him what really defined him as the player and person that he really was?

Dirk was so cool. He was a big goof ball, but so cool. He was a real hard worker and great person. 

You played together with 3 amazing players with Vince Carter, Shawn Marion and Monta Ellis. Please talk a bit about each guy and what it meant being able to soak up as much basketball information as possible?

All 3 led by example. Tyson Chandler was another guy who always came early while Dirk stayed late. I saw the type of work ethic that they had and tried to follow. Carter and Ellis gave me many words of wisdom. There were some real gems in there. Shawn was also a cool guy. 

You also played 12 NBA games with the New York Knicks. You scored a NBA career high 21 points in a loss to Washington. What do you remember most about this game?

That game proved to me that I could score at any level. I was in a groove at that time. I thought I was playing well at that point getting around 15 minutes something I didn’t get with Dallas. That game was life changing and a dream come true being able to play at Madison Square Garden

When you look back at your NBA career what did you appreciate most about it?

I lived out my dream playing in The NBA and It is still my dream to get back

How tough was it never playing in the NCAA with Providence? Do you sometimes wonder where your career may have gone had you played in the NCAA?

Yes I do wonder how my career may have gone differently. When my career is over I will explain this with a book or tell all film. I wish that I could of played in the NCAA. At that time though it was better to go and leave Providence. I did all I possibly could to play but got screwed. I wish that I could of played in front of family and friends. I believe that had I played in the NCAA I could have been an NBA lottery pick. 

Who was the toughest player you ever battled?

Monta Ellis. He was a tough player that was so quick and could shoot the ball.

Please name your personal NBA Mount Rushmore of past and present players?

Jordan, Kobe, Shaq, Lebron plus Iverson-Penny Hardaway

Where were you when you heard about the death of Kobe Bryant? How much of an effect did he have on your life growing up?

I was at home. I talked to my older brother on the phone and we were crying. Kobe was the reason why I started to play basketball. I remember being him on the court turning around shooting and yelling Kobe.

How bitter is it that the NCAA March Madness has been canceled? This tournament for some kids is the greatest time of their lives. What advice would you give that senior who worked hard for 4 years and would have had his one and only chance now?

That is so tough for those kids. They should really be credited for another season. Playing in the tournament means so much to the players. It is important for seniors making their first appearance and for guys that want to be drafted.

What was the last movie that you saw?

Money Heist

Thanks Ricky for the chat.

Jguwon Hogges is a 33 year old 173cm guard that completed his 6th professional season and sixth with SB DJK Rosenheim (Germany-Regionalliga). In his 6 seasons with SB DJK Rosenheim he never averaged less than 17,3ppg in a season. This past season he had one of his best statistical seasons playing 21 games averaging 22.7ppg, 8.1rpg, 4.4apg, 2.9spg, FGP: 54.2%, 3PT: 33.8%, FT: 72.1%. Before turning professional he played at Oregon Institute of Technology (NAIA). He spoke to germanhoops.com during the COVID-19 crisis. 

Hi Jguwon where are you at the moment and how is your current mood despite the world turmoil at the moment because of the out break of the Corona Virus?

I am currently in America with my family. I feel sorry for all the people who are affected by the Corona Virus. It has caused me to miss out on the game of basketball but this whole thing is bigger than basketball.

When you first heard about the Corona Virus did you ever think that it could have such an effect on the world?

I did not know to be honest. I just thought it was much like the Ebola outbreak where it may affect some people. I never thought it would get to the scale of affecting the whole world.

How did you experience the day to day life in Germany during the Corona Virus outbreak? Did you see that corona effect on the culture there or was it not so much different happening in your day to day dealings?

I was actually sent home right before the big shut down and the travel ban was enforced. If I would have stayed I would have been alone in my apartment. I am glad that I was able to come and be with my family this time. I am a very social person so for me to only see a certain amount of people has been hard. Plus I can’t go in the gym so I have been having to find creative ways to workout and interact with people. 

Did you become more aware about how you handle yourself in public in terms of shaking hands and not being in the line of fire with somebody coughing

I did, but I think that is common sense. No one wants to be sick.

Basketball leagues have shut down all over Europe. How disappointed were you about this and not being able to finish the season?

I was disappointed, I really wanted to finish out the league. Our team has a couple of games that we needed to win to stay in the league, and I was sad that we did not get to face that challenge.

Before leagues were shut down there was a BCL game in Bonn against AEK Athens and a Fiba Europe Cup game in Bayreuth without spectators. What is your overall opinion of playing a game without fans?


In this instance I thought that was very dangerous and reckless. I understand they wanted to protect the fans, but what about the players. Ultimately the players and coaches and organizations drive the league so why put them in danger.

What have you learned about these tough times that has made you stronger as a person?


I have learned that some things are just out of your control and you have to roll with what is given to you.

Will it be a big adjustment having to start 3 months earlier with workouts and basketball skill development? What will be the advantages and disadvantages of this?

I like to give myself some time off normally away from basketball. I play a lot of golf and work on some project cars in my down time. Then I let my body tell me when it is time to start gearing up for the next season. This longer preseason will help me work on injury prevention and get my body ready for another season. The only disadvantage is not knowing when the leagues will start back up.

The whole world economy is going to be affected including German basketball. How worried are you about the future of professional basketball. The next season will have many changes. How are you handling this mentally now not knowing what to expect?

I really think it is going to be a lot different in the game of basketball for a while. I think it is going to take some getting used to when we do start playing again. Much like when Magic Johnson returned after contracting HIV. Some people will be ok with playing while others will be scared to catch something. It is just hard not knowing what can and can’t happen. There is just a lot of uncertainties at this moment. 

How have you experienced the day to day life back home in the States? How has the Coronavirus affected your daily life? How have you been keeping in shape inside your home. Talk about the type of exercises and work out you have been able to perform inside your own 4 walls.

I have just been keeping myself busy with a couple project cars and playing my bass guitar. The first couple of weeks I was required to stay home since I had flown from Germany so I did not work out. Now that I can go outside I do some running and small circuit training in my front yard. Lots of plyos and strength workouts.

If you had to name another player besides guys from your team that you have been in most contact via Social Media who would it be?

Peter Breitfeld

Let’s talk about the season of Rosenheim who finished in 13th place with a record of 6-16. How would you summarize the team season?

It was not a successful season record wise. We were young and I think the guys learned a lot being in the position that we were in this year and that is what is most important. Being able to take what we learned this year and apply it in the future.

The club began the season losing 5 of 6 games, then won 4 games in a row and then lost 11 of 12 games. How frustrating is it knowing this and why couldn’t the team have more successful moments during the season?


That is how basketball is sometimes. Like I said we were young this year and some of the guys had not had a full year in the 1st Reg, so it takes time to adjust to certain things. Most of those games we were in and just had a few mistakes here and there. So I do not see it as being unsuccessful, I see it as learning for our team.

In the 4 game winning streak the club showed steel of nerves winning 3 tight games. What did you enjoy most about the winning streak?

It was good to see the younger guys win at the level and validate that they could play there.

The team averaged 74 points and gave up 81 points. I personally think you were missing a couple more scorers to help score more points. How do you see that?

I think that we just could have been a little stronger on defense collectively as a team. We missed some assignments at critical parts of close games and that was the difference.

What was the season highlight? Possibly the exciting 77-76 victory over Jena 2?


Yeah that was a great game. We played well and our young guys really were tough on the road. We grinded that one out till the end.

Let’s talk about your teammates. Talk a little about the Marz brothers Jonas and Bastian. They play with the FC Bayern Munich youth teams and have been taking the long ride from Rosenheim to Munich to play the game they love for years. How have you observed their development in the last years?

It has been a pleasure to see the way they have grown as players. I got to coach Basti in his youth and he and his brother play hard and are exceptional talents.

Let’s talk about your game. You’re a 173cm point guard. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would best fit the description?

I would have to say Earl Boykins.

You finished your 6th season with Rosenheim and the club has finished in 10, 13,9,11,12 and 13th place. Is this a great example of when a team and coach like Bob Miller takes care of you, you don’t need to leave. Why do you keep coming back besides the magnificent landscape with the Bavarian alps?


I was blessed to be able to come and play for Sportbund and stay for as long as I have. The whole club has been a joy to be a part of. The club has been gracious enough to continue to want me to come back. I keep coming back because I love the club and the team and I want to set an example for the younger generation.

You have been a top guard in the German Regionalliga for 6 years. You must have had some offers from higher leagues. Or do you feel like you have been severely overlooked over the years?


That is tough. I understand that I do not pass the eye test. Most of the time I am the smallest guy on the court in stature but I try my best to make up for that size disadvantage with heart. So it is tough for teams from higher leagues to judge in the un measurable parts of the game. I think they want measurables, so when teams compare me with a player who is 189 cm and can do some of the things I can I think it is easy for them to go another route.

You have averaged 7,0rpg or more 4 times and averaged 8,0rpg the last two season’s. If you want to be a good rebounder at 173cm does effort at times outweigh skill and height in being able to get the rebounds?

Attention to detail/ desire are things I focus on when rebounding. This year my coach was on me about boxing out and it helped keep us in games this year.

Your turning 34 in September. Do you feel like your already past your prime? On what things are you working most on your game at this stage of your career?

I do not think I am past my prime. My body feels strong and I am healthy. So I continue to work on ways to ensure I stay healthy. I continue to work on all facets of my game. I think that is a problem for players as they get older. They work on one aspect of their game so much that other parts begin to suffer.

You produced a triple double this season against Vilsbiburg. You’re a guy who has produced double figures in rebounds and assists each season. What do you feel has kept you from achieving more triple doubles?

I am honestly not a true point guard, but this year it was easier to find open shooters. I think not having multiple weapons spotting up has kept that from happening more.

I couldn’t find the stats of the 2015-2016 season, but in your other 5 seasons with Rosenheim you scored in double figures in 136 games out of 143 games. What was your most memorable game in the 6 years?

My most memorable had to be the first win of my first season in Rosenheim. It was against Oberhaching and I made two freethrows with no time on the clock to win the game. It was the teams first Reg 1 win since moving up. 

You played at a NAIA school before turning professional. Have you always had that chip on your shoulder especially after being D-2 champion in 2008? How can you feel content with your career without always having to deal with the mental side of where you are?

Not a chip on my shoulder. More of a desire to prove to the people who said ‘ he is to small to play at the next level’ wrong. I have been hearing that my whole life. So every day I step on a basketball court it just drives me to be better and play bigger than I look.

Who was the toughest guy that you faced in the Regionalliga this season?

That is a tough one, but I would have to say Nick Freer.

You played at Oregon Tech (NAIA) winning the D-2 title in 2008. What memories do you still have of those great times?

I will always remember the times at OIT. There are so many memories that come to mind but I remember the fans and how I was treated at OIT. It is why I love Rosenheim so much, it has the same family atmosphere that OIT had.

How much of a pleasure was it playing with legendary head coach Danny Miles who had a 1043-437 lifetime record. How did he groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career?

I learned so much from Coach Miles. Things that I do not think I would have learned anywhere else. I still talk to him from time to time about basketball. The most important thing coach Miles did for me was prepare me to be a great person outside of basketball. Do things with integrity and you will go far in life. I try to bring that everyday on the basketball court.

Who won a one on one in practice you or Trenton Newton-Jones?

Me, sorry T – Newt!

Who was the toughest player that you ever faced that reached the NBA?

Demarcus Nelson – NBA
Scott O’Gallagher – NBA D league 

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

Peter Breitfeld
Andy Siverly
Stephan Hlatky
Josh Wetzler
Ryan Lancaster

Please produce your own personal NBA Mount Rushmore with 4 heads past or present?

Michael Jordan/Kareem Abdul Jabbar/ Lebron James/ Kobe Bryant
Honorable Mention: Larry Bird / Shaq

What is your general opinion with the debate between who is greater Michael Jordan or Lebron James?


I am biased to this question. I had two cousins play for the Bulls with Michael Jordan (Craig Hodges/ Corey Williams) so you know how I am going to vote. But Lebron is great in his own right and it his time to carry the league. Good luck to whoever has to take up the mantle after Lebron is done because between him and Jordan I don’t know what else can be done.

What was the last movie that you saw?

Bad Boys 4 Life

Thanks Jguwon for the chat.