Kameron Taylor is a 25 year old 198cm guard from Hyattsville, Maryland that is playing his fourth professional season and first with Brose Bamberg. He started the season on fire and through 4 BBL games is averaging 17,5ppg, 2,5rpg and 2,0apg and shooting an astronomical 77,8% from outside. Last season he played with Pecsi VSK-Veolia (Hungary-A Division) currently averaging 19.2ppg), 8.1rpg, 3.9apg, Steals-1 (2.2spg), FGP: 57.7%, 3PT: 40.7%, FT: 74.8%. Two seasons ago he played in Germany with the Dragons Rhondorf and tore up the Pro B averaging 23,4ppg, 7,9rpg and 5,6apg, and 2,6spg. As a rookie he played with Team Ehingen Urspring (Germany-ProA) playing 29 games averaging 10.8ppg, 3.9rpg, 2.3apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 43.9%, FT: 80.2%. He started his basketball career at DeMatha Catholic and in 2012-2013 started his career at Seton Hill (NCAA2) and as a freshman played 28 games averaging 7.8ppg, 4.8rpg, 2.0apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 40.6%, 3PT: 27.3%, FT: 70.0%. In his second season at Seton Hill (NCAA2) he played 27 games averaging 12.6ppg, 6.3rpg, 2.6apg, 2.0spg, 1.2bpg, FGP: 43.5%, 3PT: 35.3%, FT: 77.9%. In his junior season at Seton Hill (NCAA2) he played 16 games averaging 13.1ppg, 4.8rpg, 2.1apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 43.3%, 3PT: 39.6%, FT: 70.6%. In his senior year at Seton Hill (NCAA2) he played 27 games averaging 20.8ppg, 8.7rpg, 4.1apg, 2.2spg, 1.0bpg, FGP: 49.6%, 3PT: 36.1%, FT: 76.8%. He spoke to germanhoops.com recently about basketball. 

Kameron thanks for talking to germanhoops.com. How was your summer? What was the coolist non-basketball thing that you did?

Hey Miles, The coolest thing this past summer was going to the Dominican Republic with my best friends. We did and seen a lot!

Your playing your fourth professional season while I will be beginning my 16th season as a basketball play by play guy and 12 year at eurobasket.com. I looked in the archives and you have had 13 Eurobasket titles which is a lot. My fondest memory with you your Rhondorf buzzer beater against Frankfurt. What has been your fondest memory with me over the years?

It’s hard to pick just one but I would probably have to say the Frankfurt buzzer beater as well. It was a crazy ending and I think one of my first interviews with you.

On what area’s of your game did you work on most this summer to be best prepared for the next challenge back in the BBL with Brose Bamberg?

I’ve been working on my ball handling a lot. Although I’m most comfortable on the wing, coaches like to sometimes put me at the point guard position to create mismatches. So in order for that I have to tighten up my ball handling

Before we get to your new club Brose Bamberg, let’s take a look back at last season. You played with Pecsi VSK-Veolia (Hungary-A Division) and lost in the semi-finals to Kormend. Was this series loss one of the toughest loses in your career losing the fifth game quite easily.

It was a tough loss without a doubt. Through the whole season me and my team had a lot of ups and downs where it didn’t look like we would even be in that position. So all thought we lost. I was proud of the team the way we finished the season.

In our last interview you stated that the Hungarian league in skill level is somewhere between the German BBL and Pro A. Despite having monster stats what was the biggest challenge playing in this league?

The biggest challenge of the league was stepping into a leadership role amongst my older teammates. My season in Hungary I didn’t have to tell my team what to do or what we needed to do but to lead by example and by bringing positive energy everyday.

What did you enjoy most about the Hungarian culture? Is this a country that you might visit again after your playing career?

I enjoyed my teammates the most. They kept the season fun and positive through the losses and the wins. And you never know, at the end of my career I wouldn’t mind going back to enjoy Budapest.

Let’s talk about your game. You put up big stats 19.2ppg, 8.1rpg, 3.9apg, Steals-1 (2.2spg), FGP: 57.7%, 3PT: 40.7%, FT: 74.8%. How content were you with your season on the court?

Well I’m a winner. As a winner I feel the stats will come and go but as long as the outcome was winning then I would be satisfied. We had a strong beginning and a strong finish in the end so I was satisfied with my team for fighting through the rocky mid season we had, and finishing so strong. The only thing that could have been better is if we won the championship.

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Two seasons ago you were one of oldest on Rhondorf team and in Hungary there were many more older players on your side. What did you try to soak up most from guys like Ryan Wright and Andrija Ciric that will help you be able to make another step in your career with Brose Bamberg.

Patience. As a young guy on the court you want everything to go your way right away. After having a rough losing streak in the middle they never hung their head because they always gave 100% on the court but instead looked to the next game and knew if we would win some key games then we would be in a good position.

You stated in our last interview in February that you have improved in every league that you have played in. How did your game grow most last season in Hungary?

This last season I had to learn to not hold the ball so long. In Pro B I was able to draw the defense and find the open player almost everytime. In Hungary the defense would help earlier to not allow me to do so much creating, so instead I had to give up the ball early to an assist or to let my teammates create a good play.

You had so many amazing single game performances and was near to many triple doubles as well. If you had to pick one game, which do you feel was the best game that you showcased for the fans?

One game that really sticks out was the third semi final game in Kormmends home gym. Kormmend hadn’t lost all year in their home gym. In a 5 game series we were down 2-0 and we beat them in their home gym while missing one of our important players Veljko Budimir. Which led to another victory in our home gym to tie the series 2-2. There were some other memorable wins but this one in particular was very impressive.

Congrats on signing with Brose Bamberg. When you were in your first tour of duty with Wurzburg, you never played against Brose Bamberg, but how conscious were you about how great a club it is and how much history there is?

When coming to Germany you know that Bamberg is one the best organizations in the league. I was also playing my first two years in Germany so I had always known about Bamberg. Before I got to Bamberg I didn’t know that they had such a crazy history of winning. That means the expectations are high which is type of organization I like.

In your early time with Bamberg, what has been the best example of this club being a totally different kind of experience in terms of structure in comparison to the other professional teams you played with?

Just the extra staff on duty just as hungry to be successful as I am. I have Stefan Weissenboeck who is the head of player development who has been developing my game since I’ve got here, Sandro our strength and conditioning coach who pushes us every single day to be stronger and keeping us in the best shape, to Heiko Pfister and the amazing training staff making sure our health is great after every game, practice, and even on the off days.

With Brose Bamberg you are playing with the best talent in your professional career. What kind of experience has it been for you and how beneficial will the high competitive level be for your game?

Definitely the best competition of my career but if I can manage to continue be myself but also add some experience with the help of my coaches and teammates. I believe that the team and myself will be very successful on the court and it will help me take my game to the next step.

What kind of experience has it been being teammates with veterans like Elias Harris and Bryce Taylor? How much fun and beneficial is it just watching them play every day and just being able to interact with them on and off the court?

Elias and Bryce have been great. I was roommates with Elias during our training camp in Serbia so I was able to hear about all his experiences and receive some guidance when it came to taking my game to the next level. And Bryce is one of those guys who never loses composure, through every situation Bryce goes at his own pace. Which is something I’m trying to learn from him.

You’re a combo guard. What kind of role do you see yourself having? Do you see yourself being more of a back up point guard or shooting guard or be a guy that will be jumping around positions including the three position?

I’ve been playing a lot of shooting guard and point guard this pre season. As the point guard you have to know all the positions, so I’m ready for all possibilities.

You probably won’t put up the kind of stats you did at Rhondorf and in Hungary. Your biggest goal is always to win, but in terms of your game what kind of player will we see from you?

I will always bring the same energy and fire. The goal is to just improve during the season as I have done in the past.

What kind of different element does making the right play become when playing with a projected playoff team like Brose Bamberg?

When it comes to making the right play there is no different element. That is the player I am and the player I always try to be.

How excited are you to be playing in the Bamberg legends game soon? You will see many former Bamberg legends on the court. Is this an opportunity where you might attempt a few selfie’s after the game?

I think it’s nice to see the guys who came this route before you. Especially the American guys and hearing their stories, i don’t think I’ll be taking selfies but definitely try and get some advice on my future.

Now that your back in Germany again do you see yourself when you have an off day to visit one of your old stomping grounds Wurzburg, Ehingen and Rhondorf. With Wurzburg and Ehingen you are only about 1-2 hours away.

Yea I will try to get to all 3 this year but we have such a crazy and busy schedule that it might be more likely and better for to visit at the end of the season.

So many NBA teams have improved with star signings with teams like the Lakers, Clippers, Brooklyn and Houston. What team do you feel will make the most of their changes and be the best team this season?

I really like the Clippers and the Celtics changes for the season but it should be an exciting season.

How important could the world Championships be for Kemba Walker? Could he make another step in his game and lead the team to new heights?

Kemba is one of those underrated guys who just needs the right situation. World championship add to everyone’s career but I think he needs an NBA championship.

What was the last movie that you saw?

Last movie I saw was John Wick 3

Thanks Kam for the chat.

                It was a bitter cold late afternoon day in downtown Boston on January 18^th in 2017 as the NBA was nearing the allstar break and The Boston Celtics and New York Knicks were drifting in two totally different directions as the Boston Celtics were heading to a #1 finish in the Atlantic division and the New York Knicks were going into no man´s land finishing the season with a 31-51 record finishing in 12^th place and missing the playoffs once again as a once proud organization continued to develop backwards instead of ahead. They had strengthened their team with a Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah and having NBA superstar Carmelo Anthony and having some young talent, but in the NBA that never guarantees success. But on this evening, the Knicks came to play in Boston winning 117-106 and getting 30 points from the ex Chicago Bull Derrick Rose and an explosive 39 points by Isaiah Thomas from Boston couldn´t stop them. I was in Boston visiting my family and wanted to relive my childhood again with getting some autographs before the game at the Knicks hotel. Back in the 80´s getting NBA players autographs was an easy task while now it had become more difficult with extended security and keeping the collectors as far as away as possible and giving the players the opportunity to come over and sign as they walked to the bus which was parked at the other side of the door. Of course if the majority of the players are wearing head phones and jamming their rap and hip hop as they depart the hotel, then it makes it more difficult to hear their names being blurted by the anxious and somewhat desperate collectors. It turned out to be an afternoon where there was a trend of where the Europeans and African players demonstrated some love for the fans while the majority of the players blew everyone off. I can be proud to say I got autographs selfies from Lithuanian forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas, Maurice Ndour, and ex NBA champion Sasa Vujacic with the latter two not being able to read their stat line after 40 minutes as they were never inserted. Kuzminskas finished with 17 points and 6 rebounds in 29 minutes. The superstars Rose and Anthony excited the 5 star Boston hotel taking a straight route to the Bus and ignoring the collectors  But it isn´t always just the stars that ignore the fans, but also the rookies. Back in the day that would have been unheard of, but in 2017 it actually happened. During my wait for the Knicks, a normal looking 193 cm man exited the hotel and if it hadn´t been for the collectors yelling his name, he would of slipped by me without me even noticing. But the blond haired guy who remined me a bit of Shaggy from Scooby Doo was actually Ron Baker. A guard who had had a stellar college career at Wichita State (NCAA) reaching the NCAA final 4 in 2013 and making the Knicks squad via a very potent 2016 NBA Summer league with the Knicks. He didn´t go the normal route of getting on the bus, but actually left the area in a car. I was a bit disappointed that he didn´t come over and sign and pose for a selfie and a bit surprised that a rookie shunned the collectors. I mean I wasn´t making a living selling the stuff, but just there for fun, but he didn´t know that. Every off season, it is always interesting and fun to see where ex NBA players land in Europe. When I saw last summer that Baker had landed with top team CSKA Moscow, I quickly remembered my time seeing him brush the collectors off and head of in the dark of the night to the TD Garden. I then had another déjà vu when I read that CSKA Moscow had also signed Mike James a guy who has had a great career in Europe putting up great stats with various Euroleague teams, but also had a short NBA run a few years ago with Phoenix and New Orleans. By chance, I had been home another time and seen the Pelicans before a game and James also pulled a direct strut to the bus with no time for the collectors. It´s funny to see that with the few times that I actually see NBA players for autographs, that two guys that denied me now play for the same team in Europe. But with all I have read about what kind of guy Ron Baker really is and how much he is liked whereever he goes, I have come to the conclusion that on that particular day where he shunned all collectors, he actually had some form of business that prohibited him from stopping for a few minutes and doing the rounds with the autograph collectors. I have no idea how Mike James is handling himself with the autograph seekers in Europe, but I´m sure Ron Baker is treating the fans with class. He was one of the most popular Knicks when he played in New York. “Sometimes CSKA Moscow organizes autograph sessions. Ron is very open. Ron had one  one personal autograph session before our first VTB home game. He was very enthusiastic about it”, stressed CSKA press secretary Nikolai Tsynkevich

Ron Baker is a 26 year old 193cm guard from Scott City, Kansas that is playing his fourth professional season and first in Europe with CSKA Moscow. He comes from a tiny town called Utica and it isn´t the one in New York, but in Kansas that has only 145 people. His dad was a farmer and his mother is a school teacher. When he was very young, he wasn´t able to play AAU basketball until much later in Wichita  and was off the grid in recruiting. It also didn´t help his cause that he was very small in ninth grade, but he eventually grew to 6,3 by his junior year of high school. Early in the recruiting race, he only had interest from two schools South Dakota State and Arkansas-Little Rock. It wasn´t until he led Scott City High school to the state tournament in his senior year where he averaged 20.4ppg, 7.5ppg, 3.0apg, 2.0bpg, 4.6spg;that he was noticed . He led the school to a 25-1 record and scored the winning basket in the 3A title game with a put-back at the buzzer against Minneapolis High. Basketball didn´t only keep him busy as he was a three sport star and quarterbacked the football team and played baseball. Something not to unusual as one has seen top athletes all the time exceling at more than one sport as New York Ranger legend Brian Leetch did at Avon Old Farms in ice hockey and baseball. Baker could have had a try-out at Kansas(NCAA) but declined at the time because he was unhappy with his basketball form that he had at that time. He finally chose Wichita State and one can truly say and the rest is history.

After redshirting his freshman year, he would go on to have a stellar four year career at Wichita State from 2012-2016 playing a total of 123 NCAA games. His achievements there are unending. He won the MVC regular season three times, won the MVC tournament title in 2014 and was a NABC Division I All-District 16 1st Team in 2014 and a NABC All-District 16 1st Team in 2015 and 2016. Not too mention his NCAA tournament runs reaching the NCAA Final 4 as a freshman, and the Sweet 16 in 2016. In the 2013-2014 season he helped the Shockers go undefeated in the regular season. As a freshman he averaged 8.7ppg, 3.2rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 51.7%, 3PT: 35.7%, FT: 82.2%. He had scored in double figures the first time with 15 points in a 69-59 victory against Missouri State, but his breakout game came against Gonzaga. Trailing by double figures, he helped lead the Wichita Shockers on a shocking 22-9 run hitting two treys and two free throws and finishing with 16 points, 6 rebounds and 4 dimes in the come from behind 76-70 win. In the NCAA Eilte 8 victory over Ohio State he posted 9 points while playing power forward. He was by nature a point guard at Wichita State, but one could see his versatility that he had playing more positions. He was primarily a two guard that could shoot it and make big plays and had strong ball handling skills and basketball IQ that many would love to possess. The amazing Shockers run ended in the Final 4 against Louisville 72-68 where he had 11 points and 8 rebounds. There he had to watch Russ Smith post 21 points while ex NBA player Peyton Siva had 9 points. Baker will have a reunion playing against Siva again in the Euroleague against Siva. In his sophomore season with the Shockers he played 36 games averaging 13.1ppg, 3.8rpg, 3.1apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 45.6%, 3PT: 38%, FT: 84.2%. He bowed out in the NCAA Sweet 16 to powerhouse school Kentucky.

He was able to improve his scoring average again as a junior playing 35 games averaging 14.7ppg, 4.5rpg, 2.5apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 48.9%, 3PT: 38.3%, FT: 75.8%. That season he scored in double figures in 32 of 35 games. His best scoring games was against Drake with 23 points, had 22 points against Seton Hall and 21 points against Memphis that all resulted in wins. He also had a monster 18 points and 13 rebounds in a 19 point win over Evansville. The season ended against Notre Dame in the NCAA tournament 80-71 where he finished with 9 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. In his senior year he played 34 games averaging 14.1ppg, 4.9rpg, 3.3apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 48.9%, 3PT: 34.8%, FT: 79.7%. He scored in double figures in 27 of 34 games. Some of his best scoring games were against Loyola, Il and USC with 25 points apiece. He also hit Tulsa and Emporia State with 23 points apiece back to back. His last NCAA game was against Miami at March Madness where he scored 11 points. The American remembers his fondest moments at Wichita State. “My most memorable games was at the NCAA Final 4 where we lost to Louisville. The stage was set in a 70,000 plus stadium and playing in front of my family. That is what you grow up with trying to get to. Another great memory was beating Kansas my home state in the NCAA tournament round of 32 to get to the Sweet 16.I grew up in Kansas so playing and beating them was an ultimate goal of mine. It will be something that I will remember forever”, warned Ron Baker. Besides his versatile play on the court and dedication, there were a few other things that he will be remembered for. One was a commercial that he shot with teammates and current NBA player Fred Van Fleet at favorite hang out place Mexican café Carlos O Kelley. In this commercial they filmed it at the actual café and in it were all the friends of the players. If Baker hadn´t become a professional basketball player, he could of made a good figure standing behind the camera. The other thing that is still a part of the Shockers way of playing is that play angry mentality. It is something that Baker learned to practice at Wichita State and something he continued to show at the pro ranks. At first glance, one may think that this style of playing isn´t within the rules, but that isn´t the case. Playing angry is just having that feeling of wanting it more than the opponent with hustle and getting to your goal by not allowing the opponent to beat you. Guys that never played with him at Wichita State, but came on after him like current VTB League player Darral Willis of BC Nizhny Novgorod (Russia-VTB) who also will battle Baker this season has only the best words and utmost respect for the ex Shocker. “He has a big legacy there. He was a walk on and earned a spot on the roster. He was one of the best players that ever played at Wichita State. What he did there speaks for it´s self. He worked very hard and became the go to guy. I remember coach Marshall always telling us that he was a gritty player that played with high intensity on the defensive end. He invited me to help him at one of his camps. He isn´t one of those guys that distances himself from their ex school, but he always goes back. I think that if he keeps working hard that we will get back to the NBA. Anything is possible. His hard work will take him a long way”, warned Darral Willis.

The professional route of a player can go in different directions depending on how a player does at the NBA Pro Summer League. In the summer of 2016, he was invited by the New York Knicks and more than convinced management that an undrafted player could play at the NBA level. That summer in Orlando he played 5 games averaging 14.0ppg, 5.6rpg, 2.4apg, 2.8spg. If he hadn´t had that big display, he might never have reached the NBA and rather been balling in Europe since 2016, but the basketball God wanted it differently for the Kansas native. He got the last roster spot as Chasson Randle sustained an injury. He would play parts of three seasons with the New York Knicks playing a total of 96 games starting 14 games and averaging 3,1ppg, 1,4rpg and 1,8apg and got the reputation of being a great teammate that always played with great energy. In his first two seasons, he also had two stints with the Westchester Knicks (NBA G League). The Vampire Diaries and Supernatural fan´s  Knicks stay started well as a rookie averaging 4,2ppg and getting great feedback from the coaching staff, but injuries curtailed his second season and from then on it went downhill. He had the audacity to try to block an Anthony Davis dunk from the wing, but injured himself and his NBA career would never be the same again. In his rookie season he played 51 games and logged 857 minutes, while in his second season his games shrunk to 29 games and 385 minutes. In his last season he played only 11 games and 152 minutes and was gone by December 2018. He scored in double figures in 6 games including 13 points in a loss against Golden State and 12 points a piece in loses against Atlanta and Washington. Then he was released to make roster space for talented Alonzo Trier. A coaching change and his two biggest supporters Phil Jackson and Jeff Hornacek didn´t help his cause. He didn´t get a real chance after the coaching change. His skills of playing aggressive defense and being a solid point guard from the bench was NBA worthy, but his poor shooting and playing off ball didn´t translate to the NBA.

Despite being released, he remembers his time fondly with all the Europeans that he played with in New York. “I played with Europeans like Willy Hernangomez and Mindaugas Kuzminskas. What stood out to me was how they played the game. I always felt like Europeans had a good feel for the game of basketball. You can see spacing, and movement of the ball with European players. I always had a good connection with those two guys in my rookie season. We all started a few games together and always had a good chemistry. We were rookies and going out hard every night. These were great memories. I never thought that I could play together with guys from different countries and be able to relate so well to”, stressed Ron Baker.  He also will never forget his special relationship to NBA superstar Carmelo Anthony. Anthony who isn´t only an amazing player, but also a jokester called him Ron Burgundy from the Will Ferrell movie Anchorman which resulted New Yorkers to dress up as him for Halloween. “I was a rookie under his wing. I had a great experience with him as a teammate. He was fun to play with. Our situation in New York wasn´t the most ideal. I think that everybody knows that there were a couple things going on in the organization that us players had no control over. We just came into the gym every day and did the best that we could. Mello showed up as a pro every day and worked hard. He took care of me on and off the court. Experience wise I couldn´t have asked for a better veteran. Obviously he is going to be a hall of famer. So to be able to tell my family down the road that I could lean on him and play with is pretty special to me”, added Ron Baker.  Despite being released by the Knicks, he quickly found a new home with the Washington Wizards, but that stay was shorter than some Knicks losing streaks in the past as he played his first game on December 22^nd against Phoenix and his last game on January 6^th against Oklahoma. He made a good impression in his first game and got the trust being put into a triple OT win over Phoenix where he played 14 minutes and still had that play angry approach on the court slowing down scorer Jamal Crawford. His fate in Washington was the same as in New York as he was released for another player Chasson Randle getting a guaranteed contract. In 4 games with the Wizards he logged 43 minutes amassing 0 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block.

After 3 years in the NBA, he made the difficult decision last summer to try his luck overseas. He couldn´t have picked a better team than 2019 Euroleague champion CSKA Moscow one of the finest addresses in Europe. “My decision to come over to CSKA and Russia was kind of tough. I had a couple two way options in the USA that I was debating, but I talked to Kyle Hines and coach Dimitris were great on the phone telling me what it was like in Moscow and what the basketball was like. I was just trying to weigh my options. After talking with Kyle I felt like I could have a good year with CSKA. I was nervous though because I had never been in Europe. The first few months have been great and CSKA did a great job welcoming me and made the transition very easy. The American is playing for an organization rich in tradition like the New York Knicks and in the famous Madison garden and has a little bit of the same. His new home arena USH may feel like a small NCAA gym with it´s 5,500 capacity, but in terms of the winning tradition of CSKA Moscow, he can feel something very special there. “When you walk into the arena you see all the banners of VTB and Euroleague titles. The opponents play with a big chip on their shoulders and give it us their best when they play us. You have to show up every night and wear that CSKA on your jersey. Your almost like a target in the Euroleague. You have to show up every day to work prepared and ready to compete”, warned Ron Baker. After having a very disappointing third NBA season in New York and Washington, the ex Wichita star doesn´t have a chip on his shoulder about having to prove something, but has another outlook on the situation. “Playing my first three years in New York was a great experience. I don´t look at having a chip in that perspective, I just look at it as a new opportunity. And a new chance to show the people my personal skills and what I am all about. It actually feels like a long time since I played. This is a great opportunity to show people what I am all about”, expressed Ron Baker.

He already won his first title in the pre-season with the Alona Cup where he contributed 11 points off the bench in a victory against 2019 Euroleague finalist Efes Istanbul. He nailed 3 three pointers, hauled down 4 rebounds and also had 3 dimes. He showed quickly that he didn´t need much adjustment time coming to Russia and CSKA Moscow. “I grew up in a small town and moving to New York was nerve wracking. It was a big adjustment for me and it took time to see how the city moves and how the people went about their day to day lives. Moscow is very big, bigger than New York city and a little more spread out. The biggest wake up call has been the language barrier. I just try to communicate with people the best way that I can. It is tough to communicate sometimes when you can´t express yourself”, added Ron Baker. The American also knew that coming to a well known organization like CSKA Moscow who have huge expectations and winning culture, that his game would only profit with the gigantic talent pool. “Coming to CSKA, I was very excited because I knew that they had some great talent and great team chemistry. Kyle Hines has been here for some time and it evolves around him. He shows up as a professional each day and has been a great player in this league. Clyburn was an MVP type player last season when they won the Euroleague. There are also other guys that I know from the NBA like Darrin Hillard and Mike James.  We are very deep and the great thing about the Europeans and Russians are unselfish and know how to play the game. For me it was the right fit playing the game the right way and doing the little things to help the team win”, warned Ron Baker. So far he has played only 3 Euroleague games and no VTB league games. In the Euroleague he has been efficient in his minutes of 14 minutes per game averaging 4,7ppg, 1,0rpg and 1,3apg. He has had good shot selection and practiced his play angry style and defended with passion. It is also no secret that the guard rotation is deep, but with a skilled roster like CSKA Moscow, it is always difficult to get good minutes, but as soon as an injury occurs, the playing time will look very different for the American. “We have a lot of guards that can handle the ball well. So what is going to be important is giving the ball handler space having a good chemistry on offense. Mike and Danny are both guys htat can handle the ball and create for others. So whenever the ball is swung guys like Janis and other guys off ball get a chance to create then we can do so, but with the great guards that we have, we have to almost take turns to space the floor and create opportunities for them and when you do that it will give us opportunities for kick out shots and different close out situations we can get the defense into”, warned Ron Baker.

                There isn´t only a influx of talented guards and wings on the team, but the club also has top big men. Starting with the Tom Brady of the Euroleague Kyle Hines. The New Jersey native who played in Germany for Bamberg early in his career is going for his 5^th Euroleague title this season with is the most titles of any American to ever play in the Euroleague. The other talented big man is German national player Johannes Voigtmann who was still playing the sport handball as a teenager before he switched over to Basketball. He made his biggest development with the Fraport Skyliners coming in as a raw talent and leaving in 2016 with a Fiba Europe Cup title and the best passing big man in the German BBL and a versatile game that not many could match. Baker is in awe of a Kyle Hines and his game while with Voigtmann he can talk NFL football all day long. “Kyle is all about playing the right way. He is about playing defense and rebounding. He is our head of the snake. It has been great to be around the guys and him. Kyle does the little things and has a lot of experience in the Euroleague. You look at him and you think that he is undersized, but he really uses his strength to his advantage. He gives guys who are a lot taller than him fits on the low post. And what is great about him is that he is just a unique athlete. He can push the break and facilitate. He is really good at being a hockey passer. He can hit you on the short roll and is always looking for his teammates for kick outs and three´s. He just an all around good player. He really knows how to play this game. One guy that I wasn´t familiar with when I came here was Johannes Voigtmann. I knew that he had played with Darrun Hilliard with him last season with Baskona. What really impressed me about him isn´t even about basketball. We are locker buddies. And talk about the NFL. He almost knows the NFL better than I do. We have had a great relationship talking about things in the States. Basketball wise he is very talented. A seven footer that can stretch the floor and is very mobile. He can shoot the three, is unselfish and knows how to play. He shows a lot of talent having good court vision and passing the ball. Those are the type of bigs that you want to play with. As a guard your always looking for him to knock down shots but he and Kyle share the ball”, warned Ron Baker. Baker has only been with CSKA Moscow a few months and focused to help win games, but he knows that that NBA back door will always be there for him. “I am the kind of guy that likes to wake up and take that day head on. I´m a CSKA player and focusing on that. The NBA is not going anywhere. It´s a great organization with great players. If the opportunity presents it´s self next year, then I would like to play in it again. But right now I´m focused on being a part of CSKA. Coach Dimitris really knows how to coach and run a franchise/team and I´m just enjoying this. Things are going pretty smooth now. 3-0 in Euroleague. I hope we can keep it up and continue to build something special here”, warned Ron Baker. Even if he is playing in the second best league in the world behind the NBA with the Euroleague, he has been able to uphold a special bond with the NBA this season. When he had his short stint with the Washington Wizards, he chose to wear #84. He was only the second guy after legendary Michigan(NCAA) and NBA legend Chris Webber to wear that number. The American has chosen to keep the tradition going with CSKA Moscow keeping #84. A special number for a special player.

Curtis Hollis is a 21 year old 198cm forward from Arlington, Texas that is playing his first season overseas and first in Germany with the Dragons Rhondorf currently averaging 20,5ppg,7,6rpg,31apg and 2,9spg. He began his career at Mansfield Summit High School. In 2017-2018 he played with Hutchinson CC (JUCO) playing 34 games averaging 6.9ppg, 3.3rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 27.0%, FT: 66.3%. In 2018 he played in Lavar Ball’s new league with the Houston Ballers (JBL) playing 7 games: Score-5 (29.3ppg), 11.3rpg, 5.3apg, 2.6spg, FGP: 46.0%, 3PT: 21.2%, FT: 71.8%. He and I will team up every week to talk basketball in the Miles basketball minute.

Thanks Curtis for talking to germanhoops.com Congrats on the big 90-77 win against the Hertener Lowen. Killian Binapfel wore a specially made jersey as his real one got lost. Should he keep wearing that jersey instead of the real one for luck?


Haha nah it was funny he wore that jersey something happend with his. But I think he’s going to keep playing good regardless!

The Dragons Rhondorf started on fire leading 18-0. Was that the most you ever led from the start of a game or have you seen higher leads in your young basketball life?

I’m not sure. I’ve beaten some teams pretty bad before but it was cool we started out hot like that.

You guys practiced a lot of transition defense the week before the game. Was this one of the biggest positives from the win?

One of them yes. We just locked in this week and really worked and tried to get better and work on our mistakes and it paid off for us.

You have a two game winning streak. How are the Dragons Rhondorf a different team now under Yassin Idbihi then when they had Marcus Rowenstrunk as head coach?

We’re more discipled. We run different sets, practice runs different it’s just a different vibe now. Yassin is a great guy and everybody respects him so we just go to work. 

You told me after the Herten victory that Yassin Idbihi is a no excuses guy. Is it less demanding to play for him than the others simply because you seem to have a very special relationship?

I wouldn’t say that because honestly Yassin stays on me and is extremely hard on me everyday even though we have a great relationship. I respect it though because it just shows how much he cares and how much he wants me to be successful.

What has improved on the defensive end since the arrival of Idbihi? What area has been tweaked the best so far?

Just the whole defense. The pressure, off the ball defense, playing the passing lanes just all aspects had to improve and they have so far.

The teammate spotlight today is on Killian Binapfel who scored 29 points against Hagen Haspe and 20 points against Herten. You agreed with me that he could become that sort of glue guy for the team. Please elaborate a bit how key this kid is for the team?


He’s huge for us. Obviously he’s athletic, can score and can really defend but when he’s on his game he opens up another aspect for us and can really help us win games.

You had another normal day at the office pouring in 18 points, but had a slow start. How difficult is it being patient on the court? You’re a guy that is used to having the ball a lot and scoring. Does the anxiousness sometimes to want to perform in a span where nothing is going for you difficult to combat?


I think I’m learning more and more and understanding how I have to score. I have to realize I can’t go back to the bad habits sometimes of forcing and stuff like that when I’m not getting as many touches. But it’s not difficult for me I know me scoring is going to come for me and I’m always going to score the ball so it’s all about being patient and picking and choosing when I need to score the ball.

You had a span in the second half where you scored four buckets in a row. Is scoring in bunches something you feel you can always do at this level or will it get harder once teams see you more and can figure you out?

Yes it’s something I can do at this level for sure. I just know how to score and when my spots are there I’m going to be aggressive so it’s for sure something I’ll always be able to do.

Your were teammates with Lamello Ball in 2018 in a USA select squad. He averaged 40 points in the JBL league. I read somewhere recently that some basketball expert compared him with his game to Luka Doncic. Is that an accurate assessment?

I wouldn’t say that. I think they have different games but I can see why they say that because they both were extremely young and both have unreal passing and scoring abilities but I wouldn’t say Luka. 

You come from Texas. Are you a big football fan? Are the Dallas Cowboys your team or are you a secret Patriots fan? 

I’m absolutely a football fan and a Cowboys fan. I love the cowboys! It’s funny because my best friend is a Patriots fan and I love Tom Brady so I’m a lowkey Patriots fan but it’s Cowboys nation always!

Thanks Curtis for the chat.

 Darral Willis is a 23 year old 206cm forward/center from Madison, Wisconsin playing his second professional season and first with BC Nizhny Novgorod currently putting up strong stats of 17,3ppg and 7,8rpg in the VTB league and 12,7ppg and 7,7rpg in the Basketball Champions League. Last season as a rookie he played with Keravnos Strovolou (Cyprus-Division A) playing 30 games averaging 14.9ppg, Reb-2 (9.7rpg), FGP: 53.9%, 3PT: 26.7%, FT: 78.9%; and played 2 FIBA Europe Cup games averaging 11.5ppg, 7.5rpg, 1.0apg. He began his basketball career at James Madison Memorial High School and then played at Pearl River CC (JUCO) from 2014-2016 averaging 13.8ppg, 7.1rpg, FGP: 62.8%, FT: 77.2%and 18.4ppg, 10.4rpg, 1.5bpg, FGP: 59.0%, FT: 74.3%. He then moved to Wichita State (NCAA) in 2016 playing two seasons playing a total of 68 games averaging 9.8ppg, 5.1rpg, FGP: 54.0%, FT: 73.9% and 10.3ppg, 5.8rpg, FGP: 54.9%, 3PT: 39.5%, FT: 65.8%. He spoke to germanhoops.com before a Basketball Champions League game in Bamberg.

Darral thanks for talking to germanhoops.com. Welcome to Germany. Is this your first time to Germany? What do you know in general 

I don’t know too much. This is my first time in Germany. I’m learning as I go. I like the structures of the buildings in Bamberg. I like the old modern day look.

How blessed are you to be playing in the VTB and Basketball Champions League? You have come a long way from Madison Memorial. If someone had told you where you would be today and how you got there in the fall of 2014 when you were playing JUCO would you have been surprised?

I would have been somewhat surprised. I just have put in a lot of work and hours in the last years. I believe that the ceiling is still very high for me. I’m still young and working hard. The future is bright for me.

Congrats on signing with BC Nizhny Novgorod (Russia-VTB). How challenging has it been competing in the VTB League coming from Cyprus? Has there been a part of the game that has been most difficult to get adjusted to?

The competition is a lot different. The players are bigger and faster, but so far the whole experience has been a lot of fun. I live for top competition. I love going at it against good players. I am very thankful for my teammates who continue to put me in great spots to excel. 

Since moving up to the VTB in 2014the team has made the playoffs in four of five seasons. Do you feel like the expectations are very high to do more than just reach the playoffs?

The expectations are high, but I think that if we continue to put team over everything else then we can go very far. If we keep working hard like we are who knows how far we will go.

The team kept some Russians, but also got all new Americans. The chemistry seems good in the early going. What has been the secret to having a solid 3-1 record in the early going?

The secret to our early success has been putting our ego’s aside. We are all working hard together and also still figuring each other out. It will continue to take some time, but we have shown that it’s not about ourselves but about the team. We are gelling very nicely. 

You’re the youngest American on the team. How key has veteran Brandon Brown been for your integration period?

On the court he is a very good facilitator and orchestering everything. He puts me in spots where I’m most effective. I can not only go to him for advice, but also to Alec Brown or Chavaugn Lewis. But I also like to get advice from my old teammate Anthony King. I will lean on him for advice. He is a really good veteran.

You are experiencing some hard travel this season with VTB and BCL. Has it been a real test for you so far? What besides diet, sleep and rest have been key for you being able to play so well?

I haven’t really changed anything up to be honest. I try to get at least 8 hours of sleep and eat well. This team has a lot of discipline. I play within the rules and try to help my team as best possible. 

Let’s talk about your game. You’re a 206cm forward that can score and rebound the ball very well. If you had to compare your game to a NBA player which guy would best fit the way you play?

I think that the guy that I play most similar to would be Zach Randolph. He is a good lefty. He can score, rebound, sees the court well and plays defense. That is how I play. 

You began taking more three’s as a senior and last season shot 26% from outside. How important is for you to keep incorporating the three into your game?

I pretty much just keep working and working. I really want to incorporate it more into my game and be able to stretch the floor and hit three’s when needed. 

What other strengths does your game have besides scoring the ball and rebounding and what is a hidden strength in your game that doesn’t always get noticed?

I have a mid range game. But more importantly I give good energy and am always there for a teammate. I think my hidden strength is being a good teammate. I am the kind of guy that you would want to play with.

You don’t get many steals or blocks in the stats, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t defend. Talk a little about your defensive game and where do you want it to go in the future?

I hope that I will start to pack on more blocks. It’s not always about the steals and blocks. I think that altering shots is just as important. But there are no stats on those. Important for me is to be a force on defense and help on the weak side. I also want to be able to not let my man score on me easily. 

You have been very consistent scoring in every game in the VTB and BCL leagues. Your self confidence must be very high. How are you currently coping with your success mentally?

I’m not complacent. I think there would be guys in my position that would be totally relaxed. But that is not what I’m all about. My foot is always on the gas pedal. There are still more games to be played. Even if I’m shooting something like 12/18, I think I could be doing better.

Last season you played with Keravnos Strovolou (Cyprus-Division A) playing 30 games averaging14.9ppg, Reb-2 (9.7rpg), FGP: 53.9%, 3PT: 26.7%, FT: 78.9%; and played 2 FIBA Europe Cup games averaging 11.5ppg, 7.5rpg, 1.0apg. What was your wake up call to being a rookie in Cyprus where you knew that you were very far away from home?

My wake up call was just moving up the ladder. I knew that if I could stick out my rookie season in Cyprus then I knew I could do anything. I just grinded out the season and prayed for better days. Those better days came. I’m playing VTB and BCL now and want to continue to move up. 

How important was ex Miami Hurricane Anthon King for you as a rookie. I covered him more than 10 years ago when he played for the Frankfurt Skyliners and he came over as a very quiet guy, but was a very funny guy.

I wouldn’t necessarily say that he is funny. Maybe he was 10 years ago when you covered him, but now he is more quiet. He observes a lot and observed me. He took me under his wing. The best advice that he gave me was not to be sped up, but slow down. Let the game come to you. He gave me good advice about basketball and life. 

Where do you rank your personal performance of 29/17 against Apoel in the 95-94 playoff win last season?

That was a good game, but my best was that season where I scored 40 points to win the cup.

You had a very good high school basketball career, but had to begin at Pearl River CC (JUCO). How tough was it having to pay your dues there, but also how satisfying have had that experience and get better and then be able to play in the NCAA?
T

When I look back at that time, I am very thankful that I could play at Pearl River. Coach Oney was a very good coach. He saw a lot of potential in me. Before I had visited Pearl River, I had visited three other schools, but after my visit to Pearl River, I was sure I wanted to go there. Coach Oney said all these things that he would do for me and he stayed true to his word and did everything that he said

You then played at Wichita State (NCAA) from 2016-2018. Was winning the MVC tournament one of your fondest memories there?

Yes that was my biggest moment as well as taking a team tour to the Bahamas. I have great memories of winning the MVC tournament. I remember everyone running on to the court and jumping up and down with joy. Seeing all the happy faces was priceless. Going to the Bahamas was great for team bonding. 

You played in two NCAA tournaments and in your first season at Wichita State (NCAA) lost a nail bitter to Kentucky 65-62. What memories do you have of that game and battling many future NBA players and do you ever watch the ending again?

No I could watch that game, but I just haven’t so far. We were so close in that game. I wish that we would of pulled it out. It is what it is. It was fun watching many good hoopsters going at it. I really felt the March Madness atmosphere. The guy that stood out the most to me from the Kentucky team was De’Aaron Fox. 

How did head coach Greg Marshall groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career?

The most important advice he told me was to just work, work work. That’s what I have been doing since.

Who won a one on one in practice you or Shaquille Morris?

Of course me. I would definitely beat him. You can quote me on that. He can play me anytime he wants to. 

Who was the toughest player that you battled in the NCAA that is in the NBA or Europe now?

That is hard to say. I played against so many. I honestly don’t know. None comes to mind.

Please name your personal NBA Rushmore?

Iverson, Magic, James, Garnet and Shaq

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

Lebron is in my era. I go with him. He is one of the greatest of all-time.

What was the last movie that you saw?

The Mystery Lover with my girl.

Thanks Darral for the chat.

Gage Davis is a 23 year old 193cm guard from Bolingbrook,Illinois. He began his basketball career with Bolingbrook High School. He played at St.Cloud State (NCAA2) from 2015-2019 playing atotal of 108 NCAA 2 games. He put up massive stats in four years with 19.7ppg, 8.0rpg, 3.0apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 50.9%, 3PT: 42.1%, FT: 76.1% as a freshman, 23.9ppg, 9.5rpg, 4.5apg, FGP: 58.2%, 3PT: 34.4%, FT: 76.1% as a sophomore, 19.2ppg, 7.8rpg, 3.6apg, FGP: 46.5%, 3PT: 33.1%, FT: 83.0% as a junior and : 26.0ppg, 7.5rpg, 3.3apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 53.8%, 3PT: 36.0%, FT: 80.1% as a senior. He began his professional basketball career in Germany with the Basketball Lowen Braunschweig, but was let go recently. He was invited to training camp with G-League team Windy City Bulls. He spoke to germanhoops.com about his basketball career.

Hi Gage thanks for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how is your basketball life at the moment?

No problem, I appreciate the opportunity to talk with german hoops. I am currently back in the Chicago area with my family. Basketball wise, I came back home and got right to work. Working out on the daily, you have to stay ready. At this level you have to be ready whenever an opportunity presents itself. Staying ready so you don’t have to get ready is something I believe in.

You signed your first professional contract with the Basketball Lowen Braunschweig over the summer and spent the pre-season with the club. Then you were released. How unexpected did this come to you or did you feel like your days were numbered at the end?

I was grateful for the opportunity given to me by Lowen Braunscheig over the summer and preseason. It was a great learning and building experience for me as a player. Being released came as a surprise to me. It was expressed to me that I was doing well and adjusting to the European game at a quick rate. I understand the team’s decision to go with an experienced PG with a young team, and wish them the best of luck this season. 

How disappointed are you that Braunschweig didn’t work out for you? Despite having a very solid pre season where you showed your abilities well, is it hard to accept their reasoning that you weren’t ready for the style of play yet and they didn’t have the time to wait?
At first it was disappointing of course. I felt like I was growing and becoming more comfortable with that style of play. I was told I was doing everything right, so it more of a surprise to me. After showing some of what I can offer in the preseason, it was a little more difficult to accept they wanted to go in a different direction. It was expressed to me that it wasn’t anything against me or my talent, but more the timing so I understood.

After averaging 26,0ppg as a senior at St.Cloud State (NCAA2) do you feel like you were ready to play in the BBL. On what area’s will you continue to work on now so you will be able to show your abilities when you get that next opportunity?

After this past senior season, I felt like I was ready to play at any level and I still believe that. The BBL is a great league and would have been a great opportunity for me to prove myself as well as grow as a player. I want to continue to grow as a point guard, not just a scoring guard. Germany gave me a little glimpse at that point guard position. I want to continue to grow and become a more solid PG, while still keeping that same scoring mindset. 

With what kind of feelings did you leave the club Baskets Lowen Braunschweig? Head coach Pete Strobl stated that the club needed a guy like you. In the end it was a numbers game as they chose the veteran Trevor Releford

At first I was a little upset but it was business, and at the end of the day I can’t control their decision. I left with no harsh feeling towards the club or my teammates. In fact, many of my former teammates from Braunschweig reached out to me when they heard the news. Head Coach, Pete Strobl, taught me a lot in my time with the team and is a great guy. Coach Strobl continually pushed me as a player and really cares about his players. In the end, I thank him for all he’s done for me. 

What overall kind of experience was it being with your first professional team Baskets Lowen Braunschweig? What positives can you take from this experience that will help you at your next gig?

Overall, I would say it was a great learning experience and a chance to grow as a player. I enjoyed Braunschweig and the people around me while I was there. One positive I took from this experience is adjusting to the speed and physicality of play. There is always an adjustment period when transitioning to the next level and this was my chance to make that adjustment. Another positive I take from this experience is learning the business side of the professional world. In my case, it came down to a tough business decision and I think I have a better understanding for that side of the game now.

What kind of experience was it having German Garai Zeeb as a teammate? Could you soak up something from the ex U-20 German national player who will be going into his fifth BBL season.

Garai was a great teammate. His experience in the league made him a great teammate to reach out to when I had questions. If he seen something that would help me, he would come and tell me without me even asking. He has been a PG in the BBL for a five years so he knows the game and helped me adjust to that style of play. He is a good person as well as a good teammate and thank him for all his help.

What is the next step for you? How confident are you that you will land with another club somewhere in your rookie season?

Right now, my options are kind of open and I’m just staying ready for my next opportunity. I’m confident that I will land with another club somewhere this season. I believe in my abilities as well as my agent and agency I’m with. We knew this was a possibility and wanted to have other opportunities if Braunschweig didn’t work out.

You played four years at St Cloud State (NCAA) from 2015-2019 and was a All-NSIC 1st Team selection each year. What were your fondest memories there?

Some of the best memories at St. Cloud State are memories that have nothing to do with basketball and just time with my teammates. One thing I could never forget in St. Cloud are the people. One of my best basketball memories there was playing and winning a game in the NCAA tournament. The school hadn’t been to the tournament in a long time so for our team to get back there, and be able to win was a memorable experience. Another memorable moment for me was finally winning player of the year. After two seasons (sophomore and junior) of what some people would call snubbed out of it, I finally was awarded this achievement. Learning that it wasn’t only good enough to get stats but also winning was what it took to get looked at, at that level. The amount of work and failure made receiving that award more special.

You averaged never less than 19,2ppg in your four years at ST Cloud State. Despite having big time stats from the get go, how do you feel did your game develop in your time there?

Having a good start to my career there made things that much harder. Becoming the focus of other teams early in my career made me learn how to score and produce in different ways. It developed me as a player because every type of defense was thrown at me. I had to adjust and learn how to go against things I hadn’t seen before. Being there also developed me as a playmaker because the ball was in my hands a lot of times. I learned how to read ball screens and the defense to make it easier for my team to be successful.

You had 47 points in a tough 77-76 loss to Wayne State NE. Was this one of the tougher loses in your NCAA 2 career?

Every loss is a tough one but this is one that will stick with me forever. It was the conference tournament my senior year and of course you want to finish your career winning a championship. They put an end to our conference championship dreams and it did hurt. That was a game where you’re trying to do everything in your power to win the game and come up just short. It will stick with me for a long time, but I learned a lot from that game and hopefully it can help me moving forward.
As a sophomore you averaged an amazing 9,5rpg at 193cm. What overall is your secret to getting more rebounds than many centers? It has to be more than just perfect anticipation?

Rebounding all comes down to who wants it more. So a lot of time I crash hard both offensively and defensively seeing if anyone wants it more than me. A lot of times you’ll see me flying through giving my all for a rebound. That’s because I know it’s an important aspect of the game and maybe those few extra possessions win us a game. It also helps I can jump pretty high. 

How did head coach Matt Reimer groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career?

Coach Reimer believed that I would be a professional basketball player from the very beginning. He stayed on top of me and pushed me every day in practice to become better. He taught me what it took to be a successful player and you couldn’t waste days of practice and time in the gym. He continually believed in me and gave me the opportunities to show that I belonged on the next level and I am forever grateful for that.

Who won a one on one in practice you or Brindley Theisen?

I believed St. Cloud was my sanctuary so you know I had to defend what’s mine. Brindley was just one of the people who had to deal with my own determination to prove it. We had some good battles but Brindley will tell you himself I’m winning that every time. 

Who was the toughest player that you battled in the NCAA 2 that is in the NBA or Europe now?

Well not too many players from NCAA 2 make it to that level, and it’s not that they can’t play it’s just the opportunities aren’t there. One player that I played against, who was pretty tough and played with the Milwaukee Bucks summer league, is Dalton Holmes. He’s a 6’7 versatile shooter, and was NCAA 2 player of the year. We got the win but after they went on to win 20+ in a row. That was one of the guys that has made it to that level who I had a chance to play against while at NCAA 2.

Please name your personal NBA Rushmore?

Micheal Jordan, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Larry Bird

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

I believe that both are great and understand why it’s a never ending debate. Lebron is such a dominant player and makes the players around him so much better as well. When it comes to Michael, he was just a killer. He could score any way possible and had that fire and competitor in him that made him a killer. His skill package is unmatched, except maybe for Kobe. Along with this Michael has the 6 for 6 to go along with him, which in my eyes makes him the greatest of all time.

What was the last movie that you saw?

The last movie I watched was actually on the plane on my way back from Braunschweig and it was Long Shot. It’s a pretty funny movie, starring Seth Rogan, and it’s about how him and the secretary of state fall in love. It was actually a pretty good movie. 

Thanks Gage for the chat.

It might have been two weeks since the last home game and victory against BBG Herford, but so much has happened in that time. With the ambitious club Dragons Rhondorf wanting to get back to the Pro B, losing the way they were and giving up so many points was unacceptable which led to turbulent times in Dragon country. A day before an important cup game, the club dismissed head cocah Markus Rowenstrunk and Yassin Idbihi took over. Ibihi changed a few plays, but couldn´t change much, but the team still should have won, but had a bad night while the second Regionalliga team had a great night and the Dragons didn´t come to terms with the aggressiveness. And they didn´t have much time to recuperate as 24 hours later, they had to play a league game on the road against Hagen-Haspe, but the team stuck together and exploded winning 111-81 as five players scored in double figures. The defense still remains a work in progress, but it´s coming along. Two days before the game against Herten, the club announced a giant transfer bringing the experienced 37 year old Spanish point guard Enric Garrido Foz. He poured in 19 points and dished out 6 assists in a loss in Rhondorf at the begin of the season. His quickness and aggressiveness along with his good organization of the game stuck with you. He now joins a back court with Anish Sharda who is also 37 years old. Herten came into the game with a strong 5-2 record, but had lost their last two games against the RheinStars and a bitter 67-66 los at home against Dorsten. On a rainy Saturday night, two playoff contending teams met face to face in the Dragon Dome and it was a lightening big run by the Dragons Rhondorf right at the start of the gun that set the tone of the game as the Hertener Lowen played catch up basketball the whole night losing 90-77. Ex FC Bayern Munich 2 forward Killian Binapfel led all scorers with 20 points and his 11 points in the first quarter sparked the Dragons Rhondorf to never look back for 40 minutes. After the big win Texas native Curtis Hollis reflected on the reasons for the win. “We defended hard and never gave up anything easy. Coach Idbihi is a no excuse guy. We had to get the job done for 40 minutes. We played the passing lanes well and got the rebounds and limited them to one shot. We worked on transition defense all week. It worked well tonight. We also changed up our offense a bit running more ball screens and having more open space”, stressed ex Houston Baller(JBL) guard Curtis Hollis. Hertener Lowen center Dijon Smith had a strong game with 19 points and was the teams work horse working hard on the boards knew that they can´t repeat another poor start like that in the future. “We weren´t ready to play. We started off bad and couldn´t execute on offense or defense”, stated Herten center Dijon Smith.

                Before the Dragons started their amazing 18-0 run in the first quarter, fans first were wondering where Killian Binapfel´s jersey was. Maybe it was Halloween already for the German, because he was wearing what looked like a self-made jersey. But his jersey had been misplaced so the club had to produce something wearable so he could play. Maybe the self made shirt was like a good luck charm, because the German led the Dragons Rhondorf on a massive 18-0 run scoring 11 points showing incredible energy at both ends of the court. Binapfel got going right away scoring after 7 seconds and then after a Jure Besedic steal, Binapfel scored again and dropped a free throw for the lightening 5-0 lead after 27 seconds. Some fans may have thought at this juncture that this could be a very fun evening for the Dragons. The Dragons Rhondorf came out playing their best defense of the season making 4 steals in the first 5 stops of Herten. Binapfel scored again as did ex Iserlohn center Gabriel de Olveira twice as Herten was staring at a 13-0 deficit. After a Sharda steal, Binapfel scored again with a two handed dunk and Besedic followed with a trey and the hard to believe 18-0 lead. Herten seemed like they were still day dreaming on the bus somewhere between Herten and Rhondorf while the Dragons played with incredible energy and aggressiveness getting in passing lanes and just dominating the game. But Herten finally woke up and got an offensive rhythm going on a 11.-5 run to trail 23-11. In the run the Hertener Lowen had their own version of a Binapfel as American Dijon Smith was a menace in the paint and scored all 11 team points. Ex BBL player Matthias Perl who had missed 3 games due to his wedding and honeymoon didn´t start, but when he arrived in the game, his high level energy and aggressiveness carried the team back into the game. Despite the run, the Dragons Rhondorf continued to execute well getting the other young German big man Mark Kotieno involved as he scored two baskets. Curtis Hollis took a step back allowing Binapfel to be the go to guy as he had the hot hand. The American had only 3 points on 3 shots in the first quarter, but was filling the stat sheet. “It wasn´t going my way in the first quarter. It was the Killian show. He is really getting comfortable. He is so talented and has so much potential. He is learning everyday and is our glue guy”, stressed Curtis Hollis. After 10 minutes the Dragons Rhondorf had the overwhelming 30-16 advantage. Ex Dragons Rhondorf guard Karl Dia who now plays with the RheinStars watched the game with teammate Reggie Golson and reflected on the big Dragons lead. “The new coach gave the team new impulses. Rhondorf started off strong and Herten wasn´t awake and had no defensive pressure. The strong start by Binapfel was important for the self confidence of the team. When Perl came in, Herten started to get going”, stressed Karl Dia. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 63% form the field and 25% from outside and had 8 rebounds and 5 turnovers while the Hertener Lowen shot 41% from the field and 0% from outside and had 10 rebounds and 10 turnovers.

                The Dragons Rhondorf held control of the game in the second quarter and after Herten cut the Rhondorf lead down to 10 points, the home team reacted with a run that allowed them to lead by 15 points at the break. The Hertener Lowen got off to a lot better start than in the first quarter going on a 7-2 run to cut the Rhondorf lead to 32-23. In the run, the Hertener Lowen got solid offensive production from Bosnian forward Semir Albinovic with two baskets and Fabio Galiano also scored off the bench. Herten had tightened up their defense and made it more difficult for Rhondorf to get into their sets and forcing them more to tough shots as their offensive rhythm was lost. Herten also did a good job getting out on transition and getting easy buckets. Besedic and Albinovic traded baskets and then it was time for a Rhondorf 7-0 run to extend their lead to 42-25. In the run the Dragons Rhondorf got two key fast break baskets from Kotieno and BInafpel and 37 year Anish “the fountain of youth” Sharda dropped a trey. Like in the first quarter the Dragons Rhondorf were consistent on their offensive execution as they also got to the free throw line as Kotieno and Garrido Foz connected. Herten got good contribution from Perl who was a demon in the paint and had an array of finishes that Rhondorf couldn´t handle. After 20 minutes, the Dragons Rhondorf had the comfortable 51-36 lead. “Rhondorf wasn´t playing as aggressive as in the first quarter. Smith and Perl were getting too many easy baskets. Herten was a lot better inside than outside”, added ex Telekom Baskets 2 guard Karl Dia. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 47% from the field and 27% from the three point line and had 20 rebounds and 7 turnovers while the Hertener Lowen shot 41% from the field and 0% from the three point line and had 24 rebounds and 15 turnovers.

                The Dragons Rhondorf kept their big lead in the third quarter and led by as much as 20 points before the Hertener Lowen went on a run to put a dent into the Dragons lead, but after 30 minutes the Dragons led by 18 points. In the first few minutes, both teams were executing well as Rhondorf got baskets from Binapfel and Besedic while Herten got buckets from Bulgarian forward Lyuben Paskov and Smith as Rhondorf led 55-40. Rhondorf then went on a 8-3 run to grab the 63-43 lead. In the run it was the Hollis show as he scored 4 consecutive baskets with a pull up jumper, lay in and two handed dunk on transition and an offensive rebound and put back. “I was patient in this time. I picked my spots and scored some buckets”, stated Curtis Hollis. This explosive run by Curtis Hollis didn´t have any effect on Herten as they came back with a lethal 7-0 run to cut the Dragons lead to 63-50. Herten did a good time getting transition baskets from Smith and Galiano. Sharda halted tis run getting hot hitting a trey and a jumper for the 68-51 advantage. Herten got a few baskets from Paskov at the end of the quarter while Rhondorf kept attacking the paint getting baskets from Kotieno and Binapfel as the Dragons Rhondorf led 74-58. “We had our ups and downs. Runs are a part of basketball. We were able to take advantage of their mistakes”, stated Curtis Hollis. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 52% from the field and 28% from the parking lot and had 28 rebounds and 12 turnovers while the Hertener Lowen shot 42% from the field and 11% from the parking lot and had 33 rebounds and 17 turnovers.

                In the fourth quarter the Hertener Lowen still had some excess energy and made a last push, but they couldn´t get consistent stops to cut the Rhondorf lead down further. Herten started off the fourth quarter off with a bang going on a 7-0 run to cut the Dragons lead down to 74-65. In the run it was ex Itzehoe forward Fabio Galiano who scored all 7 points giving Herten the extra energy and momentum. “Galiano stepped up. We were ready to play. We got stops and were able to push the ball and get easy baskets”, stated Herten center Dijon Smith. Herten played aggressive defense not letting Rhondorf into their sets and forcing turnovers and getting six stops. “We didn´t get back on transition and let them have easy looks and easy baskets”, said Curtis Hollis. Despite Binapfel free throws and a Hollis lay in. Herten was pressing and cut the lead down to 78-70 with an Albinovic trey. But the Hertener Lowen just couldn´t get over the hump and get stops. Rhondorf continued to execute on offense as Kotieno scored for the 85-75 lead. Three Garrido Foz free throws and a Hollis lay in sealed the victory for the Dragons Rhondorf who improved to 5-3 and Herten fell to 5-3. “We buckled down at the end. Foz hit big free throws. He is very mature and really understands the game”, warned Curtis Hollis. The Dragons Rhondorf were led by Killian Binapfel with 20 points. Curtis Hollis added 18 points and Mark Kotieno 15 points while the Hertener Lowen were led by Dijon Smith with 19 points while Fabio Galiano contributed 18 points and Mattias Perl and Semir Albinovic added 11 points a piece. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 47% from the field and 27% from outside and had 39 rebounds and 17 turnovers while the Hertener Lowen shot 43% from the field and 20% from outside and had 42 rebounds and 19 turnovers.

Pete Strobl has been around the European basketball scene for 20 years having had a stellar professional basketball career and was an assistant coach for German easyCredit BBL team ratiopharm Ulm last season. He recently was named head coach of the Basketball Lowen Braunschweig. He played at Niagara (NCAA) from 1997-2000 and then had a 9 year professional playing career that took him to countries like Germany, Austria, France, Ireland, Iceland and Switzerland. He founded The Scoring Factory in Pittsburgh and wrote a must read book called Backspin. He is a very interesting basketball mind that doesn´t shy away from speaking his mind especially on Twitter. German Hoops and Pete Strobl will team up every month talking basketball with the title “Current basketball affairs with Pete Strobl. You can follow Pete Strobl on twitter @petestrobl

You almost beat Munich, are you satisfied with where your team’s progress at this point?

Absolutely not! Munich is an amazing club and the reigning champs. They deserve a lot of respect for what they’ve accomplished. I’m proud that we played a very solid game after recovering from a rough start, but at the end of the day we lost the game. I should make it clear that I’ll never be totally “satisfied” even after a win because there’s always something that we could have done better. We’re building something special here in Braunschweig and developing our overall winning mentality requires a high level of focus and determination so we constantly improve. We want success and we’re willing to sacrifice and work for it on a daily basis.

Does Braunschweig have a chance to be a consistent contender in the BBL?

Yes would be my concise and confident answer. Nonetheless, there are a lot of factors at play in order to make our vision here a reality. I know that we’ll be judged in the future for our accomplishments today, but we can’t spend so much time dreaming in the future that we skip over the necessary day-to-day grind required to lay the foundation for future success. I’m extremely optimistic and we know that we’re heading in the right direction. As long as we control that which is within our grasp, I have no doubt that Braunschweig will become a basketball powerhouse.

How would you describe your overall coaching style and philosophy?

I’ve heard from my coaching peers that I have a reputation for details, player development, brutal honesty, positive energy and communication. As a former player I was able to experience and compete against a lot of different styles and strategies. I’ve absorbed different aspects over the years that best fit my own personality. On one side that means aggressive and active defense so the other team has to really work to get good shots, but on the other side we create and make the extra pass to find our most open shot. I’m very demanding of our players, but I also allow a high level of freedom. I want to develop high-level players that can read the game and have the confidence to create like an artist.

 Cedrick Bowen is a 27 year old 198cm forward from Woodstock, Georgia that has four professional seasons under his belt. He has seen a lot in Europe as he has played for teams in countries like Montenegro, Iceland, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Italy and Lithuania. He began his basketball career at Charleston Southern (NCAA) in 2011 and played four years there amassing 117 NCAA games and as a senior played 31 games averaging 7.9ppg, 4.3rpg, FGP: 62.0%, FT: 65.0%. He spoke to germanhoops.com about his basketball

career.

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

I’m home in the state or Georgia and it was good. I got a lot stronger and working on my dribbling and handling.

In your first four professional seasons, you never had problems finding an opportunity. It’s October now and the season is under way without you. How tough has it been sitting at the phone and why do you feel hasn’t the right opportunity come around yet?

It’s very tough but I know I haven’t got a job yet because the right situation hasn’t come for me yet but I know it will come soon enough. 

You have been with eight teams in your first four professional seasons. Would you describe yourself a bit like a basketball Globetrotter? Would you like to be with just one club the next season?

I am well experienced and understand the overseas life. I would love to just be with just club for a season. 

Your cousin is Euroleague player Chris Singleton. How much of an impact has he had on you and does his achievements keep you pushing to continue to grind to keep moving up the basketball ladder? 

My cousin and I aren’t close but I would love to be just like him. I want to reach the highest level 

You paid your dues in your first three seasons playing in lower leagues, but putting up solid stats. Last season you got your first big break for top Italian team Torino that played Eurocup. Your season was short lived. What memories do you have of this season and why didn’t it work out? 

My memories were just learning and knowing I can play at the top level. A lot of the players said I could play and wish I could of stayed but because of contacts and business situations I couldn’t stay.

What kind of experience was it playing for a short period of time for legendary head coach Larry Brown. He had his difficulties sending guys home early and then being dismissed in mid season. Did you guys not see eye to eye, or was it more a numbers game in the end? 

The experience with coach Brown are unforgettable. He taught me a lot and made me a better player. It was just contracts and business is why I didn’t stay with that team.

How disappointing was it never being able to show your game in Italy? Do you feel like you didn’t get a true fair chance with Torino?

It was disappointing because I know I can play but I understand why I couldn’t because of the business side. I got my fair chance but I was little out of shape but once I got into shape it was more the business side why I didn’t stay with the team because everyone wanted me to stay players and coaches wise. 

You kept your head up and finished the season with BC Siauliai (Lithuania-LKL): 32 games: 7.0ppg, 2.5rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 58.6%, 3PT: 30.2%, FT: 74.5%. Was it a tough experience having to rebound from the disappointing start in Italy? 

It wasn’t a disappointing start in Italy. I went to Italy to learn and get better. I achieved my goal and got better and learned more about the game of basketball. 

Let’s talk about your game. You never averaged double figures in scoring in the NCAA, but have shown your scoring qualities as a professional. But would it be fair to say that scoring isn’t what your game is all about. 

My game is about winning. Whatever the coach asks me to do I will do. If he wants me to defend and rebound I will do. If he wants me to score I will do. I’m a really good passer and I will do that. Whatever a coach asks me to do I will do.

Defense is a big part of your game as you can play the center position. How much pride do you take in your defensive assignments and do you see yourself as a defensive impact player? 

I can guard positions 2-5. I take pride in that because many players can’t and won’t. Defense wins championships and I know me guarding multiple players makes me a player people want. 

Your body has been described to 4 time Euroleague champion Kyle Hines. When you hear words like that, is his game something you watch to try to pick tips on how he handles himself at both ends of the court?

It’s a honor to be compared to a player like him but I watch a lot of Derrick Williams highlights and want to be like him. I feel like I’m more athletic and explosive then Hines but I would love to have a defensive presence like him and knowledge but I will be there soon enough. 

Your three pointer has been a work in progress for years, but recently you have been shooting the ball a lot better from outside. How far are you away from having that consistent three pointer that will make you content? 

When a team picks me up this season they will see a big difference. I’m not far from showing the confidence in my shot from deep. 

Two seasons ago you played for two Bulgarian teams and one in Macedonia. How crazy was that season and were you living out of a suitcase? 

It was not that crazy because I heard players doing that before. Always being ready for the next opportunity. I wasn’t living out a suitcase because each team I was there long enough to make my presence known. 

You finished the season strong with KK Blokotehna Gevgelija (FYR Macedonia-Prva Liga). How important was it having a guy like Dwayne Benjamin around as Americans were pretty sparse that season on your teams. 

It was important because most Americans want to be around other Americans because of understanding culture and motivation for each other to achieve our highest goals and potential. He was a great teammate and great friend. 

In your second season you had to continue to pay your dues as you played in Iceland for two teams KR Reykjavik (Iceland-Dominos League) playing 13 games averaging 13.2ppg, 6.8rpg, 1.7apg, 1.0spg, 2FGP: 54.2%, FT: 84.0%, in Feb.’17 moved to Haukar Hafnarfjordur (Iceland-Dominos League) playing 6 games averaging 5.7ppg, 3.8rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 44.4%, 3PT: 25.0%, FT: 70.0%. Americans that ball in Iceland usually take apart the league scoring wise. You didn’t, but how did you benefit most from playing there and experiencing the unique culture there? 

In Iceland I just learned how to win with the Top team KR. I learned to become more skilled and as a professional play hard every game and don’t take it for granted. 

As a rookie you played for Studentski Centar Podgorica (Montenegro-Erste Liga) playing 17 games averaging 13.4ppg, 5.6rpg, 1.2apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 52.1%, 3PT: 28.6%, FT: 71.0%. What was your wake up call to being a rookie in Europe where you knew that you were very far away from home in Georigia?

Just being on my own and learning how to be comfortable and trusting others. My wake up call was when I wasn’t playing well that coach would get on to me for any small reasons but I was the paid player to make a difference. I could not call or go to anyone else. I had to be a man and handle my business. 

What kind of relationship did you have with scoring ace Sherrod Wright? He was a guy who put up huge numbers in the NCAA with George Mason and ended up having to pay dues in Iceland for years where he led the league in scoring twice at 28 ppg and 27ppg. He now is looking for a team like you. Is he a prime example of how there are so many talented players in the world, but just too little jobs? 

Sherrod taught me to be aggressive and believe in myself. And I know so many players that wait and are hungry and want a job and you have to be patient and when you get a chance. Take an advantage. 

You played at Charleston Southern (NCAA) from 2011-2015 playing a total of 117 NCAA games. Was reaching the 2013 Big South Conf. Tournament final as a sophomore one of your biggest achievements there? 

Winning the regular seasons championship 2013 and 2015 were my biggest accomplishments.

Do you sometimes look online and watch your game winning put back dunk against Ole Miss? It was rated Sports Center’s top play. How much does that still mean to you today?

I looked at it today with friends and I still can’t believe I did that. It means a lot to me because so many people doubted me and look where I was and am now. 

It seemed like you really improved your rebounding as a senior. In a four game stretch you hauled down 24 offensive rebounds. How do you feel did your game develop in your last few years there? 

It was just a mind set like it is now. Be aggressive and know what you do at being the best 

When you were a freshman, Kelvin Martin was a senior. How much of a role model was he for you? I am sure you have witnessed his development as a pro. He had to pay his dues in the lower Italian leagues and play in Holland. In his fifth season he finally cracked the German BBL and this season is playing his third season in Italy’s Serie A. 

I was supposed to be the best kelvin martin in college. He told me and still tells me how great I can be. I want to be just like him and he tells me to be better than him. 

How did head coach Barclay Radebaugh groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career? 

He told me to have fun and be the best I can be.

Who won a one on one in practice you or Paul Gombwear?

It would be a great battle but against anyone I will always say I will come on top even if it’s Michael Jordan in his prime. 

Who was the toughest player that you faced in the NCAA that would play in the NBA?

Solomon Hill. 

Please pick your NBA Rushmore of four NBA heads past or present. 

Michael Jordan Lebron James Shaq Magic Johnson 

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

Lebron James is the greatest player of all time. He has a better all around game. 

What was the last movie that you saw?

The Joker. 

Thanks Cedric for the chat.

                Ok so the Fraport Skyliners were down by 12 points at the half against top team Alba Berlin in Berlin, a tough deficit, but not a total impossible challenge to try to conquer. If a person´s bladder had gone crazy shortly before the begin of the third quarter and a bathroom break was a must and on the way back to your seat was caught by the tasty aroma of burger´s and fries, you may have been shocked by the score only a few minutes in as suddenly Alba Berlin had trampled all over Frankfurt and run loose on a lethal 17-2 run to extend their already comfortable lead of 40-28 to 57-30. At that time any basketball expert would have uttered those famous 1984 words from Peter Wolf of J Geils Band who had the song “Lights Out”. It was lights out already there for the 2016 Fiba Europe Cup winner as that usual third quarter slump once again reared it´s ugly head on to the floor. At the end of 40 minutes the Fraport Skyliners had suffered a humiliating 87-54 loss which was their fourth loss of the season and put them 0-3 in the EasyCredit BBL standings. The sad thing about the early season misfortune of Frankfurt is that they could have won and should have won their first three games. The question is are the Fraport Skyliners a lot better team than what their record shows. Yes they are. But the big problem is so many guys are underachieving which has helped put the future of the season at doubt. Instead of being 0-3, the team could be 2-1 and be going into the home game against the Hamburg Towers with some extra self confidence, but instead have added pressure needing to perform right away and produce some victories. One doesn´t want to get totally depressed after only three games, but there are numerous question marks. Has the team reached the 10 to midnight mark, a time where Cinderella had to be as nervous as every defensive Line must be when a Tom Brady is in the pocket about changing back to her old self. With the Fraport Skyliners, it´s more like when midnight does happen is when the club will be in a very precarious area in the standings. At the moment, they are in last place, but not in danger to be too far back to get out of the cellar. There are simply too many games left, but then again the next three games don´t get any easier as with ratiopharm Ulm, you have a dark horse favorite for the BBL final and with the Hamburg Towers and medi Bayreuth two struggling teams that have been wounded like an animal and will be super motivated when they arrive in the Fraport arena.

                The injury to starting point guard Anthony Hickey has been key as his playmaking has been missed. Lamont Jones has done a good job in the absence of Hickey averaging 6,7 through 3 games a career high, but because of his focus on the playmaking, his real strength scoring doesn´t have his full attention. He has to create even more shots than usual, because he doesn´t have that playmaker that sets him up for easier baskets. It is no secret that the ex Iona(NCAA) standout is a prolific scorer, but his decision making at times is suspect and when the team needs the playmaking a bit more , don´t get it because he is trying to do more by himself a total normal occurrence when you’re a scorer. Quantez Robertson has been like a hidden point guard for years and does a good job getting assists, but he is needed more on the boards and defense than finding the open man. Not only are they in the cellar in the standings, but also in scoring. They produce a miserable 68 points per game. Even if your defending at a high level and were the Fraport Skyliners of old that liked to give up points in the high sixties, they would still have had problems winning. At least some years ago when Frankfurt was defending with passion and with success, they were averaging over 80 points per game on offense something they can only dream of now. They have improved their defense from the beginning, but still give up 81 points per game which would have been somewhere in the vicinity of 12-14 best in the BBL  only  a few years ago, but the overall defense has suffered in the BBL in the last years. When your only averaging 68 points per game on offense, you won´t be able to win many games.

                A big weakness in the early going has been their three point shooting. Currently they are shooting 31% from the parking lot which is 14^th in the BBL. Not being able to shoot the three  gives team´s an advantage to focus more on the paint area and close range where the team has the most success from. Opponents can also conserve more energy with a zone letting Frankfurt shoot and shoot instead of practicing man to man defense which exerts more unneeded energy. The so called Frankfurt shooters haven´t been able to produce the way the team would need it most. Lamont Jones is at 33%, Akeem Vargas at 23%, Matt Mcquaid and Shaquille Hines at 25% and Quantez Robertson at 16%. Ok so Robertson has never been a consistent three point shooter, but his output this season has never been that weak. A Hines was near 40% from downtown in Sweden and Greece and was at 34% with Braunschweig. Mcquaid who´s shooting is his bread and butter also hasn´t found his touch. The only bright spot has been German Richard Freudenberg who is shooting 46%. He has been searching for his overall consistency since day one and despite having added pressure needing to perform in his third season with Frankfurt, the basketball God has looked down fondly on the German and he has simply produced so far. The question is when will it finally rain three´s for the Fraport Skyliners. Some teams go through long shooting slumps. The Fraport Skyliners don´t have the time. Sometimes it just isn´t meant to be. Frankfurt needs a shooting break out game fast to get their self-confidence going otherwise they will be moving faster and faster to a real lights out for this season.

                Many figured that this would be a season where the defense finds back to it´s old Frankfurt standard. The club showed signs in pre season, but with the loss of Anthony Hickey who has been a defensive demon where ever he has played has been dearly missed on the defensive end. With Robertson and him anchoring the defense, the club may have been in a totally different place now. Shots aren´t always going to fall, but at least play defense. You don´t have to be the most talented defender. It´s all about having passion and heart and wanting it more than other teams. It worked in the past for the Fraport Skyliners. Frankfurt definitely has the talent to be a good defensive team. They finally have to show it when it counts most. Another problem has been too many guys underachieving. One never ever would have dared to say that Quantez Robertson is getting old, but perhaps age is starting to show. He is turning over the ball as much as he is scoring. His biggest strength is his team play. His rebounds, assists and steals are great, but his scoring and shooting accuracy has to improve. Mcquaid hasn´t found to his NCAA form, but he still is allowed more time to get adjusted to overseas basketball. A Hines has to give more offensive input as well as a Vargas. Jones has been an offensive scoring machine and carried the team. A Daniel Schmidt can do more than just bring the ball forward. He definitely needs to be more aggressive on the offensive end. A Richard Freudenberg has had his moments and needs to build on his momentum. An Adam Waleskowski has been super efficient in his 12 minutes per game perhaps overachieved for his age, but at this point having input like that is highly appreciated. Two other bright spots have been Germans Leon Kratzer and Bruno Vrcic. Kratzer is averaging 10/7 stats and can still up his game this season. He has the tools to dominate in the paint. He is a guy that should take that second or third go to guy role. Vrcic made his BBL debut in Berlin scoring 9 points in 16 minutes. His game was refreshing and he showed in his first game that he deserves BBL minutes.

                It would be essential that the Fraport Skyliners win two of their next three games. I don´t believe that they will be able to win in Ulm, but if they can play with the type of intensity that they showed against FC Bayern Munich against Hamburg and Bayreuth then they will see some daylight at the end of the tunnel with a 2-5 record and then have the self confidence for the next stretch of 4 games where there will be winnable games against MBC, Wurzburg and BG Goettingen. The whole season might looked different at this point had they gotten a point guard or a shooter. But it is what it is. The 0-3 team is a lot better than their record shows. Of course there are many question marks with the low amount of points, below average defense and mediocre shooting, but the team was in three of four games. One has to wonder how good this team will be when they start to really play. They have offensive talent, but the guys finally have to come to play. It could be minutes before mid  if the Fraport Skyliners lose against Hamburg, Ulm and Bayreuth, but that won´t happen. The team will reach November with some wins under their belt. They will be able to produce some distance from that dreaded midnight time.

Curtis Hollis is a 21 year old 198cm forward from Arlington, Texas that is playing his first season overseas and first in Germany with the Dragons Rhondorf. He began his career at Mansfield Summit High School. In 2017-2018 he played with Hutchinson CC (JUCO) playing 34 games averaging 6.9ppg, 3.3rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 27.0%, FT: 66.3%. In 2018 he played in Lavar Ball’s new league with the Houston Ballers (JBL) playing 7 games: Score-5 (29.3ppg), 11.3rpg, 5.3apg, 2.6spg, FGP: 46.0%, 3PT: 21.2%, FT: 71.8%. He and I will team up every week to talk basketball in the Miles basketball

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Curtis thanks for talking to germanhoops.com A very turbulent week for the Dragons Rhondorf. The club fired head coach Markus Rowenstrunk. How timely was this move and why wasn’t the team able to win more games?


It was crazy how it all happened because nobody expected it. We lost a couple games because we just weren’t discipled fully and we’re still learning. We are a young group with big expectations so we just didn’t fully realize and have it all together yet.

Yassin Idbihi stepped in to take the coaching duties for now. How is he a different coach than Rowenstrunk and how has he helped the team rebound besides adding a few more plays?

He’s just more no games everything serious. He doesn’t mess around and takes big control over the team. He’s helped us rebound because we changed some stuff up and we’re just getting better of course and learning to be way more disciplined and how to play the right way. Yassin is a great coach.

Yassin Idbihi discovered you in Baunach. Is it a lot easier to play for him? Does he give you even more freedom than before?

It’s for sure easier. It was easy to play under Markus as well and he was a good coach but like you said Yassin discovered me and knows my strengths really well. I have a lot of freedom yes but at the end of the day it’s still about winning and getting my teammates involved for me.

The low point came on Friday as the Dragons Rhondorf lost to a second Regionalliga team kicking you out of the cup competition. Was it this loss that had to wake up the team for the great team win against Hagen Haspe?


That was just a tough day. We had to bounce back quick and adjust and I also have to give credit to that team. They played extremely well and hard. But yes of course every loss is a wake up call for us. There’s a very very low tolerance for losing.

The Dragons Rhondorf won easily 111-81 against Hagen-Haspe even if it didn’t look that way in the first half. Was the way how the team shared the ball one of the biggest pluses from that game?

Yes we moved the ball well and played as a team we also really came out and played hard defensively and limited them to one possession in the second half. That was big for us!

The team still gave up a lot of points with 81. Will getting the defensive side tweaked more of a long work in progress or do you feel confident that the team will make quicker strides in the improvement in this area?

I think a little bit in the middle. I’m very confident but we’re still learning the right way to play defensively but there’s also no time to wait. We have to be better now so it’s a mixture of learning and applying fast.

Did the team find a new three point sniper in Simonas Lukosius. How refreshing was it seeing this young kid come to life and do you see him becoming a role player?

Simas is a stud. He’s only 17 and plays way older than that. I watch in practice and play with and against him so I always knew what he could do but he’s coming on good for us and can knock down shots! I’m happy for him and it’s good that he can help us win games.

Jeffrey Martin also had his first good game with Rhondorf with 13 points and 5 assists. Did it seem like the coaching change made him more relaxed to change his season around to become that consistent scorer?

Yes he played more relaxed and got to his spots and played with a lot of confidence. He plays really hard defense and can really score it so it’s good and exciting that he’s coming on well for us too.

You had another normal day at the office with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. You took the most shots in a game this season with 19. Is this a good example that you have more freedom now? 

Yes it’s a pretty good example Yassin wants me to be aggressive. So I just try to pick my spots and score when I can.

The NBA commences play in a few weeks. Which team among these with the Rockets, Lakers, Clippers and Nets do you see having the most success this season with the superstars that they picked up?

I like a lot of teams I feel like a lot of them got better. Utah, Dallas, Denver, Philly, Milwaukee! The NBA is loaded this year. 

If you had to pick between a Kobe and Lebron mix tape for your last ever basketball watching which one would you choose?

Honestly I’m a Michael Jordan guy and Kobe is pretty close to Mike so I’d have to go with a Kobe mixtape.

Thanks Curtis for the chat.