One of the biggest draws of the season for the Fraport Skyliners since the 2003-2004 season where the clubs battled back to back for the BBL title splitting has been Brose Bamberg. Even if FC Bayern Munich may still be the biggest fan gatherer, there is no other BBL team that has the prestige that Bamberg bring each season simply for the memories of three fierce final series where Bamberg have the upper hand 2-1. However on April 18^th, 2019 Brose Bamberg which had amazing players like x NBA player Elias Harris, Greek legend Nikolaos Zisis or ex Euroleague players Tyrese Rice and Ricky Hickmann actually took a back seat with the popcorn and coke to the Fraport Skyliners newest signing Andrej “the bachelor” Mangold. After not having played a professional game since 2017 with s.Oliver Wurzburg and having spent the last months entertaining exotic women on the sandy beaches of Mexico, his life has slowly settled down a bit and he decided to give professional basketball a go again. Even if Mangold´s life is calming down, the 2004 BBL champion Fraport Skyliners desire to make the most of this signing coup and quickly proclaimed the game against Bamberg “Ladies Night” in the hopes of attracting more spectators into the Fraport arena preferably  young women who could raise the decibels a bit more. Mangold has had a solid BBL career where he spent the most of his time with the Telekom Baskets Bonn where he played 171 BBL games, but nasty injuries derailed his career in 2016 until the Bachelor came calling in December 2018. Mangold was back and donning a fancy Fraport Skyliners jersey and with many ladies cheering him on, but his appearance in a Skyliner jersey had to wait as he wasn´t inserted. He got some cheers with his pre game introduction that sounded mixed in with teenage screams, but more subdued then some may have expected. Head coach Gordon Herbert stated that he would have to work hard in practice to deserve minutes. Mangold was all smiles after the big 86-79 win over Brose Bamberg, but smiling for all occasions is something he has learned the last months while his teammates commented on his not playing more reserved. “It was coaches decision for not getting him in. He is still getting in game rhythm. He is still finding his way, but once he gets in the rotation, he will do good things”, warned Jason Clark.

                The Fraport Skyliners entered the game with as about minimal chances of making the playoffs as it is for the Los Angeles Clippers have of getting by the Golden State Warriors in seven games even if they tied the seris 1-1. The 2000 BBL cup winner pretty much had to win every game of having any realistic chance of playing in the promised land in mid May as well as getting help form other teams. Going into the usually meaningful game against Bamberg, they were dumpling around in 13^th place four wins away from the eighth and last playoff spot and had had a 3-3 record in the last six games and lost three of the last four games. Meanwhile Brose Bamberg have had a very satisfying season despite all the troubles in the current past, had regrouped and won the 2019 BBL cup, reached the Basketball Champions League final 4 and were sitting in fifth place of the BBL standings with a 19-8 record. Bamberg legends like Chris Fleming and Casey Jacobsen could be happy with their ex team as they have been the other big surprise of the season next to Rasta Vechta. But the Fraport Skyliners came out surprisingly focused and energized as this season that hasn´t always been the case and played a very solid game for 40 minutes as the Kratzer and Clark show smothered Brose Bamberg. After the huge victory, ex Georgetown(NCAA) guard Jason Clark was thrilled about the teams performance. “We came out aggressive which is what we wanted to do on offense and defense. We played very well together. Kratzer came out and was an inside presence which helped open up everything else. We stayed together late in the game. Rice is a hell of a player and made tough shots, but we never got rattled and executed on offense and stuck together on defense”, stressed Jason Clark. Brose Bamberg didn´t play their best game and didn´t start well, which carried over for the whole game as they were trailing for the most part of the game and inserted a lot of energy and just couldn´t get consistent stops on defense. “We didn´t start well and gave them confidence right away. We knew that it would be an intensive game, but we were never able to stop their inside game as we were always a step behind. Our communication wasn´t good and Frankfurt wanted it more. We played better in the third quarter, but when Frankfurt is game tough, then they are hard to beat especially in their place”, stressed Brose Bamberg guard Maurice Stuckey. Clark just smiled when he heard the name Kratzer and Clark show. “Kratzer dominated and you can see he has developed. You can see he has the confidence that he can dominate. He rebounded well and never hesitated when he got the ball down low. When he dominated it opens up the game for everyone else”, stated Jason Clark.

                Only 3,300 fans wanted to witness another interesting duel between the Fraport Skyliners and Brose Bamberg including the German bachelor Andrej Mangold, but there were also some other factors that led to the les than satisfactory turn out. Football team Eintracht Frankfurt was playing an international quarterfinal do or die game at home against Benfica Lisabon, Ice Hockey team Eisbaeren had a game, it was the first beautiful spring day of 2019 and the Easter holidays were underway. But at least the Fraport Skyliners came out on fire taking command from the jump ball and controlled the game rapidly. Frankfurt got huge production from ex Bamberg center Leon Kratzer who came out reborn against his old team scoring 8 points quickly as nobody could stop him. The German big man finished with 26 points on potent 13/17 shooting from the field and had to make the rounds at the end with many interviews and knew what was key for his success, but he wasn´t a man playing among boys. “It wasn´t that easy. It was good to play against my old team and see many of my ex teammates. I think I have developed well in Frankfurt. It took some time, but when you work hard and take it step by step, good results happen”, smiled Leon Kratzer. Frankfurt was defending with passion forcing turnovers and even making blocks helping get a comfortable 18-8 lead. Tyler Larson scored 5 points as he remained aggressive early, as Jason Clark added two three´s to help keep the comfortable 23-12 advantage after 10 minutes. “Key in the first quarter was defense. Niklas Kiel rebounded very well and good defensive stops ended in big rebounds”, added Jason Clark.

                Brose Bamberg upped their game in the second quarter cutting down the Frankfurt lead, but still couldn´t get over the hump as the Fraport Skyliners had the slim 40-35 advantage at the break. Bamberg began with free throws from ex Gonzaga(NCAA) standout Elias Harris and Jonas Wolfarth-Bottermann who played only 11,26 minutes due to Leon Kratzer´s big game made a tap in for the 25-14 lead. However basketball will always be a game of runs as Brose Bamberg proved that going on a 8-0 run as suddenly Frankfurt´s lead was shaved down to 25-22. In the run Bamberg got two mid distance jumpers from ex Tuebingen forward Augustine Rubit and a trey from Maurice Stuckey. Bamberg was playing calmer and more controlled being patient and looking for better shots while executing while the Fraport Skyliners couldn´t muster any offense in that short phase. The Fraport Skyliners stayed calm and relied on what was working best and went back inside keeping the lead. Kratzer continued to be a menace scoring twice while being aggressive on the offensive boards while long time injured German Niklas Kiel also was aggressive on the offensive boards getting two buckets to keep the 33-26 advantage. Bambrgr had no solution to keep Frankfurt out of the paint in the stretch run as Kratzer and Kiel(reverse lay up) connected again, but Bamberg did a good job not getting irritated. Brose Bamberg continued to execute getting a 20 footer from Greek legend Nikolaos Zisis, a beautiful alley-op slam dunk from ex Portland Trailblazer Cliff Alexander and a three pointer from ex Boston College Eagle Patrick Heckmann, but Frankfurt led 40-35. “We got away from what we were doing well getting the ball inside, but they defended well. But we managed to go inside again and hold the lead”, added Jason Clark. The Fraport Skyliners shot 55% from the field and 40% from outside and had 15 rebounds and 4 turnovers while Brose Bamberg shot 50% from the field and 29% from outside and had 14 rebounds and 6 turnovers.

                In the third quarter Brose Bamberg got big time production from Elias Harris, Augustine Rubit and Tyrese Rice who combined for 22 of the 27 third quarter points reeling in the lead again 62-59. The Fraport Skyliners continued to do what they did best all game long and hammer the ball inside as they were rewarded with three more Kratzer buckets. He finished with two two handed dunks and a tap in to keep the valuable 46-39 advantage. But Brose Bamberg never gave up, but continued to chip away at the Frankfurt lead and got a clutch 6-2 run all scored by ex Los Angeles Laker Ellias Harris to cut the Frankfurt lead to 48-45. Harris showed just how versatile he is hitting a 20 footer, connecting on a lay in on transition and making a two handed dunk on the pick and roll play with Tyrese Rice. Frankfurt was holding on to a thread as Brose Bamberg continued to threaten on offense, but just couldn´t get over the hump quite yet. Brose Bambergr played to their offensive strengths as Rubit nailed three deep mid distance jumpers while Frankfurt got contribution from ex Alba Berlin guard Akeem Vargas who drained a trey and Tyler Larson hit a floater as Frankfurt led 55-54. Bamberg simply had too many weapons as now it was time for the uprising play of Tyrese Rice who closed out the third quarter with 8 points with two massive three´s and a fade away jumper while Jason Clark hit a deep trey over Alexander, but Brose Bamberg led 62-59. “Bamberg has a lot of offensive weapons. Guys like Harris and Rubit are very athletic and hit tough shots. We weren´t playing bad defense, but when everything is rolling for them, it is hard to stop them. But we handled the situation well and didn´t get rattled”, stressed Jason Clark. “We had more intensity and were quicker on offense and defense”, stressed Maurice Stuckey.

                In the fourth quarter, it looked like Brose Bamberg had figured out the Fraport Skyliners taking a six point lead early, but the Kratzer and Clark show with a touch of unsung hero Tra Holder wouldn´t disappoint as they turned around the game leading Frankfurt to the well deserved win. Despite getting struck by two flagrant fouls early, it didn´t faze Brose Bamberg as Frankfurt couldn´t capitalize. Brose Bamberg got clutch three´s from Euroleague champion Ricky Hickman and German youth national player Louis Olinde. But like in so many times in the game, the Fraport Skyliners didn´t get rattled as they struck back as Jason Clark hit Brose Bamberg with 6 points dead locking the game at 68-68. “We had good ball movement and I just took what the defense gave me. Larson did a good job drawing the defense as did Robertson and Shawn Huff with drive and kick. Once we are rolling and find our spots, I get open shots. I knocked down these shots because of my teammates”, warned Jason Clark. After a Alexander put back, it was Holder who made a pretty runner bank shot to tie the game at 70-70. He made some big plays in a few minutes time keeping Bamberg at bay. Frankfurt didn´t crack under pressure, but got consistent production from Kratzer who scored two more times, but each time Bamberg matched Frankfurt with a Harris lay up and Rice floater to cut the lead to 76-74. Clark then hit a huge three to give Frankfurt the 79-74 lead, but Rice struck back with another trey cutting Frankfurt´s advantage to 79-76. Bamberg had their chances, but couldn´t execute. Zisis missed an open three from the corner which led to a Larson pull up jumper for the 81-76 lead. With 39 seconds to play. Rice then missed two shots which sealed the win for Frankfurt after Larson free throws for the 84-76 lead. A late three by Hickman and lay in by Huff ended the game. “Our defense was key at the end. We knew that Rice wanted the ball. Kiel switched and did a good job forcing him to take a tough shot”, stressed Jason Clark. “It was the small things like loose balls that cost us the game at the end”, stressed Maurice Stuckey. The Fraport Skyliners were led by Leon Kratzer with 26 points. Jason Clark added 22 points and Tyler Larson had 14 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists while Brose Bamberg were led by Tyrese Rice with 18 points. Augustine Rubit added 15 points and Elias Harris had 12 points. The Fraport Skyliners shot 54% from the field and 44% from outside and had 33 rebounds and 11 turnovers while Brose Bamberg shot 53% from the field and 35% from outside and had 28 rebounds and 11 turnovers.

On a very balmy and beautiful early spring day in April the wiha Panthers entered the Ost Halle gym for their third playoff do or die game against Giessen and had solid support from their two stars Rasheed Moore and Bill Borekambi, but there was also that third player with Anell Alexis who stepped up in a huge way scoring 19 points and hitting 5/6 three´s the most in his career and had the game of his life even if he didn´t think so. “I don’t feel like it was to be honest with you. I try to treat every game in the same even-keel manner, so the fact that it was a win or go home Game 3 really didn’t make much of a difference to me mentally”, warned Anell Alexis. He won´t go into the next playoff game in Munster with special added confidence because of his 5 three´s in Giessen either. “I’ll have the same confidence that I always have going into the games that come because I understand that game happened because of the work I put in”, warned Anell Alexis. The American/Panamanian who has that memorable hair where some could say he came straight from the 70´s Disco era hasn´t always looked like that, but perhaps he got some valuable tips from his dad Wendell who was a teenager in the late 70´s and surely was sporting something to that nature. At closer inspection the name Alexis probably didn´t ring a bell for twenty somethings in the Ost halle gym as the only names that might ring a bell for them that played at Syracuse are current NBA players Carmelo Anthony, Dion Waiters or a Wesley Johnson, but 33 years ago there was Wendell Alexis who was doing his magic with memorable players like Pearl Washington, Sherman Douglas, Rafael Addison and Rony Seikaly there. For those people of the older generation in the 40´s, the name Wendell Alexis will surely bring back the golden age of Alba Berlin in the late 90´s when they were dominating the BBL winning 7 titles in a row and the elder Alexis led the team as he chipped in with 8 titles and at age 39 in 2004 averaged 18,1ppg in the BBL and helped lead the Mitteldeutscher BC to the Fiba Europe Cup title. Current BBL Dino´s like Mcelroy, Allen and Jenkins were young pups and probably didn´t recognize it, but now are  following in his steps trying to outlast him and play into their 40´s. Obviously it is never easy for a son of a famous father to come to terms with the legacy, but for him the secret has been knowing the difference between him and his dad on the court and not letting a bad game ever affect him mentally or physically. “The main thing I really learned from my father and took with me is that is to stay even emotionally. Whether I have a game where I score 30 points or have a game where I score 3 points, as long you put the work in everything will even itself out over time. And for me it wasn’t really hard being his son as it wasn’t something I paid a whole lot of attention too. He and I have two different games. He was more of a stretch power forward while I mainly play the shooting guard/small forward position”, stressed Anell Alexis. Some ex players remain in Germany and find a new life as a head coach or other job, but Wendell Alexis returned back to New Jersey after he retired and that allowed Anell to grow up in the States which in a way was an advantage, but also had it´s negatives as being an Orange man from Syracuse will always leave memories with people. “I’m happy that I left Germany at the age that I did because I feel the transition would have been more difficult if I had left when I was any older. It wasn’t any easier in the sense of people recognizing my father because a lot of people knew him from having played at Syracuse when he was in college”, added Anell Alexis. All in all Anell Alexis has learned to block out his father´s legacy and learned to stay emotionally even to have a successful career.

 

            Alexis was born on February 28, 1990 in Hillsborough, New Jersey. He had quite the globe trotter life as a child going everywhere where his dad was which included countries like Italy, Spain, Israel, and France. Then he found a home in Germany´s capital as his dad was 32 years old and would rack up numerous titles in the next 6 years and make himself immortal in Alba Berlin history. Son Anell was infected by the basketball bug and played with the Alba Berlin youth teams and saw the early development of current Alba guard Joshiko Saibou. In the time that he was growing up in Berlin and witnessing his father win title after title the way a Jordan did in the 90´s with the Chicago Bulls, he didn´t seem affected by the hoopla of his dad´s achievements or feel any pressure. “At that age most people didn’t make too big of a deal of it. It wasn’t until I got around the age of 11 and 12 that I noticed it, but for me personally I didn’t pay much attention to it. I was just having fun playing and winning”, said Anell Alexis. While his dad closed out his professional playing career in Greece and Germany in 2004 winning the Fiba Europe Cup, He went to the states in 2002 and wouldn´t return back to Germany until 2015 when he got his first playing gig with Bremerhaven. In his first years back in the States, he went to St. Benedict’s Preparatory School from 2002-2008 and then stuck on an extra year at prep school St. Thomas More School.

https://youtu.be/E8aiSyE4Je4

 

            He then attended Marist(NCAA) from 2009-2013 which is around the corner from Hartford and the school that brought Germany Mr pass Jared Jordan. He played a total of 78 NCAA games and didn´t have much success there, but he played against some top basketball schools and big time players and remembers those years and what this experience taught him. “Those years were tough because we weren’t very successful as a team. The biggest thing I learned over the course of those four years were to believe in yourself even when it seems all odds are against you and to never stop putting the extra work in because it will pay off”, stressed Anell Alexis. Even if he never averaged more than 14 minutes in a season and his minutes were shaved down each season, he did have some memorable games like his 14/11outburst in the 71-67 victory over St Peters and his 22 points that he scored on his birthday to beat Siena. But one game he will never forget is a game that he lost by 50 points, but it was against powerhouse Kentucky where he scored 3 points and had 4 boards and battled against future NBA players like Lamb, Gilchrist, Miller, Teague, Jones and Anthony Davis came from the bench. He remembers that game like it was yesterday. “I just remember thinking that all of the stuff that we could normally get away with against other teams and players were not working that day. I also remember it being a four point game at halftime and they came out in the second half and blew the game open. Davis was doing things that I had never seen someone his size or his age be able to do. He was able to cover so much ground and cover for so many of his teammates’ mistakes that I knew he would be really good as he got older”, expressed Anell Alexis. After his four years at Marist, he was able to play an additional year and opted for Norfolk State where he was teammates with current BG Goettingen guard Pendarvis “Penny Williams and  played 34 games averaging 7.3ppg, 3.4rpg, FGP: 50.4%, 3PT: 35.1%, FT: 78.3%. He helped the school reach the 2014 MEAC Tournament Semifinals. He was thankful for getting another opportunity to show his abilities and to develop further before embarking on a professional basketball career. “It was very important for me to leave and experience a different culture in college after Marist. I had gotten hurt my freshman year at Marist and was granted a medical redshirt which was what allowed me to leave to go to Norfolk State. I didn’t have too many thoughts as to what would have happened had I stayed at Marist for my graduate year”, stated Anell Alexis. Even if he took a step back to play in the NCAA 2, it was a vital choice for his game and he could gather last important ingredients for his game from head coach Robert Jones before he set off on a professional basketball career. “Coach jones is my guy. Honestley he taught me how to win again because at that point it had been 3 years of consistent losing.. and he also got me back playing in a freer and more instinctive manner which I had gotten away from playing in a rigid system at my old school”, stressed Anell Alexis.

 

            The American/Panamanian started his professional basketball career in 2015 in Panama with whom he also was a part of the national team in 2012. He played his rookie season with Caballos de Cocle Aguadulce (LPB) playing 9 games and averaging 17.2ppg, 5.0rpg, 1.8apg, 1.2spg, FGP-3(58.0%), 3PT: 28.0%, FT: 66.7%. The game style and lifestyle fit him perfectly and he remained another season with Caballos de Cocle Aguadulce (Panama-LPB) playing 17 games: Score-5(16.6ppg), 4.5rpg, 3.8apg, FGP-2(59.9%), 3PT: 25.4%, FT: 76.7%. Three was a charm as he finally won the Panamanian title in 2018 with Universitarios (Panama-LPB) playing 15 games averaging 9.0ppg, 5.4rpg, 3.5apg, FGP: 48.1%, 3PT: 20.4%, FT: 70.6%. He will always have his time in Panama in his heart. “Winning that championship is a memory that I will never forget because it wasn’t something that anyone expected us to do. Life is more relaxed out in Panama compared to Germany, as well as there being a lot more sunshine and hot weather throughout the year”, smiled Anell Alexis. After his rookie season with Panama, he got his first gig in Germany with BSG Bremerhaven (Germany-Regionalliga) playing 13 games averaging 22.7ppg, 8.6rpg, 1.6apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 53.1%, 3PT: 27.5%, FT: 83.7%. He had an exceptional first season in Germany and one would have thought that this would have been the stepping stone to possibly starting his Pro B career a few years earlier, but he had other ideas and options. “I had the opportunity to play with a team in Panama that was going to play in the Ligas Las Americas, which is the South American equivalent of the Euroleague, and I wanted to test myself at the highest level possible”, warned Anell Alexis. He also won´t forget his first head coach Jan Lipke who was the first coach in Germany to believe in his abilities. “I’ll always appreciate coach Jan because he was the first coach to give me an opportunity to play professionally in Germany. He helped me a lot because he gave me a lot of insight from a coaches’ perspective on how things worked here and how to best approach things as a player, as he also played at a high level during his career”, stressed Anell Alexis. Last season he played his first full season in the Pro B with BBC Coburg playing 25 games averaging 6.3ppg, 3.4rpg, FGP: 49.0%, 3PT: 28.0%, FT: 85.7%. He scored in double figures in 7 games and had his moments drilling home 18 points in the 92-89 win against the Bayer Giants Leverkusen and added 16 points in the victories against Schwelm and Wurzburg. He needed very little adjustment period coming from the Panamanian league. “At first it was the speed of the league for the first game or two, but once I got used to that there was not a huge adjustment that needed to be made”, said Anell Alexis.

https://youtu.be/3SDII90uS58

 

                The American had tasted big time success in Panama and returned back to Germany to face a new challenge with the new Pro B team wiha Panthers Schwenningen and came at the end of November and it didn´t take him long to discover that he was playing with a very special organization. “The entire organization is very tightly knit. Players wives and girlfriends help out throughout the organization, the women’s team always supports us at our games, and we even have assistant coaches who coach youth teams. Everyone is helping one another in different ways”, warned Anell Alexis. He also understood quickly that a winning team need the right mix of players, but nothing is complete without the right coach that holds everything together and is able to construct a chemistry that will bring success. “Coach Velcic is a very hard-driving coach but I can appreciate playing for someone like that because there are days throughout the season were the team may not be giving it’s best effort, but he won’t allow us to give anything but that. He is a great motivator and helps everyone fight and give their best”, stated Anell Alexis. Alexis who lists Scotty Hopson as the toughest player he battled in the NCAA knows that the success of the wiha Panthers Schwenningen has been a combination of Velcic and his teammates and is thankful of being able to share the ball on a daily basis with it´s two best players Rasheed Moore and Bill Borekambi. “With the numbers Rasheed puts up on a consistent basis he has to be up for MVP consideration. He’s fun to play with because he’s still young so you can see him growing and maturing as a player with every game that we play. The most amazing play Bill has made since I have been here would be that last layup against Giessen. His body was parallel to the floor and he was still able to make it. He makes really difficult shots on an everyday basis so I can’t even say I’m surprised anymore when I see him make them”, stressed Anell Alexis. He also has the utmost respect for the guards Abaker and Karamatskos who so often change the game with big plays on offense and defense. “Abdul made a key steal when we were down four points with a minute to go against Giessen as well as the two free throws that followed. Kostas’ injury may have been a blessing in disguise because that allowed Abu to develop as a point guard uninhibited during that time. Kostas is actually a big joker but you would never know that unless you saw him outside of a game environment. At the same time, he keeps the team locked in and focused on the task that we have at hand, whatever that may be at that given time”, warned Anell Alexis.

                The wiha Panthers Schwenningen have had an overwhelming exciting playoff series having beat SC Rist Wedel in three games and doing the same against Giessen and surviving three do or die games. There is the famous Gary Lineker quote and in the end the German football team always wins. In the last games the wiha Panthers Schwenningen haven´t only had a lot of luck, but been able to always win at the end like Germany once did. “I wish it was that easy but we really lock in and focus in these do or die games. None of them have been easy but we make all the plays that we need to make in order to win the game”, expressed Anell Alexis. Giessen gave it a great fight, but so did Wedel, but in the end it was that special heart and fight that have helped carry the wiha Panthers Schwenningen to so many wins this season. “Game three against Giessen was not decided until the literal last possession of the game. We were down double digits for most of the second half but we never gave up and that’s what helped us pull the game out at the end”, stressed Anell Alexis. Now head coach Alen Velcic and his players are ready for  a new challenge against the energetic and feisty Munster team who like Schwenningen moved up to the Pro B after many years of being  a top Regionalliga team, but always came up short winning the title. It will be the third series in a row where the wiha Panthers Schwenningen won´t have home court advantage again, but their playoff track record at 2-0 is perfect, but they will have to be very aware of one of Munster´s big strengths at home. “I feel like it will be a series of the team who can best impose their will on the game will have the best chance of winning the series. I like our chances in this series, but we have to be focused and locked in because Munster is a team that shoots the ball well, especially at home”, warned Anell Alexis. 

https://youtu.be/CKblKCsHMbM

 

                Alexis came from Panama which is a league where defense isn´t necessarily on the basketball menu, but he knew that he would really have to be awake on defense playing under Alen Velcic. “I really didn’t have much choice to develop it if I wanted to play. I always prided myself on playing defense but playing with Coach Alen made me be a lot more physical and aggressive while playing it. I always liked to use my length to bother people on defense whereas he wants me to pressure players full court and never give them room to breathe”, warned Anell Alexis. He compares his game to a Brandon Roy and since coming to the Panthers has played 18 games averaging 6,1ppg and 3,3rpg while shooting 32% from outside. Even if he has scored in double figures in only 4 games including a 15 point effort against Wurzburg and 11 points against his ex team Coburg, he does a lot of things on the court besides score and his abilities are appreciated by his teammates. ““Anell is giving us some needed depth. He is a good player that has got a good jump shot is tall and helps us with our rebounding struggles”, added Bill Borekambi. He brings versatility to the court, but also knows that he will have his moments shooting the three and that is a part of his game that he will continue to tweak in the basketball lab. “I always feel like you can work on a daily basis even when you’re shooting the ball well. Your shot is what ages the best throughout the years so it will always be something that I work on consistently”, warned Anell Alexis. He didn´t have it easy at first as he was inconsistent and had his lapses on the defensive end, but with time he has gotten used to the Panthers style, teammates and head coach Velcic. Velcic may get on his back and be hard on him, but he knows it´s not personal. “He doesn’t let up. That’s what I appreciate the most. At the same time, you know he’s doing it with your best interests at heart. That always makes it easier to absorb the message he’s saying and not the way he’s delivering the message”, warned Anell Alexis.

 

            Before he thinks about his future, there is still the current season to play and the way their luck has gone in the playoffs, the wiha Panthers might be able to make another huge surprise against Munster and keep their season going. There has been that myth that 29 year old Anell Alexis is already looking past basketball and preparing for a life after the game he loves. He has a business degree and has thoughts about going that route perhaps a bit earlier and hasn´t had that total seriousness about basketball, but that is totally incorrect. “I plan on playing as long as my body allows me too.  I have my masters degree but the part about basketball not being the biggest focus of my life isn’t true. I just want to put myself in a position where I am prepared for life after my playing career is done”, warned Anell Alexis. For now Panthers fans can have fun watching Alexis continue to woo them with hopefully continued three point accuracy along with his versatile game while some of the older fans will still have his dad in their memories as he isn´t ready yet to hang them up quite yet. He might not be the same player that his dad was, but maybe he has that playing longevity in his genes that will allow him to play and enjoy the game for many more years the way his dad did

Ronald Moore is a 30 year old 183cm point guard from Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania that is playing his ninth professional season and first with Openjobmetis Varese (Italy-Serie A). He has gained much European professional experience having played in countries like Slovakia, Poland, Hungry, Ukraine and Italy. He was among the league leaders in assists in every country he played in. Last season he led the Italian Serie A in assists with The Flexx Pistoia (Italy-Serie A) playing 30 games averaging 11.0ppg, 3.8rpg, Assists-1 (5.8apg), FGP: 39.5%, 3PT: 36.8%, FT: 76.6%. He played at Siena from 2006-2010 playing a total of 135 NCAA games and as a senior played 34 games averaging 7.0ppg, 3.4rpg, 7.7apg, 1.9spg, FGP: 31.8%, 3PT: 21.8%, FT: 64.1%. He spoke to germanhoops.com before the Fiba Europe Cup Final 4 when he played against German team s.Oliver Wurzburg.

Ronald thanks for talking to germanhoops.com Early in your career you played a Eurocup game with PGE Turow against Alba Berlin in Berlin. What memories do you have of that game?

I remember being excited to be playing in Eurocup playing against great competition. Alba had a great atmosphere in a great arena which are the type environments i love as a player.

Do you remember an extremely quick point guard by the name of Dashaun Wood who played at Wright State? I’m sure that you guys had some interesting duels on that night?


Yes, he was a good player. I always love going against great competition because it pushes me to be better.

Now you will be returning for a second time in the Fiba Europe Cup semi-finals against s.Oliver Wurzburg. Wurzburg is the place where Dirk Nowitski made a name for himself in the late 90’s before reaching the NBA. What will it mean for you being able to play in the gym where he played once?

It will be another great experience added to my career. I hope to embrace the moment and go out there and play at the level I know I’m capable of. 

What do you know in general about the country Germany and it’s basketball? Have you had friends or ex teammates playing here in the past?

I don’t know much history about Germany, but I do know it is a great country to live and play in. I have had many friends who have played there and always wanted to play there before my career was over.

It has been seven years since you last played in international club play. You have helped Openjobmetis reach the semifinals. How special has it been for you being able to compete in the Fiba Europe Cup this season? You had two close wins over Prishtina and Oostende. Which win was bigger?

Playing in Fiba Europe Cup was one of the main reasons I came to Varese. I have not played in international club play and wanted to do so if I had the opportunity this season. I think the game in Prishtina was the bigger win because it was a tough environment to play in there.

What kind of series can we await against s.Oliver Wurzburg? They have a very talented squad and have guard terror with Cameron Wells, Jordan Hulls, Skyler Bowlin and Brad Losing always making life uncomfortable for opponents. How excited are you for the series?

I think it will be a hard fought series. They are a good team and we are looking forward to the matchup.

Your playing your fifth season in Italy and first with Openjobmetis Varese (Italy-Serie A). Has Italy become like a second home for you over the years and could you imagine finishing your career there?

Italy has become like a second home for me over the years and i do like my time I have spent here. I don’t know if I will finish my career here, it is possible. But I would like to experience playing in other countries if it presents itself. 

You won your only two professional titles in Hungary. How challenging is it playing in the Italian Serie A and how has your game gotten better in this league?

It is hard to win championships no matter where you are. In Hungary we had a special team that allowed us to be that successful. Italy is definitely a tougher country from top to bottom and has a lot of talented players ever year.

Openjobmetis V is having a very strong season fighting for the playoffs. What has been special about playing for this organization in comparison to the other Italian ones you have played for?

Varese has a rich history in the Italian league, it has been nice to become a part of that history. 

How vital has Canadian Thomas Scrubb been for the success of the club? What have you appreciated most about his play on the court?

Tommy I think it one of the most valuable pieces we have on this team. He effects the team both offensively & defensively each and every game. We would not be as successful as we have been without Tommy.

Let’s talk about your game. You weren’t much of a scorer at Siena (NCAA), but a great playmaker. You became more of a scorer as a professional. Did you always have that scoring ability and just didn’t need to show it at Siena?

I always loved being a pass first point guard, but with the ability to score. In college I didn’t need to score much because of the great players around me. At the professional level I quickly learned the clubs appreciate more point guards that score so I did just that while also balancing passing the ball.

You had to pay your dues in your first seasons as a professional in Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and the Ukraine. Why do you feel did it take so long for a higher league like Italy to notice your play?

I think a lot of good players sometimes have to take a tougher route to get to some of the top leagues. There are a lot factors that may cause that, but I am happy about my journey because it taught me a lot and helped me grow. 

It doesn’t matter where you have played as a professional, you have always been in the top 5 in assists. You led Slovakia and Italy in assists and was second in Hungary and the Ukraine. What is your secret to making an assist?

I just have been blessed with the talent of passing the ball. I always try to get the ball to my teammates in the best scoring position. I have to thank all of my teammates for finishing off the plays by scoring the ball. 

You have made numerous assists in your career, but what was your favorite that was important in a game and what was your most spectacular and acrobatic pass that you have made?

That is a tough question. I can’t think of just one right now but making tough passes in the traffic of defense are some of my favorite assists. 

Now at age 30 on what parts of your game are you working on most to continue to be a consistent player and continue to improve?


I want to be more consistent with my 3point shot. I think as I get older and keep slowing down a little my 3 point shot has to be more consistent and that is something I work on.

Your cousin is ex NBA player John Salmons. What kind of an influence has he been on your career? Was he a guy that had an impact on you becoming the player you are today?

Yes of course, he passed on a lot of knowledge to me about the game of basketball. When you have somebody in your family make it that far, it only motivates you to go as far as you can.

You played the last 3 years for The Flexx Pistoia (Italy-Serie A). How important were the last three years in terms of how your game was able to develop playing in one of Europe’s top leagues?

I think it was very important. I was able to make a real name for myself in this league. I was a captain and learned how to lead a team in this league and take them to the playoff two years in a row. 

How important was a guy like guard Jamon Gordon? What were you able to soak up from his vast experience?

Jamon taught me a lot in a short time. He was an experienced euroleague player and taught me a few things about being a leader as well as making plays. I was fortunate to have him as a teammate and still being able to speak to him even after he left the team. 

You played parts of two seasons for JuveCaserta (Italy-SerieA) and was teammates with ex NBA player Sam Young. What memories do you have of him? How did his experience help you in Italy as you continuing to make a name there?

Sam was a good guy. I also was fortunate to learn some things from him as well not only about basketball but about planning for life after basketball. 

In your third professional season you played with Albacomp-UPC Szekesfehervar (Hungary-A Division) playing 45 games averaging 11.5ppg, 3.8rpg, Assists-2 (6.3apg), Steals-4 (2.3spg), FGP: 46.4%, 3PT: 32.3%, FT: 72.5%. You won two titles. You had some big playoff battles. What made this team so special that season?

We had a lot of weapons on that team and we played together. We liked playing together on the court as well and hanging out off the court. I think this is important and that special bond makes a team really good when they work together towards a goal.

In your second season you played with PGE Turow Zgorzelec (Poland-PLK). I covered German Konrad Wysocki for a season in Frankfurt. What do you remember about the intelligence of the Princeton graduate?

Konrad was my guy. He was a great captain and taught me a lot in my young career at that time. He was a stand up guy and I enjoyed playing alongside of him.

As a rookie you played with BK SPU Nitra (Slovakia-Extraliga) playing 48 games averaging 16.9ppg, 5.0rpg, Assists-1 (6.9apg), Steals-2 (2.4spg), FGP: 38.8%, 3PT: 32.3%, FT: 71.6%. What was your wake up call to being a rookie in Slovakia where you knew that you were very far away from home?

My first year was really tough being in Slovakia. I actually thought about leaving and going home. It was such a cultural shock for me, but I was lucky to have good American teammates along with family members who helped me get through that season. 

How important was it having a guy like J J Montgomery around as a rookie? What do you remember being his most important piece of advice about basketball overseas?

JJ was one of the Americans that helped me get through my first season. He helped me understand that business side of basketball and going out each and every day to do your job. It made me grow up quick in that sense. 

You played at Siena (NCAA) from 2006-2010 winning the MAAC tournament in 2008,2009 and 2010. Which title was the sweetest for you?

I believe the sweetest one was the 2009 title. We had such a special group of guys and we knew we were a dangerous team. We had got a taste of what is was like our first year and we just wanted more. That drove us all season in 2009 with playing against some of the best teams in the country. Siena years were a time I will never forget.

Recount your game winner against Ohio State in the NCAA tournament. Is this one of those videos you like watching from time to time?


It is definitely one of the greatest moments in my basketball career. People from Siena until this day still bring it up and it is a great feeling watching that video from time to time. 

How important was a guy like Kenny Hasbrouck for you. He was a year older, but accompanied you in your first three seasons. Have you followed his professional path?

Kenny is one of my best friends. He was like an older brother at school and took me under his wing and helped me along the way. I follow him for sure through his professional career and we support one another. 

How did head coach Fran Mccaffery groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career?

Coach McCafferry is one of the best coaches I ever played for. He just gave me the confidence to be a leader as well as the confidence to compete against anybody. That little intangible has helped me along my entire career.

Who won a one on one in practice you or Kenny Hasbrouck?

Haha, I will give it to Kenny only because he ability to score in so many different ways. We both are real competitors so it wouldn’t be an easy game for either person.

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


I would have to say Derrick Rose. His speed and athleticism at the guard position was unmatched in college. He was a tough cover as well as a great defender to score on. 

If you had to pick your personal favorite starting five of teammates over the years which players would you chose?

Thats is a tough question. Not including myself I would have to say Kenny Hasbrouck, Brandon Wood, Terran Pettway, Jeff Brooks, Alex Kirk. There are many more, I played with a lot of talented guys.

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

Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Shaq

What is your personal opinion about the never ending debate of who is the greatest between Michael Jordan and Lebron James?


I think Michael Jordan will always be the standard. I am a huge Lebron James fan and because he is my era of basketball I tend to choose him as the greatest.

What was the last movie that you saw?

The last movie I saw was Captain Marvel. 

Thanks Ronald for the chat.

Just a few weeks ago there was still hope in Rhondorf that the Dragons might be able to be saved and stay in the Pro B, but on the last playdown game day of the season, the ex Pro A team that won only two games in that league in the 2015-2016 season were playing for pride as they had no chance to stay in as Wurzburg had secured the last spot. The Dragons Rhondorf knew coming into the playdowns that they needed many wins and help from other teams, but that didn´t happen. Their 3-2 playdown record was ok, but not good enough and they didn´t get help from the other teams as Wurzburg did what they had to do keep winning and not to allow Rhondorf any chance of overtaking them. On the last game day of the season, it was a rather cool spring day as it felt more like a warm winter day in mid April as fans came to watch the last Pro B game for a while. Fans were able to see the amazing Zgimantas Riauka for one last time as he had been an absolute delight to watch and with the poor team season, his amazing stats of 17,2ppg and 12,4rpg were lost a bit in the agony of all the loses, but he will definitely be a player that will be remembered as his fierce never die attitude classy style and top character that was a role model for so many kids won´t go unnoticed. The Dragons Rhondorf entered the game not only wanting to close down their season with a win, but had a lot of revenge on their minds as they had had a poor and unsatisfying 1-2 record against the RheinStars Cologne. Especially their last loss was a nasty reflection of how their season went as their two best players Riauka and Waller carried the team with 59 points combined, but the rest managed only 9 points. They shot horribly from outside netting only three three´s, lost the rebound battle and had only one positive stat coughing up the ball only 5 times. The winner of the game would kick the other into the final standings cellar spot and the Dragons Rhondorf got revenge from their last loss in Cologne and closed out the season in fine fashion winning 89-75. After the big win, Zygimantas Riauka seemed like he was top of the world as he was smiling and totally thrilled about the win. “This was a total team effort. Every one showed up to play tonight. Everybody fought, everybody was unselfish and we played as a team”, stressed Lithuanian big man Zygimantas Riauka. The RheinStars raced to their faithful fans after the buzzer sounded after 40 minutes and then American Tucker Haymond reflected on the loss. “We definitely have played better, but I give a lot of credit to Rhondorf. They had more energy and outplayed us in every aspect of the game. It wasn´t my best game and since my team relies on me a lot to produce, there was a lot of pressure on them. It was just one of those days”, stressed Tucker Haymond.

                The first quarter had ups and downs for both teams and saw five lead changes, but after 10 minutes the Dragons Rhondorf had the slim 20-18 advantage. After German Benedikt Van Laack who had a whole fan club at the game and Riauka traded baskets, both teams traded leads. After American Kwan Waller gave Rhondorf the 4-3 lead with a pull up jumper, the RheinStars escaped out on a lethal 11-2 run to extend their lead to 14-6. In the run it was ex Dragons forward Thomas Michel who has 3 BBL games with Bonn on his resume led the charge with three three´s. With every new three, the more confident he got and the more aggressive he got. His hot shooting came in handy as top Pro B scoring leader Tucker Haymond was coughing up the ball more than he was scoring.  The Dragons Rhondorf had no real offensive rhythm and were turning the ball over too much. Rhondorf then led a come back and let their defense spark their offense cutting the Cologne lead to 16-14. The Dragons controlled the boards and upped their defensive intensity which led to a Lotola Otshumbe offensive rebound and hook shot basket, a Waller Floater and Riauka lay in off an offensive rebound. The Dragons Rhondorf traded a few leads at the end, but kept the lead due to continued hot execution from Riauka who netted two buckets for the 20-18 lead after 10 minutes. “We had a few jitters at the start, but came back strong. Michel played some years here and had something to prove and it showed with his three´s”, stressed Zygimantas Riauka. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 50% form the field and 20% from outside and had 9 rebounds and 6 turnovers while the RheinStars shot 47% from the field and 50% from outside and had 9 rebounds and 8 turnovers.

                The first few minutes were tight in the second quarter, but the Dragons Rhondorf then got away from Cologne, but they fought back only to see the opponents lead rise again. Thomas Michel continued to stay aggressive and have the hot hand as he dropped two baskets to give Cologne the 22-20 advantage. But the Dragons Rhondorf answered rapidly scorching the RheinStars with a swift 5-0 run as 36 year old Anish “the fountain of youth” Sharda nailed a trey and German Karl Dia scored inside for the 25-22 advantage. An interesting stat coming into the game for Sharda was that he led the team in three point shooting at 33%, but was the worst from the field at 18,2%. Young German Tim Van Der Velde scored on transition and 31 year old German Veteran Max Dohmen hit a free throw to dead lock the game 25-25. The Dragons Rhondorf then hit the RheinStars with a 10-4 run to lead 35-29. In the run, the club got valuable support from German big Man Alex Moeller who scored twice including a nice spin move around Dohmen on the baseline. After going 1/5 from outside in the first quarter, the Dragons started to hit their three´s better as Sharda connected again and captain Joe Koschade also dropped a trey. The RheinStars had a lack of concentration leading to turn overs and bad decisions on offense. A big difference in the game in comparison to the whole season for the Dragons Rhondorf was that whenever the opponent threatened to come closer, they had consistent answers ready. Another clutch three from Michel cut the Rhondorf lead to 35-32, but Rhondorf had offensive answers with a Sharda basket and Julian Jasinski who has 26 BBL games on his resume with a lay in and three from Waller quickly giving them the comfortable 43-34 lead. Rhondorf kept the lead despite three points from 29 year old German Jan Zimmermann thanks to a Bo Meister lay in and hard Kwan Waller one hand dunk. Haymond finally scored again cutting the Rhondorf lead to 47-39, but his halftime stat line read 5 points and 5 turnovers. “We made more shots and everybody put their bodies on the line”, added Zygimantas Riauka. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 51% from the field and 36% from the three point line and had 21 rebounds and 9 turnovers while the RheinStars shot 48% from the field and 45% from the three point line and had 15 rebounds and 13 turnovers.

                In the third quarter the Dragons Rhondorf continued to control the game and lead by as much as 15 points never allowing the RheinStars to get over the hump and get below 10 points. The Dragons Rhondorf got off to a terrific start breaking out on a 7-0 to run to have their biggest lead of the game at 54-39. They upped their defensive energy stopping the RheinStars on their first five possessions which led to a Waller floater, Riauka steal and two handed dunk and the second trey from Koschade. The RheinStars finally achieved their first field goal of the third quarter as Michel hit a fade away jumper and then scored again cutting the Rhondorf lead to 54-44. In the past the Dragons Rhondorf would have wilted and fell apart, but they had enough support from many players that continued to keep the lead in double figures. Waller connected on another trey and then came vital added support from the bench as German David Falkenstein who has 2 BBL games on his resume scored on the set offense taking advantage of failed communication from Cologne and then scored on transition giving Rhondorf the 63-50 lead. The RheinStars continued to get little offensive support from Pro B top scorer Haymond, but got offensive aid from 31 year old Max Dohmen who got to the free throw line and made a fade away jumper. However the Dragons Rhondorf continued to execute at ease and shared the ball well and had many options. Riauka made a hook shot, Sharda a pull up jumper and Falkenstein a pretty alley-op tap in on the perfect feed from Sharda as the Dragons Rhondorf led 69-56 after 30 minutes. “We had a good start getting the momentum, but also got a bit sloppy making too many mistakes, but we fought through it and kept the lead”, stressed Zygimantas Riauka. “We couldn´t get stops and just traded baskets. We didn´t give ourselves a chance to string together buckets and stops. We couldn´t match their intensity”, stated Tucker Haymond The Dragons Rhondorf shot 53% from the field and 41% from the parking lot and had 30 rebounds and 15 turnovers while the RheinStars shot 43% form the field and 38% from the parking lot and had 22 rebounds and 17 turnovers.

                The Dragons Rhondorf continued to control the fourth quarter and never allowed the RheinStars to cut the lead below double figures except for the first 34 seconds, but after that it was all Dragons Rhondorf. The RheinStars had a lightening start going on a quick 5-0 run in 34 seconds. Angolian Silvio Mendes-Mateus drilled home a trey and German Tim Van De Velde made a steal at center court and scored cutting the Dragons Rhondorf lead to 69-61. The last quarter would prove to be a game of runs as Rhondorf mustered three defensive stops and went on a crushing 7-0 run to extend their lead to 76-61. In the run they got big support from Sharda that hit a tough contested trey from the corner, Moeller made a 20 footer from the baseline and Sharda made free throws. Then it was time for the RheinStars to come back going on a 5-0 run to cut the Rhondorf lead to 76-66. Haymond was able to score in bunches something he did all season long, but couldn´t do in the first three quarters as he made a pretty floater over Moeller and then dropped a trey. The RheinStars couldn´t get the needed stops while they still executed ok, but couldn´t get over the double digit hump. Rhondorf got a vital offensive rebound and put back by ex Speyer forward Yannik Kneesch. A technical foul by Jan Zimmermann didn´t help Cologne´s cause which led to a Jasinski free throw and Riauka jumper and 84-70 Rhondorf lead. In the last minute Waller helped spice up his stat line with a trey and hard one handed dunk, while Cologne got some free throws from young German Sebastian Pritz who was inserted for garbage minutes closing out the game. “Our offense wasn´t working as we got sloppy and just tried to do too much. Our defense got us the win as we didn´t let them get over the hump”, stressed Zygimantas Riauka. “We were right there to get over the hump, but couldn´t. They continued to execute well down the stretch. Riauka was tough at the end. Nobody can stop him”, added Tucker Haymond. The Dragons Rhondorf were led by Kwan Waller with 19 points. Zygimantas Riauka had 18 points and 12 rebounds and Anish Sharda had 15 points while the RheinStars were led by Thomas Michel with 24 points. Max Dohmen added 12 points and Tucker Haymond 11 points. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 525 from the field and 38% from outside and had 40 rebounds and 20 turnovers while the RheinStars shot 42% form the field and 33% from outside and had 33 rebounds and 21 turnovers.

Josh Young is a 30 year old 185cm guard playing his ninth professional season and third with SC Rasta Vechta (Germany-BBL). Last season he played Rasta Vechta (Germany-ProA playing 38 games averaging 9.2ppg, 2.6rpg, 2.7apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 56.5%, 3PT: 46.6%, FT: 69.6%. H ehas had a solid professional career and played three seasons in the easyCredit BBL with the Tigers Tuebinbgen and also sampled Pro A experience with Vechta and Nurnberg. As a rookie he played with the Bayer Giants Leverkusen (Germany-ProB). Before turning professional, he played with Drake (NCAA) from 2006-201 playing a total of 126 NCAA games. germanhoops.com spoke to him recently about the successful Vechta season.

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

At the moment, I’m in Vechta and life is pretty good. I can’t complain. 

You played the last four years in the Pro A. How do you feel has the easyCredit league changed in the last years on the court?

The league has grown tremendously. With all the games being shown on Magenta Sport, all the social media coverage, the level of the teams in the league, the BBL is making its mark as a top European basketball league.

If someone had told you in September of 2018 that Vechta would be in third place at the end of January 2019 what would you have thought?

I would have thought that’s a crazy prediction. When I looked at all the teams before the season, I didn’t think negatively about our chances, but I knew there were some great teams we would be competing with this year. 

Congrats on the great season your having. Does it feel like a real Cinderella story or do you feel like as competitors you would be selling yourself short knowing the potential the team had. 

Thank you. I’m not sure that anyone expected much from our group at the beginning of the season. Coming from the second league, usually means a middle to bottom of the pack season. But with this group, even from preseason we were always working for more. 

The club began slowly losing it’s first three games, but since then have rattled off 12 wins in 14 games. Was a reason for the turn around just the normal bla bla of the team having to find each other in the early going or were the reasons for the turn around a lot deeper?

We were able to turn our season around through consistency. We merely just became better at the things that we were already doing, working on. With each win, our confidence grew. Now we are at a place where we are creating winning habits so that hopefully it can translate to the game. 

You have found ways of wining in so many ways if it was through defensive battles, scoring shootouts or close wins which occurred three times. Half way through the season what do you feel is the teams biggest strength?

Our biggest strength at this point is that we are mentally all on the same page. We work hard in the week and when it’s gameday, all 11 of our guys are ready to go to war. It’s special. 

You have celebrated some memorable wins in your career, but please explain where the victory against Alba Berlin ranks? How special was this day for the team? 

That was a big day for the entire organization. We know that Alba plays at another level than we do but we also know that we have the opportunity to compete against great teams like that. I don’t know that anyone gave us a chance to win before the game. Not only was it special, it was shocking. And that’s a great feeling, to be able to prove people wrong when they doubt. 

Years ago winning in Bamberg would have been unheard of, but even now it’s no easy task. What did it feel like winning in Freak City? How big was this win for the team? 

That was a big turning point for us. It wasn’t that we won there but more so how we did it (tough defense, sharing the ball, playing smart). Bamberg is a good team so to be able to go there and steal one in their house felt great. 

How huge in general was the win against Alba Berlin for the team mentality and self confidence? Do you feel like that win proved to the team that it can beat anyone?

The win against Alba was early in the season. We knew from the beginning of the season that if we commit to playing harder than other teams that we would have a chance to be in most games, but winning creates confidence. That game definitely catapulted our thinking to another level. 

You have played against many talented kids and have seen Philipp Herkenhof and Luc Van Slooten develop, but just how raw is Franz Wagner at age 17? He didn’t do much against Vechta, but he has had some other really good games and even started games. Is this guy NBA material like his brother Moritz? 

Franz is extremely talented. Alba does a great job developing their young talent and so I think he’s in great hands to push the boundaries of his potential. For sure he is a high level player when it’s all said and done. 

Vechta averages 83 points per game and allows only 77 points per game which is third best. What has been the secret to the success on the defensive end? 

Our secret to defensive success has been hard work. We work on our defense practically every day. And the way people see us play defense in games, is the exact same way we play it when nobody is there watching. We are creatures of habit. And Pedro has developed very strict defensive habits within our group. 

How vital has head coach coach of the year candidate Pedro Calles been? How has he developed this season as a BBL head coach?

Pedro has been the biggest reason for the success of this club. From his ability to capture his players, to his coaching philosophy, to the way he approaches the game, he is the ultimate professional. Our guys love playing for him and as you can see, we play extremely hard under his leadership. It’s been cool to watch him grow as a head coach this season. I’m glad we are able to be apart it with him. 

Let’s talk about your teammates. TJ Bray brought experience and a special fire that really capitulated his game to another level. He was always a solid professional player, but he really made the next step with Vechta. What do you believe has been the biggest reason for his success? 

TJ is extremely intelligent and knows the game well. I think the combo of his skill set and our coaching staff putting him in situations to be successful attribute to how well he’s playing. He is an amazing passer, pick and roll player as well as shooter. He’s the engine of the team. 

Even if there no super stars, American Austin Hollins has been that type of go to guy that has carried the team in his own way. How important has his leadership qualities been?

Austin is our scorer. That’s what he is great at and does with the best of them. We look for him to make plays for us and he continues to deliver this season. Also his length on the defensive end gives us a lot of steals. We aren’t the same team without him. 

How important has the stellar play been of Seth Hinrichs this season? What has been his most important quality that has made the club better?

Seth is our all arounder. He can do a little bit of everything well and he has a high motor that we feed off of. He has come up big many times for us this season and is proving himself in the league. 

How important was the pick up of Max DiLeo for the Vechta defense? How has he made an impact on the defensive end most that has helped the team most?

Max is our defensive leader. We take our cues from his hustle, intensity and aggressiveness. When you see how he is able to impact games through his defense, it’s quite impressive. 

How cool is it being reunited with Tyrone Nash again. You guys were teammates from 2011-2014 early in your careers with Tuebingen. How has his game developed further in the last years?

I’ve known Ty for years, we are good friends off the court and also have a good chemistry when we play. It’s nice to see how his understanding of the game has expanded so much since the first time we played together. He plays well on both sides of the ball. 

Let’s talk about your game. Your stats are up from last season, playing more minutes and have improved your free throw percentage. How content have you been with your play this season?

My play is a direct reflection of the amazing teammates I have as well as the system of Coach Calles. Anytime I can go out and help my team be successful, I’m content. And I have been able to do that this season. 

You stated in our last interview that your constantly breaking down your own game film. Those things have helped you to become a better player over the years. What has been the most challenging thing on the court as your back in the BBL again after years in the Pro A?

The BBL is another level in terms of physicality and mental approach. I’ve had to become a much more cerebral player this season in order to be successful on the court.

In our last interview you stated saying that you saw your role being similar to last season in that you would be a leader on the court. What do you feel has been your most important input that you have given that has helped the team be so successful?

I tried to make sure that our guys understood from the beginning of the season that nothing would be given to us and if we were willing to go to war to gain our respect, we would do just that. 

Your are aging like fine wine. Your 30 years old. When you see the Jena legends Allen, Mcelroy, and Jenkins or other legends like Quantez Robertson or Rickey Paulding, do they motivate you further to want to strive to play a long career?

I’ve been seeing those guys play at a high level for a long time. It’s definitely inspiring and motivating to me to continue playing as long as I have the ability, just as they are doing. 

It’s still so early, but when all is said and done could Luka Doncic be one of the greatest Europeans that ever played in the NBA? 

Absolutely. What he is doing already in his rookie season indicates that he is on the path to greatness. 

What was your reaction when you heard that Lebron James named himself the greatest of all-time? 

I think when you are the greatest, you don’t have to tell the world, the world will tell you. 

Charles Barkley recently proclaimed that Tom Brady Is more of a GOAT than Michael Jordan. Do you share his opinion?

I think that Tom Brady is the goat in his sport just like Michael Jordan is in basketball. It’s difficult to compare the two. It’s like comparing apples and oranges. 

What was the last movie that you saw?

Green Book 

Thanks Josh for the chat.

Mike Nwabuzor is a 188cm guard from Lakewood, California playing his rookie season in Germany for Regionalliga team BG Dorsten putting up massive stats averaging 22,2ppg, 8,2rpg, 5,6apg and 2,5spg. He has scored 20 points or more 19 times and had an incredible 43 points against Hagen-Haspe. He also produced a triple double against Dortmund with 27 points, 12 boards and 10 assists. He played at three schools with Cent.Arizona JC (JUCO)UTRGV (NCAA) and finished at N.Mexico Highlands (NCAA2) playing 28 games averaging 12.7ppg, 4.4rpg, 3.5apg, FGP: 45.2%, 3PT: 39.3%, FT: 80.3%. He spoke to germanhoops.com recently about his basketball career.

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

I am currently at home, relaxing getting ready for my game tomorrow. The basketball life has been treating me great. I am truly blessed to be able to do what I love on a daily basis.

You experienced a lot in school playing at three different schools in three different leagues. Has your rookie season in Germany been a little less stressful concerning being able to concentrate on your rookie season and not having to worry from year to year where you would play and learn?

Yes, the biggest part that made it less stressful is not having to deal with schoolwork on the daily basis and being able to focus strictly on basketball. That time that I used to spend on studying and doing homework is now spent on studying the game and perfecting my craft. 

After having a solid senior season at New Mexico Highlands (NCAA2) how did you experience your first summer looking for that first professional job? 

Honestly, it was very stressful because I train multiple times in summer days, every day and there were for sure days where I didn’t believe I would ever get a contract or anybody would take a chance on me. Major shout out to my agency (Powerside Agency) and also my club BG Dorsten. This club was my only offer and it has been working out for the best so I am forever grateful for that. 

You know what it is like playing at different college levels, but was it tough for your ego having to start in the Regionalliga in Germany? How big is the chip on your shoulder? 

Personaly for me, I’ve always been a type that had to start at the bottom and work my way up with basketball so it was just another stepping stone in my journey. I know soon I will be at the top, it just takes time. You have to fall in love with the process so that when you do reap the benefits, you don’t take them for granted. Plus it was my only offer and in that case, you can’t have an ego. 

Was it a big adjustment for you coming to Germany? What have you learned to appreciate most about the country Germany?

The adjustment wasn’t too drastic because I have been to multiple states for college but it is my first time out of the country so I had to get adjusted to a different style of living. In Germany , I appreciate how professional things are here. Everything is on time and situated.

What kind of experience has it been for you being the only American and playing with very many Germans? 

It has been a very good experience. It has taught me to play basketball in a different type of way that I haven’t been used to. I’ve tapped into certain elements in my game that I didn’t know that I even possessed. Yes, as a point guard of a team, you should always be the leader no matter what the circumstances so I just live by that.

How important has very experienced guard Nederim Pelaj been for your rookie season. What has been most helpful from him that has helped you adjust best in Germany as a rookie? 

This has been very important. More important than people may know or what shows up on the stat sheet. I also like to play shooting guard so he relieves me of on-ball duties a lot and lets me be able to float around the court. This is what leads to many of my plays I make off of the ball. He also has given me good tips of never to force and let the game come to me which has helped immensely with my efficiency.

Let’s talk about your game. You’re a 188cm guard that can score with ease. If you had to describe your game to an NBA player who would best fit the description? 

I would like to compare my self to Russell Westbrook or De’aaron Fox. Both are fast and athletic guards like myself. I study both of their games a lot because I see characteristics in them that I possess in myself. 

Your averaging almost twice as much as last season with New Mexico Highlands (NCAA2). Has it been adjustment for having more of that central scoring role?

I think the biggest contributor to that is taking more shots and making more threes. I’ve been blessed with a coach in Coach Franjo Lukenda who believed I was a scoring guard even when I didn’t believe it. The best thing a coach can do is give a player confidence and that is what he has done to me all season. 

Your scoring and rebounding really stand out, but what other parts of your game do you feel is always important for the success of the team?

I feel that I am really good at shooting gaps and getting steals off the ball and I am also an underrated passer. Coming up, I was always the 2nd or 3rd best player on my teams which caused me to be a pass first player and also helped me to learn how to get guys the ball in their spots where they excel at. 

Your highest scoring game this season was netting 43 points against Hagen-Haspe. Did you know early on that you would be in the zone? 

The game started the same way every other game did but I knew something was different when I hit back to back threes in the 3rd quarter. That’s when it clicked in my head that I just might be doing something. From that point on I just continued to play my game and things went smoothly. 

You had a triple double against Dortmund. Was that your first triple double in your career and how important is it for you filling the stat sheet on a nightly basis?

In junior college at Central Arizona, I had a total of 6 triple doubles on the year so it was not something new for me. I just play hard and play the game the right way and the stats come. My intentions are to win on a nightly basis, if the stats come with it then so be it. 

Your are an amazing rebounder leading the team with 9 a game. Were you always a good rebounder or did you continually improve that in the last years?

I have always been a good rebounder because of my athleticism but rebounding is also about mentality and will. My junior college assistant coach Rich McCray instilled that mentality into me one game and I got 16 rebounds that game. Since that game and on, I come with that same mindset to rebound the ball. 

Your three point shooting continues to be a work in progress. What is your biggest challenge as you continue to improve your shooting? 

My biggest challenge would have to be confidence. I put the work in on a daily basis but the work is one thing and confidence means even more when it comes to shooting. My shot will continue to improve with in-game reps and summer days of getting shots up. 

How do you feel has your game progressed as a professional this season? On what things do you continue to work on most as you mature as a professional?

The thing that has progressed the most in my opinion is my pace. The game has slowed down and it is slower than ever for me right now. Nobody can speed me up or take me out of my groove and that’s very important at the point guard position. I would like to continue to work on taking care of the ball. As I mature , I understand more and more how important possessions are and how important taking care of the ball is. 

You began your basketball career at Cent.Arizona JC (JUCO) in 2014 playing two seasons and 59 games. How important were these two years for you getting your foot into the door at the college level?

The most important of my life to be honest , Central Arizona was my only scholarship offer coming out of high school so from there everything began. My true work ethic , my athleticism, everything got exploited when I was there in those two years and it helped put people on notice. 

You then played a season with UTRGV (NCAA) playing 29 games averaging 2.0ppg, 1.4rpg. You averaged 9,3 minutes per game, but didn’t get a real chance. How tough was this time and what did you learn about yourself as a player having to watch more than actually playing? 

This was a very tough and low point in my basketball career. It was a point where I always believed I was good enough but got minimal opportunity. I had no confidence in myself at the time also but it was a blessing in disguise because it brought the dog out of me that I didn’t know was in me. It made me work harder than ever and let me know to never take playing the game for granted because you can easily be at the end of any bench, no matter how good you are. I learned that I am persistent because many would have folded in my position and given up. 

There you played together with Xavier Mcdaniel, the son of the famous NBA player. What kind of relationship did you guys have and was there a touch of an NBA flair around? 

Xavier was a freshman in my one year there so we did not hang out that much off the court but I would say he definitely possess his father’s superior athleticism. 

You played your senior season with N.Mexico Highlands (NCAA2) playing 28 games averaging 12.7ppg, 4.4rpg, 3.5apg, FGP: 45.2%, 3PT: 39.3%, FT: 80.3%. You made big strides especially with your shot. Do you feel like your senior season play has carried over to your rookie season?

I do feel that way completely because at New Mexico Highlands , I gained a new born confidence in my shot. I also have that same confidence in the way that I played the game and that stayed with me during summer in pick up sessions and now over here playing professionally. 

Did you know that Robert Franklin who played at N.Mexico Highlands (NCAA 2) is still a professional at age 38 and playing in Germany with the Basketball Lowen in the Pro B. Do you remember hearing stories of him when you were there?

I was only at New Mexico Highlands for one year so I didn’t get a chance to dive deep into the school history but I do remember seeing and hearing his name multiple times. 

You had many good games there, but would you count your two games against W New Mexico as some of your most fondest? 

Those are my highest scoring games while I was there but I wouldn’t count them as my most fondest because scoring wasn’t my best attribute that I brought to the table at the time. 

How did head coach Craig Snow give you that last needed push to groom and prepare you best for a professional career? 

Coach Snow gave me a chance to showcase my talent and I am appreciative of that. If I wasn’t able to play and play through mistakes , I wouldn’t be where I am at right now. 

Who won a one on one in practice you or Jacob Holland?

Even if he did win , I wouldn’t tell you. But I definitely won, I shoot the ball better than him haha. 

Do you ever wonder where you might be today or how you might have developed had you visited only one school instead of three?

Yes, I think about that all the time. I am grateful for my journey because it is all God’s plan. Going to three schools built me up to be able to go to any state, country, or basketball system and learn how to thrive in a couple months time span. I wouldn’t change my story one bit. 

Lakewood is a big community, but have you ever had dealings with ex NBA player Josh Childress or seen him around in the gym? 

It’s funny you ask that because Josh is actually like a big brother to me. He is also one of the biggest reasons I am playing professional basketball. Since I got out of high school, every summer, I train with Josh. That is where I learned how to play, train and act like a professional basketball player. He also sponsored our high school team while I played at Mayfair High School so we’ve had a solid relationship since I was about 16. 

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

The toughest I would say would be Rob Gray from the University of Houston. He was a bucket.

If you had to pick your personal favorite starting five of teammates over the years which players would you chose?

In the backcourt I’m going with me, Nick Dixon and Trace Dimeff. My two bigs I would have to go with Dillion Reise at the 4 and Chris Lewis at the 5. I like to play small ball. 

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

Michael Jordan LeBron James Shaquille O’Neal Magic Johnson

What is your personal opinion about the never ending debate of who is the greatest between Michael Jordan and Lebron James?

My favorite player is Lebron James , he inspired me to start playing basketball but..best player of all time is Michael Jordan and there is no debate. 

What was the last movie that you saw?

Last movie I saw was Creed II

Thanks Michael for the chat.

In the last game of the season for the Fraport Skyliners Juniors fans saw a bit of everything against Lok Bernau, but then again some things were also missing. After a stroll through the park against Bochum where they took revenge from last season´s series loss with a stellar sweep, they weren´t so lucky against Lok Bernau getting swept. Against Lok Bernau fans got to witness huge 17 year old German talent Franz Wagner who is the brother of Los Angeles Lakers forward Moritz play something not as common in the Pro B as he is already a strong part of the Alba Berlin roster and plays more with them, a rare three pointer from Tobias Jahn that got the extra attention of Fraport Skyliner lifer Quantez Robertson who quickly remembered Mike Morrison´s rare three last season and had to admit that even big men can have some luck shooting the trey. One also saw the game changing play of the game as diminutive 178cm Lok Bernau guard Bennet Hundt hit a massive three after being 0/8 from the field sealing the win for them as Frankfurt didn´t play bad at all controlling the boards and hitting 12 three´s thanks to big contribution from German Felix Hecker, but Frankfurt couldn´t execute in the last 42 seconds and the guests closed out the game and series with six free throws. Two major things missing from this last game was Swedish super star Elijath Clarance and German Richard Freudenberg who could have made the difference between an early summer vacation and a date with top team Bayer Giants Leverkusen. Clarance had left the Pro B team in mid February to help bolster the BBL team Fraport Skyliners guard rotation, but in that time he played only three BBL games getting 19 minutes and 9 points and one Eurocup game. Ok so Frankfurt was fighting for a playoff spot, but already had a pretty good and deep guard rotation and could have let him also compete for the Pro B team. Freudenberg was injured and also would have been a big help had he been available. All in all it was another fruitful season for the Fraport Skyliners Juniors that was rewarded with the playoffs and continued to move forward the players of tomorrow.

               The Fraport Skyliners Juniors began the season on fire winning it´s first 6 games, but then suffered a lull losing 4 games in a row as they had scoring woes including netting only 48 points against new team wiha Panthers Schwenningen. They then had another good span winning 5 of 7 games including a big 81-75 victory against 2018 Pro B champion ScanPlus Baskets. In this span they belonged to the best 4 teams in the Pro B south and continued to fight and hold the home court advantage for the playoffs. They then had another winning drought losing three games in a row, but finished the season strong beating the RheinStars and BBC Coburg and hung on to the home court advantage in the playoffs. Their biggest strength on the court this season was their defense ranked number one in the Pro B giving up an average 72 points per game holding teams to 70 points and under 11 times as they defended with passion and heart something not always present among young players, but head coach Sebastian Gleim installed serious discipline from the first day of practice and since being known as a very good coach with youth players since years and had been key for bringing Isaac Bonga to Frankfurt in 2015, the players had no problem buying into his defensive system. The whole willingness to defend well is something that has been seen for years starting in the easyCredit BBL under head coach Gordon Herbert even if it hasn´t been there this season, it remains alive in the youth area as Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners are also the top ranked defensive team in the NBBL(U-19 league).

                The other big strength of the organization Fraport Skyliners since many years is the youth development where they have brought two German players Danilo Barthel and Johannes Voigtmann to the Euroleague ranks and with a bit more luck, the right contacts and right timing might have reached the NBA, but now a days you find the most curious signings happening so anything is possible even still now for the two German national players. This season the club inserted 22 players with the majority being young German talents and a few older guys like Tobias Jahn at age 32, and Dennis Mavin at age 27, but still youth was the main dish on the menu as the club still had an average age of 20,6 years. When you have a guy like Garai Zeeb that is 22 and is the fourth oldest on the team then you know that the club is very young. Even if four of the seven teenagers on the team were primarily NBBL(U-19) players with Leon Pullen, Calvin Schaum, Alvin Oniya and Jordan Samare totaled 20 games in all, three were role players with Aaron Kayser, Maxi Begue and Len Schoormann that totaled 66 games in all.  There were also some guys like Garai Zeeb, Armin Trtovac, Richard Freudenberg, Cosmo Gruehn and Konstantin Schubert who have been with the club for many years and also have had BBL experience. It is important to take each player under the microscope and evaluate the steps they made in the last season. After the loss to Lok Bernau, veteran Tobias Jahn made a quick assessment of his teammates and who he felt made the biggest strides. “Schoormann, Begue, Gruehn and Hecker all developed further. Trtovac had a great season and for me was the best center in the Pro B”, warned Tobias Jahn. But there were many other players that got minutes, worked hard to get better and also needed to be evaluated including the two oldest guys Jahn and Mavin, the next generation players and then the real young kids.

         Tobias Jahn was in his second season with the club and didn´t play much of a role in games, but was important to have as a mentor for the young players and helping the big men with their games. After averaging 5,6ppg and 6,1rpg two seasons ago, his minutes shrunk dramatically from 18,7 to 9,0 minutes and averaged only 3,5ppg and 2,3rpg in 8 games. Dennis Mavin played his fourth professional season and after a strong Pro B season with Giessen last season where he averaged 18.4ppg, 3.6rpg, 2.6apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 48.3%, 3PT: 36.1%, FT: 71.7%, he split this season between the ScanPlus Baskets Elchingen (Germany-ProB) playing 7 games averaging 10.3ppg, 3.4rpg, 2.1apg, 1.1spg, 2FGP: 40.7%, 3FGP: 16.7%, FT: 50.0% and then came to Frankfurt where he averaged 14,8ppg, 4,0rpg and 2,2apg and shot 37% from outside. He couldn´t get going with the ScanPlus Baskets as he got lost in the veteran shuffle, but in Frankfurt was allowed to be the veteran and be more vocal helping the young guards and finished the season well. He scored in double figures in 12 of 13 games and had a 23 point game against Leverkusen and 21 point games against Rhondorf and Bochum. He improved his shooting in Frankfurt and can be a top Pro B guard. The question now is will a Pro A team take a chance on him and give him an offer for next season? The most exciting player on the squad this season was Swedish shooting star Elijah Clarance. Fresh off being the leading scorer at the 2018 U-20 European championships in Chemnitz, Germany, he came to Frankfurt with a double license to play with the BBL team and Pro B team. He practiced more with the BBL team than got into games at the start and concentrated more on the Pro B team. In his first game in Rhondorf, he scored 21 points and erupted with some massive dunks that would continue the whole season. He played 17 Pro B games averaging 12,3ppg, 3,6rpg and 3,9apg and 1,5spg. He had some big games against Elchingen with 26 points and 24 points against the wiha Panthers. He came to Frankfurt to learn to become a point guard and at times his swing out pass resembled that of FC Bayern Munich guard Stefan Jovic and he had some nice playmaking abilities, but all in all too inconsistent. His biggest weapon is his dunk and athleticism and is always in attack mode like a Westbrook. Gordon Herbert lauded his unending work ethic and with the NBA being his ultimate goal, it definitely won´t be his hard work that will keep him from there. He is an amazing talent and a guy you would go to pay money extra to see because of his ESPN moment dunks, but he still needs to make better decisions, but hey the kid is 20 and is allowed to make mistakes and continue to learn the game. He had big moments in the BBL already and hit top Russian team Lok Kuban for 15 points in the Eurocup.This guy is so raw and has a huge future ahead of him.

            After the two older players, you have the new generation Juniors veterans with Zeeb, Trtovac, Freudenberg, Cosmo Gruehn and Konstantin Schubert. Zeeb played his fourth season with the Fraport Skyliners Juniors and after improving his scoring in the first three seasons from 7 to 9 to 14, he fell this season to 11,2, but he made new strides with the BBL team. Currently he is at 51 BBL games and has 45 in total with Frankfurt. He had some fine Pro B games in wins against Bochum with 28 points and 21 points against FC Bayern Munich, but one could see that his focus was with the BBL team. He continues to be a solid three point shooter around 33%-34% in the Pro B, but can´t seem to make strides there. His playmaking combined with decision making continues to grow and he controls the tempo well. Despite having extreme stiff competition at the guard position in the BBL he has held his own and stepped up from the bench in many games hitting big shots, making key assists or big plays on defense. He hit 13 points against BG Goettingen and had 10 points against ratiopharm Ulm. There were enough games where he didn´t play more than 5 minutes. He needs to be in a situation where he gets full trust and receives consistent BBL minutes. He would be a star in the Pro A, but his focus will always be the BBL. Armin Trtovac played his fifth season and made another step. 2017-2018 was his break through season in the Pro B registering 11/8 stats and this season he went up a bit more averaging 13,4ppg and 7,4rpg and scored in double figures in 15 games and had 5 double doubles. Some big games of his included against the Lowen with 23 points and 12 boards and 22 points and 11 rebounds against Rhondorf. When he wants to, he can dominate the paint area in the Pro B like no other. He is still 21 and is raw and just needs to continue to believe that he can mix it up with anyone. Like Zeeb, he is in good company under the basket and never got much of a chance with the BBL club. Currently he has just 5 BBL games under his belt. He needs to get more confidence from the BBL coaching staff and take his aggressiveness from the Pro B to the BBL more.

            Richard Freudenberg played his second season with Frankfurt and stat wise improved, but did he develop further? Injuries took a toll on him this season, but he had his moments. Known for being a shooter all his life, his shot didn´t fall as well in the BBL last season, but this season his focus was to rebound more and not think about his shot and it did wonders. Like Zeb his focus was on the BBL where he had some shinning moments like 21 points against Giessen or 12 points against Alba Berlin and Crailsheim, but his inconsistency has seemed to stand out the most. In the Pro B he averaged 12,5ppg and 5,6rpg and had some big games against Fc Bayern Munich with 23 points and 18 points against Bochum. His shooting also was very inconsistent in the Pro B, but better in the BBL, but can be a weapon if he continues to work at it. He needs to have a good summer of training so he can come into next season motivated and mentally ready for a possible make or break year. Konstantin Schubert has that baby face and is only 20, but completed his fifth season with the club and has 6 BBL games experience under his resume. He has had a nice development in Frankfurt and was able to improve his scoring and rebounding each season until this season where he averaged only 3,6ppg and 3,7rpg, but he had injury woes and a new deep roster shaved his minutes from 23 down to 14 minutes. It was a very tough season for him. His shot continues to be a work in progress, but he is a hustler that has a nice inside out game and runs the floor well. He could have a long Pro B career, but will need a break out season for him to be able to make the next step. One of the big development winners was Cosmo Gruehn who played his third season and improved his stats again going from 4/2 to 6/2 to 7/4 this season. In his first season in 2016-2017 he was one of the NBBL stars together with Isaac Bonga and Konstantin Schubert and now he is one of the most important role players on the farm team. He is a superb inside out player that can hit the three and won´t be shy to grab a rebound over a taller or stronger opponent. Even if his three might be his biggest weapon, he lives off his never ending energy that he brings at both ends of the court. He had two 18 point games against the ScanPlus Baskets and Giessen and led all players in the game against Elchingen with the most points, rebounds and assists. He is a team player that will continue to make strides up the basketball ladder.

            Two guys that made huge strides were 16 year old Len Schoormann and 18 year old Maxi Begue.Just last season the German 16 year old was named JBBL MVP at age 15 and already averaged 10 points per game in the NBBL. This season he made the jump to the Pro B and became a solid role player from the bench and even started some games. He averaged 5,0ppg, 1,5rpg and 1,9apg and had three 10 point games against Coburg, Rhondorf and the RheinStars. He displayed 8 assists against Bochum. The guy plays older than his age and has an athleticism and explosiveness that most 16 year old German basketball players would dream of. Even if he shot only 29% from outside one could see a new confidence with his shot as he was more aggressive and didn´t hesitate as some might playing against men. He has the complete package and just getting minutes and the trust from Sebastian Gleim did wonders for his confidence and game. Watching his development will be exciting in the next years as sky is the limit for him. Maxi Begue also made great strides. Last season he was still a bit shy at the NBBL level, but this season became the leader of the team as his all around play and filling up the stat sheet was something he hadn´t had the year before. He got his shot at the Pro B level and didn´t disappoint. He started some games and averaged 3,7ppg, 2,0rpg and 1,3apg and had a 13 point game against Wurzburg and 10 point games against Elchingen and Orange Academy. The German shone with his aggressive drive and floater and just all around hustle and being everywhere grabbing rebounds and steals. He has an unorthodox looking shot, but at times had accuracy from outside, but that also is still a work in progress. He could be one of the young leaders on the team next season. Aaron Kayser came from Pro A team Chemnitz where he had had 14 games experience. He had been a top big man at the NBBL level and came to Frankfurt looking to make the next step. The blond haired big man played 25 games averaging 4,8ppg and 3,3rpg. His best two scoring games was a 14 point effort against Coburg and 10 point game against the Lowen. He will be 20 when next season starts and still has a lot of upside. His biggest strength is his shooting accuracy which at times was around 70% this season. When he gets the ball in the paint, there is a good chance it will go in. He always gave energy from the bench and made key buckets in many games. His biggest weakness is his free throw shooting which was at 36% and his footwork is also still a work in progress. He is also a big talent and Frankfurt has been a good breeding ground for big men in the last years. Not to forget German guard Felix Hecker who played his second season as stat wise he averaged 17 minutes in both seasons and averaged 4,0ppg in both seasons and his three was around 30%. Even if his big strength is his three, he whipped up two amazing stats from his first two seasons as he shot a mindboggling 17/21 combined in the two seasons from the two point range. His shot selection at that range is more than impressive. He also had a lot of upside and most likely will continue to work on other areas of his game to get a more complete game and be able to help his team in more ways next season. Guys like Alvin Oniya, Leon Pullen, Calvin Schaum and Jordan Samare are waiting in the wings to make the next step like Schoormann and Begue did this season in the Pro B. It will be interesting to see how these guys come in next season and how they develop further while one also wonders now which new prospects will be in uniform next fall as a new Pro B season commences.        

The Fraport Skyliners season was still alive, but for the team to reach the playoffs now there will have to be a miracle and many wins happen at once or can one recruit Jordan Theodore back for the stretch run? The 2000 BBL cup winner has just been too up and down to deserve a playoff berth as at the start of February they lost three games in a row, but then buckled together and won three of four games, but currently had found another dry spell losing two games in a row and seeing their playoff hopes sink to horrible proportion. In their last loss, they controlled the game for the first half, only to watch s.Oliver Wurzburg crawl back and be aided by the Frankfurt turnover fest which ended with 25 especially in crunch-time experienced Tyler Larson had difficulty taking care of the ball and English national player Gabriel Olaseni gave Frankfurt a lesson on how to dominate the boards. With the Fraport Skyliners hanging out in 13^th place and three wins behind the eighth placed team, they had a giant hurdle meeting number one ranked team FC Bayern Munich who had said farewell to the Euroleague season and now could concentrate fully on the easyCredit BBL. In the first meeting FC Bayern Munich won at home 80-71 and Frankfurt didn´t play that bad totally dominating the boards, but couldn´t handle their depth and consistent three point shooting as the Bavarian team scorched Frankfurt with 12 three´s. The only positive thing for Frankfurt fans was to see the return of German national player Danilo Barthel who departed Frankfurt in 2016 for Munich and since then has become the top German power forward in the easyCrdit BBL with some asking why he isn´t in the NBA like a Daniel Theis or Maxi Kleber. Barthel returned back to Frankfurt and was focused as usual while the Fraport Skyliners were playing for pride and had nothing to lose and took the guests to 50 minutes and two OT´s, but had some misfortune at the end missing some easy baskets and rebounds losing 91-87. After the tough loss ex Arizona State guard Tra Holder tried to reflect on the tough loss. “This was one of the craziest games in my career. We gave all we had against the best team in Germany and one of the best in Europe and had a chance to win. This was a great learning experience. We played hard, but some rebounds didn´t go our way and they hit some tough shots. We put ourselves in a good position to win. You can´t ask for more than that”, added Los Angeles native Tra Holder. FC Bayern Munich didn´t have their best day and seemed sluggish after winning 48 hours earlier against Gran Canaria in Euroleague action, but they came up big when they had to to secure the victory. “We struggled for 35 minutes and they played us tough. We put on more pressure in the last five minutes and that was the difference”, stressed FC Bayern Munich guard Braydon Hobbs.

                4,900 fans made the trek to the Fraport arena on a beautiful spring day and saw Jason Clark and Richard Freudenberg out while German Niklas Kiel was rewarded for his fine game in Wurzburg with a starting nod. No team needed to take long to find their offensive rhythm as both teams were hitting shots and there were six lead changes in the first 5.12 minutes of the game. In the early going offensive onslaught, the Fraport Skyliners were led by  guard Akeem Vargas who had the hot hand early scoring five points, German center Leon Kratzer was aggressive netting 4 points while American Tyler Larson  made a lay in and Quantez Robertson made free throws. For FC Bayern Munich they also got solid support from many as ex Alba Berlin center Leon Radosevic scored twice, ex Skyliner Danilo Barthel nailed a trey, ex Valencia foreward Vladimir Lucic scored inside and Icelandic national player and ex FC Barcelona guard Petteri Koponen iced a catch and pop jumper, but Frankfurt led 15-13 thanks to a Kiel tap in off a Robertson miss. The Fraport Skyliners had no offensive break downs and defended well going on a 11-2 run to extend their lead to 26-15. In the run, they received superb guard play as Larson added 5 points on a trey and a runner while German Garai Zeeb gave huge minutes from the bench hitting a runner and scoring on transition. The Fraport Skyliners did a great job keeping up with the furious Munich tempo and with many shots made heightened their self confidence while the current BBL champion didn´t seem totally there playing at about 60%-70% of their abilities and missing open shots. FC Bayern Munich then got a break pouching on the Frankfurt bench that was inserted and breaking out on a 6-0 run as ex Columbia(NCAA) guard Maodo Lo scored three points and ex Bellarmine(NCAA2) guard Braydon Hobbs dropped a trey to cut the Frankfurt lead down to 26-21. “Frankfurt came out very aggressive and played very hard like they wanted to win very badly. Munich was too relaxed like nothing would happen. Frankfurt lost a little moment tum at the end as Munich made a push”, stressed Lich(Regionalliga 2) guard Jermale Jones. The Fraport Skyliners shot 65% from the field and 40% from outside and had 8 rebounds and 1 turnover while FC Bayern Munich shot 53% from the field and 50% from outside and had 5 rebounds and 1 turnover.

                The second quarter remained tight, but the Fraport Skyliners remained in control as FC Bayern Munich was unable to get over the hump and capture the lead back. 27 year old 203cm ex Los Angeles Lakers forward Derrick Williams began the second quarter with a bang making a huge dunk cutting the Frankfurt lead down to 26-23. “That was a real NBA dunk. Williams is familiar of putting guys on posters. He brought a lot of excitement to Munich”, added Lich(Regionalliga 2) guard Jermale Jones. Frankfurt didn´t lose any of their offensive zip and quickly cruised out on a 6-2 run to keep the 32-25 lead. In the run Frankfurt got big time production from ex Alba Berlin center Jonas Wolfarth-Botterman who supplied a hook shot and thunderous one handed dunk while ex Bremerhaven guard Garai Zeeb made an amazing circus shot in traffic after weaving in and out of some surprised Munich defenders. “That looked a foul, but he was totally focused on putting the ball in the hole. He played with instinct. If he knows where the glass is and has the right touch then the ball will have a good chance of going in”, said Alabama native Jermale Jones. This Frankfurt run somehow rattled Munich awake as they started to defend better and play more calm and intelligent on offense and they started coming back. FC Bayern Munich made it really tight down the stretch getting another big trey from Barthel and an off balance jumper from Koponen and Radosevic free throw to cut Frankfurt´s lead down to 37-35. “Barthel wasn´t so focused at the start getting two quick fouls, but then calmed down and made some shots and started to play better”, added Jermale Jones.  After another Larson lay in, FC Bayern Munich surprised Frankfurt´s full court press by whipping a touch down pass over it from ex Alba Berlin guard Nihad Djedovic to Serbian guard Stefan Jovic for the easy basket. But on the last play of the second quarter, Tyler Larson made a massive veteran play as he was under severe pressure and almost every other American would have opted to finishing tough in traffic, but he timed the perfect back door pass to Finish national player Shawn Huff scoring at the siren as Frankfurt led 41-37 at the break. “FC Bayern Munich played a lot harder, got the ball inside more and made more shots. Due to Munich´s better defense, it forced Frankfurt to hold the ball longer and force tough shots”, added Jermale Jones. The Fraport Skyliners shot 57% from the field and 22% from the three point line and had16 rebounds and 6 turnovers while FC Bayern Munich shot 52% form the field and 44% from the three point line and had 10 rebounds and 4 turnovers.

                In the third quarter the Fraport Skyliners began to play a lot better again and heightened their defense and led by double figures as FC Bayern Munich couldn´t muster consistent offense. The third quarter has usually been a sore spot for Frankfurt, but against FC Bayern Munich, they were all business going on a brutal 10-2 run to extend their lead to 51-39 and got the Fraport arena cooking as Frankfurt fans couldn´t believe the fortune of their team giving the huge Bavarian favorite massive problems. In the run the Fraport Skyliners did a great job banging the ball inside and using the mis matches as well as possible. Ex Bamberg big man Leon Kratzer connected three times, Kiel was supplied a back door pass from Larson for the easy bucket and Larson hit a step back jumper. FC Bayern Munich looked like a desolate pre season team that was coughing up the ball way too much. The Fraport Skyliners defended very well and their offense also didn´t let them down as they could hold their double digit lead getting solid production from Tra Holder with a shot in traffic, Larson hitting a deep three over Derrick Williams and Zeeb dropping free throws for the 58-45 advantage. FC Bayern Munich then added some pressure and closed out the third quarter strong going on a 7-2 run to cut Frankfurt´s lead to 60-52. In the run, Williams missed a dunk, but didn´t give up staying with it and finishing in traffic while ex Crvena Zvezda MTS Beograd (KLS ) forward Nemanja Dangubic  made a strong dunk and Koponen hit a big trey. “We came out well. A big problem this season has been us coming out flat in the third, but we played well and kept the lead”, stressed Fraport Skyliner guard Tra Holder. “We can´t make excuses that we had a tough Euroleague game a few nights before. We came out sluggish and they hit tough shots”, added Ohio native Braydon Hobbs. The Fraport Skyliners shot 53% from the field and 19% from the parking lot and had 27 rebounds and 10 turnovers while FC Bayern Munich shot 44% from the field and 40% form the parking lot and had 18 rebounds and 7 turnovers.

                In the fourth quarter FC Bayern Munich started to slowly crawl back into the game inch by inch and then force overtime with a huge shot at the end. Despite the guests getting some offense with Jovic free throws and a Lucic lay in, the Fraport Skyliners were still in control of the game early in the fourth quarter as they got huge contribution from their bench as Holder nailed two long three´s and one from Huff keeping their comfortable lead at 69-56. “I have confidence and just try to help my team as much as possible. Whether it´s being the cheerleader or being on the court, I just try to give my best”, added Tra Holder. FC Bayern Munich had some defensive break downs in this phase concentrating on the bigs inside and closing that down but not keeping an eye on the three point line. FC Bayern Munich then took advantage of Frankfurt´s fifth team foul at the 6.07 minute mark and went on a 6-0 run getting free throws from Barthel and Williams and a easy Lo lay in cutting Frankfurt´s lead down to 69-62. FC Bayern Munich concentrated better on defense and Frankfurt wasn´t moving the ball well a big problem for them this season as that has been up and down. Frankfurt couldn´t generate much offense in this phase except for Larson while FC Bayern Munich continued to supply fierce pressure going on a lethal 9-1 run to cut the Frankfurt lead down to 73-71. In the run, FC Bayern Munich got valuable production from Djedovic who dropped a trey and Williams was extra aggressive in the paint having no problems against double and triple teams showing why he played many NBA seasons making a hard dunk and lay in. Frankfurt should have won the game at the end, but Leon Kratzer missed two free throws and Robertson one. Had Tez made both then Frankfurt would have led by 4 points. Instead they led only 74-71 and Lo stepped down the floor and drained a huge three with 8 seconds on the clock. Larson missed a shot for the win forcing overtime. “We switched our defense picking up full court. We changed our intensity and Lo hit a big shot”, stressed ex Nurnberg guard Braydon Hobbs. “Lo made a tough three at the end. Kudos to him for making a shot like that”, added Tra Holder. The Fraport Skyliners shot 48% from the field and 30% from outside and had 38 rebounds and 15 turnovers while FC Bayern Munich shot 44% from the field and 36% from outside and had 26 rebounds and 7 turnovers.

                In the first overtime, FC Bayern Munich got the lead at first and held it until the end where Frankfurt brought the game into a second overtime. Guard play dominated the first few minutes as Lo scored twice including a pretty floater while Larson also scored in the paint, but FC Bayern Munich led 79-76. Kratzer then made a line drive one handed shot to cut Munich´s lead to 79-78. Ex Tuebingen guard Akeem Vargas then missed two free throws and it seemed like he could be the tragic loser, but he redeemed himself after Williams made two free throws. With Frankfurt trailing 80-78 with one second to go, Vargas was on the free throw line, but this time he drained the two pressure packed shots like Rick Barry in his best days forcing a second overtime. “Both teams played great defense. Vargas hit big free throws. I was confident that he would make them”, stressed Tra Holder. “Vargas hit big free throws. He had a mental battle, but it was a good time for him to bounce back. FC Bayern Munich shot 42% from the field and 31% from outside and had 30 rebounds and 7 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners shot 47% from the field and 29% from outside and had 42 rebounds and 17 turnovers.

FC Bayern Munich continued to keep the lead in the second overtime as Frankfurt just couldn´t get over the hump and get the lead back. Radosevic who had been invisible since the first quarter took a mis match on the first play and made the bucket for the 82-80 Munich lead. Holder then connected on another huge three giving Frankfurt their last lead at 83-82. FC Bayern Munich then did a good job drawing fouls and making free throws as Williams and Djedovic connected, but Larson made a floater dead locking the game at 85-85. Larson did a great job carrying the team for 50 minutes and finished with 24 points and 8 dimes. “Tyler was unbelievable and kept us in the game. He was hitting shots and distributing the ball all game long. He made a crazy lay up and when all is going well, all tends to fall. His two big three´s over Williams were also nice. He also encouraged me to do it when they were switching bigs”, smiled Tra Holder. Djedovic then hit a huge trey for the 88-85 Munich lead.  Shawn Huff then made a huge block on Williams inside the paint which led to a Holder transition basket to cut Munich´s lead to 88-87. But FC Bayern Munich then did the little things to secure the win as Lo made a big time block on Larson and then on the next possession, Frankfurt couldn´t buy a basket inside as Larson and Wolfart-Bottermann missed easy shots. With 10 seconds to go, it appeared like Djedovic made the insurance basket, but at closer inspection, it had been Robertson who had tipped it in. The Fraport Skyliners had 8 seconds to go to bring the game a third overtime, but Holder missed a last shot from the corner. One had to wonder about the Frankfurt decision making here as Holder shot the ball  a few seconds after the inbounds pass. Larson may have been the better option, but then again Holder had hit some huge deep three´s in the game, so he definitely was an option. “I was in a hard position and jumped wanting to pass the ball to Huff, but I couldn´t so I shot it. If I could do it over I would have liked to have passed the ball”, stressed Tra Holder. “We gave Frankfurt different defensive looks and made stops. Key was not giving up easy lay in´s like earlier in the game”, stressed Braydon Hobbs. FC Bayern Munich had five players in double figures as Derrick Williams, Danilo Barthel, Maodo Lo and Nihad Djedovic added 12 points a piece. The Fraport Skyliners were led by Tyler Larson with 24 points. Leon Kratzer added 13 points and 10 boards and Tra Holder supplied 11 points. FC Bayern Munich shot 42% form the field and 32% from outside and had 36 rebounds and 7 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners shot 45% from the field and 29% from outside and had 48 rebounds and 18 turnovers.

That Quantez Robertson and Mike Morrison can play basketball very well is no secret as both have demonstrated it combined for a total of 18 years in Europe. Robertson who is known everywhere he goes as Tez except for the passport control at airports is a freak athlete that could have alone from his athleticism and defensive qualities played in the NBA, but never got a chance and has belonged to the top defenders and league identity figures in the BBL for years while Morrison has had a consistent career where rebounding and blocking shots have been his strong point and not to mention his thunderous dunks as living on the rim has been as usual for him as going to the beach in his hometown in St Petersburg, Florida. However what many don´t know is that they have a lot more than just basketball skills, but also have comedy skills as their continuous ribbing of each other over the last years has been something I witnessed often and always wondered when will the two have a comedy show, because I would definitely pay money to see it. The two jokesters shared a room on the road for four years and no matter if they were chilling in Russia, Estonia, Slovenia, Israel, Oldenburg or Bremerhaven, one can be sure that more practical jokes were done. Who knows exactly what these two will be doing after their playing days are over, but I could imagine a Quantez Robertson teaching young kids basketball while I could imagine a Mike Morrison donning that stunning suit daily at a 9-5 job in the business world. But it would definitely add something special if somehow the Mike Mo and Tez comedy show would be born. The many comical situations of the two are numerous, but I do have a few over the last few years that are long lasting.

Last season in a 90-63 crushing home victory against Tuebingen and the game long decided Robertson made a steal and went on a break away, but saw the big man Morrison running the floor like a guard and made a underhand pass off the back board for him the way Lebron has displayed catching it and dunking, but it wasn´t perfect and it sailed out of bounds. After the game both gave each other the blame. “ I knew that Tez would throw me the ball. He threw it too soon and I had to jump inward instead of upward. It was Tez´s fault”, joked Mike Morrison. “Of course Mike said it was my fault, but he missed it”, yelled Quantez Robertson. Another funny example of the two making fun of each other was when they met for the first time since their Frankfurt days recently where Morrison had moved on to s.Oliver Wurzburg. Morrison would sweep Robertson and Frankfurt and both were firing away after the Frankfurt loss at home. “It is always fun to play against Mike. We were roommates for four years and had many road trips. I hit a three on him on the first play. We were talking some junk. Mike thinks he is one of the best big man that can guard guards on the perimeter”, smiled ex Auburn(NCAA) guard Quantez Robertson. “I do think that I am one of the best big men that guards guards on the perimeter On that play I had to see how he was feeling and see how he would do. It was a lucky first shot”, smiled Mike Morrison. Another comical example of their good off court chemistry happened when Robertson was watching a Pro B playoff game of the Fraport Skyliners Juniors last weekend against Lok Bernau and watched a rare three by Frankfurt big man Tobias Jahn. Last season Morrison hit a big three against FC Bayern Munich in the playoffs and it had been the first in his professional career. “Tobias hasn´t taken many three´s this season. He played good offense and was getting rebounds. Morrison´s three was funnier. Jahn can shoot, but Mike can´t smiled Quantez Robertson. When Morrison heard of this comment by Tez, he was quick to reply. “Tez can say what he wants. The fact still remains that I have the highest 3 point percentage in the history of the BBL and when someone passes 100 percent let me know”, stressed Mike Morrison. Despite all the joking around, the Florida native has the utmost respect for his ex teammate. “Tez is a jack of all trades. He makes a coaches job so much easier because you can use him in so manydifferent ways. His best attribute is his work ethic. Goes hard every day, forcing others to do the same. Plays so hard during games and can play 40 minutes.

There are many more examples of their comical banter of these two guys so come on somebody give them a show. But we can´t forget that Mike Morrison has had a very respectable career and is a terrific player. Mike Morrison was born on October 31^st 1989 in St Petersburg, Florida and attended Lakewood high school. He then played at George Mason(NCAA) from 2008-2012 playing a total of 127 NCAA games and had his best statistical season as a senior playing 32 games averaging 9.8ppg, 6.6rpg, 1.4apg, 2.0bpg, FGP: 59.0%, FT: 55.0%. As a senior he had some memorable games like his 14/15 game in the 61-58 win over Georgia State or his 17/7 game in the 89-63 victory over Delaware, but his favorite game memory is another. “On the court the most memorable moment for sure was beating Villanova in the tournament. That game was an instant classic”, stressed Mike Morrison. It wasn´t only scoring and rebounding, but he also developed his shot blocking at George Mason and once swatted away 7 balls in a game to share the school record with the general George Evans who played in Germany for Trier. “I didn´t even know that. But to do anything George Evans has done is a meal of honor to us Mason Patriots so that´s pretty cool”, answered Mike Morrison. He credits ex Ohio State standout Jared Sullinger as his toughest cover in the NCAA and also had very formidable competition when he was a freshman with Darryl Monroe who he would later meet again head to head as professionals in a Fiba Europe Cup game in 2016. “Darryl was and is still so talented and really thinks the game. In that 1 year I soaked in as much knowledge as I could. physically I was 200 pounds, there was nothing I could do with him”, said Mike Morrison. The big man also remembers coaches Jim Larranaga and Paul Hewitt for grooming and preparing him for a professional basketball career. “They both are very successful coaches but, more than that, great people. Those 2 and all the assistants played a big part in making me the man I am today on and off the court”, stressed Mike Morrison. He also did something very untypical in his senior year in that he didn´t experience that last summer of freedom before turning professional, but went overseas a little less than two months after his last NCAA game against VCU and turned professional with Port of Antwerp Giants (Belgium-D1): playing 7 games averaging 2.7ppg, 3.0rpg. “My time in Antwerp was a blur. I had to learn a new team, new system, and a different level of game. Being thrown right into playoff basketball wasn´t easy. With all of that I still had school work between practices so I could graduate. The guys were really just helping me adjust to Europe and the game”, added Mike Morrison.

                He began his first full professional season in 2012-2013 with Cytavision Apoel Nicosia (Cyprus-Division A) playing 28 games averaging 11.8ppg, 5.0rpg, FGP: 62.6%, FT: 48.1%. He scored in double figures in 20 games and had one double double. Some of his best games was a 28 point explosion in 28 minutes in a 80-59 victory over Enad and a 21 point effort in a 85-69 win over Apollon. He finished his rookie season losing 3-1 against AEK.  He was already very mature as a rookie and he could have been anywhere in the world and he would have been able to adjust. “Basketball is basketball. That´s the easy part. But you really have to learn to take care of yourself, your body, your home. Your on your own for real”, stressed Mike Morrsion. In his second professional season he made another jump in his career and moved to Joensuun Kataja Basket (Finland-Korisliiga) playing 55 games averaging 14.0ppg, 7.7rpg, 1.5apg, Blocks-1(1.6bpg), FGP: 60.2%, FT: 57.7%; and played 6 EuroChallenge games averaging 13.3ppg, 8.2rpg, 1.5apg, 2.0bpg, FGP: 49.3%, FT: 53.8%. The Korisliiga is one of those leagues that can be a stepping stone for players to get to the easyCredit BBL and it would be for the big man. He totally dominated in Finland scoring in double figures in 49 of 55 games and registered 15 double doubles. That season he helped the club reach the finals beating Tapiolan Honka, and Nilan Bisons, but lost to Pyrinto. There he had a special teammate in Jared Newson who had been the last cut of the Dallas Mavericks in 2007 and had won the BBL slam dunk contest when he played with Leverkusen. The American remembered Newson who recently retired form the game. “The guy is still athletic, amazing. We were having game dunk contests in Finland. I miss that”, stressed Mike Morrison.

                Morrison then began a new chapter with the Fraport Skyliners in 2014 where he would battle for four seasons. In his time with the Frankfurt organization he played 137 BBL games, 12 Eurochallenge games, 19 Fiba Europe Cu games and 16 Basketball Champions League games. He was able to put up very solid stats and improved his scoring in his last three seasons, but had his best shooting year in his first as he shot 69% from the field. Not only do German players profit from the coaching staff, but so do Americans. “Player development is what coach Gordie and Klaus do so well. That´s why young Germans love to come play under them. They both helped me greatly. Not only with my skills, but also knowledge of the game. I see things developing before it does just because I´ve listened to them for so long. If coaching is in the future I will be using a lot of their philosophies”, stressed Mike Morrison. His biggest games included a massive 35 point game in the Basketball Champions League 90-80 win against Turkish team Pinar Karsiyaka and a 25 point effort in the bitter 99-98 loss against Bayreuth. His favorite own play was his dunk over Oldenburg center Robin Smeulders, but his favorite most cherished moment was winning the 2016 Fiba Europe Cup in Chalon, France and just experiencing the last moments. “Just finally watching the seconds run off the clock. Knowing we finally did it after falling short the year before”, added Mike Morrison. Obviously Quantez Robertson has had a huge effect on Morrison if not the biggest, but he is quick to add that he couldn´t name just one. “John Little showed me my intensity could always be higher. Aaron Doornekemp showed me how to be a real professional on and off the court. Jordan Theodore showed me to keep your confidence in self no matter what. Phil Scrubb showed me how not reacting to uncontrollable things can help your focus. Sean Armand reminded me that sometimes you just have to go kill the guy lined up in front of you and Shavon Shields reminded me a few years later”, added Mike Morrison. This season he has witnessed the amazing surge of former teammate teenager Isaac Bonga who has been in and out of the Los Angeles Lakers roster and could ask him hundreds of questions about Lebron and Rajon Rondo, but surprisingly it doesn´t even get to that. “It may sound weird but I haven’t asked him about that stuff at all. We’re still friends and talk about anime, TV shows and Marvel movies all the time. Me, Isaac, and Phil Scrubb have a group chat that gets pretty nerdy”, smiled Mike Morrison. Even if he is from Florida and has a new basketball home in Wurzburg, a piece of his heart will always be in Frankfurt and he explained what made it so easy to play and stay there. “Just all around good people. That´s important to me. I spoke with everyone from players, coaches, to the people in the office, and the workers at the arena. Everyone was cool”, warned Mike Morrison. Morrison recently played against Frankfurt sweeping them and reflected on his ex team in 2019. “It was just great seeing the fans that have shown so much love over the years. They were awesome and I will never forget that. Of course I want my friends on the team to be successful but my focus is 100 percent on S. Oliver Wurzburg when it comes to basketball”, added Mike Morrison.

                Last summer there were many wondering if Mike Morrison would return back to the Fraport Skyliners, but he didn´t and resumed his career with Panevezys Lietkabelis (Lithuania-LKL). For some basketball experts no surprise as some felt that a change of scenery would be a good thing, while many of his Frankfurt fans would have liked to have seen him remain in Frankfurt. At the end of the day it´s all about choosing the best situation for your family and the Fraport Skyliners didn´t seem to fit into the equation anymore. “I loved Frankfurt, the players, and the coaches and still do. It´s just about choosing what´s the right opportunity for you. I love basketball and wouldn´t mind playing anywhere that´s a good opportunity and a great experience”, expressed Mike Morrison. One of the great advantages of playing for an organization like the Fraport Skyliners is their amazing facilities which has a state of the art training facility, spa club, mall and apartments in walking distance. This is something not seen in many places and obviously not in Lithuania. “Of course moving to a new place is always an adjustment but it was a pretty smooth transition. I´m not in a mall, but the city is much smaller so getting places is pretty easy. They do a pretty good job of taking care of us and whatever we need”, stressed Mike Morrison. There were only two Americans on the squad with him and veteran Jamar Wilson, but the Florida native didn´t feel lonely at all as with his outgoing nature, he was able to bond with everyone even the influx of Lithuanians on the team. “I can relate with Jamar a lot more on some things but as far as getting along with guys we all have good relationships. These guys are cool and I can´t help but be social. I even got Phil (Scrubb) to talk to me a lot”, smiled Mike Morrison.  He held his own with Panevezys Lietkabelis (Lithuania-LKL) averaging 10,7ppg, 5,5rpg and 1,5apg in the country league and also played BCL averaging 7,0ppg ,4,6rpg and 2,1apg. So he might not make the Harlem Globetrotters, but he definitely would have gotten a smile on his ex teammate Johannes Voigtman´s baby face when he showcased a slick behind the back pass early in the season. “Jumbo Jo has all the moves for sure but I didn´t steal that one from him lol. I´ve always been a pretty good passer but It´s not flash, it was actually just the best pass to make that play to hold the defender. A regular bounce pass would have been easier to react to”, added Mike Morrison. Despite his good stats, he was out of a job around Thanksgiving 2018. “The team decided to hire a new sports director who decided to make coaching changes and a lot of player changes. I wasn’t a part of his vision I guess but I still wish my guys over there good luck”, said Mike Morrison.

                It took him only 13 days to be in uniform with his new team s.Oliver Wurzburg and suddenly he was in Germany again and would be battling against his former team Fraport Skyliners within only a few weeks. It was obvious that Germany and the easyCredit BBl had a special place in his heart so coming back wasn´t a difficult decision for him. “ It was a no brainer. I’m familiar with the league and liked the idea of coming in and helping change the team identity. A lot of great players are here and things gelled pretty easily”, warned Mike Morrison. In a way this new situation is very similar to what he had three seasons ago in Frankfurt. “The BBL season is very different but the FIBA season is very similar. When I got here we were 15th I believe now we’re fighting for a playoff spot. 2016 in Frankfurt we were already locked in the playoffs and had more focus on FIBA”, warned Mike Morrison. The club has won 6 of it´s last 7 BBL games and has real good chances of bringing home a chip to Wurzburg as they are 8-1 in the Fiba Europe Cup and now battle against Italian squad Openjobmetis in the semi´s which could be a good omen as Morrison beat them with Frankfurt in the Fiba final in 2016. “We believe In each other and every game is a playoff game from here on out. There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that we are capable to lift the Fiba trophy if we play the way we can”, warned Mike Morrison. Even if he did come to a new team, there was one very familiar face on the team with Johannes Richter who had been his teammate in Frankfurt. When asked about the German big man, the other big man shows his comical side in his description of the younger player. “You can’t describe Peanut (Jo), he really is one of a kind. Funny, annoying, sometimes stupid (but he’s going to be a Doctor), but really a great guy. We all make fun of him all the time and he keeps the team in good spirits. His game has developed for sure. He’s very physical and has an amazing motor”, stressed Mike Morrison.

                s.Oliver Wurzburg is known for having very skilled guards in Jordan Hulls, Skyler Bowlin, Cameron Wells and Brad Loesing that keep up the pressure for 40 minutes and just drive opposing guards insane as Fraport Skyliner guard Tyler Larson witnessed 48 hours ago as he coughed up the ball 8 times and especially made costly turnovers when the game was on the line. But the club also have other important players on the team like Xavier Cooks and new comer Devin Oliver. “‘X’ is a walking bucket. He’s really gifted offensively and bothers a lot of plays defensively. What Impresses me most about X is his knowledge of the game. He understands better than most and he’s a rookie. Reminds me of myself in that light. But the boy can play. He will be a millionaire really soon. Devin was a very good pick up. He’s a jack of all trades and brings great energy. He’s strong and posts up smaller guys but on the outside lives trying to cross up guys that can’t stay in front. Great aggression. He’s always in attack mode”, warned Mike Morrison. Morrison gives added strength up front and currently is averaging 6,8ppg, 4,0rpg and 1,4 apg and is shooting a respectable 62,5% from the field in 16,8 minutes per game while in the Fiba Europe Cup he is averaging 8,7ppg, 4,1rpg and 1,4apg and shooting a strong 62,5% from the field in 16,2 minutes per game. He is playing in a system under Denis Wucherer that is different from ex head coach Gordon Herbert, but he has fit in all right. “My role is to set good screens and roll to the rim to open it up for my shooters and they’re shooting opens up the lane for me. It’s a tandom. Also bringing energy and physicality”, warned Mike Morrison.  Just like he profited in Frankfurt under Gordon Herbert, he has done the same under new head coach Denis Wucherer in Wurzburg. “Coach Denis really understands offense, spacing, and manipulating the defense. His offense is structured but really free flowing. Coach trusts me to make decisions on passes and what options I see out of certain sets. I don’t know if I would say there’s more or less freedom. I think it´s just a different system”, stressed Mike Morrison. Not only has the big man profited from Wucherer, but has seen the advantages of having British national player Gabriel Olaseni as a teammate. The Brit is highly talented and one of those unfinished products. Both have the utmost respect for each other. “It has been great having Mike on the team. I remember when he came in that management said that they wanted a change and I totally welcomed it. He is one of the vocal leaders on the team and so passionate. He always pushes you in practice. I have profited from him in many ways. He has helped me with running the floor, drawing fouls and understanding mismatches and playing angles”, warned ex Bamberg center Gabriel Olaseni. “Me and Gabe are really cool. We are both Super hero nerds so most of our conversations lead back to new Marvel and DC movies that are about to come out. I think we both are just good players. There’s no drop off when one or the other goes in and we push each other to get better”, stressed Mike Morrison. It looks like Mike Morrison may have found a replacement for Quantez Robertson in Wurzburg with Gabriel Olaseni as his new comical side kick as with all that Super Hero content there is surely enough material for funny moments and practical jokes. Now the question is would there be room in the Mike Mo and Tez Comedy show for a third with Gabriel Olaseni?