Chris Brady is a 22 year old 208cm center from  Greenlawn, New York that is playing his professional rookie in Europe in Germany with the Hebeisen White Wings. He played at Monmouth (NCAA) from 2013-2017 playing a total of 133 NCAA games and as a senior played 34 games averaging 9.0ppg, 6.5rpg, 1.7bpg, FGP: 59.6%, 3PT: 22.2%, FT: 69.1%. At Monmouth he was able to improve his scoring and rebounding each season. Currently with Hanau through seven games he is averaging 7,7ppg and 4,7rpg. He spoke to German Hoops near the end of the summer about basketball

 

 

 

 

 

You have arrived in Germany and arrived to Hanau where you will be playing with the Hebeisen White Wings. What has been your first impression of Germany?

So far my first impression of Germany is great! The people are very friendly, Hanau is a very nice city, and I’m enjoying my time here so far. The food is great too.

You are starting your rookie season in Germany. What did you know about the country and its basketball coming in? Did your ex teammate Max DiLeo of the RheinStars give you some tips?

 I honestly don’t know a lot about the country and how the league works. I’ve been talking to the veterans on the team just so I can know what to expect. I am coming in every game looking to win. I’m ready to embrace every part of the country and learn its culture and customs. Max and I have also talked a few times throughout the summer both before and after I signed. He gave me some tips from his experiences over the last few years.

Have you marked the calender when you play against the RheinStars and Max DiLeo? How excited are you to see him again and now as an opponent and what will be the first thing that you will tell him on the court?

I haven’t marked the game against Max but he told me when we play a few weeks ago. I like to take it day by day that way I don’t look too far ahead and overlook games. I’m very excited to play against him as opponents because he’s such a hard working player. The first thing I’ll tell him on the court is good luck, we’ll have time to catch up after the game.

Head coach Simon Cote as well as the management was very high on your abilities. What was the deciding factor that gave you the green light to sign with this German team?

 Coach Simon really sold me on his ability to develop players, and he’s just a genuine guy. I value a person´s character in making my decisions. He told me he could help me achieve my future goals and make a huge jump in my own development on the court within this season.

What has been your first impression of head coach Simon Cote? He is known as a very hard working coach that really takes a lot of time for his players. Have you felt that dedication to players mentality in the early going?

 He is a very hardworking coach and makes sure all of his players are taken care of. He’s on the clock 24/7, if any of us need something he’ll help us out on and off the court. Yes I’ve felt that dedication to the players since I’ve been here. The same goes for coach Tuna. They both make sure guys are getting in extra individual work outside of our group workouts and practices.

There is a solid core of Americans on the roster so far with Americans Chase Adams who is a veteran and rookie Lavon Long. Are you already sensing a chemistry on the court with them?

 I think there is a lot of chemistry between the Americans, but the German players keep us included. I’ve known Lavon since my freshman year of college so it’s cool to play with a former opponent. And Chase has been a mentor to the American rookies, he lets us know how everything works. We still have a long way to go to reach our goals but all of the guys on the team are great guys and teammates.

Over your 4 year career at Mommouth you battled against your new teammate Lavon Long twice each season and you had his number having a 6-2 record against him. Did you let him remember that great stat since you have arrived or have you held back?

Actually I never knew this stat. I’ll let him know haha. But I think the more important stat is who got the last win, and that one isn’t in my favor.

Now that Long is your teammate, have you thought back a bit more in your 8 battles against Siena over the years? Does the fact that you have a guy like Long as a teammate now bring back some of those positive memories?

 I thought about our games a few times. He’s a versatile player. He was always someone that would stand out on the scouting report because he was effective on both ends. And it helps to play with someone who’s game you know and had to study and play against for 4 years.

You and Long don´t play the same position, but simply because you are both rookies and know each other on the court, do you feel like you will make an extra effort to try to make each other better as rookies as best possible?

 Yes I do. We know each other’s games and know what we need to improve on. We both have goals on improving our games so we know we need to push ourselves and each other.

Let´s talk about your game. Simon Cote says you are a talented young big man that will give the team impulses around the rim, getting rebounds and blocks. How else would you describe your game?

 I don’t want to give a scouting report on myself for the whole league to see. I would say my game needs work all around. Offensively and defensively. I definitely bring scoring, rebounding and blocks to the team. But there is so much I want to improve that my game can be drastically better come September 23rd.

If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would you chose that most resembles how you battle on the court?

This is hard for me because I try and study many players in the NBA. I don’t feel like I can accurately answer this question because the last 4 years I didn’t watch the NBA as much because I would watch other college games.

Head coach Cote also feels that Hanau will be able to strive on the fast break thanks to your hard work using your body to your advantage in the paint. Do you feel like you will be able to make a sound adjustment in terms of raising your physicality from the NCAA level to the Pro ranks?

Coaches have told me I’m a great runner for my size. All of our bigs are great runners. Also I think it’ll be an easy transition in physicality, there will always be a difference when you go up a level whether it be from high school to college or college to pro. It’s my first year so I’ll work hard on maintaining my strength. I’ll be in the weight room working on my body and making sure I’m in great condition throughout the season.

You are a guy that can rebound and block shots well, but what do you feel is a hidden strength in your game that doesn´t get noticed right away?

 Communication. A lot of coaches emphasize it but some players don’t execute it. Letting your teammates know where to be on the court, who’s guarding who, when a screen is coming, etc. it makes a big difference on the court and I think it’s an important skill to work on.

You might not necessarily score in double figures each night, but do you feel like you will be able to be an impact player as a rookie with the game you play?

 I will score in double figures each night. I’m a very humble man, but I have that confidence in the work I put in and my game. I’ll definitely impact the game and raise the level of play each game. When I’m on the court I love to encourage my teammates and see them make plays.

You played 4 years at Monmouth(NCAA) and as a freshman was far away from a professional career. What was the turning point in your first two years at Monmouth that got you on track to having a solid NCAA career?

When I got to Monmouth Coach Rice and I talked about where he saw me when I finished. He told me I can make a lot of money playing this game, I bought into his words and put the work in. It was just a matter of getting in better shape each year and my on court development. The coaching staff and players at Monmouth pushed me to get better every day, so I give them the credit for believing in me and he’ll my confidence on the court. Justin Robinson and I were roommates freshman year and always talked about becoming pros.

How did head coach King Rice groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career?

 I mentioned it above. But he just kept believing in my potential and made me work. I give credit to the coaching staff at Monmouth. They all helped my game in their own way and all pushed me to become a better player.

You played two seasons with Max DiLeo at Monmouth. What was your fondest memory of him on and off the court?

 His energy he brought to each game. I respect Max a lot as a player because he gives his all every time he steps on the court. Not sure I would call it the fondest but most memorable game was when we played at Canisius my freshman year and Max was pressuring Billy Baron the whole game. I guess Baron got frustrated with Max because he threw an elbow and broke Max’s front teeth. Max got the blood cleaned up and continued to play. A lot of guys would give up or switch but Max was right up on Baron the next play. I think that tells a lot about how Max is as a player.

In your junior season you celebrated big wins against top NCAA teams UCLA, USC and Georgetown. Do these wins belong to your fondest memories in the NCAA?

 Definitely, that whole season was a lot of fun. The Monmouth Bench blew up with all their bench celebrations and gave us more attention. Then people realized that we were a great team and it wasn’t luck.

When you remember playing against a guy like Tony Parker at UCLA who wasn´t drafted, but should land at a top team in Europe, what do you feel is still missing form your game to get to his level?

 I don’t think that you can compare our games because they we are different. I like to compare my game to myself. What can I do better, and how can I continue to grow. At the end of the day I’m my biggest competitor and worst enemy. No one I play against can affect my game as much as I can. A lot of players don’t see that and put a mental limit on themselves. I could have an almost perfect game and I still criticize myself. I’ll say to myself and others… I could’ve made this shot, I didn’t run back, I gave up this many points, etc.

Who won a one on one in practice you or Zac Tillman?

 I did, Zac can’t guard me one on one, I’m a whole different player one on one.

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

 Hard to say, I’ve played against a lot of great players over the years. I think Justin Jackson from UNC played great against us. It felt like he didn’t miss a shot. Jake Layman from Maryland’s game is great too. I thought he was hard to guard and very consistent.

If you had to construct your own NBA Rushmore which 4 heads would you chose?

 I got MJ, Shaq, Kobe and Bron

Lebron James failed to win his fourth NBA title and is still three away from Michael Jordan. Where does Lebron stand right now in your opinion in the never ending debate of who is the best of all-time?

MJ is still the best, 6 championship appearances, 6 championships. However I feel like Lebron has had better competition overall. Everyone is so skilled in the NBA nowadays that it raises the competition. Yes when MJ played there were great players but the game has changed to less physicality and more skill compared to when MJ played. MJ is the greatest to play, Lebron is the best all around player, Kobe is the best scorer.

There has been criticism of Russell Westbrook to be focusing more on rebounding to help inflate his stats and possibilities of getting triple doubles instead of focusing on his defensive assignments. Do you feel that this is a fair assessment to the player Russell Westbrook?

I think any player who hunts rebounds is beneficial to a team. There is no such thing as being selfish with rebounds. And if he did rebound to hell his stats, so what. He’s trying to do everything he can to help his team win while playing at a high caliber

How do you summarize the 2017 NBA Draft. What sleepers do you see playing a role in the NBA?

 I didn’t pay much attention to the draft because my boy Jrob didn’t get called. I think a lot of teams overlooked his ability as a player. It’ll be fun to watch what rookies show up consistently this upcoming season though.

Where will the journey of the Houston Rockets go this season with Chris Paul and James Harden in the back court. Do they have enough to make a serious run at the title or is something missing?

 I think they have a serious run in the playoffs but I can’t make a fair judgement until the season starts. It’ll be interesting to see how the teams in the West play, there are a lot of loaded teams.

What was the last movie that you saw?

 Last movie I watched was Wonder Woman. It was a good movie, can’t wait for the other DC movies to come out.

Thanks Chris for the chat.

In the last 10 years the most prolific and most talked about EWE Baskets Oldenburg player has been Rickey Paulding who has become a BBL icon and player that will be talked about the way guys like Wendel Alexis or Henning Harnisch have been remembered over the past 20 years in the BBL. Nothing else in EWE Baskets country has been able to outshine what the former Missouri standout has accomplished in his 11 year career and not even the Bobby Brown ego escapades have been able to put even a tiny dent in the attention that Paulding has gotten in the region. There have been many side notes and memories over the years and one is the abundance of Balkan big men that have landed with the team and given their valuable two cents to the success of the team over the years with the likes of Luka Bogdanovic Milan Majstorovic, Jasmin Perkovic, Marko Scekic, and Oliver Stevic. Rarely have the EWE Baskets Oldenburg hauled in big men from anywhere except the Balkan region, States or Germany until this season. This season they reeled in the Balkan sounding name with Rasid Mahalbasic with that Austrian flair. He is a 27 year old 210cm center that was born in Jesenice, Slovenia, but grew up in Austria starting his career with Worthersee Piraten (A Bundesliga). He has had a positive and gradual rise as a professional as he has played in nine different leagues and in eight countries with teams such as Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul (Turkey-TBL), CEZ Basketball Nymburk (Czech Republic-NBL), and BC Astana (Kazakhstan-D1) just to name a few winning titles with the last two. Last season he split time with Yesilgiresun Belediye (Turkey-BSL) playing 9 games averaging 11.2ppg, 5.9rpg, 1.2spg, 2FGP: 71.4%, 3FGP: 33.3%, FT: 78.3%, in Dec.’16 moved to Betis Energia Plus Sevilla (Spain-Liga Endesa) playing 22 games averaging 10.1ppg, Reb-4(6.6rpg), 1.8apg, FGP: 57.5%, FT: 71.2%. He has been a solid performer wherever he has played an averaged 9,1ppg and 6,8rpg in 10 Euroleague games with Asseco Prokom Gdynia (Poland-TB) in 2012-2013. Not only in club play has he been a menace, but also with the Austrian national team has belonged to their top players since years and in the last two qualifying tournaments put up great numbers at the Qualifications to European Championships 2017 averaging 16.0ppg, 7.5rpg, 3.3apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 51.7%, 3PT: 42.9%, FT: 67.6% and at the World Cup 2019 European Pre-Qualifiers averaging 17.0ppg, 6.5rpg, 3.3apg, FGP: 61.4%, 3PT: 50.0%, FT: 73.3%. A couple years ago, he described the mentality he has as an Austrian national player having so much responsibility on his shoulders. “I do feel a little pressure, but I know that at the end of the day that I will always get the support of the coaching staff and my teammates. I always give my best and do whatever it takes to help give my team a win. I know that if I score 20 points and we don´t win that I didn´t do my job”, stressed Rasid Mahalbasic. The big man now is on a team that is stocked with a lot of fire power with guys like Rickey Paulding and Byron Allen and other scoring threats and won´t have as much responsibility clinging to him. He will be able to play his dominating inside play that focuses on everything in the paint area. His massive experience will be a vital component for the success of the team. “My life showed me a lot places in the world, and I met a lot of people who helped me develop my personality and also the way I play, without the ups and downs in my career, I would not be the same player I am today”, warned Rasid Mahalbasic. Even if ex Oldenburg big man Brian Qvale had outstanding stats in his two years there, one can´t deny that Mahalbasic has been able to replace the American as he is currently averaging 16,1ppg, 5,9rpg, 3,7apg and shooting an amazing 77% from the field. He is more versatile than the American and has been one of the big steals in the BBL this season. Without a doubt, he belongs to the top Austrian players in the last decade together with fellow Austrian Thomas Schreiner and will make the list of ex Balkan big men a tad more forgotten this season while adding a new refreshing Austrian basketball spice to the EWE Baskets game.

Even if the EWE Baskets Oldenburg didn´t win any titles last season, it belonged to one of their most successful and most memorable in the Rickey Paulding era because of how their playoff run went even if it didn´t end with a happy end. The EWE Baskets Oldenburg had a solid season finishing in fifth place, but their season really began a new life in the playoffs. They didn´t play their best basketball near the end of the regular season having a 4 game losing streak and losing to lesser teams like Vechta and Wurzburg, but played their best basketball in the post season. Their Cinderella playoff series started by beating one of the big surprise teams medi Bayreuth of the regular season getting by them 3-1 and jumping all over the Bavarian team with a quick 2-0 lead in games as they displayed their lethal offense averaging 92 points. They closed out the series with a super Paulding game of 18 points and didn´t play their best defense in the series, but on account of being very consistent offensively beat Bayreuth at their own game. They went into the semi-finals as the big underdog against the other big surprise team of the season ratiopharm Ulm who had won the regular season title and nobody outside of Oldenburg was giving them very much of a chance to beat them in a five game series. The series went back and forth as Paulding and Chris Kramer led Oldenburg to the final. Paulding played his best playoff series as an Oldenburg player scoring 24, 28 and 27 points leaving ratiopharm Ulm shocked. Key in the series was having the better nerves and eking out two crunch-time wins. The EWE Baskets Oldenburg had more experience, class and heart which ruined an almost perfect season for ratiopharm Ulm. The EWE Baskets Oldenburg lost many key players, but will they be able to have another successful season like last year with the new additions? When a Paulding is around anything is possible something they learned in their special post season form last year.

Success is usually always helped when a club can keep a core of last years team added with the right mix of new players. The club would have loved to have held on to their stars Chris Kramer and Brian Qvale, but their budget just didn´t have the necessary resources to do that. The club was able to add eight new interesting and talented players while keeping four with Rickey Paulding, Maxime De Zeeuw, Franz Massenat and Philipp Schwethelm. Paulding is a 35 year old 196cm guard/forward that just keeps chugging along and is playing his 11^th season with Oldenburg and 14th overall after getting early experience in Israel and France. He may not have the quickness of 6-7 years ago, but there is nothing that is slowing down with his game, but moreover his game is aging as nicely as fine wine. Last season he had his best scoring season in the BBL averaging 16,1ppg,  2.7rpg, 2.4apg, FGP: 53.3%, 3PT: 42.9%, FT: 83.4%; In the BCL, he averaged 12.4ppg, 2.4rpg, 2.8apg, FGP: 50.9%, 3PT: 39.4%, FT: 77.8%. He is still a scoring option and a real team player, and when all is said and done, the ex Missouri(NCAA) stand out who won 2 titlles with Oldenburg will belong to the greatest Americans that ever played in the BBL. De Zeeuw is a 30 year old 206cm forward played a solid 2017 European championship with Belgium averaging 10.4ppg, 4.2rpg, FGP: 52.6%, 3PT: 40.0%, FT: 77.8%. The ex Czech champion with Nymburk who also played at the European championships in Slovenia in 2011 last season for Oldenburg averaged 9.2ppg, 4.1rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 56.7%, 3PT: 40.3%, FT: 82.1%; In the BCL, he averaged 9.3ppg, 5.0rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 52.6%, 3PT: 31.3%, FT: 78.1%. He is a strong inside player that can score in many ways around the rim and will be a nasty tandem with Mahalbasic in the paint area. Massenat is a 25 year old 193cm combo guard that is playing  his fourth professional season and fourth in Germany after playing his first two seasons with MBC: Last season the ex Drexel(NCAA) star who averaged 17,5ppg as a senior averaged 10.2ppg, 2.1rpg, 3.4apg, FGP: 42.9%, 3PT: 42.1%, FT: 79.2%; In the BCL, he averaged 8.9ppg, 2.4rpg, 3.4apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 44.1%, 3PT: 32.4%, FT: 71.8%. He loves to show his accuracy getting to the rim, but has proven over the years that he has a reliable three pointer and will be another valuable scoring commodity for Oldenburg this season. Schwethelm is a 28 year old 201cm guard/forward that has been around in the BBL for ages having played his first BBL game at age 16 with Cologne. He has had a solid BBL career playing with teams like Bremerhaven, FC Munich, and ratiopharm Ulm and going into his third season with Oldenburg. Last season he averaged  7.2ppg, 2.4rpg, FGP: 58.2%, 3PT: 43.6%, FT: 80.0%; BCL: 18 games: 7.2ppg, 2.9rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 51.4%, 3PT: 37.0%, FT: 75.0%. The 49 time German national player who played at the 2010 World Championships in Turkey is a very versatile player that will always bring valuable minutes. His three point shooting remains a big strength of his as well as his defense as he can defend many positions.

Besides Mahalbasic, the club brought in seven new talented players with Mickey Mcconnell, Bryon Allen, Isaiah Philmore, Christian Jones, Karsten Tadda, Brad Loesing and Marcel Kesson. Mcconnell wasn´t only the clubs best signing, but also belonged to one of the best in the BBL. Mcconnell is a 28 year old 182cm point guard from Mesa, Arizona who had a stellar career at St Mary´s winning the WCC tournament and MVP title in 2010. As a professional  he gathered valuable experience in Italy, D-League, France and Germany where he played with the Telekom Baskets Bonn in the 2014-2015 season. Last season he made the next jump to Rio Natura Monbus Obradoiro CAB (Spain-Liga Endesa) averaging 11.2ppg, 2.0rpg, Assists-1(6.4apg), FGP: 50.3%, 3PT: 30.1%, FT: 89.5%. He is a very versatile point guard that had a short stint with the Dallas Mavericks in training camp in 2013 and with snipers like Paulding and Allen around and Mahalbasic and De Zeeuw lucking in the paint will compete for the assist crown this season. Allen is a 25year old 193cm guard from Maryland going into his fourth professional season. The ex George Mason standout has been a pure scorer since his senior season in school and lit up arena´s in Poland, Kuwait, Italy and the Czech Republic the last years. Last season he won the double with CEZ Basketball Nymburk (Czech Republic-NBL) averaging 14.0ppg, 3.1rpg, 3.1apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 55.8%, 3PT: 39.7%, FT: 72.6%; In the BCL, he averaged 15.4ppg, 3.3rpg, 2.2apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 29.3%, FT: 76.1%. The explosive scorer who shows his unselfish side as well liking to find teammates that are in an even better position than him will finish in the top 10 in scoring and give fans many high lights this season. Philmore is a 28 year old 203cm forward with valuable NCAA experience with Townson and Xavier and in Germany having played with ratiopharm Ulm, Telekom Baskets Bonn and last season balled with the Walter Tigers Tuebingen averaging 9.9ppg, 3.8rpg, FGP: 53.3%, 3PT: 41.7%, FT: 79.8%The German who was born in the States has a physical game that will add depth to the Oldenburg inside game, but he also likes to step outside as he was able to improve his trey last season. Jones is a 24 year old 201cm forward from Arlington, Texas that hails from an athletic family as his dad played college ball at Tulsa. He is playing his rookie season after playing three seasons at St Johns and last year at UNLV (NCAA) playing 23 games averaging 10.2ppg, 6.5rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 45.4%, FT: 61.8%. He is a strong inside player that also has solid mid distance jumper. He will battle for minutes in a deep rotation. Tadda is a 28 year old 190 cm shooting guard that belonged to the great Bamberg teams of head coach Chris Fleming where he won 8 titles. Last season he played with Ratiopharm Ulm (BBL) playing 43 games: averaging 4.7ppg, 2.0rpg, 1.8apg; In the Eurocup, he played 14 games averaging 2.3ppg, 1.4rpg, 2.2apg. He will fit in great with Oldenburg supplying energy on both ends of the court as he is a strong defender being able to defend the position 1-3 and will drop his share of three´s. His vast experience with Bamberg and having played at three European championships will be an added spice to the growing team chemistry through out the season. Loesing is a 28 year old 182cm guard playing his fifth professional season after being a rookie with PVSK Pannonpower Pecs (Hungary-A Division). The ex Wofford(NCAA) star then came to Germany in 2014 needing a season of grooming in the Pro A with Gotha and then played the last two seasons with the  MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg (Germany-BBL) and last season played 38 games averaging 4.2ppg, 2.1apg; In the BCL he played 20 games averaging 3.9ppg, 1.1rpg, 1.6apg. The American also has the German passport that is an aggressive and quick guard that is also a good shooter. This energy rabbit will be an annoying player to deal with for opposing teams when he is inserted from the bench. Kesson is a 20 year old 207cm big man that brought 25 BBL games experience with Phoenix Hagen. Last season he played with the Baskets Akad.Weser-Ems/Oldenburger TB (ProB) playing 12 games averaging 11.3ppg, 4.9rpg, FGP: 47.7%, 3PT: 31.0%, FT: 70.6%, played also at TSG Westerstede (Regionalliga) playing 10 games:averaging 7.7ppg, 6.6rpg, FGP: 56.1%, 3PT: 28.6%, FT: 84.6%. He has a double license with Baskets Akad.Weser-Ems/Oldenburger TB (ProB) and will have to fight for BBL minutes.

So where will the BBL journey of the EWE Baskets Oldenburg go this season? You just have to follow this team a bit more closer simply with the presence of a Rickey Paulding who is always worth a visit no matter what even if a person is very sick or just broke up with their significant other. A big goal of the club is too improve their defense as they gave up 79 points per game last season as well as rebounding as they hauled down only 28 per game in the BBL. They also may surprise a lot of teams with their increased usage of transition basketball which they will scatter into their game more. Losing the minister of defense with Chris Kramer hurts as well as the versatile Brian Qvale, but if one inspects the two rosters carefully, the club may be a tad more talented this season than last season. If one adds up what new players Mcconnell and Mahalbasic bring to the table then they are very adequate replacements for Kramer and Qvale. Mcconnell is a totally different player to Kramer and will be an upgrade on the offensive end while Mahalbasic will bring the stats or even better than what Qvale brought. The bench is deeper and the club has more experience. Allen will be the key player this season in that if he can have a big season like he has had in the past years then the club will have that added scoring presence that they didn´t have last season. The EWE Baskets as usual will play in the shadows of the top 3 Bamberg, FC Bayern Munich and Alba Berlin, but are always good for a surprise in the playoffs. They might not have the special kind of run they had last season where they reached the final, but should reach the semi-finals if they don´t get infected by serious injuries. They will end the regular season somewhere between 4-7. But then again with Paulding on the court, everything is possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Demonte Harper is a 28 year old 193cm guard from Nashville Tennessee  that is playing his seventh professional season and first with Zenit Saint Petersburg (Russia-VTB). Last season he played with BC Kalev/Cramo Tallinn (Estonia-Alexela KML) playing 12 KM  games averaging 12.4ppg, 4.1rpg, 4.4apg, 1.7spg, 2FGP: 55.6%, 3FGP: 20.8%, FT: 90.6%; In the VTB United League, he played 17 games averaging 16.2ppg, 4.8rpg, Assists-5(5.7apg), 1.4spg, FGP: 43.2%, 3PT: 40.6%, FT: 65.0%, in Mar.’17 moved to Zenit Saint Petersburg (Russia-VTB) playing 8 games averaging 9.8ppg, 3.1rpg, 3.3apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 41.9%, FT: 30.0%. He has gained a lot of experience in his professional career having played in the D-league, Croatia, Belarus, Italy and Poland. He played at Morehead State from 2007-2011 winning the OVC title in 2009 and 2011 and has won two cups in Belarus and Estonia. He spoke to German Hoops after the big 95-93 Eurocup win in Ulm where he led his team with 23 points.

 

 

 

 

 

Demonte thanks for talking to German Hoops. Congrats on the big 95-93 win in Ulm. You have played Eurocup and Eurochallenge in the past. What experience have you had in Germany as a professional basketball player over the years?

 

 

I played against ratiopharm Ulm in the Eurochallenge when I was with Enel Basket Brindisi (Italy-Serie A).

 

 

 

What do you know in general about the country Germany and it´s basketball? Do you have any other friends playing in Germany besides Brandon Shingles?

 

 

 

I don´t know too much about Germany. My friend Brandon has told me a lot about how Americanized it is and now nice the people are.

 

 

What an exciting ending. Ratiopharm Ulm put in a scare scoring 5 unanswered points, but Marco Simonovic made a huge block on Ryan Thompson who led all scorers with 26 points. How did you experience the last seconds?

 

We had to depend on our defense. We didn´t want to give up a three and just wanted to keep our guy in front of us. We were very focused played on ball and didn´t foul. We got a big play at the end to get us the win.

 

 

This is your seventh professional season and sixth in Europe and you have played for 6 teams in six countries. You really have moved around. Do you sometimes feel like you’re a basketball globetrotter?

 

 

Not really. I like to explore and see other countries and cultures. I have been lucky to have been able to see many different places in my career.

 

 

 

 

Your playing for Zenit Saint Petersburg (Russia-VTB). You have won 2 professional titles with cups in Belarus and Estonia. Does the hunger for winning titles grow as your grow older each year?

 

 

That is the main goal for any player. You want to win as much as possible in your career. You play for money, but really you want to be remembered as being a winner. It is the greatest feeling in the world winning a title.

 

 

 

This is your third time playing in the VTB League. Last season you put up great numbers with  BC Kalev/Cramo Tallinn (Estonia-Alexela KML). Do you feel some added pressure going into this season´s VTB competition or more a challenge as you are a known player in the VTB league?

 

 

I think that it is more of a challenge for me. We want to compete for the VTB league title and I want to do my part and play the best that I can so we will be successful.

 

 

Zenit started off well in the VTB league competition and has a very talented roster with many Americans an Argentine and some Russians. What are the goals of the team and what will the club be able to accomplish?

 

We are confident that we can win a title. We do have a new team that is still learning each other, but we know that we are talented. We know that we can compete with the best teams in the VTB and we are still getting better. Plus with the new format in VTB with the final 4 anything can happen. It is only one game. This is a plus for every team. If you play your best one night, then you could be in the final.

 

 

 

How challenging has it been playing on a day to day basis with sniper Kyle Kuric? What do you feel have you gained from his game in the early going and what do you still want to soak up as the season progresses?

 

I am a veteran and already understand a lot. We play different positions. He is a sniper. I can also shoot, but moreover can do a little of everything. Our games are totally different, but Kyle is a very good player.

 

 

Let´s talk about your game. You’re a guard that can score and fill up the stat sheet. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would you chose?

 

 

I would compare my game to Russell Westbrook. I also fill the stat sheet like him. I try to add many things to the game and not only one thing. I use all my attributes that I have to do everything on the court.

 

 

 

 

Your also a guy that can fill up the stat sheet, but what do you feel is a hidden strength in your game that doesn´t get noticed right away on the court?

 

 

I don´t really think that I have a hidden strength. I feel that I ca do everything. If I am not scoring than I am playing defense. I feel like I am a guy that gives his team that thing that it needs most at that moment.

 

 

Last season for  BC Kalev/Cramo Tallinn (Estonia-Alexela KML) and in the VTB league averaged 16.2ppg, 4.8rpg, Assists-5(5.7apg), 1.4spg, FGP: 43.2%, 3PT: 40.6%, FT: 65.0%. Do you feel this was your best season as a professional and possibly break out season as a professional?

 

 

I feel that it was one of my best seasons as a professional. I was able to learn to be a leader while being the main guy. I learned what it took to be a main player on a team.

 

 

 

You have played against top European team CSKA Moscow three times and lost each one. Last season you lost  87-68, but led all scorers with 18 points. Do you feel that a game like that might have put you on the radar of Euroleague teams?

 

 

Not really. If I do that now maybe yes. On a smaller team 18 points isn’t enough for me to get noticed

 

What kind of experience was it playing against top point guard Milos Teodosic currently injured with the Los Angeles Clippers. Is there anything else besides his court vision and amazing passing that really stands out for you?

 

That is his game. He can score and is a really good passer. He does that night in and night out. I think that he can be a good NBA player, because he knows how to run a team.

 

 

 

 

Two seasons ago you played with diminutive point game Jerel Blassingame with Energa Czarni Slupsk (Poland-TBL) playing 34 games averaging 12.8ppg, 4.2rpg, 3.3apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 46.6%, 3PT: 35.8%, FT: 69.6%. Did some of his leadership qualities rub off on you?

 

 

Yes it did. I took a lot from his game to Estonia where I had to play point guard. Jerel has been around for a long time and has played Euroleague. I picked his brain a lot then and still do to this day. I will call him up and still ask for advice. His leadership and how he knows how to run a team helped me the most. He always knew how to run a team, make the right plays and get all involved.

 

 

 

 

In the 2014-2015 season you played for Enel Basket Brindisi (Italy-Serie A) playing 32 games averaging 4.8ppg, 2.5rpg; In the EuroChallenge, you played 14 games averaging 7.1ppg, 2.8rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 44.6%, 3PT: 39.4%, FT: 66.7%. The team was stacked with many very talented players like Marcus Denmon. You didn´t play much in the Serie A. How tough was this season and what did you gain most form the season that made you stronger?

 

 

I didn´t play much that season. I learned that season that I had to play my best in the little minutes I got.

 

 

In the 2013-2014 season you played with Tsmoki-Minsk (Belarus-Premier League, starting five) playing 17 VTB United League games averaging 10.1ppg, 4.2rpg, 3.1apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 42.1%, 3PT: 34.6%, FT: 63.6%; In the Belarusian Premier League you played 13 games averaging 12.8ppg, 4.3rpg, 3.8apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 51.4%, 3PT: 43.1%, FT: 69.2%. In the EuroChallenge you played 14 games averaging 11.2ppg, 5.9rpg, 1.9apg, Steals-5(1.8spg), FGP: 50.5%, 3PT: 35.1%, FT: 64.3%. This was your most complete season as you put up super stats in three different competitions. How proud were you coming from the D-League that you were able to make an impact the way you did?

 

 

I was satisfied and happy. Coming from the D-League to Europe I needed to prove myself overseas and play well and be successful. I was able to develop, get better and stick around.

 

 

In your second professional season you started the season with Portland and then played with the Erie Bay Hawks (D-League) playing 50 games averaging 9.0ppg, 2.5rpg, 2.1apg, FGP: 39.9%, 3PT: 36.1%, FT: 68.0%. What kind of experience was that for you and were you convinced after one season that the NBA would not be a reality for you?

 

 

The D-League was a good experience. I learned more about the NBA style. I just tried to soak up as much as possible in that season and grow as much as possible. We had many talented guys and from that team only one went to the NBA with Henry Sims. We had 9-10 very talented players from division one. There really wasn´t too much difference in the talent level of all the players. It´s all about timing between getting to the NBA and not.

 

 

As a rookie you played with  KK Cibona VIP Zagreb (Croatia-A1) playing 21 Adriatic League games averaging 5.0ppg, 2.1rpg, 1.1apg, What was your wake up call to being a rookie in Europe where you knew that you were very far away from home in Tennessee?

 

 

 

I didn´t really have a wake up call as a rookie in Croatia. I left home to go to school at age 18 so I was never home. I was used to not being at home. When I went overseas it was my job. I had to lock in and focus on my job. I couldn´t worry about missing home or wanting to go home. I was at school for 10 months and at home for two months during the year. It´s the same as a professional.

 

 

You had an illustrious career at Morehead State from 2007-2011 winning the OVC tournament in 2009 and 2011. Which title was the sweetest?

 

Winning it my senior year was the sweetest. I made the winning shot against Louisville. Peyton Siva and my teammate Kyle Kuric were on the Louisville team. I have reminded Kyle about that win, but not too often.

 

 

 

 

You played 4 years with future NBA player Kenneth Faried. If somebody had told you he would reach the NBA and stay in your freshman year what would you have thought?

 

In my freshman year I honestly would never have guessed it, but after my second year I knew he would go to the NBA. He just developed so fast and always got better. He is a great guy and one of my best friends. We always hang out during the summers.

 

 

 

You were teammates with Brandon Shingles and he was second in the nation behind John Wall in assists before he got injured. He has had a solid career in Europe and currently is playing in the German Regionalliga for Limburg. If you see a guy of his talent and see where he is today, does it amaze you that he isn´t playing near the highest level somewhere? There seem to just be too little jobs for so many talented players in the world.

 

 

I believe that Brandon could play at a higher level. It is tough when you are playing at a lower level. It makes it so much harder to make a consistent jump. With him it´s all about timing having the right moment, and a coach seeing your talent. He has just been in an unfortunate situation. Maybe it can still turn around for him. I hope it would.

 

 

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

 

The toughest player I played against in the NCAA isn´t in the NBA now. He is Lester Hudson and is making a lot of money in China. He played in the NBA before, but is happy in China now and has his own show there. He was a really good shooter and could do it all. He was very tough to guard. When you thought that you played good defense against him, he made a really tough shot against you. He had the ability to consistently make tough shots and had NBA talent at the NCAA level.

 

 

 

 

 

If you had to construct your own NBA Rushmore which 4 heads would you chose?

 

 

Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Larry Bird, Lebron James

 

 

 

 

Lebron James failed to win his fourth NBA title and is still three away from Michael Jordan. Where does Lebron stand right now in your opinion in the never ending debate of who is the best of all-time?

 

 

Jordan is the greatest of all-time. Lebron is more of a unique player. We have never seen a player like him before. Lebron is great at everything whereas Jordan was a great scorer.

 

 

There has been criticism of Russell Westbrook to be focusing more on rebounding to help inflate his stats and possibilities of getting triple doubles instead of focusing on his defensive assignments. Do you feel that this is a fair assessment to the player Russell Westbrook?

 

 

I don´t think he was stacking his stats. He did it consistently over the whole season. Anybody else would have continued to go for triple doubles and go for the record.

 

 

 

 

How do you summarize the 2017 NBA Draft. What sleepers do you see playing a role in the NBA?

 

 

DeaAron Fox is a sleeper. I really like his game.

 

 

 

Where will the journey of the Houston Rockets go this season with Chris Paul and James Harden in the back court. Do they have enough to make a serious run at the title or is something missing?

 

 

 

I think that if they stay healthy that they could make a serious run. They have a good roster and with the addition of Chris Paul a guy with a lot of experience. A guy like James Harden can still learn things from him.

 

 

How do you rate the Kyrie Irving-Isaiah Thomas trade? Who got the better deal and which team will profit better in the long run?

 

 

 

I think that Boston got the better deal. Kyrie is younger than Thomas. Thomas is a good player, but Irving has achieved a lot at his age being an important piece to a Cavs championship. Boston could be a problem in the east in the future.

 

 

Where will the journey of the Oklahoma Thunder go this season with Westbrook, George and Anthony? Can they make a serious run in the west?

 

 

 

 

They have a lot of potential and could also make a serious run. The Warriors have played together for a while now, but the west overall is getting tougher. If the Thunder stay healthy and click the right time then they also will be a problem in the west.

 

What was the last movie that you saw?

 

 

I have been watching a lot of TV shows. The last one I watched was Penn & Teller. I like magic and like to see how they do it.

 

Thanks Demonte for the chat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were times the last two seasons where the BCM gym in Frankfurt seemed like an unstoppable shooting gallery as there was a sniper on the premises, but the 185cm Alaska native guard wasn´t giving a clinic with bullets, but with a basketball. Travis Thompson gave the the word sniper a new meaning during his stay with the Fraport Skyliners Juniors leading the Pro B team into the playoffs both seasons and reaching the Pro B final in 2016. In his first season he averaged 16.8ppg, 2.9rpg, 1.8apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 48.2%, 3PT: 43.6%, FT: 88.6% and in his second season the ex Alaska-Anchorage. (NCAA2) standout who hit at least one trey in 41 games in a row and finished as second all-time in three pointers passing German legend Hansi Gnad on his last shot improved his stats last season in all facets averaging 19.2ppg, 4.2rpg, 3.1apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 58.9%, 3PT-2(43.1%), FT: 90.0%. He also gave the name scoring consistency a new meaning as he came to play every night and scored in double figures in 39 of 42 Pro B games with Frankfurt. Who could forget his massive 36 point explosion against Lich where he dropped 10 trey´s or other huge scoring games like his 33 point effort against Leipzig or 32 points against the Dragons Rhondorf. Two seasons ago, he had a fine 4 game series against his future team as he scored 19 points twice, 20 points and 17 points in the regular season and playoffs. Already then one had an inkling that the American who has never disliked a rim anywhere might be heading east the next season as then head coach Steven Clauss had a long chat with him after the last playoff game in Frankfurt. Instead the American remained in Frankfurt for another season, but this season has become one of the Titans leaders on the club despite not having totally exploded as he is averaging a solid, but not impressive 13,8ppg, 5,0rpg and 1,4apg, but his outside shooting as always has been spot on as he is shooting 42,4% coming into the game against in Frankfurt. Thompson arrived back to an old stomping ground with the 3-3 Dresden Titans as they faced the 3-3 Fraport Skyliners Juniors, but was unable to leave the gym with a big smile as his team lost 79-68 scoring only 11 points. After the game the Alaska native reminisced about his two years in Frankfurt and explained why Dresden couldn´t pull out the victory. “It was nice to be back and see familiar faces. Last season I spent a lot of time with Isaac Bonga and Garai Zeeb and now we were opponents. I think I only scored less than 11 points once in the BCM. It is different this season with more talent and we have many good shooters. My best memories in this gym was the 36 point game against Lich and beating Ehingen in the final. We started the game well, but then got in a slump missing easy baskets and Frankfurt was able to get transition baskets. Frankfurt shot the ball very well in the second half especially Richard Freudenberg”, stressed Dresden Titan Travis Thompson. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors  had a terrible start, but put it all together in the second half and had too much fire power for Dresden. “We came out very slow. We knew we had so much more talent and we forgot how to use it. Once we got in a flow and upped our intensity, we started to pull away. We did a better job defending and played with pride”, stressed Fraport Skyliner Junior Alex Fountain.

After dressing only 8 players in Rhondorf four days ago, the Fraport Skyliners Juniors met Dresden and had a deep 12 man rotation and had BBL license players Isaac Bonga, Richard Freudenberg and Garai Zeeb back on board as was Tobias Jahn who had missed the last game. In the first few minutes, there were two teams on the floor, but seemingly only Dresden totally mentally focused as the Fraport Skyliners Juniors seemed to be very far away and not in the BCM. The Dresden Titans sped out to a 12-0 lead before Frankfurt head coach Sebastian Gleim could even flinch Dresden got going quickly and got massive support from ex BBL player Helge Baues who played 12 games with Bremerhaven scored twice inside as his quickness was difficult to contain, ex Nordlingen sniper Janek Schmidkunz and Travis Thompson nailed three´s However even after the timeout, Dresden continued to do how they pleased on the offensive end extending their lead to 18-3 as they continued to pour in the trey´s as ex Speyer forward Sebastian Heck connected as did Thompson again. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were able to get a Cosmo Gruehn three and were aggressive getting to the free throw line but Jahn and Jules Akodo could only make one shot and trailed 20-8 after 10 minutes. “Frankfurt´s offense wasn´t working and looked timid while their defense lacked aggressiveness. The Hecker and Gruehn three´s got them back in the game as they finally calmed down”, stressed Fraport Skyliner Quantez Robertson. The Dresden Titans were shooting 50% from the field and 8ß% from outside while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors were shooting 13% from the field and 27% from outside. Dresden were ruling the boards 14-8 and had one turnover while Frankfurt had three turnovers.

In the second quarter, the Fraport Skyliners Juniors continued to up their game as their flow was slowly starting and erased the bad start shocking the Dresden Titans with a 13-1 run to deadlock the game at 21-21. In the run, the Fraport Skyliners Juniors demonstrated their vast offensive arsenal with inside out play as Zeeb drained a trey and Richard Freudenberg continued to be consistent nailing a trey and using his quick first step from the baseline to get by his man and score aggressively in the paint. Four year man Armin Trtovac grabbed an offensive rebound and made a put back while also hitting free throws. Isaac Bonga tied the score with a beautiful left handed lay in that looked so easy like if he was on a Sunday stroll. The game remained even and Frankfurt would have to wait until shortly before halftime before being rewarded with their first lead of the game. Dresden got baskets from ex Giessen guard Steven Bennett, Thompson and Baues to hold the lead, while Frankfurt got buckets from Zeeb, Jahn and Bonga to trail only 29-27. Frankfurt then allowed a big defensive play to spark their offense which led to their first lead of the game. Sometimes basketball can be so easy when the ball falls into your hands as if GOD had thrown it down from the sky. Ex Kronberg guard Flex Hecker had his back to the play was sprinting to the wing to cover his man as the pass hit the back of his head and as he turned around the ball fell into his hands which led the team on the fast break and Freudenberg closed the break with a trey as Frankfurt led 30-29. “I haven´t had a steal like that before. That was an impressive steal. He didn´t know where the ball was and it just landed in his hands”, smiled Quantez Robertson. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors however didn´t go into halftime with the lead as after Baues and Zeeb traded buckets, it was the German big man Baues who has played 89 Pro A games with teams Cuxhaven, Hamburg and Dresden hitting a three giving the guests the slim 33-32 advantage at the break. “Frankfurt got settled in the second quarter starting to move the ball better, rebound better and defend better. Richard Freudenberg also continued to make shots”, added Quantez Robertson. The Dresden Titans were shooting 39% from the field and 56% from the three point line while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors were shooting 41% from the field and 50% from the three point line. Frankfurt was leading the rebound battle 20-28, but had 10 turnovers while Dresden had nine turnovers.

In the third quarter the game remained tight until the last three minutes where the Fraport Skyliners Juniors went on a run to get their first real commanding lead of the contest. The game went back and forth in the first seven minutes as there were seven lead changes. Frankfurt got vital production from their guards Zeeb and Akodo as well as a 20 footer from Fountain while Dresden got a trey from Thompson as well as production inside from their big men Baues and Spaniard Mailk Fall as Dresden led 41-40. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors then found some daylight and continued to execute better while getting consistent stops going on a 12-2 run to take the commanding 52-43 lead. In the run, it was Jules Akodo who scored a lay in and made free throws while their two big snipers Freudenberg and Fountain connected on three´s. Dresden had a bad let down on offense taking tough shots and missed crucial free throws. Janek Schmidkunz closed out the third quarter with a trey as Dresden trailed only 52-46. “We focused more on defense and our energy in the third quarter. In the first half we relied too much on talent and not on effort. We started to gel more in the third getting a flow and playing more confident”, added Alex Fountain. “Frankfurt moved the ball well and had tough closeouts and a Fountain was rewarded standing on the three point line”, stressed Travis Thompson. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were shooting 39% from the field and 40% from the parking lot while the Dresden Titans were shooting 38% from the field and 44% from the parking lot. Frankfurt had the 34-26 rebound edge, but 13 turnovers while Dresden had only 12 turnovers.

In the fourth quarter, the Fraport Skyliners Juniors kept the lead, but continued to be challenged by the Dresden Titans as they could never totally shake off their opponent. Dresden came out with a lot of energy going on a timely 5-0 run to cut the Frankfurt lead to 52-51 as German Marc Nagora who was teammates with Dennis Schroder in Braunschweig and played 40 Pro B games with that club hit a three and Heck made free throws. Frankfurt got buckets from Jahn with an offensive rebound and put back and Freudenberg hit a trey, but had to work hard for everything as Dresden didn´t let down getting a Nagora offensive rebound and put back and Heck lay in to cut the Frankfurt lead to 57-55. Key for Frankfurt was that they had no let downs on the offensive end in that whenever Dresden scored they had an answer. Fountain once again proved why you can´t leave him alone nailing a wide open three as Frankfurt led 60-55. Armin Trtovac scored free throws and made a lay in while Dresden countered with another Baues lay in and Steven Bennett lay up cutting the Frankfurt lead to 64-59. After a Schmidkunz trey cut the Frankfurt lead 64-62, Frankfurt stepped up their play in crunch-time going on a 8-1 run to extend their lead to 72-63 setting a first signal to Dresden that they were wanting to shut the door on them now. In the run, Frankfurt did a good job catching Dresden napping getting a transition bucket from Akodo, lay in from Fountain and fifth trey from Freudenberg. “Freudenberg is so important for us. He is so versatile being able to play many positions and has a high IQ. His length helps us so much on both ends of the court and he can always change the game”, added Alex Fountain. The Dresden Titans had one last hurrah ready going on a desperate 5-0 run to cut the Frankfurt lead to 72-68 with 1.16 to play in the game. Schmidkunz and Baues scored. However Frankfurt slammed the door shut on Dresden as once again they left Fountain wide open and he punished them with a another trey for the 75-68 lead .Zeeb made free throws and Fountain closed out the game with a hard two handed dunk. “I think our talent and size advantage was key at the end. We had a lot of confidence and knew we could score at will at any time”, stressed Alex Fountain. “They hit big shots and played tough defense forcing us to tough shots”, added Travis Thompson. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were led by Richard Freudenberg with 17 points. Alex Fountain added 16 points and Garai Zeeb had 12 points. The Dresden Titans were led by Helge Baues with 22 points. Janek Schmidkunz added 12 points and Travis Thompson had 11 points. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 42% from the field and 43% from outside. The Dresden Titans shot 38% from the field and 45% from outside. Frankfurt controlled the battle on the boards 46-36, but had 15 turnovers while Dresden coughed up the ball 13 times.

Clevin Hannah is a 27 year old 179cm guard from Holly Springs playing his eighth professional season and third in Spain with Universidad Catolica de Murcia CB(ACB). Last season he split time with Demir Insaat Buyukcekmece Basket (Turkey-BSL) playing 5 FIBA Europe Cup games averaging 10.2ppg, 1.8rpg, 3.7apg, 2FGP: 68.8%, 3FGP: 48.1%; and in the Turkish BSL played 8 games averaging 9.5ppg, 1.9rpg, 4.0apg, 1.0spg, 2FGP: 45.8%, 3FGP: 36.1%, FT: 83.3%, in Dec.’16 moved to Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius (Lithuania-LKL) playing 26 games averaging 8.0ppg, 1.1rpg, 3.7apg, FGP: 54.1%, 3PT: 39.3%, FT: 81.6%; In the Eurocup, he played 6 games averaging 6.2ppg, 1.7rpg, 3.0apg, FGP: 56.5%, 3PT: 15.4%. He started his basketball career at Paris JC (NJCAA) and Chipola JC (NJCAA). He then played his last two college years at Wichita St. (NCAA) and as a senior played 32 games averaging 12.0ppg, 2.8rpg, 4.7apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 45.1%, 3PT: 42.5%, FT: 90.4%. He started his professional basketball career in 2010 with BC Perla Harghitei Miercurea Ciuc (Romania-Div.A) playing 23 games: Score-2(21.2ppg), 3.1rpg, Assists-3(6.2apg), 1.5spg, FGP: 57.5%, 3PT-3(47.6%), FT: 86.3%. In the 2011-2012 season he played with Karhu Kauhajoki (Finland-Korisliiga) playing 44 games averaging 18.3ppg, 3.4rpg, Assists-4(4.5apg), 1.4spg, FGP: 56.9%, 3PT-1(46.8%), FT: 89.0%. KIN the 2012-2013 season he played for ALM Evreux Basket (France-ProB) playing 39 games averaging 16.8ppg, 2.9rpg, 5.3apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 55.7%, 3PT: 47.2%, FT: 88.5%. In the 2013-2014 season he played for Sluc Nancy Basket Pro (France-ProA) playing 38 games averaging 10.3ppg, 2.3rpg, 4.3apg, FGP: 47.8%, 3PT: 39.4%, FT: 82.5%. In the 2014-2015 season he played for FIATC Joventut Badalona (Spain-Liga Endesa) playing 35 games averaging 10.2ppg, 1.3rpg, 2.4apg, FGP: 47.9%, 3PT: 38.5%, FT: 85.7%. In the 2015-2016 season he played for Dominion Bilbao Basket (ACB) playing 33 games averaging 12.3ppg, 2.1rpg, 3.5apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 51.3%, 3PT: 41.4%, FT: 85.2%; In the Eurocup, he played 16 games averaging 12.4ppg, 1.9rpg, 3.6apg, FGP: 58.7%, 3PT: 42.7%, FT: 90.6%. He spoke to German Hoops before the Basketball Champions League game against the EWE Baskets Oldenburg in Oldenburg.

 

 

 

 

Thanks Clevin for talking to German Hoops. Welcome back to Germany. How does it feel to be back in an old stomping ground?

 

 

 

It feels good to be back. I really like Germany and playing here. I like the fans and how they support their teams. I am used to the atmosphere now having played here so many times.

 

 

 

 

You were in Germany 4 times two seasons ago with Bilbao and had a 7-1 record against German teams Bonn, Oldenburg, Ulm and Munich. Could one say that you self confidence today is sky high?

 

 

Somewhat. I like the style of play in Germany. I think that it fits my style. I just go with the flow and how teams play.

 

 

You play many games, but you must remember the 34 point win somewhat in Oldenburg. You scored 15 points and little seemed to go wrong for Bilbao?

 

 

I remember that game very well. We were on fire and were hitting shot after shot early. That helped us get a good rhythm and carry it to the end.

 

 

 

The EWE Baskets Oldenburg are a changed team from then having reached the final in 2017 and are playing another good season. What kind of game can we await and what will be key to getting the win?

 

They have changed but continue to be a very good team. They play very aggressive defense. Key will be that we have match their energy and toughness on defense

 

After playing your six professional seasons for one team each season, last season you played with  Demir Insaat Buyukcekmece Basket (Turkey-BSL) and top team Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius (Lithuania-LKL). You did reach the Lithuanian semi-finals, but overall was it more a season to forget?

 

Last season was probably my most down year. I changed teams and my stats were down. I am happy that I got that behind me. I am happy being with my new team and having new goals.

 

 

Your obviously a season veteran, but how vital was it being able to play with fellow veterans David Logan, Drew Gordan and Corey Fischer? Did they make everything a bit easier coming from Turkey?

 

It was very interesting and exciting playing with those guys. They are all very good players and good people. I definitely got a lot out of the experience having them as teammates.

 

 

 

Let´s talk about your new team Murcia. This is their seventh season in the ACB since moving up form Leb Gold and they reached the playoffs just once. How much potential does this team have this season of getting their again?

 

Even though it will be tough, I think we have a good chance of reaching the playoffs. Key for our success this season will be focusing on the small things. We have to focus on finishing games strong. It is the small things in crunch-time like getting an offensive rebound or blocking out that we need to do a better job of.

 

 

Murcia is filled with many different nationalities. How enriching has it been coming together with many new players on the court and from so many different cultures?

 

It is fun and very exciting being around so many personalities. We have guys from Brasil, Spain, Argentina and from the Dutch national team. I think that we have been meshing very well. We enjoy each others company on and off the court very much.

 

One could say you are playing with a future ACB basketball legend Brad Oleson. What has impressed you most about his game since you became teammates?

 

 

 

His leadership on both the offensive and defensive ends has impressed me most. He is a great teammate and I try to learn as much as possible. I continue to pick his brain on how to become a better player on the court.

 

 

You told me in our last interview that you are a player that continuously has to prove himself again night in and night out. How has this mentality made you stronger as a player?

 

 

My need to continue to prove myself continues to be my fuel and how I go. Every team tries to use my size as a fall back. I know that I have to continue to go harder and be smarter than the bigger guards.

 

 

You have been a very consistent shooter your whole career and last season very well in Turkey and Lithuania. However this season you have started off slowly. What approach do you take when shots aren´t falling?

 

I have been a good shooter my whole career, but am down this season. For me it is important just to keep getting shots up before and after practice and in games continue to shoot the ball and not think about it.

 

 

 

In our last interview you stated “Shooting is like playing the lottery. You can´t control hitting or missing a shot, but taking the best shot possible”. How much has your shot selection improved over the years due to reading the opponents defense better?

 

 

I pick and choose the shots that I take. When your younger you can take reckless shots but as you get older you have to take good shots.

 

 

Your turning 30 in November. Do you feel that you are in your prime now and what do you still want to achieve with your play on the court?

 

 

 

My main goal remains winning that first Professional title.

 

 

We spoke about your ex teammate Toure Murray two seasons ago as he was on the jump to the Washington Wizards. Now he is on ratiopharm Ulm and not playing a significant role there. Are you surprised how his career has progressed away from the NBA?

 

 

I´m not surprised. Nowadays in this business you never know where you might end up. I am just happy that he can continue to play the game that he loves. I feel that he can be a good player in Europe as soon as he gets used to the style here and figures out his game

 

 

 

If you had to construct your own NBA Rushmore which 4 heads would you chose?

 

 

Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant

 

 

 

 

Lebron James failed to win his fourth NBA title and is still three away from Michael Jordan. Where does Lebron stand right now in your opinion in the never ending debate of who is the best of all-time?

 

 

 

Lebron is the second best of all-time behind Michael Jordan. Lebron has the chance and ability to surpass Jordan when all is said and done.

 

 

There has been criticism of Russell Westbrook to be focusing more on rebounding to help inflate his stats and possibilities of getting triple doubles instead of focusing on his defensive assignments. Do you feel that this is a fair assessment to the player Russell Westbrook?

 

 

 

I think he is a good defender. He plays hard every possession. He has so much passion for the game and his focus is just to do as much for his team as possible so they are successful

 

 

 

How do you summarize the 2017 NBA Draft. What sleepers do you see playing a role in the NBA?

 

 

I didn´t see the NBA Draft as I was with the Senegal national team.

 

 

Where will the journey of the Houston Rockets go this season with Chris Paul and James Harden in the back court. Do they have enough to make a serious run at the title or is something missing?

 

 

The west is very tough. I think that they could reach the final with the Thunder or Spurs playing against the Warriors.

 

 

 

How do you rate the Kyrie Irving-Isaiah Thomas trade? Who got the better deal and which team will profit better in the long run?

 

I think Boston got the better of the deal. Kyrie is just an amazing player. Isaiah Thomas got hurt and who knows how he will come back. Cavs got good other players in the deal. We will just have to wait and see.

 

 

 

 

Where will the journey of the Oklahoma Thunder go this season with Westbrook, George and Anthony? Can they make a serious run in the west?

 

 

 

I think that they can compete with all in the west. It will come down to how well the three stars play together and how the chemistry is.

 

 

 

What was the last movie that you saw?

 

 

Narcos documentary.

 

Thanks Clevin for the chat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For six years a normal Tuesday night for Ruben Spoden usually composed of practicing with his BBL teams Walter Tigers Tuebingen where he played from 2010-2013 playing 56 games and 88 games with S.Oliver Wurzburg from 2013-2016 battling against big men like Kenny Wiliams, Anatoly Kashirov,or  Kenny Frease on a daily basis,  but on this Tuesday night, the 28 year old 202cm forward who grew up near Frankfurt playing with the  MTV Kronberg Youth and Eintracht Frankfurt (Regionalliga) and watching German basketball legend Pascal Roller bring the Frankfurt Skyliners their first BBL league title in 2004 was very far away from any real BBL atmosphere. Instead the German who last season played with the Hebeisen White Wings Hanau (ProA) averaging 4.5ppg, 2.8rpg was in a small school gym in Limburg battling against young German kids for his new team TV Langen in the Regionaliga. He had suffered a severe injury last season and had decided to take a step back from the rigors of the BBL and put his family and medical studies in the forefront. This season the German has helped lead TV Langen to a solid 4-1 record and helped the team win their fourth game in a row against Kaiserslautern 70-51 as he steered eight points, 11 boards and four assists to the victory. On Halloween night Spoeden and TV Langen faced the weak 1-4 Limburg side who have a very thin roster and are carried by American ex Pro B player Brandon Shingles and Lithuanian Julius Zurna. EVL Limburg could have used some extra witches and demons on this cool Halloween night to scare the TV Langen team, but a Ruben Spoden doesn´t get terrified quickly especially on the court. TV Langen controlled the game for a good 36 minutes in Limburg and survived a late fourth quarter Limburg run going home with a well deserved 87-81 victory. After the game a relaxed and satisfied Ruben Spoden reflected on the game and his new basketball adventure in the Regionaliga. “We had a good night where we got going early. Their zone brought us out of rhythm, but we were still able to control the game. Zurna and Stallbohm hit us hard with their shooting and we couldn´t find good solutions on defense, but in the end we came out with the win. I played in the Regionaliga early in my career with Eintracht Frankfurt so I had an idea what the gyms would be like. I could come out and try to score 30 points every night, but I have nothing to prove and nobody would profit from it. I just try to help the young guys with my experience and be a reliable player in tough times during a game”, stressed ex Tuebingen forward Ruben Spoden. After the game Top Limburg import American Brandon Shingles had it written all over his face as every one else in the gym knew that Limburg had let the game slip away at the end. “We had the odds against us and played catch up the whole game. They did a good job doubling our best players and not the other players at the end. Kudus to them”, added ex Leipzig point guard Brandon Shingles.

TV Langen jumped all over EVL Limburg taking the 7-2 lead as they got production from ex BBL player Rueben Spoden making a lay in and free throws and 23 year old German Leander Sielaff made a hard two handed dunk in transition. However EVL Limburg slowly got a rhythm on offense as high energy 31 year old Lithuanian Julius Zurna who has had Regionalliga experience with Schwenningen, Aschersleben and Bernau used his aggressive drive getting some buckets while Brandon Shingles nailed his first field goal with a trey giving EVL Limburg the 13-12 advantage. Both teams would trade run after run in the game and it started in the first quarter as Maxim Schneider who played 94 Pro B games with TV Langen drilled home a trey and rookie Nick Smith who learned his shooting at Belmont(NCAA) connected from the corner extending the TV Langen lead to 22-17. The runs continued to go back and forth like the Larry Bird-Dominique Wilkins playoff battle in 1988 as EVL Limburg closed out the first quarter with a 8-2 run. They got big production from their big men  Waldemar Gomer and 29 year old Finish Aron Thorell-Walker who last played at Trelleborg Basket Pirates (Superettan) scoring inside. After 10 minutes EVL Limburg had the slim 25-23 lead.

In the second quarter Nick Smith really got going scoring three buckets inside as he kept his three pointer on the back burner. Timothy Chabot who has been with TV Langen since his youth nailed a trey giving TV Langen the 33-30 lead. TV Langen had stepped up their defense and EVL Limburg were struggling with Shingles who was on the bench for a few minutes. TV Langen continued to be the more aggressive team going on a 10-3 run to take the commanding 43-32 lead. TV Langen had a deeper bench and got production form many players. Up now was 21 year old 180cm guard Tyrone Mclaughlin who played with Eintracht Frankfurt some years ago got active on both ends of the court making a steal and going coast to coast for the lay in and dropped a trey.  EX Fraport Skyliner Junior Lukas Beuschlein also got active on the defensive end making two steals and finishing on transition for easy baskets. TV Langen took advantage of the sloppy EVL Limburg game and let their defense take their game to another dimension as they got easy buckets on transition which in turn sparked their offense. Five year man Norman Klima scored in the paint and Shingles made a free throw cutting the TV Langen lead to 43-36 at half-time.

In the third quarter TV Langen continued to control the game leading in double figures, but were never totally able to run away with the game as they allowed EVL Limburg to hang around. Julius Zurna started off the third quarter showing his precise shooting nailing a trey from the corner cutting the TV Langen lead to 43-39. However TV Langen jumped all over EVL Limburg again going on a 9-2 run to extend their lead to 52-41. In the run, Nick Smith showed his versatile offensive game never hesitating for a second to shoot from outside when he was open nailing a three and scoring inside. Schneider also connected on a step back jumper from the right corner and Spoden made a lay in following a technical against Brandon Shingles. TV Langen would keep their lead up thanks to the consistent shooting of Smith and Schneider who continued to shoot at a high volume while Zurna kept firing away and keeping EVL Limburg in the game trailing only 59-47. A lightening 5-0 Limburg run powered by a Stallbohm lay in and Shingles trey brought EVL Limburg back to 59-52, but a Schneider to Smith alley-oop tap in and Schneider three kept EVL Limburg at bay as TV Langen led 66-54. Zurna gave the home team fans something to cheer about as he nailed home a buzzer beater trey to end the third quarter trailing TV Langen only 66-57. “Our goal is always to play extra hard in the first five minutes as that is the time teams tend to give up. We wanted to have a higher lead, but that didn´t happen, but we still controlled the game”, stressed Ruben Spoden. “We kept the pressure on and sped up the game as much as possible. They also sped up the game and forced us to turnovers. We couldn´t adjust and had miscommunication on defense”, added Brandon Shingles.

In the fourth quarter, EVL Limburg continued to feel that they had a chance and quickly took control of the game and stole the momentum from the guests as they opened up the fourth quarter with a 9-2 run as suddenly they trailed only 69-66. In the run, EVL Limburg shot the ball well and were just a bit more clever in crucial plays as Shingles showed sneaking inside grabbing an offensive rebound and scoring and getting Spoden with an up fake. Stallbohm also hit a trey and Thorell-Walker scored in the paint. TV Langen didn´t let EVL Limburg pass them yet as they kept the lead thanks to buckets inside by Schneider and Smith keeping the lead at 76-71. EVL Limburg had one last gasp and totally shocked the guests going on a 8-0 run to regain the lead 79-76. The run was started by Zurna who hit a pull up jumper and then it was the Shingles show as he scored three consecutive times in the lane including a pretty spin move on transition. “I try to be a team player first and involve everyone else and not be too selfish. In that phase I just knew that I had to make those shots”, stressed Brandon Shingles. The game was dominated by runs and unfortunately for EVL Limburg, TV Langen had the last run of the game which secured them the win. They closed out the game with a 11-2 run. In the run, TV Langen got important production from Smith who scored twice, Spoden who hit four free throws and from German 29 year old Chris Reinhardt who scored inside. TV Langen played smart defensively keying in on Limburg´s top players and forced guys to take shots that normally wouldn´t in crunch-time. They also benefited from Limburg´s poor free throw percentage helping them out. “We have a lot of potential and when we can run and get the ball inside then we can be really good. They missed many shots and we found better answers on defense and got the needed rebounds”, added Ruben Spoden. “They got the ball to the right players at the end and we missed shots. Smith hit big three´s. That is what guys from Belmont do”, stressed Brandon Shingles. “We should have won by more. We gave up too many points. Our inside game was missing and we dominated with our three point shooting. We led the whole game and deserved to win”, stressed TV Langen manager Jogi Barth. TV Langen was led by Nick Smith with 28 points. Ruben Spoden added 18 points and Maxim Schneider had 17 points. EVL Limburg were led by Julius zurna with 34 points and Brandon Shingles had 24 points. TV Langen shot 48% from the field and 32% from outside while EVL Limburg shot 44% from the field and 25% from outside. EVL Limburg won the rebound duel 35-32 and had nine turnovers while TV Langen coughed up the ball 12 times.

 

 

 

Marc Carter is a 32 year old 192cm guard from  Morganza, Maryland that is in his 10^th professional season and first with Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius (Lithuania-LKL). He started his basketball career at  NC-Wilmington (NCAA) in 2003 where he played four seasons playing a total of 121 NCAA games. He started his professional basketball career in 2008 with the Duesseldorf Giants (Germany-1.Bundesliga) where he played for two seasons. He also gained further basketball experience with Proteas Danoi AEL (Cyprus-Division A), Phoenix Hagen (Germany-1.Bundesliga, four years in Greece with teams A.G.O Rethymno Aegean (Greece-A1), Panionios ON Telecoms Athens (Greece-A1), PAOK Thessaloniki (Greece-A1), AEK Athens (Greece-A1) and last season he played with  BM Slam Stal Ostrow Wlkp. (Poland-TBL) playing 36 games averaging 12.2ppg, 3.1rpg, 2.9apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 52.9%, 3PT: 39.8%, FT: 82.6%. He spoke to German Hoops before the Eurocup game against Alba Berlin in  Berlin.

 

 

 

 

Marc thanks for talking to German Hoops. Welcome back to Germany. This is your fourth season of playing international club basketball and never played against a German team in that stretch. After playing your last game in the 2011-2012 season for Phoenix Hagen did you ever come back to visit Germany during a layover or is this the first time back In your professional career you had a 2-3 record against Alba Berlin including beating them with two different teams. With what kind of feelings are you coming back to Berlin?

 

 

 

I remember the wins against Berlin. My years in Germany they had a very strong team . I’m happy to come back to Germany . It’s where it started for me. Also the city itself I remember was great. I stayed a day after a Berlin game to visit monuments and Museums. Riding bikes through the city was fun

 

 

 

 

In the 2011-2012 season, Phoenix Hagen played an unforgettable game that probably ranks up with the top three games of their history beating Alba Berlin 98-91 in OT and you dominated leading all scorers with 33 points. What do you remember from that game?

 

The game against Alba at home in Hagen was crazy . Our fans were always very supportive and showed up to games. It was loud in there as you would expect it to be playing well against one of the top teams . I remember I scored a quick 5 points . After hitting a corner three I remember thinking to myself I have it going, but I didn’t know it would turn into 33 points. But the win was the icing

 

 

 

 

Since then you have played many years in Greece and in Poland and never scored more than 33 points again . When you look back at your career was that your best game since you came from Europe?

 

I think my best game statistically was against Neptunas while playing for Panionios. I believe I had 28 points 7 rebounds and 5 assists and we won

 

 

 

Your playing your 10^th professional season and first with Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius (Lithuania-LKL). Your 32 and still going strong. What has been your secret to being so consistent even through your thirties?

 

 

I count it as 9 years playing because I went to Cypress for 10 days and ended up being out of basketball for that remaining season. But I worked hard at maintaining my physical ability even though you decline as you get older. I think being able to do more on the court has allowed me to continue to play at this age. Being solid defensively , second ball handler and playing in the pick and rolls. Your knowledge can expand if you put in the time

 

You have played with PAOK a very well respected Greek team, but this season playing with one of Lithuania´s most famous basketball team Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius (Lithuania-LKL) that have won 5 country titles and two Eurocups. Do you feel a special kind of basketball tradition there that you have never felt before?

 

 

Lithuania is a basketball country . Fans know the game and love their teams . However I haven’t seen anything like the Greek fans in all of my years of playing

 

 

 

Your on a team that has a lot of talented players, but are averaging less minutes in the Lithuanian league than in the Europ Cup. How would you describe your role this season opposed to other seasons where you were more of a scoring option?

 

 

 

My role is different with this team. At 32 this is the first time I’ve been asked to play the point guard position full time . It’s been an adjustment trying to figure out how to run a team and score only when needed . It’s a part of the growth challenge that I’ve accepted and hope to get better at it

 

 

You have some very interesting teammates with sniper Jimmy Baron, experienced forward Travis Peterson and defensive pest Chris Kramer as well as other talented guys from Lithuania. Where will the journey of the team take you this season in both competitions?

 

 

We all hope the journey is a great one . We are talented and have many new faces to the team and the league . Being versatile with depth is a recipe for team success so we shall see

 

 

 

Your 32 years old and often it is stated that players don´t improve, but actually decrease in skills as they get older. How vital has Chris Kramer been in just pushing you harder in practice with his scrappy play enabling you to continue to be able to develop?

 

 

Players can improve skill wise. Sure physically you may start to regress . But don’t you see players becoming better shooters as they age? I guess if they work at it. Chris has been great. He competes and when you have to bring it every day it keeps you in a competitive state and pushing to improve. It’s given me a chance to handle the ball while having someone guard you pretty tough every day. Throughout my career that’s something that I’ve continued to work at especially being an off guard

 

Last season you played with M Slam Stal Ostrow Wlkp. (Poland-TBL) playing 36 games averaging 12.2ppg, 3.1rpg, 2.9apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 52.9%, 3PT: 39.8%, FT: 82.6%. How refreshing was it having an older teammate like diminutive 173cm point guard Aaron Johnson who after playing many seasons in Italy, D-League and Finland had his best offensive season. How did he push you to keep up your solid play last season?

 

Last season was like a Cinderella story . Being at the bottom of the league to forcing a tough game 5 with the Polish league champions . We had a great balance of shooters along with a dominate shot blocker and rebounder . It allowed me to make plays and having Aaron run past everyone got me many open shots. If you are a scorer you have to like that

 

 

 

 

You played four years in Greece for four different teams and reached the semi-finals all four years which is a huge achievement doing it with so many teams. What did you learn to appreciate the most about having this chance in Greece to continue to show that you can continue to play at a high level year in and year out?

 

 

 

I learned to appreciate winning because it’s not a guarantee every year . Those 9 -10 months are much more pleasant when you win games

 

 

 

In the Greek league you never beat top team Olympiakos and had a 1-7 record against Panathinaikos. Was the 71-54 win and you scoring 18 points your most memorable win in Greece? What memories do you have of that game?

 

 

It was one of the most memorable wins . I remember the gym being filled with the black and white army. 8-10k fans going crazy the entire game. We were a good team so it wasn’t a surprise for us players to have won the game . I don’t remember many plays from the game unfortunately. But I think the best win that year was against Aek being down 10 with 3-4 minutes left and Jake Odum hitting game winning three

 

 

 

 

You played with AEK Athens in 2015-2016 and played briefly with Mr Canada Philip Scrubb who had his first growing pains as a rookie there, but has moved on to Frankfurt where he was instrumental in winning the 2016 Fiba Europe Cup and is primed for superstar status. Did you notice the vast talent that he had in the short time you were teammates?

 

 

Phil is a great dude and very talented . It was tough to watch him go through it in AEK but happy to see he found a place where he can show what he can do at a high level . He had spurts with us in AEK where he showed us all that he could play this game

 

 

You played with long under the radar American Errick Mccollum at  Panionios ON Telecoms Athens (Greece-A1) who played at an NAIA school and scored 82 points in China and made to the Euroleague and really had to move up the ladder his whole career. Did you sense in Greece that he was playing with a chip on his shoulder?

 

Oh yea you could sense that he wanted to show that he could compete with the best on any level . He has an amazing scoring ability . Can get his shot off against anyone and draw contact to get to the line . I knew he would score at will in China with NBA spacing and rules it’s almost impossible to guard someone that quick than can shoot from anywhere

 

 

 

You lived two years in Athens. For a boy coming from Maryland, what was the most difficult thing to get used to living in a gigantic city besides finding ways to get around the annoying traffic?

 

It wasn’t difficult to adjust to the city at all . I lived in Atlanta prior to being in Athens . Traffic was awful but Nea Smirni was a great location because it was close to downtown and close to sea side in Glyfada, but the Greeks drive badly.

 

 

 

After two solid seasons in Germany with Duesseldorf, you had an unforgettable experience in Cyprus. Did you feel like your career might be over?

 

Going to Cypress showed me another part of basketball I had not seen. When I walked away from that situation, I felt I would be done playing at 25 years old and contemplated retirement. If that’s what overseas ball was going to be for me I wanted no part of it.

 

 

 

You rebounded and came to Phoenix Hagen playing 32 games averaging 14.5ppg, 4.3rpg, 2.5apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 49.2%, 3PT: 28.5%, FT: 85.4%. Was this the season where Marc Carter the professional was reborn? Was it more continued hard work through the season that enabled you to be so successful or a having the right teammates?

 

 

 

 

Going back to Germany was a fresh start. Close to Düsseldorf where I had lived previously . I knew in order to get to where I wanted to be at a higher level I needed to play well

 

 

Phoenix Hagen had many talented players in the last years, but when you were there not as much talent which speaks for how you were able to make the best of what you had to play with. How important was head coach Ingo Freyer in letting you have absolute freedom?

 

I stayed after practice a lot and worked worked worked . I think having freedom there along with putting in the time allowed me to have a bounce back season

 

In basketball Hagen everybody knew Marco Schmitz and I know you did as well. On September 21, he passed away after a long fight against cancer. What memories do you have of the ultimate Hagen basketball fan?

 

 

As you stated “ THE ULTIMATE HAGEN FAN” Truly loved to be around the game every moment he could .

 

 

 

You probably will never forget German Gordon Geib as a defender. He was a pest like Chris Kramer. How did you profit from his game as a very young player trying to find his game in Germany?

 

Gordon was a bulldog. I could remember laughing with teammates as we’d watch him hound someone full court and eventually they’d turn it over or quickly pass it to get him off of them. Defending I think earned me most of my minutes early in my career before I began to adjust offensively to Europe

 

 

You played at NC-Wilmington(NCAA) from 2003-2008 winning the CAA tournament and getting the MVP beating Hofstra 78-67 and has been your own title. Does this title stay longer in your memory simply because it´s the only one you won?

 

 

The Title win over Hofstra was special not only because it’s the only title but it was a tough 2 years for me as a player and a team to get back to the winning tradition the program had . We worked our butts off and their success as a school was a huge reason I wanted to go there

 

 

 

You played a few times against top school North Carolina losing each game. When you look back at those games and remember all the talented players who would go on to the NBA did you feel like there was so much difference between a guy like you and say Raymond Felton?

 

That NC team was the most talented team I’ve ever competed against . Playing in their arena was quite an experience . My heart pounding out of my chest as a sophomore but I had a solid game against them . Often times big NCAA schools have a rep from their name and you play against guys and you realize that aren’t better but Felton was clearly steps ahead of me as a player when we were that age .

 

 

How did head coach Brad Brownell groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career?

 

 

Brownell was tough but he and Billy Donlon showed me how to work at a high rate especially with individual workouts . As a young player in college I often got benched from missing defensive assignments . However as a professional , being able to be solid defensively kept me on the court

 

 

Who won a one on one in practice back in the day at NC_Wilmington you or John Goldsberry?

 

 

John was tough one on one . I can only remember us a playing a few times . I did beat him as I got older. One other time before that there was pretty much a wrestling match of a basketball game between Beckham Wyrick John and myself . You’d have to ask Beckham who won that war

 

 

 

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

 

Toughest player I can remember at the moment was probably Andrew Goudelock. He scored 29 against us as a freshman but we got the win

 

 

 

 

If you had to construct your own NBA Rushmore which 4 heads would you chose?

 

 

Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson , Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett. This is by no means me saying these guys are the top 4 players ever with the exception of Jordan . These are the guys that fed my obsession with basketball and the NBA . Sunday’s after church I couldn’t wait to see these guys compete . Not to mention they were all phenomenal scorers and of catalyst for their teams success.

 

 

 

 

Lebron James failed to win his fourth NBA title and is still three away from Michael Jordan. Where does Lebron stand right now in your opinion in the never ending debate of who is the best of all-time?

 

 

Lebron for me is and will be one of the Greatest to play. Even if he captures 6 rings or even 7. I could never view him in my eyes as the G.O.A.T . Jordan won every finals he appeared in. In an era where there many greats still playing , many good teams . In his time of dominance he was responsible for some other legends not winning championships and it was clear who was the best in the game . Lebron is different and special in his own way. He stuffs the stat line and impacts the game in every way. You could argue that He will go to the finals every year regardless of what teams he is playing for . I think he will be top 10 possibly if he retired today. The game hasn’t seen someone like him before . Rings are a major factor in ranking players , however I don’t think it can be the only deciding factor.

 

 

 

There has been criticism of Russell Westbrook to be focusing more on rebounding to help inflate his stats and possibilities of getting triple doubles instead of focusing on his defensive assignments. Do you feel that this is a fair assessment to the player Russell Westbrook?

 

 

 

This is the first I’ve heard of the Westbrook criticism. He plays the game with such passion that you ever want to miss a game he’s playing in. Stats in some ways ruin the game . You can look at someone’s numbers on ESPN the night after the game and say” wow amazing performance “ but you didn’t see his full impact on the game and crucial minutes , made plays or missed opportunities. If he is in fact focused on rebounding stats and pushing aside defensive assignments I can’t imagine how it would help his team more, but I don’t ever think we can say he doesn’t compete ! And that’s why I love to watch him play

 

 

How do you summarize the 2017 NBA Draft. What sleepers do you see playing a role in the NBA?

 

 

 

I haven’t been a big NBA draft guy mostly from being out of touch with college basketball. Time zones and having access to watch is different being abroad. We all know Lonzo and LaVar stole the show , and everyone wants to see the Lakers back to being SHOWTIME. I think Lonzo is a talent and will have a good career , don’t know if he has the ability to be an all time great. But I will stay tuned . I’ve watched a few Boston games and really like Jayson Tatum´s skill set . These guys are so young and athletic, but only time will separate the good from the great

 

 

Where will the journey of the Houston Rockets go this season with Chris Paul and James Harden in the back court. Do they have enough to make a serious run at the title or is something missing?

 

 

 

I didn’t understand the Chris Paul deal. But if you can get the best or one of the best pgs in the league on your roster I guess you do it and see what happens . He and Harden are scoring ball dominate guards and polar opposite personalities. I think with Houston’s shooting ability and 2 capable facilitators they will be fun to watch but ultimately I think they are missing something to be able to win a title. Let’s face it, GSW are really really good and now with KD, it’s just not fair

 

 

How do you rate the Kyrie Irving-Isaiah Thomas trade? Who got the better deal and which team will profit better in the long run?

 

The kyrie /Isaiah trade was a huge Shocker to me . With Isaiah still out until January or so there is no telling what his impact will be.  But if returns to form from last year, he and crowder will help Cleveland. I think Boston won in terms of planning for the future. As long as Lebron is in the east I think Cavs will be the team to beat ! I think Boston knows that too

 

 

 

 

Where will the journey of the Oklahoma Thunder go this season with Westbrook, George and Anthony? Can they make a serious run in the west?

 

As for the Thunder . I think it looks great on paper. They will have a good season but don’t think they can match the style and tempo of Golden State.

 

 

 

 

 

What was the last movie that you saw?

 

Last movie I saw was John Wick 2. I Loved it! I usually wait until things are out for rent , don’t go to many movie theaters often . But when something like X men comes out I go see it no matter where I am.

 

Thanks Marc for the chat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basketball times haven´t been easy in the last year in Hagen. First the club had to step down from the EsyCredit BBL in December on account of bankruptcy, but have recovered and are playing in the German Pro A again, on September 21st long time Phoenix Hagen fan Marco Schmitz who was a walking basketball dictionary had to succumb to a long battle against cancer and this morning the club gave the sad announcement that their head coach Matthias Grothe had lost the battle against Lymphoma. The German was in his first season as head coach of Phoenix Hagen, but couldn´t overtake the duties yet this season on account of his fight against Lymphoma that had put him into the hands of medical care since the start of 2017. It looked like he could take over the reigns at the start of the 2017-2018 season in September for Phoenix Hagen as his treatment was running along smoothly in the first eight months. However suddenly his recovery took a set back and instead of be able to leave the hospital had to remain. The set back struck everyone involved very hard and in respect to him and his family the information concerning his further treatment period in the hospital remained very scarce the last two monhs. The club like everyone else in basketball Germany are shocked with his death and the club kept their first public statement short over their Face Book page. “Unfortunately we have to announce that our head coach Matthias Grothe passed away this morning. For this reason the game between Phoenix Hagen and Rasta Vechta will be canceled. We are speechless and in our thoughts with Matthias family and friends”.

Grothe was born on May 16th, 1978 and started his basketball career at TUS Iserlohn. He played with all the youth teams of the club and also played with German youth national teams and was a teammate in the U-22 team with Dallas Maverick Dirk Nowitzki. From 1998-2002 he played 116 BBL games for Brandt Hagen. He then returned back to his old team Iserlohn for two seasons and just dominated the second Bundesliga as he averaged 25.7ppg, 10.2rpg, 3.5apg in the 2003-2004 season. In 2004 he returned back to Hagen and played with Phoenix Hagen until his retirement in 2010. He showed his consistency by playing 150 games in a row scoring 2,519 points and helped the team move up to the BBL in 2009. He dominated the German second Bundesliga like no other from 2004-2007 averaging 22.9ppg, 6.6rpg, 3.7apg,: 21.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3 apg and 18.2ppg, 5.5rpg, 3.6apg in that time. He was rewarded with playing his last professional season in the BBL and his number 9 jersey was retired at the conclusion of the season.

The German didn´t waste anytime after his retirement and right away decided to get into coaching and took over Regionaliga team Iserlohn in the 2010-2011 season going back to his roots and also that summer got his first coaching experience as an assistant at the U-20 European championships inCroatia. It took him only four years to move up to the Pro B. In the Pro B, Grothe and Iserlohn were able to make an impact right away winning the Pro B south regular season in 2015 and 2016 losing in the playoffs in the semi-finals and quarterfinals. He was diagnosed with Lymphoma in November 2016, but was still able to coach Iserlohn for a third Pro B season. His ex player Terrell Harris who plays in Denmark this season was shocked of the news. “A sad sad day. Matthias was a great coach on the court, who wanted the best for his players. Personally he pushed me to the limits and I will always remember what he taught me. He was even a better person off the court. Family first guy. My condolences goes to his family. Wow life is unpredictable..makes you appreciate the small things”, stressed Terrell Harris.Grothe is a guy that you just had to love as a player, coach and person. He was a big man with teddy bear qualities and probably the best hugger a daughter could ever have. He was also a guy that knew when to be comical and had so many talents in his life. For instance he played in two movies concerning basketball called Hang Time and a great documentary about the team he coached Phoenix Hagen, but when he was a player describing the 2009-2010 season called “Phoenix in der Asche”. His ex teammate Michael Jordan who like him got into the coaching ranks and is an assistant at Colgate(NCAA) was shocked of the tragedy. “Matthias was a great competitor as well as a great teammate. I am blessed to have had the opportunity to have him and his family in my life. He will truly be missed”, stressed Michael Jordan. Matthias was simply a great human being who had the kind of charachter that many would love to have. He will be dearly missed and forever be talked about.

 

 

 

A week ago a new guard terror was born in Frankfurt that has a German/English flair as Garai Zeeb and Jules Akodo from England exploded for a combined 47 points sending the unbeaten Iserlohn team back home beaten for the first time this season. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors have been up and down this season and could easily have been 1-4 at this juncture had they not pulled out narrow three point wins in Coburg and Karlsruhe, but after the big win against Iserlohn one could sense as if some of the players were on cloud nine with the season really just having begun in the fifth game. Meanwhile not far from the Rhein river, the Dragons Rhondorf had come home torn and tattered from a brutal massacre at the hands of the ScanPlus baskets losing by a score of 103-72 as their defense totally collapsed after having only given up an average of 65 points in their first four games. Not only was the team not on the same page defensively, but had lost that usual aggressiveness on the boards losing the rebound battle with ease and coughed up the ball an uncharacteristic 24 times. The Dragons Rhondorf had been brought back down to earth with that tough loss in Elchingen as the team faced it´s first real hardship of the season and were looking to get back on the winning track in their own smug living room in the Dragon Dome while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors wanted to continue their win streak. Both teams have very solid big men, but it was the guard play that was in the focus in this game as the Dragons Rhondorf showcased their point guard ace Vikto Franl-Maus and scoring gem Kameron Taylor while the Fraport Skyliners juniors were totally shorthanded without Isaac Bonga, Garai Zeeb, Richard Freudenberg and Lenny Okeke who were in Munich for a BBL game and Tobias Jahn was out only had  their lethal guard Jules Akodo who was hungry to continue their terror after tearing apart Iserlohn with ease. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were more than hungry, but famished for success as they controlled the game for 40 minutes and left their hearts out on the court only to be cruelly beat by a buzzer beater by Kameron Taylor 82-80. After the win, ex Seton Hill stand out Kameron Taylor was ecstatic about the win and it didn´t take him long to summarize his buzzer beater history. “I hit three or four buzzer beaters as a senior at Seton Hill. So taking a last shot like tonight was nothing new to me. I told my team right away that I got to take it. I attacked Akodo and lost it a bit at first, but then found my footing and my few inches on him helped. It felt good making this shot for the fans and I was very happy to get it here”, smiled Kameron Taylor. After a long talk in the dressing room, Fraport Skyliner Junior Alex Fountain came back trudging slowly on to the court with his thoughts still on that last play and one could sense the immense disappointment in his eyes, but was proud of how his teammates battled for 40 minutes. “This loss is tough. I wish we could have got some of those shots and mistakes back. We controlled the game. We had an 8 man rotation and played very hard. Each guy played hard. The positive thing was that we had no let downs. We knew it would go to Taylor on the last shot. He lost the handle at first, but recovered hitting a tough contested shot. That is what good players do. You can´t do more than tip your cap to him”, added ex Houston Baptist(NCAA) forward Alex Fountain. “I have to give a lot of credit to Frankfurt. They came out and played so hard with more intensity than us hitting shots and having good spacing. We saw their 8 man rotation and underestimated them thinking it would be a cake walk. We tried matching their tempo too much instead of playing our own game. In the second half we slowed down the game, crashed the boards and picked up our half-court defense and press”, stressed Kameron Taylor.

The Dragons Rhondorf have had good starts this season at home in the Dragon Dome, but against the Fraport Skyliners Juniors came out as if they had woke up on the wrong side of the bed as their play showed allowing the guests to begin 8-2. Pro B rookie Alex Fountain proved right away that he can score in bunches and is like a fountain sprouting three point buckets as he nailed his first two shots, but he had to. “I have never had a coach like Sebastian Gleim who has given me so much confidence in my shot. He told me at the start that if I didn´t make my first two shots that he would sub me out”, smiled Alex Fountain. German 112 kilo big man Armin Trtovac who entered the game averaging 11,3ppg and 8,8rpg also made a lay in in the explosive start. Frankfurt kept up their impressive start continuing to attack the rim like there was no tomorrow as English national player Jules Akodo and ex Kronberg standout Felix Hecker scored to extend the Frankfurt advantage to 12-4. The Dragons Rhondorf seemed very surprised by the high intensity of Frankfurt and just couldn´t match it. However basketball is a game of runs and that would be demonstrated the whole game as Rhondorf escaped on a 7-0 run cutting the Frankfurt lead to 12-11 as German top Pro B point guard Viktor Frankl-Maus scored inside, Thomas Michel challenged his 50% three point percentage sinking a shot from downtown and Canadian Kevin Thomas  scored in the paint. Frankfurt stopped the Rhondorf run and rebounded with their own 7-2 run to extend their lead to 19-13. In the run, Frankfurt was aided by a Konstantin Schubert lay in, Trtovac free throws and another trey by Fountain. German Valentin Blass and Latvian forward Ronalds Elksnis responded with buckets inside while German fifth year man Jasmine Knothe drilled home a three giving Frankfurt the 22-17 lead after 10 minutes. “Frankfurt started off good scoring eight points in their first five possessions while we scored only two points in our first five possessions. Frankfurt did a good job with their ball movement and getting open shots. We just didn´t have as much luck hitting our open shots”, explained Dragons Rhondorf assistant coach Max Schwamborn. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were shooting 40% from the field and 36% from outside while the Dragons Rhondorf were shooting 44% from the field and 20% from outside. Rhondorf had the 12-10 rebound edge, but four turnovers while Frankfurt had one turnover.

The Dragons Rhondorf battled back in the second quarter keeping the score close, but still not being able to produce their first lead of the game. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors came out strong again scoring seven points and extending their lead to 29-20. Armin Trtovac who is playing his fourth season with the club got aggressive hauling down two offensive rebounds and making put backs while Jules Akodo made a three pointer. However the Dragons Rhondorf didn´t let that two minute offensive explosion by Frankfurt hinder their aspirations for success as they strolled out on a potent 11-2 run dead locking the game at 31-31 bringing the Dragon Dome back to real life. In the run, Rhondorf got important production from their German role players as Kneesch scored twice in the paint and Thomas Michel drilled home another trey. The club also got a free throw from Frankl-Maus and a lay in from Taylor. The Dragons Rhondorf defended more aggressively on the defensive end, made better decisions and rebounded better as Taylor was all over the place cleaning up the paint area while his teammates were taking care of the scoring. Frankfurt responded with a 25 footer from Fountain from the base line and a trey from ex Freiburg forward Cosmo Gruehn for the 37-31 lead. Both teams continued to trade scoring in bunches as Taylor and Thomas respond with buckets cutting the Frankfurt lead to 37-36. After Trtovac and Taylor baskets, Thomas tied the score at 40-40, but Trtovac made a pretty old school hook shot over Alexander Moeller sending the Fraport Skyliners Juniors into the break with the narrow 42-40 lead. “Taylor and Thomas were big for us in the second quarter and a reason why we signed them. We had more luck hitting shots, worked better together executing and made 16 fast break baskets”, stressed Dragons Rhondorf assistant coach Max Schamborn. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were shooting 42% from the field and 29% from the three point line while the Dragons Rhondorf were shooting 47% from the field and 27% from the three point line. Frankfurt had the slim 22-21 rebound edge, but eight turnovers while Rhondorf had seven turnovers.

In the third quarter, the Dragons Rhondorf finally got their first lead, but at the end of thirty minutes were down by eight points. The Dragons Rhondorf came back on the court with their chests held high and battled their way to their first lead 49-47. After Trtovac and Kneesch traded buckets to start off the second half, Fountain did what he does best nailing home three pointers as he connected giving Frankfurt the 47-42 advantage. Rhondorf struck back with nine unanswered points taking the lead 51-47 as Frankl-Maus found Thomas with an alley-op dunk, Kneesch nailed a three, Taylor hit free throws and made a lay in off the inbounds pass from Frankl-Maus catching the opponent napping on defense. The game of runs continued as Gruehn dropped another trey and Akodo made a nice left handed lay in and free throw for the Frankfurt 53-51 lead. Rhondorf big man Alexander Moeller tied the score at 53-53 with a step back jumper. Rhondorf lost some intensity allowing Frankfurt to be driven once again by Alex Fountain closing out the third quarter with a timely 9-1 run. The run was capped by two Fountain three´s and an Akodo finger tip lay in. “Coach told us at halftime that we had to guard our man better as we were beat too much off the dribble. We put better pressure on the ball, but lost a little intensity at the end allowing the Fountain three´s”, stated Kameron Taylor. “We continued to play very hard outhustling them and having good ball movement. We got players open shots and were in the flow”, stated Alex Fountain. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were shooting 43% from the field and 33% from the parking lot while the Dragons Rhondorf were shooting 46% from the field and 27% from the parking lot. Rhondorf had the 31-28 rebound edge, but 15 turnovers while Frankfurt had 11 turnovers.

In the fourth quarter, it looked like the Fraport Skyliners Juniors had the game wrapped up leading by as much as 14 points, but allowed the Dragons to crawl back into the game. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors continued their good ending to the third quarter where they went on a 9-1 run continued their run in the fourth quarter going on a 9-2 run extending their lead to 70-56 as they got two three´s from Fountain and a trey from Gruehn. Rhondorf then took advantage of a Frankfurt flagrant foul and some misses going on a 9-0 run to get back into the game trailing only 70-65. In the run, the home team was led by an Anton Geretzki trey, Taylor lay in and free throw and Frankl-Maus step back jumper. Knothe and Frankl-Maus then traded trey´s as Frankfurt still led 73-68. Both teams had suffered little breakdowns during the game and another one hit Rhondorf as Frankfurt could break away again as time was winding down. Frankfurt went on a 4-0 run to extend their lead to 77-68 with a Trtovac hook shot and Akodo free throws. Frankfurt would continue to give Rhondorf gifts with turnovers as not being able to throw the ball in within the allowed 5 seconds haunted Jules Akodo who was hit twice in crunch-time and ended with an unbelievable 9 turnovers. A Taylor steal and lay in and another Frankl-Maus trey cut the Frankfurt lead to 77-73. After a Thomas lay in, Fountain made free throws with Frankfurt leading 80-75 with 1,33 minutes to play. Taylor then scored again inside and made a free throw cutting the Frankfurt lead to 80-78 with 50 seconds remaining. After a Pons miss, Taylor found Michel for the lay in dead locking the game at 80-80. With 11 seconds left, Frankfurt had the chance to win, but once again Frankfurt was hit with a five second violation with the inbounds pass as Akodo was the tragic hero. Rhondorf had 11 seconds left and time for Kameron Taylor to write history with another buzzer beater winning shot in his short career. “The fourth quarter was our best in the game. We battled so hard and we were aware that we had to move even quicker on the press while keeping our composure. Frankl-Maus hit many big shots keeping us in the game. You couldn´t ask for more”, stressed Kameron Taylor. “We couldn´t close the door on them. Maybe they had a little more experience. We have to be able to finish better, but their press hurt us. We have to learn from our mistakes and improve”, added Alex Fountain. The Dragons Rhondorf were led by Kameron Taylor with 24 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals. Viktor Frankl-Maus had 12 points and 12 assists and Kevin Thomas had 12 points and 12 rebounds. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were led by Alex Fountain with 30 points. Jules Akodo had 15 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. Armin Trotovac had 14 points and nien boards. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 49% from the field and 28% from outside while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 44% from the field and 36% from outside. Rhondorf won the rebounding duel 37-35 and had 18 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors coughed up the ball 21 times.

Carson Puriefoy is a 23 year old 183cm point guard from Wenonah, NJ that is playing his second professional season and first with the MLP Academics Heidelberg. Last season he played briefly with Valmiera/ORDO (Latvia-LBL). He played at Stony Brook (NCAA) from 2012-2016 playing a total of 128 NCAA games and as a senior played 33 games averaging 14.9ppg, 3.2rpg, 3.1apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 38.6%, 3PT: 39.7%, FT: 77.2%. In his senior year he hit Lehigh for 25 points and Vermont and Maine for 23 points each. He spoke to German Hoops after signing with the German team.

 

 

 

Hi Carson thanks for talking to German Hoops. Congrats on signing with the MLP Academics Heidelberg. Do you have any idea what is significant about March 4, 2018? Well I clear you up. That is when you will reunite against ex teammate Roland Nymar. Are you making a special mark on that date?

 

 

I was unaware that, that was the exact date of our matchup, but now that you’ve told me I will most definitely keep it in the back of my mind. Can’t wait to get back on the court with my friend Roland!

 

Officially this is your second professional season, but doesn´t it really feel like your rookie year after playing only one game with Valmiera/ORDO (Latvia-LBL)?

 

 

Yeah it definitely still feels like I’m a rookie having only played two full games as a pro up to this point. I’m excited to see where this season takes me.

 

 

 

How hungry are you to get on the floor and show your abilities. Even though you haven´t really started your professional career yet are you playing with a little chip on your shoulder?

 

I always play with a chip on my shoulder regardless of the situation. I know how good I am and that I can help my team win.

 

You have arrived for the injured Jelani Hewitt. How blessed are you to be playing for the MLP Academics Heidelberg and what was the deciding factor that made you sign on the dotted line?

 

I’m very blessed to be able to have this opportunity to play here. It is very unfortunate for Jelani, but I was injured the same way and I know that he can come back better than ever. It was really a no-brainer to choose Heidelberg. A great city, team and atmosphere.

 

 

What do you know in general about the country Germany and it´s basketball? What are you most excited about getting to know here?

 

 

I know that Germany has a very rich basketball history and that a lot of American players have done well here. I’m excited just to get back on the court and showcase my abilities as well as explore Germany as a country.

 

 

Let´s talk about your game. You’re a 183cm point guard that put up very good stats at Stony Brook. Would it be fair to say from just examining your stats that you’re a score first pass second type of point guard?

 

I would say that I can adapt my game to whatever my team needs from me at that point in time. At Stony Brook my coaches and team needed me to score at a good clip so that’s what I did. I’m sure I’ll find my niche here a couple games in and see where it takes me.

 

 

If you had to pick a point guard in the NBA that most resembles your game who would you pick and what NBA point guards do you study and respect?

 

 

I would say my game mostly resembles a younger Tony Parker. Very quick and fast, I can get to the rim or pull up for a quick jumper.

 

 

 

Your a player that can fill up the stat sheet with ease, but what is a hidden strength in your game that doesn´t get recognized right away?

 

 

I would say that my defensive abilities sometimes go unnoticed and I have to make sure to make people see that I can defend very well too.

 

 

You were recently with Valmiera/ORDO (Latvia-LBL) as a rookie last season. Why was your stay so short and what did you learn from this experience?

 

 

 

 

My stay was short because I got injured in the second game of the season and decided to do my rehab at my college with the team doctors and trainers. My experience otherwise was great and am extremely thankful for it.

 

 

You had a stellar 4 year career at Stony Brook(NCAA) reaching the 2014 and 2015 AEC tournament final and finally winning it as a senior in 2016. What will always stand out most from this big achievement?

 

 

Definitely being the first team from my school to ever make it to the NCAA Tournament. No one can ever take that away from us and we will always be remembered as the firsts ones to do it.

 

 

You played 4 years with the highly talented Jameel Warney who made the Dallas Mavericks this season after a rookie season in the G-League. How did you experience his 4 year maturation at Stony Brook?

 

He was definitely a great player to be able to grow with and he’s definitely deserved all the attention from the NBA that he’s getting. He grew from a boy to a man in those four years and hopefully he continues to grow, which could blossom into a great NBA career.

 

 

 

 

How did head coach Steve Pikiell groom and prepare you best for a professional basketball career?

 

 

 

 

Coach Pikiell was extremely instrumental in my maturation process. He never let me take a day off and always pushed me to be the best that I could be. I couldn’t have asked for a better college coach.

 

 

You obviously play against many talented guys but as a junior you beat Columbia twice and in the first game won 57-56 where you had 14 points and German Maodo Lo had 19 points who last summer teamed with Dennis Schroeder in the German national team back court and plays for Brose Bamberg the best team in Germany. Does a guy like him aspire you to keep working hard to make the next step to a higher league like the EasyCredit which is one above the pro A?

 

 

I definitely think that I can play in the top league eventually, I just have to prove that I am good enough. I have enough confidence in myself to feel that I can hold my own against anyone.

 

 

You ended your NCAA career reaching the NCAA tournament, but bowing out in the first game against Kentucky 85-57 against Kentucky where you faced a starting lineup of future NBA players like Jamaal Murray and Tyler Ulis and you held your own with 10 points. When you look back at that game did you take any things with you from that game that stayed in your mind to keep working on to reach the level of some of those guys or do you feel the talent level wasn´t so much better?

 

I felt as though we didn’t have the depth to compete for 40 minutes with a team like Kentucky. We held our own for a while and then they started making shots and we didn’t and pulled away. I didn’t think the talent level was that much different, but I see the kind of players that they are and took a little bit from each of them.

 

 

 

 

What is your fondest memory with Roland Nymar on and off the court at Stony Brook?

 

On the court he has the ability to light it up from long range and is extremely athletic attacking the rim. He had a couple games at Stony Brook where he was unstoppable. Off the court he’s a clown who just likes to joke around and have fun. Great person to be around.

 

 

 

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

 

I would say my toughest matchup had to be Kevin Ferrell who went to Indiana and is now on the Dallas Mavericks.

 

 

 

 

If you had to construct your own NBA Rushmore which 4 heads would you chose?

 

 

 

Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, Magic Johnson.

 

 

Lebron James failed to win his fourth NBA title and is still three away from Michael Jordan. Where does Lebron stand right now in your opinion in the never ending debate of who is the best of all-time?

 

 

 

I fell that Lebron is the greatest all around basketball player of all time. Micheal Jordan is definitely the greatest winner, but I feel that there has never been a player like Lebron.

 

 

There has been criticism of Russell Westbrook to be focusing more on rebounding to help inflate his stats and possibilities of getting triple doubles instead of focusing on his defensive assignments. Do you feel that this is a fair assessment to the player Russell Westbrook?

 

 

No I don’t think that this is a fair assessment. I think that Russ goes out every night and tries to help his team win. It seemed that last year the best way to do that was to get triple-doubles.

 

 

 

 

How do you summarize the 2017 NBA Draft. What sleepers do you see playing a role in the NBA?

 

 

 

I think this draft class is very good. Dennis Smith Jr. has a chance to be the next Russel Westbrook/Derrick Rose with his athletic ability.

 

 

Where will the journey of the Houston Rockets go this season with Chris Paul and James Harden in the back court. Do they have enough to make a serious run at the title or is something missing?

 

I still think they won’t compete with the Warriors down the stretch of the season.

 

 

 

How do you rate the Kyrie Irving-Isaiah Thomas trade? Who got the better deal and which team will profit better in the long run?

 

 

I feel like the Cavs got the better deal because they got multiple players for one leaving.

 

 

 

Where will the journey of the Oklahoma Thunder go this season with Westbrook, George and Anthony? Can they make a serious run in the west?

I feel as though they have the best chance, besides the Spurs, with competing against Golden’s State in the West.

 

 

 

 

What was the last movie that you saw?

 

 

 

The last movie I saw was the latest Transformers movie.

 

Thanks Carson for the chat.