Seth Hinrichs(Kirchheim Knights) I Think The Pro A Style Fits My Game And I Think Coach Mai’s Overall Scheme Fits My Game

Seth Hinrichs is a 23 year old 203cm guard from Clara City, Minnesota that is playing his second professional season in the German Pro A with the Kirchheim Knights. Last season as a rookie he played for FC Porto (Portugal-LPB): 20 games: 8.7ppg, 5.0rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 55.0%, 3PT: 20.7%, FT: 79.1%; FIBA Europe Cup: 6 games: 6.7ppg, 3.2rpg, FGP: 64.7%, 3PT: 14.3%, FT: 83.3%. He played at Lafayette (NCAA) from 2011-2015 graduating from Lafayette as the all-time leader in 3PG % in Patriot League history. As a senior he played 32 games averaging 12.9ppg, 5.8rpg, 2.6apg, FGP: 55.5%, 3PT: 38.3%, FT: 83.1%. He spoke to German Hoops after the 92-90 road victory in Dresden.

Seth thanks for talking to German Hoops. Welcome to Germany. You had a try-out with BBL team MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg, but landed with Kirchheim. What has been most appealing to you about the club since you joined?

I really like the coaches and my teammates. We have a good, talented group of guys and have the potential to do really well this year.

Was it difficult for you to accept the fact that the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg didn´t need you? Your now in a league lower. How do you as a professional player handle this kind of rejection?

I was definitely disappointed but I realize it is a part of playing basketball professionally. I am very appreciative for the opportunity that Coach Patrick gave me and for the people I was able to meet at Ludwigsburg. I think playing in the Pro A is a great opportunity and now my focus is to improve as a player so that one day I can reach the BBL level or higher.

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K.K. Simmons (Licher Basket Baeren) I Have So Much Confidence In My Ability To Score And Make Plays But I Will Continue To Work On Becoming More Efficient.

K.K Simmons is a 23 year old 190cm combo guard from Marietta, Georgia that is playing his first professional season with German Pro B team Licher Basket Baeren. He played at three schools with NC-Wilmington (NCAA), Kent St. (NCAA) and Pikeville (NAIA). Last season he finished his college basketball career with Pikeville (NAIA) playing 31 games and averaging 16.4ppg, 1.9rpg, 2.6apg, FGP: 46.1%, 3PT: 39.2%, FT: 78.5%. Simmons is an amazing shooter and shot 48% from outside in his junior season at Pikeville, but can also mix it up getting to the hole. In his first season with Pikeville, he played 25 games averaging 20.8ppg, 2.2rpg, 2.0apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 45.3%, 3PT: 48.9%, FT: 78.4%. He spoke to German Hoops after giving his debut as a professional fort he Licher Basket Baeren beating the Bayer Giants Leverkusen 99-93.

 

 

Karriem congrats on the big 99-93 victory over the Bayer Giants Leverkusen. Top scorer of the game and a win to go along with it. Was this the perfect start to your professional season?

Getting a good tough win, against a great team, on the road is definitely a great way to start off my professional career! I’m so proud of what my teammates and I have accomplished.

What kind of a feeling was it playing in the legendary Smid arena that housed Germany´s best team in the 90´s with the Bayer Giants Leverkusen?

It was an amazing feeling. The gym was very nice. Also, the feeling of the atmosphere and energy in the gym was top notch. I really respect what they have going on over there. I had a lot of fun.

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It´s Another Normal Day At The Office For Aaron Nelson As He And The Dragons Rhondorf Destroy BG Karlsruhe 87-70

The last time that fans could depart the always loud Dragons Dome with a smile on their faces and still enough time to spare to get home and watch the ZDF Sportstudio to catch the football scores was Janaury 2nd, 2016 as Rhondorf had smacked around Rent4Office 83-65 which was only one of two wins in a season to forget as the club stunk up the Pro A and crawled back to the Pro B with their heads in bags as the embarrassment was difficult to hide. The last home game was a little more than six months ago where the Dragons lost a nail bitter to the RheinStars Cologne 78-76, but except for a tournament three weeks ago where they faced off against Pro B team AstroStars Bochum and BBL team Telekom Baskets Bonn, basketball had been missed in the Dragons Dome as the long summer seemed to drag on and on like a caterpillar does going through life. The 2016-2017 season finally started again as the Dragons Rhondorf hosted last season´s best regular season team BG Karlsruhe who totally underachieved in the playoffs getting spanked and got swept by the Dresden Titans. The club lost some serious fire power in Rouven Roessler and double double input with Marcus Smallwood and all-rounder Hayden Lescault, but kept American routine veteran Jeremy Black and added the top scorer Ricky Easterling of the Pro B the last two seasons. It was already evident that Rhondorf head coach Matthias Sonnenschein had done his homework in the off season as his trio of imports Aaron the beast Nelson, Canadian Mike Lucier and American William Trawick had found a healthy chemistry already in pre-season, something that was lacking last season with their American imports. It was the battle of the top Pro B team of last season BG Karlsruhe against ex Pro A team Dragons Rhondorf and the home team was able to finally win a home game again after waiting almost 9 months after their last win destroying BG Karlsruhe 87-70. After the game two thirds of the import trio of Aaron Nelson, Mike Lucier and Will Trawick were stretching as they combined for 54 of the team 87 points, but Canadian Mike Lucier quickly noted that the victory could be chalked up to a total team effort. “We played well together and you can see we have team chemistry. The secret to this early working team chemistry is that we have character guys that all get along and want to succeed. We all moved well off the ball, had strong cuts and guys got open and we hit our shots. We did a pretty good job on defense, but it could have been better. We played with good intensity and everyone knows when to switch and we communicated well”, added Dragons Rhondorf forward Mike Luicer. BG Karlsruhe had a tough time finding a healthy team rhythm and had to play catch up basketball all night long and just had no remedy how to slow down the Rhondorf offense. After the game, Baltimore native Ricky Easterling was reserved and low key about the loss, but knew that there is more to a season than just one game. “We came in here wanting to win, but faced a tough Rhondorf team. We were too hesitant on defense and had bad rotations and no communication. The season is long. We have to look at this game again and correct our mistakes”, stressed BG Karlsruhe guard Ricky Easterling. “It was a team effort and we played well at all times during our highs and lows. Our chemistry is working well and everyone knows their roles and how they work”, warned Dragons Rhondorf forward Aaron Nelson.

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Jeremy Black (BG Karlsruhe) At This Point In My Career I´m Still Improving And Striving To Get Better

Jeremy Black is a 30 year old 203cm forward from Tampa, Florida that is playing his sixth season for BG Karlsruhe. He played at Tampa (NCAA2) from 2004-2008 and in his senior year played 30 games: 18.7ppg, 11.0rpg, 1.6apg, 1.1bpg, 1.5spg, FG: 49.3%, 3Pts: 30.8%, FT: 72.1%. He turned professional in 2008 and since then has always played in Germany except two seasons ago where he played for AB Contern (Luxembourg-Total League) 4 games: 12.8ppg, 10.3rpg, 1.8apg, in Nov.’14 moved to BCKE Wallabies (Switzerland-LNB). He also played two seasons for Science City Jena. Last season with BG Karlsruhe he played 21 games averaging 11.4ppg, 8.3rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 56.2%, 3PT: 17.6%, FT: 61.5%. He spoke to German Hoops before the season opener in Rhondorf against the Dragons.

 

 

 

Thanks Jeremy for talking to German Hoopos. You are playing your sixth season for BG Karlsruhe. What is missing most in Karlsruhe that could almost substitute it with Tampa as home?

Karlsruhe is my new home base. I can always go back home but what I miss most is my family and the food!

Except for a short stay in Luxemburg two seasons ago, you seem to always come back to Karlsruhe. What is most appealing about the organization and city that makes you want to return?

Yeah, Karlsruhe is and always will be special to me. I came here not expecting much but I got way more than I can bargain for. The city is awesome besides the never ending construction. The people who I’ve came in contact with while being here have been nothing short of amazing.

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Virgil Matthews (BV Chemnitz) I Was Playing Awful In The Preseason So It Just Felt Good To See The Ball Go In

Virgil Matthews is a 33 year old 188cm guard from Federal Way, Washington that is playing his tenth professional season and third with BV Chemnitz. Last season for BV Chemnitz he played 33 games averaging 12.6ppg, 6.1rpg, Assists-2(7.6apg), 1.6spg, FGP: 55.5%, 3PT: 34.5%, FT: 75.2%. He played at Montana (NCAA) and in his senior year played 31 games averaging 10.1ppg, 4.6rpg, 4.0apg, 1.7spg, FG: 49.8%, 3PT: 48.4%, FT: 76.1%. In 2006-2007, he turned professional and came to Germany and played for KICKZ Muenchen Basket (Germany-2.Bundesliga) playing 29 games averaging 18.0ppg, 6.1rpg, 5.2apg, 2.6spg, 2FGP: 57.3%, 3FGP: 31.8%, FT: 66.5%. In 2007-2008, he played for Tacoma Jazz (IBL). In 2008-2009, he returned back to Germany and played for Schwelmer Baskets (Germany-Regionalliga). In 2009-2010, he played for Olympia Reign (IBL) playing 28 games averaging 23.1ppg, 7.2rpg and for Seattle Aviators (NABL).In 2010-2011, he played his first season for Erdgas Ehingen playing 32 games: 11.6ppg, 5.3rpg, 3.6apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 57.6%, 3PT: 29.4%, FT: 71.3%. He would play until 2014 with Ehingen playing 126 games with three seasons in the Pro A and one in the Pro B. He spoke to German Hoops after the season opening win in Erfurt against Gotha.

 

Virgil thanks for talking to German Hoops. The new season kicked off tonight with a road win against Gotha. What do you believe is most fascinating about this derby?

Gotha fans have their own way of supporting their team and they are very loud and do a good job. Combining that with the great fans of Chemnitz makes a great derby.

Congrats on the exciting 74-72 victory. What a great start to the new season with such a close finish. Is this a further token how competitive the German pro A will continue to be this season?

I think the Pro A is always pretty competitive it doesn’t get the credit it deserves I think, but yes I think this season will be very competitive.

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Can the Developing Dynasty With Brose Bamberg Continue To Grow Without Brad Wanamaker?

In Freak city Bamberg, one can tackle the  difficult question about which player in the last 10 years had the most impact on their two dynasties, ex NBA player Casey Jacobsen or Brad Wanamaker, but one thing is for sure, the eight time BBL champion would have won far less titles had the club not had these two players aboard. Of course a team effort belongs to the success of a club, but these two players had a major impact on their teams. Granted a Jacobsen won 5 league titles in four and a half years while a Wanamker won only two, but the American who head coach Sasa Obradovic once called one of the three best players to have ever played in the BBL played only two seasons with the team going two for two in league titles and now has headed to greener pastures in Turkey with Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul. Just how dominant would the Brose Baskets Bamberg have been this season and for the future if the club had miraculously been able to produce an extra crate full of cash to keep the Philadelphia native on board? In any case when Jacobsen retired in 2013 the Brose Baskets Bamberg were dethroned in 2014 by FC Bayern Munich and now with Wanamaker departed, will they be able to keep the new started dynasty alive? This season the Brose Baskets Bamberg don´t have that dominant guard from nature on and off the court like a Wanamaker, but a very potent guard rotation of French national player Fabien Causeur, rookie Maodo Lo and Janis Strelnieks. All three have their own diverse talents with the French man´s basketball IQ, drive and shooting, Lo´s undeniable quickness and drive that is hard to stop as well as probably the best playmaker of the lot, and Strelnieks´s  dangerous shooting and ongoing basketball IQ. Bamberg will have one of the best guard rotation´s in the league and even if they lost such a huge leader in a Wanamaker, the club has enough other players that will be able to slip into the role that Wanamaker once had. The question will be what player will be able and want to take over that responsibility? “I think Bamberg is still the favorite. But losing Wanamaker is a big loss for them, similar like when Munich lost Delaney. It will be interesting how they compensate for this loss”, stressed Phoenix Hagen assistant coach Steven Wriedt.

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Will Trawick (Dragons Rhondorf) Emory Basketball Players Are Extremely Unique

Will Trawick is a 22 year old 196cm guard from Bedford, New York that will be starting his professional career in Germany with the Dragons Rhondorf. He played at Emory (NCAA3) from 2012-2016 playing a total of 120 NCAA games. As a senior he played 27 games averaging 15.2ppg, 5.7rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 46.7%, 3PT: 35.3%, FT: 78.9%. He spoke to German Hoops about basketball during the summer.

 

Will thanks for talking to German Hoops Where are you at the moment and how has your summer been?

Hi Miles. It’s nice to finally make it to the professional level and be able to talk to German Hoops. My summer has been good. For the most part, I have been training and talking to coaches and teams. I am currently in Atlanta, Georgia. My university is here so I decided to stay to train with my coaches and use the facilities.

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What Fortunes Can The New Youth Program Era Reloaded 2.0 Bring The Fraport Skyliners This Season?

The 2010-2011 Fraport Skyliners season seems like it was ages ago as guys from that successful semi-final run loss to Alba Berlin like Pascal Roller, Roger Powell, Dominik Bahiense De Mello, AJ Moye Jimmy Mckinney and Marius Nolte are all retired and Chris Moss might be hanging up his sneakers now soon as well. The only guy still with the team is Skyliner identity figure Quantez Robertson who now has the distinction of being part of a second basketball cycle that is commencing in the Frankfurt basketball world. A cycle is a recurring period of time in which certain events or phenomena occur and reach completion or repeat themselves in a regular sequence. In life one has all kinds of cycles like the astronomical cycle, climate and weather cycles, geological cycles, agricultural cycles or medical cycles just to name a few and if you want to get cute and absurd actor Charlie Sheen and his own bizarre sex cycle that is as rapid as the daily new lines that Donald Trump is delivering to the world. The two best import point guards that the Fraport Skyliners ever had with Dashaun Wood and Jordan Theodore were present at the start of the first cycle in 2011 and end of the first basketball cycle in 2016. No one is really sure where Gunnar Wobke came up with the idea of starting this basketball youth development factory in Frankfurt wheather it was looking over the shoulder of Henrik Roedl and TBB Trier as they were on the youth development trip starting in 2010 or if the lack of budget left him no other choice? In any event, the Fraport Skyliners youth program era began in 2011 and first cycle ended in 2016 and now the club has clearly displayed that a new youth program era reloaded 2,0 is commencing again with new faces, challenges and hopes. With guys like Niklas Kiel, Max Merz and Stefan Ilzhoefer on the verge of making their BBL break through, Garai Zeeb in his second season in development and new German faces of Mahir Agva and Daniel Mayer continuing their development in Frankfurt, the club feels that the youth program era reloaded 2,0 will be one too remember. Not to forget 16 year old Isaac Bonga who is a 203cm point guard and the most interesting player to watch in the next years where the sky isn´t the limit, but moreover outer space is the limit.

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Larry Gordon (KT Sonic Boom) I Have A Chip On My Shoulder And That´s The Way I Will Play This Season In South Korea

Larry Gordon is a 28 year old 196cm forward that recently finished his first season with the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven playing 33 games averaging 10.1ppg, 5.4rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 57.8%, 3PT: 42.6%, FT: 84.3% This season he will take his talent east to South Korea. The American played a total of 101 games for Phoenix Hagen from 2012-2015 leading them into the playoffs once  He played at  Cal Poly Pomona (NCAA2) from 2005 to 2009 playing a total of  116 NCAA2 games. In his senior year, he played 33 games: 15.7ppg, 10.4rpg, 2.0apg, 1.7apg, FGP: 53.8%, 3PT: 38.5%, FT: 75.7%. He was a CCAA Player of the Year and NCAA D2 Finalist in 2009. In 2009-2010, he came to Europe as a rookie and played for Landstede Basketbal Zwolle (Holland-Eredivisie) playing  36 games and averaging 14.0ppg, 8.1rpg, 1.8apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 48.3%, 3PT: 33.7%, FT: 75.8%. He played for ECE Bulls Kapfenberg (Austria-A Bundesliga) from 2010-2012 before coming to Phoenix Hagen in 2012. Larry Gordon has been a regular for German Hoops as he gave his 39th interview for the website recently from South Korea.

Larry thanks for talking to German Hoops Where are you at the moment and how was your summer?

No problem sir it’s always a pleasure man. At the moment I’m in South Korea, preparing for my upcoming season in the KBL. I had an incredible summer, took a vacation, traveled a lot and of course worked on my game.

After 7 years in Europe and four in Germany, you are headed east to South Korea to play for KT Sonic Boom. How excited are you about this new adventure?

Man I’m real excited, it’s a new situation for me and my career. The league is a bit different than leagues in Europe, but I’m adjusting so far and just want to make big impact here my first year.

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Guaros de Lara Survive Scare TipToeing By The Fraport Skyliners Winning Fiba Intercontinental Cup 74-69

Usually around this time in mid September, Fraport Skyliner captain Quantez Robertson would be going through his normal pre-season routine with the club getting in synch with his new teammates, learning the new plays, finding chemistry with the new point guard that was hauled in late, annoying his teammates in practice with his never ending superb man on man defense and getting reacquainted with the Footlocker store in the NWZ mall where he lives only a short walk from the Skyliners training facility looking for the newest trendy shoes to help enhance his footwear. However September 18th, 2016 wasn´t any other ordinary day in the home stretch of the pre-season, but a very special and out of the ordinary as the Cincinnati native could have been able to achieve something that guys like ex Skyliners  Pascal Roller, Mario Kasun, Robert Garrett or Tyrone Ellis hadn´t done. These great players all won one a title for the Skyliners in one calendar year, but never two in that period. It took Robertson 7 seasons to win his first professional title and almost 5 months later, he had the golden opportunity to win a second with the Intercontinental cup. “It felt good trying to bring a second title to Frankfurt in the same year. Even if it felt like a normal BBL game, we were playing for a lot more. It definitely felt like a playoff game with the atmosphere in the arena”, stated ex Auburn guard Quantez Robertson.  For ex Mississippi(NCAA) forward Zach Graham, he didn´t feel any real pre-season anxiety, but had only title in his thoughts. “I just love to play this game. It is every player´s dream to play in a title game and we had fun and came home with the gold”, added 2016 Fiba Intercontinental Cup MVP Zach Graham.

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