The Fraport Skyliners Established Lethal Team Play Looks To Sweep Series Against The Giessen 46ers Growing Team Play

The basketball fireworks started to take off early in the first quarter of the Beko BBL game between the Fraport Skyliners and ratiopharm Ulm last weekend, but the way it happened came from the hands of the most unlikely recipient in a Skyliner´s jersey. It wasn´t from the soft hands of big 205cm, 108 kilo center Florida native Mike Morrison who has never met a rim he didn´t fancy, or from the freak athlete Quantez Robertson who has unleashed so many flights in the Fraport arena at both ends of the court as Tez airlines that he would of made any flight controller in the area dizzy with all the traffic that the Cincinnati native as produced since arriving in Frankfurt in 2009. The big Aaron Doornekamp lob pass and throw down alley-oop dunk from Mike Morrison would entertain the fans late in the second quarter as a kind of main entrée. However it was actually an athletic play by Aaron Doornekamp that would serve as a nice game opening appetizer early in the first quarter that got many fans to see a totally different side to the game of the Canadian that one had never seen before. It is normal procedure to hear the rippled splash sound from the corner when Doornekamp unleashes a shot, but too see him in full flight and in the air like Air Jordan had never been seen before or was it really Quantez Super Tez Robertson in a mask? With the contest tied at 5-5, Doornekamp was behind the three point line at the right part of the court and with a defensive break down by Ulm that left ex Boston Celtic guard Chris Babb wrong footed, allowed Doornekmap the needed split second to accelerate to the rim as he had as clear a lane as Michael Jordan got on a daily basis back in the day where his tongue became famous with his flight toward instant bucket. Doornekamp flew to the bucket and finished with a beautiful hard one handed dunk that electrified the fans. After the comfortable 92-73 victory, Fraport Skyliners head coach Gordon Herbert as usual kept the lauding to a minimal and tried not to be overexcited about the very strong team win. Herbert is the type of guy that keeps his joking to a minimal, but after a win like that where the team played really smart and well, he was able to release one witty remark saying that was the first time that he remembered seeing Aaron Doornekamp dunk in the last five years. “Aaron is a true professional and old man joke is funny but Aaron can really play this game at an extremely high level. He does a lot for our team and I’m sure he will be himself at Giessen. His dunk was awesome. I loved the scream after also”, stressed Fraport Skyliner point guard Jordan Theodore. The Fraport Skyliners shot an amazing 55% from the field, won the rebounding duel, dished out 22 assists, coughed up the ball a respectable 11 times only and held the hottest team in the league Ulm to only 73 points. Frankfurt would of held them under 70 points easily had they been able to keep ex Michigan state forward Raymar Morgan better under control. “Our defense vs Ulm was Skyliner basketball. We’re a tough group who likes to get after it on the defensive end”, warned ex Seton Hall guard Jordan Theodore. All in all, it was another great team win, but just another small step in the current season of the Fraport Skyliners.

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Brandon Shingles(UNI Riesen Leipzig) Post Season Basketball Is About Letting It All Hang Out And Playing As One

Brandon Shingles is a 28 year old 190cm guard from Albany, Georgia playing his third season in Germany and first with the Uni-Riesen Leipzig (Germany-ProB). He started his basketball career at Morehead St. (NCAA) and as a senior played 32 games: 4.8ppg, 2.2rpg, 4.8apg, 1.5spg. In 2010 he started his professional basketball career at Aschersleben Tigers BC (Germany-2.Regionalliga) playing 15 games: 14.5ppg. He led the team to the Regionaliga 2 title. In the 2011-2012 season he played for Guildford Heat (United Kingdom-BBL) playing 6 games: 7.5ppg, 4.8rpg, 2.8apg, FGP: 57.1%, FT: 31.3%; left in Nov.’11, then moved to BBC Febro Eagles Magdeburg (Germany-Regionalliga) playing 7 games: 16.1ppg, 7.1 rpg, 3.9apg, 2.0spg, FGP: 61.8%, FT: 63.0%. He then played for KB Drita Gjilan (Kosovo-SuperLeague) and two years ago for GBP Badajoz (Spain-EBA) playing 15 games: 15.5ppg, 8.3rpg, 3.6apg, 2.3spg, 2FGP: 60.8%, 3PT: 6.3%, FT: 57.3%. He spoke to German Hoops after the 87-81 loss to Wurzburg

 

 

 

Brandon thanks for talking to German Hoops. A tough 87-81 loss to Wurzburg. Except for an explosive third quarter where the UNI Riesen Leipzig powered home 31 points, you were never able to match the Wurzburg offense. Why was that a problem for three quarters?

I felt we came out sluggish the first half and put ourselves in a hole we weren’t able to get out of.

In the fourth quarter, Wurzburg had the lead despite Leipzig making runs and staying close, but why wasn´t the team able to get over the hump?

We just couldn’t get over the hump but all the credit goes to Wurzburg. They played a solid game.

How much does it annoy you that you helped force Wurzburg to 24 turnovers, but you still were unable to win the ball game?

Not really annoyed. Just shows we can really play good defense when we have to and this is something we can use going into the playoffs .

The UNI Riesen Leipzig did a pretty good job keeping American Travis Smith in check, but let the German duo of Felix Hoffman and Max Ugrai combine for 33 points. Couldn´t the team make better adjustments throughout the game against them?

All three guys are good players. Felix and Max had it going that night. We made some adjustments but it was a little too late .

The UNI Riesen Leipzig clinched the playoffs weeks ago, but a 4 game losing streak gave them the eighth place. How discouraging was it finishing the season with a 4 game losing streak?

I mean at the Christmas break we were in 3rd and now 8th. The last 4 loses came down to the wire so it’s not discouraging at all. We just got to get back to having fun and playing good quality basketball.

You didn´t play bad team basketball as you were in every game against BG Karlsruhe, Nordlingen, Frankfurt and Wurzburg. What positives can you take into the playoffs?

The positives we can take is now we know we can play with some off the better teams in our league. We just need to put a complete game together rather than just a half .

How can the team be focused mentally right now for the playoffs after losing the last four games?

Mentally I think we are fine. We know what we are capable of. We are a very confident team.

You have two weeks to prepare for the playoffs now the best of three. What things does the team need to work on most?

We need to improve in all aspects ff we plan to make a playoff run. Especially as a #8 seed

Now you play against #1 Pro B north team Iserlohn. Doesn´t the slim Leipzig rotation already give you head aches when thinking about that deep team?

The fact we have a slim rotation doesn’t bother us at all. We know the situation we are up against this team we just have to be ready to play from start to finish.

How excited are you too battle Iserlohn in the playoffs? How do you see to step up your game now in the post season?

I’m very excited to be playing in the playoffs no matter who we would have played. It’s a blessing to be here. Post season basketball is about letting it all hang out and playing as one so if we want to pull off this upset we need to play together.

How did you see the NBA trades recently at the deadline? What teams did the best?

I’m a Spurs fan. So with them signing Andre Miller (one of my favorite players ) and Kevin Martin made them really deep for a Championship run in June.

Some of the older NBA players that played at different times are having a hard time giving Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors credit for their success saying they might not have had that success 20-30 years ago. Are these former players just jealous or why can´t they just give credit where it´s due?

I’m more of a fan of the NBA back then than now but the game evolved so much. What Curry is doing is amazing. We have never seen anything like it. Just give credit where credit is due.

Recently ESPN made a top 100 greatest NBA players of alltime poll putting Lebron at #3 before legends Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and BIll Russell. Do you see that as being justified?

I hate all this talk about Lebron. I’m a fan of him. Let him finish his career out first and then see where he falls among the all time greats but right now there is now way he should be in front of those guys you mention.

What was the last movie that you saw?

Major Payne.

Thanks Brandon for the chat.

 

Alex Foster(RheinStars) We Need To Reestablish A Winning-Posture With The Purpose Of Making The Most Of Our Season

Alex Foster is a 23 year old 203cm forward that grew up in Portland, Oregon and also has the German citizenship and is playing his professional rookie season in Germany with the RheinStars(Germany-ProA). He played at Emory (NCAA3) from 2011-2015 playing a total of 108 NCAA3 games and as a senior played 20.1ppg, 7.9rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 44.6%, 3PT: 39.9%, FT: 79.8%. He was able to improve his scoring and rebounding average each season. He spoke to German Hoops after the RheinStars 74-69 loss against the Hebeisen White Wings Hanau.

 

 

Alex thanks for talking to German Hoops. A tough 74-69 loss to the Hebeisen Baskets Hanau. After an offensive second and third quarter, where did both teams find the energy to buckle down and give that extra on the defensive end in the fourth quarter?

We’re fighting to end over a month of losing, so there’s plenty of motivation to give everything we can to win. I think that showed in the intensity of the game last night, we just didn’t do enough to win.

The Hebeisen White Wings Hanau had an annoying 8-0 run to start the fourth quarter. Was that the ultimate dagger that cut into the heart of the RhieinStars?

We fought till the end, but we made too many mistakes down the stretch, which kept us from taking back the lead. We gave up way too many offense rebounds and also missed free throws. If we would have taken care of those things, we could have came up on top.

The RheinStars got crushed on the boards 53-28. Do you ever remember getting hit for 22 offensive rebounds in your career?

I honestly don’t know. Not that I can remember.

Kruize Pinkins had the number of the RheinStars this season combining for 38 rebounds and this time around had an even better game with 25 points and 20 rebounds. What makes this guy seemingly impossible to control?

He’s a tough match up physically and has a nose for the ball. Their whole team crashes the glass hard, which puts pressure on the defense to control the rebound. Last night, every time a ball bounced around, it ended up in their hands.

If you could pick one positive thing from this loss, could one laud the overall defense which kept a very strong team at the moment to 74 points?

Our defense was alright, but we also need to do some things much better to get back to winning. I also think we are starting to move the ball better, which we need to continue to work on too.

Hanau is one of the hottest teams in the German Pro A and are closer than ever of reaching the playoffs. How has the team improved since your first meeting in Hanau?

I respect the intensity they brought on the road. You could tell they were driven to win, which is something we can learn from them. Like us, they’re not the most talented team. Yet they make the most of their abilities and play together, which wins games.

The RheinStars Cologne are riding a 7 game losing streak. Reaching the playoffs was never a goal, but the team was in the playoff race for a long time. Is the team mentally even prepared to think about it now or is it better just to go one game at a time and finish the season strong?

I think we have to play for ourselves and then see what happens. For me, its not about the playoffs, it’s about making every day count. It’s hard to play your game when you’re focusing on the end result. Instead, if we go possession by possession, day by day, we’ll have a chance to end the losing streak.

The RheinStars are a very young team. Is the fact that the season is very long that the club has felt the fatigue factor as of late as a reason for the team fading?

We can’t make any excuses for our recent struggles. I think we have to take responsibility and fix it.

The club has only averaged 66 points in the seven game losing streak. Why has the team had had so much trouble putting points on the board?

Losing game after game puts a weight on your back and I think we’ve gotten too tight because of it. It shows on offense for sure. For a while, we were looking at each other to make plays, or trying to force things individually. We’ve put an emphasis on moving the ball and running hard, so we can get better looks for each other.

What will be key for the team now to get out of this funk besides sticking together?

We need to reestablish a winning-posture and enjoy the time we have together as a team. Not in a happy-go-lucky way, but with the purpose of making the most of our season.

As the season winds down, you keep working on improving your three point shot. As a rookie, it is more than understandable to have ups and downs, but how comfortable do you feel momentarily with the progress? You hit three against Hanau after two games of being 0/6.

I’ve been sticking around the gym to get up extra shots, which is the only way to get out of a shooting slump that I know. I was 1-3 from the line yesterday, so I’ll be getting in lots of free throws this week.

As a rookie how have you felt the effects of a long season? How have you been able to handle this seven game losing streak best mentally?

I definitely have had to take better care of my body. Eating well sustains my energy week after week, and I’ve also made sure to treat all the injuries I’ve sustained throughout the season, so I can stay on the court. As for the losing streak, I try to stay present-minded, to not get too caught up in it.

How did you see the NBA trades recently at the deadline? What teams did the best?

I appreciate good deals, so I liked Portland getting a future first-round draft pick for nothing but cap-space.

Some of the older NBA players that played at different times are having a hard time giving Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors credit for their success saying they might not have had that success 20-30 years ago. Are these former players just jealous or why can´t they just give credit where it´s due?

Every player has a natural tendency to hang on to their past accomplishments, but to not give the Warriors credit is silly. The NBA is as competitive as ever and their regular season run is remarkable.

Recently ESPN made a top 100 greatest NBA players of alltime poll putting Lebron at #3 before legends Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and BIll Russell. Do you see that as being justified?

It’s impossible to truly justify any kind of player ranking. It’s all just opinions. The way I look at it, players should be evaluated by how much they mean to their team. So Lebron is definitely up there.

What was the last movie that you saw?

Deadpool. I love super hero movies and this one was like nothing I’d seen before.

Thanks Alex for the chat.

 

The Twin Towers Barthel And Voigtmann Are The Passing Flavors Of The Night Pacing The Fraport Skyliners Past ratiopharm Ulm 92-73

Every weekend, Fraport Skyliner point guard and the pride and joy of Englewood, New Jersey, Jordan Theodore has too battle against top rated point guards in the Beko BBL and some nights, he comes out the winner both in the team and match up category, but as of late, he has only been coming up the master in the head to head battle while his team the Fraport Skyliners have been coming up short in the victory department. After having a 6 game winning streak in the Beko BBL, the 2004 German champion currently is riding a three game losing streak. Theodore held his own in Ludwigsburg against American Kerron Johnson producing 22 points, but losing 74-70, then held a basketball boxing match against Jordan Taylor as he hit the game winning shot propelling 9 time Beko BBL cup winner into the final in Munich and last weekend the ex Seton Hall guard supplied 21 points to Brad Wanamaker´s 12 points, but the Brose Baskets Bamberg crushed Frankfurt 71-58. Theodore returned back to his own living room after three games on the road and was ready for the next battle against German national player Per Guenther and ratiopharm Ulm, currently one of the hottest team´s in the league having won 13 of their last 14 games. In this long and illustrious winning streak also belonged the 68-61 win of ratiopharm Ulm over the Fraport Skyliners on December 12th at home as Theodore couldn´t play in that game due to injury as German national player Konstantin Klein moved into the starting rotation notching 14 points as Guenther achieved 10 points and six assists in the win. It was the little things that Ulm did and Frankfurt didn´t that paved the win for guys like Chris Babb and Taylor Braun. One thing that Theodore has had often this season after games in the Fraport arena is that winning smile and non stop talkative mode that let´s him go on and on about the beauty of Frankfurt basketball as he has a 16-2 record this season in Beko BBL and Europe Cup play at home. In his first meeting with Guether and with revenge on the minds of his teammates, he and the Fraport Skyliners came out with an exceptional effort over 40 minutes as it was another day at the office where the offense was rolling and the defense was standing tall beating ratiopharm Ulm 92-73. Theodore didn´t start the game as he hadn´t practiced all week, but still amassed 10 points and four assists in the rout. “I was sick this week and I was a last minute decision to play. Klein did a good job and we still took care of business. We knew that it would be a good game. I didn´t play in Ulm and all I wanted was a win tonight. I wanted show my presence and this was a great win after the loss in Bamberg. We did a good job on Guenther and credit Klein for locking him up. Klein showed a lot of pride after losing the first time. We did a good job attacking Guenther and taking him out of the game”, stressed ex Seton Hall guard Jordan Theodore. A big key in the Frankfurt victory was the superb play by the German twin Towers Johannes Voigtmann and Danilo Barthel who combined for 35 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. Especially their amazing passing game once again dazzled everyone as they continue to demonstrate why they are the best passing 4-5 duo in the German Beko BBL. Even if Canadian national player Aaron Doornekamp led all players with 8 assists, the passing flavor of the game were called Voigtmann and Barthel as they just took apart the Ulm defense all night long. Some come to games to witness the cool decision making and amazing game control of Jordan Theodore, Aaron Doornekamp make splash sounds from the corner, Mike Morrison make crushing authority dunks or the beautiful precision passing from all over the floor from Johannes Voigtmann or Danilo Barthel. “We really rely a lot on Voigtmann and Barthel, but what else can you expect when you have two guys like that that can score, rebound, pass and work so hard. It is a big advantage when you can give the big man the ball and let him go to work. Their passing is huge. It is a big advantage when they have a good position with the ball. It opens up the floor for their 1-1 play or if the double team comes, they know where to find us”, expressed 5 time CIS champion Philip Scrubb. Ratiopharm Ulm really had no cure of how to stop 40 minutes of always attacking mode on offense and couldn´t crack the always aggressive Frankfurt defense. “When you play against a good team, you have to be ready for 40 minutes, but we weren´t. We were unable to execute on offense and looked confused on defense. Their two big men really hurt us with their scoring and when they can pass as well it gets tougher. We have a very athletic front court, but we were unable to use it to our advantage”, stressed ex Boston Celtic Chris Babb.

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The Tomas Dimsa Early Explosiveness Fuels The Fraport Skyliners Juniors By The ScanPlus Baskets 91-80

 

Time goes and goes in the basketball world as players get older and quietly glide away in the sunset into retirement while others remain or even come out of retirement when that itch to battle under the boards returns even after having banged in the trenches for 17 years and having had to endure countless elbows over that span. For German Maksym Shten who was known as the Ukrainian train can look back at a very long basketball career that allowed him to play in the Beko BBL for 6 years with teams like ratiopharm Ulm, Frankfurt, TBB Trier, Eisbaeren Bremerhaven and medi Bayreuth amassing a total of 200 games. It would be interesting to find out which place was most loving to him as he did help Ulm reach the BBL in 2006, but with the Frankfurt Skyliners, he played with a very special team reaching the semi-finals of the 2008 playoffs where no Frankfurt fan will ever forget the very exciting 5 game series win over Leverkusen and loss to the Telekom Baskets Bonn. Frankfurt was also the only time, he played international club basketball where he played 9 ULEB cup games and probably his best BBL game was his amazing 24 point outburst in Goettingen where half the team was sick and he had to step up. From that 2007-2008 Frankfurt team, only four guys are still active with Alex King with Alba Berlin, Jimmy Mckinney with Bonn, Derrick Allen with SC Rasta Vechta and Illian Evtimov with Chalon in France. Shtein had a perfect 3-0 PRO B record with Weissenhorn against the Fraport Skyliners Juniors and 2-0 in the BCM and returned back ready to battle against the young German big men Johannes Richter and Niklas Kiel and show that this train still has ICE style. However Shtein saw only 6.15 minutes in the game making a point and an assist and as usual was very active inside, but his only shot was a missed three pointer as he was testing his 66% three point shooting. However it was the other ex Skyliner Filmore Beck that stole the show having a masterful game notching 28 points keeping the ScanPlus Baskets in the game, but overall as has been the case so often this season, it was the overall skill and deepness of the Fraport Skyliners Juniors that allowed them to win another game despite squandering lead after lead. “We had highs and lows in the game, but the difference was in the second half where we played better as a team, hit shots and made easy buckets”, stressed Fraport Skyliners Juniors guard Max Merz. ScanPlus Baskets point guard and leader Lorne Jackson was frustrated after the loss as he had fouled out at 6.16 minute mark of the fourth quarter, but stressed that there were many factors why his team couldn´t get over the hump. “They had the lead most of the game and we always had to fight back and were unable get the lead. They simply outworked us, made plays and hit many three´s which hurt us. We shot bad from the field and free throw line and had too many turnovers”, stressed ex Pepperdine(NCAA) guard Lorne Jackson.

You probably could have asked ScanPlus Baskets 35 year old Edward Williams who Tomas Dimsa was and he most likely would have shrugged and at least noticed that he wasn´t German, but after a few minutes and being down 17-4 quickly, the American who was German Pro B champion in 2009 with Crailsheim and played at North Carolina-Wilmington found out fast who the Lithuanian was as he steered 10 points in the run as his early explosiveness fueled the Fraport Skyliners which paved the road for a very strong team offensive performance over the course of 40 minutes. In the run, Dimsa showed just how lethal his athleticism is as he scored inside three times shifting gears with his speed whenever he wanted to and also knocked down a three. American Travis Thompson also connected from downtown and Johannes Richter scored inside on the pick and roll with Merz. The key to the big run was the aggressiveness of Dimsa which led to a consistent offense and they were defending steadily while they also had the upper hand in getting loose balls. However the day basketball ends being a game of runs is the day Donald Trump admits he isn´t the greatest as both will continue to be reality as now it was time for the ScanPlus Baskets to get some more luck and get a rhythm on offense as they smacked Frankfurt in the face with a nasty 12-0 run to trail only 17-15. The run was started by the never ending aggressiveness of American North Carolina native Tommy Spagnolo who got two offensive rebounds that he put home for put backs. German Brian Butler who played 65 Pro A games with Ehingen took a chapter from Dimsa´s book of being aggressive scoring inside and getting to the free throw line twice. Beck also nailed his first three pointer. The main reason for the Scan Plus Baskets getting back in the game was that they upped their aggressiveness inside and Frankfurt also got careless with taking care of the ball and on defense. However as has so often been the case this season, when an opponent is threatening, Frankfurt always find a way to stop the run and get their offense going again as Thompson and Stefan Ilzhoefer nailed three pointers carrying Frankfurt to the 27-20 lead after one quarter. “Frankfurt had a good start, but then allowed the opponent to go on a run and they played no team defense and too much 1-1 play”, stressed Fraport Skyliners guard Philip Scrubb. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 64% from the field and 57% from outside while the ScanPlus Baskets were shooting 44% from the field and 40% from outside. Both teams had nine rebounds a piece and Frankfurt had six turnovers and the ScanPlus Baskets five turnovers.

The second quarter was similar to the first quarter in that the Fraport Skyliners Juniors had a good start getting a healthy lead again, but then allowed the ScanPlus Baskets on a 12-0 run to get their first lead of the game, but they still went into halftime with the lead. Paderborn native Niklas Kiel gave Frankfurt instant offense with a three pointer and a lay in giving Frankfurt the 32-22 advantage. After being almost invisible in the first quarter on offense, American Lorne Jackson got going making free throws and connecting on a pull up jumper. After Beck hit a step back shot, it was Merz that made a three pointer extending the Frankfurt lead to 37-27. Then it was time for the second big run and ScanPlus Baskets comeback of the night as they moved out on a 12-0 run to take their first lead 39-37. The ScanPlus Baskets took some of that Filmore Beck pizazz on the offensive end as the ex TV Langen guard got very hot not showcasing his three pointer, but also some of that Ricky Easterling type of game scoring inside spinning on one hoop and scoring off balance on another. Jackson also contributed to the run as well as 32 year old German/Bosnian Mario Simic who played with Weissenhorn from 2004-2012 who finished with a pretty finger tip lay in. However Frankfurt didn´t lay down and die, but fought for the lead back as Richter nailed a three pointer and Dimsa snuck inside for another lay in to give Frankfurt the slim 44-42 lead at the break. “The ScanPlus Baskets were very confident in their run while Frankfurt got out of their offense. It was good that Frankfurt didn´t let the opponent get a bigger lead on their run”, added Philip Scrubb. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were shooting 48% from the field and 44% from the three point line while the ScanPlus Baskets were shooting 54% from the field and 29% from the three point line. The ScanPlus Baskets had the 18-14 rebound edge, but 12 turnovers while Frankfurt had 11 turnovers.

The Fraport Skyliners Juniors had another good start in the third quarter, but unlike the first two quarters learned from their mistakes not letting the ScanPlus Baskets go on another big run to get back into the game. Frankfurt got off on a quick 8-0 run to extend their lead to 52-42. The run was started by supreme ball movement which led to a Merz trey and sparked the run for further potent offense as Richter nailed free throws and Dimsa got free and hit another three pointer. The ScanPlus Baskets stayed tough going on a 6-2 run to cut the Frankfurt lead to 54-48 as it was Spagnolo scoring inside after getting a loose ball, Kevin Wysocki feeding Butler for an alley-oop slam dunk and the German dunker scored inside again. However the Fraport Skyliners continued to execute pretty well on offense and got enough stops to keep the opponent at bay and always have close to a 10-14 lead. Kiel was very effective getting to the free throw line twice and making a lay in as did ex Bremerhaven point guard Garai Zeeb being aggressive making free throws. Frankfurt showed their brutal three point shooting side connecting three times as Zeeb, Dimsa and Thompson connected giving the Fraport Skyliners Juniors the comfortable 73-59 lead after 30 minutes. “We hit big shots at the end. Thompson has been making them all season long. The ball movement was a lot better at the end. We know that we have very good shooters which helps our self confidence to take those shots”, added Max Merz. “Those three pointers at the end really hurt us. We were unable to make stops to get closer to them”, stressed Lorne Jackson. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were shooting 50% from the field and 48% from the parking lot while the ScanPlus Baskets were shooting 50% from the field and 18% from the parking lot. Both teams had 23 rebounds a piece, but the guests had 14 turnovers and Frankfurt 12 turnovers.

In the fourth quarter, the Fraport Skyliners Juniors continued to throw their lethal offense at the ScanPlus Baskets while they slowly ran out of gas and were without their top scorer Lorne Jackson who fouled out early. The ScanPlus Baskets made their last push at the start of the fourth quarter going on a 8-2 run to cut the Frankfurt lead to 77-67 as there was still a shimmer of hope. In the run, it was Beck hitting a step back, Simic scored inside and Butler made free throws and tip toed around Niklas Kiel for the easy lay in. However then it was Jackson who fouled out at the 6.16 minute mark which propelled Frankfurt on a 7-0 run to extend their lead to 84-67 which broke the back of the ScanPlus Baskets even if Beck continued to give his all trying to get a comeback going with his buckets. In the Frankfurt run, it was Tim Oldenburg connecting on his bread and butter the 15 footer, Zeeb nailed a trey and Ilzhoefer anticipated perfectly where the rebound would go and tipped in the ball while cruising in from the wing. “I don´t want to say that we lost because I fouled out. We didn´t come together as a team. I thought the game was being called tightly. This was the fourth time that I fouled out this season and never this early”, stressed Lorne Jackson. Beck would score 12 of the last 13 ScanPlus Baskets, but they couldn´t get any stops on defense. Frankfurt continued to hit shots as Thompson made a three and Oldenburg a step back. Ilzhoefer was a type of unsung hero in the last few minutes keeping two plays alive with tip outs which kept the Frankfurt offensive alive. Without his stellar hustle play, who knows what else Beck could have fabricated extra on offense with a few more possesions. “We did a good job being aggressive on Jackson and getting him into foul trouble. I think even if he hadn´t fouled out, it would have been hard for them to win”, stressed Max Merz. “Frankfurt got in the bonus early and got to the free throw line and made their shots. We made stupid turnovers and they executed on most of them and also continued to execute on offense”, said Lorne Jackson.

The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were led by Tomas Dimsa with 19 points. Niklas Kiel added 17 points. Travis Thompson contributed 12 points, Johannes Richter 11 points and Max Merz 10 points. The ScanPlus Baskets were led by Filmore Beck with 28 points. Brian Butler added 17 points and Lorne Jackson had 14 points. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 48% from the field and 44% from outside while the ScanPlus Baskets shot 50% from the field and 29% from outside. After losing the rebound duel by 30 in the first game, Frankfurt won the rebound battle this time 33-30, but had 17 turnovers while the ScanPlus Baskets had 18 turnovers. After the game, Fraport Skyliners Juniors head coach Eric Detlev had time to reflect on the win and season goals. “We reached one of our season goals which was to beat every team in the league at least once. Our next goal is to win at least two playoff games. We had good and bad phases today. The ScanPlus Baskets are an uncomfortable physical team where we did a good job taking advantage of their mistakes. The difference was when we play team basketball and have good ball movement we then are able to use our qualities best. When we have a good game rhythm, we are hard to stop. We have to defend well. In the playoffs, it will be important to do the dirty work”, warned Eric Detlev. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors meet the Artland Dragons in game one of the playoffs March 19th in Frankfurt.

Ricky Kreklow (Bayer Giants Leverkusen) One Thing That We should Have Control Over Is How Hard We Play As A Team On The Defensive End

Ricky Kreklow is a 23 year old 201cm forward from Columbia, Missouri that is playing his professional rookie season in Germany with the Bayer Giants Leverkusen. He comes from a sports family as his Father is head coach of the Missouri women’s volleyball team and also played 25 games for the 1980-81 NBA World Champion Boston Celtics, while mother is former head women’s volleyball coach at Missouri and current Director of Volleyball Operations. He played at three colleges in four years with Missouri as a freshman, California in his second and third seasons and with Creighton as a senior. He played a total og 98 NCAA games at the three schools and despite much movement was able to improve his scoring and rebounding average each season in the NCAA. As a senior at Creighton he played 31 games averaging 7.5ppg, 3.1rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 50.8%, 3PT: 38.7%, FT: 72.9%. He spoke to German Hoops before the game against Baunach.

Rick thanks for talking to German Hoops. A tough 61-55 loss to the hands of the Finke Baskets Paderborn last weekend. It was the sixth loss this season by six points or less. How sick are you of losing close games this season?

Losing games like our loss to Finke Baskets Paderborn is always tough.

It was a grind out win for the Finke Baskets. What was key in the fourth quarter that Leverkusen was unable to get over the hump and go on some sort of a run?

We just made a few too many mistakes down the stretch that hurt our chances of winning that game. It has happened to us multiple times this season. In these close games we cannot afford to take bad shots or make careless turnovers and unfortunately we just haven’t been sharp late in games.

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Lorne Jackson (ScanPlus Baskets) Seeing Many Talented Players In The D-League Opens Your Eyes To How Hard You Actually Have To Work

Lorne Jackson is a 25 year old 188cm point guard from Simi Valley, California playing his third professional season and first with the ScanPlus Baskets Elchingen (Germany-ProB). He played at Pepperdine (NCAA) from 2008-2013 playing a total of 125 NCAA games and as a senior he played 30 games averaging 13.6ppg, 3.7rpg, 2.8apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 49.7%, 3PT: 29.1%, FT: 78.6%. He started his professional career in 2013 with the Canton Charge (D-League) and last season played in Oman. He spoke to German Hoops before the game against the Fraport Skyliners Juniors.

 

 

Lorne thanks for talking to German Hoops. A tough 99-93 loss last weekend against Weissenhorn. The Scanplus Baskets gave up 13 points in the first quarter, but 86 points in the last three quarters. Why did the defense breakdown in the last 30 minutes?

We played a good game but we had a defensive let down in the second half giving away too many easy shots and too many offensive rebounds. To put it simply they just outworked us in the second half

How much does it annoy you that The Scanplus Baskets shot 55% combined from the field and outside, but you still lose the ball game?

Its tough that we shot well but still lost the game. We just didn’t make some of the plays that we needed to make in order to win the game.

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Thomas Spagnolo (ScanPlus Baskets) I Think I Have Steadily Improved Over The Course Of The Season, But I Still Have A Lot Of Room To Grow

Thomas Spagnolo is a 24 year old 201cm forward from West Jefferson, North Carolina that is playing his rookie season in Germany with the ScanPlus Baskets Elchingen (Germany-ProB). He started his basketball career in 2009 with Radford (NCAA) where he played until 2011. He then moved to : Appalachian St. (NCAA) playing 70 NCAA games in three years and as a senior played 29 games: 9.7ppg, 7.0rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 51.9%, 3PT: 35.3%, FT: 73.0%. In his first three games with the the ScanPlus Baskets Elchingen he is averaging 17,3ppg and 9,7rpg. He spoke to German Hoops before the game against the Fraport Skyliners Juniors.

 

 

Thomas thanks for talking to German Hoops. A tough 99-93 loss last weekend against Weissenhorn. The Scanplus Baskets gave up 13 points in the first quarter, but 86 points in the last three quarters. Why did the defense breakdown in the last 30 minutes?

As a team, I think we might’ve given into fatigue, and we allowed Weissenhorn to get open shots and offensive rebounds. It is unfortunate that we lost, but it was a great environment to play in.

How much does it annoy you that The Scanplus Baskets shot 55% combined from the field and outside, but you still lose the ball game?

Anytime you shoot that well, and score 93 points you should win the game; so it just reiterates our need to focus better defensively and sustain our energy levels.

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Jeremy Miller(Northeastern University) Taking Part In The Basketball Aid Tour In Germany Will Let Me Grow As A Player Teammate And Friend

Jeremy Miller is a 19 year old 208cm freshman at Northeastern currently averaging 8,5ppg and 4,1rpg. He has scored in double figures in 11 of 30 games this season. He started his basketball career at the New Hampton school. This summer, he will make the journey to Germany with Northeastern to take part in the Basketball AID International Opportunity Tour and play against top class German professional teams. He recently spoke to German Hoops about basketball.

 

 

Jeremy thanks for taking some time from your studies and basketball to talk with German Hoops. Northeastern is looking to get back to the NCAA for a second year in a row. How confident are you that the team will achieve that goal?

Thanks for having me. The team is very confident getting back to the big dance, we are led by a core group of returners who know what they are doing. It’s not going to be a easy one, but we know that we will have to grind out the 2nd half of the season to get ready for the CAA tournament.

You are a 208cm freshman for Northeastern currently averaging 8,5ppg and 4,1rpg. What has been the most difficult thing that you have had to adjust to coming from prep school to the college ranks?

The most difficult thing for me was the physicality of the game. I knew the NCAA had some big boys and I needed to get stronger, which I have. I knew I was going to fit into our offense nicely but defensively would be a challenge.

Northeastern is led by senior trio David Walker, Zach Stahl and Quincy Ford. How well are they grooming you with their play and words for taking over the torch when they leave this summer?

Our senior group is amazing, there is so much experience on the floor when we all step out there. I have learned so much from them and I wish them the best after this year. Each one of them has talked to me personally about what I need to do to be a great player for my time here. I believe every word they say because they’ve been through hell and back trying to put Northeastern University Basketball on the map.

You have had some big games this season with 23 points against William & Mary, 18 points in a win against Stony Brook and 15 points in a win against UNC Wilmington and Delaware. What exactly is your role as a freshman this season?

My role is just to learn the game, be there for my teammates, rebound the ball and shoot when I’m open. I need to know the difference between a good shot and a great one. I also try to lead the other four freshman since we are going to be together for the next four years.

You played high school ball at New Hampton prep which has had some notable alumini like NCAA champions with North Carolina Rashad Mccants and Wes Parker as well as professional players Lawrence Moten and Darius Songaila. What made your Prep school basketball experience special?

After my four years at New Hampton and playing under Peter Hutchins, I really learned how to be mentally tough. Going to New Hampton was the best decision of my life because the way New Hampton plays reminds me of Northeastern. Practices are hard and what we do in practice translates to our games. Both coaching staffs are willing to do anything for us and they really know what they are flaking about.

How important has Northeastern head coach Bill Coen been so far for you making the transition from high school to the NCAA and what have you learned from him in this short time?

Bill is such a good person and coach. He expects the best of you on and off the court. The one thing I love about him is that he gets to know you personally first and then builds from there. I’ve learned that this level of ball is faster, stronger and smarter than high school, and he told me that during recruiting. He really paved out the picture and I fell in love with the school.

Northeastern will travel to Germany at the end of August 2016 to help strengthen the German-American friendship, play against professional teams and to support the BASKETBALL AID e:V which is a charity to aid children with cancer. How excited are you to be a part of this?

This is actually my first time hearing about this! I am very excited to say the least! I’ve only been out of the country once and I visited Italy and France. This will be a challenge for next years group without the leadership of our core seniors. But I believe we are up to the challenge, as long as we see what’s across our chest, we know what we are playing for.

How important will it be for you to be a part of this cause where you will get the experience of playing against top level professional teams and learn about a new culture?

It’s going to be very important because this is going to let me grow as a player, teammate and friend. Going against these professionals will really set the bar high and we either have to meet it or take it up higher.

I interviewed 2014 Euroleague(second most valuable professional basketball title in world after NBA) champion with Macabbi Tel Aviv Shawn James recently who played two seasons at Northeastern from 2004-2006 and he said he didn´t feel the legacy of Reggie Lewis at Northeastern when he was there. How is it for you and what does it mean for you playing for the school where Lewis made a name for himself?

Well being a Boston resident, I can feel the legacy of Lewis around campus. He left such a legacy here and I don’t think anyone will top it. It means that you have to be ready to go to war with your teammates and coaches. It means that you will do anything to win and it means to have a meaningful reason to wear that jersey.

Coming from the younger generation what player do you see taking over for Lebron James in the next years or isn´t a player like that moving up?

I see Steph Curry taking over when Lebron is done. The stuff that he is doing right now is not fair. He’s way to good right now and it’s scarey because he is really young. He’s not even on a big contract yet, he has a lot to prove and will take over this league if he hasn’t already.

What was the last movie that you saw?

The last movie I have seen, I think it was Point Break. It was very interesting. I would recommend it if you are the daredevil type. There are a lot of crazy stunts in the movie, which makes it really crazy and entertaining.

 

Thanks Jeremy for the chat.

 

 

Kerron Johnson (MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg) John Patrick Has Been The Best Coach I Have Had Since Being A Pro So Coming Back Was A No Brainer

Kerron Johnson is a 25 year old 185cm point guard from Huntsville, Alabama playing his third professional season and second in Germany with the MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg. Last season with Ludwigsburg, he played 34 games averaging 14.2ppg, 2.7rpg, 3.8apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 50.2%, 3PT: 32.0%, FT: 79.2% As a rookie in the 2013-2014 season, he played with the New Zealand Breakers (Australia-NBL) playing 28 games averaging 12.6ppg, 2.8rpg, Assists-5(4.3apg), Steals-5(1.2spg), FGP: 56.9%, 3PT: 31.1%, FT: 59.8%. He started his basketball career in 2009 with Belmont(NCAA) playing a total of 133 NCAA games and as a senior played 34 games: 14.2ppg, 3.1rpg, 4.7apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 29.5%, FT: 77.8%. He started the season with SPO Rouen Basket (France-ProA) playing 15 games: averaging 7.6ppg, 2.1rpg, 3.1apg, 2FGP: 51.9%, 3FGP: 30.6%, FT: 65.8%. He moved back to Ludwigsburg in December 2015 and since his return has helped John Patrick and co to a 6-1 record in the Beko BBL scoring in double figures in six of seven games and was instrumental in the 90-80 win against Alba Berlin pouring in 20 points. He spoke to German Hoops recently talking about returning back to an old stomping ground.

Kerron welcome back to the Beko BBL and the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg. When looking back at the success of the team last season as well as your role, why didn´t you just remain this season?

It was just a decision I made at the time that I thought was best for me.

What did you miss most from last season? The great coaching of John Patrick, the yummy Spätzle(curled noodles) or getting nice screens from Jon Brockman?

Hahaha all 3 JP is the best coach I’ve had since becoming a pro and Brock definitely helps you get open. So for me coming back was a no brainier.

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