With the first beko BBL semi-final finally set, fans will see two of the leagues power houses with one time BBL champion FC Bayern Munich that lives by their physical nature against eight time beko BBL champion Alba Berlin that also knows how to bang when they feel it´s necessary. This series could be like in the manner of the 80´s playoff atmosphere between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers where there was no love lost between both teams as the hot topic before and after each game was who was more physical and what was the physical play of the game. Another hot topic in this best of five series which starts Sunday will be the battle between the ex Alba Berlin players Heiko Schaffartzik, Nihad Djedovic, Lucca Staiger, Yassin Idbihi and Bryce Taylor and Jan Jagla(only player who wasn´t with winning team last season) who are seeking to defend their title from last season and go two for two against Alba Berlin. However the most interesting aspect of this series will be, can this series be as physical as an amateur bout at the local boxing club in Detroit or will this series go to the extreme punch like during a Mike Tyson/Evander Holyfield in the 90´s, but not including any ear play. It is no secret that both teams like to tear up the paint the way an Egyptian goose does it´s territory when other birds get in their way. Alba Berlin love to defend aggressively and with Clifford Hammonds or Akeem Vargas one has two of the most fierce defenders in the back court while down low a Marko Banic or Leon Radosevic don´t shy away from anyone. FC Bayern Munich show their special defined physicality with John Brant and Vladimir Stimac who won´t stop getting to the hoop or getting by 2-3 opponents until the ball is safely in the bucket or them getting to the free throw line. The inside play of FC Bayern Munich wasn´t always clean in the playoff series against the Fraport Skyliners as Danilo Barthel witnessed in game three as he got a taste of the elbow of Nihad Djedovic. Fraport Skyliners head coach Gordon Herbert was less than pleased of Djedovic and even let out his frustration with a verbal tirade in front of 6-7 Munich employees and coaches following the game four loss in Frankfurt. After the loss, Herbert gave to record that the play of Djedovic in game three was uncalled for and that he should have been suspended. Herbert also didn´t understand why the league didn´t value the video evidence as it was clear that Barthel was punished by Djedovic unjustly in the paint. After the loss, Herbert had his view to this playoff series and what could happen if these two teams play dirty instead of fair. “IF FC Bayern Munich play against Alba Berlin with the same physicality that they played against us, then I think that a brawl could ensue on the court”, stressed Gordon Herbert. The beko BBL can only hope and dream of a more clean series, but especially when the stakes are so high, a team will do anything to win a game no matter what.

Alba Berlin is led by power forward/center Jamel Mcclean(13,9ppg, 6,5rpg, 1,9apg) who made his international break through this season in the Euroleague averaging 13,0ppg, 5,6rpg and 1,6apg and scored in double figures in 16 of 21 games. He belongs to the most dangerous inside scorers in the league with John Bryant. Alex Renfroe(10,9ppg, 4,7rpg, 4,3apg) who helped Bamberg win their last title in 2013 has given his new team much experience primarily being that energy player from the bench and explosive scorer. Reggie Redding(10,8ppg, 3,9rpg, 4,5apg) is the team´s third leading scorer and top assist man. His versatility is his biggest asset as he can play so many positions. He had some big games against FC Bayern Munich with 23 points and 27 points against Zalgiris. Leon Radosevic(10,1ppg, 4,2rpg, 1,1apg) continues to adjust well to the BBL in his second season and is that presence inside, but doesn´t shy away from placing the mid distance jumper through the net. The Croatian scored in double figures 17 times and had big games against Bonn and Bamberg netting 18 points a piece and had 16 points in the 80-70 win against FC Barcelona. Croatian Marko Banic(9,5ppg, 3,4rpg) also presents his inside out game to perfection, but especially inside is difficult to contain. He scored in double figures 15 times. American Cliff Hammonds(9,2ppg, 2,9rpg, 3,1apg) who balled at Clemson(NCAA) continues to be the top defender in the league and is just that reliable point guard that keeps an offense moving and netted 18 points against Frankfurt and Ulm. Two time NCAA champion with UCONN Niels Giffey(7,0ppg, 2,7rpg) has had a solid rookie campaign adjusting well to the European style and packed Alba Berlin roster. His best game was 17 points against TBB Trier, but on a team that is stocked with scoring power, he helps the team on defense and does small things not seen on the stat sheet. Alex King(6,5ppg, 2,5rpg, 1,2aapg) has matured unbelievably as a player who has gone from Murat Didin´s doghouse in Frankfurt 10 years ago to a respected Euroleague player. He is the team´s captain and an athletic bull that really can do so much well now from shooting to finding the open man. German Akeem Vargas(5,7ppg, 2,5rpg) started only seven games, but when one defensive pest in Hammonds took a breather then came in the next defensive pest in Vargas. Vargas is regarded as one of the most annoying players as he likes to use that physicality and had some good scoring games with 15 against Phoenix Hagen and 14 against Artland. German Jonas Wolfarth-Bottermann(2,7ppg) got lost a bit in the big man shuffle this season fighting for minutes, but he is always an asset as he continues to develop. His best game was 10 points against BG Goettingen. The club also boast talented German Ismet Akpinar(3,2ppg) and veteran Jannik Freese(1,9ppg, 1,7rpg) who came to Alba Berlin in the second half of the season and went from practice player to rotation player.

FC Bayern Munich without a doubt have the deepest roster in the league and one would want almost each guy on your team as most would be starters on any other team in the league. The star of the team is John Bryant(13,5ppg, 7,9rpg) who played three seasons with ratiopharm Ulm and is the best center in the league as he is so difficult to stop, but the most valuable player on the team is Serb Nihad Djedovic(15,0ppg, 3,5rpg, 2,6apg) who is a high energy player that is so versatile that just does all on the court scoring in double figures in 19 of 24 games. After missing two months, he came back strong in April as if he had never been away. Head coach Svetislav Pesic has had his luck with picking the right Serb´s as Dusko Savanovic(11,6ppg, 4,6rpg, 2,1apg) was the hidden MVP as he is also a very mobile and versatile big man who is unselfish and belonged to the team´s best performers in the Euroleague. The guy with the biggest heart Bryce Taylor(9,5ppg, 3,1rpg, 1,3apg) was the team best three point shooter and as captain his team play was never missing. He came back slow from injury, but started going in February. Some just come and pay admission to see Anon Gavel(8,4ppg, 2,1rpg, 4,0apg) launch his line drive shots led the team in assists and can always haunt you with his bombs from outside. With Bryant taking a rest an opponent gets hit with the next bruiser with Vladimir Stimac(8,1ppg, 5,4rpg). There is nothing fancy about his game, but he gets the job done as Bonn witnessed as he poured in 19 points. The Serb connection continues with 2014 NBA draft pick of the Philadelphia 76ers with point guard Vasilije Misic87,6ppg, 2,1rpg, 3,7apg) who is like an energizer bunny and is just a pest to deal with from the bench. Just when you thought that that was the roster, you still have six Germans on the team. Heiko Schaffartzik(6,9ppg, 1,6rpg, 3,4apg) started only seven games, but was the teams second best three point shooter at 41% and can scare anyone with his focused look on the court at all times. Robin Benzing(6,5ppg, 2,2rpg, 1,3apg) is playing his fourth season in Munich, but his scoring stats have fallen the last three seasons. His scoring average obviously will suffer on a team like Munich, but he is always good for some unexpected big plays. Jan Jagla(5,3ppg, 2,8rpg)still going strong at 33 and is always effective in the minutes that he gets. Paul Zipser(4,9ppg, 2,4rpg) is a guy that needs to fight for his minutes, but showed what he can do scoring 20 against Tuebingen and 13 against Valencia in the Eurocup. Yassin Idbihi(3,5ppg, 2,0rpg) can always give support from the bench with points and rebounds, but this season is more a cheerleader.

I did predict correctly that Alba Berlin would get by the EWE Baskets Oldenburg, but never in a sweep as I saw it going the distance, but the injuries of the 2015 Beko BBL cup winner were to extreme to make it a real competition, but they still did a good job holding their own. What would have happened if they would have had Nemanja Aleksandrov on board? Could that have made the difference? If Oldenburg had not let that 10 point lead slip away in the last five minutes in game one, they might have been able to go home win and have the 2-0 lead, but that never happened as Alba Berlin were challenged, but won game two and three comfortably by 10 points a game. Oldenburg was severely limited in game three as they only really had a six man rotation as the rest three were Pro B players and Julius Jenkins was out. Alba Berlin simply had the deeper rotation and experience factor which made the 3-0 series win look a lot more decisive than the scores did with all their injury problems. Nobody gave the Fraport Skyliners a real chance as people were speaking sweep from the start. Frankfurt actually did win one game at home in game two as they crushed FC Bayern Munich as they had a golden day while the opponent had a black day as their focus and effort were about as far away as the Allianz arena in Munich is from Frankfurt. Frankfurt had lost German national player Johannes Voigtmann after the game one loss in Munich and still were able to make such a performance and that had to be their best game of the season. However in game three and four the Fraport Skyliners had no chance as they were rocked 82-64 and 92-71. The biggest key´s for FC Bayern Munich advancing to the semi-finals was their consistency, rebounding, deeper bench, physicality, and better three point shooting of 18/43 while the Fraport Skyliners shot 9/39 from downtown.

Alba Berlin and FC Bayern Munich split the season series as the two games were only decided by a total of 5 points. Alba Berlin won the first game at home 83-80 as Americans Jamel Mcclean and Reggie Redding were on fire combining for 46 points with 23 points a piece. Alba Berlin only shot 4/18 from outside, but shot better from the two point range and rebounded better. In the return game in Munich, the home team pulled out a squeaker 70-68. Nihad Djedovic was the top scorer of Munich with 21 points and the game was literally decided on the free throw line as FC Bayern Munich hit 17 more free throws. When breaking down the team stats between Alba Berlin and FC Bayern Munich, Munich scorers more(88-85), rebounds better 38-36), and lets up only (10-13 turnovers) while Alba Berlin shoots better from the field(49%-47%), and better from the three point line with (37%-36%). Both teams stack up very well head to head and on paper. Both teams are deep and experienced, but in this regard I would put the slight edge with the Bavarian team. In this series the home court advantage could very much decide the series which Alba Berlin has. The key players to stop is Mr everything Nihad Djedovic and Mr energizer Bryce Taylor that exhibited his scoring in bunches against the Fraport Skyliners. The key players to stop for Alba Berlin is center Jamel Mclean who needs to be pushed out of the zone because he is unstoppable as soon as he has the ball and position and Mr versatile Reggie Redding who does everything for the team and fills up the stat sheet like no one else. Both teams are strong defensive teams and in this series defense will make the difference as effort and who really will do the little things will decide the series.

Sometimes there are those kind of players where one is waiting for the big breakthrough and one waits and waits like a middle aged woman hoping for that marriage proposal year after year, but it never happens. For certain professional basketball players that don´t develop quicker tend to get a label especially if he has those boyish looks that don’t seem to go away. German 210 cm power forward/center Tim Ohlbrecht is still only 26, but for some may as well be only 22 as that is what it feels like as it simply took him a longer time to develop in the Beko BBL. In the BBL, he had the constant non ending comparisons to a big blond from Wurzburg that never went away and the big man surely could have had long talks with FC Bayern Munich forward Jan Jagla who had the same kind of comparisons years earlier. It still seems to be a riddle why his maturity went so slow in Germany where guys like Maik Zirbes or Tibor Pleiss rose a lot quicker than Ohlbrecht did and went to top teams in Europe. Whereas in the States Ohlbrecht made the NBA in just one year and won back to back D-league titles with the Rio Grande Vipers and Fort Wayne Mad Ants. He may have played only three NBA games with the Rockets, but there are only a hand full of German players that can boast that he played in the NBA. It is even harder to believe that Ohlbrecht won his first BBL title 8 years ago when he was only an 18 year old basketball baby in Bamberg with players like ex NBA players Casey Jacobsen and Vincent Yarbrough and was teamsmates with German legend Steffen Hamann and Bamberg legend Chris Ensminger. He also played in places like Bonn and Frankfurt and now 8 years after hoisting a BBL title with the Brose Baskets Bamberg, the only 26 year old Ohlbrecht will clash with his ex team. Even though Olbrecht played three seasons with the Brose Baskets Bamberg as well as with their cooperation teams Breitengussbach and Nurnberg, he only played 68 BBL games. He never got a real chance with Dirk Bauermann and co and after three seasons the team gave up on him. Maybe he had left the Bayer Giants Leverkusen (1.Bundesliga) too early in 2006 as his development hadn´t been ready for the drastic change. This season he has finally made his full breakthrough in the BBL as he has superb stats for the minutes he is getting as in the BBL he is averaging 12,5ppg, 5,5rpg, 1,2bs, in 21 minutes per game and an astounding 40,0% from downtown as his banning of taking the three as was the case in Frankfurt under Muli Katzurin seems nonexistent in Ulm. In the Eurochallenge, he was also very solid as he played six games averaging 10,8ppg, 4,5rpg, 1,2apg in 18 minutes. Even if Michael Koch has left the Telekom Baskets Bonn, Ohlbrecht was able to get revenge on his old team helping Ulm get by in five games and now he is more than motivated to finish off his ex team Bamberg the favorite.

The leading scorer of ratiopharm Ulm is German national player Per Guenter(13,4ppg, 1,6rpg, 4,9apg) who recently signed an extension to remain in Ulm. Guenther is the best German point guard playing in the BBL as he has become such a complete player scoring in double figures 23 times and being a scorer if needed in crunch time and is the teams best three point shooter at the moment. Tim Olhbrecht(13,0ppg, 5,5rpg) is back in the BBL after a two year stay in the States that brought him 3 NBA games for the memories. He has become a consistent player in the BBL having scored in double figures 24 times and registering 4 double doubles. Will Clyburn(12,9ppg, 7,7rpg, 1,9apg) belonged to the most improved players in the league , leads the team in rebounding, steals, third in scoring and third in assists. He scored in double figures in 23 games and had a masterful 28 points against Ludwigsburg. He is the teams MVP this season. Greek Ian Vougioukas(11,4ppg, 2,9rpg) brought his 62 Euroleague experience in March and will need to produce. Slovenian Jaka Klobucar(11,3ppg, 2,7rpg, 3,2apg) has been most valuable with his versatility and added scoring punch from the bench. Brion Rush(10,5ppg, 2,1rpg, 1,9apg) came in February and is another talented guard that gave immense support with his scoring in wins against Artland and BG Goettingen and is a pest on defense. Marten Leunen(7,7ppg, 3,7rpg, 1,7apg) is the glue that keeps the team together as the 2008 Houston Rocket NBA draft pick played the last five years in the Italian Serie A and shines with his experience, team play and is the teams current best three point shooter. Philipp Schwethelm(5,4ppg, 2,5rpg) already played his first BBL game at age 16 with Cologne and is still only 26 and is known for his aggressive defense, but can also be very effective as he showed scoring 22 points against the Fraport Skyliners with five three pointers. Isaiah Philmore(3,7ppg, 1,9rpg) is a rookie who doesn´t get many minutes, but plays effective for his 10 minutes per game and is another big body down below. Adam Hess(2,4ppg, 1,4rpg) is 34 and can still hit the three pointer and had strong games against his ex team Phoenix Hagen with 16 points and 12 against Crailsheim, but his worth is more his experience and vocal leadership as he gets limited minutes. Rookie Deonte Burton(1,8ppg) who had a stellar career at Nevada(NCAA) and played NBA Summer league with the Washington Wizards in 2014 has been lost in the roster mix with little playing time, but the experience he got playing with top players should help him with his career in Europe should he remain. He is another big scoring threat waiting to get on the floor.

The Brose Baskets Bamberg is led by American Ryan Thompson(13,8ppg, 2,6rpg, 2,4apg) who has had a great season after coming from the Belgium league has belonged to the most dangerous three point shooters on the team. He has scored in double figures 21 times including a 35 point explosion against ratiopharm Ulm. Brad Wanamaker(12,9ppg, 3,7rpg, 4,6apg) from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh(NCAA) is the teams MVP and has been the motor that has made the team so successful. He scored in double figures 23 times and was instrumental in the two wins against Alba Berlin scoring 21 points and 16 points. Ex Xavier player Josh Duncan(12,7ppg, 5,5rpg, 1,8apg) was troubled by injury this season playing only 18 games, but returned in April and will be key in the playoff run with his athletic inside out play. He had big games against FC Bayern Munich and Oldenburg with 22 and 21 points. EX Minnesota(NCAA) forward Trevor Mbakwe(10,5ppg, 7,0rpg, 1,0apg) who had 10 and 10 stats as a rookie with Virtus Roma has been a high flyer in the BBL and has been a regular on the highlight films this season as he is a beast on the offensive glass. He has scored in double figures 19 times including a 25 point 10 rebound game against Phoenix Hagen. Dawan Robinson(10,5ppg, 1,6rpg, 2,2apg) came in January and has been a vital spark from the bench giving his vast experience of 9 professional seasons as his physical stature gives him much advantage getting buckets inside while his outside shooting has been spot on at 48%. Latvian Janis Strelnieks(10,2ppg, 2,3rpg, 2,7apg) is the full package at the point guard position as he excels in pick and role and changing the tempo and has scored in double figures 20 times including a 31 point outburst against FC Bayern Munich. High energy player German Daniel Theis(10,2ppg, 5,2rpg, 1,3apg) who can play inside out with the best of them had a good start to the season then a lull in the middle and has finished strong scoring in double figures in the last five games including a 20 point game against ratiopharm Ulm. Ex NBA player Darius Miller(9,6ppg, 2,1rpg, 2,2apg)who played with the New Orleans Pelicans the last two years playing 97 games came very late to the team, but has been a reliable asset from the bench shooting 46% from outside. Ex Gonzaga(NCAA) player Elias Harris(7,0ppg, 3,2rpg) who played two NBA games with the Los Angeles Lakers forms the best power forward duo with Theis in the league. He has scored in double figures 9 times and has suffered a bit with the deep rotation, but he is always a dangerous player that can change a game. German Kartsen Tadda(3,5ppg, 2,1rpg, 1,1apg) has won the most of anyone on the team with 7 titles with Bamberg and is a real team player that is always capable of making a big play. Croatian Dalibor Bagaric(1,3ppg, 1,2rpg) who played three seasons with the Chicago Bulls is a 217cm 130 kilo center who doesn´t play much, but when he does no one really want to bump into inside. He adds to the vast depth on the team.

The Brose Baskets Bamberg advanced to the semi-finals with a comfortable 3-0 sweep of the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg, but getting by Ludwigsburg was a lot more difficult than what the sweep scores showed. Bamberg averaged 87 points per game in the three game series while Ludwigsburg averaged 80 points a game. Both teams showed their offensive presence, but Bamberg just had a bit more fire power. Bamberg won the first game 87-79 was up 14 after 30 minutes and held on despite a late Ludwigsburg come back. Bamberg was led by the point guard duo of Philadelphia natives Dawan Robinson and Brad Wanamaker, shot better as a team and just slipped by on the boards 40-39. And they had the bit stronger bench and all around rotation. In game two, Ludwigsburg gave it their best shot taking the game into OT, but never could get over the hump as Bamberg always led in extra time. Statistically there wasn´t much difference of both teams as Bamberg shot a bit better while Ludwigsburg won the rebounding duel 40-34. Both teams showed their ability to have a different top scorer as John Little had 21 points and Daniel Theis had 17 points while ex NBA player Jon Brockman was in beast mode again getting a double double. In game three Ludwigsburg played a controlled and focused first half leading by seven points, but just couldn´t keep it up for 40 minutes as Bamberg powered home 52 points in the second half winning 87-79. Ludwigsburg won the rebounding battle, but the difference were the three pointers as Bamberg shot better. Wanamaker and Kennedy led their respective teams in scoring, but once again the deeper bench of Bamberg was a big factor why they could pull out another win.

The Ulm-Bonn series was the most exciting as it went the distance of 5 games. The first three games were all close affairs as the games were decided by not more than 12 points and both teams won their first games on the road and then the next two games each team won at home and game five Ulm was able to win in Bonn again for the third time in four games this season. Down 2-1, Ulm struck back at home winning 86-73. Ratiopharm Ulm won the quarter scoring in the first three and were in control for most of the game until giving 27 points in the fourth, but they scored 24 points and still could win with ease. Both teams shot well from the field, but poorly from outside and Ulm won the rebound duel and the 20 turnovers of Bonn hurt them. Ulm big man Ian Vougioukas led the team with 22 points and 10 rebounds and Will Clyburn had 22 points and eight rebounds while the Bonn guard tandem of Richard Mcconnell and Eugene Lawrence combined for 31 points and 15 assists. Game 5 was a battle to the finish and after 30 minutes Bonn led 59-57 at home, but couldn´t withstand the Ulm power surge in the fourth as they dropped 29 points for the 86-79 victory. There wasn´t much that was separating both teams as the stats were very close. A big factor for Ulm was top scorer Greek Vougioukas who scored the most points for Ulm in the last three games. Per Guenther also found to his old strength scoring 13 points, dishing out six assists and getting three steals after not being at his best in the first games of the series. It was clear to see when the road team is able to win a do or die game on the road shows that Ulm just wanted it a bit more.

The Brose Baskets swept the season series as they crushed Ulm at home 101-74 and then won on the road 95-88. Ulm had no remedy for American Ryan Thompson who was in the zone with 35 points and Bamberg had five guys in double figures while Per Guenther led Ulm with 16 points. Both teams hit 8 three pointers while Ulm had six more free throws and Bamberg led the rebound battle, but the story of the game was the Bamberg 29 field goals which was 16 more than Ulm. In game two Bamberg won in Ludwigsburg 95-88. This was a wild game as Ulm scored 33 points in the first while Bamberg scored 33 in the second. Bamberg kept up their offensive strength scoring 49 points in the second half and winning. Both teams shot over 50% from the field, but Bamberg also did from downtown while Ulm sot 43% from outside. Both teams were relatively even with rebounding and turnovers, but the difference was that Bamberg had six guys in double figures as Theis had 20 points. When looking at the team stats, Bamberg leads each category against Ulm with points per game(84-83) Field goal(51%-46%), three point shooting(40%-36%),turnovers(12,2,13,0) and assists(17,2-15,3) and only rebounds is it even(34-34). Both teams match up pretty well in that both have long players, athletic players and good shooters. The duel of the series will be Wanamaker vs Guenther. Ulm will need Guenther to play very well to be successful while a Wanamaker does make his team go when he is on, but even if he has an off day, they have enough other weapons to keep the team going. However in the end the better defensive team will win and that is Bamberg. Bamberg will always be able to score against Ulm. Ulm has to play their best defense, but can they do it in three games stopping their fire power? Both have deep benches even if Bamberg´s is a bit deeper and Bamberg has more experience which will put them ahead to the final.

It has been no secret that there has been a type of injury bug curse upon the Fraport Skyliners for years now as bothersome as the current train strike situation in Germany as one never really knows when it will strike. Especially last season the walking wounded list of the Fraport Skyliners was as long as the candy list of Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose who has admitted having on going binges or eating two pounds of candy in one day and admitting he has a Skittles vending machine at home. In the 2013-2014 season the Fraport´s Skyliners injuries woes were severe as they had lost key players like ex NBA player Andrew Rautins, Quantez Robertson, Jacob Burtschi or Dane Watts for long periods of time. If one were to compare the last two seasons which was worse injury wise, one could even fly in a stats guru who probably wouldn´t be able to dissect the reasons or game to player missed stats any better. Especially this season the club had tough injuries to guys like Konstantin Klein, Richard Williams which were key positions in the first few months where the club had little resources to compensate those positions or to a guy like Danilo Barthel would was injured at a very inconvenient time in January where the team was playing key Eurochallenge games and once again the team wasn´t deep at the power forward position. St Peters Burg, Florida native Mike Morrison missed seven games which also hurt the center position. Another key time where the team couldn´t afford any injuries was in the FC Bayern Munich series where 2014-2015 most improved player Johannes Voigtmann was injured in game one and never returned to the series as Frankfurt had a big hole at the center position which then was feeding time for the Munich big men that totally took advantage of with their over aggressive play in the paint. At times it felt like there was team one and two watching the game as team one was on the bench and team two was behind the bench sitting in the first row and if one really had to could have even made a team three with all the players little kids wandering around that area. And if one had to give an award of best non-point guard of the year than that would have been given to Cincinnati native Quantez Robertson who often had to play point guard or at least use his ball handling skills and bring the ball up the court in the set offense. Robertson told me years ago he would love to act as a point guard one day, well this season he had that chance and even if he wasn´t as skilled as Cincinnati native the Big O(NBA legend Oscar Robertson) who was a combo guard, he definitely showed his zeal and effort was there and being second best assist man behind Justin Cobbs wasn´t self-evident. Despite all the untimely injuries this season and bad start, the team was mostly able to claw out of unfortunate situations with the superb guidance of the coaching team and then the timely acquisition of American Justin Cobbs.

When looking at the season in review, The Fraport Skyliners goal was to reach the beko BBL playoffs and they were able to do that despite a horrible start and the injury woes. The club came into the season seemingly ready with a solid roster, but there was no guarantee to make the playoffs as their budget was in the lower one third of team budgets in the league and with the competition factor rising each season making the playoffs wasn´t necessarily as a matter of course as many people saw Frankfurt ending anywhere from 6-15. However the first five weeks of the season, the season went a totally different course as they started the season 1-7 and even the most loyal Skyliner fans were starting to wonder when the team was finally going to slip out of their season opening slump funk. Many were questioning the signing of Richard Williams who wasn´t bad or great, but solid and not being that exceptional floor general leader that team really needed. Konstantin Klein was injured and soon after Richard Williams went down and the club had no beko BBL point guard on the roster. In the 94-59 drubbing in Aalst Belgium in their first Eurochallenge game the team played with only a six man rotation and three Pro B players. It got worse two weeks later as they nearly beat Boras of Sweden in Eurochallenge play as they lost on a last second buzzer beater from Adama Darboe despite Frankfurt playing only with a starting five and two pro B players and Pro B player Kyle Fossman in the starting lineup and Quantez Robertson playing point guard. After a win at home against the Walter Tigers Tuebingen the turning point came on November 29^th in Leipzig in a game against the Mitteldeutscher BC where the beko BBL saw the birth of Justin Cobbs who had a long three months before as a rookie training with Laboral Kutxa Vitoria (Spain-Liga Endesa), then being the last cut of the Charlotte Hornets (NBA) as his dream had cracked and then his first stint in Europe with VEF Riga (Latvia-LBL) was a misunderstanding as nothing fell in place with him and the coach. The amazing thing about Cobbs is that he was brilliant for a long time from the start until March where he seemed to tire a bit, get a small turnover phobia and teams seemed to have found out how to defend him better with time and experience and video analysis. He scored in double figures in 20 straight games as he led the team to a 18-3 record as he scored in double figures in 21 straight games and the team had a 18-3 record in BBL and Eurochallenge play. The only game where he didn´t score in double figures was his first in Leipzig against the Mitteldeutscher BC where he had just arrived to the team a day earlier. Cobbs is a guy like Dashaun Wood in that can score in bunches and become explosive whenever he decides to turn on that Cobbs switch. He looks so controlled out on the floor most of the time and is a master of changing speeds. He gave Frankfurt so much stability something they didn´t have previously this season. Even though his stats may suggest that he is a scoring point guard, he actually is a pass first guard even if its hard to believe. When that night came when his shot was cold, then one would have seen his passing qualities come to light. You could have been trapped in the bathroom and missed the game and not known who had won after Cobbs exited the dressing room because he always had that same expression. The guy was always focused and was just all business. He didn´t want to be the best guard in Europe, but battle with the likes of Paul, Curry and Wall in the NBA. In these three months, Cobbs was the main reason for the team going from the bottom to a playoff contender and to the Eurochallenge final four. With the bitter 76-70 loss in Bonn on March 7 where the team led by 10 points late, but gave it away was when the Cobbs play started to suffer a bit, but not of that of the team as they finished with a record of 7-3. In his last 14 regular season games Cobbs had seven games of five turnovers.

Another strong point of the team since the arrival of Cobbs was their ability to win close games. Especially their ability to have the nerves and win in two double overtime games in Eurochallenge play against Den Bosch and Avtodor on the road showed great class. They also beat Den Bosch at home with 75-70, and beat Enisey 77-74 at home and then won 85-80 as they made a miraculous comeback of 19 points down at halftime which was their best and most exciting win of the season. In this time they also beat Alba Berlin in overtime 87-80 and the EWE Baskets Oldenburg 83-81 in overtime and squeezed out a thriller at home against medi Bayreuth 90-89 even if one could have described the cover of the game as ugly. Another big reason why the Fraport Skyliners were so successful was the coaching staff. Head coach Gordon Herbert has always had the ability to do the best possible with what he has to work with. Even then when adversity arises, he is brilliant with making the needed adjustments to be able to compete as well as beating top teams. He might not have made the best decision with Richard Williams, but he made it good again with getting Justin Cobbs who turned the season around. He stayed true to his continued belief of developing the big three of Danilo Barthel Johannes Voigtmann and Konstain Klein as well as giving more minutes to a Johannes Richter, Stefan Ilzhofer or Kevin Bright. There is no better German big man tandem than Johannes Voigtmann and Danilo Barthel in the BBL than then. Herbert also had the guts to give them minutes from the start something one haven´t seen any other teams do as the Americans are seeded as much as are peanuts for the average baseball fan at a game. Another strength that the club had which helped them be so successful was their special value and attention to team basketball. This was something cemented by Gordon Herbert and the team stuck to it. It was mostly a pleasure to watch the team play as you had the extra pass at every position. Cobbs who seems to be a scoring point guard is actually pass first guard. Sean Armand exhibited great passing qualities even though he is a sniper. At the forward position Quantez Robertson used to be the main recipient of ally-op passes, but this season may have actually given the most to Mike Morrison as Tez was watching more this season then actually flying to the basket. There are seldom less selfish players than Jacob Burtschi and Aaron Doornekamp who loved the extra pass and at the center position with Johannes Voigtmann you have one of the best passing centers in the league if not the best and third best assist man on his team. Danilo Barthel wasn´t too shabby himself as watching Voigtmann and Barthel set each other up was at times worthy of ohhhs and ahhhhs. Their inside passing too each other was amazing. At the end the Fraport Skyliners had to meet FC Bayern Munich and with Voigtmann out after game one, it was close to impossible to win the series. They gave their best, but at the end experience, deepness, rebounding and physicality was too much for them to compete over 40 minutes. All in all it was the best season since the final run in the 2010-2011 season. The only damper was losing both games in the Eurochallenge, but sometimes in basketball life when opponents are well matched up, it comes to the little things and that was exactly what happened as Frankfurt lost by only eight points combined against Nanterre and Rovinari.

Now it´s time to give player grades and speculate if a player will stay or depart. Johannes Voigtmann gets an A and completed his third season with Frankfurt and was able to improve his scoring and rebounding each season. His stats in the BBL were 12,2ppg, 5,9rrpg and 2,4apg and scored in double figures 21 times with three double doubles. He was even better in Eurochallenge play as he played 17 games: 16.0ppg, 7.2rpg, 1.6apg, FGP: 64.8%, 3PT: 28.6%, FT: 79.4%. He scored in double figures in 15 of 17 games including big games with 26 points against Tartu Rock and Enisey. He was awarded with Eurobasket.com All-EuroChallenge Center of the Year -15, Eurobasket.com All-EuroChallenge, European Player of the Year -15, Eurobasket.com All-EuroChallenge 1st Team -15, and Eurobasket.com EuroChallenge All-Europeans Team -15. For many he was the teams MVP and made his breakthrough. He should be a full time German national player in 2-3 years. He has a contract with the team. The team MVP was Justin Cobbs who was a rookie and gets an A and played 27 BBL games averaging 14,4ppg, 2,5rpg and 4,4rpg. He scored in double figures in 20 games including a 27 point effort against Ludwigsburg. In the Eurochallenge he played 12 games: 16.3ppg, 2.9rpg, Assists-4(6.1apg), FGP: 46.6%, 3PT: 40.6%, FT: 83.1%. He scored in double figures in 11 of 12 games notching 23 points against Den Bosch. Who knows where the Fraport Skyliners would have been without the arrival of Cobbs. He led the team into the BBL playoffs and Eurochallenge final four. Cobbs will try to reach his dream of the NBA via the summer league with the Charlotte Bobcats. If he doesn´t reach the NBA, he will return back to Europe and get bigger bucks elsewhere. Cobbs won´t return. Sean Armand was a rookie out of Brooklyn New York and gets a B and played 36 BBL games averaging 12,8ppg, 2,9rpg and 2,4apg and shot 37% from downtown. He scored in double figures in 25 games including a 27 point effort against Phoenix Hagen In Eurochallenge play he played 16 games averaging 13.7ppg, 3.5rpg, 2.0apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 43.7%, 3PT: 32.0%, FT: 88.2%. He scored in double figures in 11 games including a 31 point outburst against Avtodor and 23 points against Enisey. He became a top sixth man in the league and showed just how lethal he could become as a shooter. With his play as a rookie, he could be the next David Bell in the BBL. He showed that he was a good passer, but was inconsistent with taking care of the ball as at times turnovers were a problem. He has a contract option. 50/50 chance he will stay. The minister of defense Quantez Robertson completed his sixth season with the team and gets an A-. He had his best scoring average and assist average in his professional career. In the BBL he played 37 games averaged 11,1ppg, 4,4rpg and 3,3apg.He scored in double figures in 22 games including 22 point games against Artland and Tuebingen. In Eurochallenge play he played 17 games: 10.9ppg, 4.6rpg, 2.5apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 55.2%, 3PT: 33.9%, FT: 76.2%. He scored in double figures in 10 games including a 30 point effort against Avtodor. Tez does it all on the court energizes the team and could play a 7OT game if he had to as his motor only is empty when his daughter makes him weak by her presence. He showed he can score on a consistent basis and just having his presence on the court on defense was golden. His only knack is he tends to get out of control with his one on one. In Oldenburg its Paulding burg and in Frankfurt its Tezfurt. Tez will end his career in Frankfurt and have his number #13 next to Pascal Roller under the rafters one day. Canadian Aaron Doornekamp finished his fifth professional season and second in Germany after play with Braunschweig last season. He gets a C as a grade. He played 37 BBL games averaging 6,8ppg, 4,0rpg and 1,6apg. He scored in double figures in nine times including a 28 point game against Ludwigsburg and 22 points against Oldenburg in big wins. In Eurochallenge he played 17 games: 6.1ppg, 3.8rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 43.9%, FT: 71.4%. He scored in double figures three times including a 21 point effort in the 94-92 OT win in Den Bosch. One thought he would be more of a scoring threat, but he wasn´t. At times one thought he was in a shell and was trapped not being able to get out and perform the way he knew how. However he was a glue guy and hard worker under the boards. He did many of the little things that weren´t visible on the stat sheet. He has an option to remain. 40% chances that he will stay.

Oklahoma native Jacob Burtschi came out of semi-retirement and returned back to Frankfurt for the third time after Frankfurt came calling needing a replacement for the injured Danilo Barthel. Burtschi gets a B. In the BBL he played 15 games averaging 7,3ppg, 3,8rpg and 1,8apg. He scored in double figures three times including his best point game in his career as he smacked Bremerhaven with 36 points and ten three pointers. In Eurochallenge he played 8 games: 8.6ppg, 3.6rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 66.7%, 3PT: 42.5%, FT: 66.7%. He scored in double figures three times including a 17 point effort against Avtodor. Burtschi was also a glue guy who did everything for the team and also did much that one didn´t see on the stat sheet. The Fraport Skyliners may have to choose between him and Doornekamp. Burtschi has no contract for next season. He is a guy that gives the same effort be it 5,10,15,20 or 25 minutes a game. He is the ultimate team player. Frankfurt most likely will take Doornekamp over him meaning he probably won´t return. 30% chance that Burtschi will return. Heidelberg native Danilo Barthel completed his fourth season with Frankfurt and gets a C+. In the BBL he played 30 games averaging 9,3ppg, 4,6rpg and 1,1apg. He scored in double figures in 14 games including a 22 point game against Braunschweig and 22 points against Crailsheim. In Eurochallenge he played 10 games: 10.4ppg, 4.6rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 55.6%, 3PT: 37.5%, FT: 81.0%. He scored in double figures in seven games including 16 points against Aalstar. The German had a solid first half, but was injured in January which put a damper into the second half as he missed two months. He had a slow return. He was a big factor in the club success in the first half. He still has a contract. After Belgium, Cyprus and Finland Mike Morrison came to Germany. He gets a B-. He played 32 BBL games averaging 7,4ppg, and 3,4rpg. He scored in double figures 11 times including a 23 point game against Phoenix Hagen. In Eurochallenge he played 12 games: 6.3ppg, 3.3rpg, FGP: 69.6%, FT: 73.3%. He scored in double figures three times including 14 points against Nanterre. He had a solid season being the perfect back up to Voigtmann as their games compliment each other. He often brought much needed energy from the bench which got the team going in difficult situations. At the end of the season he was making his ally-op dunks as normal a procedure as a John Bryant put back. Morrison has an option on his contract and there are 70/30 chances that he will remain. German Konstantin Klein completed his third season with Frankfurt and was ready to make his complete breakthrough, but had two injuries cutting him to 16 BBL games where he averaged 6,7ppg, 2,6rpg and 1,8apg. He gets a C+. He scored in double figures in four games including 16 points against FC Bayern Munich. In Eurochallenge play he played 6 games: 6.7ppg, 2.0rpg, 2.2apg, FGP: 44.4%, 3PT: 52.9%, FT: 83.3%. He scored in double figures in two games including a 11 point game against Tartu Rock. His injuries slowed him down. His known aggressiveness play and scoring was there at times. He still has a contract and will be more than hungry to return next season with vengeance. After many years in Finland the ex Kyle Hines teammate at NC-Greensboro (NCAA) Mikko Koivisto played his first season in Germany. He gets a C+. In the BBL he played 15 games averaging 5,5ppg and 1,4rpg. He scored in double figures four times. In Eurochallenge play he played 6 games: 2.7ppg, 1.2apg. He showed specs of brilliance scoring 14 points against FC Bayern Munich and the Walter Tigers Tuebingen as he scored 14 points a piece nailing four three pointers a piece. He was gotten early in the season as the team fought injuries, but later as more came back, he was the odd man out as the extra international player. He had an excellent character and never once complained about his situation. Everybody would have liked to see him play more. Despite his overall good character he won´t return. Johannes Richter was one of the big surprises on the team. He gets a B. In his first full season he played 24 BBL games averaging 2,3ppg, and 1,4rpg. He scored 10 points against Bamberg and in Eurochallenge play he played 11 games: 3.8ppg, 2.2rpg. He scored 15 and 10 points against the Bakken Bears and was crowned as the Bakken Bears honey spoiler. He made big steps through hard work in practice and playing against the best each day in practice like a Johannes Voigtmann. He has a lot of potential in the next years. He has option and will stay in Frankfurt. The double license players played too few minutes to get grades, but get a season summary. Stefan Ilzhofer played 13 BBL and 6 Eurochallenge games. He always showed hustle, good movement away from the ball and fought for open shots. He had a good development. He has an option and will stay. Kevin Bright played 15 BBL games and four Eurochallenge games. He was an aggressive player on offense and didn´t shy away from running up against Physical players. He didn´t play as much as he may have liked as he was usually with the BBL teams. More than 4 Pro B games surely would of helped his development. He has option on his contract. 50/50 chance for him to stay. Max Merz played 10 BBL games and 6 Pro B games. It was pretty much a lost year for him. He had a long injury and then had a semester in Australia where he practiced against professional players. He returned back for the FC Bayern Munich playoff series as he had a semester break. He has a contract and will return.

Zilijan Jones is a 23 year old 175cm point guard that is playing his rookie season in Morocco. He played college basketball at St.Edward’s (NCAA2) for 3 years and in his last season there played 21 games: 7.3ppg, 1.6rpg, 1.4spg, FGP: 33.1%, 3PT: 25.3%, FT: 63.8%. He then moved to Oklah. Panhandle St. (NCAA2) playing 28 games: 12.8ppg, 3.4rpg, 3.7apg, FGP: 43.6%, 3PT: 41.0%. As a professional rookie he played for Kenitra AC (Morocco-D1) and in Spain this season. He spoke to German Hoops about basketball.

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

Currently I am playing in the 1st National Mens división (5th) here in Spain. My team, (FCR La Roda) is the favorite to promote to the EBA league (4th). We are currently in 2nd place with the 1st place team coming to our house before the playoffs start. We are in great position to get the regular season title. So far this season we won the Presidents Cup which is a mid season final four.

At the moment you are playing for Fundacion C Rural La Roda in Spain. Describe a bit how the team is doing and what kind of experience it is for you in the EBA league.

My role on this team is to be a playmaker for my teammates. I also am a huge energy that sparks the team when we are not playing with energy. There are good basketball players everywhere. I would say the biggest difference between european basketball and NCAA 2 college basketball is the level of athleticism.

What kind of role do you have and how is the talent level in this league to what you saw in the NCAA2?

The only goal for me here at FCR La Roda is to win a championship. Anything less than a championship would be failure. Our chances to move up to EBA are very good. We just have to continue to take each game one quarter at a time.

After a bad start in Morocco, what do you hope to achieve with Fundacion C Rural La Roda. How good are the chances that the club will move up a level?

As a rookie, everything is a learning experience. I was promised things that never came into existance. I will never hold a grudge against this club, thinngs didnt workout but i am blessed and thankful for the experiences and friendships i gained during my time in Morocco.

You started the season with Kenitra AC (Morocco-D1). You had some bad misfortune there. Please explain the dealings that you had with this club?

The biggest disappointment was the lack of concern for my children. KAC knew i was talking with other clubs in Spain before they sent me a contract. KAC promised all these things to get me to come to their club and none of it was true. This put my family in danger finacially. Again everything is a learning eperience and it made me realize that you must do your research before signing a contract.

How difficult was it as a rookie coming to a foreign land and possibly being a bit naïve and taking granted of by the organization? When looking back at your short stay in Morocco, what were you able to learn from this experience?

What I learned about Morocco is in this business no one cares about your personal life. There are two types of clubs. Clubs who care about you as an all around person and the clubs who only want you for your talent.

What dealings do you exactly have with Germany. You have many friends that have played in Germany.

Germany is a good basketball market. As a young player exposure is key. Im looking for an oppritunity to show that I can perform and compete at the highest level. Germany is a great platform to showcase my skills and God given gift to lead. I have friends who play there now in lower leagues. Kendre Talley, Micheal Harvey, and Harley Fuller are my friends who play in Germany. They all play in lower leagues there and are hungy and looking for better oppritunities like me.

Do you have aspirations of playing in Germany in the future? If you could describe your game and why you could help a team how would you describe your game?

Germany is a great country, ive interacted with people from Germany and the people were great to me. Germany is a great place for exposure. If i could describe my game i would have to say im a great teammate. I can score, i can pass, and i play defense. The only stat that matters to me is winning. If that requires me to score 25 points that night then thats what i do. If i have to only pass to get the win then thts what i do. Winning is the only thing that matters to me. Im all about the teams success.

You are a short point guard. Which NBA point guards were your role models growing up?

Chris Paul. He uses his mind and creativity against his opponents. At my size you have to really know how to command respect from your teammates and be a floor leader.

You played at St.Edward’s (NCAA2) and then transferred to Oklahoma. Panhandle St. (NCAA2. What were the main reasons for making this move?

Well after playing 3 seasons at St Edwards, the coach and I felt it was best that he develop his younger guards. He wasnt the original coach that recruited me. Going to OPSU i knew would give me the best oppritunity to further my career after college.

What was your most memorable experience playing college basketball in the States?
Playing against NCAA 1 University Incarnante Word as a sophmore I scored 29 points and 7 assist. I was 19 years old.

What goals do you still have as a professional basketball player?

My goal as a profesional is to win as many championships as possible. Also work with kids and use basketball as a tool to bring all cultures together.     

Derrick Rose got injured again. Do you see him ever being a healthy player for a longer period of time or will injuries haunt his whole career as it has now?

I think like all great players, D. Rose needs to adjust his game. Making his jump shot more consistant and also using his playmaking skills more.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

Taken 3 was the last movie I seen.

Thanks Zilijan for the chat

Kenny Demouchet is a 24 year old 193 cm guard that is currently playing in Peru and is the cousin of MBC guard Patrick Richard. Before starting his professional career he played at Opelousas LA (Mountain Valley Community Coll) (Opelousas High School) Missouri Baptist UniversityMountain View College and Jackson St. (NCAA): 22 games: 0.8ppg, 1.2rpg. He started his professional career in 2013 and played in Italy, the Louisiana Soul (ABA) and now in Peru. He currently is playing in Peru and spoke to German Hoops about basketball.

Kenny thanks for talking to German Hoops. Last season you played in Italy and currently in Peru. How do you like the globetrotter lifestyle?

I am truly loving the globetrotter lifestyle. It allows me to see the world, experience different lifestyles and most of all represent Opelousas, Louisiana and inspire kids all over the world to never give up on your vision and thoughts.

Currently you are playing in the first Peru division for Universitario. The team is in last place. What have been the name reasons for being in the cellar?

The reason being for our team being in last place is that the coach brought me and my big man Jeorge Parra, which is the other import in after the season has started. Every other team has had their imports since March and we are just getting here the beginning of April. We are learning to play with the Peruvians and build chemistry. We have showed glimpse of us being a great team by beating the #1 team (Inmacculada) in the league who has only 1 loss to us. There was a game in which I had 21 points, 7 assist, and 6 rebounds. I just think coach has to allow me to be free more and let the offense flow like we did when we beat Inmacculada, instead of running plays every possession. So we just working and we WILL put the pieces together!

What kind of experience has it been overall for you in Peru. What is it like playing in a country where soccer rules over all other sports?

The experience here has been great. Despite the fact that Futbol is the main sport here I have still signed autographs everywhere I go and the people here loves me. If you always remain positive in every situation and think positive. If you do and think positive, Positive things will happen for you.

Currently you are averaging 17ppg, six rebounds and six assists. How happy have you been with your game in Peru? What area´s do you still like to improve on?

My stats are good for a point guard but they can be greater. I have been passing up on shots that I would usually take because I am trying to trust my teammates and have faith in them. I will definitely start shooting more because I am originally a scorer and I made that transition to playing point guard. I want to improve on using the pick n roll because I have to use it to just being a 1 on 1 type player and I want to be at 22 points and 8 assist a game guy by the time the season is over and be shooting 42% from 3 point line. Right now I only shooting 38% from 3 point line and like 44% overall.

How much fun is it playing with Venezuelen big man Jorge Parra who is averaging 16ppg and 20rpg? I would imagine that he likes your feeds inside.

Playing with my big man is awesome. He is very smart, mature and knows the game. He has a very high IQ. I love to pass up shots and feed him the ball or penetrate and dump it down to him. I don’t care if he takes 30 shots a game I know that once he starts getting double teamed I will have open 3 pointers that I will make majority of the time because I am a catch and shoot type player.

You are a combo guard. What is a hidden strength in your game that doesn´t always get noticed right away on the court?

My hidden strength would be my defense and my ability to be a lights out shooter. I absolutely love to guard the best player and pick up 94ft. I don’t think my defense is unnoticed because I am averaging almost 3 steals a game and I always guard the other Americans here but never guard me. I think they might be scared of me. Lol.

Your cousin is MBC guard Patrick Richard who was an allstar this season and had a great season. What things have you picked up from his game over the years?

The things I have learned from Richard over my 25 years of living is his ability to create space to get a good shot off the dribble because I’m more of a catch and shoot guy and I love to attack and dunk while Richard doesn’t. He is more of just a shooter and he always been that way since High School.

Would Germany be an option for you if you had the chance? I am sure that your cousin has talked about how nice Germany is on and off the court?

Yes Richard has talked about how beautiful Germany is and yes my plan is to play in Germany for the 15-16 season. No doubt.

Last summer you played in Trieste,Italy- Italian Summer League-Playing in the championship game and winning the MVP. You averaged 14 points, 8 assist, 7 rebounds, 3 steals a game! Were you surprised how well you played despite it being your first time in Europe?

No I wasn’t surprised how well I played but it was a learning experience because the game is so different from America. It’s less 1 on 1 and more about team. Pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, shoot or lay up.

You obviously showed that you could keep up with the competition and win MVP. Is the European style one that you would prefer to the one in the States and other countries?

I would rather play the European style over the US or other countries any day. It’s so much spacing and everybody can score. It also makes the game so much easier.

You played one game for the Louisiana Soul (ABA). How cool was it playing in your home state? I guess that the next upgrade which would be nice would be the NBA Pelicans. The ABA is a semi pro league. I can imagine you don´t want to return and stay in Europe. Would you say you were above the ABA level?

The ABA was a good experience but I only did it for my home fans, friends and family. It’s not good competition and no defense being played. Yes, I’m way above ABA level.

Right after you finished at Jackson State(NCAA) you played at the in the NBA D-League draft/training camp in 2013. Did you not get any D-league offers and would the D-League be an option if a team came calling?

I got offers from Santa Cruz Warriors and Bakersfield Jam but didn’t make the cut. I don’t think it had anything to do with my game, it’s more political than anything. If a team in the D-League called right now I would drop everything and definitely go.

You played at Missouri Baptist University and Mountain View College before finishing at Jackson State(NCAA). Was it a tough adjustment for you changing so many colleges in a short time?

No it wasn’t a tough adjustment I feel that basketball is the same on every level except for mental aspect. On each level basketball is the same but mentally you have to grow(IQ).

Do you think your career might be somewhere else now had head coach Tavester Anderson have given you good minutes at Jackson State(NCAA)?

If Coach Tevester Anderson gave me minutes at JSU, I would be in the NBA right now. It was a selfish thing he done and I didn’t do anything or get in trouble. I was a 3.2 student(the only player on the team with a GPA over a 2). I don’t smoke nor drink and everybody in Jackson,Mississippi loved me, except him. Look at all I accomplished with only averaging 0.8 points and 2 minutes a game. So just think where I would be. I could have won an NBA championship by now. We would never know.

You season ends in July in Peru. Will you then attack the European market or possibly go back to the States to try D-League or return to South America?

After this season over here I’m going to go play in Europe in a top division. No doubt. If a D-League calls, cool. If not, it’s still cool. Nobody can stop me but ME, I will get there

Who will reach the 2015 NBA final and who will win it?

The Bulls and the Warriors. The Warriors will win it all.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

The last DVD I seen was, Coach Carter.

Thanks Kenny for the chat.

With the minutes leading up to the jump ball in game two between the Fraport Skyliners and FC Bayern Munich one could sense a loose atmosphere in the arena among fans and players in the do or die game before the do or die game as it was evident with a loss the 2004 BBL champion Skyliners would have their backs ultimately to the wall and with their key offensive player Johannes Voigtmann out for the season their fortunes didn´t seem to be any better. However almost two hours later all was well in the Fraport arena as the Fraport Skyliners had handed Germany´s most famous name their worst smacking since they entered the Beko BBL in 2010 in BBL play as they were crushed by 24 points and most likely had a worse taste than being swept by 2010 Eurochallenge winner BG Goettingen. However even if the fans and players could celebrate the last minutes with pride, it was Oklahoma native Jacob Burtschi that still had to bear the burden of being challenged mentally and physically as mentally he was involved in heated trash talk with Svetislav Pesic and Heiko Schaffartzik. “Pesic was getting on Doornekamp and I came over and told him to stop and sit down and Schaffartzik then told me to sit down. They better know I have Air Force moves so they better not mess with me”, joked ex Air Force player Jacob Burtschi. And physically during stretching he was blindsided from behind by Los Angeles native Justin Cobbs who had his own way of celebrating as he tackled Burtschi like a boy actually hit the American in an awkward position in that he was stuck with a cramp. Cobbs survived that and the club had little time to really enjoy the big win and were back on the floor 48 hours later in game three in Munich. FC Bayern Munich was focused to make amends for their embarrassing and lackluster performance in Frankfurt and needed a win again not to go back to Frankfurt with their backs to the wall. FC Bayern Munich made a vice versa to their game two performance by crushing the Fraport Skyliners at home 82-64 as they took a 2-1 game lead in the best of five series. FC Bayern Munich came out aggressive and never let up while the Fraport Skyliners had a bad shooting day and once again had difficulty controlling the board. “They kicked our butts and we had to dig ourselves out of a hole the rest of the way and that is tough to do against the defending champions. Munich thought that their name would carry them through game two and tonight they had more energy and just wanted it more than we did. It was a vice versa tonight”, stressed Jacob Burtschi. “Our aggression was very strong tonight, shot the ball well and played tough defense. We finally played up to the quality of our level”, stressed Bryce Taylor. In game two ex Oregon(NCAA) forward Bryce Taylor had a black day scoring  with only one field goal which occurred late in the fourth quarter in the 38^th minute, but in game three it was like day and night as Frankfurt saw a new side of Taylor, the mad side. ”I was angry tonight. I felt that we didn´t show who we are in game two. We had to step it up and I led by example. There are some games where you hit shots and miss shots, but I always bring the same energy”, Bryce Taylor. “Taylor is a veteran and didn´t have a good game two. He brought much energy with put back dunks and transition dunks and hit big shots. There is a reason why he has been around for such a long time in this league”, added Oklahoma native Jacob Burtschi. “Taylor gave Munich a good spark and that is what good players do after a bad game. He got into an easy flow early with three pointers and transition baskets”, stated ex Auburn forward Quantez Robertson.

There was an amazing atmosphere as the game commenced and one knew right away this was playoff time. FC Bayern Munich got on the board quickly as Vasilije Micic caught Frankfurt snoring as he was all open in front of the bucket and Nihad Djedovic dished him the ball of the inbounds pass. The Fraport Skyliners didn´t hesitate long to get on the board themselves as Heidelberg native Danilo Barthel twisted and weaved around John Bryant using his quickness for the 2-2 game The first few minutes was a back and forth where Frankfurt was able to keep up with a few lead changes. California native Bryant made a put back and Jacob Burtschi got Frankfurt their first lead 5-4 with a three pointer. FC Bayern Munich then took the 6-5 lead with Bryce Taylor free three´s and never looked back in the game. Serb Dusko Savanovic then hit a step back jumper for the 8-7 advantage. FC Bayern Munich continued to get into their offensive groove going on a 7-2 run to extend their lead to 15-7. In the run, it was American Taylor who continued to keep the team energy up with an aggressive two hand dunk, a lay in from Bryant as he was fed by big man Savanovic and Taylor found his tough early with a three pointer which he didn´t in game two. FC Bayern Munich had the leverage with the high intensity, were very focused from the jump ball and pushed their defensive intensity and aggressiveness from game two. Frankfurt then went on a mini 4-0 run to scratch their ways back to 15-11 as they got back to back buckets inside as Quantez Robertson made a tip in off an Aaron Doornekamp back door pass and ex George Mason(NCAA) center Mike Morrison made a massive dunk. However the Frankfurt defense wasn´t on the same page as in game two as they just could get consecutive stops or limit easy shots in this phase. In the Munich run as Djedovic dropped a three pointer, Bryant a free throw and ex Bamberg guard Anton Gavel hit a one hand floater as FC Bayern Munich led 21-11. Frankfurt battled back in the last minutes closing out the first quarter with a 7-4 run to trail 25-18. In the run, the Fraport Skyliners got massive support from Sean Armand who came off the bench with a three pointer and free throws and a Barthel runner. FC Bayern Munich got added production from Taylor with a two hand dunk and Micic free throws. “We weren´t making shots, had turnovers and didn´t rebound well which hurt us in our start”, stressed ex Phoenix Hagen forward Jacob Burtschi. FC Bayern Munich was shooting 50% from the field and 40% from outside while the Fraport Skyliners were shooting 46% from the field and 40% from outside. Munich had the 11-5 rebound edge and had one turnover while Frankfurt had three turnovers.

FC Bayern Munich kept up their high intensity and well- oiled offensive machine as they won the second quarter 21-7. FC Bayern stormed out on a 8-1 run to extend their lead to 33-19 as the 2014 BBL champion got back to back three point shots from ex Alba Berlin guard Heiko Schaffartzik and Anton Gavel and Savaovic caught Frankfurt napping on transition defense making a lay in. After a Barthel lay in where ex Vanderbilt(NCAA) guard Kevin Bright fed him for the back door lay in, it was time for FC Bayern Munich to go on another run of 8-2 to extend their lead to 41-23 as Munich got much support inside with the athletic energy of Taylor as he made a tip in dunk, Djedovic made a lay in after catching a back door pass from Gavel, Bryant made a lay in and then came the pass of the game as Gavel unleased a bullet inside to Djedovic who finished all alone. Cobbs scored the lone Frankfurt points with a pull up jumper. A big difference in both runs was that FC Bayern Munich was hitting tough shots while Frankfurt wasn´t hitting anything. In the last few minutes of the second quarter Frankfurt had difficulty hitting free throws and Djedovic made free throws and went into half time making a buzzer beater trey as FC Bayern Munich had the comfortable 46-25 advantage at half time. “ Munich got easy baskets and transition buckets and we missed many shots”, added Quantez Robertson. FC Bayern Munich was shooting 50% from the field and 50% from the three point line while the Fraport Skyliners were shooting 30% from the field and 20% from the three point line. FC Bayern Munich led the rebound battle 26-12 and both teams had five turnovers a piece.

In the third quarter, FC Bayern Munich continued their offensive domination, but had their worst phase of the game as the Fraport Skyliners went on a run and stepped up their defense, but FC Bayern Munich were able to up their lead a bit at the end to a big lead. FC Bayern Munich got off to a quick 5-0 run as Frankfurt coughed up the ball twice on their first two possessions and Munich got a three pointer from Djedovic and lay in for the 51-28 lead. FC Bayern Munich continued to have the comfortable lead as Bryant hit a turnaround jumper and Taylor scored inside. For Frankfurt Armand made free throws and Morrison who was playing extended minutes for the injured Johannes Voigtmann made a jumper just as the shot clock went off as FC Bayern Munich still led huge 56-32. Then came the best span of the Fraport Skyliners as they played their best defense of the game going to a full court press as aggressive defense fueled their offense leading to a timely 10-0 run to cut the FC Bayern Munich lead to 56-41. Frankfurt got to the free throw line with Robertson, Cobbs, and Morrison. Robertson and Cobbs also made field goals inside. In the last few minutes the Fraport Skyliners held their own and were trailing 61-48. FC Bayern Munich did a good job getting Frankfurt into further foul trouble getting to the line with free throws from Gavel and Micic and Robertson scored another bucket inside and Barthel made a scorching dunk cutting into the lane. “We anticipated their passes and got them out of rhythm on offense”, stressed Quantez Robertson. FC Bayern Munich was shooting48% from the field and 50% from the parking lot while the Fraport Skyliners 32% from the field and 14% from the parking lot. FC Bayern Munich was still dominating the boards 34-24 and had 11 turnovers and Frankfurt nine turnovers.

With 30 minutes played the Fraport Skyliners were still in range of FC Bayern Munich trailing by 13 points, but in the fourth quarter FC Bayern Munich were able to wear down the Fraport Skyliners with their physicality and continued consistency on offense. FC Bayern Munich made a statement in the first four minutes to finally close the door on Frankfurt as they went on a 12-6 run to extend their lead to 75-54. It was the Bryce Taylor show who was never really satisfied and now just completely crushed Frankfurt as he scored 10 points of the 12 Munich. Taylor was a one man wrecking crew and just kept hitting shots as he hit a pull up jumper, step back, three pointer, free throws and a lay in. Frankfurt got some good production from Burtschi with a finger tip roll, Robertson lay in and Cobbs pull up jumper, but all in all not enough offense to compete with FC Bayern Munich. Frankfurt then got double production from Danilo Barthel with a strong lay in over Yassin Idbihi and a crushing two handed dunk as Doornekamp found him cutting to the rim as Frankfurt trailed only 75-58, but time was running out for Frankfurt. Frankfurt got some production from Johannes Richter with a lay in and Kevin Bright free throws. After Barthel dropped a one hand floater, it was Robin Benzing that ended the game with a three pointer. “Our biggest strength tonight was our ball movement against their traps. We found the open guys a lot forcing them to close out or take the shots. Our ball movement was simply very quick. We also set the tone with our agression”, warned Bryce Taylor. FC Bayern Munich was led by Bryce Taylor with 23 points and Nihad Djedovic contributed 19 points. The Fraport Skyliners were led by Danilo Barthel with 17 points. Justin Cobbs chipped in with 13 points and Quantez Robertson contributed 11 points. FC Bayern Munich shot 45% from the field and 42% from outside and the Fraport Skyliners shot 38% from the field and 12% from outside. FC Bayern Munich won the rebound duel 40-32 and had 12 turnovers and 14 turnovers. “We have to come out aggressive in game four, execute, rebound and just play our game”, warned Quantez Robertson. Game four is May 17^th in Frankfurt.

Despite playing inspired and strong basketball for 30 minutes in game one against FC Bayern Munich, the Fraport Skyliners fell victim for 40 minutes to the aggressive crashing of the offensive boards and overall better individual qualities of FC Bayern Munich and with fatigue being a factor in the fourth quarter, the Fraport Skyliners were unable to close out the game in a fashion they would have liked. However despite the loss, the biggest blow for the Fraport Skyliners was losing German national player Johannes Voigtmann who got a serious injury late in the second quarter ending his third season with Frankfurt in a most untimely manner. Game two in Frankfurt was technically not a do or die game, but in reality was because with a loss and being down 2-0 against Germany´s most famous sports team would most likely seal the semi-finals with game three being in Munich. With Voigtmann out with an injury and done for the season all he could do now was support his team as best possible from the bench, it now was the golden opportunity for baby twin tower Johannes Richter to give stellar inside basketball support something he has shown this season already in Eurochallenge play. Earlier in the season he scored in double figures twice against Danish team Baaken Bears and scored 15 points and six rebounds as Voigtmann was in foul trouble as he led the charge in the 74-64 victory. Richter disallowed any honey for the Baaken Bears as his play helped propel Frankfurt to the win, but now Richter had the biggest challenge of his career where he had to go head to head against American center john Bryant where the salaries between both players is as diverse as between a Lionel Messi and Felix Widwald of Eintracht Frankfurt. Richter was playing in his biggest game of his early career and the Fraport Skyliners didn´t want to go back to Munich with their backs to the wall, but they didn´t need Voigtmann as they crushed FC Bayern Munich 93-69 evening the series at 1-1. Fraport Skyliners head coach used the winning formula of small ball as the other big men had foul trouble while Johannes Richter wasn´t a factor and he took it in stride. “Every goal of a young player is too play, but we have very good players at the big positions. I just try to be ready and do what I need to be successful”, stressed ex Bamberg center Johannes Richter. In the first three games this season, the Fraport Skyliners played well for 6 of 12 quarters, but tonight they finally played a complete game and that showed with the result. “The team didn´t need me tonight. It was clear to see tonight that FC Bayern Munich didn´t play their best basketball. We played well for 40 minutes except for a short spurt of not being concentrated, but played with steam most of the game. Munich has the best players in the league, but they didn´t play as a team. We fought for one another and took advantage of their unfocused play”, said Fraport Skyliner Johannes Voigtmann. FC Bayern Munich seemed to never be fully in the game and just couldn´t get their offense going as Frankfurt demonstrated first class basketball. “Frankfurt played hard and brought energy and we could match it. We knew it would be a tough game, but we couldn´t do anything against them taking us out of our game”, stressed ex Alba Berlin forward Jan Jagla. “We missed a golden opportunity in game and now it is a best of three. We might have won 24 points, but that means nothing”, warned Oklahoma native Jacob Burtschi.

4,710 people were in the Fraport arena as Johannes Voigtmann could only watch from the sidelines as well as Konstantin Klein and head coach Gordon Herbert was back behind the bench after his virus infection. Georg Voigtman from Science City Jena was also in the arena supporting the team of his brother. FC Bayern Munich didn´t hesitate getting their offense running as they stormed out on a 11-3 run and lead. FC Bayern Munich wanted to take advantage with the void of the injured Voigtmann as ex ratiopharm Ulm center John Bryant was a beast in the paint getting a lay in, fade away jumper and offensive rebound and put back. Nihad Djedovic nailed free throws and Vasilije Micic full ended a coast to coast lay in Justin Cobbs made the only field goal in this run with a floater. FC Bayern Munich was defending at their best limiting Frankfurt to hard shots and made the pick and roll non-existent. However as often is the case in basketball, fortunes can turn for the better for a team out of nothing as the Fraport Skyliners finished the first half with a 14-3 run to lead 17-14. The Fraport Skyliners got that three pointer from Quantez Robertson which sparked their game. After that they kept consistency in their game inside out as Brooklyn native Sean Armand fed Florida native Mike Morrison for the crushing two handed dunk, California native Justin Cobbs scored transition points, Canadian Aaron Doornekamp buried a three pointer and Armand closed out the first quarter in fine fashion waiting in the corner getting the ball and waiting for Anton Gavel to fly by him and then positioning his feet for the buzzer beater three pointer as the arena erupted. “Frankfurt made the best of the absence of Johannes Voigtmann. Barthel and Morrison did a good job for Voigtmann, Frankfurt also played good small ball and got out on the transition”, stressed Science City Jena center Georg Voigtmann. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 43% from the field and 33% from outside while FC Bayern Munich was shooting 42% from the field and 0% from outside. FC Bayern Munich had the 10-6 rebound edge, but four turnovers and Frankfurt had three turnovers.

The second quarter was very tight and exciting as there were four lead changes and no team could break away for the bigger lead. FC Bayern Munich broke out on a quick 5-0 run to take the lead again21-17 as ex Penn State forward Jan Jagla dropped a three pointer Vladimir Stimac made a lay in and free throw. Then it was the time for Morrison to make big energy points as Cobbs couldn´t break free from the double team well, but found the big men and he skipped to the hoop with the two hand dunk finishing like a point guard. Jagla then made an offensive rebound and put back something which has haunted Frankfurt the whole series. Robertson then dropped another three pointer to tie the game at 22-22. Schaffartzik and Robertson then traded three pointers to tie the score at 25-25. FC Bayern Munich then recaptured the lead again as Bryant made free throws and then went over the double team of Doornekamp and Richter and finishing very high off the glass as Frankfurt trailed 29-25. Frankfurt continued not to allow FC Bayern Munich to break away as they remained consistent on offense as Cobbs made his bread and butter the step back and Armand connected on a floater to tie the game at 29-29. Frankfurt was an annoying menace on defense as their help defense was spot on and they were strongest getting into the passing lanes. Robertson then hit another trey ending the 7-0 run leading 32-29. Frankfurt ended the second quarter with a 6-3 run as Armand hit a runner, made free throws and Richter closed out the quarter with an offensive rebound and put-back as the Fraport Skyliners led 37-32. “There were many crucial referee calls in the second quarter. Tez sparked the team with many three´s and Armand was also a spark plug”, stressed Georg Voigtmann. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 48% from the field and 45% from the three point line while FC Bayern Munich was shooting 40% from the field and 17% from the three point line. FC Bayern Munich had the 18-14 rebound edge, but had eight turnovers and Frankfurt had seven turnovers.

In the third quarter, the Fraport Skyliners really opened up the game giving a shooting clinic hitting for 27 points and leading by 12 points after 30 minutes. The Fraport Skyliners got going fast going out on a 7-0 run to extend their lead to 44-32. Doornekamp hit a runner and Armand dropped a three pointer while Danilo Barthel and Cobbs only made one of two free throws. Then both teams went on little runs, but FC Bayern Munich couldn´t make any ground. FC Bayern Munich started the first run with ex Alba Berlin center Yassin Idbihi with an offensive rebound and put back and then Djedovic showed why his first step is deadly as he made an easy lay up to cut the Frankfurt lead to 44-36. However Frankfurt struck back with an Armand runner and Barthel lay in to extend their lead to 48-36. The 12 point lead for Frankfurt didn´t really stop as both teams executed well on offense as both teams were firing away. Djedovic, Armand and Micic hit three pointers, but Frankfurt still led 53-42. Down the stretch Doornekamp hit from outside as did Jan Jagla, but Frankfurt still led 61-48. An Armand floater and another Djedovic three pointer closed out the third quarter as the Fraport Skyliners led 64-51. “We as a team were able to find the open guys and got transition points as well”, added Quantez Robertson. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 50% from the field and 43% from the parking lot while FC Bayern Munich was shooting 43% from the field and 35% from the parking lot. FC Bayern Munich kept the rebound advantage at 27-25, but had 13 turnovers while Frankfurt had eight turnovers.

In the fourth quarter, the Fraport Skyliners out did themselves closing out the game in style banging home 29 points to get the series at 1-1. The Fraport Skyliners continued their offensive firing away going out on a 8-2 run to extend their lead to 71-53. Frankfurt head coach Gordon Herbert still had room for new plays out of his trick basket as he unraveled a touch down pass from the inbounds play as Doornekamp snuck behind the Munich defense getting back and Robertson found him for the slam dunk. Cobbs hit a three pointer and Barthel made free throws. Sometimes FC Bayern Munich can come back in a flash in which they give the ball to Bryant and he finished twice in a row with a finger tip role looking like an unbelievable agle and quick big man and three pointer as the Bavarian team crept back to 72-58. This may have been the strongest run by Munich in the game as they continued their run making it a 9-2 as German Paul Zipser made a runner and ex Bamberg guard Anton Gavel making a left hand lay in cutting the Frankfurt lead to 74-62. However Frankfurt didn´t have any bad moments at the end as they kept producing on offense as especially Justin Cobbs was on fire as he made free throws, a three pointer and a perfect ally-op pass to Mike Morrison extending the Frankfurt lead to 80-64. “My job as a point guard is too pick my spots when I get the opportunity I need to take it and just continue to learn with the flow. I have to know who is hot and get him the ball and that was possible with Armand and Robertson”, warned Justin Cobbs. Frankfurt was able to extend their lead to 86-66 as Morrison and Robertson made the arena cook with back to back two handed dunks. Bryce Taylor scored his first two points and only in the game in the 38^th minute and something nobody in Skyliner nation will remember except for the California native on the bus ride home. With 1,36 minutes to play and the game decided, Gordon Herbert inserted the German kids with Johannes Richter, Stefan Ilzhoefer, Kevin Bright and Max Merz. They mastered FC Bayern Munich closing out the game with a 5-1 run as Richter hit a mid-distance jumper and ex Vaderbilt guard Kevin Bright set a harsh explanation point with a three pointer as the 93-69 crushing was the first win of Black Tuesday as two hours later FC Bayern Munich beat FC Barcelona 3-2, but didn´t qualify for the Euroleague final. There was also some heated trash talk between Jacob Burtschi and Svetislav Pesic and Heiko Schaffartzik. “Pesic was getting on Doornekamp and I came over and told him to stop and sit down and Schaffartzik then told me to sit down. They better know I have Air Force moves so they better not mess with me”, joked ex Air Force player Jacob Burtschi. “We stayed with Frankfurt in the first half, but in the second half we didn´t play the way we wanted to. They simply played better than we did and we have to change it in game three”, warned Anton Gavel. “We knew that they would try to make a run. We made shots, free throws and easy lay ups. We rebounded better than in Game one. We watched much film and boxed out better in game two not letting the long rebounds up”, added Quantez Robertson.

The Fraport Skyliners were led by Justin Cobbs with 18 points and six assists and Sean Armand with 18 points. Quantez Robertson added 16 points and Mike Morrison 14 points. FC Bayern Munich was led by John Bryant with 16 points. Nihad Djedovic contributed 14 points and Jan Jagla 12 points. The Fraport Skyliners finished shooting 52% from the field and 43% from outside while FC Bayern Munich finished shooting43% from the field and 35% from outside. Frankfurt won the rebound duel 34-31 and had 10 turnovers while FC Bayern Munich had 17 turnovers. This was the most perfect game that the Fraport Skyliners played against Fc Bayern Munich and was always flowing on both ends of the court. “We wanted to get open shots tonight as Gavel and Djedovic do a good job getting out on the wings. We wanted it more on the boards than they did. We knew that without Voigtmann and Klein we had two play two levels higher and we did that. It makes it a lot easier to continue hitting shots when your doing that. On defense we did a better job taking away what they are good at. We also were lucky to get Savanovic into foul trouble. We played aggressive and took away their option”, stated Jacob Burtschi. Game three is in 48 hours and this is the early do or die game for the Fraport Skyliners. “We need rest now because we have a short rotation. The key   will be to execute better and get stops better than them”, warned Justin Cobbs.

In my basketball relationship with Fraport Skyliners assistant coach Klaus Perwas, there is only one predicable thing where I always know what will happen when he approaches me in the Catacombs of the Fraport arena after a game and that is the standard phrase “servus” and after I have said congratulations on the win, he mutters thanks. Other than that he could easily form a Blues Brothers 2 combination with Fraport Skyliners head coach Gordon Herbert not in necessarily having a gag show act at the local comedy club, but in their constant same mode during games in that they both display an expressionless demeanor off the court in which you mostly don´t know really what the outcome of the game was at first glance. The only difference between both men is that Herbert will most likely wear something black, while Perwas doesn´t and Herbert will most likely answer back during the standard tough loss or nice win, while Perwas might not answer back during a loss as he is most likely still somewhere in that deciding crunch time play in his thoughts that was the difference costing Frankfurt the win. In game one in Munich, it was Perwass having that seldom opportunity to coach the team while Gordon Herbert stayed in the hotel in Munich nursing a virus having to watch the Fraport Skyliners consistency phobia once again exhibit it´s ugly presence while his virus illness might have been temporally replaced with a splitting headache in the fourth quarter. For Perwas, he also showed a moment of weakness in the fourth quarter as it was obvious in which the game had gone as he showed one of those expressions where his cheeks and lips came together with a slight nod of the head that it seemed apparent that after a good fight, Frankfurt wasn´t caving in with a lack of effort or fight, but that the game was going it´s normal course as Frankfurt just couldn´t keep up with the first three quarters as fatigue was setting in, the inside presence of Johannes Voigtmann was absent as he had been injured shortly before halftime and German national player Heiko Schaffartzik did was he does best hitting ridiculous bombs from anywhere from downtown and FC Bayern Munich just had an offensive answer for every Frankfurt connected shot thus slowing down the opponents come back.

If one looks back at the first two games against FC Bayern Munich, this was the best played game of the Fraport Skyliners in terms of consistency as they played with FC Bayern Munich for 30 minutes while in the first game it was 20 minutes and in their only win this season in Frankfurt where they staged an impressive comeback in the fourth quarter as it was only a very potent 10 minutes where Frankfurt played well. If there was a cheeky journalist who might have asked Perwas after the loss in Munich in game one if he would of perfered to rather have had a similar game in performance from Frankfurt like in the massive comeback in Frankfurt a few weeks ago, the ex German national player Perwas most definitely would have answered with “I only prefer 40 minutes of consistent basketball”. When looking back at the game, there were many factors that cost Frankfurt the victory and if one really listed all these factors, one probably would have been surprised that the Fraport Skyliners were trailing only 54-53 after three quarters instead of 15 points where the game most likely have been in the books. In the first 30 minutes, the Fraport Skyliners defended well not great, but still very commendable as FC Bayern Munich is the best scoring team in the Beko BBL. Offensively they also played sound basketball as it was many guys that led the charge as their ball movement was sound and Frankfurt was able to bounce back during runs from FC Bayern Munich then making importnan buckets. Guys like Sean Armand showed his typical scoring in bunches ability while Canadian Aaron Doornekamp hit big three pointers and Mike Morrison was the only real bright spot on the boards. FC Bayern Munich on the other hand weren´t at their best on offense as they missed many easy shots especially a John Bryant who wasn´t necessarily defended that hard, but he still left shots close to the rim and 15 footers on the rim as they didn´t want to roll in. The biggest blow to the Fraport Skyliners was in the last minute of the second quarter as German national player Johannes Voigtmann stepped on a Munich player and most possibly tore his anterior cruciate ligament and never returned back into the game. In the second half his expression said it all on the sidelines as he was expressionless as he most likely was thinking why me? Whyan injury now in this crucial time of the season. Despite no Voigtmann and FC Bayern Munich controlling the offensive glass in the first half as if they owned a patent on it, the Fraport Skyliners played their best basketball of the game in the third quarter limiting FC Bayern Munich to their fewest quarter points with 15. The game was close as there were seven lead changes and Frankfurt was believing they could win this game. However the game of basketball has four quarters and not three as in the last quarter, the Fraport Skyliners had to accept reality as FC Bayern Munich shifted into high gear and just played the way they know how scoring 29 points and making the 83-72 result at the end not really explain the closeness of how the game was for the most part. Some of the key factors in the fourth quarter as to why FC Bayern Munich came to life again was simple. They disallowed Frankfurt to get off on a good start which they despertately needed and went on a 8-0 run to motor their self confidence. Heiko Schaffartzik stepped up making back to back three pointers and later on John Bryant also nailed a three pointer which has been a mainstay in his game for years. This put a damper in their self confidence of the Fraport Skyliners, but they never gave up as they continued to fight and claw back making shots, but just couldn´t get under an eight point deficit down the stretch. In the post game summary the absence of Johannes Voigtman really hurt Frankurt and their biggest menace on the night was their inability to clear the paint being able to secure the rebounds as FC Bayern Munich seemed to have the height and position on almost every missed shot. FC Bayern Munich ended the game shooting 42% from outside as that was only determined with a strong fourth quarter shooting wise as they did a heck of a job making key decisions from the parking lot where no one better to give the ball to than Heko Schaffartzik when one needs the big shots. Frankfurt shot a dismal 29% from outside as consistency was a big factor there. All in all FC Bayern Munich made better use of their individual qualities as their budget is four times greater than the Fraport Skyliners and that becomes a big factor in any game. Another huge factor was the continued downward curve in the play of Justin Cobbs in the last two months. It is no secret that his gas tank is running on empty after a long rookie season where in the last four years in the NCAA his season had ended pretty much when this inconsistent period started in Bonn at the beginning of March. Teams also seem to have his number as they know what he will do. The Frankfurt pick and role game has become nonexistent with Cobbs at the helm which limits his opportunities and more than not gives him the option to finish more himself which also isn´t working as well anymore. His outside shooting also has faltered as he is 7/32 in the last 11 games and his usual masterpiece pull jump up balance jumper also hasn´t fallen as he has been 32/77 in the last 11 games. For the Fraport Skyliners to have any chance to win this series, they need a potent Cobbs and that wasn´t the case in game one in Munich. Cobbs had an average day in the offensive stats with 11 points and seven assists, but when you add his five turnovers, that will change the grade from a C to a D. Taking care of the ball is the most important duty of a point guard, but in this 11 game span, the Los Angeles native has coughed up the ball five times in six of the 11 games. Cobbs needs to have consistent games for the Fraport Skyliners to have any chance of playing at least close to consistent ball over the 40 minutes. Game two now is only 72 hours away and even though this isn´t technically a do or die game, it is because if Frankfurt loses, FC Bayern Munich will most likely close out the series in Munich on Thursday. Hopefully Gordon Herbert will be healthy again for game two and maybe the best medicine for his team is to edit together the first three quarters of game one and the last quarter of the miraculous come back in the 76-73 win a few weeks ago in Frankfurt and keep showing his team nonstop until Tuesday what his team is capable of. If Frankfurt loses Tuesday and the series soon after, then Gordon Herbert and Klaus Perwas could really perform a Blues Brothers basketball act, because they then will have the time for it and could try their hand at basketball comedy even if though it won´t work, because that expressionless demeanor will be too depressing for anyone wanting to laugh.In my basketball relationship with Fraport Skyliners assistant coach Klaus Perwas, there is only one predicable thing where I always know what will happen when he approaches me in the Catacombs of the Fraport arena after a game and that is the standard phrase “servus” and after I have said congratulations on the win, he mutters thanks. Other than that he could easily form a Blues Brothers 2 combination with Fraport Skyliners head coach Gordon Herbert not in necessarily having a gag show act at the local comedy club, but in their constant same mode during games in that they both display an expressionless demeanor off the court in which you mostly don´t know really what the outcome of the game was at first glance. The only difference between both men is that Herbert will most likely wear something black, while Perwas doesn´t and Herbert will most likely answer back during the standard tough loss or nice win, while Perwas might not answer back during a loss as he is most likely still somewhere in that deciding crunch time play in his thoughts that was the difference costing Frankfurt the win. In game one in Munich, it was Perwass having that seldom opportunity to coach the team while Gordon Herbert stayed in the hotel in Munich nursing a virus having to watch the Fraport Skyliners consistency phobia once again exhibit it´s ugly presence while his virus illness might have been temporally replaced with a splitting headache in the fourth quarter. For Perwas, he also showed a moment of weakness in the fourth quarter as it was obvious in which the game had gone as he showed one of those expressions where his cheeks and lips came together with a slight nod of the head that it seemed apparent that after a good fight, Frankfurt wasn´t caving in with a lack of effort or fight, but that the game was going it´s normal course as Frankfurt just couldn´t keep up with the first three quarters as fatigue was setting in, the inside presence of Johannes Voigtmann was absent as he had been injured shortly before halftime and German national player Heiko Schaffartzik did was he does best hitting ridiculous bombs from anywhere from downtown and FC Bayern Munich just had an offensive answer for every Frankfurt connected shot thus slowing down the opponents come back. If one looks back at the first two games against FC Bayern Munich, this was the best played game of the Fraport Skyliners in terms of consistency as they played with FC Bayern Munich for 30 minutes while in the first game it was 20 minutes and in their only win this season in Frankfurt where they staged an impressive comeback in the fourth quarter as it was only a very potent 10 minutes where Frankfurt played well. If there was a cheeky journalist who might have asked Perwas after the loss in Munich in game one if he would of perfered to rather have had a similar game in performance from Frankfurt like in the massive comeback in Frankfurt a few weeks ago, the ex German national player Perwas most definitely would have answered with “I only prefer 40 minutes of consistent basketball”. When looking back at the game, there were many factors that cost Frankfurt the victory and if one really listed all these factors, one probably would have been surprised that the Fraport Skyliners were trailing only 54-53 after three quarters instead of 15 points where the game most likely have been in the books. In the first 30 minutes, the Fraport Skyliners defended well not great, but still very commendable as FC Bayern Munich is the best scoring team in the Beko BBL. Offensively they also played sound basketball as it was many guys that led the charge as their ball movement was sound and Frankfurt was able to bounce back during runs from FC Bayern Munich then making importnan buckets. Guys like Sean Armand showed his typical scoring in bunches ability while Canadian Aaron Doornekamp hit big three pointers and Mike Morrison was the only real bright spot on the boards. FC Bayern Munich on the other hand weren´t at their best on offense as they missed many easy shots especially a John Bryant who wasn´t necessarily defended that hard, but he still left shots close to the rim and 15 footers on the rim as they didn´t want to roll in. The biggest blow to the Fraport Skyliners was in the last minute of the second quarter as German national player Johannes Voigtmann stepped on a Munich player and most possibly tore his anterior cruciate ligament and never returned back into the game. In the second half his expression said it all on the sidelines as he was expressionless as he most likely was thinking why me? Whyan injury now in this crucial time of the season. Despite no Voigtmann and FC Bayern Munich controlling the offensive glass in the first half as if they owned a patent on it, the Fraport Skyliners played their best basketball of the game in the third quarter limiting FC Bayern Munich to their fewest quarter points with 15. The game was close as there were seven lead changes and Frankfurt was believing they could win this game. However the game of basketball has four quarters and not three as in the last quarter, the Fraport Skyliners had to accept reality as FC Bayern Munich shifted into high gear and just played the way they know how scoring 29 points and making the 83-72 result at the end not really explain the closeness of how the game was for the most part. Some of the key factors in the fourth quarter as to why FC Bayern Munich came to life again was simple. They disallowed Frankfurt to get off on a good start which they despertately needed and went on a 8-0 run to motor their self confidence. Heiko Schaffartzik stepped up making back to back three pointers and later on John Bryant also nailed a three pointer which has been a mainstay in his game for years. This put a damper in their self confidence of the Fraport Skyliners, but they never gave up as they continued to fight and claw back making shots, but just couldn´t get under an eight point deficit down the stretch. In the post game summary the absence of Johannes Voigtman really hurt Frankurt and their biggest menace on the night was their inability to clear the paint being able to secure the rebounds as FC Bayern Munich seemed to have the height and position on almost every missed shot. FC Bayern Munich ended the game shooting 42% from outside as that was only determined with a strong fourth quarter shooting wise as they did a heck of a job making key decisions from the parking lot where no one better to give the ball to than Heko Schaffartzik when one needs the big shots. Frankfurt shot a dismal 29% from outside as consistency was a big factor there. All in all FC Bayern Munich made better use of their individual qualities as their budget is four times greater than the Fraport Skyliners and that becomes a big factor in any game. Another huge factor was the continued downward curve in the play of Justin Cobbs in the last two months. It is no secret that his gas tank is running on empty after a long rookie season where in the last four years in the NCAA his season had ended pretty much when this inconsistent period started in Bonn at the beginning of March. Teams also seem to have his number as they know what he will do. The Frankfurt pick and role game has become nonexistent with Cobbs at the helm which limits his opportunities and more than not gives him the option to finish more himself which also isn´t working as well anymore. His outside shooting also has faltered as he is 7/32 in the last 11 games and his usual masterpiece pull jump up balance jumper also hasn´t fallen as he has been 32/77 in the last 11 games. For the Fraport Skyliners to have any chance to win this series, they need a potent Cobbs and that wasn´t the case in game one in Munich. Cobbs had an average day in the offensive stats with 11 points and seven assists, but when you add his five turnovers, that will change the grade from a C to a D. Taking care of the ball is the most important duty of a point guard, but in this 11 game span, the Los Angeles native has coughed up the ball five times in six of the 11 games. Cobbs needs to have consistent games for the Fraport Skyliners to have any chance of playing at least close to consistent ball over the 40 minutes. Game two now is only 72 hours away and even though this isn´t technically a do or die game, it is because if Frankfurt loses, FC Bayern Munich will most likely close out the series in Munich on Thursday. Hopefully Gordon Herbert will be healthy again for game two and maybe the best medicine for his team is to edit together the first three quarters of game one and the last quarter of the miraculous come back in the 76-73 win a few weeks ago in Frankfurt and keep showing his team nonstop until Tuesday what his team is capable of. If Frankfurt loses Tuesday and the series soon after, then Gordon Herbert and Klaus Perwas could really perform a Blues Brothers basketball act, because they then will have the time for it and could try their hand at basketball comedy even if though it won´t work, because that expressionless demeanor will be too depressing for anyone wanting to laugh.