In the last weeks do or die games have been as frequent on the menu of the Fraport Skyliners as it has been witnessing many new exciting upsets in the 2015 March Madness. Following the Fraport Skyliners hasn´t been an easy task for those with weak nerves as the Fraport Skyliners made one of their biggest come backs in franchise history after being down by 19 points at half time in a do or die game against Enisey Krasnoyarsk, but somehow staying focused and powering home 60 points in the second half to get an invitation to play at the 2015 Eurochallenge final four and a chance to register the clubs third club title. Six days ago, the Fraport Skyliners Juniors of the Pro B had to face off against top team Rostock Sea Wolves in a deciding game three in the playoffs in hostile territory after winning a nail bitter at home in game two, but saw their season come to an end with a 102-81 defeat. On Sunday it was time for the Fraport Skyliners Junior team Eintracht Frankfurt to show what they were made of in a do or die game as they battled against Team Basket Munchen Nord after winning game one in a nail bitter at home 72-63 as Jules Akodo powered the team while in game two the Bavarian club sought revenge and got it buckling down in a do or die game and prevailing 74-67 as they had the break out game of 16 year old Oscar Leon Da Silva who had a monster game of 15 points, 15 boards, 10 assists, three blocks and an efficiency rate of 41. Eintracht Frankfurt was weakened without the services of 17 year old 2014 NBBL rookie of the year Niklas Kiel who couldn´t play due to injury again as he missed the whole series, but Eintracht Frankfurt didn´t need him as the club was badly outrebounded 42-28 in game two stuck together down low winning the rebound battle this time 49-30 and Jules Akodo had his best scoring game in Germany powering home 32 points. Akodo had bad memories of the do or die loss in Rostock and wasn´t prepared to lose again. “I have been in do or die games before and each time it is the same as I just try to be aggressive, lead the team and do what I do best score. I had a lot of motivation after the loss in Rostock and didn´t want to lose at home. Plus I wanted to give my injured teammates a chance to still play in the next playoff round”, stressed British U-18 national player Jules Akodo. For Team Basket Munchen Nord, they had a lot of energy and focus after forcing the do or die game and stuck close to Eintracht Frankfurt in the first half, but caved in in the second half as they got away from their offense after fatigue set in and were unable to control Akodo who hammered home 23 points. “Eintracht Frankfurt made many tough shots and we let down on defense in the second half. I give them a lot of credit as they played very well. I have been in a few do or die games in England, but I didn´t play a major role like I did now and there was more pressure now. This was my last junior game and a tough loss to take. I felt we did a good job in the series, but they got the best of us and were a hard team to play”, stressed Tema Basket Munchen Nord guard Liam Carpenter. With the Fraport Skyliners departing for a 5 day training camp in Mallorca, Spain there were few prominent basketball players watching the exciting NBBL game except for two Fraport Skyliners Juniors with Alaska native Kyle Fossman and California native Andrew Bock. Both teams started off with 5-0 runs which was started by Eintracht Frankfurt who got going right away as Akodo tested his 45% three point shooting percentage and hit a trey and 18 year old 195cm German Jamin Knothe connected on a step back jumper. Team Basket Munchen Nord struck back with 16 year old German Oscar Leon Da Silver who made a jumper and versatile 18 year old 205cm power forward Pakistani Salman Manzur drilled home a three pointer tying the game at 5-5. The game remained very close as no one could break away as there would be five lead changes in the first quarter. After 17 year old 201cm German Armin Trtovac made one free throw for the lead, it was Da Silver again getting the lead back 7-6 with a pretty spin move as he just got the shot off with the shot clock buzzer sounding. Akodo got Eintracht Frankfurt the lead back as he got aggressive inside with the penetration lay in and 8-7 lead. Team Basket Munchen Nord grabbed the lead back with a Carpenter three pointer and Trtovac tied the score with a lay in at 10-10. Trtovac then scored another bucket inside off the pick and role with Akodo and Manzur hit a runner to even the game at 12-12. Eintracht Frankfurt closed out the first quarter with a 5-2 run to lead 17-14. In the run it was 19 year old 194cm point guard Armin Musovic finding his range early with a three pointer and Akodo hit a runner. 18 year old 192cm guard Chris Wurmseher closed out the first quarter with a buzzer beater runner in traffic. “Both teams were very defensive orientated and played very aggressive. There was much contact and it seemed like the ref´s weren´t calling much contact”, stressed Fraport Skyliner Junior Andrew Bock. Eintracht Frankfurt was shooting 39% from the field and 33% from outside while Team Basket Munchen Nord was shooting 43% from the field and 50% from outside. Eintracht Frankfurt had the 12-8 rebound edge and one turnover while Team Basket Munchen Nord had two turnovers. The second quarter remained very tight as there were four lead changes, but Eintracht Frankfurt kept their noses ahead going in with the 32-28 lead at the break. Team Basket Munchen Nord came out going on a 4-0 run to steal back the lead 18-17. 18 year old 191cm guard Justin Hedley connected on two free throws and then they caught Eintracht Frankfurt off balance as they snuck in a full court press and Manzur made a steal and dished to Hedley for the easy bucket. However then it was Akodo who got an offensive rebound in the lane and made the put back for the 19-18 advantage. Then it was Da Silva who showed enormous shooting grace hitting a three pointer as Eintracht Frankfurt trailed 21-19. Eintracht Frankfurt then escaped on a 8-0 run to regain the lead 26-21. In the run it was Trtovac who was served off a platter from Akodo finishing with a massive two handed dunk. Then it was 18 year old Can Akbayir who hit a floater and little used American 18 year old Anthony Williams hit a three pointer. Eintracht Frankfurt was doing a super job with their inside out game and getting their big men involved as Akodo was exhibiting perfect playmaker qualities always making the right decision either finishing himself or setting up his teammates. Team Basket Munchen Nord didn´t let this run effect their comeback as they did a good job getting to the free throw line as Hedley and Carpenter connected to cut the Eintracht Frankfurt lead to 26-24. Then both teams traded baskets as 19 year old role player David Scheffels hit a three pointer and little used 17 year old diminutive 178cm guard Pinda Bongo made a jumper from the corner as Team Basket Munchen Nord trailed 29-26. 18 year old 201cm center Oliver Russ then hit a jumper, but it was Akbayir who has had the hot hand the last weeks in NBBL and Pro B that dropped a three pointer for the 32-28 lead. “Akodo was getting into the lane, hitting big shots and the team was moving the ball well. They also did a good job compensating the loss of Niklas Kiel with the other big men. I like the play of Da Silver. He is very athletic and once he develops more should become a good player”, added Andrew Bock. Eintracht Frankfurt was shooting 38% from the field and 33% from the three point line while Team Basket Munchen Nord was shooting 36% from the field and 43% from the three point line. Eintracht Frankfurt had the 23-16 rebound edge and both teams had five turnovers a piece. Eintracht Frankfurt slowly took control of the game in the third quarter as Jules Akodo really started to get going connecting for 13 points and got solid play from role players Akbayir and David Scheffels who closed out the third quarter with the last six points. Jules Akodo got Eintracht Frankfurt going making a steal and going coast to coast for the bucket and 34-28 lead. However Team Basket Munchen Nord didn´t let their opponent get away yet as they closed the gap again to 34-32 with a mini 4-0 run as Carpenter made a pretty pull up jumper in the lane and Hedley found Manzur inside for the easy basket. Eintracht Frankfurt then took control going on a 20-8 run to extend their lead to 54-42. Akodo nailed two three pointers in this run as well as a jumper showing his calmness as he picked his space and found nothing but net. Akodo scored 11 points in the run, but had some support from Akbayir nailing a three pointer and Scheffles who made a steal and went coast to coast for the two hand dunk and also contributed a bomb from outside. “We were aggressive in the first half and coach told us to keep being aggressive. We became even more aggressive. I didn´t plan to score so much and it just happened. I am always aggressive and just wanted to get my team more comfortable with a bigger lead. Scheffels and Akbayir helped as well with big shots”, added Jules Akodo. “Akodo hit some long three´s and we had a tough time defending him. He did a good job breaking down the defense”, added Liam Carpenter. Eintracht Frankfurt was shooting 41% from the field and 45% from the parking lot while Team Basket Munchen Nord was shooting 34% from the field and 36% from the parking lot. Eintracht Frankfurt had the huge 37-23 rebound edge, but eight turnovers while Team Basket Munchen Nord had seven turnovers. In the fourth quarter fatigue and Jules Akodo decided the game for Team Basket Munchen Nord as Eintracht Frankfurt continued to control the game and move on to the Quarterfinals against Ulm. Mansur got Team Basket Munchen Nord going with a deep three pointer from beyond the top of the key as they trailed 54-45. However the flowing Eintracht Frankfurt offense from the third quarter carried over into the fourth quarter as they went on a 5-0 run to extend their lead to 59-45 as Akbayir connected on a three pointer and Akodo made a step back jumper. Team Basket Munchen Nord never gave up and used their last bit of energy going on a 8-2 run to cut the Eintracht Frankfurt lead to 61-53. In the run the Bavarian team got two runner´s from Carpenter and Mansour and a timely three pointer from Bongo. However Eintracht Frankfurt then put the nail on the coffin with a 6-0 run to extend their lead 67-53 and sealing their ticket to the next round. In the run it was Akodo who hit free throws and continued to have his aggressive desire to reach the cup scoring as did Knothe inside. After Mansur free throws, it was Scheffels that closed out the game with a lay in. “We played good defense down the stretch and our rotations were quick. We shut down the paint and the bigs helped each other. Everybody rebounded instead of just the bigs in game two”, added Jules Akodo. “We were down by 10 and forced too many shots and got away from our offense. We got tired and relied too much on 1-1 play and our shots weren´t falling”, expressed Liam Carpenter. Eintracht Frankfurt was led by Jules Akodo with 32 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. David Scheffels added 11 points and seven rebounds. Team Basket Munchen Nord were led by Salman Manzur with 14 points. Liam Carpenter added 13 points and Oscar Da Silver 12 points and 10 rebounds. Eintracht Frankfurt shot 41% from the field and 38% from outside while Team Basket Munchen Nord shot 34% from the field and 35% from outside. Eintracht Frankfurt won the rebound duel 49-30, but had 12 rebounds and their opponent nine turnovers. “Ulm is a very tough team to match up against. They are pretty tall and have solid guards. It should be a great series Against Eintracht Frankfurt”, commented Liam Carpenter.

Paul Dick is a 23 year old 193cm guard from Ireland that recently completed his second professional season and first in Germany with EVL Limburg. As a rookie he played for Belfast Star (Premier League) playing 16 games: 17.1ppg, 2.7rpg, 3.2apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 52.9%, 3PT: 35.6%, FT: 72.3%. He started his basketball career fort he Queens Belfast junior team. He then played 2 seasons for Franklin Pierce (NCAA2). He spoke to German Hoops after the 86-81 win against Kaiserslautern.

Paul thanks for talking to German Hoops. A big 86-81 win tonight against Kaiserslautern. What were the main reasons for the win?

The key today for the win was sharing the ball. In the last game we had too much fun and didn´t concentrate the way that we should of. It was a shame that not everyone played tonight, but a win is a win and we secured fifth place in the standings.

Limburg started the season with a 5-6 record and then at the start of December played their best basketball of the season winning seven of eight games. What was the turning point in the play of the team that got the team on this winning streak?

When you get six new guys on a roster of nine then it takes a while to find a flow and start getting wins. It was a learning curve that we went through that took time.

Then came a four game losing streak near the end which kind of put a bad cloud on a seemingly strong second half of the season. Did fatigue set in at the end?

That is really hard to answer. We had some very tough close loses. We beat some of the better teams and lost to some of the worse teams. We had problems achieving consistency this season.

EVL Limburg ended the season in fifth place. How would you summarize the season. Was the team able to fulfill expectations and reach their goals?

I think that we didn´t know our goal at the start of the season. It took a while but we found ourselves and came together. When we started the season at 3-3 and all our losses were by one point, we started to realize that we could be a good team. We didn´t live up to our potential, but did the best that we could. We did enough this season, but came up short.

The club only let up under 70 points five times this season. Why was the team never able to find that sound consistency on the defensive end?

We played a fast pace game with a short rotation cost us on the defensive end

How much fun was it fighting for the team scoring title with BJ Miller? How did the games of you too develop throughout the season?

We were very competitive at the beginning of the season in practice. We started to hang out more and then we started to play team basketball. We turned out to be very good friends.

How happy were you with your own personal season? What were the highs and lows for you as a team and in your individual play?

The team low was our loss against Heidelberg. Our team high was our win tonight against Kaiserslautern as it was the best finish ever for the club in the Regionaliga. My high was the 16 assists against Schwenningen and team low was my 10 points and five assists against Elchingen where My mom and sister came to watch and at halftime I had 10 points and five assists and at the end of the game my stats were still 10 and 5.

You scored in double figures in every game and had 30 or more three times. You had 16 points and 16 assists against Schwenningen. How much did the 16 assists mean to you?

That game meant a lot to me because I am seen to score in this league. However I take enjoyment in creating for others. An assist is an important as a basket for me.

Who was the teams unsung hero this season and what young gun developed the best?

The unsung hero award for me was a toss-up between Mantas Bernativicious and Kwame Duku. The numbers that they produced didn´t reflect their role. I think that the intangibles that they bring to the floor would let them both play at a higher level. I like how both are unselfish and read the game. The best kid to develop was German Norman Klima. He progressed a lot and will play more of a role next season.

How often did you feel the 114 kilo´s of Kwame Duku in practice. What did you like most about his game?

I learned early. One of Kaiserslautern´s players took a bang tonight. Bumping into him happened every practice. I had to prefect the floater and wide euro step around him early. We called him the beast. He is the only guy I knew that said “Its time to feed the beast”. Give me the ball and get out of the way.

Who was the toughest player that you dueled against on the court this season?

The toughest player that I played against Was Franjo Bubalo of Karlsruhe. I saw a lot of similarities that I have. I liked his versatility in his game.

Where will your journey go now? Is reaching the next level achievable?

I am trying to move up. I would like to play at a higher level and compete for minutes in each practice. It doesn´t matter where I will play. I really liked Germany, but I will play anywhere.

What is your nicest story that you can share about the Stahllbom family?

The family all laugh at Danny´s crap jokes. We know they are bad, but we still laughed.

What are your 2015 NCAA Final 4 picks?

Duke, Wisconsin, Kentucky and Louisville. I think Wisconsin will win it all.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

 

Kill the Irshman.

Thanks Paul for the chat.

Four days ago Beko BBL team Fraport Skyliners were in a precarious situation at half time in their do or die game against Russian team Enisey Krasnoyarsk in the Eurochallenge quarterfinal as they were down 44-25 and desperately needed a kick in their back side to get their motor going in the second half. Fraport Skyliner head coach Gordon Herbert found the right words in the locker room as his team marched out on the floor in the second half making an amazing comeback giving an NBA like scoring explosion display making 60 points and winning the game 85-80 and getting an invitation to the Eurochallenge Final 4. Like usual Fraport Skyliner Junior players Americans Andrew Bock and Canadian Kyle Fossman were sitting behind the Frankfurt bench taking in the action. In the second quarter one could notice their sceptic faces and they had to witness Frankfurt get hit by three consecutive three pointers by back up point guard Pavel Sergeev of Enisey Krasnoyarsk. However in the second half as Frankfurt was making their stunning come back their demeanor had changed 180 degree´s as they were jumping up and cheering for every new dunk that German twin tower Johannes Voigtmann was powering home and Mike Morrison as their energy infected everyone in the arena. The second half was a great opportunity for Bock and Fossman to let some of that spirit rub off on them, because now it was time for them to perform in a do or die situation as they had to face off against the Rostock Sea Wolves and get revenge for their bitter 97-91 overtime loss in game one in Rostock one week ago. The Fraport Skyliners didn´t let the do or die reality effect their game as they controlled the game for 40 minutes and were able to withstand a last Rostock run and sneak out a 67-65 win. “We came into the game with everything at stake. After our close loss in game one we knew that we could compete with them and just gave our all in a do or die situation. They came out non aggressive like in game one which went to our advantage. I have been in a few do or die games in my career and won most of them and we will win the do or die game on Tuesday in Rostock”, warned Fraport Skyliner guard Jules Akodo. For the Rostock Sea Wolves coming out on the wrong foot has been a common problem this season and struck them again in game one and game two. “We always start slow. We are down 20 points and then it is hard to come back. We spent so much energy trying to come back that we lost at the end despite a good comeback. Frankfurt came into the game with nothing to lose and played for fun and had more fun than we did”, stressed Rostock Seawolves Canadian Yannick Anzuluni.

The Fraport Skyliners Juniors entered the game without big men Niklas Kiel and Marius Nolte as well as point guard Armin Musovic and Lennart Okeke, but still had a fine rotation as Beko BBL license players Johannes Richter and Stefan ILzhoefer were in the lineup. Richter rushed to Hagen directly after the game to catch the BBL game with the FRaport Skyliners that started two and half hours later. The Fraport Skyliners raced off to a quick 10-2 lead as the Rostock Sea Wolves still seemed to be a light afternoon sleep. The Fraport Skyliners got their offense rolling quickly as they started to fire away and connect. Canadian Kyle Fossman connected for a trey and pull up jumper while Tim Oldenburg scored inside off the fancy Akodo pass and the English native then nailed a three pointer from the corner. Frankfurt kept their offense at a fine scoring pace as Ilzhoefer scored and Johannes Richter hit a three pointer despite German Tim Vogt testing his 42,9% three point percentage as Frankfurt led 15-9. Rostock still had no consistent rhythm on offense and wilted a bit in the last three minutes allowing the Fraport Skyliners Juniors to end the first quarter strong on a 12-2 run to lead 27-11. The run was dominated by rookie California native Andrew Bock who didn´t want to exert energy in a do or die situation in a comeback the way the Beko BBL team Fraport Skyliners did last Tuesday and took command himself being a one man wrecking crew scoring 10 of the 12 Frankfurt points. He was very aggressive attacking the rim and scoring, drawing fouls and dropping a three pointer. Frankfurt also got a timely bucket from 18 year old Can Akbayir who also gives his services to the NBBL team Eintracht Frankfurt. “When I saw that start by Rostock I was wondering if they just stepped off the bus. Frankfurt started off with a high intensity on offense getting easy shots, getting out on transition and also played well on defense. Frankfurt used the slow Rostock start to their advantage”, warned Hanau head coach Steven Clauss who was watching the game making notes as one of the two teams is the next opponent for Hanau should they advance against Bochum. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were shooting 63% from the field and 44% from outside while the Rostock Seawolves were shooting 27% from the field and 25% from outside. Frankfurt had the overwhelming 14-3 rebound edge, but six turnovers while Rostock had four turnovers.

Nothing turned to the advantage of the Rostock Seawolves fortunes in the second quarter as the Fraport Skyliners Juniors continued to control the game and led by as much as 20 points as that intensity level between both teams continued to be like night and day. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors started off the second quarter on a 6-2 run to extend their lead to 33-13. 31 year old Sven Hellman who is playing his ninth season in Rostock hit a jumper and Stefan Ilzhoefer was involved in all three Frankfurt buckets as he found Oldenburg for the easy bucket in the paint and then scored twice on the fast break once aided by an Akodo pass and then went coast to coast for the easy lay in. The Rostock Sea Wolves then found some daylight as they went on a quick 7-0 run to cut the Frankfurt lead to 35-21. In the run it was 24 year old German Tim Vogt that let his shooting speak hitting a difficult prayer and then making a three pointer while Omaha, Nebraska native Jarrell Crayton made free throws. However the Fraport Skyliners Juniors were able to keep on the pressure mainly with their consistent outside shooting as Fossman and Richter dropped three pointers again to extend their lead to 41-23. The Rostock Seawolves went into halftime with the momentum going on a 5-0 run to cut the Frankfurt lead to 41-28 as they upped their defensive intensity as 35 year old Jens Hakanowitz made two big blocks which led to his free throws and a David Makert lay in. “Rostock switched to a zone defense and found their rhythm a bit more on offense. Despite their good shooting Frankfurt was doing a good job getting their defensive rebounds. Frankfurt was playing good team basketball and each guy was contributing”, added Hanau head coach Steven Clauss. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were shooting 50% from the field and 40% from the three point line while the Rostock Seawolves were shooting 36% from the field and 43% from the three point line. Frankfurt still had the 19-11 rebound edge, but were outrebounded in the second quarter 8-5. Frankfurt had 11 turnovers and Rostock 12.

In the third quarter the Rostock Seawolves continued to be a thorn in the side of the Fraport Skyliners Juniors on defense steadily working on their comeback and at one point trailing only by seven points, but they couldn´t get over the hump to get closer to the deficit. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors jumped out on a 4-2 run as Richter displayed his keen passing touch for a big man finding Oldenburg for the lay in and Akodo hit form the mid range as Frankfurt led 45-30. The Sea Wolves pesky defense began to gnaw at the Frankfurt game as they started to hit less shots giving Rostock the chance to comeback going on a 10-2 run to cut the Frankfurt lead to 47-40. In the run Rostock played terrific team basketball getting support from many different guys. 24 year old Bulgarian Ivo Slavchev connected on a three pointer, Tim Vogt hit a tough shot in traffic, Hakanowitz made an easy lay up getting the shovel pass from Anzuluni and the Canadian then scored himself as the club was displaying unselfish basketball. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors didn´t allow Rostock to get any closer in the last minutes as they got huge support from Canadian Kyle Fossman who dropped two bombs from the parking lot extending the Frankfurt lead to 55-42 and keeping Rostock at bay with their comeback attempt. However Rostock didn´t let this Fossman momentum burner hurt their confidence as they closed out the third quarter with a 7-2 run to remain in the game trailing 57-49. In the run Rostock got production from Yannick Anzuluni who made a pretty lay in while dancing around seemingly everybody in the lane, David Makert who played six Beko BBL games for BG Goettingen connected on a three pointer and Tim Vogt made a finger tip role as the Frankfurt penetration defense was nonexistent. Frankfurt got a finger tip role in from Richter to close out the scoring. “Rostock came out with more energy in the third quarter. We settled more for jumpers and didn´t go inside as much. They went to zone which slowed us down”, added Jules Akodo. “We played with more intensity on defense. Good defense led to good offense. We also scored on the fast break which gave us confidence”, added Yannick Anzuluni. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were shooting 51% from the field and 36% from the parking lot while the Rostock Seawolves were shooting 43% from the field and 38% from the parking lot. Frankfurt had the 27-16 rebound advantage, but 19 turnovers while Rostock had 16 turnovers.

In the fourth quarter, the Rostock Seawolves made one more comeback and could of won the game on the last play, but missed forcing a deciding game three in Rostock on Tuesday. The Rostock Wolves started off the fourth quarter with a bang as Vogt continued to supply the hot hand from outside drilling home a three pointer as Rostock continued to get closer to Frankfurt 57-52. However Frankfurt reacted well to this Vogt trey going on a mini 4-0 run and Fossman beat Vogt from the baseline for a lay in and Akodo found Oldenburg inside with the bullet pass and two quick points as Frankfurt led 61-52. However Rostock still had energy in their tank as they cruised out on a 8-2 run to trail Frankfurt only 63-60. In this phase they were aided by David Makert who came into the game shooting 24% from outside, but when it counted nailed two big three pointers. “Makert was clutch. I practice with him each day and that practice paid off today. I wish he would have been on the court at the end”, stressed Yannick Anzuluni. Bock then made free throws and Anzuluni nailed a huge three pointer to cut the Frankfurt lead to 65-63. Ilzhoefer then hit free throws and Slavchev secured an offensive rebound and made the put back, but Frankfurt still led 67-65. After an Anzuluni offensive foul, Bock missed a jumper and Rostock then had a turnover. With 7,7 seconds to play, Frankfurt had possession, but Rostock defended so aggressive that Frankfurt coughed up the ball. Rostock had one more chance, but Slavchev missed a three pointer to end the game. “We let them back into the game not covering their shooters and getting some turnovers. On the last play we had our hands up and did what we could and hoped”, stressed Jules Akodo. “We switched the play at the last second and weren´t in position so we had to improvise. Slavchev had a good look. He is a better shooter than what he showed. He will make that shot usually eight out of ten times”, said Yannick Anzuluni.

The Fraport Skyliners were led by Kyle Fossman with 16 points, six rebounds and three assists. Andrew Bock added 16 points, six rebounds and three assists and Tim Oldenburg and Stefan Ilzhoefer supplied 10 points a piece. The Rostock Seawolves were led by Tim Vogt with 18 points. Yannick Anzuluni supplied 12 points and David Makert had 11 points. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors ended the game shooting 44% from the field and 31% from outside while the Rostock Seawolves shot 38% from the field and 45% from outside. Frankfurt won the rebound duel 38-31, but had an unacceptable 24 turnovers while Rostock had 21 turnovers. Both teams will meet one more time to a ticket to the next round on Tuesday in Rostock. “We have to play with a lot of energy and well for 40 minutes. We will have to play our inside out game and not let them get in the paint”, warned Jules Akodo. “Our fans will be pumped in this do or die game. We have to finally come out with much energy right at the start like we did in the second half. Our fans will help us more on Tuesday at home”, warned Yannick Anzuluni.

 

 

 

 

 

Yannick Anzuluni is a 27 year old 205cm forward from Ottawa, Canada that also has the Congo citizenship. He is playing his fifth professional season and second in Germany and first with Rostock Seawolves (Germany-ProB). He played at Houghton(NAIA) from 2006-2010. He played his first two seasons as a professional with Quebec Kebs (Canada-PBL). In the 2012-2013 season he played for the Solarto Eagles Magdeburg (Germany-Regionalliga)21 games: 17.5ppg, 11.0rpg, 4.2apg, 3.0spg, 1.2bpg, FGP: 50.2%, 3Pts: 27.4%, FT: 80.2%. Last season he played for Pyrinto Tampere (Finland-Korisliiga): 1 game: 15pts, 5reb, 1ast, 5steals; Baltic League: 20 games: 8.0ppg, 5.2rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 57.6%, 3PT: 34.4%, FT: 63.2%, played mostly at Pyrinto Tampere II (Finland-1st Division): 28 games: Score-1(24.4ppg), Reb-3(13.9rpg), Assists-5(3.4apg), Steals-1(2.6spg), FGP: 54.1%, 3PT: 38.2%, FT: 80.9%. He spoke to German Hoops about basketball before game two of the Pro B playoffs against the Fraport Skyliners Juniors.

 

 

Yannick thanks for talking to German Hoops. A hard fought 97-91 overtime win against the Fraport Skyliners in game one last weekend. Rostock go into the series as the favorite. Why was game one such a tough battle for Rostock?

I don’t want to take anything away from Fraport because they played a great game, they fought hard and hit a lot of tough shots all game long but I just think that we didn’t match up their intensity, we didn’t treat the game enough like a playoff game but that was a good wake up call for us.

Rostock can move on to the next playoff round with a win in Frankfurt Saturday. What kind of game can we await this time? Frankfurt will be very motivated not to go home for the summer with a loss.

They are definitely going to come out hard and play with a lot of energy especially since their season will be on the line but this time we are coming out with a lot more focus and energy, so I expect high intensity game with a lot of baskets.

In the first game young German talent Niklas Kiel had 14 points and nine rebounds. He belongs to the top German talents from the year 1997. What was your impression of him on the floor?

I think that he’s a very very talented kid who plays well beyond his age and he has a bright future ahead of him playing professional basketball.

You are playing your first season with the Rostock Seawolves. You have played in the States, Canada, Germany and Finland before coming there this season. Have you ever seen a more enthusiastic basketball culture than in Rostock?

I’ve seen a lot of great fans in all the places I’ve played before but the big difference in Rostock is that over here they really represent the definition of being a fanatic when it comes to sports, they really give it their all to their home teams, they are by far the most devoted fans I have seen since I’ve been playing basketball.

Rostock ended the season in first place in the German Pro A North with a record of 16-8. On what aspects of the game does the club still need to improve on to reach their goal of being Pro B champion?

If we’re going to be champions we really need to improve on playing a full 40 minutes of focus and high energy basketball game. We tend to start games very slowly, feel our way through and turn the level up as the game goes on, so if we can play up to our level from start to finish we have a good chance of the taking the championship home.

It is no secret that the Rostock Seawolves want to win the Pro B title. How confident are you that your team can reach this goal?

I am extremely confident in our team chances to win the title. We have everything needed to reach that goal, we have a lot of talented players, with a lot of experience and we are deep at every position, now it’s just up to us to go out there and prove that we can do it.

You are playing your first season in the German Pro B and are the absolute top player in the league. What has been your secret for being such a dominant player this season?

It’s a mix of different things, it starts of course with God giving me some natural abilities, but I also worked very very hard in the summer to prepare myself for the season and I’ve kept working that way all throughout the season. I’m also an intensely competitive guy so every time I step on the basketball court I want to be the best player and I want to win at all cost so I play every game like it could be my last.

You are leading your team in scoring, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. One doesn’t see this kind of dominant play on a team every day. Have you always been a guy that has filled up the stat sheet your whole career?

Ever since I started playing basketball my biggest strength has always been my versatility, I always thought that the biggest strength someone can have on the court is being able to do everything very well, because on a day where my shot is not falling I know that I will be able to affect the game in many different ways and help my team win.

You really do everything on the court for your team. To what NBA player would you compare your game to?

I’m a big fan of the old school Point Forwards like Grant Hill and Penny Hardaway but if I had to pick recent players I would say Paul George and Nicolas Batum.

What is a hidden strength in your game that doesn’t get noticed right way on the court?

My hidden strength on the court is actually my strength, because I am very long and lanky people don’t really realize how physical I am. I play a lot stronger than people imagine.

In the last regular season game you had a triple double against Recklinghausen with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Was this your personal best all around game of the season for you?

The last game against Fraport comes as close second with only two assist away from being another triple double but just the fact that this game was actually a triple double makes it definitely my most well rounded game of the season.

Last season you played for Pyrinto Tampere (Finland-Korisliiga) and mostly for their farm team. For Pyrinto Tampere II (Finland-1st Division) you played 28 games: Score-1(24.4ppg), Reb-3(13.9rpg), Assists-5(3.4apg), Steals-1(2.6spg), FGP: 54.1%, 3PT: 38.2%, FT: 80.9%. What kind of experience was it playing in Finland after playing a season in the German Regionaliga. Was the Finish second division equivalent of the German Regionaliga?

Playing in Finland was great experience for me, I was able to lead a very young team to the playoffs which was very good learning experience. The level there was very similar to the one of German Regionaliga but just a bit higher. But the best part of my season over there was playing in the Baltic league and making it all the way to the final four in which we played against top level European teams.

Two years ago you played for Solarto Eagles Magdeburg (Germany-Regionalliga). There your teammate was Jeramie Woods who is playing for German Pro A team Cuxhaven this season. How focused are you to be playing at a higher level next season?

I am extremely focused, the only reason why I play basketball other than the love of the game is to play at the highest level against the best competition possible.

You played your first two seasons in the solid Canadian PBL league. After two seasons what were the main reasons for coming to Germany to play Regionaliga? Were their not any D-league offers or interest from higher level teams in Europe?

Yes they were different offers but things didn’t fall through at the time because I wasn’t really a known name at the time so teams didn’t want take a risk on me and then the Magdeburg opportunity came in and my agent and I just thought I will be a good first step for me to get my name out there and known little more.

You played two seasons with the Quebec Kebs (Canada-NBL) and one with former NBA player Dontell Jefferson. What memories do you have of him on and off the court?

On the court I just remember how easy the game came to him, he never seemed to be in a hurry when he played, he always played at his own pace and off the court he was a really quiet guy, he was laid back and didn’t say too much.

The Canadian PBL league is a league that seems to be overlooked, but there are some great players playing there. Is this a league that is on the rise?

It’s definitely a league on the rise, a lot of former top prospects and NBA players have played or are playing in the league at the moment, the level is very similar to the one of the NBA D-League but its still a very recent league so its going take some time before it gets the same recognition as those other leagues.

You played four years at Houghton(NAIA) which is the fourth college division. As a senior you had huge stats of 27.6ppg, 15.5rpg. Did your spectacular senior season give you the first sign that you could become a professional or did you always know you would become a professional?

Since I was a kid my dream was to become a professional basketball player, I didn’t really know how it was going to work out especially from where I was from but I always told myself that by keeping my faith in God and working harder than anyone else I would be able to do it and when I started to put up those big numbers in college that’s when I realized that my dream my come true.

How did Houghton head coach Drew Hannan prepare you best for a professional basketball career?

At the time he was an assistant and our head coach was Brad Zarges but they both prepared me very well for a professional career, coach Zarges really prepared me for the mental aspects while coach Hannan prepared me for the physical aspects of what it takes to be a professional basketball player, as well as our other assistant, Collin Wright who helped me develop my skills. They are a big part of why I’ve become the player I am today.

Who has been your toughest one on one player this season in the German Pro B?

Diante Watkins, he’s the quickest guard I played against this season.

What are your early NCAA Final 4 picks?

Kentucky, Duke, Wisconsin and Virginia

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

Top Five

 

Thanks Yannick for the chat.