This summer the Fraport Skyliners kept more of a lower profile with American signings bringing back a pair of ex Skyliners with glue guy Jacob Burtschi and the million dollar smile and paint worker Lorenzo Gordon while keeping Americans Quantez Robertson and Dawan Robinson. Instead the 2004 Beko BBL champion have set their focus on continued progress and development for their German players. However the 2000 cup champion did have one ace left in their sleeve pocket. In the last years, it usually has been Bamberg manager Wolfgang Heyder that dialed the agent numbers of ex NBA players as he had brought in guys like PJ Tucker and Bostjan Nachbar to spark his roster in the last years. However less than two weeks before the start of the new season, Frankfurt reeled in the missing piece to their team with ex NBA player Andrew Rautins that played five NBA games for the New York Knicks a few years ago. Rautins joined the team at their training camp in Tenerifa. Rautins may seem like a one dimensional type of player in that he could probably nail some ballons at the annual Jamesville ballonfest with his precision shooting, but he can do so much more than that. Rautins is a well rounded player that can make the big plays, has excellent basketball IQ, along with tremendous court vision and his passing skills can sometimes go overlooked. The 26 year old 193cm shooting guard who played for Alicante two years ago and last season in the D-league made his home debut against Belgium team Antwerpen in the last pre season game of the season in the BCM helping the Fraport Skyliners register a 59-59 tie with Port Of Antwerp Giants. After the draw, the Syracuse alumnist was more than impressed with his new organization, but also still was getting used to the time zone. “This is a very special to have this type of practice facility and the crowd was great and I love the atmosphere. The club is very professional and handle everything like a NBA team. We are a very young team and still have much work to do. We have shown flashes of being a very solid team. The most important thing for the team is to cut down on mistakes and for me is too get rid of the jet lag”, smiled ex NBA player Andy Rautins. Rautins finished the game with nine points, seven assists, four rebounds and three steals, but was lacking a bit with his biggest weapon his shooting finishing at 3 for 14 from the field. His new teammate Jacob Burtscho already has built a special bond with him, but isn´t quite sold on his music talent. “I am really happy that Andy is on the team. He is a great player that can shoot and pass and will really help us. We were laughing a lot the first days with movie quotes and that has translated on to the court. Andy really understands the game. I am not so sure he should entertain us at halftime with his guitar. He has says that he is good, but I don’t believe him”, smiled Jacob Burtschi. The most important thing is that his own team respects his game even if his opponent wasn´t flashed right away by his game. “I know his history in that he is a great shooter, but nothing more. I didn´t see anything spectacular from him”, commented Antwerpen 178cm point guard Frank Turner.

After a one week training camp, the Fraport Skyliners returned home to finish their pre season at home against top Belgium team Antwerpen that ended with a 59-59 draw. The first thing that drew the attention of every spectator was the new hair do of top Beko BBL defender Quantez Robertson who had his hair standing up as if it had been in the microwave too long. Robertson usually has his hair braided for games and explained the new transformation. “My inspiration was Marius Nolte. He asked me too play with my hair out and I did. But I will have my old hair back in braids in the opener”, warned Quantez Robertson. Teammate Jacob Burtschi didn´t hesitate long coming up with a perfect comparison for the hair of Tez. “He has that Macey Gray look going”, laughed Jacob Burtschi. “Tez looks  a bit like outcast in 2000”, added Andy Rautins. The nicest thing seen on the court besides the hair of Tez was the presence of Philadelphia native Dawan Robinson who looked fit and healthy wearing neon red shoes. The first few minutes of the first quarter were a bit of feeling each other out as shots weren´t falling and the scoring was down. Jacob Burtschi got Frankfurt on the board first with a three pointer which was equaled by a rocket from downtown from ex Cuxhaven forward Scott Thomas who was the second leading scorer in German Pro A last season. Antwerpen was able to take the 8-4 lead as Frank Turner scored inside and Serbian power forward Marko Spica who played at John Bowler school Central Michigan scored inside. The Fraport Skyliners were getting good looks, but just had misfortune with hitting shots in the first few minutes. New Skyliner Andy Rautins who comes from New York then tied the game at 8-8 with a three pointer in which his release and demeanor looked as graceful as Singing in the rain star Gene Kelly as if he was hailing in a cab on Madison avenue in New York City. Frankfurt slowly got their rhythm on offense as Konstantin Klein connected on a three pointer and Rautins closed out a 10-0 run and 14-8 advantage. Antwerpen stayed on the heels of Frankfurt as Belgium national player Roel Moors scored on his patent penetration that was as good as unstoppable on this night and American Clayton Vette scored inside to cut the Frankfurt lead to 14-12. However Frankfurt closed out the first quarter in style with a 6-0 run to lead 20-12. Klein started the run with a beautifully timed penetration where he waited for the perfect time to score, Tez hit free throws as did Klein.

At the start of the second quarter, the Fraport Skyliners got a bit of a shock as Dawan Robinson suffered a blow to the back and had to leave the game. He first stayed next to the bench to get treatment, but then left for the dressing room. Despite their floor general being off the floor, the Fraport Skyliners were able to get a flow on offense. Rautins scored inside, Johannes Voigtman then was the perfect trailer scoring in the lane getting a perfect feed from Tez for the 24-14 lead. Antwerpen then went on a mini 4-0 run as 215 big man Yannick Driessen who played 41 games in the top league in Europe for  MMT Estudiantes Madrid (Spain-ACB) scored on a dunk and lay in to cut the Frankfurt lead to 24-18. Frankfurt continued to roll on offense going on a 6-0 run to lead 30-18 as new Skyliner Kevin Bright who played a season at Vanderbilt showed his shooting touch connecting from outside, and Tez read an Antwerpen pass perfect got the steal and fed Klein for two easy points. Spica then made two shots to get Antwerpen back to 32-24, but then it was Bright again nailing a three pointer as Frankfurt led 35-24. Tez then made a lay in and Moors who at times felt like he penetrated all night long scored with his left hand. Moors was a pest all night long and Antwerpen assistant coach Brian Lynch who has the distinction of being married to 4 time Grand Slam winner Kim Clijsters knows the worth of the national player. “He is our captain and most experienced player. He did a good job keeping us in the game with his leadership. Every team needs a guy like that to give that experience”, stressed Brian Lynch. “We didn´t have to change the game plan after Robinson left. Klein and Merz did a good job. We have  a young team, but we can´t hang our heads when a guy like him goes down. The next guy has to come in and step up”, warned Jacob Burtschi. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting under  40% as was Antwerpen. The rebounding was even at 19 and Frankfurt had eight turnovers and Antwerpen had nine turnovers.

Dawan Robinson returned back in the third quarter, but watched the rest of the game from the bench. The Fraport Skyliners came into the third quarter seemingly half on the court and half in the dressing room. They allowed Antwerpen to cruise out on a 4-0 run to cut the lead to 37-32. Frankfurt was playing lethargic and that calmness of a Robinson on the court was missing. Moors made free throws and then made a steal which led to a bucket on transition by Frank Turner who led the Dutch league twice in assists. The game remained tight as Frankfurt could never fully break away as Antwerpen remained close. Voigtman scored a pair of buckets as Frankfurt led 41-34. Frankfurt was getting out more on the fast break as Oklahoma native Burtschi made a steal feeding Tez for the simple score as Frankfurt led 43-26. Moors who was dribbling Skyliners silly all night long with his quick ball handling found Maxime De Zeeuw for the dunk. Tez then riffled a pass down low to Voigtman for the easy dunk and Vette scored inside as Frankfurt still led 47-41. Frankfurt closed out the third quarter with efficient and smart basketball going on a 7-2 run to lead 54-43 after 30 minutes. After a few minutes where Rautins missed some shots and made turnovers, his light shone now as he showed how explosive he can be on defense making three consecutive steals which led to a Burtschi and Voigtman baskets and he also scored himself. On the first steal, he missed an easy lay up and second chance which was put home by Burtschi on the third try, but the American wasn´t happy about that sequence of play. “I am sure that type of play has happened before to me. I still don’t have the legs and hope for a better result the next time. You have to get something like that out of your system”, stressed Andy Rautins. That great defensive outburst by Frankfurt was overshadowed a bit by the amazing buzzer beater lay in by Moors which cut the Frankfurt lead to 54-43 after three quarters. Everybody is always talking about the offense of Rautins, but this season his defense will also talk volumes. “I really have worked on my defense the last years. I pride my game on defense and I think a big focal point of my game this season will be my defense and not only my shooting”, warned Andy Rautins.

The fourth quarter was all about the miraculous comeback by Antwerpen and can the Fraport Skyliners hold on to the lead. The Fraport Skyliners started out the fourth quarter with quick fast break basketball as Burtschi scored twice on the fly to lead 58-45, but that was about all the offense that they would muster as they wouldn´t score another field goal in the last six minutes of play. Former Belgium U-20 national player Dennis Donkor got the Antwerpen run going with a pull up jumper. Ex TBB Trier guard Barry Stewart then scored twice as Frankfurt led only 58-51. Frank Turner then used every inch of his 178cm to weasel himself into the zone and somehow  shoveled home a lay in high of the glass in best Tiny Archibald manner. Frankfurt kept missing shots and Antwerpen couldn´t capitalize either missing a few more shots, but they then got the athletic brilliance of Donkor as he went coast to coast for a lay in as Antwerpen trailed only 58-55 with less than two minutes to go. Turner then made a steal and Donkor was in front of the pack getting the pass and easy bucket in transition as Frankfurt led only 58-57. Rautins then missed a jumper and Antwerpen actually regained the lead again after having it early in the first quarter with a Driessen basket 59-58. “A big reason for our comeback was that we found our intensity. We showed that once we come together that we can play. We started to defend and communicate”, commented Frank Turner. With 30 seconds to go Johannes Voigtman drew a foul, but hit only one free throw to tie the game at 59-59. Antwerpen had one last attempt to try to win the game, but ex Giessen 46er Barry Stewart missed an open shot to end the game. Both teams agreed not to play an overtime period. “We got away from our defense principles. We were careless with the ball. We need to play more smart basketball”, warned new Skyliner Andy Rautins. Antwerpen assistant coach Brian Lynch was happy with how his team stayed in the game for the 40 minutes and in the 16-0 run. “We got more aggressive on defense. We were able to get consecutive stops and forced them to tough shots. We forced 22 turnovers and were able to stay in the game with our defense”, said Brian Lynch. “We fell apart at the end, were sloppy and had no communication on defense”, expressed Jacob Burtschi.

The Fraport Skyliners were led by Johannes Voigtmann with 16 points. Konstantin Klein contributed 13 points. Antwerpen was led by Frank Turner with 11 points and four assists. The Fraport Skyliners shot a dismal 36% from the field and 25% from the three point line while Antwerpen shot 41% helped by a strong fourth quarter, but were desolate from outside at 7%. Frankfurt won the rebound duel 38-33. Frankfurt had a sloppy 22 turnovers while Antwerpen had 18 turnovers. Antwerpen did what they wanted inside scoring 40 points in the paint showing the little resistance inside by Frankfurt. With the start of the regular season a week away, ex Bremerhaven captian Jacob Burtschi had a short perspective about the last weeks. “Our development has been up and down. We have had steps forward and back. We are a young team, but we need to communicate better, the older guys with the youth”, warned Jacob Burtschi. Antwerpen assistant coach Brian Lynch was impressed by the face of the Fraport Skyliners. “I like this team. They are an aggressive and fast team that likes to play small. That is a fun type of basketball to watch. I like how they play their young players. That is great for German basketball”, stressed Brian Lynch.

Shy Ely is a 26 year old 195cm swing man from Indianapolis, Indiana that will be playing his fifth professional season and first in Germany with the MLP Academics Heidelberg. Last season he tore up the Swiss league playing for  BC Boncourt Red Team (Switzerland-LNA, starting five): 29 games: Score-5(18.3ppg), 4.8rpg, 3.0apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 49.8%, 3PT-3(45.9%), FT: 83.2%. He started his basketball career in 2005 for  Evansville (NCAA) where he played until 2009 playing a total of 121 NCAA games. In his senior year he played  31 games: 18.9ppg, 5.8rpg, 1.7apg, FGP: 45.9%, 3Pts: 26.5%, FT: 76.9%. He played his first three years of professional basketball in the D-League for the Iowa Energy winning the title in 2011 and also for the Dakota Wizards. He spoke to German Hoops about basketball.

Hi Shy, thanks for talking to German Hoops. After a very strong season in Switzerland, you will now play in Germany for Heidelberg. You signed very late. Was the job market tough, or were you just weighing your options?

I think it was a combination of a couple of different things. I parted ways with my agent of almost 4 years, and hired a new one just recently. I did have a few other options I was weighing, but I believe I made the right decision to join Heidelberg.

You come to a very ambitious team MLP Academics Heidelberg. What were the main reasons for coming to this club?

I thought this club was the right fit for me. The head coach is good friends with the coach that I was with when we won the D-league championship in 2011. I felt this would be a bigger stage to showcase my talents and take my career to the next level. And of course I want to help this team win.

Heidelberg is one of the bigger tourist attractions in Germany. What do you in general know about Germany?

I don’t know much about Germany. Last Pre-season while I was in Swiss, we came to Bayreuth to play in a friendly tournament. We were there for about 3 days, and it was a good experience. They seem to have very passionate basketball fans in Germany.

You have a very neat name with Shy Ely. What are the most common responses that you get to your name?

People generally like my name. The most common response I get is when people ask me if I’m really a shy person. I am.

How was the transition coming from the D-league to Europe? What was the most difficult transition that you had to make on and off the court?

The transition from the D-league to Europe went fairly smoothly. I never was the go-to scorer while I was in the d-league, even though I could score in bunches. In Swiss, I was that player. Off the court, I think the biggest transition was learning some French, and grocery shopping.

Boncourt lost in the playoffs against Lugano. All in all what positives could you take out of your first season in Europe?

I had a great first experience in Europe. I got the opportunity to show that I could adapt and thrive on the European game. Boncourt did not have the talent of Lugano, but we were very competitive, and took our team to the playoffs when a lot of people thought we couldn’t.

You were the fifth best scorer in the Swiss league and now come to the German Pro A. I can imagine that you will put up big numbers this season. Besides winning, what is the foremost thing that you want to achieve with your game on the court?

I just want to remain healthy and make my teammates better in any way that I can.

What is a strength in your game that doesn´t always get noticed right away?

I would say my physical strength and passing ability.

You had two different coaches at Evansville, but in your last two seasons you had Marty Simmons. How did he prepare you best for a professional basketball career?

Coach Simmons has had the biggest impact on my basketball career. When he came to Evansville he put a lot of responsibility on my shoulders and gave me tons of confidence. He taught me how to be a leader and we remain close to this day.

Who was the best player that you played against in the NCAA that is in the NBA now?

Ty Lawson

You were D-league champion in 2011 with the Iowa Energy. How high can one rate winning a title like this considering all the personel changes happening during the course of a season?

The 2011 championship was the high point of my career. It was a crazy season of many ups and downs. I started out playing very well, then I suffered a knee injury, had surgery, and then I worked my way back and helped my team win it all. In the d-league your roster could change week to week. I was blessed to be able to stay with the team the entire season.

What do you remember from playing with Kyle Weaver? He played in Germany also. Does he still have a shot to land with an NBA team in the future?

Kyle Weaver is a tremendous talent and a great guy. He can play and defend multiple positions. I like him best at the point guard because of his size, vision, and ability to shoot the ball. He could easily land on an NBA team.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

The last DVD I watched was No Country for Old Men. A very good movie.

Thanks Shy for the chat.

Perhaps one of the biggest woes any American basketball player could have while playing in Germany is standing in line at a local Mcdonalds totally famished after a two hour workout and not being able to give an order in English because the attendant doesn´t understand any English or having to wait weeks and weeks for the internet connection in his apartment to finally work. However undesirable experiences like this could always be endured and even cherished if one could trade it just for having a basketball job. It is no secret that the basketball market worldwide has matured and gotten more competitive each year so that there are many solid players hanging around in the States keeping in shape and dreaming of hearing the shouts of Ja Wohl after an amazing shot in a German arena. One of these players was Michael Fakuade who is a 24 year old 201 cm American forward from Chicago that also has the Nigerian citizenship.  Players that get signed early for the upcoming season then can enjoy the rest of the summer, but for guys that get signed late or not at all experience more complex summers and a time of extensive thinking and just pondering about their future. This is the type of summer that Fakuade had and on top of that, he had little enjoyment following the Chicago baseball teams Cubs and White Sox that were hanging out in the standings cellar and moreover was thinking about the fall and the chances of the Chicago Bears in the upcoming NFL season and if he would be living in Europe somewhere and playing ball. As is the case so often, a player left the ETB Wohnbau Baskets Essen and the next thing the American knew, he was on  a plane to Germany to start his second professional season. Despite the waiting and waiting, Fakuade never lost faith that he would get a basketball job, even though he was a bit surprised that it took so long to get a job. “At first I was a little surprised, but I knew if I just stayed patient and kept a positive attitude that something would come up. I wasn’t losing hope at all. I knew in the back of my mind that something good was going to happen. I just had to be ready when that call happened”, stressed Michael Fakuade.

After playing his college career at N.Illinois (NCAA) and at for  Ill.-Springfield (NCAA2) where he finished his senior year averaging 14.5ppg, RebNCAA2-6(11.0rpg), BlocksNCAA2-2(3.5bpg), he got a job as a rookie last season in the German Pro A league with USC Hannover. He continued his damage under the boards and continued his double double stats with Hannover averaging 15.2ppg, Reb-5(10.6rpg),He also led the Pro B in blocks with 2,8 per game. Despite having double double stats, the club finished only with a record of 9-13 missing the playoffs and the big man was more than disturbed about his rookie season. “I was very disappointed in our season because I really felt that we had good enough team to do a lot better then we did. I felt that we started off the season too slow and didn’t really figure out how to win close games until late in the season. I honestly didn’t feel like I had good year. I felt that I should have done more to help my team win and to get into the playoffs. As far as improving, every aspect of my game needs to improve. There is not one spot in my game I cant improve on”, commented Michael Fakuade. Despite the less than spectacular season out of his perspective, he did remember his Kevin Love type explosion against Dorsten with 21 points and 20 rebounds. “I do believe this was one of my better games in the season. To be honest the game was kind of a blur. I did not really notice that I was even close to those numbers. After the game my teammates where telling that I had 20 points and 20 rebounds. I wasn’t really focused on achieving those stats, I was just happy we won the game and that helped put us in a better position to make the playoffs”, added Michael Fakuade.

Now Fakuade is ready to start a new adventure with the ETB Wohnbau Baskets Essen in the Pro A and will be more than motivated to show all his doubters what he is able to do on the court and just prove to his new team that acquiring him was the right choice and will be ready to make an impact right away in the Pro A coming from the Pro B despite his late arrival. “I am very thankful and blessed to be able to be playing for ETB Wonhbau baskets Essen. It couldn’t have come at a better time. I am very happy to be getting an opportunity to play at a higher level. Seeing progression anytime is always a good thing. It might be a little difficult picking up new plays and learning my teammates tendencies on the court, but at the end of the day it’s still just basketball. I would say this is one of the most exciting things. Just being able to showcase my skill at higher level gets me excited”, expressed Fakuade. He has only been part of a few practices, but he likes what he has seen of his new team. “I really like the way our team is set up. We are really versatile at each spot and should give every team in the pro A challenge”, commented Fakuade. Fakuade comes to a team where it is so often the case in the German Pro A where there are a few talented Americans a few solid experienced Germans and the rest young Germans. Fakuade who had 5 blocks in a game against John Bowlers ex school Eastern Michigan had his battles in the NCAA 2 with new teammate Anthony Young who played at Ky Wesleyan (NCAA2) and is thrilled to have him as a teammate now. “I am very excited to play with Anthony Young. After playing against him on college and in the pro B, I’m just happy I don’t have to worry about defending him on the opposite end. I like that he is versatile. He can shoot it from the outside as well as post up. He gives our team a lot of different looks”, added Fakuade. It will depend how head coach Igor krizanovic will use both, but with Young and Fakuade being strong rebounders for their size, having two athletic players on the court could create some havoc under the boards. “Rebounding comes second nature to us. We both rebound at a high rate. Since we are so familiar with each others games we should be able to do some pretty exciting things”, said Fakuade. The American/Nigerian might only have been in Essen two days, but already was able to get a good impression of point guard Chris Alexander and German sharp shooters Fabian Franke and Marco Buljevic. “Fabian Franke is athletic and strong with real good size and a knock down shooter. Chris is your prototypical pg. a leader on the court. He is vocal and very fast with the ball. Marco is a very good young talent. I like his size at the guard position like I said all in interview, they are all very versatile which I like”, added Fakuade. Fakuade had to think a moment who would drop more three pointers from the parking lot Franke or Buljevic. “Tough question. Franke probably, just because I have seen him knock down more shots in practice”, added Fakuade. After being Mr double double in his senior year at Ill.-Springfield (NCAA2) and Hannover last season, he knows what it will take to be successful on the floor. “Just being consistent and efficient as much as possible. If I can do those two things the rest will take care of itself”, said Fakuade. With the Pro A season only a few weeks away, Fakuade still has a lot of on court work he needs to do to be 100% ready, but for one thing he already is ready for is NFL Sunday night football. Despite scoring 55 points and giving up 51 points in the first two games, the Chicago Bears who won their only Super bowl title in 1985 where no person could withstand the smile of the refrigerator still need to do some extra video work and clean up their defense, but they are 2-0 to start the season. Fakunde who is a Chicago Bears football fan might not be able to give such early predictions about where the ETB Wohnbau Baskets will end up at the end of the season, but his heart already knows the fate of Da Bears in 2013-2014, “I see them going all the way to the Super Bowl. I’m always rooting for the hometown team”, smiled Michael Fakuade.

Ahmad Smith is a 29 year old 194cm guard from Virginia that is playing his second season for the NBC of the German PRO A. He started the season BiG Oettinger Rockets Gotha (Germany-ProA)12 games: 7.0ppg, 5.6rpg, 4.7apg, 2FGP: 48.9%, 3FGP: 14.3%, FT: 72.2%, in Jan.’13 moved to Nuernberger Basketball Club (Germany-ProA, starting five): 19 games: 9.6ppg, Reb-4(8.5rpg), Assists-2(6.4apg), 1.1spg, FGP: 35.5%, 3PT: 31.2%, FT: 77.6% He played at St.Bonaventure(NCAA) from 2002-2006 and in his senior year played 28 games: ScoreA10-8(14.2ppg), RebA10-10(6.2rpg), AssistsA10-9(3.5apg), FGP: 41.0%, 3PT: 31.1%, FT: 59.8%. In 2006-2007, he played for Mardyke UCC Demons Cork (Ireland-SuperLeague): 9 games: 18.9ppg, 5.7rpg, 4.2apg, FGP: 51.6%, 3PT: 37.1%, FT: 60.8%. In 2007-2008, he played for SVD 49 Dortmund (Regionalliga): 6 games: 30.2ppg. In 2008-2009, he played for : BSV Wulfen (Germany-Regionalliga) 23.5ppg, 10.1rpg, 6.0apg, 3PT: 35.2%. In 2009-2010, he played for Hertener Loewen (Germany-ProB)29 games: 18.2ppg, Reb-2(8.7rpg), Assists-1(7.1apg), 1.2spg, FGP: 50.2%, 3PT: 34.9%, FT: 69.5%. In 2010-2011, he played for s Oliver Baskets Wuerzburg (Germany-ProA): left before the season started, then moved to SVD 49 Dortmund (Germany-Regionalliga): 6 games: 12.8ppg, waived in Nov.’10, in Jan.’11 signed at Nuernberger Basketball Club (Germany-ProB, starting five): 15 games: 8.3ppg, 6.8rpg, Assists-1(7.1apg), 1.4spg, FGP: 39.1%, 3PT: 28.2%, FT: 69.1%. Last season for the Kichheim Knights he played  35 games: 9.9ppg, 6.1rpg, Assists-1(6.7apg), 1.4spg, FGP: 52.3%, 3PT: 35.9%, FT: 62.0% He spoke to German Hoops in preseason about basketball.

Ahmad thanks for talking to German Hoops again. How was your summer and what was your nicest experience back at home?

My summer was great theres not one specific moment that sticks out just spending lots of time with family and friends.

How quickly were you able to digest the five game playoff loss to Duesseldorf?

I still think about how we blew that series and that was my motivation all summer during my workouts.

You are playing your second season with NBC. What were the main reasons for coming back to NBC?

I love the city of Nurnberg and especially our fans which really support the team no matter what. There is big ambitions in NBC for the future and I wanted to be a part of it.

The team kept a good share of last years team and brought in Wayne Bernard and Robert Lewandowski as guys that will be dominating offensive players. How does the team shape so far from the first weeks of practice?

Were still getting to know each other but so far its been great we have a good bunch of guys.

Last season the team lost a tough 5 game series against Duesseldorf. What goals does NBC have? Is the PRO A tile a realistic goal that coach Martin Ides will be trying to get into the minds of the players early?

Championship is the only goal that we have as a team anything less than a championship is a failure.

How important is the pick up of Wayne Bernard. What besides his experience will help NBC be successful this season?

I think Wayne was a great addition to our team not just his experience but he plays the game the right way and he’s been a winner throughout his career.

Last season, NBC was missing more inside presence as you only had Ronald Thompson. Now you have added Robert Lewandowski and Michael Fleischman. Will we see more inside game this season?

We definitely have more depth inside to help Ron out which is a huge plus for us. It will give us a great inside out game that we didn’t have last season.

Could the inside duo of Ronald Thompson and Robert Lewandowski be the top big man duo in the Pro A this season?

If they both continue to work hard I believe they will both have great seasons and that will really benefit the whole team.

You were fourth in rebounding last season and second in assists in the Pro A. Will anything change in your role this season or will you have the same type of role as last season where you really do a bit of everything on the court?

I have an all around game this season I will do anything the team needs for me to do. Winning is the only option this season no one on our team should be worried about their individual stats because we have a lot of offensive power. I’ll do anything the team needs me to do whether thats scoring, passing, rebounding or defense!

German Lukas Weigel comes from MidAmerica Nazarene (NAIA). What has been your impression of him so far?

Lukas is a great guy he’s still trying to adjust to the game in the Pro A. He’s a hard worker and listens so I think he will have a solid season.

Cornelius Adler had a great season last year and had big games in the playoffs. Do you see him making another step this season?

Corny really finished the season strong and carried us in lots of games down the stretch. He will have a great season I would say he is one of the best players in the league and definitely the best German player.

Will Robert Lewandowski survive the season with all the jokes about his alter ego soccer player in Dortmund? Lol

Lol I hope so it was a big deal when he signed here the soccer fans were going crazy lol.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

Fruitvale Station.

Thanks Ahmad for the chat.

Myles Hesson is a 23 year old 195 cm forward from Birmingham, England that was one of the 12 best players in Great Britain and was selected for the 2013 national team playing in Slovenia at the Eurochampionships. He will play in the German Pro A this season for the Giessen 46ers. Last season he played for  Weissenhorn Youngstars (Germany-ProB, starting five): 20 games: 19.7ppg, 10.3rpg, 1.5apg, 1.7spg, 1.5bpg, 2FGP: 54.4%, 3FGP: 27.4%, FT: 65.6%, in Mar.’13 moved to Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany-BBL): 9 games: 4.2ppg, 2.8rpg. He started his professional career in 2009-2010 for  Birmingham Aces (EBL2) averaging 13.1ppg, 4.9rpg, 2FGP: 47.9%, 3PT: 33.3%. In 2010-2011, he played for the Essex Pirates Basketball Club (BBL): 11 games: 9.5ppg, 3.5rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 47.1%, 3PT: 30.0%, FT: 68.4%. Last season he played for Liverpool Mersey Tigers (BBL, starting five): 27 games: 15.1ppg, 7.7rpg, 1.3apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 48.8%, 3PT: 32.0%, FT: 61.5%. This past summer, he was a member of the British national team taking part in preparations for the 2012 Summer Olympics. He also took part at the British 3×3 Mixed and menTeam for World Championships in Greece  in 2012. He spoke to German Hoops after Great Britain missed reaching the next round at the 2013 European championships.

A long summer of play with the British national team comes to an end. In the last game, Great Britain failed to advance by losing to the Ukraine 87-68. How deep does the pain sit? One single game that could of brought you to the next round?

I think the Belgium game was pivotal for us. Its tough to think that just a few plays here and there could have made the difference but its a learning experience for us all.

The Ukraine got a 10 point lead which grew to 18 points and they never looked back. What were the main reasons for not being able to come back?

They out played us in the paint and we never really got comfortable on offense

The daily grind was tough as one had almost a game each day. Great Britain played more with a seven man rotation. Was the club  a bit tired in the last game?

You could say we were tired but every team here has had the same amount of games so its not an excuse I would use.

It seemed like the Ukraine saved their best for last to advance. They didn´t have one or two players that carried the load, but had a total team effort leading to the win. Did the Ukraine possibly surprise Great Britain a bit with their game plan not focusing too much on a Pooh Jeter or Sergii Gladyr?

Yeah their other role players really stepped up for them when they needed it. Jeter only had 6 points going into the final few minutes. We did a good job defensivley on him but their whole team contributed to their win.

Great Britain finished with a record of 2-3. What is your summary of the 2013 Eurochampionships for the country of Great Britain. Was it able to make steps and development with the roster it had?

We had a young team not filled with any “superstars” and I think we came together as a team and did our country proud.

With one or the other NBA player on board, it probably would of extended your summer vacation and you wouldn´t have been on the 12 man roster. How thankful are you for having had this experience at Euro 2013?

Its hard to say what could have happend had our “nba guys” been here but Im grateful with the opportunity I was given and worked hard to be in the position I found myself in.

In 5 games you averaged 11,0ppg and 6,0rpg. How happy were you with your own performance in your first big international tournament?

Im very happy with my individual performance, I remained consistent in all but one game so I cant really complain.

You played almost each day against a basketball nation and also off the court you were able to experience many amazing things. What one thing from this Eurobasket 2103 tournament will you always keep most tight in your memory?

Ill always remember both our wins against Germany and Israel, we managed to come together as a team and win when everyone else had wrote us off.

Which 4 teams do you see reaching the semi finals and which country do you see winning? It has been kind the tournament of upsets and many countries like Finland really surprising everyone?

Im not sure about who will go through but id like to see Slovenia in the finals, theyve been playing great basketball and had some of the moat entertaining games in the tournament so far.

Which player in the tournament was the biggest thrill to play against and at the same time was your most difficult opponent to guard?

Nicolas Batum was one of the toughest opponents I had to guard personally.

What is your opinion of how Germany faired? They were the second youngest team, beat France but still didn´t advance. Your ex teammate Per Guenther lauded you an interview for being able to come to a tournament like this after playing Pro B last season. Was the experience missing a bit for Germany to achieve bigger feats at Eurobasket 2013?

I think they had a good team, not quite sure why they never won more games but anything can happen in a tournament like this.

Will it be difficult to come down from the Eurobasket 2013 experience and head to Giessen to play Pro A basketball? Many eyes will be on you and what you did the last months.

It wont be difficult for me personally, I want to play at the highest level I can so the more eyes on me the better.

Now you have time to watch a video? What DVD is on the menu for this week?

Haha, erm, will probably watch “think like a man” on the plane home, one of my favourite movies.

Thanks Myles for the chat.

Thanks, follow me on twitter if you dont already @mylesontwitter.