2010 BEKO BBL Allstar Game A Big Success

After the BEKO BBL had showcased the Allstar game in big 10,000 plus arenas in Cologne and Mannheim the last years, they decided to display the leagues best players in a smaller venue in Bonn in 2010. This turned out to be a big success as the Telekom dome was sold out and the atmosphere was as breathtaking as taking in a Boston Redsox-New York Yankees game at the legendary Fenway Park.

Why should the BEKO BBL continue to have the Allstar game in a huge complex like the SAP arena in Mannheim where one feels overwhelmed when looking around and seeing the magnitude of the arena and where 6,000-7,000 people make the arena look as lifeless as the Pontiac Dome in Detriot as Detroit Lions Football fans had to encounter a miserable 0-16 season in 2008. The Telekom Dome only had 6,000 spectators, but every inch was filled and the arena was about as loud as any as I have ever seen in the BEKO BBL.

“It was a good decision to move it to a smaller venue. It has been sold out for two weeks and I think that it is simply better for the players to play in front of a sold out crowd”, stressed German National coach Dirk Bauermann.

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Struggle Against Relegation In The BBL

With half of this year’s BBL season played it is worth to take a look at the bottom of the rankings and analyse which teams have to fear relegation.

In our off-season Teamchecks German Hoops previewed all teams. Like many other experts we predicted Mitteldeutsche BC and Walter Tigers Tuebingen to face trouble to stay in the league. Surprisingly both teams are currently in the race for a play-off spot. While MBC had a great start into the season, Tuebingen is currently on 5 game winning streak – and that’s a new club record in their BBL history.

A team that really looked a lot stronger on the paper, but could not fulfill expectations so far is the Düsseldorf Giants. Our author Mario predicted Düsseldorf to be a force to be reckoned with in the BBL race.

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Will Key Injuries Severely Hurt The Playoff Chances Of Braunschweig?

The New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig are seeking to reach the playoffs again after their last appearance was in 2003 with former Bamberg guard Demond Mallet who was just starting to make a name for himself in European basketball. Since then the team has sunk in the middle of The BEKO BBL standings and in the last six seasons averaging a 12th place placing in that time. In the last few years, the club had ex BBL champion with Alba Berlin coach Emir Mutapcic at the helm, but he was unable to lead the team into the playoffs despite having good rosters. He was unable to develop any German players into getting sufficient playing time in Braunschweig. The Germans usually went elsewhere and earned playing time there.

“Braunschweig is doing well. I hope that the team can keep it up. They have a great fan base and the fans deserve the playoffs”, added ex Paderborn guard Steven Wright.

Braunschweig management didn´t see anything really changing for the future and decided to make a giant house cleaning: The first order of business was finding a new coach. Braunschweig sports director Oliver Braun looked east to Poland and found an old friend with German Sebastian Machowski. Both Machowski and Braun won the Korac Cup with 8 time BBL champion Alba Berlin in 1995. The contact never ceased between the two and after a successful rookie coaching season in Poland with Kolobrzeg, it was time to fetch the 37 time German National player Machowski to Germany.

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EnBW Ludwigsburg Has Many Strong Pieces, But They Don´t Fit Together Yet

Who could forget the 2006-2007 EnBW Ludwigsburg Cinderella team that started the season on a seven game winning streak, winning the first 11 of 12 games and dominating the BBL the whole season until losing in the semi finals against The Brose Baskets Bamberg who would later win the BBL title. There was something so fresh with this team as team basketball had been taught by coach Silvano Poropat and his players had learned it as quickly as first graders do their a,b,c´s. However the last two seasons were a downgrade as the playoffs were missed.

In the 2007-2008 season, the team reached the BBL cup final losing to The Artland Dragons, but management somehow had their differences with coach Silvano Poropat as he had to pack his bags and go. Last season, management brought in ex Bamberg player Rick Stafford as the team missed the playoffs again and were searching for an identity all season long, but never found one. After December 14th, 2008, the team would not win more than one game at a time before losing again. It was a very disappointing and weird season as the biggest highlights were the three B wins against Berlin, Bonn and Bamberg, and then the strange 1-0 win as The Giessen 46ers were unable to get to Ludwigsburg on time as they were stuck in traffic. It also marked the last professional season of allrounder and likeable American Brandon Woudstra who decided to hang up his sneakers and return back to the States to start a new life with his family.

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A Basketball Moment From Athens Greece With Travon Bryant

Travon Bryant is a 26 year old 206 cm forward that is a skilled combination lefty forward that has a nice shooting touch from 10-15 feet, and is strong enough to maneuver in the paint in traffic and with his back to the basket. He comes from Long Beach, California and played at The Univeristy of Missouri from 2000-2004 with skilled players like Linas Kleiza, Ricky Paulding, Jason Conley and Jimmy Mckinney. In his senior year, he played 30 games averaging 10.6ppg, 6.6rpg, 1.7apg. In his five year career, he has taken a liking to the warm climate of Greece playing there for four years. In 2004-2005, he played for Iraklis Thessaloniki playing FIBA Europe League averaging 11.6ppg, 7.7rpg, 1.0apg, 0.9spg, FGP: 52.7%, 3Pts: 25%; and playing 26 games in the Greek league averaging 10.2ppg, 6.3rpg, 1.0apg, 2FGP: 48.0%, 3FGP: 31.0%. In 2005-2006, he played for AO Kolossos Rodo playing 24 games and averaging 14.5ppg, 7.4rpg, 1.3apg, 1.1spg, 1.1bpg, 2FGP: 52.0%, 3PT: 41.0%, FT: 66.0%. After the season ended in Greece, he hopped over to Italy and helped Benetton Treviso win the Italian league title averaging 16 games: 4.6ppg, 2.6rpg.

In 2006-2007, he played in the BBL for the Deutsche Bank Skyliners playing 28 games and averaging 14.7ppg, Reb-5(7.8rpg), 1.8apg, 1.1spg, 2FGP: 54.7%, 3FGP: 28.6%, FT: 61.7%. In 2007-2008, he jumped back to Greece and played for Costa Cafe Marousi playing FIBA EuroCup averaging 15.0ppg, 6.0rpg, 1.0apg, 1.5spg, 1.0bpg, 2FGP: 55.6%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 53.8%; and playing 22 games in the Greek league averaging 10.3ppg, 5.1rpg, 1.0apg, 2FGP: 62.0%, 3PT: 34.0%, FT: 52.0%. He also reached the Greek final in the playoffs playing 13 games and averaging 7.2ppg, 4.9rpg, 1.2apg, 2FGP: 60.0%, 3PT: 62.0%, FT: 62.0%. Last season, he played for AEK Athens playing 24 games and averaging 11.9ppg, Reb-5(7.1rpg), 1.1apg, FGP: 53.8%, 3PT: 19.0%, FT: 75.4%.

German Hoops caught up with Travon Bryant who is currently playing for Panionios in Greece.

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Jermaine Robinson Goes from The Premier League In Israel To The German Regionaliga

Jermaine Robinson is a 28 year old 188cm guard from Philadelphia. Currently he is playing for Bernau in the Regionaliga. He played at Cleveland State with Omari Westley from 2000-2004. In his senior year, he played 29 games averaging 19.6ppg, 4.6rpg, 2.5apg. He went to Europe in 2004 to Norway to play for the Harstad Vikings playing 13 games and averaging 23,6ppg, 4,5rpg, 4,4apg, 2,7spg, 0,3bpg, but left before the end of the season and signed at Haifa/Nesher BC (Israel-Premier L. Gr. 9-12) playing 9 games averaging 6.1ppg, 1.6apg, 1.1spg, 2FGP: 47.6%, 3FGP: 31.8%. In 2006-2007, he came to Germany to play for SV Hagen-Haspe 70 (Germany-Regionalliga, starting five) playing 5 games and averaging 17.2ppg. In 2007-2008, he had his first tour of duty with SSV Lokomotive Bernau playing 10 games and averaging 19.0ppg. Last season, he played in Chile for Provincial Osorno.

In an exclusive interview for German Hoops, Jermaine talks about how he went from playing in Isarel to playing in the Regionaliga.

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Jason Boone Reviews Goettingen’s Year 2009

Who ever thought that Goettingen’s success during the 2008/09 campaign was just some sort of cinderella story that had to come to an end sooner or later has to admit that the team looks as hot as last season at the moment. The road win in Berlin (check out the highlights) must have convinced all doubters that MEG Goettingen is probably again one of those teams that should still be playing in May and maybe even June.

Head coach John Patrick had to deal with losing keyplayers like Kyle Bailey, Charles Lee and Clif Brown. But Goettingen also managed to keep important players with Chris Oliver, Ben Jacobson, Jason Boone, Robert Kulawick and John Little. They all improved a lot over the summer and helped to fill the gap. With Taylor Rochestie, Chester Frazier, Chris McNaughton and Dwayne Anderson the 41-year old Patrick found perfect additions to the roster.

Unlike the other two sensations from last season Ulm and Paderborn MEG Goettingen find themselves in a nice position at the end of 2009. They managed to win 9 of their first 14 BBL games and lead Group A of the EuroChallenge competition with a record of 3-1.

MEG Goettingen Center Jason Boone took some time to review one of the most successful years in Goettingen’s basketball history.

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Jerome’s Diary Entry #16: Content Going Into 2010, But Still Work To Be Done For Ulm

It is Christmas time. The first three months of the season are over now. It`s been an up and down season for us so far. We had a lot of great moments and also bad moments. Some unneccessary losses and some great victories. The biggest upset for me was the unnecessary loss against Ludwigsburg. It was good for me to be back in my hometown and walk into the new gym. Seeing old faces. Classmates, teachers, teammates, friends and my family. It was one of the greatest feelings of my life and the game was even on National TV. The loss did really hurt. We were dominating them the whole game, but did fall apart at the end.
We only experienced one nice road victory at Bremerhaven. We weren`t able to play strong on the road so far and had plenty of hurtful losses.

One of the greatest memories so far was the game when I saw my first BBL minutes this year.

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Centers Come And Go In Giessen, But Jannik Freese Remains On The Court

Jannik Freese is a 23 year old 211cm center that is playing his second season with The Giessen 46ers. He spent a year in the States and went to Northwestern high school in Washington D.C. He came back to Germany and played for Oldenburger TB before going to SG FT/MTV Braunschweig where he played from 2005-2007. In 2007-2008, he played for Spot Up Medien Baskets Braunschweig (ProB) playing 26 games avergaing 11.5ppg, 7.6rpg, 1.1spg, FGP: 48.8%, 3PT: 50.0%, FT: 63.9%, and played also at New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig (1.Bundesliga): 6 games: 0.5ppg. Last season, he played 15 games for The Giessen 46ers averaging 2.4ppg, 2.3rpg; and also played at LTi Lich (ProA) playing 15 games and averaging 17.1ppg, 8.5rpg, FGP: 49.4%, 3PT: 34.6%, FT: 67.4%.

German Hoops spoke to the German about the current Giessen season.

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The Paderborn Baskets Have An Uphill Struggle To Stay In The BEKO BBL

It is never easy to start from scratch after a successful era has ended. Likeable point guard Tim Black had left in 2008 going to Belgium breaking free from the three musketeers leaving only Steve Esterkamp and Marius Nolte. In the summer of 2009, the three remaining parts coach Doug Spradley, Steve Esterkamp and Marius Nolte that had built the club Paderborn into a second league powerhouse, reaching the BBL and crowning their stay with the teams first ever playoff appearance taking Alba Berlin to five games in the Quarterfinal playoffs left. The commander from the sidelines coach Doug Spradley went to Bremerhaven taking Steve Esterkamp with him and Marius Nolte went to The Deutsche Bank Skyliners. Even though so many positive parts to their past have left doesn´t necessarily mean the end of the world.

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