Jesse Ani (191-G-2002) is a 22 year old 191cm guard playing with PS Karlsruhe. He has had previous experience with FC Bayern Munich 2 and 2 seasons ago played with the Sunkings Saarlouis (Regionalliga) averaging 13.9ppg, 8.0rpg, 2.2apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 52.1%, 3PT: 38.7%, FT: 54.8%. Last season he played with ASC 46 Goettingen (Regionalliga) averaging 6.9ppg, 2.1rpg, FGP: 52.0%, 3PT: 21.7%, FT: 63.6% and also played 4 easyCredit BBL games. He spoke to germanhoops.com before the Pro A final in Frankfurt against the Fraport Skyliners.

Thanks Jesse for talking to germanhoops.com One win away from winning the Pro A title. PS Karlsruhe had so many big wins this season, but where does yesterday´s win rate this season?

Yes I would say so. We don´t want to be called a fairytale anymore. We worked hard all season long. The win yesterday was a big statement for us. We aren´t here to play but to win.

I always said that PS Karlsruhe would be an annoying opponent for Frankfurt in the quarterfinals and now your in the final. How crazy is that?

It really is crazy. You would think that top teams like Trier or Giessen would be here. The 2 best defensive teams are in the final. It shows that defense wins championships.

I guess any-day you hit 18 three´s as a team you will have a very good chance to win. Did the team do anything extra wise shooting the days before?

Nothing was different. We had our regular practices like we have had this whole season. We got up a lot of shots as usual. I just think it has to do with our regular preparation. Our intensity never goes down. I think everybody feels like we have to rely on our three´s but we don´t. We can drive and get to the free throw line just as well. I think that we just had a very good shooting day.

The Fraport Skyliners did a good job withstanding your runs and coming back, but in the end PS Karlsruhe had no real offensive let downs. How big was the 11-0 run to begin the fourth quarter. What did coach Aleksandar Scepanovic tell the team to do?

Coach does a great job keeping us level headed. We as a whole are an unexperienced team. He always had the right words and key are the small details. I also have to give props to Zeeb and Williams who fueled our run.

PS Karlsruhe defended very well against Frankfurt. You did allow 10 three´s but what do you feel was the biggest defensive strength in the win at home?

I think that the hustle plays were big. Von Warden got charges and Joostman was diving all over the court. Plays like that woke us up. We may not be the biggest team, but we use our quickness and energy to help us.

I said in the Skyliners Podcast a few days ago that Frankfurt has to limit Victor Bailey Jr better. They couldn´t letting him score 23 points. How vital is his game for the success of the team?

He was so huge for us. You always have to watch out for him. He is an incredible player and was a great signing for us. He improved our chemistry and is such a special player for us on offense and defense. He always makes something happen for us. He has been such a help to us.

PS Karlsruhe is in the drivers seat. How confident are you that you will hoist the Pro A title tomorrow?

Coach keeps us humble. We don´t see ourselves in the drivers seat. We see it as a game to win. We want to prove a statement. We know that Frankfurt will come out hard, but we will be ready.

The Fraport Skyliners have to win on Sunday by 15 points or more. What will be the game plan going into Sunday?

We treat this game as a new final 0-0. We looked back at game 1 and we know we did mistakes, but we were able to cover it with our energy. We have to be even more focused in Frankfurt and have to be a lot better getting defensive rebounds. Frankfurt got 19 offensive rebounds which is way too much. We have to stick together.

How important has head coach Alexsandar Scepanovic been? How much credit does he get for the success of team?

He is so humble and with all the criticism he has gotten with his coaching style and intensity, he always stuck to his philosophy. We were ranked at 14 in pre season and were 7th after the regular season and still there were doubters. Well look at us now. He always kept his head down and stuck with us in good and bad times.

I joked with Garai Zeeb after game 4 in Frankfurt vs Trier that PS Karlsruhe doesn´t even need him as his injury has limited him in the last weeks. What has been the secret to performing so well without him?

People always only look at what happens in the games. But Garai has been with us all the time. When he was injured, he was at all our practices and always gave advice. He was always there to help keep the energy and intensity up. He is like a ticking time bomb. He is a great player.

How exciting has it been seeing the rise of Bakary Dibba? He is like you in that a few years ago he was balling in the Regionalliga. How much potential does he have?

Sky is the limit for him. He has had a great season but still continues to hear voices against him. Through all the criticism and praise he has received this season, he always stayed level headed. He never changes and is a great teammate. He crashes at the rim with his head and heart. He is very coachable and a great role model.

Michael Flowers has had a MVP like season but what about O Showen Williams? How important has he been for the team?

He has been amazing. He missed some games early and there was doubt about if he could get the job done. But as soon as he found his rhythm, he set the tone on offense and defense. He is a great defender and moves his feet so well and defends quick guards well. He is a great leader.

Where would the team be without the junkyard dog Dennis Tunstall? Is he a player that every team would love to have?

Yes every team would love to have him. He does so much not seen on the stat sheet like defending screens or defending above the rim. He is so athletic and runs the floor so well. He also never complains if he scores 0 or 20 points. He just does his job every day. He is such a reliable player and gets our full trust.

You have averaged 5/3 stats this season. How content have you been with your game?

I have had my ups and downs. I was happy to win best youngster in December. I had a set back with the injury and a shooting slump, but it´s part of the job. This season has been a great learning experience for me. I have been able to see how I can adapt in a system and what I have to do to get to the next level.

You have BBL experience but played mostly Regionalliga the last 2 seasons. Do you feel like your off the radar in basketball Germany?

I think that I´m a bit off the radar, but that´s no problem for me. I think that hard work will eventually pay off. I have seen it with Dibba. So many teams are talking about him now. He put in the work while being under the radar and now his time has come and is shining.

You have had less minutes in the playoffs and missed the Trier series. How tough have injuries been for you this season?

It has been tough. I broke my hand against Jena. I was supposed to be out for the season, but I fought hard in my come back. 6 weeks was a long time. I was playing good minutes and with a team with great teammates. I missed playing. I am back now and feel good. When a team is playing well, it is hard to come back. At the moment coach likes the flow of the team. My minutes are down, but I´m a team player and accept it.

Who will win the NBA final between Boston and Dallas?

I will go with Dallas. Kyrie looks amazing and Luka can turn it up anytime. Tatum can be great, but also shaky.

Thanks Jesse for the chat.

Trevor Hudgins (182-PG-1999, college: NW Missouri St.) is a 25 year old 182cm guard from Kansas that finished his second professional season and first overseas with Le Mans Sarthe Basket (France-Betclic ELITE ProA) averaging 13,0ppg, 1,7rpg and 2,8apg while in the BCL averaged 11,2ppg, 2,6rpg and 3,4apg. He played his rookie season with the Houston Rockets playing 5 games and also split time with the at Rio Grande Valley Vipers (NBA G League) averaging 18.3ppg, 2.8rpg, 5.4apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 46.9%, 3PT: 37.6%, FT: 87.7%. He began his basketball career at Manhattan high school and then played 4 years at Northwest Missouri State University (NCAA2) from 2018-2022 playing a total of 139 games. He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball.

Thanks Trevor for talking to germanhoops.com. You played your second professional season and first overseas with Le Mans. What kind of an experience was France on and off the court? What have you learned to appreciate most about the country and game?

France has been unbelievable from the culture and food to the elite basketball that is being played over here. I have enjoyed every moment so far and have already made some great memories as well. I learned that the people here are genuinely nice and are willing to work through the language barrier sometimes even though the majority of people here speak good english. On the basketball side I have learned that wins and losses matter more than in the G league or NBA. The whole league can be flipped upside down depending on some teams winning or losing on any given night.

What was your wake up call to being overseas where you knew that you were far away from home?

The energy of the crowds. The people love sports here. They stand and scream the whole game, its really cool.

The season has been up and down for Le Mans. How much of a challenge as a point guard is it for you leading the team coming from the States where the game is a lot different?

It´s been difficult at times but it´s a learning curve and I love learning more about the game of basketball. Luckily I had a great college coach that implemented some overseas techniques in our offense and sometimes our defense in college and I have good teammates on and off the court to help me out as well.

What has it been like sharing the point guard duties with Devante Jones? He played at Michigan (NCAA) and has 1 year of overseas ball under his belt. How has he helped you with the progression on the court?

It´s been a lot of fun. DJ is very good and crafty. He has given me a lot of pointers this season and it´s just been fun playing with another guard like him.

In the NCAA 2 you were a dominant scorer, but what kind of role did you have with Le Mans? You seem to be a scoring point guard in this situation?

I think I am the same player I have been since my college days. I think I´m a playmaking scorer and I am going to continue to grow into being the player I am becoming with the help of my coaches and teammates.

Let´s talk about your game. You’re a 182cm point guard. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who would best fit the bill?

I think I just took a piece of a lot of the point guards we watched growing up. Steve Nash, Chris Paul, and even Steph Curry. I add to my game what I see works for other guards primarily the short guards.

You have always filled the stat sheet, but is your biggest strength your scoring?

I think everyone and myself would probably say shooting is my best threat on the basketball court

Do you feel like if you had to, you could develop into a 5-6 assist man overseas?

Yes

What kind of a defender are you now and what kind of defender do you still want to become?

I think I am a decent defender right now. I think I could be more physical and learn some things from some of my teammates who play great defense now

On what areas of your game are you working on most now so you can continue to improve as a player?

Using ballscreens and my movement off the ball.

Last season you played with the at Rio Grande Valley Vipers (NBA G League) averaging 18.3ppg, 2.8rpg, 5.4apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 46.9%, 3PT: 37.6%, FT: 87.7% and played 5 NBA games with Houston. As a guy who came from the NCAA 2 did it feel like a Cinderella story?

It felt like all the hard work paid off. I wouldn’t think of it as a Cinderella story. I think of it as working hard and being able to perform when an opportunity presents itself.

You had averaged 5,4ppg in the NBA Summer League with Houston. Was it a bit surprising that you would make your NBA debut 3 months later?

I would say so, I didn´t know what to expect

What do you remember from your NBA debut against the Bucks? Giannis went for 44 points and you made a three pointer?

All I can remember is Boban passed me the ball and I made a three. One of my favorite memories.

You played twice against the Thunder and Shai Gillgeous-Alexander. When you see a guy like him, is reaching his level something that can be realistic through hard work or is he at another level?

I think he worked really hard and he is proving it now

You had a consistent G-League season. Were you disappointed that you weren´t rewarded with a longer stay?

It’s a business so I didn´t expect anything to be handed to me

What do you remember being your wake up call to being in the NBA? The Rockets had a young team with no real old veterans to expect some extra service?

I think just going to the gym everyday and you see draft picks and guys youve seen on tv and youtube in the gym playing at an elite level was my wake up call

You played at Northwest Missouri State University (NCAA2) and won 6 titles. Despite reaching the NBA is it fair to say that those 4 years were the greatest times in your basketball life?

I think those were my favorite times so far. Northwest means a lot to me and the family that I made there does too.

You won 3 D-2 titles. Was the last one against Augusta your fondest where you scored 31 points and won MVP?

I think the last one was the cherry on top of my whole career.

You had many great personal games like scoring 40 points or achieving a triple double? What was your best personal performance?

I think my best games were MIAA tournament championship in 2020, MIAA tournament championship 2022, and National championship 2022

How did Ben McCullum groom and prepare you best for a professional career? He called you the best player in D-2 history?

I am definitely a product of Coach Mac and NW through and through. He taught me everything you see today.

Who won a 1-1 in practice you or Byron Alexander?

I will leave the 1v1 question up in the air for you to decide.

Who is the toughest player that you ever faced in your life on the court that reached the NBA?

I´m clueless on this one, there were a lot of players

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time

I can´t pick a top 5, I loved all my teammates

Please name your personal NBA Mount Rushmore of past or present heads?

MJ, Kobe, Bron and Steph

Who is your GOAT and why?

MJ. He is 6 for 6 and his mentality was different than all the rest. He was feared in the league and the best players don’t argue with it. He is my goat.

Did you see the sequel to the classic Coming To America? Shouldn´t they have left it alone?

They should have left it alone

Thanks Trevor for the chat.

Joe Asberry (196-F-1965, college: SF State) is an American ex professional basketball player that really has seen it all from crime to drugs, but also played against legends like David Robinson (215-C-65, college: Navy), Gary Payton, Jason Kidd and Brian Shaw and was teammates with German legendary player Christian Welp. He had a 11 year professional career that saw him toil around in the minor leagues of Germany, but he belonged to the best in his day at that level. Since retiring from the game, he has been a spokesperson for young kids and drug prevention, guest speaker, worked in the Alba Berlin organization, been a master of ceremonies for UBC Hannover and been a mentor for young Americans coming overseas trying to live the dream of being a professional basketball player. Currently he works with an agent and with young inspiring basketball kids and has his own podcast. He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball.

Thanks Joe for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you now and how is basketball life treating you?

Always my pleasure to catch up with you Miles. You’re my guy. Basketball life is treating me very well. I’m in Berlin.

One can call you a multi functional basketball workaholic. Tell me a little about all the projects that you are involved with now?

I’m involved in quite a few things. Scouting for Pro Basketball, trying to find talent for the Agents I’m working with. Working on putting together a Tour Team with a new Agent I want to work with and my guy, Elijah Allen,so that ‘Imports’ can get a foot in, the door doing Pro Hoops in Germany. So I’m on the grind for sure.

You have some street ball tournaments coming up. What can we await from that and who are some of the players being featured.

The Streetball Tournaments are going to very nice. I’m the MC at a big one at the Hangar. My guys,’Coach Oumar’ and ‘King Hezi’ Josh line it up. The tournaments is at Gorli Park. I’m not sure which players will pull up, but we always have Pro’s if the Stamm is there with CEO ‘Big Dia’

Another duty of yours is compiling the Eurobasket regionalliga awards. What do you enjoy most about compiling this data?

I enjoy it after the awards are up, when my guys that ball in that league, hit me up and tell me they appreciate me. I tell them hey, I didn’t GIVE you an Award, you played great, so you TOOK an Award. I know the ‘Imports’ playing in that league are trying to move up the ladder. I’m an American who dominated that league back in the days, so when guys are telling me they SHOULD be playing in the BBL, I tell them, Stop Talking, Put in the WORK, and prove to the Coaches here that you’re a REAL PRO and deserve to play at a higher level, or go and do Stand up Comedy! LOL!

You have witnessed getting the needed Information from coaches as being a tough task. Why is that?

I don’t understand it Miles to be honest. The last two years, ‘ve reached out to all of the coaches in the league to ask them to Vote for their players. Most Coaches don’t even respond to me. I won’t go too deep into it, because I don’t want to make it worse. So moving forward,I hope the Coaches see this interview and hit me up. The good news is I’m well connected. I get inside info from a few of the Coaches in the league that are my guys. I ask them who are the best players and who deserves to be on the list. After that it’s a numbers game.

How sad is that not all Regionalligas play for the title in a playoff mode? Do you ever see this happening? I hope in the future that every region will have a playoff mode to win the title.

Dyon Dyoeki has been here grinding for years. He had 26 and put his team on his back and carried them to Pro B. Shawn Scott was magnificient in the playoffs. Bryant Allen willed his team to the Pro B. He has been on the grind for years too. Gilbert Gyamfi had a flawless 40 point performance. Big Jascal Knoerig was also great in the playoffs. I watched a game in Hamm and it’s crazy to think coach Ivan Rostic took that gym from 50 fans to 1000 and a packed house. So the playoff vibe in the North and West was Awesome!

How have you seen the development of the Regionalliga in the last years? Is the quality of the players and teams improving?

The players are improving for sure. Guys are getting bigger, better, stronger and faster!

A big topic we like to discuss is these so talented Americans like Shawn Scott and Jeremy Ingram continuing to return to the Regionalliga because of their love for the game, but nobody above Regionalliga is willing to give them a chance. Will this ever change?

Sure hope it will change. Those two dudes are THE REAL DEAL! They can both play at the minimum Pro B. Scott has a motor like a Brand New 2024 Chevy Corvette. He can keep his team involved and then he hits this switch where there is NOTHING you can do. He can get to his spots with ease. Back in the days I played in the SF Pro Am at Kezar with Topper Allen and Richard Morton. Rich played in the BBL here. Those two guys could score between 20 and 50 points and not even break a sweat. Jeremy Ingram is that type of player. I call those guys Prolific Scorers.

What were your highlights of the 2023-2024 Regionalliga season?

My highlight was to see Dyon Dyoeki and Shawn Scott get player of the Year in their regions. Dyoeki has been trying to move up Neustadt for Years and he finally did it. Not alone of course. That was a great team but that last game he literally WILLED his team to a win. I felt like Scott was robbed. He won the chip with the Berlin Braves and they didn’t resign him to play in Pro B. His bounce back was magnificent to average 30,and push your team to the final game means that you’re GOOD enough to play in Pro B! PERIOD!

There were many great players again in the Regionalliga. Who were your best players in the last season?

Come on Miles don’t put me on the spot like that. There are too many ballaz that will be angry if I don’t mention them so I’ll take the high road. Elijah Allen came back from a Major Injury and he helped take a Giessen team that was horrible back to in the conversation to move to Pro B. Not to mention, I want to borrow his Raybans to do 1 of my Streetball Tournaments in 4k,so I must shout him out! LOL!

Who do you see reaching the NBA final and winning it all?

That’s a tough question. I want Minnesota because I feel like Anthony Edwards is the New MJ, but I think your boys in Boston will win it all. I think Tatum and Brown were mean puppies last year and now they’re BIG DAWGS!

Thanks Joe for the chat.

That Shawn Scott (185-G-1996, college: SW Christian) is a walking bucket is nothing new and that he can fill the stat sheet like a Russell Westbrook, but he has also been a player that has proved in his first 3 professional seasons in Germany that he has developed as a player and climbed the basketball ladder beautifully going from the Regionalliga 2 to the Regionalliga last season and helping BG Berlin 2000 win the Regionalliga title and helping them move up to the Pro B. That he wasn´t resigned for the Pro B is a riddle, but that is basketball which is all about politics and that is nothing new. He deserved a chance in the Pro B this season and instead dominated in the Regionalliga again averaging 30,1 ppg and led BG Hagen into the final and lost a bitter do or die game in game 3 to Essen. It is no secret that he has a massive chip on his shoulder and his BG Hagen season obviously heighted it more and put the weight on his shoulders even more. There is no doubt that he will get a job next season, but will he finally get a job in a higher German league or will he turn his shoulder on Germany and attempt a new challenge in another country? “I think for sure I want to test the waters of Pro B or Pro A if the opportunity arises but the biggest thing for me is that I go where I’m wanted. I want to be somewhere that I can be myself and play my normal game and not have to overthink it. I think this is the best version of me but of course I will and have always been coachable. I’m excited for what’s next and I believe for sure I will have some options coming up”, stressed Shawn Scott.

Let´s back track to the 2023-204 season where Shawn Scott led BG Hagen into the Regionalliga final. It is obvious that a season is only great with a title. “Winning a title is always the ultimate goal for me, but overall, I couldn’t be more than proud of how the season ended and making it to the finals again. We were one of the youngest teams in the league and most of the players had never played this deep into the season before so for us to make it this far shows what type of team we are and how proud we should be of this season and for the future”, warned Shawn Scott. BG Hagen finished in second place behind the ETB Miners Essen and had split the season series. Getting to the final was no cake walk as in the first round, they had to go the distance against Hamm where the American left it all on the floor averaging 33,0ppg. BG Hagen then swept Koeln DTV and met the ETB Miners in the final and once again had to go 3 games, but this time, it wasn´t enough for another series win and title. Losing the final was difficult as he is the extreme competitor. “It was extremely tough because this was my first actual finals loss since I’ve been playing in Germany so it definitely hurt a bit to lose this one. I’m extremely competitive and there’s nothing more I hate than losing but after thinking about it I’m just proud of my guys that we fought to the very end of the game”, warned Shawn Scott. BG Hagen fought hard for 3 games, but in the end, the opponent simply was better in too many areas. “I think overall Essen just had way too many pieces than we had answers for. Anytime we stopped one or two key players, two other “role players” killed us. I think we really did give it our all on defense and we played to our defense scheme but against a team like this it’s extremely hard and you have to be almost perfect on defense. I think the rebounding and them hitting 13 three´s cost us the game. I feel we stopped the top shooters, but in game three, other players stepped up and hit big shots whom we wanted to shoot the ball so hats off to them”, said Shawn Scott. Having big banger Dzemal Selimovic was key who was in Kevin Love mode in game 3 and the individual quality of Essen seemed to be too much. “I mean, there’s not too many people who can guard him, but I definitely I think we gave it our all to try and stop him with different schemes and strategies but nothing seemed to work and not having our seven footer really killed us. I mean they just had way too many threats that could have a big game at any moment and it’s really tough to try and stop all of them and every game someone different is going to have a big impact which makes them so dangerous. You could see where the experience came in to play but still extremely proud of my guys because we gave them a run for their money”, commented Shawn Scott.

The explosive guard who lists the ETB Miners lethal scorer Justin Andrews as his toughest opponent this season had great experiences in the playoffs the last 2 seasons. However last season with BG Berlin 2000, he had an easier time sweeping Neustadt and Stade. Were the 2 3 games series mentally a hurdle too much this season? “I think not a hurdle too much. This is part of the playoffs and this is why it’s the best of three series so it’s bound to happen. Against Hamm even though we went to three games, I knew we would win this series and against Essen, we were the underdog and the fact that we forced the game three gave us a bunch of confidence and motivation that we could win this series but unfortunately just came up short. I think in this season compared to last season, I was much more mentally prepared and ultra focused on really wanting to win the championship again because I felt like I was one of the few people that had been in this situation before and it was my job to essentially lead this team through my actions and words as well”, expressed Shawn Scott. He also knows what is the most vital thing of being successful in a playoff series and rough times. “I think the biggest thing I learned was that confidence and trust is the biggest key to how you can perform at your best in this sport. There were times where I didn’t start the game so well, especially in the playoffs and that could get you discouraged and lose your confidence but with the team we had everybody trusted everybody and the coaches had our back no matter what and I think that’s what brought us this far”, added Shawn Scott. He played with a bunch of guys that he will never forget. It was actually head coach Tome Zdraveski who had the biggest influence on him and Jaro Abrams was the most improved. “ I think Coach Vid had the biggest impact on me because from the very beginning of the season, he put that confidence back into my head about my shooting ability and I shouldn’t listen to what anybody says, and he trusted me to lead the team and that only made me play that much better. I told him that I hadn’t been pushed like that in a very long time and I really appreciated that from him. Well, this is my first time playing with most of these players, but I would say Jaro Abrams was the most improved. I think he had a breakout season this year and he made an impact the moment he got here and really was a monster on defense and transition. I think we complimented each other so well and most teams had real problems stopping us together”, stressed Shawn Scott.

The Oklahoma native who lists his 47 point triple double explosion against Grevenbroich as his best game of the season proved again in the Regionalliga that he was a man among boys in the scoring and filling the stat sheet area averaging 30/9/6/2 and was rather content with his play. “Although I would have loved to finish with another championship, I think I had one of the best seasons of my career and I showed how consistent, efficient, and dominate I can be on a nightly basis. On top of that just being able to win. I think it’s not easy to come to a new team and make it to the finals and I believe that speaks to the type of player I am”, said Shawn Scott. When looking at his stats to his play with BG TVO / Jahn last season, the stats are fairly similar, but he still feels like he grew as a player this season. “I think where the most my game grew this season was developing the confidence to shoot the outside three comfortably. I feel I was capable of putting up these numbers last season and I showed that with my abilities halfway through the season with TVO Biggesee but still in this time and my time with Berlin I had zero confidence to shoot the three ball and I feel like my confidence has came back and will only make me a more dangerous player”, warned Shawn Scott. He also knows what part of his game still needs to be tweaked so he can make another step as a player. “I’m still not satisfied with my three pointer until I get it right and make it impossible for teams to stop me. But I want to look at the positive side and the already improvement. If you add the three-point percentage from Berlin that last season, I shot close to 20%, so this season to shoot 10% more it’s already a plus. And If you look from the start of the playoffs to the end of the playoffs, I shot I believe 40% from three. In the biggest moments, I proved that I can shoot the three and all I needed was the confidence. I’m excited for the off-season and will continue to work on it but also happy with how I’ve improved”, stated Shawn Scott. Being that versatile player is always key for a player getting the best opportunities overseas and he knows that continuing to be that lock down defender will give him the best chances for job opportunities. “Defense has been my thing since I was 12 years old. When I couldn’t dribble the ball or shoot or make layups, I always knew how to play defense. Even in high school the only way I got quality minutes was because of my defense and nothing else. It will always be a big part of my game because I take pride in it and it’s fun for me to stop the best players and not let anybody score on me”, warned Shawn Scott.

The off season has already began for many guys, but for him at the moment, it is still a bit to early to start getting in grind mode and being in the lab 24/7. He needs some time to let his body recover from the long season. But he already has a plan set up for this summer when concerning what areas of his game he will work diligently on on improving. “I will be working tirelessly on my three-point shot and not just catch and shoot but moving threes and off the dribble as well. One area I do want to develop for next season is a floater because I feel it will help tremendously when driving to the paint and not having to use so much contact and force under the basket”, added Shawn Scott. But he won´t only be in the gym, but already has other plans with how he will be spending his precious summer time. “I will be playing a little bit of street ball for my first ever so excited for that and will be just in the gym and lifting like normal. I’ll go back to the states sometime in June so I’ll be in Germany until then. I already got some places I want to visit before I go so looking forward to that”, expressed Shawn Scott. The ex Southwestern Christian University (NAIA) guard just completed his third professional season and he is 28 years old and slowly coming into his prime. His heart is in Germany. He is a veteran like 1000´s of other Americans with a chip on his shoulder. He has 2 years of grueling Regionalliga seasons behind him and now finally deserves a chance in the Pro B or Pro A. Let´s go German basketball GM´s. This dude can ball at these levels. Give him a chance, because you won´t regret it.

A few minutes had passed since the buzzer had sounded crowning the Dragons Rohndorf Pro B winners in the 2023-2024 season and there was absolute bedlam on the court between players, management, organization and fans of the Dragons Rhondorf in Cologne. You could see enormous joy in the faces of everyone involved. Now was the time to grab those special moments with the camera. Unfortunately sometimes that perfect picture for the scrap book just doesn’t want to be. I witnessed the hug of the season as Kelvin Omojola (183-G-1997, college: Northwest) and his mom shared their own personal moment and it just wasn’t long enough as I tried to weave between some fans and players to grab the moment, but couldn’t. His mother had flown in from Los Angeles to watch his son win his first chip ever in his life. You win some and you lose some, but on this day, there were definitely enough other long lasting pictures taken for everyone involved to be able to cherish this moment forever. It was a very special season for the Dragons Rhondorf after being stuck in the Regionalliga and Pro B the last 8 years, they finally won a Pro B title again. It was a magical season where the club came together during the crunch-time part of the season mastering do or die games and all throughout the season, the teams was always intrigued to get better which was a big part of the success of the club.

The Dragons Rhondorf didn’t waste anytime last summer building a very potent club and bringing in young and ambitious head coach Stephan Dohrn to help guide the special pieces. It became clear rapidly that the Dragons Rhondorf would have a team that would play near the top of the Pro B standings. The Dragons Rhondorf had 6 ex Pro A players with Blunt, Buck, Omojola, Pilipovic, Gille and Silic as well as 2 very talented youngsters with Muller and Rosic. The club demonstrated the whole season that they had scoring etched in their veins as they averaged 90 points per game. They scored 90 points or more 16 times and 100 points or more 9 times. They weren’t the best defensive team allowing 82 points per game, but they were willing to work hard every day and performed at their best when they needed it most especially in the do or die game against Berlin allowing 57 points and 68 points in the last game against the RheinStars. Head coach Stephan Dohrn never stopped drilling his team daily about the importance of being a good defensive team. Sometimes the effort can take you farther than having the defensive skills. They began the season off well winning 10 of their first 11 games and of course had their ups and downs in the season, but they were never a team that didn’t show up to play. They saved their best for last posting a 8-3 record in the playoffs and sweeping top pro B team RheinStars in the finals. They were an unselfish team that really played for each other and just had a bunch of guys that enjoyed each other on and off the court and that usually is the best recipe for success on the court.

Every player was a winner in their own right. Captain Kelvin Omojola averaged 12/3/6 stats and was the definition of a real floor general that held the team together at all times. His big three’s in the game 2 of the final were massive. Team MVP Tyreese Blunt who averaged 15/3/3 should be a BBL player, but instead played for the team and just carried his team with his crazy energy and motor and just hit big shots time in and time out. Badu Buck who averaged 10/3/3 came from a Pro A team and was a true team player who put his ego aside and played for the team. He was always steady and was so team orientated that everybody respected him. The double double monster Avery Sullivan averaged 13/9 stats and was the consistent force under the hoop. He added a three pointer that made him even more dangerous and his forceful defense made him a big luxury to have on the defensive end. Ferenc Gille came late to the team averaging 10/7 and gave the inside game stability and an extra push. He developed a jumper something he couldn’t showcase in the Pro A. Antonio Pilipovic averaged 10/3/3 stats and was the sniper in the team. He literally saved his best for last hitting 13 three’s in his last 2 games against his former team RheinStars. German Janne Muller averaged 8/2/1 and made big strides as his self-confidence at age 17 is at a level seldom seen. He sparkled with his energy and mid range game and just finding solutions so well for his age. Marko Rosic was a true floor general who also made big strides. His quickness and incredible court vision always gave the second unit the needed push to keep the momentum of the first team going strong. His efficiency was also at a high level in the Pro B. Matej Silic averaged 5/2 and seemed to fall out of the rotation in the last 2 playoffs series, but he always gave 180% and was a valuable defender on bigger players and had his moments as a scorer against Frankfurt and Schwenningen. Leon Bulic averaged 9/6 and missed the last few months, but he was also a steady contributer. His inside out game always gave the big man rotation stability. Jekabs Beck averaged 2/2 and seemed to get lost a bit in the big man rotation, but when he came off the bench, he added the needed physicality and got key rebound. Mamadou Diallo averaged 2/1 and didn’t see much action, but showed his scoring ability netting 17 points against Ehingen. He also demonstrated that he could make an impact on the defensive end. All in all, it was an incredible season for the Dragons Rhondorf. The club had a new head coach and most guys were new. To be able to form a good team chemistry and come together so well so quickly and play consistent for the most part isn’t always self-evident. The Dragons Rhondorf organization deserve a lot of credit coming back into the winners circle after many years of underperforming and having unworthy seasons against what was usually expected from them. It was a lot of fun to observe the team from day 1 until the end. The question will be what will the future hold for the Dragons Rhondorf? They most likely won’t play Pro A as in order to be competitive, you need certain standards that aren’t present at the moment. But I’m know the Pro A is a goal. Until then it is always a delight to watch basketball in the Dragon Dome. The passion for winning will always be there.

KJ Sherrill (203-F/C-1991, college: Augusta) is a 32 year old 203cm forward that enjoyed a 8 year pro playing career overseas. He played with the Bona Baskets Limburg, the SG Luetzel-Post Koblenz (Germany-Regionalliga), Dragons Rhondorf, Telekom Baskets Bonn 2 team, Herten and the Cuxhaven BasCats (Germany-ProA). He played college ball at Charlotte (NCAA) from 2009-2012 playing 75 NCAA games and also played a season at Augusta University (NCAA2). He just completed his first season as an assistant coach with the Dragons Rhondorf helping win the Pro B title. He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball.

Congrats KJ on winning the 2024 Pro B title. How were the hours after the title? Did the team celebrate together or did the players go their separate ways?

We all celebrated after the win in the gym taking pics with fans. We celebrated the whole night. We had a team dinner back in Bad Honnef. Today we have a barbeque at 3,30 and then an official meeting at town hall at 6,00pm.

It was the first in your coaching season. I guess a better start into your coaching career couldn´t have happened?

The season couldn´t have gone any better for me as a rookie coach. When I took the job last June, I never thought then that we could have gone so far. But as the team was built and the season went on, we felt like we could go far.

The goal was clear at the start that the Dragons Rhondorf wanted to win the title. The club had ups and downs like any other successful team, but what made this group of individuals so special?

Actually it wasn´t our main topic to have to move up. We felt that it was important to go game by game. We knew that we had a strong team, but also knew that we had to work hard every day. The great thing was that every player was intrigued to get better each day. That showed on the court.

The Dragons Rhondorf allowed a 9-0 run to end game 1 in Rhondorf to win only by 2 points. How much of this was a blessing in disguise for the team mentality going into the final game in Cologne?

Both teams were strong in game 1. We had the lead, but got a bit careless at the end. We threw the ball away too much. We didn´t close out the game. That game was a wake up call for us. We knew how big the last game was and wanted to give all we had. I have to give our fans a lot of credit. The game in Cologne felt like a home game. Half the gym was filled with our fans.

Another blessing in disguise was Antonio Pilipovic who wanted to show his ex team RheinStars that he is an incredible player. Was his focus at another level during the weekend? How sure were you that he could heighten the Friday game on Sunday?

Antonio was definitely on a mission. He took the 2 games against his former team personally and was very sentimental. He was locked in since Friday. He is one of our best shooters and we always encourage him to shoot when he is open. He took the shots with so much confidence. I was really excited for him to have that outbreak against his former team.

Going into the Sunday game, I wasn´t sure the Dragons could eclipse it´s 15 three´s from Friday. It hit I believe a season 20 three´s. What exactly did the team do together on Saturday during shooting practice?

All on team can shoot and we give every player the confidence to shoot. We actually wanted to take it easy Saturday with a little video, but the guys arrived with their sneakers and practice jerseys. They were highly motivated to get up extra shots. They all felt comfortable and that attitude carried over into the game. The guys wanted to win.

The team also played it´s best defense of the season when it counted the most on Sunday in Cologne. Kelvin Omojola told me after the game that the team didn´t really make any adjustments. Did the intensity and passion to defend conquer all?

I feel like we played a good solid defensive game on Friday. We really didn´t make any adjustments going into the Sunday game. We wanted to play with a bit more intensity and just finish the game strong. We wanted to level up defensively and just stick to our priniciples that we had from day 1. I feel like if we would have switched up tactics too much, then it would have been too much for them. We did a good job matching their physicality.

How vital was head coach Stephan Dohrn for the success? Was his motivation and in game coaching that helped you guys the most this season?

He has real structure of detail on defense. He wanted to be polished on the defensive end and we worked every day very hard on it. We worked more on defense than offense, because we know we could score. The guys worked hard all season long in practice and did the best that they could in days. He had a real knack of being able to get the guys going.

The whole Dragons Rhondorf team were part of the success, but talk about the motor of Tyreese Blunt. Where would the club have been without his focus and will to always win and play his best and to be able to hit big shot time in and time out?

Tyreese is a BBL player for sure. He didn´t get the chance with the Telekom Baskets Bonn, but we knew he was a hell of a player. We relied on his great energy and everyone fed off it. He made big shots, steals, and dunks. It was a real pleasure watching him play.

Badu Buck was also a very important player in the season. He may have gotten a little lost in the shadow of Tyreese Blunt. Now looking back what did you appreciate the most about his game?

Badu was the most veteran on the team. He really knows the game and is really patient. He is a real floor general that reads the defense and gets everyone going. He is so team orientated and everyone looks up too him. Sometimes he is too unselfish. He came down from Pro A and never showed any kind of ego thinking he was better than the rest. He was team orientated from day 1. It was a prefect move for him to come here. He fit in well and he was happy to be here and it showed.

Avery Sullivan was a little quiet in the final game in Cologne, but had a great season. How much did he improve? He developed a three pointer and stepped up on defense.

I feel that Avery was one of the best signings of the season. He was so versatile and so strong on defense that he could guard 1-5. He has some quiet nights offensively, but was always a presence on the defensive end.

Janne Muller had an exceptional season. A 17 year old that played many years past his real age. His self-confidence and drive is unnormal for his age. What did you enjoy most about his game?

Janne will definitely become of the best German players at his age. What he can do at his age is amazing. He shocked us how efficient he can be for his age. He is one of the most skilled players on the team. He is like a sponge. You teach him something and he right away absorbs it and uses it in a game. He will be a BBL player. I was so excited to watch how experienced he was for his age.

Another player I like is Marko Rosic, a player that was as efficient as possible whenever he came off the bench. How did you see his game grow as well?

Marko is young, but already very polished. He is one of the best floor generals despite his size. He got our offense going doing a good job with tempo and made the right passes. I think that the older he gest the better he will get. I look forward to continue to watch him grow. It was so important for him to experience winning a title at such a young age.

Who was the most improved player on the Dragons Rhondorf this season?

All have improved, but if I had to pick one then I would say Ferenc Gille. He didn´t get an opportunity in the Pro A. I thought that he could only operate inside, but he developed a nice jumper here something he didn´t have before. We gave him the green light to shoot and he gained a lot of extra confidence doing that.

You were an assistant coach for the first time in your career. How did you experience the season. What did you cherish most about it?

I feel like that it was great for me helping build a team bond and being able to have a voice. I got a lot of responsibility and had talks every day with coach Stephan. I really respect the trust that he gave me. I never would have thought that I could get so much responsibility in my first season. He involved me in all duties. I really cherished that everyone listened to me and respected my voice.

How did you see yourself grow as a coach? Talk about your individual work with players and helping on the bench during games?

I learned along the way this season. I worked with different players and had different drills. On the bench, I took care of the substitutions and coach listened to my suggestions. Once again I really appreciate being able to have so much responsibility. I can imagine that they could of hired many other guys as an assistant coach that had more experience than I.

Did you develop a special bond with a player throughout the season that you will never forget?

I had a strong bond with all guys. We would go to the city and eat ice cream or go to Badu Bucks house and play Super Mario Kart. But I think my strongest bond was with Avery Sullivan who like me is a big man. He lived a few minutes away from me and we spent the most time together. I just tried giving him as much advice as possible.

What is the next step for you? I can imagine that you will remain with the Dragons Rhondorf?

I will stay with the Dragons Rhondorf as long as they want me. I have found a home here and feel safe and secure. I know that this is the right step for me.

It seems like Luka Doncic is for real. Can he win it all for Dallas over Boston?

I think that Dallas has the 2 best guards in the league and with their experience and skill level have a very good chance to go all the way. In my opinion the best players deserve to win the title.

Thanks KJ for the chat

The Dragons Rhondorf came to Cologne knowing that they could have had the 11 point difference instead of 2 point difference, but the Dragons Rhondorf had to make the best of it as they had to take care of business on the road in Cologne against the RheinStars to win the Pro B crown and not allow Cologne to win by 3 or more points. In Rhondorf, fans saw a real Turnover fest as 43 were produced in total. The Dragons are always lethal when their three pointer is falling as they connected for 15 as Antonio Pillipovic dropped 5 in total. In the return game in Cologne, the Dragons Rhondorf had to be smarter on the boards and try to find a way to limit the Rheinstars inside out game as Bryan Battle connected for 25 points and Bjoern Rohwer exploded for 34 points. On a mild Sunday afternoon, the 2024 pro B crown was decided in Cologne as the Dragons Rhondorf supplied a lot of splash like the Golden State Warriors duo of Curry and Thompson have done for years netting 20 three´s and beating the RheinStars Cologne 83-68 to win the Pro B crown. Dragons captain Kelvin Omojola was ecstatic after the win like a little kid is when he gets to have Lebron James over for his birthday party because it was his first pro title. “This wasn´t just my first pro title but first title at any level. I´m speechless. I really contributed this season and it just feels amazing. It was also great that my mom could see it who flew all the way here from Los Angeles”, stressed Dragons Rhondorf guard Kelvin Omojola. The Dragons topped their game from Friday with 20 three´s and just wanted the win badly. “We wanted to win 1000%. We hated how we ended game 1. We were super motivated. Even if they began well, we never felt like we could lose this game. We hit a lot of three´s and we were all feeling it. That began yesterday where we got off many shots in practice. That translated over to today. We also saved our best defense to the end. To keep a high scoring team like them to 68 points is amazing”, said Kelvin Omojola. The RheinStars Cologne gave a good shot, but had no answer to slow down the Dragons rain fall. “They hit a lot of three´s and way too many to have to give up. It was tough to come back. We gave all we had this whole season. I appreciate everyone on the team”, stressed RheinStars Cologne guard Bryan Battle.

Antonio Pilipovic from outside

The RheinStars Cologne jumped all over the Dragons Rhondorf in the first quarter netting 29 points and led by 14 points after 10 minutes. Cologne hit 2 three´s in a row by Germans Ruppert Hennen and Tim Lang. Rhondorf got their first field goal at the 7,24 minute mark by ex Paderborn guard Badu Buck as Cologne led 6-2. The RheinStars continued to showcase pretty inside out basketball and also received 2 lay in´s by Lithuanian big man Grantas Vasilauskas as they were very physical while Rhondorf couldn´t get inside and had to opt for the 3 ball getting 2 by Antonio Pilipovic (200-PF-1997) who was playing his ex team to trail 13-9. The RheinStars continued to execute very well getting easy baskets inside by German Robin Straub who connected twice and 2 baskets by American Bryan Battle as the Dragons trailed 22-12. The RheinStars bench gave much spark to the scoring and rebounding department. Cologne also did a good job with the mismatches and continued to get easy baskets as ex Jena center Bjoern Rohwer scored as did Straub. Ex Telekom Baskets Bonn guard Andrej Mangold added a trey for good measure as the RheinStars led comfortably 29-15. Cologne shot 60% from the field and 44% from outside and had 12 rebounds and 1 turnover while the Dragons Rhondorf shot 33% from the field and 30% from outside and had 8 rebounds and 4 turnovers. “We weren´t nervous, but just didn´t play with a sense of urgency. They were very quick and we were always a step behind”, stressed Kelvin Omojola.

Bjoern Rohwer with the basket inside

In the second quarter the Dragons Rhondorf finally totally broke out of their shell exploding for 6 three´s and coming together on defense to allow only 12 points and have the contest deadlocked at 41-41 at half-time. The Dragons Rhondorf began with a lethal 13-0 run to trail only 29-28. In the run the Dragons got 2 three´s by Omojola, 5 points from ex Bamberg guard Tyreese Blunt and a lay in by Buck. On the defensive end the Dragons got 9 stops playing aggressive defense with good help side, but the RheinStars also had some misfortune as Rohwer missed to give me lay in´s. Cologne got to the free throw line twice and didn´t get their first field goal until the 2,34 minute mark as Steffen Haufs made a lay in for the 34-32 advantage. Cologne had some energy at this point staying aggressive as Rohwer made 4 points at the free throw line for the 38-32 lead. However the Dragons Rhondorf still had some offensive fire power in their tank as they closed out the second quarter with a brutal 9-3 run to tie the game at 41-41. Battle made a three pointer while Blunt connected twice and Pilipovic also scored. “We didn´t really make any defensive adjustments. We were just really locked in. Coach told us to just stick to our principles. We closed down the zone and were just totally clicking as a unit”, added Kelvin Omojola. “Shots began to fall for the Dragons and their confidence rose. They fed off their three´s”, stated ex St John´s forward Ron Mvouica. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 42% from the field and 395 from the three point line and had 19 rebounds and 6 turnovers while the RheinStars Cologne shot 39% from the field and 29% from the three point line and had 23 rebounds and 3 turnovers.

Janne Muller

The third quarter remained a tight battle as the scoring took a break as nerves may have played a role, but after 30 minutes the RheinStars Cologne had the slight 2 point lead. Antonio Pilipovic began the third quarter off with a bang hitting consecutive three´s for the 47-41 Rhondorf lead. Rohwer followed with a lay in and ex Trier guard Ruppert Hennen followed with a floater as Cologne stayed close trailing 48-45. Then came a little lull in the game as both teams had difficulty executing. Ex Tuebingen center Jekabs Beck followed with free throws for the 50-45 Rhondorf advantage. The RhienStars then came back with a 6-1 run as Vasilauskas scored twice and Battle made a hard 2 handed dunk of transition. “Battle is a great player that is so quick. We did a better job slowing him down in comparison to Friday´s game”, commented Kelvin Omojola. Battle added another bucket in the last minute on transition, but it was Pilipovic who added another clutch trey at the buzzer as the Dragons trailed 56-54. “We had that no quit mentality. We always felt like we could come back. But they just continued hitting crazy shot after crazy shot”, said Bryan Battle. “We put our foot off the gas pedal. They made us pay for it. They were aggressive and got to the free throw line. I was never worried, because we knew they would have their runs”, expressed Kelvin Omojola. The RheinStars shot 36% from the field and 22% from the parking lot and had 37 rebounds and 4 turnovers while the Dragons Rhondorf shot 39% from the field and 39% from the parking lot and had 30 rebounds and 11 turnovers.

Bryan Battle at the FT line

In the fourth quarter the Dragons Rhondorf were fed up with the close affair and decided to slam the door on the RheinStars cologne going on a nasty 17-0 run to lead 71-60 and made the ASV gym very quiet. In the run the Dragons Rhondorf relied on their three ball as Omojola added 11 points on 3 three´s while Buck and Pilipovic also connected from the parking lot. After a Straub tip in, the rain fall of three´s by the Dragons continued as Buck and Blunt added 2 three´s for the 77-62 advantage. The Dragons Rhondorf were hitting three´s as if they were a mini Golden State Warriors. Rhondorf had taken care of business and now had to only close out the game in style. Cologne then did respond with a swift 6-0 run as Battle scored twice including releasing all of his frustration on a thunderous one hand dunk from the wing to trail only 77-68, but that was the last scoring that they would do. The Dragons Rhondorf closed out the game and title with a 6-0 run as Texas native Avery Sullivan made a tip in and Tyreese Blunt ended the game with a massive three pointer. “We took Antonio Pilipovic´s lead today. After it was like an Avalanche. He wanted to do so well against his old team. I was so happy for his success”, said Kelvin Omojola. “They continued to hit three´s and we couldn´t stop it. They had way too many open looks”, said Bryan Battle. The Dragons Rhondorf were led by Antonio Pilipovic with 24 points. Kelvin Omojola added 20 points while Tyreese Blunt added 18 points while the RheinStars Cologne were led by Bryan Battle with 17 points and Grantas Vasilauskas chipped in 14 points. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 45% from the field and 45% from outside and had 40 rebounds and 16 turnovers while the RheinStars Cologne shot 36% from the field and 19% from outside and had 44 rebounds and 7 turnovers.

Jeremy Ingram (183-G-1991, college: AAMU) is a191 cm guard that was born in Alabama and has played his entire professional career in Germany for teams like Speyer, Idstein, Bensheim, SG Mannheim, TSV Bargteheide and SG Braunschweig. He began his career with Enterprise State Community College (JUCO) and then finished with Alabama A&M University (NCAA). He spoke to germanhoops.com about the NBA.

Thanks Jeremy for talking togermanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment?

I am currently mainly in Stuttgart but I have been all over Germany doing camps and doing individual basketball training everywhere.

I heard that you suffered a tough off season injury. Could you talk a little about what happened?

Well I suffered an achilles injury playing pickup basketball. I jumped for a high rebound then landed on someone coming down and I immediately felt the impact.

This injury could take many months to heal. How tough is this injury in your continued grind to reach the highest level?

I mean any Achilles injury is tough but I´m as tough they come so I have already started dealing with the injury and since its still connected and not all the way torn hopefully the healing process won’t take as long.

Will you be rehabbing in the States? Do you have a specialist or plan how this will work best for your future? I will be rehabbing here in Germany.

I have already been communicating with different professional sports team’s physios in Germany. Getting advice and different workouts to help me recover smooth and quick.

Essen won the Regionalliga with talented guards Bryant Allen and Justin Andrew. I know you have the utmost respect for guys like these since they are in the same boat as you, but how tough has it been the last years not at least getting an opportunity with a top Regionalliga team?

Well I consider my Bargeteheide team as 1 of the top teams that season but we just had so many injuries that made us come up a little short. As for this past season I´m just blessed to play basketball and get paid doing it because a lot of people didn’t even have that opportunity!

Let´s talk NBA. I know you follow it diligently, but seriously how hard would life in Germany be without having the daily NBA talk?

Having my NBA talks help connect and engage with friends back in the states. Gives me a little piece of home. And I´m always curious to see other people’s aspects on different NBA topics.

Did you go into the 2024 playoffs having a feeling that Denver may not repeat? Did Minnesota overperform in this exciting 7 game series?

I thought Denver would repeat this season to be honest but Michael Porter and Murray just simply didn’t play well enough this series! And Minnesota has so many options and different ways to beat you and their defense was 1 of the best playoff defenses I have seen in recent years.

Let´s look at the 2 semi-finals. Boston leads Indiana 1-0. What player battle are you looking forward to most?

I actually will enjoy the TJ McConnell and the Payton Pritchard matchup ! Those 2 little guys really get after it so it should be fun.

The Boston Celtics are the favorite. Do the Indiana Pacers have any chance in this even if they played Boston tough in game 1?

The Pacers maybe will squeeze off 1 game at home but I think it´s pretty much no chance for them to win this series.

The starting 5 is pretty tough and better than Indiana´s. Will Tyrese Haliburton have to exceed his normal play for the Pacers to have a chance?

Unless he goes back to the Tyrese from the beginning of the season they won’t have a chance and I don’t see him playing as well as he did to start the season.

The other semi-finals has Dallas against the Timberwolves and the mavericks already won game 1 108-105. Is this a series that could go 7 games? What do you expect from this series?

I don’t know what to expect in this series to be honest but I think the Mavs have Luka and Kyrie who both has deep playoff experience and that will play a big role like it did in the 1st game.

What match up are you looking forward to most? Doncic-Edwards or Irving-Conley?

Doncic- Edwards is what everyone wants to see in think. It´s time to establish who’s the better young phenom and I don’t think Ant-Man will outperform Luka.

Is this a series that could really heave Dereck Lively into another level in his battles in the post against the veterans Gobert and Towns?

Lively is young but full of energy. I think he will do his part because Luka and Kyrie always put him in good positions to score. He didn’t do as well when the Timberwolves dropped back into the drop coverage so we will see how they adjust to that.

I had a few ballers predicting Minnesota to win it all. But seriously will anyone stand in Boston´s way?

I will say this, I just can’t trust Boston to get the job done. Every year they are good but it´s something about them that tells me they just not a championship team yet especially after watching Game 1 against the Pacers so we will see. I do think whoever comes out the West will win the Ship!

Thanks Jeremy for the chat.

Even if the Fraport Skyliners were facing a do or die situation in their own living room, one has to be clear that they were lucky that they were still in the semi-finals series against ex BBL team Gladiatiors Trier. The Gladiators had controlled the first 3 games and Frankfurt had been fortunate to come off with a win in game 1 with a three point come back. However when the three doesn´t fall, then the Fraport Skyliners have extreme difficulty to win. Matching Trier´s physicality and limiting their shifty and crafty guards also hasn´t been an easy thing to tackle. The Fraport Skyliners had 2 games left within 48 hours that they had to win if they wanted to fulfill their season goal of returning back to the easyCredit BBL, but no mater in their living room or not, they had to finally find more in game consistency something that they couldn´t master this season for longer lengths. But as usual the Fraport Skyliners put themselves in a hole in game 4 and had to play catch up basketball in the fourth quarter only to be saved once again with a last second shot like in game one this time by Aiden Warnholtz (188-G-2000, college: Carleton) propelling the Fraport Skyliners to 74-73 win over the Gladiators Trier. Frankfurt showed again that they have that we believe feeling in crunch-time. “Trier is a really good team. We play hard defense for 40 minutes and try to force them to tough shots. We just know that no matter what if we play tough defense we can come back. Hustle plays, rebounds and big defensive plays at the end got us the win”, stated Fraport Skyliner Aiden Warnholtz. The Gladiators Trier played another very convincing game where they were in control, but once again gave up a big lead to lose at the end. “This whole series has been very exciting with 2 teams going at it. We were up 10 points in 2 games and lost at the end. We just have to keep our defensive identity and play good defense and execute on offense”, stressed Gladiator Trier guard Clayton Guillozet. Ex Fraport Skyliner Garai Zeeb was in attendance and was already taking a look at his next opponent as he and PS Karlsruhe await who will be in the final. “Frankfurt usually wins when they keep teams to under 80 points. Trier did a good job controlling the game, but like in game 1, Frankfurt came back and forced them to tough shots and hit bigs shots at the end”, stressed PS Karlsruhe guard Garai Zeeb.

Justin Onyejiaka

The Fraport Skyliners had a potent first quarter where they led, but allowed Trier to come back in the last minute with 2 timely shots to lead 22-21. Frankfurt began strong getting their three ball to fall as Canadian David Muenkat connected twice while ex Vechta guard Justin Onyejiaka scored on transition while high energy player JJ Mann scored from outside and Maik Zirbes made a lay in as Frankfurt led 9-5. Frankfurt had a healthy offensive rhythm and continued to execute as Canadian Aiden Warnholtz supplied 5 points as Frankfurt led 14-9. Frankfurt was relying on the bomb, but then began to go into the paint area more as California native Ife Ajayi added 6 points including 4 free throws as Frankfurt led 20-14. It looked like Frankfurt could add their lead into double digits, but Trier showed just how lethal their game can be closing out the first quarter with a 7-2 run. Ex Indiana State guard Jordan Barnes made a runner and buzzer beater shot while Guillozet a trey to trail 22-21 after 10 minutes. The Fraport Skyliners shot 46% from the field and 60% from outside and had 10 rebounds and 3 turnovers while the Gladiators Trier shot 39% from the field and 38% from outside and had 8 rebounds and 2 turnovers. “We came out strong. We played with a lot of energy and just tried to make them work hard for everything”, stressed Aiden Warnholtz.

Jordan Barnes from outside

In the second quarter the Gladiators Trier responded by taking control of the game in the second half of the quarter and taking a 5 point lead into half-time. Frankfurt kept the lead by executing well on offense getting a trey from Florida native Kevin McClain and extreme energy from 2 time NBBL champion Bruno Vrcic who scored twice inside using a mismatch and making a back door lay in to lead 32-27. Trier didn´t have a good offensive rhythm and forced too much. However Trier do have some guys who can take over a game instantly as did 2 time Iranian World Cup Participant Behnam Yakhchali who led his team on a 12-2 run to lead 41-34. In the run, he began making 2 buckets which was followed by 4 points from Guillozet and 4 points from ex Orange Academy forward Moritz Krimmer. Trier developed a nice flow in their offense and were more calm and just found their spots better. The Fraport Skyliners totally got away from their team play and wasted their offense execution with too much 1-1 play against an aggressive trier defense that stopped them time in and time out. “They tried to post up early against us. We stuck to our defensive plan and forced them to play to our hands. They had to make adjustment”, stated Clayton Guillozet. Lorenz Brenneke ended the second quarter with a lay in as Frankfurt trailed 41-36. “The ball did stick at the end. That reminded us that we do play our best basketball when we move the ball well”, stated Aiden Warnholtz. The Gladiators Trier shot 35% from the field and 21% from the three point line and had 20 rebounds and 3 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners shot 36% from the field and 44% from the three point line and had 23 rebounds and 7 turnovers.

Kevin McClain from outside

In the third quarter there was less scoring as both teams were able to generate more defensive stops as the Gladiators Trier still led 55-48 after 30 minutes. Moritz Krimmer and Kevin McClain traded three pointers in the first minutes as Frankfurt trailed 44-39. McClain continued to be an energy spark form the bench adding 5 points including 3 free throws chipping away at the Trier lead trailing 48-44. Trier continued to keep the lead as they seemed to always have a new guy that could step up and now it was Missouri native Jordan Barnes who made 2 difficult step back jumpers one prettier than the other and in best Steph Curry manner for the 53-46 advantage. The Fraport Skyliners continued to have great difficulty moving the ball the way they were used to and continued to be forced to difficult 1-1 situations. Ajayi added 4 points in the last minutes of the third quarter, but couldn´t make any ground as the Gladiators Trier led 55-48. “Barnes really carried us and is our leader. He needs the ball is his hands and has been successful since day 1. The way he has responded to his role and carried us has been very special”, stated Clayton Guillozet. “Barnes is quick and has good handles. He made really tough shots. We have to do a better job as a team on him as well as with our 1-1 defense”, stressed Aiden Warnholtz. The Gladiators Trier shot 35% from the field and 24% from the parking lot and had 27 rebounds and 5 turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners shot 33% from the field and 33% from the parking lot and had 33 rebounds and 12 turnovers.

Behnam Yakhchali

In the fourth quarter the Gladiators Trier were on the verge of making the ultimate punch, but hesitated too long allowing the Fraport Skyliners to make an incredible comeback. Bruno Vrcic began the fourth quarter with a lay in to cut Trier´s lead to 55-50. But that didn´t rattle Trier as they responded with back to back three´s by Krimmer and Guillozet to give Trier the 61-50 advantage. Trier simply had too many weapons and had 4 guys in double figures at that point to Frankfurt having one guy in double figures. Frankfurt got a 25 footer from Ajayi and trey from Muenkat, but Trier responded with Krimmer and Barnes free throws to lead 65-55. Frankfurt had fire in their eyes and still a lot of gas in their gas tank as Muenkat and Vrcic delivered 5 points to trail 65-60. But Trier always had an answer as JJ Mann nailed a crazy step back three pointer for the 68-60 lead. Frankfurt continued to have that we believe spirit as David Muenkat was on since the tip off after missing 2 games due to a suspension scored 5 points and Trier led only 69-65. Trier continued to have the next answer as this time it was time for the next crazy shot from Yakhchali who scored for the 71-65 advantage. Time was running down and Frankfurt knew it and responded with a 6-0 run to tie the game at 71-71. A trey by ex Artland Dragon center Jacob Knauf and a reverse lay up from Warnholtz supplied the damage. But Jordan Barnes seemed to supply the last punch with a tough off balance shot for the 73-71 lead with 12 seconds to play. Skyliners head coach Denis Wucherer took a time out and Frankfurt then responded as Aiden Warnholtz hit the big three for the 74-73 lead with 4 seconds to go. “The shot was similar to the Koblenz game. Coplin drew 2 defenders and got me the ball. The shot felt good when I released it”, smiled Aiden Warnholtz. “I was hoping it would come off the rim so I could get the rebound. But he made a big shot”, said Clayton Giullozet. The Gladiators Trier had 4 seconds remaining for one last shot, but Yakhchali coughed up the ball allowing Frankfurt to live another day. “We have been down 10 late before, but we always have that belief that we can come back no matter what”, stressed Aiden Warnholtz. “We had good looks that didn´t fall while they had good looks that feel. It really doesn´t get any more complicated”, stated Clayton Guillozet. The Fraport Skyliners were led by Ife Ajayi with 14 points. David Muenkat added 13 points while Bruno Vrcic and Aiden Warnholtz added 10 poionts a piece while the Gladiators Trier were led by Jordan Barnes with 19 points while Clayton Guillozet had 14 points. The Fraport Skyliners shot 42% from the field and 42% from outside and had 39 rebounds and 12 turnovers while the Gladiators Trier shot 36% from the field and 31% from outside and had 35 rebounds and 7 turnovers.

Nathan Scott (203-F-1999, college: EMU) is a 203 cm forward from Naperville, Illinois that completed his second professional season and first with Munster averaging 13,2ppg, 7,5rpg, 1,4apg and 1,0spg and shot 41% from outside. Last season he played with theView Copenhagen (Denmark-BasketLigaen) averaging 22.0ppg, 8.4rpg, 4.0apg, 1.4spg, 1.2bpg, 2FGP: 67.9%, 3FGP: 19.2%, FT: 85.2%, and in Dec.’22 moved to Randers Cimbria Basketball (Denmark-BasketLigaen) averaging 6.8ppg, 5.2rpg, FGP: 52.3%, 3PT: 36.4%, FT: 69.7%. He began his basketball career with Neuqua Valley high school. He played at Olney Central College (Juco) averaging 6.9ppg, 4.5rpg, 1.3apg, 1.0bpg, FGP: 48.7%, 3PT: 20.9%, FT: 76.8% and 10.8ppg, 5.7rpg, 1.9apg, 1.3bpg, FGP: 55.7%, 3PT: 38.2%, FT: 76.9%. He then played 2 seasons at Northern Illiknois (NCAA) and finished at Eastern Michigan University (NCAA) averaging 8.0ppg, 5.4rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 59.5%, 3PT: 29.4%, FT: 80.4%. He spoke to germanhoopsom about his season in Germany.

Nathan for talking to germanhoops.com. You got swept by Trier 3-0 in the playoffs to end your season. How did you personally digest this series loss? You didn´t play game 3.

Honestly, the fact that my team made it this far and people had us ranked 16th pre season was a huge accomplishment and triers the #1 seed and a great team so I am not salty about the loss. The reason why I didn’t play game 3 is because I injured my left knee.

A sweep is never easy but Trier was the number one team. I think though that munster can come out of this with their heads hanging high. It seemed like Munster heightened their game each game?

Yeah I agree, the fact that we even played Trier as the number 1 seed in playoffs, our fans and team should be happy because we do not have the budget as other teams in Pro A so you knew how hard we worked.

Trier hit 26 three´s combined in the last 2 games. What do you feel was missing defensively for having been able to contain those shooters better?

We had a good defensive strategy but they were making their shots what can you do about it.

You completed your second pro season. What did you personally learn from this interesting series?

I figured out my worth. The hard work I put out last summer is a big reason why Munster made the playoffs. I also showed people how good of a player I am and the potential I have.

Munster had a great season. The start winning 6 in a row surprised many and winning 4 of the last 5 got you into the playoffs. How do you summarize the Munster season from your perspective?

To be honest, it started off rocky because a lot of the Germans didn’t believe how good we could be because of our budget but once we all came as a team and made a goal to how good and far we wanted to go this season, we made it happen and I’m proud of my guys for that.

What was so special about this team and how much credit does head coach Gotz Rohdewald get for helping get the team to the playoffs?

First things first, Gotz let us be who we wanted to be on and off court. It allowed our team to have great chemistry and great connection because we all became so close throughout the season, he definitely deserves his flowers because he had the same German core, but only 3 new Americans, and we had a better season than they had last season and made playoffs.

What was it like playing with Adam Touray? For many experts, he belongs to the top bigs in the Pro A. How did you experience him best as a big man?

Adam is a high-motor big man that every team would love to have. He’s definitely one of the top bigs in Pro A. I’m going to miss playing with him.

The team couldn´t have gotten as far without Avi Toomer and Hilmar Petersson. What did you appreciate most about his game?

I absolutely agree that we needed both of them, they did the little things to make our team better, and would definitely had game changing moments to help us win.

Is Cosmo Gruehn the perfect teammate? What could you learn from his approach to the game that not many guys have?

Haha no one is perfect, but he was a great teammate. How he managed school and basketball the whole season I give him his props.

Who do you feel was the most improved player on the team?

Definitely Julius (JFerb) whenever he checked in the game he would make a difference or you would know he was on the floor, because of defense or the way he would get a basket right away. He’ll definitely have a bigger role next year.

You averaged 13,2ppg, 7,5rpg, 1,4apg, and 1,0spg and shot 41% from outside. How would you summarize your season?

I believe I had a great season, I helped Münster get to the playoffs and I had such a big impact on the league for being someone no one knew about and being on a team no one respected. Numbers speak for itself, just look at my efficiency rating. And I did all that while winning and not having a pass first guard on my team.

You were the team leader on the team. How do you feel did your game grow this season?

I appreciate that. I definitely grew as a player on the court with confidence and having a bigger role to help my team win.

You had many memorable games like scoring 30 and 27 points in the regular season against Trier and other games. What was your personal favorite game?

My personal favorite game was the 2nd game against Bayreuth hitting the game ahead shot in second overtime definitely sealed the deal we were going to playoffs.

Who was the toughest player that you battled in the pro B this season?

Haha my toughest players Bakary Dibba and Moritz Krimmer. The fact they were in good teams too did really help out either.

What is the next step for you? Could you imagine making the next step in Germany in the pro A or possibly exploring a new country?

Yes, I definitely believe I can play on a playoff caliber team in the BBL and play in higher leagues around Europe. I believe I’m a special player and I just have to prove it each year.

How did you enjoy the country Germany? What site or city did you enjoy most when you visited?

To be honest, I didn’t leave Munster. The only other cities I saw were the opposing players cities

Who will win the NBA East and West and who will be NBA champion?

I don´t know because I’m a pistons a fan.

Will the USA win the Gold with Lebron and Co or will Germany get in the way again?

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Thanks Nathan for the chat