basketball

Being The Go To Guy As A Rookie In Australia Helped Shape Ben Stevens Identity As An Import And Prepped Him For The Pro Grind

pic credit: Angel King Media

Ben Stevens (207-F-1999, college: Laurier) is a 26 year old 207cm forward from Canada that is currently playing with CEBL team Montreal Alliance and recently finished his season with the EPG Guardians Koblenz (PRO A) averaging 5,0ppg and 5,5rpg after starting the season with KK Vardar Skopje (FYR Macedonia-Prva Liga) averaging 11.2ppg, 11.7rpg, 2.2apg, 2FGP: 54.4%, FT: 33.3%,. In the 23-24 season he split time with 3 teams with Serhedci PIK Baku (Azerbaijan-ABL): 13 games: 12.5ppg, Reb-2 (11.7rpg), 1.5apg, FGP: 53.0%, FT: 37.9%, in Mar.’24 moved to BK Nova Hut Ostrava (Czech Republic-NBL): 20 games: 5.4ppg, 4.0rpg, 2FGP: 54.8%, FT: 34.2% and palyed with the Central Coast Crusaders (Australia-NBL One) averaging 16.8ppg, 12.4rpg, 1.5apg, 1.5spg, 1.2bpg, FGP: 56.2%, 3PT: 20.0%, FT: 40.9%. He began his basketball career with the South West Slammers (NBL One) averaging 18.0ppg, 12.4rpg, 1.7apg, 1.4spg, 1.4bpg, FGP: 53.3%, 3PT: 8.3%, FT: 41.3%. He began his basketball career with Halifax, NS / Grammar High School and then played at Laurier University (CIS) from 2017-2023 playing a total of 113 games and as a senior averaged 9.9ppg, 8.9rpg, 1.2apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 52.3%, FT: 44.4%. He spoke to germanhoops.com about his basketball career.

Thanks Ben for talking to germanhoops.com. You began the 24-25 season and played briefly with KK Vardar Skopje (FYR Macedonia-Prva Liga) playing only 6 games averaging 11.2ppg, 11.7rpg, 2.2apg, 2FGP: 54.4%, FT: 33.3%. Why was your stay so short and what positives could you get from those few months?

My contract got bought out to move to Koblenz. But in Skopje, I had a leading role, which really helped me grow my post game.

You got experience playing down under with Central Coast Crusaders (Australia-NBL One, starting five): 11 games: 16.8ppg, 12.4rpg, 1.5apg, 1.5spg, 1.2bpg, FGP: 56.2%, 3PT: 20.0%, FT: 40.9%. What of an experience was that. What was your coolest experience there?

I loved playing for the Central Coast! Great club and group of guys. My favourite experience was off the court! I really enjoyed our end of season celebration. I also learned how to surf over there which was pretty cool.

Last season you split time with Serhedci PIK Baku (Azerbaijan-ABL) averaging 12.5ppg, Reb-2 (11.7rpg), 1.5apg, FGP: 53.0%, FT: 37.9%, in Mar.’24 moved to BK Nova Hut Ostrava (Czech Republic-NBL) averaging 5.4ppg, 4.0rpg, 2FGP: 54.8%, FT: 34.2%. What do you remember being your wake up call to being in Europe where you knew that you were far away from home?

My wake up call was the first home game at Serhdci when the arena was jam packed and the Azerbaijan Army came to support us! It was such a cool experience.

You finished the season in the Czech Repulic and played playoffs against top team Nymburk. What will you always remember from that series?

That series was tough for us as we were battling a lot of injuries. Nymburk is a great team and we just didn’t have the manpower to compete. It´s always fun to play against the top teams.

How exciting was that incredible 5 games series against Opava where you won game 5 86-85? What will you always remember from that last game?

That series was unreal! playing in front of those huge crowds was great, drums pounding the entire game and just constant cheering. The home gym in Ostrava is always great to play in as the fans are always there to support. The game winning shot from mike was a surreal moment, we couldn’t have asked for a better ending.

You got your first experience down under with the South West Slammers (NBL One) averaging 18.0ppg, 12.4rpg, 1.7apg, 1.4spg, 1.4bpg, FGP: 53.3%, 3PT: 8.3%, FT: 41.3%. You had great stats and totally different than at Laurier. How valuable was this first pro team for your development as a pro?

That was big for me. At Laurier, I wasn’t the go-to guy, but in Australia, I had to be. That role helped shape my identity as an import and prepped me for the pro grind.

You had a 24/21 game down under. Did you feel like Kevin Love?

Absolutely! That was my first-ever 20/20 game and it felt great.

You played at Laurier University (U Sports) from 2017-2023. How do you remember these years? You reached 2 OUA semi finals. Were these years some of the best in your life?

My time at Laurier is something I will remember for the rest of my life. I made friends that I will keep for a lifetime and some of the most fun I’ve had in my life. I honestly learned how to play basketball there, it’s where I became a man.

You played 5 seasons with the great guard Ali Sow who has played in Germany before. What memories will you always have of him? I´m sure he helped you win a few games on his own?

Ali is an amazing player, he was the reason we won most of our games at Laurier!

You had many great games at Laurier. What was your greatest game and experience on the court?

At Laurier my greatest game was in my second year against Ryerson in the OUA semi final. That one will be one of my top basketball experiences, even though we lost the whole school was out for that game and I had a huge dunk!

How did head coach Justin Serresse groom and prepare you best for a professional career?

Coach Justin taught me how to carry myself like a pro, how to prepare, how to work, how to lead. Looking back, I probably should’ve listened even more, because he definitely knew what he was talking about.

Who won a 1-1 in practice you or Majok Deng?

Me all the time haha

Who the toughest player you battled that reached the NBA?

I played against Jamal Murray in a scrimmage a few times, he is at a different level.

Who are your 5 best teammates of all-time?

Chuder Tenny, Kemel Archer, Kareem Elliot, Ali Sow, Adnan Begovic

Please list your personal NBA Mount Rushmore?

Jordan, Giannis, Curry, Lebron, Kobe

Who is your GOAT?

Michael Jordan

Who will reach the 2025 NBA final and win it?

Minnesota Timberwolves

Thanks Ben for the chat.

Ben Stevens Learned How To Deal With The Ups And Downs Of Not Playing Well And Reduced Minutes To Taking On A Bigger Role And Stepping Up

pic credit: Angel Media

Thanks Ben for talking to eurobasket.com. Congrats on the massive 91-73 win over PS Karlsruhe. How good is it to be able to say “The Guardians remain in the Pro A”?

It’s a huge sigh of relief and honestly just an incredible feeling, for us as players, for the fans, and for the whole organization. Staying in the Pro A means everything.

The team was 1-16 after the Trier loss. Was that the absolute down point of the season? Did you ever think that the team could win again?

The Trier loss was rough, but the real low point came after the Dresden game at the start of the new year. We had just brought in two new guys, felt like momentum was shifting, and then took that loss. That’s when the hope really dipped.

Did the team finally feel the sense of urgency to win after the Trier loss?

The urgency really clicked in when we played Jena at home. That’s when things started aligning, Coach Vennilin implemented his system and the pieces began falling into place.

I can say that the EPG Guardians saved their best basketball for the last 2 games where it counted most. Why couldn´t the team play like this more often in the season?

I think we played tight for too long. Once we loosened up, trusted each other, and played freely, everything started clicking. That trust turned into chemistry, and it showed.

What was it like playing against Maurice Pluskota again? Do you feel like the team would have won 2-3 games more had he been on board from the start?

Funny enough, the last game was actually my first time playing against him. He’s a talented player, no doubt. But honestly, I don’t think his staying would’ve changed the outcome of our season.

The Guardians led 55-33 at the break against PS Karlsruhe. The team played no hero ball, but great team basketball. How much fun was seeing and participating in great basketball?

That’s the type of basketball we wanted to play all season. When we shared the ball and everyone got involved, we were at our best. It was pure fun, everyone feeding off each other’s energy.

How confident were going into the third quarter that there wouldn´t be a major let down?

I was feeling good. We knew they wouldn’t roll over, but the vibe in our locker room was strong, we were locked in.

In the second half the EPG Guardians Koblenz managed the lead well. How vital was it having only 7 turnovers? Usually when teams went on runs, it was because the Guardians produced many turnovers?

That was everything. Turnovers had hurt us all season. We knew protecting the ball and getting stops on defense was the key to holding that lead.

How key was William Lee for staying in the league? He began great, then had 4 really poor games and then 4 strong games including 34 points against Bochum

Will was huge for us in those last games. He fought through an ankle issue early on, but when it mattered, he stepped up. His 34-point game against Bochum? Massive.

How was the celebration after the game? Was it calm or a little crazy?

After we won against Bochum we definitely celebrated ! Winning that game meant a lot to us.

It wasn´t a great season for the EPG Guardians. What did you personally learn from the season?

In seasons like this you need to take away the lessons from it. For me personally I learned how to deal with the ups and downs of not playing well and reduced minutes to taking on a bigger role and stepping up when the team needed me.

You played with a great player with Ty Cockfield. How great was getting fed the ball from him? What did you enjoy most about his game?

Ty is a true scorer! He’s a great player and it was a pleasure playing with him.

What was it like being teammates with Dominique Johnson? Did some of his unbelievable energy rub off on you?

Dom was a leader through and through. His experience and voice were key in those final games. He definitely brought the spark.

Talk a little about bigs Moses Poelking and David Bohm. What could you soak up from their games?

Moses has some crafty post work, I definitely stole a few of his moves! David’s got that classic Euro game, and it was fun to watch and play alongside both of them.

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

Dami, no doubt

You averaged 5/5 in 17 minutes. How would summarize how you played with the EPG Guardians? I would say solid for the minutes that you got?

I saw myself as an energizer, coming in grabbing boards, throwing down dunks, giving us a spark. When I got more minutes, I contributed with post-ups and defensive plays. I tried to stay ready whenever my number was called.

How challenging was it getting minutes and being efficient? You played as much as 28 minutes and as little as 6 minutes?

Definitely. Playing 28 minutes one game, then 6 the next, it’s a challenge. But it taught me a lot about staying mentally ready. You never know when you’ll be called upon, and you have to perform even when cold.

After getting new experience in North Macedonia and Germany, how do you feel did your game grow as a player this season overseas?

This season gave me a major confidence boost. I grew in a lot of ways, but the biggest thing was realizing I belong here I can play at this level and contribute.

You had many really good games, but what was your personal best game as a Guardian?

That Jena game in March. Even though we lost, I had a double-double and was really active on defense. You could feel the team coming together under Coach Vennilin.

Who was the toughest big man that you played in the Pro A this season?

The big from Trier Maik Zirbes. I think he’s a EuroLeague vet. You could feel the experience in his game.

Who won a 1-1 in practice you or Moses Poelking?

We had some battles. He got me a few times, I got him a few. Call it even.

Thanks Ben for the chat.

It Is Great To See That One Of The Pro B´s Big Identity Figures With DJ Woodmore Will Be Back With Speyer For A 9th Season

DJ Woodmore (190-SG-1992, college: VWU) is a 33 year old 190cm point guard that completed 10th professional season and 8th with the Ahorn Camp Bis Baskets Speyer averaging 16,8ppg, 4,9rpg, 3,5apg and 1,3spg. Last season with Speyer he averaged 17.9ppg, 5.9rpg, 4.2apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 56.5%, 3PT: 41.5%, FT: 82.9% and 2 seasons ago averaged 16.3ppg, 5.3rpg, 3.1apg, 1.8spg, FGP: 52.0%, 3PT: 36.5%, FT: 86.6%. Three seasons ago he averaged 15.5ppg, 6.3rpg, 3.0apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 55.8%, 3PT: 43.3%, FT: 81.0%. In the 2020-2021 season with the EPG Baskets Koblenz he averaged 13,3ppg, 6,0rpg, 4,3apf and 1,3spg. In 2019-2020 with the Morgenstern BIS Basket Speyer (Germany-ProB) he played 21 games averaging 15.1ppg, 4.4rpg, 2.3apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 60.0%, 3PT-2 (50.0%), FT: 87.3%. In 2018-2019 13.8ppg, 4.5rpg, 2.8apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 60.2%, 3PT: 36.5%, FT: 71.6%. In his first two seasons with Speyer he averaged 14.5ppg, 5.2rpg, 2.3apg, FGP: 44.6%, 3PT: 40.1%, FT: 72.1% and 17.5ppg, 7.0rpg, 3.4apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 47.5%, 3PT: 33.0%, FT: 76.4%. he played at Virginia Wesleyan College (NCAA3): from 2010-2014 and as a senior played 31 games averaging 20.1ppg, 5.9rpg, 2.4apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 50.3% (219/435), 3Pts: 46.0% (91/198), FT: 76.9% (93/121). He spoke to germanhoops.com about his 10th pro season and 8th with Speyer.

Thanks DJ for talking to germanhoops.com. A tough sweep by the Bayer Giants Leverkusen. Despite the sweep how proud are you of your team for reaching the playoffs again and for the first time the second round?

Extremely proud of this team. Bad luck that we ran into arguably the best Pro B team of all time. But I’m glad we were able to make it as far as we did.

Speyer reached the playoffs now for the fourth straight year. Is this a run a good reason for you to come back for a new season to keep this playoff appearance going?

I was going to come back regardless. Speyer is honestly hope now. The playoff streak is a bonus and shows that the organization is steady growing and staying consistent with that growth.

The Bayer Giants Leverkusen were the big favorite going in. What was the series game plan and how much of it could the team do?

There was no game plan to be honest. We knew it was going to be tough. We were down a few key guys. We just wanted to go out there and compete. Try to make it tough for their guards, but Heinzmann put a stop to all of that.

Game 2 was pretty much already decided at the break. Did you just try to have some fun in the last half at home for the fans even if your shot wasn´t falling?

That’s all there was left to do. I had a good time watching some of the younger guys get in the action. Hopefully we gain some experience from it and can get back next year as well.

2 categories that were very apparent in both games was the rebounding advantage and 2% from Leverkusen.Are these 2 things that did in Speyer the most?

Yes basically. Heinzmann didn’t miss many shots. And they’re disciplined on offense. They won’t force anything that isn’t there.

The Bayer Giants Leverkusen are on a mission. They have only lost 1 game this season. Are they one of the best or the best team you ever saw in the Pro B in your career?

Easily the best. They had no holes in the team. 2 good players at every position. Bringing a 7 footer off the bench just shows how stacked they are.

There were 8 sweeps early from north teams over south teams. Is the North that much better?

No.

Another great season from the BIS Baskets Speyer. The fourth year in a row reaching the playoffs. Does the club need 1 more lethal scorer more to be able to make a run in the playoffs?

I don´t think it’s about needing a scorer. I just think we need to find a way to stay healthy going into the post season. Being down 3 key players when it matters most will affect any team. Just look at Iserlohn.

What was so special about this years Speyer team that made it so nice to watch besides the team chemistry?

Just a team that bounced back from adversity time and time again. We lost Carlos and guys stepped up. Lost Latrell and guys stepped up. Guys this season had heart. And I think the experienced guys took a lot in their shoulders and came through.

For guys like Djordevic, Rupp, Diala and Hidalgo, it was the second season in Speyer. It would be so vital for them to remain to keep the great team chemistry intact. Do you see a good chance of that happening?

I see a couple of those guys coming back. But not all of them. I would like to run it back with the same team, but we know that’s not show ports work. I’m curious to see what the roster looks like next season. But I can imagine it looks very different.

How vital was defensive specialist Latrell Grosskopf for the success of the team especially on the defensive end this season?

He was really vital. He had to play out of position this season. And he worked his tail off to be a factor at the center position. Especially towards the end of the season.

Was perhaps Benjamin Hoehmann the most improved player on the squad? He averaged 8/3 after playing 3 years in the 2 Regionalliga?

Benny did a good job for us. Would have liked to see him out there the second half of the season. Injuries really hurt his progress.

How key was new Austrian guard Felix Angerbauer in the second half of the season. He gave the team added scoring and playmaking punch at the guard position.

Felix was great for coming in and giving us exactly what we needed. At times this year our offense struggled. But he helped relieve some of that pressure off myself and keep the defenses honest because of his shooting ability. Great pick up for us and hope to see him again next season.

You had another great personal season of 17/5/3/1 and shot 43% from outside. How content ere you with your season at age 33?

Really content with how things went this year individually. Felt like I took some steps in my game. Hoping keep improving next year as well.

Your stats were similar to last season. Does the game really get easier with more experience?

Honestly it does. I think I’m really good at knowing which shots I can take and make consistently. And I focus on those.

You have shot 40% or better form outside in 4 of the last 6 seasons. Would you call your three pointer your biggest weapon on the court now?

I would actually say the midrange is the biggest weapon. I don’t like shooting the 3 as much as the pull up. But being able to shoot it at a high percentage, makes it easier to get to my spots.

Does your good three point shooting of the last years strive you to want to shoot even better down the road? Would added shooting and less conditioning be the route as you keep getting older?

I think the older you get, the more conditioning you need. Just to stay ready. I’m always going to get enough shooting in.

I can imagine your 40 points against Wurzburg was your most memorable game, but what was your second most memorable?

Honestly the 40 was probably the second most memorable. I think the away game against Iserlohn was my favorite game to play this season. Packed arena, season on the line, buzzer beater to send it to OT. That was easily my favorite.

Your ex teammate Kelvin Omojola surprisingly announced his retirement yesterday. What memories do you have of him?

Kelvin is one of the bets teammates that I ever played with and is still one of my closest friends. The league immediately felt his impact when he arrived. I wish that we would have had the chance to play a few more years together. He was and still is a crazy competitor. I´m sure everyone will feel his impact on whatever his next journey brings.

Who will reach the NBA final and win it all?

OKC should win it all. But I’d like to see someone in the east make some noise

Is Nikola Jokic the MVP or will Shai Gillgeous-Alexander get it?

Shai will get it. But I think Jokic is going to struggle with voters fatigue like LeBron did.

Thanks DJ for the chat.

Kelvin Omojola Was Half Way To Koblenz But Instead Retires For A New No Brainer Opportunity In Las Vegas

Sometimes beautiful things just come to an end. For 2 seasons, Kelvin Omojola (183-G-1997, college: Northwest) was my Quantez Robertson. For 14 seasons, my favorite and most asked interview partner with the Frankfurt Skyliners was Quantez Robertson. I´m the kind of guy that seeks a guy with whom I feel comfortable with and where I know, I will get good answers from for my articles. Quantez Robertson was that guy during his Frankfurt career whom I would pester after almost every game as well as calling him during the season on different occasions to get good basketball answers for my work. In 2023 he retired after 14 seasons and he achieved 68 eurobasket/germanhoops titles from me not to mention countless quotes after games in my articles. Tez and my interview relationship ended, but that fall a new one was invented with Kelvin Omojola and me. We hit it off pretty quickly and I began to interview almost always after every home game. He not only was charismatic and always smiling, but he gave incredible answers that always helped let my articles shine. In his 2 seasons with the Dragons Rhondorf, he made 14 titles for Eurobasket and German Hoops. Unfortunately our interview sessions have come to an end. I was hoping that they would possibly continue in Koblenz, but he was half way to Koblenz when instead he decided to retire for a new no brainer opportunity in Las Vegas. “I 1000% would have went with Coach Stephan & Coach KJ to Koblenz but I was able to earn a Graduate Assistant position at UNLV! A full scholarship to get my Master’s Degree, with employment working with UNLV’s Sport Innovation Institute. It’s an amazing opportunity and even though I had more than a few years left in me, it’s a great transition for my next career after basketball”, stressed Kelvin Omojola. It would have been amazing to see the ex Rhondorf trio of Dohrn, Sherril and Omojola in Koblenz and who knows, they may also have been joined by Badu Buck. “That would have been Amazing Miles. Our championship season was special, we had a great group of guys who were not only high level players, but great characters on and off the court. And if I was going, Badu would have no choice but to come along as well. He knows that!! I love Badu haha, one of my favorite teammates ever”, stated Kelvin Omojola.

After 4 professional seasons, the pro career of Kelvin Omojola who lists Branden Maughmer (He was my matchup and that’s how I determine the toughest player. We played him first round in the playoffs in 2024, and he was cooking! He could shoot, great handle, get to his spots, play defense and get his teammates involved. He didn’t just jack up shots or hold the ball the whole game either, he was playing great basketball) as his toughest Pro B opponent has ended as he will pursue new interesting goals in his home town of Las Vegas. He received only 1 of 2 scholarships for his masters degree at the University Of Nevada Las Vegas. This was something that didn´t suddenly matriculate, but something he had been thinking about for a longer time. “I’m always trying to think ahead and plan my next steps. I’ve been that way for years, I wanted to give myself an opportunity to set my next career up after basketball. I didn’t want to finish playing and not have a plan, so I pursued the route of me going back to school and getting my Master’s. I would have started to get my Master’s Degree regardless this upcoming Fall. So if I was still playing, I would have started my Master’s Degree in Germany. But to get this opportunity, especially at a big school like UNLV, it was an easy decision Miles”, said Kelvin Omojola. He is more than blessed that he can go back to school and be at home. “It doesn’t get any better than that Miles. I haven’t lived in Vegas full time since 2018 so to be back now it’s a blessing. I’ll be doing a little bit of work already starting in June, but the work will officially start in August. I’ll be getting my Master’s in Intercollegiate & Professional Sport Management. I’ve always had a passion for sports and there are so many elements that go into having a successful sports program. I was first exposed to those elements when I was at UNLV for me – As for my role with UNLV’s Sports Innovation Institute, yes it’ll be a Marketing & Operations position”, commented Kelvin Omojola. He is also very fortunate that he will also be involved not only with the UNLV basketball program, but also other teams. “The UNLV’s Sport Innovation Institute works with all of the teams at UNLV & all of the Professional Sports teams here. The Raiders, the Aces, UFC, Golden Knights, you name it. The capacity of the work that it would consist of wouldn’t be coaching however”, added Kelvin Omojola.

The 28 year old guard who played like a mix of Steph Curry and Kyle Lowery and lists the following just off the top of his head as his best teammates of all-time with DJ Woodmore, Ben Shungu, Avery Sullivan, Badu Buck, Lorenzo Cugini, Bazou Kone, Ferenc Gille, Dom Von Waaden, Marko Rosic, Tyreese Blunt, and Darian Cardenas was fortunate to have played all 4 pro seasons in Germany and it was obvious that Deutschland became like a second home for him. “As you know, my mom is from Munich. So being able to be here in Germany for the past 4 years, I felt at home. It was a great 4 years that really flew by. Who knows, maybe in the future I’ll be back here in Germany working as a GM for a club”, smiled Kelvin Omojola. He played his rookie season with the Ahorn Camp BIS Baskets Speyer (Germany-ProB) averaging 15.3ppg, 2.7rpg, 3.3apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 43.4%, 3PT: 37.3%, FT: 71.8%. He will never forget head coach Carl Mbassa who gave him his fist pro job. “I’m beyond thankful for Coach Carl. He’s such a great person and a great coach. He let me grow as a player and didn’t handcuff me at all. He allowed me to play through mistakes and always told me to be aggressive. Whenever I took a bad shot, he never said anything to me. He wanted me to remain confident, aggressive, and that helped me so much as a player from a skill aspect and a mental aspect”, warned Kelvin Omojola. He was also so fortunate to have a veteran like DJ Woodmore showing him the ropes and more. The advice that he got from him was priceless. “DJ Woodmore took me under his wing and I learned so much from him. I really do view him as a brother. He’s a TRUE professional, beyond skilled on the basketball court, and he taught me a lot off the court as well. I’m beyond grateful that he was my vet, he taught me so much and our relationship is still strong to this day. I love DJ and he knows that”, said Kelvin Omojola. He played his first playoff series against Wedel and his future head coach Stephan Dohrn and had to suffer a tough 1 point loss in game 3 to end his season. “We had that series! Coach Stephan knows that too! That series hurt because we knew we could beat Wedel and we should have. Marc Liyanage could only play home games at that point of the season so not having him on the road hurt us a lot. He gave us that veteran presence; With his skill set and basketball IQ, not having him in games 1 & 3 hurt us a lot”, commented Kelvin Omojola. He had his 2 best Pro B scoring games as a rookie against Frankfurt and always enjoyed battling against them. “Frankfurt would always be special. Ofcourse having my best 2 scoring games helps haha, but it was always fun playing Frankfurt. Literally every single game I’ve played against them in my career was a great game that came down to the wire. This season, being able to beat them at their house for the only time in my career was great. It’s tough to play there and they always play well at home”, explained Kelvin Omojola.

In his second pro season, the 3 level scorer moved up a level to the Pro A and laced them up for PS Karlsruhe. He only averaged 3,1ppg in 12 minutes of action. “It was tough Miles, because for the first half of the season, I was averaging over 8 points a game. Which is solid, especially for my first year in ProA. But we weren’t winning games, so when the team brought in Ben from Ludwigsburg, my minutes got cut substantially. Going from playing solid minutes to getting 30 seconds – 4 minutes a game is tough. It also destroys your averages. But, it’s a part of the game and I learned a lot that season. I had great teammates and learned how to compete at a high level, which helped when I went to the Dragons the next season”, stressed Kelvin Omojola. It didn´t help his minutes that he had 3 talented guards also striving for minutes with Ben Shungu, Lovell Cabbil and Bazou Kone as he was the odd man out, but that also had other advantages. “Yes, that was the case Miles. But that backcourt of Ben Shungu, Lovell Cabbil and Bazou Kone was elite. Every day in practice was a BATTLE. I got so much better competing against them, they’re all so skilled and they all had different play styles. Defending Baz would be different than guarding Ben. I had to be locked in every practice, every day. But it was a blessing”, remembered Kelvin Omojola. Despite not playing much that season, he has fond memories and has a favorite game and had a few tough opponents. “When we played Tübingen at home. It was my best game of the year, super efficient game with 12 points and we beat them which was most important. I always say this Miles, it would be Ben Shungu, Lovell Cabbil and Bazou Kone. Defending and competing against those guys challenged me and grew my game. It helped me become a stronger player and develop mental toughness”, explained Kelvin Omojola. That PS Karlsruhe won the pro A title the next season didn´t surprise him at all with head coach Alexsandar Scepanovic. “ He’s a great coach. We went to the semifinals when I was there. So the next year, him winning the championship wasn’t a surprise. His schemes, especially defensively are the best I’ve ever seen”, warned Kelvin Omojola.

He played his last 2 seasons with Pro B team Dragons Rhondorf. I would of guessed that these last 2 seasons there were his 2 favorite, but they weren´t. “ I would say the championship season and my first season with Speyer were my favorite 2 seasons as a professional Miles! The championship year is a no brainer, and my first year with Speyer I was surrounded by GREAT vets and great guys. They made my transition into playing pro basketball effortless and every day was a joy to be there”. Said Kelvin Omojola. In his first season he helped the Dragons Rhondorf win the Pro B title averaging 12.7ppg, 3.1rpg, Assists-2 (6.1apg), 1.6spg, FGP: 49.4%, 3PT: 30.5%, FT: 79.5%. “ We were so talented and our chemistry was unmatched. As talented as we were, we were in multiple situations throughout the playoffs where we easily could have folded and lost. But we stuck together, no matter if we won or lost. And if we lost, we took it personal to make sure we didn’t lose again. We were fixated on winning a championship and knew we wouldn’t be denied. We played so many great teams in the playoffs, we easily could have lost. But we always made the adjustments and brought the correct energy/focus to the next game to make sure we didn’t lose again”, commented Kelvin Omojola. He was more than fortunate to share the back court with Tyrese Blunt and Badu Buck. “We were the best backcourt in the league! Yeah they were great Miles, we all complimented each other’s game perfectly and brought the most out of each other. We all competed at a high level and never took it easy on each other”, said Kelvin Omojola. He had a great relationship with Marko Rosic and and won´t forget the deadly mid range game of 2024 U-18 Euro winner Janne Muller. “I love Marko, he’s such a great guy and a great player. I tried to let him know that anytime I could. My favorite moment with him haha, Marko is a funny guy! Most people don’t know that. I’d say the Mario Kart moments we had. It was Marko, myself, Badu, KJ, and Avery. Those moments were priceless and we still have a group chat going to this day. Janne is another great player. Seriously, he’s so good and the sky is the limit for him. He’ll continue to get better every year and I told him don’t forget about me when he’s at the top haha. But yes his mid range game is elite as well as his finishing around the basket. Such a crafty player and beyond skilled for his age”, added Kelvin Omojola.

It is a no brainer what Kelvin Omojola´s favorite game as a Dragon Rhondorf player was. “My personal favorite would have to be the championship game vs. Köln. It has to be Miles! If we win this game, we win the championship. So with the game being the highest pressure game I’ve ever been a part of, to go out there and have 20 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and to get the win? It’s a no brainer”, said Kelvin Omojola. He also knows that the team success and his stellar play wouldn´t have been as good without the diehard support of the Dragon faithful. “That they showed up and supported us every single game was so important! Not only at home, but on the road as well! It gives you an appreciation when the fans are traveling 3+ hours to road games to support you. It REALLY puts it in perspective when you get blown out on the road, the fans traveled to the game, and it feels like you let them down. I love the Dragons fans and they’ll always be special to me”, warned Kelvin Omojola. 4 years wasn´t a long career, but he will be filled with memories for the rest of his life as will his fans. He hopes that the fans will have him in the best of memories as well. “I would say as someone who played hard and never cheated them. I always tried to show the fans the same love and appreciation that they showed me. I always put in the work, I practiced hard every single practice, I never took days off, I was always invested in the team and wanted to win no matter what. I hope they could see that and remember that”, stressed Kelvin Omojola. I will always remember Kelvin Omojola as a player who always gave his best on the court and was a top 3 point guard in the Pro B. He was always professional and a great character and was just a joy to be around. “Thank you Miles for not everything you’ve done for me, but for the all coverage you provide to Germany basketball! I appreciate you, and I’m glad we could speak at least once more”, stressed Kelvin Omojola. Of course Kelvin we will do another interview about your new career. I wouldn´t want it any other way.

Ike Smith Wants To Be The Best Defender In Every League He Plays In

Ike Smith (193-G-1997, college: Georgia South) is a 27 year old 193cm guard from Gainesville, Florida that completed his fifth professional season and first with Gornik Zamek Ksiaz Walbrzych (Poland-OBL) averaging 12,8ppg, 4,4rpg, 3,2apg and. Last season he played with Elachem Vigevano 1955 (Italy-Serie A2) averaging 15.6ppg, 5.0rpg, 2.9apg, FGP: 50.3%, 3PT: 35.5%, FT: 58.1%. He played with Pyrinto Tampere (Finland-Korisliiga) from 2021-2023 avergaing 21.5ppg), 7.2rpg, 1.8apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 58.1%, 3PT: 22.4%, FT: 73.8% and in his second season avergaed 19.1ppg, 6.7rpg, 3.5apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 52.7%, 3PT: 29.5%, FT: 70.6%. He began his basketball career at / Gainesville High School. And then played at Georgia Southern University (NCAA) from 2015-2020 playing a total of 133 NCAA games. He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball.

Thanks Ike for talking to germanhoops.com. You keep moving up leagues after paying your dues in Finland. How has the grind been for you? What has kept your energy going to keep moving up the basketball ladder?

The grind has been great. I enjoy coming to work everyday and getting better. The goal for me is to play at the highest level in Europe so that’s my motivation on moving up the ladder

You played your fifth pro season and first with Gornik Zamek Ksiaz Walbrzych (Poland-OBL). What kind of an experience has it been? What have you enjoyed most about the experience?

Playing in the OBL has been a learning experience but fun. I struggled earlier on due to some injuries but now I feel like I’m in great rhythm

The club was holding it´s own fighting for the #1 position. What has been the secret to the success?

The secret to success for us has been our work ethic everyday. We get after one another everyday in practice. It’s very competitive

You recently won your first chip with the Polish Cup. What was the finest memory of that run?

The best memory would have to be Toddrick´s game winning shot! Those are the moments you dream about

The team has a lethal trio of Alterique Gilbert, Todderick Gotcher and yourself. What have you appreciated most about their games?

I appreciate the most their intensity. They always get us off to a good start to games with their energy

Last season you played in the Italian Serie 2. This season your playing in another top league in Poland. How would you compare the 2 leagues. Many have said that the Italian league is one of the best 2 leagues in Europe. Which would you say is best in competitiveness and skill level of the players?

I agree that the Italian league is one of the best 2nd leagues in Europe. Both leagues are very physical. I would have to say that the competitiveness and skill level was higher in Italy

Let´s talk about your game. You’re a 193cm guard. If you had to compare your game to a NBA player who would best fit the description?

That’s tough, but I’ve gotten some Demar Derozan comparisons. He uses a lot of different footwork techniques to score at a high level & I do the same.

You’re a player that fill the stat sheet very well. How big is your versatility in your game?

I think my versatility is the best thing about my game. I have the ability to score in many different ways. I could also defend multiple positions

You shot 39% in the NCAA and 35% in Italy. What do you have to still do to reach the 40% plateau?

I believe work ethic & confidence will help me to reach the 40% plateau

How would you describe your defensive game now in your fifth season? To what stage do you still want to reach to make the next level as a defender?

I think I underestimate how great I could be on the defensive end. I have the size, length & strength to be a great defender. I want to be one of the best defenders in every league that I play in

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

Free throws are the weakest part of my game. I leave so many points out there not converting my free throws.

Last season you played with Elachem Vigevano 1955 (Italy-Serie A2) averaging 15.6ppg, 5.0rpg, 2.9apg, FGP: 50.3%, 3PT: 35.5%, FT: 58.1%. It wasn´t a great season, but you were consistent with your play. What did you learn from this season and how did your game grow?

Playing in Vigevano I was one of the primary ball handlers. I learned a lot from playing pick & roll seeing so many different coverages

You played 2 seasons with at Pyrinto Tampere (Finland-Korisliiga)n averaging 21.5ppg, 7.2rpg, 1.8apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 58.1%, 3PT: 22.4%, FT: 73.8% and in your second season averaged 19.1ppg, 6.7rpg, 3.5apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 52.7%, 3PT: 29.5%, FT: 70.6%. How vital were these 2 seasons in your basketball development overseas? How did your game grow?

The 2 seasons in Tampere were important for me. It was an introduction to the European style of basketball

How key was guard David Gonzalvez in your rookie season? Was he like a mentor for you?

David was great. He always filled me with confidence. Everyday we were in the gym playing 1 on 1 just sharpening our game. We also worked on a lot of moves in the post

In your second season you lost a tough playoff series to Kauhajoki? In games 1 and 2 the team allowed 120 points per game. You scored 31 points in game 2. What memories do you have of this series?

Kauhajoki forced us to play a fast paced style of game which fits how I like to play so I just wanted to be very aggressive. I always enjoyed Karhu fans. It gave me an extra boost as well

You were in Germany with the Depant Giessen 46ers Rackelos Second Team (Germany-ProB). You left in December 2020. What do you remember being your wake up call to being a rookie overseas where you knew that you were far away from home?

What I learned from Germany was how important it was to take care of my body. Nutrition, Sleep, & recovery is very important and at the time I didn’t understand that.

You played at Georgia Southern University (NCAA) from 2015-2020 and played 133 games. What memories do you have of these 5 years? How tough was not playing March madness in 2020 because of Covid?

Georgia Southern was the most fun times I could say I had in my basketball career. We had such a family vibe and so much talent on the team. It was tough not being able to play march madness. You grow up watching this tournament all your life and hope to play in it one day. It was unfortunate that it was taken away from us

Early in your freshman year you lost to Duke and played against future NBA guys like Grayson Allen and Brandon Ingram. What memories do you have of that game? Were you able soak up valuable things from a loss like that?

Playing at Duke for me was an eye opener. It just showed me that I wasn’t where I wanted to be and that I needed to improve my game in so many ways

You played 4 years with Tookie Brown? Did you guys become like brothers in that time?

Tookie will always be a lifetime brother. I’ve learned so much from him on the court but just off the court he’s a great human being

How did head coach Mark Byington groom and prepare you best for a professional career?

Coach Byington was great. He pushed us everyday to be better on & off the court.

Who won a 1-1 in practice you or Tookie Brown?

Tookie and I didn’t have many 1 on 2 battles. It would be more team battles. Some days be got the best of my team and some days I got this beat of his team

Who is the toughest player that you ever faced in your career in the NCAA that reached the NBA?

Brandon Ingram

Who are your 5 best teammates of all-time?

Tookie brown Montae Glenn Isaiah Crawley Toddrick Gotcher Alterique Gilbert

Please name your personal NBA Mount Rushmore?

LeBron, Jordan, Kobe, Kareem Abdul Jabbar

Who is your Goat and why?

My goat is LeBron James. His accolades and longevity speaks for itself

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

I saw the sequel to coming to America. I enjoyed the movie but it was nothing compared to the 1st.

Thanks Ike for the chat.

A Crazy Cross Over And An Off Balance Floater Propels Zach Cooks Into The Jena Fans Hearts Forever

pic credit:Christoph Worsch

Giessen had a do or die game in their own living room with a few thousand boisterous Giessen fans doing all they could to keep their season going. It wasn´t loud in the Ost Halle, but bedlam as there were 11,3 seconds to play and game 4 between Giessen and Jena was dead locked at 95-95. The only negative aspect for the Giessen faithful was that Jena had possession and could make history and move back to the easyCredit BBL with a win. You could of given the ball to a handful of players, but none was better than explosive 175cm guard Zach Cooks (175-PG-1999, college: Hofstra) who has been in this kind of a situation his whole career. He has been a walking bucket his whole career and averaged 22,0ppg the last 2 seasons with UBSC Raiffeisen Graz (Austria-BSL) and averaged 18,0ppg in his last 3 seasons with the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NCAA). It was a no brainer for him that he would take the last shot. “I’m very confident in myself and I always want the ball at the end of the games to make the game winning plays. Coach had trust in me to do that and I executed it exactly how he wanted”, stressed Zach Cooks. With the seconds winding down he was near the free throw line and produced a sick cross over went right towards the hoop and took an off balance floater with 2 defenders coming at him and let it bank off the glass and in and the rest is history. “This one felt good. It was a special moment as I made a buzzer beater to move us to BBL. It will go down in history and will be talked about forever. This is what we worked all season for. From the first day of pre season to the all the hard practices and long days in the gym, it all paid off to get us to move up to the BBL”, stated Zach Cooks. “He is a beast and he had a great season and amazing second half for us”, warned Chris Carter. A crazy cross over and off balance floater bank shot propels Zach Cooks into the hearts of Jena fans forever.

pic credit: Christoph Worsch

The 26 year old Georgia native who feels that the Oklahoma City Thunder will win the 2025 NBA title over the Indiana Pacers were down 1-0 against Giessen and having had to face that kind of adversary was a blessing in disguise. “It made us realize it won’t be easy. Giessen is a good team and we stopped playing the 1st game which led to us giving up the lead and losing”, said Zach Cooks. The scoring guard came alive in the last 3 games in the Giessen series averaging an incredible 24,0ppg after only contributing 9 points on 3/7 shooting in the 84-80 game 1 loss. “I had to get out my head and just play my game how I know to play. I was second guessing myself in game 1 but came out game 2 very aggressive playing my game and it led to good success for myself”, commented Zach Cooks. Jena came together as a team in game 2 and shocked Giessen on the road winning by 10 which totally heightened their self-confidence returning back home and destroyed Giessen by 33 points and had total momentum going back to Giessen to win in spectacular fashion with a buzzer beater. “We were able to win the series and reach the final by staying focused, calm, and believing that we can win every game we play”, expressed Zach Cooks. Jena didn´t go into the playoffs with momentum losing 2 of their last 3 regular season games, but the team knew that now was the time to step up and start the post season. “I was 100% confident in my team. We know in the locker room what we have, we just have to all be locked in and show it on the court. We were locked in from game 1. We wanted to make a statement but also prove to ourselves that we can handle business as the #1 seed”, warned Zach Cooks.

pic credit: Christoph Worsch

One guy that may have gotten lost a bit in the shadow of Cooks buzzer beater was ultimate teammate Chris Carter. He is a player that has been a positive disease on clubs like Vechta, Chemnitz, Rostock and now Jena with the incredible skills of being able to lead those teams from the Pro A to the easyCredit BBL. The guy has so much positive energy on and off the court every day and Cooks saw it right from day 1. “I remember my first day in Jena we got in the gym and got some shots up. We talked about the expectations of the season and the past seasons of ours and we clicked right away. I knew he would be my right hand man this season right after that”, added Zach Cooks. Carter does do many things, but it was especially his leadership once again that brought magic to the team. “Chris is special and does a lot of the little things that statistics may not show. He’s a very vocal person and is always positive on & off the court. We follow his lead and he has helps me a lot especially this season”, explained Zach Cooks. You could give Jena´s team middle name character as they had another player by the name of Raymar Morgan who has played at the highest level and is in his 14th season at age 36. He is the ultimate veteran who was very efficient in 13 minutes per game averaging 7,0ppg and 3,0rpg and accepted a lesser role for the good of the team. “Raymar brought the leadership to the team, the voice but also knowledge that he has since he has played for a long time. He’s definitely helped the team in so many different ways”, stressed Zach Cooks. Jena was on top of the standings all season with incredible chemistry and without a doubt, this was the most talented team that Cooks has played on. “Top to bottom we had everything a team needs to be successful. Everybody played their role perfectly and it helped us get to the position we are in today. The team chemistry is easy when we all do things as a team a lot. Off the court activities only helped us on the court and we can pick each other up if one falls”, said Zach Cooks. But the chip isn´t there yet. Granted Jena has moved up to the easyCredit BBL, but still want that chip against Trier. Last season, Cooks lost in the finals in a tough game 3 to Oberwart 81-80 and this time, he wants to make amends. “I wanted it very badly because at the end of the day I am a winner. I hate losing. We will be ready to play both games against Trier. We lost a big lead the first game and were short handed the 2nd game. It will be a good 2 games for both teams with a lot of talent”, warned Zach Cooks. There is serious guard terror within the Trier team as Zach Cooks will have his hands full, but he definitely wants revenge for the 2 loses this season and is on a mission for that first dub.

Ilya Fohl(Alba Berlin) Was The Steph Curry Of Berlin In The JBBL Final As He Was Letting It Rain Three´s From All Over

Ilja Fohl is a 15 year old 185cm small forward that averaged 12/1/1/1 stats in the regular season of the JBBL (U-16) season. He spoke to eurobasket after helping lead Alba Berlin to the 2025 JBBL title.

Congrats I on the big 86-74 JBBL title win over the Baskets Junior Oldenburg. How do you feel?

This so crazy for me. I came from Zehlendorf and have never had that kind of success before like this with Alba Berlin. It is so full filling for me to have won this title. I thank the coaches and my teammates for the great effort.

How big was the revenge factor for Alba Berlin?

It was big. So many people said that we wouldn´t win again, because we had bad opponents. That pushed us so much more to work harder and winning feels so good.

How cool was it having the NBA Wagner brothers cheering on the team in the Alba fan block?

It is a great feeling knowing that NBA superstars gave us support. That shows that Alba Berlin is a family and that they have stayed on the ground.

The first quarter was tight, but in the second quarter Alba Berlin was able to get way a bit. How vital was the superb play of Luca Kappel?

When he is hot and hitting shots, it´s deadly for then opponent. We are similar in a way as players. We both have shown that when you work hard, results will show.

The Alba Berlin defense did a great job slowing down Djordje Klaric and holding him at 15 points. How tough is it to keep him in check?

We is a good three point shooter and we wanted to take that away from him. We did a pretty good job doing that. We wanted him to go more into the zone and tire him out. We made him work hard for every shot.

In the third quarter Alba Berlin got a massive push from big man De Sancho Del Pino Kruse. How vital was his support to once again to be able to get a way a bit from Oldenburg?

He is our only real big and is our X-factor. His energy and strength is so strong. Our coach always told us to look for him. He saved us a lot of times in then final.

Oldenburg kept coming back and fighting the whole game. How much respect did Alba Berlin have for that?

They are a great strong team. If Klaric and Oldiges had scored more, it could have been a tougher game for us. They live off runs and always came back. I think that our depth was key for the win.

How key was the thunderous dunk form Jason Heitmann at the end of the third quarter for Alba Berlin moving forward?

That dunk was so big. There hadn´t been many dunks in the game and his gave us the momentum at that point. The arena went crazy.

Ihla Foehl hit big shot after big shot. Is he the Steph Curry of Berlin?

I was today. There are games where I don’t find my shots. Luca Kappel and I are the splash brothers of Berlin.

Oldenburg kept fighting in the fourth quarter, but Alba Berlin pulled out the win. What was key in crunch-time for getting the win?

I think key was staying calm and playing our game. We hit big shots and made them when we needed to. We didn´t give them a chance to come back.

You are an amazing shooter. Who is your big basketball role model?

My role model is Damian Lillard. He may not be the best shooter, but I chose him because not everyone has him as a role model.

How will you celebrate tonight? I´m sure you have school tomorrow.

I will see if I go to school or not. I won´t go into the club or drink. I will celebrate with my family.

Thanks Ilya for the chat.

Defending So Many Great 1-1 Players Like Fynn Rieck Helped Daniel Gwanihu(ALBA Berlin) Develop Further As A Defender

Daniel Gwanihu is a 16 year old 189cm guard that averaged 13/7/4/3 stats during the regular season of the JBBL (U-16) season. He spoke to germanhoops.com after helping lead Alba Berlin to the 2025 JBBL title.

Congrats Daniel on the big 86-74 JBBL title win over the Baskets Junior Oldenburg. How do you feel?

I feel really good. We had an up and down season. It is great to win the title.

How big was the revenge factor for Alba Berlin?

When we found out that we would play against Oldenburg, we were very motivated. Getting the win was a total team effort.

How cool was it having the NBA Wagner brothers cheering on the team in the Alba fan block?

It was cool seeing ex Alba Berlin players come back and support us. I felt that was very correct. They are big role models for me. I want to follow in their footsteps to the NBA.

The first quarter was tight, but in the second quarter Alba Berlin was able to get way a bit. How vital was the superb play of Luca Kappel?

Luca was so big for us hitting three pointers, but in our team every player is important.

The Alba Berlin defense did a great job slowing down Djordje Klaric and holding him at 15 points. How tough is it to keep him in check?

He is a very good player and it was my job to stop him. He is hard to stop. He is big and strong and good on the pick and role. He is also a very smart player.

In the third quarter Alba Berlin got a massive push from big man De Sancho Del Pino Kruse. How vital was his support to once again to be able to get a way a bit from Oldenburg?

He is another very important player for our success. He found his way into the team really well. I´m really proud of how he played.

Oldenburg kept coming back and fighting the whole game. How much respect did Alba Berlin have for that?

We have a lot of respect for them. Oldenburg is a very good organization that play in the BBL. They have players that are really present on the court and know how to compete.

How key was the thunderous dunk form Jason Heitmann at the end of the third quarter for Alba Berlin moving forward?

That Jason dunk brought hype into the arena. That prepared us for the fourth quarter. That was his best dunk of the season.

Ilya Fohl hit big shot after big shot. Is he the Steph Curry of Berlin?

Yes he is. He is a great shooter. He was also a new player for us. He is a great player and best shooter in Germany

Oldenburg kept fighting in the fourth quarter, but Alba Berlin pulled out the win. What was key in crunch-time for getting the win?

I think that key was our defense. That helped us get on transition and our inside game was also good.

You won 2025 NBBL defender of the year. How did you see your defense grow this season?

I feel like I developed well this season. There are many really good 1-1 players in the JBBL. That helped my defense develop further. I played well against MVP Fynn Rieck.

Who is your favorite defender and who you look up to?

I like to watch Nick Weiler-Babb.

How will you celebrate tonight? I´m sure you have school tomorrow.

I have school tomorrow. I will celebrate with family and friends.

Thanks Daniel for the chat.

My 2025 NBBL/JBBL Day By Day Diary And Highlight Being Ivan Kharchenkov´s Sunday Coming And Conquering In Berlin

My basketball highlight every season continues to be the German U-16 and U-19 youth championships. I have been covering youth basketball now for more than a decade and for me personally it´s exciting to see how young kids develop over a 2-3 year period and see how they turn into men and mature with basketball. It isn´t just the games that are enticing to watch, but there is so much around the tournament that makes the weekend so special. For the second time in a row, the girls´s semi-finals and final was added to the boys U-16 and U-19 semi finals and final games, but for the first time, an extra day was added which was the best decision ever. In the past the boys tournament was on 2 days with 4 semi final games packed into one day Saturday that gave everyone so much more stress. Try doing play by play of 4 games with about 20-30 minutes in between for a break. If your really unlucky, there may be a long line at the rest room and losing those extra minutes can be really annoying especially for the voice. The 2025 RSM Ebner Stoltz Top 4 in Berlin had 2 boys games per day which made it so much easier on every one. My Friday and Saturday work days didn´t officially begin until 17,00 with commentating so I had hours time before to do sight seeing. I could have done more sightseeing, but I also wanted to have the atmosphere of the arena so I was there 2 hours before to prepare and meet people in the basketball world that I don´t usually see too much during the season. As usual the 2025 edition was another incredible experience as everything was organized perfectly and even better was that each game was a great advertisement for youth basketball in Germany.

I made the trip 1 day earlier and arrived in Berlin on Thursday evening via a 5 hour train ride. I had a lot of time on Friday and went on a long walk and noticed that no matter what you do, you can´t hide from the Spree river as it weaves in and out of the city a lot like the Charles river in Boston. After getting some fresh air and exercise, I commenced on a regular occurrence which was going to the arena about 4 kilometers away with the Baskets Juniors Oldenburg for the first JBBL semi-final. This tradition was started last season and both times they won. I was the team´s good luck charm. Head coach Dejan Stojanovski had no problem with my company. There was only one difference to last season in that this season, they had traveled with 3 mini buses as last season they had the easyCredit BBL team bus. I arrived in the arena at 3.00 pm and took in the atmosphere and spoke with people I knew. The game began at 5.00pm and like last year, I commentated the game from an area high up in the stands. It wasn´t the most comfortable seating, but hey what you do for the game of basketball. The Top 4 began with a bang as game 1 had thriller aspects as the Nurnberg Falcons wanted to play spoiler as the massive underdog actually had possession with 20 seconds to play, but couldn´t win. The Baskets Juniors Oldenburg took care of business in overtime winning 101-94. It was an incredible individual performance by Djordje Klaric with 41 points and Nurnbergs Emanuel Soldo with 40 points. It was only the second time in club history that a player from each team had 40 points or more. The first time was in 2023 in the JBBL final was Matthieu Grujcic had 52 points and Ivan Crnjac 41 points. Mati Oldiges had 20 points and Nemanja Prodanic 18 points. The second JBBL game paired Alba Berlin and Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg which was for many the real JBBL final. It was the fourth JBBL appearance for Ludwigsburg head coach Ross game, but Alba Berlin was able to pull away in the fourth quarter. They were fueled by the long ball as Philip Holsten and Luca Kappel hit big shots. It also didn´t hurt as the Alba fans were present all night long and they had famous assistance from NBA brothers Moritz Wagner and Franz Wagner. Alba Berlin captain Jona Drucke had a monster game with 19 points, 7 rebounds and 11 assists. The only negative aspect to the win was losing Philip Holsken who broke his arm. I did play by play with Hanno Stein and German basketball legend Dirk Bauermann. Doing games with Dirk Bauermann is always a highlight. That was a great first day and I was back in the hotel at 10:30 and closed out the night with a margarita pizza.

Dominik Dolic Won 2025 NBBL top 4 MVP

Day 2 on Saturday had the 2 NBBL semi-finals on the bill. Once again I had a lot of time to spare so I went on another long walk and even was rewarded with longer spurts of sun as earlier in the morning there had been showers and it had been unseasonable cool for that time of the year. I got back to the hotel at about 1.30 and then prepared for an hour for my 2 broadcasts that day. Before the 2 NBBL games, there were the girls 2 U-19 semi final games. I watched a little of those games and also mingled with the basketball faces of Germany. The first game of the day was 2023 champion Alba Berlin against powerful ratiopharm Ulm. Both teams like to play fast despite Alba Berlin having 5 players bigger than 204cm. After a good first quarter by Alba Berlin, ratiopharm exploded in the second quarter and led by 16 points at the break. Perhaps the Wagner brothers should have come to root as they were absent. Basketball is a game of runs and it was obvious that Alba Berlin would punch back. Alba Berlin couldn´t get over the hump as ratiopharm Ulm stayed true to their game with great 1-1 play and led 77-62 with 10 minutes to play. Alba Berlin finally punched back in the fourth quarter trailing only 81-76 in crunch-time. Danish forward powered ratiopharm Ulm to the win with 6 points to finish with 24 points as the team shot a great 64% from the 2 point range. Jervis Scheffs showed his 1-1 qualities again leading all scorers with 25 points. The second NBBL semi-final game showcased FC Bayern Munich and Rasta Academy. Munich was hot for revenge after losing to them last season, plus they hadn´t been in a final since 2019. I was hoping to see Ivan Khrachenkov, but he wasn´t there. He actually remained in Munich to play 1,45 minutes in a 18 point blow out over MBC. It is a pity he doesn´t play more minutes consistently in the BBL. Vechta led early, as it took Munich some time to find their rhythm, but when they did they took control of the game and led 42-35 at the break. But Rasta Academy fought back with their fast play and even led 56-52. But Munich fought back and overtime was forced at 60-60. In overtime, Rasta Academy never stopped to fight, but couldn´t totally slow down the guard terror of FC Bayern Munich as Ivan Volf hit the game winner with 11 seconds. FC Bayern Munich simply had more depth and more individual class for 45 minutes. It wasn´t FC Bayern´s best game, but they would save their best for last. I commented both games with Rasta Vechta head coach Christian Held and German U-19 national coach Alan Ibrhimagic

Sunday was final day and on this day, I had not much free time. The first JBBL final began at 10:30, because the Girl´s game was sandwiched in between with the boys final at 4:30. Once again I was able to drive with coach Stojanovski to the arena. I arrived at 9.00 am. Once again I spoke with people and prepared for my last 2 telecasts. The first JBBL final had Alba Berlin facing the Baskets Juniors Oldenburg. Alba Berlin was mega focused for revenge while Oldenburg wanted to win back to back. Alba Berlin wanted to play quick for 40 minutes and overpower Oldenburg while they wanted to slow down the game. The first quarter was tight, but in the second quarter, Alba Berlin was able to get away and would never look back leading 38-30 at the break. Alba Berlin had more weapons and many different guys step up like Luca Kappel or Sancho del Pino or Ilya Fohl who all gave their 2 cents to the success scoring in bunches in quarters 2-4. Oldenburg had 3 main scores with Klaric, Oldiges and Progdanic who combined for 41 points, but it was Klaric who was held to only 15 points. Alba Berlin tired him out being physical and forcing him inside much more instead of letting him shoot the three. The big surprise was Luan Lauer who sparkled with 24 points, but it wasn´t enough as Alba Berlin controlled the game until the end. The team won it for Philip Holsken. Daniel Gwaniho ripped off the roof with a massive dunk. Ilya Fohl led Alba Berlin with 14 points and Jona Drucke was named MVP. I witnessed head coach Norbert Opitz get a special shower when he entered the dressing room. If Oldenburg reaches the top 4 next season, I might not be a guest in the bus this time. I had a break from 12-45 until 4.30 until the NBBL final. I kept working interviewing a few of Alba Berlin´s U-16 winners. I was also wondering would Ivan Kharchenkov (198-SG-2006)v fly up for the game or not. I personally felt that Munich didn´t need him, but on the other hand, I wanted to see him win a title in person. The last time I had seen him play was in November 2023 in a Pro B game. I would get my wish to see him play again. I actually knew around 3.00 that he would play. A nice woman approached me and I wasn´t sure who she was, I mean I can´t remember all faces. She just uttered the words “I´m the mother of Ivan”. I then remembered meeting her after the Top 4 in Frankfurt in 2023. We talked a bit and she told me some exclusive things especially about his college future, but things I will keep to myself. We said goodbye, but we would see each other again a few hours later. When the players walked on the court, I was happy to see that Ivan Kharchenkov was really in the building. I liked ratiopharm ulm´s chances, but also knew that FC Bayern Munich would play better than the night before. But like against Rasta Vechta, they began slow again trailing 10-3 early as their shots weren´t falling and Ivan kharchenkov was 0/4. Ratiopharm Ulm led 18-12 after one quarter. FC Bayern Munich fought back and was led by Dominik Dolic who had 8 points on a run to help them lead 41-38 at the break. In the third quarter the lethal Bayern guard terror got three´s from Dolic and Nicholas Sermpezis to lead 55-48, but ratiopharm Ulm always had an answer and were still in reach after 30 minutes trailing 60-57. However in the fourth quarter, they had no more answers as FC Bayern Munich punched one last time with a 14-2 run to decide the game. 5 different players scored in the run. After the title, I was on the court and got nice quotes from Ivan Kharchenkovv for my post game article. His mom was on the court again as a mother would be supporting their son. You could see how proud she was. Unfortunately his dad couldn´t be there. I loved when she scooted away and swiped the NBBL trophy and gave it to Ivan and then demanded to take a picture of us. I thought that was cool. She then said goodbye as she had to catch her train back to Munich as she had to work at 5:30 am. She parted saying to me, “thanks for all your support for Ivan the last years”: That made my day. I commented the finals with Dirk Bauermann and Alan Ibrahimagic.

Ivan Kharchenkov during the German national anthem

Like last year, I met so many great basketball people. I connected with Jamie Duncan again. I had interview him more than a decade ago when he was in the Bamberg organization. He had been away the last decade coaching in Asia and Australia. Some guys have all the luck. It was also great reconnecting again with Sean Mccaw. I met him the first time in 2007 before a game in Frankfurt when he was playing with Jena. He gave me a copy of his new book then “Same Name Different Game”. I hadn´t seen him more than 10 years ago in Braunschweig and since then never again. He did have me on his podcast in 2022. I also bumped into Martin Ides again after more than a decade. I remember covering him in 2012 when he was a coach with Nurnberg. He had helped Nurnberg´s U-16 JBBL team reach the 2025 TOP 4. I also met Predrag Lukic who had been in Asia more than a decade and now recently was named assistant coach for the Crailsheim Merlins. We had done interviews and now had met for the first time. Other well known basketball figures I saw and talked to were Dario Jerkic, Chris Ensminger, Hendrik Gruehn, Alexander Nadjfeji, Bogdan Radosavljevic, Sven Schultze, Anton Gavel, Arne Woltmann, Jan Jagla, Stefen Hamann, Emir Mutapcic, Patrick Flomo, Ralph Held, Achmadschah Zazai, Khee Rhee, Gerrit Kersten-Thiele and Patrick Femerling. I was really looking forward to seeing my buddy Joe Asberry, but unfortunately he couldn´t be there as he had torn his ACL. Get well Joe. I also want to give a big shout out to Uwe Albersmeyer who was the CEO of the NBBL gGmbH and retired after a long career. He organized the first top 4 in Paderborn in 2007. He had seen how far this event has come and grown over the years. Thanks for always organizing an incredible event year in and year out. Enjoy your retirement. I really enjoyed the 2025 Top 4 again. The only negative aspect for me personally was having a cold and not feeling fit, but when you love basketball as much as me, you have to fight through sickness. All in all it was another great presentation with incredible games and great advertisement for German basketball.

Jona Drucke And Alba Berlin Won The 2025 JBBL Title For The Injured Philip Holsken

Jona Drucke (194-F/G-2009) is a 16 year old 195cm point guard that averaged 16/5/5/2 stats during the JBBL (U-16 ) season. He has been a member of the German U-15 and U-16 youth national teams. He spoke to eurobasket after helping Alba Berlin win the 2025 JBBL title.

Jona on the big 86-74 JBBL title win over the Baskets Junior Oldenburg. How do you feel?

The feeling is unbelievable. After losing last season, our goal this season was to come back and win it. We won this for Philipp Holsten who broke his arm in the semi-final

How big was the revenge factor for Alba Berlin?

It was huge. I mean we didn´t think about it each day, but we did have that extra kick wanting to win. We just wanted to play our game and not change something on account of our opponent.

How cool was it having the NBA Wagner brothers cheering on the team in the Alba fan block?

I knew the night before of the semi-final game that they would come and support us. That shows just how great the Alba Berlin organization is. I mean they are millionaires and they aren´t afraid to join our fans and sing Alba songs. It shows that they will always be Alba boys.

The first quarter was tight, but in the second quarter Alba Berlin was able to get way a bit. How vital was the superb play of Luca Kappel?

He is such a big personality for us. He has developed so well for us and mentally is strong and a great defender. When he gets hot, he really helps us. He gave us an added push in that phase.

The Alba Berlin defense did a great job slowing down Djordje Klaric and holding him at 15 points. How tough is it to keep him in check?

We played together in the youth national team and were roommates. He is a great player and plays at his own pace. He is hard to stop. Daniel Gwanihu had that task and did a good job on him.

In the third quarter Alba Berlin got a massive push from big man De Sancho Del Pino Kruse. How vital was hi support to once again to be able to get a way a bit from Oldenburg?

He came from Zehlendorf and fit in right away in the program. He is such a big help at both ends. We are really thankful that we have him.

Oldenburg kept coming back and fighting the whole game. How much respect did Alba Berlin have for that?

We have big respect for them. They already showed last season what they were capable of. I told the team before the game that we can´t underestimate them. We have to control the game for 40 minutes and believe in ourselves.

How key was the thunderous dunk form Jason Heitmann at the end of the third quarter for Alba Berlin moving forward?

Jason is a great athlete and friend. He has unbelievable power and knows how to get a whole arena go crazy. But it isn´t just big dunks, but he can do it all. That dunk gave us a huge push forward.

Ilya Fohl hit big shot after big shot. Is he the Steph Curry of Berlin?

He is also a new player and came from Zehlendorf. He is a great shooter. He hit so many big shots. I´m so proud of him.

Oldenburg kept fighting in the fourth quarter, but Alba Berlin pulled out the win. What was key in crunch-time for getting the win?

I think that our experience was a big factor, but we knew that they would come back and we were ready for them. The fans also helped us a lot.

German basketball legend Dirk Bauermann told me before the end of the game that you would be MVP of the tournament. How cool is getting this award for you?

I have a special relation with Bauermann. I play for him with the U-16 team in Greece. He is a great guy and has helped me so much with basketball. I´m really proud that he said that.

How will you celebrate tonight? I´m sure you have school tomorrow.

I have to go to school tomorrow. We will celebrate as a team now and just enjoy the day.

Thanks Jona for the chat.