Scoring 50 points or more in a pro basketball game no matter at what level is no simple feat. It is even rarer when it happens twice within a week. Scoring 40 plus points is also rare but it happens every week, but 50 points is simply another dimension. It happened twice in the second division in Luxemburg in only a short period of time. On October 4th, American Cobie Barnes erupted for 51 points in a win and only 4 days later it was another American with Felix Kloman (196-G, college: Babson) who exploded for 50 points also in a win. It is only normal that achieving a feat like that is very special.
“I feel good! Big credit to those U18 guys, they play hard and are all going to be great players. I am excited for another chance at 2 points in a big matchup tomorrow”, said Felix Kloman.
The 196cm guard played 3 seasons at Brown University (NCAA) and played 50 NCAA games and never averaged more than 5,0ppg in the NCAA. He decided to move down to the NCAA 3 and played with Babson and showed that he can not only be a consistent scorer, but a very versatile player as he averaged 17.7ppg, 3.8rpg, 2.5apg, 1.4spg, 1.1bpg, FGP: 45.6%, 3PT: 40.1%, FT: 83.1%. He did score 20 plus points on several occasions at Babson, but his 50 points overseas was definitely a career high for him. Did the 50 points in a way shock him or was it something you feel you were always capable of?
“It did not shock me. Not to sound arrogant, but I have put in the work so to see the results come is what you hope for”, said Felix Kloman.
Sometimes guys will have certain rituals that they do before games. Having a certain pre game meal also belongs to some players rituals before a game. Did he have a special breakfast on Wednesday and feel different going into the game or was it just a normal game day for him?
“Yes I actually powered up with some Sports Sleep electrolytes right before the game which gave me the extra boost I needed to perform. Check them out on instagram @getsportsleep”, said Flex Kloman.
It is always interesting to find out how rapidly a player knew from the start of the gun that he would have a good game. Back in the day when a guy like Larry Bird hit his first 5-6 shots in a row, you simply knew that he would probably score 30-40 points. But with other players like Felix Kloman, he is simply in the zone and not thinking about in what direction his scoring game may go in.
“To be honest I didn’t. I try to take the game one play at a time and if the points end up stacking up they stack up”, added Felix Kloman.
Sometimes when a player is close to 50 points, the question is always did he know he was close and knew even when he it the magical mark? Not all arenas overseas will have the names of the players and their points listed on the score board in the arena,
“I knew my point total because it says so on the scoreboard but I think my coach and teammates were more focused on getting the win as we didn’t pull away until late.”, stated Flex Kloman.
When you see 20-25 team assists at the end of 40 minutes, then you know that team basketball was cherished by that team. However when your team AS Soleuvre Belvaux (Luxembourg-Nationale 2) only had 7 team assists, you know that Kloman had to settle a lot of business with isolation play.
“Probably a lot of isolation but I will give love to my point guard Gille Weis who gets me the ball in spots where I can isolate and score”, warned Felix Kloman.
He shot 14/21. Was picking your spots on this day easier than on other days?
“I wouldn’t say so. I think some days you’re just on and Wednesday was definitely one of those days. Hopefully I don’t go like 0/15 tomorrow as a repercussion for my great shooting night”, smiled Flex Kloman. Thank God for him he didn´t put up the goose egg in the next game, but actually had another great scoring game
How valuable was it having Christian Parker being aggressive and opening up space for you? He had a great game with 25 points.
“It’s easy to score when playing with a big fella like Christian. It’s been a great start to the year for us and the club and we are both hoping to build on it. Shoutout all my fellow D3 hoopers”, warned Felix Kloman
His scoring increased every game in Luxemburg from 18, 33 and 50 points. Does one aim higher and go for 60 in the next game or are you grounded enough to know that that feat was very rare and special?
“I don’t think I’ll be going for 50 every game, but I have the utmost confidence in my scoring ability and there is no doubt in my mind I am capable of one upping that performance. I think as a scorer you have to be a bit delusionaly confident. I definitely am grateful for the fact we got a win on wednesday as well”, said Felix Kloman.
There are so many players overseas that came from lower college levels like JUCO, NAIA and NCAA 3 that are grinding daily to get better and to continue to climb the ladder season by season. How much hope does a game give you for your grind and hope of continuing to move up the basketball ladder overseas?
“I have always believed in myself and that I have what it takes to succeed overseas, so it is definitely an awesome feeling to see some of that work pay off. Now is no time to be satisfied however, as there is a lot of work yet to do. Still important to celebrate the small wins though on your journey for sure”, stressed Felix Kloman.
Usually after an incredible performance like that, you will see info about it on social media. You can simply never get bored of watching that crushing dunk or the 10th three pointer in a game. Was his phone flooded with congratulatory messages after the feat?
“Not too many hahaha but I am super grateful for my friends and family that did show love and the fact that I can feel their support from overseas”, stated Felix Kloman.
A big tradition in basketball Germany after a player makes the 100 points is to get the team donuts. How was it after his 50 points? Did he do something special for his teammates?
“I didn’t do anything special, I just went home and threw on Game of Thrones. I still can’t believe how bad that last season was. If anything I am just excited to get back out on the court and keep proving that I can make an impact”, warned Felix Kloman.
Did he have a special bucket from the game. Perhaps that deep three or a dunk or an off balance shot?
Free throws because it is a focus of mine to get to the line”, stressed Felix Kloman.
Scoring 50 points is something very special to do, but he didn´t do it again or top it 3 days later. This time he produced 32 points which is still incredible, but for him just another day at the office as he is averaging 33/6/2/2 stats through 4 games. But the most important thing was that he got the dub. AS Soleuvre Belvaux (Luxembourg-Nationale 2) is currently 4-0 and have big aspirations to move up. Felix Kloman will surely continue to score 30 plus points a lot and possibly even score 50 + points again, but for him that is just extra icing on the cake. He knows exactly what he wants to accomplish in the long run come next spring 2026.
There were 9,7 seconds remaining in a real tight dogfight between the Fraport Skyliners and EPG Baskets Koblenz with the score dead locked at 71-71 in double overtime. Almost most everybody was standing in the living room for the Skyliners except for me. When I look back to the moment, I´m not really sure why I was sitting down, because in the past, it wouldn´t have been like that, but maybe I have mellowed a bit through the last 20 years of doing play by play. Back in 2007, it was Eric Chatfield who beat ratiopharm Ulm on a last second shot a few feet to the left to where Aiden Warnholtz (188-G-2000, college: Carleton) would show his magic and in 2014, it was ex Vanderbilt (NCAA) guard Kevin Bright that helped Frankfurt beat Rasta Vechta on the road. I was fortunate to have called both games and was at it again in 2024. But this time, I just knew Aiden Warnholtz would drill it home. How did I know, well when his ex coach Taffe Charles told me the summer before that the Canadian was a better shooter than Philipp Scrubb, well then I just knew he was going to sink that last shot. I remember how well Scrubb shot out the lights with the Skyliners in the 2015-2016 season and I was right. This time I let my colleague Jan Kolod do the screaming. Warnholtz was all alone at the top of the key and drilled home the three pointer with nothing but net. This was Warnholtz´s first game winner at the pro level, but he had had some at Carleton. ““This was one of the more exciting games that I have been a part of. I only have played in 2 double OT games. Our defense got us the win. It was a challenge playing against their bigs. Our biggest strength was just being on the same page defensively. We also did a good job winning other battles like the loose balls. The original play wasn´t for me. I got open and it was an in rhythm shot. It was an easy shot I usually make”, smiled Aiden Warnholtz.
Aiden Warnholtz who lists current Oklahoma Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as his toughest opponent so far in his career and a top 3 NBA guard right now was born on February 4th, 2000 in Ottawa, Canada. He played at the well known Carleton University from 2018-2023 playing a total of 97 games and is the third player from that school to strap on a Fraport Skyliners uniform after Aaron Doornekamp and Philipp Scrubb. Scrubb won 8 titles at Carleton, but Warnholtz didn´t too shabby himself winning 6 titles. “In my four seasons with Carleton I was a part of some pretty special teams, winning 2 provincial championships and 4 National Championships. Each one is very special in its own way, it’s hard to really rank them, but the most recent one, the 2023 National Championship feels especially unique to me. It was my last year at Carleton, playing with some great friends that I had been with for the last 5 years, and we had some ups and downs that year as a team that all culminated in a crazy double overtime National Championship game”, remembered Aiden Warnholtz. He had many incredible games at Carleton including 2 triple doubles, but he saved his best for a game that counted most. “I was fortunate enough to have some pretty cool moments and contribute to some pretty great games in my time at Carleton. In terms of my performances, there are some games where I scored more, but just because of the importance of the game and the moments that came with it, I think my best game at Carleton was that 2023 National Championship game”, stated Aiden Warnholtz. He paid his dues in his first 2 seasons averaging only 3.9ppg, 1.2rpg, 1.6 and in his second season averaged 5.6ppg, 1.8rpg, 1.6apg while his minutes rose from 9 to 14. He really broke out in his last 2 seasons as his minutes fluctuated from 28 to 34 as did his stats as he averaged 13.1ppg, 4.1rpg, 4.2apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 44.7%, 3PT: 38.8%, FT: 79.2% and 17.9ppg, 5.5rpg, Assists-2 (6.8apg), FGP: 45.3%, 3PT: 42.9%, FT: 87.5%. His step by step development is commendable as head coach Taffe Charles showed him the correct way. “He pushed me everyday. He made sure that I was always going hard in practice and challenged me to be better. We would have conversations and watch video of ways he thought I needed to improve or how I could be better for the team and myself. We both had a strong feeling of working towards the goal of winning National championships, and he knew what I was capable of individually in terms of helping the team and after University. He helped me to get better for the team, and by doing so helped me get to a place where I could pursue professional basketball. Something that was also important for my development as I played for him is that he also cared about me as a person, and took an interest in how I was doing during some tough times for me outside of basketball”, commented Aiden Warnholtz. But he didn´t only grow on the court, but off of it as well as he was a solid citizenship and boosted his character further on Sunday´s teaching 8th graders at 8 Am after coming home in the wee hours of the morning after long road trips. “ At Carleton, part of playing on the team involved coaching some youth basketball throughout the year, which I think was as much a benefit for us as I hope it was for the guys we coached. It was amazing to create more of an attachment to the local basketball community and feel like you were contributing to the development of up and coming players. I also think it helped my own understanding of the game. When you have to break things down and teach it to others, it requires that you have a thorough understanding of the what you are talking about, which helped my own knowledge of the game”, expressed Aiden Warnholtz who remembers Alan Louis getting the better of him in 1-1 battles in practice. He was a U Sports All-Canadian First Team and U Sports Tournament MVP in 2023.
The scoring guard who lists Connor Vreeken, Elliot Bailey, Yasiin Joseph, Biniam Ghebrekidan, Lloyd Pandi, Alain Louis, and Munis Tutu as his best teammates of all-time started his professional career in the summer of 2023 in Canada with the Niagara River Lions (CEBL) playing 12 games averaging 3.3ppg, 1.5rpg, 1.8apg. He got his feet wet and then came overseas and signed with German Pro A team Fraport Skyliners. He couldn´t have asked for a better organization to begin his professional career as it has been around for almost 25 years and was s fighting to get back to the easyCredit BBL where it was a staple for 24 years. “It has been great to be able to play for the Skyliners organization. They are a well established club, with high aspirations for the season, so it’s an environment where everyone wants to improve both as individuals and as a team. It’s also great to be a part of a club that is such a factor in the community, with youth teams and camps, as well as the Pro B and Pro A teams, it makes you feel part of something bigger than just the team itself. The club also has a great facility with lots of availability to get in and work on our bodies or our games, which is especially important for a guy like me playing in my first year as a professional”, said Aiden Warnholtz. The club began with a 9 game winning streak and then lost 5 of 8 games. It is only normal that team´s will go through ups and downs during a season. “We had a great start to the season like you said, but in a league like this you are not going to go through a season without some adversity. Teams had seen us more by that time in the season, and had more of a plan of how to beat us, and I think it maybe took us a few games to grow and adjust ourselves to play the way we wanted to. As you say, we may have relied a lot on three point shooting, but I think it was more about taking the right shots, the ones that we want and not the ones that the defense wants us to take”, stressed Aiden Warnholtz. The team found it´s groove again in January 2024 and were fighting to reach the best position before the playoffs started in May. “Our defense and the effort we put in on that side of the floor has helped us win more again. They are going to be games where maybe we don’t shoot as well, but if we can stop the other team we know we have a good chance. Other than that it´s just been about playing with the right energy, putting people in the right spots and guys playing to their strengths on the offensive end”, added Aiden Warnholtz. A big key to the consistent defensive game of the Skyliners was head coach Dennis Wucherer who had a strict defensive vision from day 1. “Coach has emphasized our defense all season long, so it´s a theme that he has given us from the start. We have some solid defenders and, coach has been on guys to use those defensive abilities and make people uncomfortable. He also recognizes where there may be weaknesses at times, depending on situations on the floor, so he gives us the tools to deal with those as a team”, warned Aiden Warnholtz.
The Canadian native who names Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Steph Curry and Steve Nash on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore played his rookie season in Frankfurt and was one of many young players on a team that was very experienced. So many players could decide a game on any night, but there are times when that player is simply missing. A player that can really dominate at any time. One of those guys that can be that dominate player was Kevin McClaine. He is seeing it again this season as he is his teammate again in Giessen. “I think we have a team full of guys that can score and there are a few guys that have shown the ability to dominate at times. Kevin is definitely one of those guys that can make things happen, and I think he has been getting into more of an offensive rhythm lately, and he is a guy we are going to need down the stretch”, warned Aiden Warnholtz. Maybe the most important player on the team was Minnesota native Booker Coplin who plays with so much energy and was perhaps the team´s best all around player. “Booker is a lot of fun to play with, he plays with a toughness and a grit that you love to have on your side. He can score in multiple ways, on the catch, on the dribble, from 3, at the rim, and in the post, but he has also really shown that he can make plays with the pass. He is a guy that we can have in multiple spots on the floor, whether with or without the ball, and he is a threat to score or make a play. He is huge for our team on the offensive end, but I also think he does a great job defensively too”, said Aiden Warnholtz. One young player that made a great progression was German Justin Onyejiaka who is with Vechta this season shows his crazy athleticism every day and was key in many games last season. “Justin is super talented and athletic, as you say. He often finds ways to make very athletic plays seem easy, or make something happen where you didn’t really think it could. It’s fun to watch the way he uses his strength and athleticism mixed with his change of pace to keep people off balance”, commented Aiden Warnholtz. The club wouldn´t be the defensive team that they were without the 2 anchors with then rookies Cam Henry and David Muenkat. “Both of those guys are solid on the defensive end, I think one thing that Cam has is great hands to deflect and steal passes, whereas where David really helps us is on the rebounds. He tracks the ball really well and isn’t gets right into the crowd to grab some big rebounds”. Stressed Aiden Warnholtz.
The 188cm guard who lists Lebron James as his personal GOAT is a player that has a similar game to ex Giessen guard Skyler Bowlin who had many potent seasons in the easyCredit BBL, but also to NBA legend Steve Nash, a guy he has tried to emulate. “He was not the biggest or most athletic player, but used his abilities to shoot and pass to be great NBA player”, stressed Aiden Warnholtz. He is a pass first point guard, but it is his shooting and scoring that really stands out. “A big strength is my shooting ability, playing off of it to open up other things. Something else that I try to bring to the game is being vocal on the floor and making sure guys are on the same page”, said Aiden Warnholtz. Using his IQ is something that he does on the offensive end, but he also needs a massive portion of that on the defensive end as he isn´t the biggest guard on the floor. “I am not the quickest player but try to use knowledge of how the opponents play to defend the ball well, and feel like I do a good job of fighting physically when I am undersized in a matchup. I try to contribute with my off ball defense by being in the right places and being willing to put my body on the line by taking charges”, stated Aiden Warnholtz. He may only be in his second season, but he knows exactly what he has to do in order to keep making strides with his game. “I am working on improving my strength and understanding of the game, as well as my finishing around the rim. I am of course continually working on my shooting and ball handling as well”, added Aiden Warnholtz. But one of his most special and unique strengths is one that you don´t hear often, but Taffe Charles mentioned that he had this rare ability of having emotional intelligence. “That’s a nice compliment from my coach. Intangible skills like that came from lots of tough practices and games throughout my career. In my first few years at Carleton university practices were very tough for me, we had a lot of great players older than me and it caused me to have to fight through some tough times on the court. My coaches Taffe Charles and Dave Smart both worked with me and other teammates to help build a level of what you could call emotional intelligence to help myself and teammates. It’s important to have an understanding of how you work individually and how you can try to get the best out of yourself and those around you even in tough times”, stressed Aiden Warnholtz. Time really flies as Philipp Scrubb last played in Frankfurt in 2018 and since has continued to carve out a fine career overseas, but how did coach Taffe Charles see their games at Carleton? “Phil and Aiden have similar paths in a way and in some ways don’t. Phil was a big part of the team right in his freshman year and in the 5 titles. Phil is a better finisher, but Aiden is as good of a shooter and maybe an even better shooter. Aiden may be a better spot up shooter and Phil better off the dribble. Both of those guys lived in their own ways being very quiet and no raw raw’, stressed Taffe Charles. Warnholtz has trained with Scrubb in Canada and has the utmost respect for him. “Phil Scrubb was a great player for Carleton University and still is overseas. For Taffe to compare me to Phil in any way is a great compliment. I got to watch him play at Carleton before I went there, so to see the way he led those teams, and then scrimmage with him and try to learn from the way he plays, trains, and conducts himself was really beneficial to my time at Carleton and my development”, stated Aiden Warnholtz. Scrubb helped the Fraport Skyliners win the Fiba Europe Cup in his rookie season and guys coming from Carleton simply know how to win. Aiden Warnholtz came up a little short losing the Pro A title with Frankfurt, but still it was enough to move back to the easyCredit BBL which was the clubs biggest goal. This season Warnholtz is balling with the Giessen 46ers currently averaging 8,6ppg, 2,2rpg and 1,9apg. He was injured after 2 games to start the season and was out for more than 4 months, but is back now. He had a incredible 22 point game in the 89-60 victory in Koblenz and 19 points in the 105-84 trouncing of Kirchheim. He also gave stability in the Bremerhaven playoff series scoring 12 and 10 points. Now he and Giessen face favorite Jena. Giessen will need everyone to make the upset. After the 22 point game, I was interviewing Wartnholtz on the court and ex EPG Guardians Koblenz head coach Marco Van Den Berg came over and said “Aiden you were the reason why the Skyliners moved back to the easyCredit BBL”. It is a pity that the Skyliners didn´t retain him, but who knows, he may help move up the Giessen 46ers to the easyCredit BBL. And just maybe do what he couldn´t do last season and win the Pro A title
Not only was I witness of the massive battle between Mathieu Grujicic and Ivan Crnjac at the 2023 JBBL (U-16) final in Frankfurt as I had the pleasure of calling the game, but I was only high in the arena while Maximillian Peters was witnessing the back and forth scoring punching on the court. Grujicic finished his scoring masterpiece netting 53 points while Crnjac followed with a 41 points night. It was a game that will surely be remembered in a decade and even in 2-3 decades when people recall the greatest head to head battles between 2 players in a JBBL final. Peters was 16 at the time and was a very important role player/scorer who could launch long three´s with the best of them at his age then. This final is a game that he will never forget. “The atmosphere was great in Frankfurrt. I was really impressed by Mathieu Grujicic. They had that next play mentality. I remember looking at the score board from time to time to see how both were doing. I will never forget Ivan´s back to back three´s that got us to overtime”, remembered Maximilian Peters (206-F-2007). That was one of his coolest experiences as a player, but he also has another one in his young life so far. “Last summer being invited to a U-17 training camp was another great experience. I was training with the guys for 1,5 months. I was cut near the end and Germany finished 12th. It was the highest level that I had ever seen”, stressed Maximilian Peters.
Pic credit Skyliners EV
The young German who lists Nathan Soliman as the toughest player that he has ever faced up until now was born on January 26th, 2007. He grew up in Mainz, Germany. He like so many young German boys began to play soccer at a young age and played for 5-6 years. He began at ASC Mainz at age 12 and played one JBBL season before coming to Frankfurt for his second JBBL year. His big role model was Jayson Tatum and his 2 favorite Skyliner players were Joshua Obiesie and Quantez Robertson. But he also likes to observe another former Skyliner. “I also like Joe Voigtman. I enjoy his smartness on the court and how he moves”, said Maximilian Peters. He came to Frankfurt when he was 15. “My mentor Kevin Beiko had contact to head coach Olaf Kanngiesser and he organized a try out for me”, said Maximilian Peters. He didn´t have to wait long for tasting success as i his first season in Frankfurt, he helped Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners reach the JBBL top 4 and final in 2023. “I have great memories of that season. Our team chemistry was great. Losing the final against Alba Berlin was frustrating though. I had some unlucky three point shot chances in the final, but unfortunately didn´t have a big impact. I had had a good game in the semi-final against Vechta. That is where Dirk Bauermann noticed me”, recalled Maximilian Peters. It is only logical that a competitor like him not forget a brutal loss like that. “I think that final had to do with who had the better form that day. I think that if we had played a second time, we would have won”, warned Maximilian Peters.
The forward who lists Ivan Crnjac, Namori Omog, Kostantinos Kapetanakis, Yves Ochs and Niklas Mutter as his 5 best teammates of all-time is fortunate to be on a team this season that is really talented. The NBBL (U-19) team could be on the way to the Top 4 in Berlin this season. “The Top 4 is our goal. We definitely want to get there. I don´t know what will happen then. Our mentality is to go there and win the title. We have guys with experience. If we keep growing as a team, then we have good chances”, warned Maximilian Peters. The team is undefeated at the moment and are simply a special group of guys´. “The 2007 guys have big roles and we simply have great chemistry. It reminds me of our JBBL team 2 years ago. We have very good individual class. Our only weakness is at the center spot”, warned Maximilian Peters. The club have great role players like him and Julius Messer who at the same time can score 20 points on any night, a great bench who all give energy and the trio of Crnjac, Omog and Edoka who lead the team forward. “That Trio is very important. All produce very well on offense. You need a guy like Crnjac as a leader. Omog is very mature. They all compliment each other well and keep the team together. We have 4-5 guys that can score 20 points any night and step up. That is a great strength of ours. stressed Maximilian Peters.
Pic credit Skyliners EV
The Mainz native who lists his NBA Mount Rushmore as Lebron, Jordan, Kobe and Shaq and his Euro Mount Rushmore as Spanoulis, Doncic, Giannis and Jokic and has Jordan as his GOAT is a 206cm forward. He is a modern day big that compares his game to Kevin Durant. “I have long arms and legs and am not so wide, but mobile. My shot also looks like Durant´s”, smiled Maximilian Peters who currently is averaging 8,6ppg and 5,6rpg in the NBBL and 2,5ppg and 2,1rpg in the Pro B. His biggest weapon is his three pointer and his favorite position is the 4, but is learning to play the 5. He also has a nice pick and pop game. An area of his game that he is working a lot on is his defense. “My defense is developing. It is my biggest weakness, but I´m working on it. We switch with me. In the future, I want to be versatile and be able to defend 1-5. I also need to improve my 1-1 defense, added Maximilian Peters. But he is also working on a few other areas. “I´m working on my lateral quickness and counter moves on the close out. Plus your shot can never be perfect”, commented Maximilian Peters. It is no surprise that his long term goal is to become a professional player, but he also wants to have a plan B ready to unwrap if needed. “I´m in 12th grade now and could see myself studying sport science at university as a correspondence course”, expressed Maximilian Peters. It will be interesting to see where his journey will continue in the next years. For now he is concentrating on school and the NBBL season that could become a magical one. He probably will keep the JBBL final in the back of his mind as well. Who knows, perhaps 1 or even 2 of the great trio could have an off day. Then it will be up to guys like him and Julius Messer to help carry the team with scoring. Peters just may get that revenge in a final again.
German Hoops 