college-basketball

Benjamin Burnham Will Face New Challenge In The German BBL And Will Always Have A Special Flagg & Knueppel Story To Tell

A cool aspect about American players overseas is hearing about who they battled in the NCAA when they were still grinding to get better and get prepared for the next step overseas. Obviously the higher a player competes in a conference, the better competition a player will get and have those special nightly battles against future NBA players. It wasn’t any different for American Benjamin Burnham (202-F-2002, college: Virginia Tech) who recently completed his rookie season overseas in Germany where he took the second division Pro A by storm. The American already played against good schools and players in the CAA, but it grew a notch more in his senior year where he suited up for the Virginia Tech Hokies in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He played against competitive schools like Michigan, Stanford, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest just to name a few. Especially in the state of North Carolina, he played against the top with North Carolina, North Carolina State and Duke. He held his own against all schools, but unfortunately lost against all those schools. He will definitely never forget battling against Duke where he played against 2 of the top NBA rookies from the 2025-2026 season with Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel. Flagg is a generational player and Knueppel possibly the next best three point shooter. Flagg had a solid 24/3/6/4 game while Knueppel added 13 points on 2/7 shooting form the parking lot. Burnham had no difficulty holding his own as he added 9 points in 17 minutes coming off the bench. Burnham and Virginia Tech didn’t escape with the win, but he has a story for a lifetime. ‘I was matched up against Cooper Flagg, all I remember was him hitting a mid range in my face, and I remember hitting a step 3 on Kon Knueppel at the end of shot clock. But yes, we lost by 23’, said Benjamin Burnham.

The American who lists Cooper Flagg and Aaron Estrada as his toughest covers so far in his career was born on April 3, 2002 in Nashville, Tennessee and grew up in South Carolina. He comes from a family that was closely affiliated to sports as his grand father and uncle both played at South Carolina and his dad played at Virginia Wesleyen and became the school’s all-time points leader there. He played high school ball with Carmel Christian Academy and led his team to a second place finish at the state championship and was a two time all state selection. After high school, he attended the College of Charleston (NCAA) where he played 3 seasons and played a total of 102 games. He improved his scoring title each season averaging 7.7ppg, 4.3rpg, FGP: 55.6%, 3PT: 32.4%, FT: 65.1%, 8.8ppg, 3.7rpg, FGP: 59.1%, 3PT: 44.6%, FT: 72.0%, and 11.9ppg, 4.5rpg, FGP: 52.1%, 3PT: 36.8%, FT: 69.5%. He reached the NCAA tournament twice and helped win the CAA title in 2023 and 2024. ‘The second title was so memorable because I was more of a leader on that team and I wanted to prove that I could help lead a team to a championship. But the difference in the game was Reyne Smith hitting some crazy 3s in overtime’, stated Benjamin Burnham. As a freshman he played against North Carolina (NCAA) losing 94-83, but held his own with 17 points against future NBA guys. ‘That game was very memorable because it was one of my first college games and I scored the ball well against those guys and I realized I belonged’, remembered Benjamin Burnham. In his last season there he scored in double figures in 22 of 35 games including netting 19 points against Alabama in a March Madness loss as well as 23 points in a win over URI and 20 points in a victory over William. He was really fortunate to have had a special coach in Pat Kelsey that helped him get his foot in the door in the NCAA. ‘Coach was very valuable, because he taught me so much about the game and how to go about your business’, stated Benjamin Burnham. He finished his NCAA career at Virginia Tech University (NCAA) where he averaged 7.5ppg, 3.9rpg, FGP: 46.9%, 3PT: 42.7%, FT: 70.4%. He had some solid games that season against Stanford scoring 18 points and scoring 17 points against Navy. However his most spectacular moment at Virginia Tech and possibly the NCAA was his steal and dunk in the last seconds securing the win over North Carolina State 79-76. ‘I watched it a couple times on Instagram. I just remember reading the inbounder’s eyes on the steal then just dunking it home for the exclamation mark’, smiled Benjamin Burnham. All in all this season was instrumental for his skills development, but also for his mentality ‘ Head coach Mike Young helped me because he gave me motivation to prove that I’m better at basketball than what he thought. So the push he gave me was a chip on my shoulder and a little more fuel’, stressed Benjamin Burnham who remembers dunking on teammate Toibu Lawal once and him pushing him to be better.

The South Carolina native who lists Buzz Anthony, Bryce Butler, Dylan Ritter, Connor Serven, and John Meeks as his best 5 teammates of all-time made the trek overseas in late summer 2025 to play for Pro A team Artland Dragons. He had an incredible personal stat season and helped the team make the playoffs. ‘I had a good season statistically and we had good team success as well, we didn’t finish the season how we wanted but I learned a lot and we set our goal to make the playoffs before the season and we accomplished it. It was a blessing playing for a club with that much history and culture’, said Benjamin Burnham. For Americans it isn’t always easy making the adjustment overseas and he also had a wake up call where he knew that he was far away from home. ‘The first time I went to the grocery store and I had no clue what was going on in there and couldn’t ask for help. That is when I realized I was far from home and would have to learn a few things’, added Benjamin Burnham. The Artland Dragons had a good start winning 3 of 4 games, but always suffered lapses where they couldn’t establish more consistency. In the winter they had a 4 game losing streak, but cleaned that up with a 7 game winning streak in March. Did they peak then? ‘We were up and down all year, but we were really rolling during that 7 game win streak. I don’t want to say we peaked there because we really played 3 great games in the playoffs but couldn’t find a way to win. So from a win streak perspective we were really hot in March’, commented Benjamin Burnham. The team then lost two nail bitters to Wolmirstedt and Leverkusen and got swept in the playoffs in 3 close games to Bremerhaven. Ending the season like that must of left a bitter taste in his mouth and have what if questions swirling in his mind? ‘I definitely had a bitter taste ending the year like that, but like I said our goal was to make the playoffs and the club wasn’t ready to move up yet, so all that considered we had a successful season with many personal and team lessons learned’, commented Benjamin Burnham. The Bremerhaven series was so close as Bremerhaven only scored 11 more points in the whole 3 game series. ‘The difference in a close series like that is the discipline with the little things, a missed box out here and a 50/50 ball there. The little things add up and when it’s a one possession game the team that was better at those things usually wins it, and that wasn’t us that series’, remembered Benjamin Burnham. He saved his best for last netting 46 points as he ranks that as his best personal game so far in his career.

The forward that names Lebron James, Steph Curry, Michael Jordan, and Kevin Durant on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore had very special teammates as a rookie. One was so special with Buzz Anthony that he already has him as one of his 5 best teammates ever. Anthony is like a mini John Stockton who always seeks his teammates for buckets. The special hook ups between Burnham and Anthony were long and successful all season long. ‘The first thing that comes to mind is the first game of the season where he had a wide open fast break layup, but he saw me trailing and threw it off the backboard and I dunked it. That was when I realized we would have a fun year. My favorite thing he did on the court though was when I haven’t had a touch in a while and he would ask me what play I want to run to get me a touch, and when I would score it I just have to shoutout out my point guard Buzz’, said Benjamin Burnham. He and walking bucket Amir Hinton carried the team the whole season. How did they compliment each other best? ‘I think we complimented each other by not complimenting each other. We played so differently that teams couldn’t figure out how to guard us because of that. We weren’t just always in the pick and roll together where teams could figure out a coverage that could stop us’, expressed Benjamin Burnham. He was also able to observe many young German players make the next step and one of those was Fynn Lastring who took a NIL deal for next season. ‘Fynn is a good kid and a good basketball player. We had a solid relationship and he is a great get for New Mexico’, stated Benjamin Burnham. On the court he had an incredible season averaging 20/9/2 stats. He picked up Eurobasket player of the year, forward of the year, first team and imports team. What did this season mean to him? ‘This season meant a lot to me because I knew what I was capable of as an individual and I got to prove it this year and it was also important because of what I learned on and off the court’, stressed Benjamin Burnham. He had a solid NCAA career, but never averaged more than 11/4 in the NCAA. It isn’t typical for a player to explode like that and heighten his game to new levels like that, but it can be done. In college I always had a role in doing what the team needed and affecting the game in different ways, but I’ve always been an efficient scorer so when Coach Hendrik Gruehn trusted me to be one of the main offensive options I was ready’, said Benjamin Burnham. He scored in double figures in 34 of 36 games and scored 20 points or more 19 times. Besides his 46 point explosion he also had 32 points against Bremerhaven and 31 points a piece against Giessen and Bayreuth. He continues to improve step by step wince his first season in Charleston. ‘The steps were taken ever since I got to my first college, just learning what it takes to be a pro and always putting the work in so when it was my time, I was ready’, warned Benjamin Burnham.

The explosive scorer who rates his Mom as his GOAT and feels that they should of left the classic Coming To America movie alone with Eddie Murphy is a player that compares his game to Pascal Siakam mixed in with Kyle Korver. He can really do it all on the court, but is versatility really his biggest asset? ‘I think my biggest strength is my shooting, athleticism and playing hard. So if that is what you mean by versatility, then yes’, stressed Benjamin Burnham. He eclipsed 40% twice in the NCAA and shot 44% from outside in the German Pro A. He continued to work hard as a rookie working on a quicker release on catch and shoot and also working on shooting 3s off the dribble. He also stepped up his defensive game as a rookie adding 2 things that helped him be successful. ‘I just always gave effort and knew the tendencies of certain players so they were easier to guard’, remembered Benjamin Burnham. He also knows n what areas of his game he will be working on most so he will be even better prepared for season 2? ‘My on ball defense so I can be better when I switch onto shiftier guards and always working on my shooting and ballhandling’, added Benjamin Burnham. His stellar play in the Pro A was observed by many easyCredit BBL teams and according to online sources will get a new challenge in 2026-2027 and ball for Fiba Europe Cup winner Niners Chemnitz. It will be interesting to see if he can make the next step in the BBL. One guy who totally believes in his game is Joe Asberry who worked in the Artland Dragons organization last season and saw his ability flourish daily. He sees his talent as getting to the absolute top level. ‘Burnham’s game is NBA ready. His motor is second to none. He is fearless. Every time I saw him after my workout, I said, ‘please dunk on someone for me. I love dunks and I love your dunks’. He replied saying ‘I love dunks too. I got you’. I have a quick story. We went to a school in Vechta. We had a shoot out vs the kids. It was an event for my drug prevention program. I hit a few NBA range three’s from the Logo and of course I’m barking after every make. Great young talents Dominik Dolic and Ivan Volf also shot very well. Burnham was on fire. The kids loved them and I appreciate them so much. Burnham is humble and a good dude. His future in Europe is very bright’; warned NIL agent Joe Asberry

Tylan Pope Leads Kirchheim To The Pro A Final Upending The Giessen 46ers 89-85

It was do or die time in Giessen for the 46ers as their BBL ambition was slowed down by the 2-1 game lead of Kirchheim. After a disastrous game 1 in their own living room, Kirchheim rebounded very well stealing game 2 right back with a big 16 point win in Giessen. In game 3 in their own living room, there was no doubt about it as Kirchheim won by 31 points and began with an explosive 31 point first quarter paving the way for an easy win. The Kirchheim defense did a superb job on the Giessen guard duo of Castlin and Norl holding them combined to only 5/22 from the field. Kirchheim and head coach Igor Perovic were on the brink of the club´s biggest achievement in their history, but they had to win one more time in the always brutal Ost Gym atmosphere. On a humid hot Friday evening where the Ost Halle felt like a sauna in the Boston Garden in the 80´s during the classic Celtics-Lakers finals showdowns, Giessen stunk up the building for 28 minutes as it looked like Kirchheim was going to have a simple waltz to the final, however Giessen finally came together and made a furious come back in the fourth quarter, but fell short in the last minute losing 89-85. “We didn´t really play very well during the first 2,5 quarters allowing them to lead by 20 points. That put us in desperation mode. We did a good job fighting back, but we just didn´t have enough at the end”, stressed Giessen 46er guard Aiden Warnholtz. Kirchheim came out from the start ready to play and had the better intensity and shot the ball better and rebounded better and in crunch-time had the better nerves as well to conserve the victory. “We adjusted to our game plan right away. I think key was that we set the tone right away and stuck with it. Overall it felt like we wanted it more”, stressed Kirchheim forward Tylan Pope.

Kyle Castlin at the FT line

The Giessen 46ers had an incredible start taking the rapid 7-2 lead as Kirchheim couldn´t match their intensity or aggression. Giessen received a lay in from Serbian forward Viktor Kovacevic, a trey by ex Bremerhaven guard Daniel Norl and a pretty hook shot from ex Ludwigsburg center Jonathan Maier. However basketball will always be a game of runs as Kirchhbeim punched back going on a lethal 11-0 run to suddenly lead 13-7. Ex Ulm beast Nicholas Bretzel added 5 points showing his inside out game with a trey and offensive rebound and putback while ex Giessen guard Lukas Mayer was extra motivated adding 5 points. Kirchheim was more aggressive on the boards and defensively forced Giessen too tough shots. Giessen could only get to the free throw line, but do little from the field. Kirchheim was in a groove and suddenly let it rain three´s as Pope, ex Texas State (NCAA) forward Tyrel Morgan and ex Braunschweig guard Gian Aydinoglu nailed three´s for the 22-13 advantage. Kirchheim continued to outwork Giessen on the offensive boards getting second chances which led to added three´s from Bretzel and ex Crailsheim guard Chuck Harris. Kirchheim had the 10-1 second chance points advantage. Giessen couldn´t muster more than a Till Gloger hook shot in the last minutes and trailed 33-20 after 10 minutes. “We locked in right away and focused on defense. We hit a lot of three´s and also got out on transition”, stated Tylan Pope. Kirchheim shot 63% from the field and 54% from outside and had 12 rebounds and 4 turnovers while the Giessen 46ers shot 35% from the field and 17% from outside and had 5 rebounds and 2 turnovers.

Tylan Pope lay in

In the second quarter the Giessen 46ers stepped up their defense allowing Kirchheim only to 15 points, but still trailed 48-39 at the break. Giessen had another fast start going on a 6-1 run to trail only 34-27. Giessen got more aggressive attacking the hole led by Kovacevic who made a big dunk on transition and also made a trey. Gloger gave good energy from the bench also made a lay in. Suddenly Kirchheim wasn´t hitting shots anymore as Giessen made it more difficult for them finding their spots. But Kirchheim eventually escaped out of their funk and punched back with a 5-0 run to lead 39-27 as Mayer connected on a tough fade away jumper and Pope nailed another trey as he was really carrying his team early. Giessen didn´t make life easy for themselves being hit twice with technical fouls where Chuck Harris connected for free throws for the 42-31 lead. Kirchheim continued to rule the boards as Morgan made an offensive rebound and put back and Pope made a lay as Giessen had difficulty on the close out all night long as Kirchheim led 46-32. However Kirchheim wasn´t able to close out the second quarter strong as Giessen finished the first half with a 7-2 run. They did a good job attacking the rim which led to Maier and Simon Krajcovic free throws while ex German national player Robin Benzing dropped a deep trey. German Aenas Jung made a lay in as Giessen´s 1-1 defense was weak. “It was strange to see Russell with 0 points after we made 48 points, but he was in early foul trouble. We had other guys step up”, added Tylan Pope. Kirchheim shot 51% from the field and 38% from the three point line and had 21 rebounds and 7 turnovers while Giessen shot 35% from the field and 21% from the three point line and had 15 rebounds and 3 turnovers.

Daniel Norl from outside

In the third quarter, Kirchheim held Giessen without a field goal for more then 6 minutes and had many Giessen fans a bit shocked on how their season seemed to be going down the drain without a fight as Kirchheim led comfortably 69-52 after 30 minutes. Kirchheim didn´t lose their consistency as they continued to play their game sharing the ball beautifully and going on a 11-0 run to extend their lead to 59-39. They made 9 stops in a row as Giessen wasn´t able to buy a basket. Kirchheim packed the paint well and upped their on ball pressure and anticipated well as Giessen couldn´t get anything easy. On the offensive end, Kirchheim attacked the rim and got easy lay in´s led by ex Virginia Commonwealth University (NCAA) guard Philipp Russell who had put up the big goose egg in the first half, but now broke out of his shell contributing 7 points. Harris also made a lay in and Bretzel added free throws. Ex Phoenix Hagen guard Kyle Castlin finally got Giessen on the board with free throws to trail 59-41. Kirchheim continued to find ways to score as Jung hit free throws and Pope dropped another trey for the 64-43 lead. Giessen then finally got their first field goal with less than 2 minutes to play as Bosnian guard Adnan Arslanagic made 2 threes in a row as Giessen trailed only 65-49. Giessen was stronger now, but they couldn´t string along consecutive stops as ex Penn (NCAA) forward Nick Spinoso made an offensive rebound and put back and Harris a lay in. “We were really locked in at the start and played great defense. We continued to score well”, stated Tylan Pope. “Our start was not because of a lack of effort. They did a good job getting in passing lanes. They made everything difficult for us. We missed shots and were sloppy with the ball. Then all of a sudden we were down bad”, commented Aiden Warnholtz. Kirchheim shot 50% from the field and 34% from the parking lot and had 32 rebounds and 10 turnovers while Giessen shot 29% from the field and 21% from the parking lot and had 25 rebounds and 8 turnovers.

Nick Spinoso at the FT line

The Giessen 46ers rallied and staged a late comeback in the fourth quarter to really threaten Kirchheim. Ex Braunschweig forward Luis Figge began with 3 points as Giessen was slowly chipping away at the Kirchheim lead trailing 69-55. Russell continued to keep Giessen at bay as he added 5 points and was in his groove as Kirchheim led 76-59. Aiden Warnholtz was only 0/3 from the field through 30 minutes, but saved his best for last hitting a trey which was added by a trey by Figge as Giessen trailed 76-64. The gym was getting louder and Kirchheim was feeling more pressure. Warnholtz then added 3 free throws to trail 76-67, but Kirchheim always had an answer as Pope made a tough turn around shot past 2 defenders while Russell made free throws to conserve the 80-67 advantage. “My team needed me and it was simply time to make plays”, said Tylan Pope. Giessen continued to attack and pressure Kirchheim at both ends going on a lethal 8-0 run led by two three´s by Warnholtz as Giessen trailed 80-75 in crunch time. “I hit a couple open shots, but others also made big plays and found their spots. I did make crucial mistakes at both ends as well”, stressed Aiden Warnholtz. Kirchheim continued to feel the pressure in crunch-time as Giessen continued to be aggressive as Warnholtz twice got to the free throw line making big shots to trail 85-82 with less than a minute to play. “We were aggressive on offense attacking the rim and turned it up a notch on defense and found an extra gear trying to save our season”, expressed Aiden Warnholtz. After Bretzel missed 2 free throws, Russell then made a steal leading to a Harris free throw and the 86-82 lead. Warnholtz did hit a trey late to trail 88-85, but a Russell free throw sealed the win. “Wejust couldn´t execute at the end the way we had too”, stated Aiden Warnholtz. “We stayed composed at the end and took it one play at a time. We locked in well and just tried making the right play”, said Tylan Pope. Kirchheim was led by Tylan Pope with 21 points. Philipp Ruussell added 16 points and Chuck harris 14 points while the Giessen 46ers were led by Aiden Warnholtz with 21 points and Viktor Kovacevic added 18 points. Kirchheim shot 45% from the field and 33% from outside and had 40 rebounds and 13 turnovers while the Giessen 46ers shot 36% from the field and 29% from outside and had 36 rebounds and 12 turnovers.

My Diary As A Bit Of Old As Usual With Alba Berlin And Something New And Refreshing With Bonn/Koln Sparkled At The 2026 NBBL/JBBL Top 4

When you hear the name Alba Berlin, the first thing that probably comes to mind is winning. The club is the New York Yankees, the Boston Celtics or the Montreal Canadians of German basketball. What the organization has achieved in the last 30 years has simply been amazing in terms of being able to rack up titles. They have won a total of 23 club titles with 11 league championships, 11 cup wins and one international title in 1995 with the Korac cup. But not only on the professional level are they a rock, but also at the youth level they have been able to set a special standard of excellence always being able to bring in new talents and have success. They have won 6 NBBL (U-19) titles and 4 JBBL (U-16) titles since the NBBL/JBBL league was established in 2006. At the current NBBL/JBBL Top 4, Alba Berlin was able to find their way back to the winners circle as they were able to win their 6th NBBL title. The Top 4 saw a bit of old with Alba Berlin, but also saw something new and refreshing in 2026. In the JBBL, it wasn´t a Ulm or Alba Berlin as the winner but Team Baskets Bonn/Koln RAG. They had only once reached the top 4 and that was back in 2014. The team led by up and coming young coach Tom Becker had a great season where they nearly averaged 100 points per game and had so many scoring weapons that Oldenburg and Ulm who lost to them couldn´t control. They had an incredible team chemistry and just had that special family feeling that really brought everyone closer together. These 2 teams sparkled at the 2026 basketball weekend in Berlin, but there were also many other unforgettable things that gave everyone witnessing the games joy.

Bonn/Koln celebrate 2026 JBBL title

The 2026 NBBL/Top4 was my 8th in a row that I have covered as a writer as well as a play by play broadcaster. It was the third time in a row that it had taken place in Berlin. I took on the trek to Berlin on Thursday afternoon from Montabaur and went via Frankfurt to Berlin in about 5 hours. On the train ride, I studied the team rosters for my broadcast as well as also took a break and read my new book “Killing Willis” about Todd Bridges who came to fame in 1978 as he joined the American TV series Different Strokes which ran for 8 years and after that saw his life turn 180 degrees as he had struggles with addiction and the law, but in time was able to clean up his life and find his true identity. I´m not only focusing on basketball, but every once in a while need to turn to something new. I arrived in Berlin at my hotel at 21.30 and the first known face I saw was Jochen Lotz, the JBBL (U-16) head coach of Ulm. As I arrived he was briefing his boys about the next day. I went to my room, relaxed and had a Subway sandwich and soon called it a day. Friday would be a very long day as I would call to JBBL games at 4:30 and 7:00 pm. I got up in the morning and prepared a bit for my 2 telecasts and then went on a 2 hour walk at mid day going to Spandau that has a nice mix of nature and old churches that I enjoyed visiting. I departed for the arena at 2:45 with the JBBL Oldenburg team in their mini bus. Oldenburg has reached the Top 4 the last 3 years. I had ridden with them each season to the Berlin arena and brought them luck in 2024 as they won the title. I simply kept up the tradition. I got in the arena and as usual walked around and just took in the atmosphere. It is an older gym, but one that is very bright. Then I went up to the area where I would call the game. It is about 20 rows up. The lightening wasn´t great in terms of being able to read my notes, but that was something I had to accept and deal with. The first game was the Baskets Juniors Oldenburg against Team Baskets Bonn/Koln RAG. I called the game and saw a real classic youth basketball game. It was a game of ups and downs for both teams and was really close in crunch-time. Oldenburg was led and carried by allrounder Samuel Shchepotkin who displayed his ruthless scoring talent taking 32 shots and finishing with 29 points. However his scoring in the end still wasn´t enough as Bonn/Koln won the game on their last possession with a game winner by Khalil Idbihi who is the second eldest son of former German national player Yassin Idbihi. He barreled into the zone scoring over 3 players and sent their fans into ecstasy and finished with 22 points. Despite totally dominating on the offensive boards, it didn´t help Oldenburg reach the final. It was a massive accomplishment for the team as they had only qualified for the JBBL regular season the summer before. In the second contest, it was Ulm against Hamburg that also turned out to be an incredible game as well where in the end Ulm was able to pull out the victory 105-99. Ulm took the lead early, but later had to give it up as Hamburg rebounded and were led by allrounder Danny Egbe who would finish with 33 points. Ulm was severely hurt when Marko Volf landed his fourth foul right before the break. Ulm had to play long stretches without Volf and trailed by as much as 17 points. However other key players stepped up from Ulm with Justus Reintjes and Gabriel De Connick who scored 27 and 25 points, Volf came back and then played carefully and didn´t get a fifth foul while finishing with 28 points. Hamburg was down by 4 points in the last minute, but 3 offensive rebounds and free throws broke their neck. Hamburg also got a powerful game from German prospect Johan Meinberg with 10 points and 19 rebounds. I had the pleasure again to call games for the third straight year with German basketball legend Dirk Bauermann who led Germany with Dirk Nowitzki to the 2005 Silver at the European championships. He is a guy that always talks exactly what he thinks and as usual gave incredible expertise about the game and the young players that he closely monitors with the German basketball federation.

Jonas Mattessek and Franz Wagner taking in the NBBL game of Alba Berlin

Day 2 had the 2 NBBL (U-19 games on the slate. I did my running that day running about 10 kilometers and then went to the arena at 2:45. I had the day off commentating, but would write an in depth game report on Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners a team I have followed and reported on for more than 2 decades. Frankfurt had an incredible playoff run disposing of IBAM and Jena in 4 do or die games. They had a lot of self-confidence coming into the semi-final game against Alba Berlin, but at the same time knew it would be a tough challenge. It didn´t help them that 2026 AST MVP Jamie Edoka and other starting 5 player Julius Messer were out due to injury. Frankfurt was clearly the underdog and for 3 quarters were trying to comeback from 10 point differences, but the trek up the mountain was a steep one. Alba Berlin led 17-2 early and everyone knew in the arena that it would be a long afternoon for Frankfurt. Alba berlin had the depth and massive advantage under the basket as Frankfurt was severely undermined length wise. Alba Berlin was able to overpower Frankfurt as they always led between 10-20 points in the first 30 minutes. But in the fourth quarter, Frankfurt was content not to depart Berlin without a fight. Lukas Smazak had the game of his life exploding for 39 points and taking total command and leading a Frankfurt comeback that will be remembered for a long time. He continued dropping three´s and would finish with 8 and had 2 key steals and lay in´s on transition in the last 2 minutes to get them so close to 77-78. Frankfurt had the chance to send the game to overtime with a last shot from Smazak, but his shot bounced out and the game was over. The Alba Berlin fan area behind the basket went crazy and NBA player and ex Alba Berlin player Franz Wagner was also all smiles as he cheered on the boys. Alba Berlin had 11 guys score and were led by Anton Kemmer (198-F-2008) with 16 points and Nevio Bennefeld cleaned up the boards with a 12/11 game. Alba Berlin also controlled the boards 52-35. Universal genius Ivan Crnjac had an off day going 3/14 and finished with 8 points. A great season came to an end for Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners. In the second semi-final game pitted 2 great teams with Ulm and Vechta. Vechta had won 2 years ago where they had NBA prospect Johan Grunloh while Ulm was still searching for that first NBBL title. Ulm had most likely their best team ever while Vechta wasn´t as strong as in pervious years and went into the contest as the underdog. Vechta came into the game motivated and led 23-18 after 10 minutes, but a 7-0 run to start the second quarter by Ulm got them the momentum and from then on it was clear sailing as they had the lead and would never look back again and win 87-74. Ulm led by as much as 24 points in the third quarter, but Vechta staged a late comeback in the fourth quarter, but it wasn´t enough. Vechta shot the ball well from outside at 41%, but couldn´t come to terms with Ulm´s aggressive defense as Ulm had 14 steals. Ulm also had the better individual players and depth and were led by French prospect Meissa Faye with 23 points, while Endurnace Aiyamenkhue had a monster 12/15 game while Teo Milcic was close to a triple double with 16/9/9 game and Yanu Slingerland added 12 points and 10 rebounds.

One of the great things about the NBBL/JBBL Top 4 is that it is once a year and a time where many people involved in the German basketball scene come and visit. If it´s players, coaches, agents or office employees, you always bump into people you know. People that I saw again as they are a constant fixture at this event the last years were 1993 Euro champion Henning Harnisch as well as ex German national players Stefan Hamann, Jan Jagla and Heiko Schaffarzik. I also spotted Chris Ensminger who played numerous years with Bamberg under the guidance of Dirk Bauermann. I also spoke with ex Ulm assistant coach Pete Strobl who had been in the States the last few years and recently helped A-2 Italian team Pistoia remain in the league. He was in Berlin watching his talented son Peja play with NBBL team Vechta. I also saw ex German national league player Patrick Femmerling as well as 2024 NBBL champion head coach Hendrik Gruhn as well as Rhondorf head coach Max Becker and Ludwigsburg youth and Pro B coach Khee Ree. I also saw Alba Berlin players like Sven Schultze, Jack Kayil and Jonas Mattisseck. I also met Sebastian Buchberger a guy that has been following basketball for years and is running German basketball summary which is a basketball feed where he posts all key basketball news around Germany and other countries daily. I also hung out with 2 basketball institutions in German basketball reporting with Jan Finken who has covered basketball since more than 20 years and writes great articles for BIG magazine and was there writing game summaries for the NBBL. The other was American David Hein who like myself has been covering basketball in Germany for decades as we are the only 2 guys reporting in English for German basketball. Last but not least I also saw my guy Joe Asberry who is a basketball legend that played in Germany in the 90´s and since then has been a basketball workaholic working as a MOC, motivator, basketball coach and agent. He has been helping young boys and girls play the game better. It is always fun catching up with him about the game and life. I also saw 2025 NBBL champions Ivan Volf and Dominic Dolic. Dolic gave me fantastic quotes to the Alba Berlin-Frankfurt game and even drove me back to my hotel after the semi-final games on Saturday. He is a very nice guy that has great manners, but he definitely didn´t have to do that. I also saw Paderborn center Leonard Kroger who assisted me with fantastic quotes about the NBBL final for my article.

Teo Milicic

Day 3 Sunday had the 2 final games on the plate as well as the U-19 woman´s final. I don´t follow woman´s basketball, but took in the final and saw how Alba Berlin beat defending champion Wurzburg. I also spotted a tall girl playing for Alba Berlin that had a face that looked familiar. It didn´t surprise me when the name was Lily Schultze. She was the daughter of ex Alba Berlin legend Sven Schultze. I did play by play of the first JBBL final between Ulm and Team Bonn/Koln with Dirk Bauermann. Fans saw a very high scoring first quarter as both teams combined for 48 points and Bonn had the slim 4 point lead after 10 minutes. However in the second quarter, Ulm heightened their game a bit scoring 26 points as Bonn/Koln got away from their sound team ball and played more isolation. At the break head coach Tom Becker reminded his players why Bonn/Koln had reached the final which was through team ball. His team heeded his advice and in the second half outscored Ulm 56-37 getting back to playing their game again to take the JBBL crown. The 2 stars of the game were Idbihi (18/14/5 ) of Bonn/Koln and Volf (33 points) of Ulm and both had solid games, but it was Finn Wohlert of Bonn that stole the show from Volf as he exploded for 33 points. Bonn almost averaged 100 points per game in the regular season and showed their scoring power in the final. They let it ran three´s hitting for 18 and had 10 more than Ulm. Bonn/Koln also picked up special awards as Khalil Idbihi was voted rookie of the year and head coach Tom Becker scooped up coach of the year. The NBBL final between Alba Berlin and ratiopharm Ulm was an entertaining final that saw a close battle in the first 20 minutes as Alba Berlin led 22-20. However in the second quarter Alba Berlin was able to get away leading by 9 points at the break. Alba Berlin relied on their team basketball where they always had fresh energy coming off the bench while Ulm relied heavily on their offensive duo of Meissa Faye and Teo Milicic who combined for 51 points in the game. Ulm never gave up and heightened their game a bit in the third quarter outscoring Alba Berlin 25-21 to trail only 68-63. However Ulm couldn´t get over the hump in the fourth quarter as Alba Berlin managed the lead well, but Ulm fought until the end. Milicic made clutch shots and Ulm trailed only 85-83 with under a minute to go. Alba Berlin then slammed the door shut on Ulm as Bennefeld missed two free throws and it looked like Ulm could get possession, but the rebound turned into a loose ball that landed in the hands of Anton Kemmer who finished with the put back and the 87-83 win. The team collective that Alba Berlin showed for 40 minutes and 24 offensive rebounds was simply too much for Ulm. Anton Kemmer finished with 16 points and 8 rebounds and was finals MVP. THE NBBL season awards went to Leonard Kroger as MVP, Munich´s Caspar Vossenberg was rookie of the year, Daniel Biel defender of the year and Marius Linartas coach of the year. I was still in the arena an hour after the final ended working on my game report and waiting to depart for the train station. It was another long rlde home as I had an 1,5 hour lay over at 1:30 am in Cologne. I was finally home at 4.30 am. It was another great weekend of basketball with the best youth players in Germany battling for the titles. The weekend was another great promotion for German youth basketball.

Winning The NCAA Title In 2023 Was So Special For Nahiem Alleyne(Skyliners) As He Had Had That On His Bucket List Since 8th Grade

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Foto:| ZIBART:DE

For every American baller the dream is to play in the NBA and win the NBA title and probably the big goal before the NBA is winning the NCAA title at March Madness. Winning an NCAA title is rare and what is even rarer is experiencing guys having won that exceptional title play in the easyCredit BBL. There simply haven´t been many guys that have done it. There was even two German guys who won the NCAA title twice with Niels Giffey and Christian Ast. One had to wait 17 years after Henrik Rodl won with North Carolina in 1993 to see Giffey win it with Kemba Walker and UConn in 2011. He did it again in 2014 for a second time with Shabazz Napier. 2 other players that stand out that have won the NCAA title and played in Germany in the BBL were Darius Miller with Kentucky who won a BBL title with Bamberg and Napier who won a title with FC Bayern Munich. This season there is another baller balling in Germany with the Skyliners with Nahiem Alleyne (193-G-2001, college: St.John’s) who also won March Madness. He also did it with UConn in 2023. Somehow UConn has had that knack of sending guys to Germany. There was another player that also played in Germany with Senegal big man Souleymane Wane in Giessen who also won with UConn in 1999. For Nahiem Alleyne winning the NCAA title means so much. It was a goal that he had on his bucket list already in elementary school “I saw my goals come to life. I wrote a list of dreams in eighth grade and one of them was winning the NCAA title. It was a real wow moment. I have 2 distinct memories from the NCAA final. The first that I will never forget was running onto the court and seeing the fans in the football stadium. I was nervous. It felt like 1 million fans were there. It was a dope moment. The other was around the 2 minute mark where I knew that we were going to win it all”, stressed Skyliner guard Nahiem Alleyne.

Nahiem Alleyne who lists Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic as his toughest opponent in the NCAA was born on July 23, 2001 in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He attended South Gwinnett High School and also Mountain View High School. He was a HS three-star on 247 Sports and was ranked as the 21st-best player in the state of Georgia in 2019. He then attended Virginia Tech from 2019-2022 and played 90 NCAA games. He had consistent stats averaging 8.8ppg, 2.3rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 38.7%, 3PT: 38.9%, FT: 76.2%, : 11.1ppg, 2.6rpg, 1.7apg, FGP: 37.5%, 3PT: 40.8%, FT: 80.7% and 9.6ppg, 2.8rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 38.8%, 3PT: 37.3%, FT: 85.2%. He reached 2 NCAA tournaments and in his last season won the ACC title. Not many players can say that they beat North Carolina and Duke back to back to win the ACC title. “That run was special. We were a 7th seed. I remember we had a meeting before the ACC tournament. We felt like we could win it all. We really got locked in. North Carolina was our kryptonite. We had so much energy against them and were hot the whole game. We knew that we could beat them. After that we knew we could win it all. We then beat Duke and coach K in his last season”, stressed Nahiem Alleyne. He had so many great games including hitting Florida for 28 points in a tough March madness loss and overall really grew as a player under head coach Mike Young. “Coach young really took me under his wing. I honestly didn´t think like I was good enough, but he always believed in me. He groomed me into the player that I am today”, remembered Nahiem Alleyne. He then added a year with the University of Connecticut (NCAA) averaging 5.2ppg, 1.2rpg, FGP: 42.9%, 3PT: 30.5%, FT: 87.1% and won the NCAA title. Was that the best basketball decision in his life? “I´m really grateful for getting the opportunity and playing for head coach Dan Hurley. But individual wise, it was my worst season in the NCAA. I had some mental issues”, said Nahiem Alleyne. But it was all worth it since, he helped UConn win it all. The team was on a mission that season and dominated at March madness. “If someone had told me in October 2022 that we would win it all, I would have believed it. We had so many pieces. I remember tweeting a pic of the 2011 winning team. I felt like we had something special. We knew going in that we could win it all, but that it would be tough. The first 2 games were tough. The first one against Iona was the toughest. The next one against St Marys and Logan Johnson was also tough. But when we beat Gonzaga bad, I knew that we would win it all”, warned Nahiem Alleyne. He then added one more season at St. John’s University (NCAA) averaging 6.5ppg, 1.6rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 49.0%, 3PT: 38.5%, FT: 89.5%. He played twice against UConn that season and lost. He was able to grow a bit more under coaching legend Rick Pitino. “That was a learning year for me. It was amazing to be able to play for him. I learned the mental aspects of the game. I was able to see things through his eyes and perspective. I then realized why he had been so successful. His attention to detail and scouting was amazing. We had a good group of guys, but just didn´t make March Madness”, remembered Nahiem Alleyne who never played 1-1 against ex teammate Daniss Jenkins, but remembers him being one of the quickest guards that he ever faced in his career.

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Foto: ZIBART.DE

The Georgia native who lists Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Hakeem Olajuwan and Magic Johnson on his personal NBA mount Rushmore began his professional career overseas with AEK Betsson Athens (Greece-GBL)playing 4 Basketball Champions League: games averaging 5.3ppg, and then in Nov.’24 moved to Trefl Sopot (Poland-OBL) averaging 6.1ppg, 2.2rpg, FGP: 49.2%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 85.0%, 2.6rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 40.0%, 3PT: 38.5% and averaged 7.2ppg in the Eurocup. Every American has a wake up call to being overseas for the first time and it wasn´t any different for him. “When I got on the plane, I realized that this was really happening and when I landed it all hit me. Everything was different. My parents were far away and there was a time difference. I was really in awe the first 2 weeks”, remembered Nahiem Alleyne. His stay in Greece was very short as they had too many imports and he was the odd man out as a rookie. He was told that he would of played more with less imports. However he didn´t allow this first experience to rattle him, but he stayed on his toes and sought a new challenge in Poland where he had a long playoff run and played Eurocup. He had a different kind of a role as he wasn´t much of a scorer. “My role there was a tough one. I was a 3 and D player, but it really didn´t feel like it. I gave all I had and made my whole stay something out of it. It was a blessing playing against great players in the Eurocup. That showed me where I was as a player. I knew the next summer that I had to work on a lot of my game”, said Nahiem Alleyne. He was fortunate to have had many great veterans on the squad like ex NBA and BBL player Nick Johnson who showed him the ropes. “Nick was always funny and had so much energy. He always kept it real with me”, added Nahiem Alleyne.

The Ex UConn guard who lists Adama Sanogo (UConn), Jordan Hawkins (UConn), Daniss Jenkins (ST Johns), Justyn Mutts (Virginia Tech) and Tyrece Radford (Virginia Tech) as his 5 best teammates of all-time is playing his second professional season with the Skyliners. It took him a little adjustment time with all, but overall has enjoyed the experience and is very appreciative to Klaus Perwas and the coaching staff for helping him get integrated. He trains in a state of the art training facility and lives in a mall next to the facility. He has everything he needs there. Does he ever get out of the mall to explore the German culture? “I do get out a little bit. But to be honest, I don´t go out much. I have hit some restaurants and checked out the art museums. I like to take walks and have seen the river Main downtown”, said Nahiem Alleyne. On the court, it has been a tough season as the team is somewhere in the middle not in danger of moving down, but also not near the playoff territory “We had a tough stretch of games. I´m confident though that we have the pieces to make a run. We have been up and down and won a few more games. We just keep going which gives us hope”, stated Nahiem Alleyne. A big problem has been being able to close out games. The Skyliners have lost 8 close games. Is that big go to guy missing? “We all ask ourselves why we have lost so many close games. We were in so many games. I think that a problem has been that we allow one mistake to multiple into 2-3 mistakes. We then crumble. I feel like we have a good balance of players. We are all dangerous in many ways and just as dangerous if we had that one main go to guy”, expressed Nahiem Alleyne. One guy who has been missed is Jaedon LeDee who is involved in a contract dispute. Alleyne beat LeDee in the 2023 NCAA title game. “At the start I poked fun at him, but overtime it got less. Jaedon is a really good guy”, said Nahiem Alleyne. He has gelled greatly in the back court with immensely talented rookie Isaiah Swope. “I love Isaiah. He has asked me many questions about my journey. He is a real workhorse. He values the game so much and always wants to get better. We have a close relationship and both are competitors on the court”, commented Nahiem Alleyne.

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Foto: ZIBART.DE

The 3 and D player who lists Kobe Bryant as his GOAT is a player that likes to take things from many players to help implement into his game. He enjoys the game of Malik Beasley and how he shoots the ball and defends and lists CJ McCollum as his favorite player and his favorite defender is Jrue Holiday. He is though more than just a 3 and D player. “I like to get to the mid range a lot and when the opponents defense gets me off the line, then I like to use the pull up jumper as well. I´m also focused on using the floater more”, added Nahiem Alleyne. He is known as being a three point specialist and wants to continue to flourish overseas as a shooter. “I just want to be consistent and be confident. That is the main thing. I just will keep working on my shot. Just knowing to shoot it when the defenders hand is down, take the pull up off the three point line and knowing a half contested shot is a good shot”, warned Nahiem Alleyne. He also is striving to be the best defender possible. “I want to play at the highest level. I know that my defense generates my offense. I watch a lot of Jrue Holiday and Thomas Walkup. I want to be able to guard the other teams best players”, warned Nahiem Alleyne. He continues to be in the lab to improve his game as best as possible. “I´m working on many things like my ball handling, pick and roll reads and playmaking. But what I´m working on most is playing freely”, stated Nahiem Alleyne. This season he is averaging 8,8ppg and 3,0rpg and shooting 35% from outside and has scored in double figures in 11 of 26 games. Is it a fair assessment that he has been up and down? “Yes I have been up and down. I´m better though than in my rookie season. I have to improve my consistency”, warned Nahiem Alleyne. It is now the stretch run of the season and his favorite win of the season was in Ulm. “There is a lot history with Ulm and I played against my ex teammate Chris Ledlum. The win was amazing, because we showed that we could play with anyone”, stressed Nahiem Alleyne. The Skyliners were unable to reach the playoffs, but for Nahiem Alleyne, it was a season where he gathered vital experience and will be ready for battle on the court in year 3 no matter where he lands.

The Universal Genius Ivan Crnjac Has Hot Hand Powering Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners Past Jena 68-64 To Reach NBBL Top 4 In Berlin

It was high noon in Basketball City Mainhatten as NBBL (U-19) team Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners were 1 win away from reaching the promised land of the NBBL top 4 in Berlin. Frankfurt had done a greta job sweeping IBAM an dnow had a very annoying and ambitious opponent with Jena. Eintracht Frankfurt buckled down on defense in the first game and controlled the boards winning 71-60. However in game 2, Jena had a do or die game in their living room an d fulfilled expectations winning 89-79 and this time did a lot better job controlling the boards and shot 40% from the parking lot. On a very mild May afternoon a packed BCM crowd were presented with a game that brought all fighting qualities of a do or die game where Frankfurt had to fight back all game long and finally got the lead back in the last minute to secure the victory and first visit back to the NBBL top 4 in 10 years. Ivan Crnjac (203-F-2007) and Lukas Smazak supplied key three´s in the second half while energizer Rephael Edward gave incredible support with 7 offensive rebounds that keyed the win. “We had a bad start. Jena did a good job closing us down and our three´s weren´t falling. Even after Biel made three three´s in a row, we kept a calm head. We defended a lot better in the second half to secure the win”, stressed Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners forward Ivan Crnjac. Science City Jena played their heart out for 40 minutes, but lost control in the last minutes where a few possessions cost them the win, but it was also a combination of other things. “We began in the B-League and didn´t expect too much after that however we still wanted to win this game 3 so badly. I think the pressure got to us a bit at the end. We didn´t make the right decisions and gave up easy baskets”, stressed Science City Jena forward Daniel Biel.

Karl Haring at the FT line

Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners were with out Julius Messer while Science City Jena were without Maxi Bader. Science City Jena didn´t let their mishap of forgetting their jersey´s get them out of concentration as the black Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners jerseys suited them well. Both teams understood the importance of the game and were a tad nervous as 9 possessions combined led to 0 points. Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners then got potent support from Jamie Edoka who scored back to back baskets for the 4-0 advantage. “Jamie has really developed well this season. I think that he has improved from game to game and taken on more responsibility”, stated Skyliner Junior Marvin Esser. However Science City Jena then got going and punched back going on a lethal 12-0 run to lead 12-4. Science City Jena moved the ball great and just made incredible decisions creating good shots that led to excellent execution. Jena got key three´s from Leopold Schmidt and Karl Haring while athletic forward Daniel Biel made an off balance shot and Philipp Morgenstern also scored inside. Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners were getting some good looks, but the basketball God just didn´t want the three to fall yet. The universal Genius Ivan Crnjac gave his team extra energy on 3 possessions making an old school hook shot in the manner of ex Skyliner Ilian Evtimov, made free throws and made a pretty back door pass to Edward to trail 12-9. In the last minute the guests got free throws from Biel and a jumper from Schmidt. “The three wasn´t falling for us. 2 more three´s and the game would have been tied. Jena took better shots and we had too much 1-1 play. We also couldn´t match their intensity”, stated Skyliner Garai Zeeb. Science City Jena shot 33% from the field and 25% from outside and had 12 rebounds and 5 turnovers while Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners shot 24Y% from the field and 0% from outside and had 9 rebounds and 3 turnovers.

Jamie Edoka with the runner

In the second quarter Science City Jena continued to control the game and led by double digits 34-22 at half-time. Science City Jena kept their momentum from the first quarter and went on a 8-2 run to begin the second quarter and led 24-12. In the run, they got the good mid range game Karl Haring with a 10 and 15 footer as he knew exactly how to find his spots, while Schmidt also scored twice. Jena´s offense was calm and controlled as they were always looking for the right shot. Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners continued having difficulty hitting the ocean as nothing feel. They did get to the free throw line getting points from Maxi Peters and Smazak, but still trailed 28-20. The bench was also of big value as Science City Jena had had the overwhelming 57-13 bench points advantage in the first 2 games and in game 3 continued to get great bench support as Lenny Junker made a trey and Lukas Cadordzic made a lay in on transition. Jena also had extra opportunities as they were controlling the offensive board. Jena´s aggressive defense also forced Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners to too many turnovers as all in all, they couldn´t find a healthy offensive rhythm. Even if Smazak was searching for his shot, he was playing great defense as his 3 steals helped Frankfurt get extra possession. “He is always giving great effort and full gas. He is a super player and a role model for the young kids”, added Marvin Esser. Undersized big man Johan Grau who never picked off a rebound he didn´t like showed his IQ finding Cadordzic with a back door pass for the 11 point lead at the break. “Jena was fighting a bit more than we were. If the game is running well then you work harder. If shots aren´t falling which was the case with Frankfurt, you loose intensity”, warned Garai Zeeb. Science City Jena shot 42% from the field and 27% from the three point line and had 25 rebounds and 10 turnovers while Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners shot 24% from the field and 0% from the three point line and had 19 rebounds and 7 turnovers.

Daniel Biel with the lay up attempt

In the third quarter Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners fought back and tied the game by the hot hand of Ivan Crnjac, but the hot hand of Daniel Biel gave Science City Jena the 53-46 advantage after 3 quarters. Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners began well on the defensive end adding a lot more intensity getting steals from Smazak and Peters which led to Frankfurt´s first trey by Smazak on their 17th attempt to trail 34-26. However the guests didn´t get scared, but punched back with authority with back to back three´s by Johan Grau and Biel to up their lead back up again to 40-26. Frankfurt was making it more difficult for Jena to execute, but they still found ways to score as Morgenstern made an offensive rebound and put back and Grau made a jumper for the 44-31 advantage. Frankfurt still hadn´t found their groove from outside and the question was how much longer could their three point drought carry on? Things finally turned around for Frankfurt as they produced an annoying 13-0 run to dead lock the contest at 44-44. It was powered by 3 three´s by Ivan Crnjac. “Frankfurt finally hit three´s. Ivan took the chance and with every new made three, the rim looked bigger. He had more post ups the last games and not many three´s. It is great that he kept shooting three´s after he made them”, smiled brother Drago Crnjac. “After I made that first deep three, I knew the next ones would go in as well. I needed that break out and then my confidence rose”, smiled Ivan Crnjac. The momentum was in Frankfurt´s hands, but then came the brutal awakening of Daniel Biel. He had had a solid game, but now he upped his game a few extra levels and pulled a Crnjac with 3 clutch three´s in a row to up the Jena lead by 7 points after 30 minutes. “It was a do or die game. I had to answer after Ivan´s three´s. I love the challenge. I heard the fans a bit, but in that moment, it was just me and the rim”, said Daniel Biel. Science City Jena shot 43% from the field and 42% from the parking lot and had 36 rebounds and 14 turnovers while Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners shot 30% from the field and 16% from the parking lot and had 29 rebounds and 8 turnovers. “We worked well with our hands, got more rebounds, were more physical and got many steals”, added Ivan Crnjac. “Frankfurt defended a lot better and just gave all. Ivan Crnjac started to hit three´s something he is always capable of doing”, commented Daniel Biel.

Maxi Peters at the FT line

In the fourth quarter Science City Jena continued to control the game, but couldn´t shake Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners as they continued to remain in striking distance. Cardordzic and Smazak traded three´s to begin the fourth quarter, but Frankfurt still trailed 56-49. Edoka and Biel then traded baskets, but Jena still led 60-52. Then came a phase where one got the idea that Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners weren´t ever going to go down with a fight as the ultimate hustler Rephael Edward picked up 3 offensive rebounds and Peters one offensive rebound, but it led to 0 points. Edward finished with 7 offensive rebounds. “We wanted to win so badly. I did all I could for my team giving 100%. I just do the dirty work”, smiled Rephael Edward. Frankfurt just kept plugging step by step as now their three didn´t let them down. Smazak hit a trey and Chris Widmer a jumper as suddenly Jena led only 62-59. Jena´s intensity wasn´t a strong as the first half and Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners were in the drivers seat now. They closed out the game in serious style going on a 9-2 run. Crnjac dropped a trey to tie the game and Smazak hit the next one for the 65-62 advántage. “Ivan´s shooting was so important today. I was just wow. We have so much trust in his shooting”, expressed Rephael Edward. A clutch steal by little used utility player Christoph Goerdes led to a Edoka bucket that sealed the win. “A few possessions made the difference. I think that overall we had the better individual class. We had too many weapons to decide the game”, explained Ivan Crnjac. “We gave up too many offensive rebounds, turnovers and open shots”, said Daniel Biel. Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners was led by Ivan Crnjac with 19 points. Jamie Edoka added 17 points and Lukas Smazak 14 points while Science City Jena was led by Daniel Biel with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners shot 31% from the field and 25% from outside and had 45 rebounds and 12 turnovers while Science City Jena shot 41% from the field and 38% from outside and had 42 rebounds and 19 turnovers.

Explosive Scorer Jonathan Klussmann(Paderborn) Can Also Create Very Well Simply Because Of His Dangerous Scoring Qualities

Jonathan Klussmann (190-G-2002) is a 23 year old 190cm guard from Denmark playing his second season in Germany and first with the Paderborn Baskets. Last season he played with SC RASTA Vechta 2nd team (Germany-ProA) averaging 15.9ppg, 3.2rpg, 2.3apg, FGP: 51.4%, 3PT: 31.3%, FT: 84.0%. He began his pro career with BK Amager (BasketLigaen) averaging 17.3ppg, 3.4rpg, 2.4apg, FGP: 45.4%, 3PT: 29.1%, FT: 84.1% and 17.0ppg, 4.5rpg, 4.3apg, FGP: 39.8%, 3PT: 32.0%, FT: 77.0%. He then played 2 seasons with Randers Cimbria Basketball (BasketLigaen) averaging 15.4ppg, 3.3rpg, 3.8apg, FGP: 54.5%, 3PT: 39.7%, FT: 71.8% and 16.5ppg, 3.2rpg, 3.9apg, FGP: 46.9%, 3PT: 35.1%, FT: 72.6%. He then played in Spain with Fundacion Globalcaja La Roda (Spain-LEB Silver) averaging 13.1ppg, 1.9rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 51.3%, 3PT: 39.8%, FT: 80.0%. He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball.

Thanks Jonathan for talking to germanhoops.com. Your playing your first season for the Paderborn Baskets. What kind of an experience has it been for you? What have you enjoyed most about your time there?

It has been a really good experience. It´s been my first time playing for a Big Home crowd with a lot of loyal fans. I really appreciate Them and that experience.

Do you still have ties to Vechta. In Paderborn you aren´t far away from Vechta. Was the familiarity of the area important for you to go to Paderborn?

I liked my time in Vechta but I don’t Think the area did anything to my decision. I have enjoyed both cities being close to Denmark so my girlfriend and family can visit me.

It hasn´t been the best season for Paderborn. What have been the main reasons for the club not standing better in the standings? Was defense one of the major factors?

I think the season depends a lot on how we finish it. We still have the chance to make it a good season since all teams outside the playoffs are so close and one or two wins can change a lot

You have upped your scoring from last season. Is your role different from last season. Last season you were a leader among young German players. This season there are way more scoring options and that hasn´t allowed to let your scoring suffer. How do you explain that?

Of courseI have a bigger role this year, we might also be a little bit more competitive and that lets me be myself in some of the close games, like the one in Koblenz. I think it hasn’t stopped me because I had the skills to keep doing it on this level and got the chance from the club and coach to do it.

What has it been like being teammates with young German Karl Buhner? I call him Mr offensive rebound because he is such a great rebounder for his height. How have you seen his development into a pro player the last 2 seasons?

I love Karl. He is a great guy. Its really nice to see him have a breakout season compared to last year. I think he shows he can be a top level German in this league.

How valuable has a veteran like Grant Tecihmanm been for you? Is he in a way like a mentor for you?

Grant has been great for us. It has been nice to have someone with experience. I think he has helped me with his knowledge of German basketball since he has a lot of experience from this league

Let´s talk about your game. You’re a 190cm guard. If You had to compare your game to a NBA or Euroleague player who would best fit the description

I don’t know if I really know someone to compare it to. But I like to watch and see how the unathletic Europeans play the game. So hopefully it can slow down for me in the future and I can be better. While still keeping some of my more American Inspired aggression and scoring.

You fill the stat sheet well and are a great scorer. What other strengths does your game incorporate best?

I think I can be great at creating for other players. Because I can always create an advantage through my scoring. And I also hope my teammates think I´m a player they can rely on in the closing minutes and important situations

You have always been a pretty solid outside shooter, but not reached 40% yet in a season. How big is your drive to reach that and what does your shot need to get even more stable?

My motivation for that is high. I think my role and shot selection right now makes it the hardest. So hopefully going to a higher level and maturing in the future will get me to that %

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

I think I am a strong and good on ball defense and can pressure the ball when my role sees it fit. I also draw a decent amount of charges. I want to be much smarter on defense especially off the ball since I am a small guy. And also just improve my ball screen and on ball defense.

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

I think my decision making. I often create good advantages so now my next step is to make the right read. And again on the defensive end

Last season you played your first season in Germany with SC RASTA Vechta 2nd team (Germany-ProA) averaging 15.9ppg, 3.2rpg, 2.3apg, FGP: 51.4%, 3PT: 31.3%, FT: 84.0%. How tough was this season? The team finished in 18th place at 4-30. What did you learn about that season?

It was a really tough year but it taught me to keep going and made me more motivated to prove myself. It also gave me the chance to practice with the BBL squad for half the season, which was great for my motivation and to see that I can play on that level and hopefully get the chance in the future

What was it like being teammates with young German guards Kaya Bayram and Moritz Gruess? Did you have that type of mentor role for them?

It was fun. Most of the team was really young and it was a fun dynamic to experience. And of course I hope they liked me and maybe learned a thing from watching me.

You began your career with BK Amager (BasketLigaen) averaging 17.3ppg, 3.4rpg, 2.4apg, FGP: 45.4%, 3PT: 29.1%, FT: 84.1% and 17.0ppg, 4.5rpg, 4.3apg, FGP: 39.8%, 3PT: 32.0%, FT: 77.0%. Your were a teenager and played heavy minutes in the first Danish league. How vital was it being thrown into cold water right away? Did you become a man in terms of basketball?

I think that was great. I started playing men´s basketball at 15-16 so that was a part of growing up fast for me. Also for my Home town team, that was fun.

How thankful are you for head coach Almir Zeco who gave you that needed freedom? How did he help you most those 2 years in your basketball development?

I´m really thankful, he gave me a good chance and experience!

How vital was a player like American Robert Fields? Was he like a mentor for you? What could you soak up most from his game?

Rob is a great guy. He taught me some things on how to be professional that I could use moving on in my career.

That first season you had some really good games against top Danish team Bakken. What memories do you have of those games? You lost both, but scored 19 and 11 points.

For me it was just fun to play against some of the players and teams you grew up watching on TV. That was fun

You next made the jump to Randers Cimbria Basketball (BasketLigaen) averaging 15.4ppg, 3.3rpg, 3.8apg, FGP: 54.5%, 3PT: 39.7%, FT: 71.8% and 16.5ppg, 3.2rpg, 3.9apg, FGP: 46.9%, 3PT: 35.1%, FT: 72.6%. How valuable were these 2 years for your game? What steps did you make in your game under Peter Hoffman and Jimmy Moore?

Even though it was only two years it gave me a lot of different impressions which was good for when I wanted to leave Denmark. I learned how to be a full time pro. And gave me 2 pro years living with my girlfriend

You then left Denmark for the first time and played for Fundacion Globalcaja La Roda (Spain-LEB Silver) averaging 13.1ppg, 1.9rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 51.3%, 3PT: 39.8%, FT: 80.0%. What do you remember being your wake up call to being in a new country where you knew that you were far away from home?

That was a hard year for me. No one really spoke english and the style of play was different. With almost no Americans. It was a year i´ll never forget but also a year I won´t miss. The city was bad and it made me more tough for sure.

You were top scorer at the 2018 U-16 Euro averaging PPG-1 (25.0), 7.8rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 56.6%, 3PT: 27.4%, FT: 69.2%. What memories do you have of that Euro? You dominated like crazy.

That was such a fun summer. Playing with all the guys from my age group and Denmark is such a small country that you know everyone and they are your friends. It was some fun games and we played against some top teams like Russia that went on to win the tournament.

You have become a Danish national player as well having played qualifying games. What is the state of Danish basketball? There is a good nucleus of players with Bakkary Dibba, Dane Erikstrup and yourself. What other players can we watch for in the future?

I think the state is really good. The last two eurobasket qualifiers we were one basket away from going, and I think we have a lot of talent coming up. Dibba is a great player and friend! Him and Dane have a great future in the national team, hopefully with me. Also Marcus Møller is the biggest prospect we have. He is the Danish Wemby.

What is your goal for the next years? Is the easyCredit BBL a league that you believe you could join soon?

I hope so. My goal is to prove myself and get better every season. I think I have a lot of things to improve and learn, so I think the nexT couple of years will be very exciting.

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

One of my first trips with the national team we played North Macedonia with TJ Shorts. I think I fouled him two times in 30 seconds and then I went to the bench again. He was very good.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

I Think all the teammates I had as a kid. nAnd since I was a pro probably

Anton Hansen, Randers Cimbria Karl Buhner, Vechta/Paderborn

Bakary dibba, national team and angt

Luke House, Vechta Nathan Scott, Randers/Paderborn

Charles Knowles, La Roda Spain

Please name your NBA, Euroleague and Danish Mount Rushmore (4 best players)

Lebron, Jordan, Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose

MilosTeodosic, Sergio llull, Mike James, Alexey Shved

Chris Nielsen, Anton Hansen, Bakary Dibba and Linus Grøn

Who is your GOAT?

Lebron has to be. I grew up staying up at night to watch him play. My favorite player though was Dwight Howard

Thanks Jonathan for the chat.

2026 AST Champion Lucai Anderson´s Sniper Qualities Continue To Grow Not Through Quantity But Moreover Through Quality

Pic credit: Iamwosz

It was about 10 minutes after Germany had totally destroyed Bahrain in the opening contest at the 2026 Albert Schweitzer tournament. I wanted to interview Germany´s top scorer Lucai Anderson (190-G-2009). I stopped him and he said he would return back after coaches talk in the locker room. I waited and there were some kids shooting on one of the basket´s as well as also a young man that looked a bit familiar. I asked a young kid if that was Christian Anderson and he said yes. Anderson´s second season at Texas Tech had ended early and it was only logical that he would be in Germany on Easter supporting his younger brother at AST. Then after a few seconds, I recognized a man next to me and that happened to be the dad of Christian and Lucai. We rapped for a few minutes and it was nice knowing that he had read my work at Eurobasket for decades. That was very cool to hear from him. It was Easter in Germany and the Anderson men were all together. It just couldn´t be any other way. “It was pretty cool having both of them there watching me. We move together as a unit. We go everywhere together”, smiled Lucai Anderson. Brother Christian is 3 years older than Lucai and will be a projected 2026 first round pick in the NBA. Does Lucai feel any pressure having to follow in his brothers footsteps? “I don´t feel pressure. For me it is observing his path. I can see his mistakes and learn from them. I also get more opportunities watching his path. I´m always trying to learn from his game. I have learned how he plays on and off the ball”, stressed Lucai Anderson. Winning the AST title was a big title in his young career. “I had total joy and celebration when the buzzer sounded in the final. This was my first title with Germany and that was pretty special”, said Lucai Anderson.

The Anderson family with Miles Schmidt-Scheuber in Mannheim Germany at AST

Germany played Bahrain first at AST and used it as a warm up destroying the Asian team 116-59. Germany totally controlled the boards 55-31 and had 6 players score in double figures led by Lucai Anderson with 16 points. “It was a good thing that we had an easier opponent like Bahrain in the first game. That gave us the opportunity to find our faults and then be able to fix them so we would be ready for more difficult opponents”, stated Lucai Anderson. Jamie Edoka had a solid first game scoring 11 points and filled the stat sheet and was on his way to becoming one of the best players in the tournament. “Jamie is a very solid player. He always plays hard no matter what. He has the ability to impact the game the way he needs to”, warned Lucai Anderson. Germany next faced Slovenia and had their toughest challenge of the tournament. Germany started slow and had to play catch up basketball for most of the game. Germany picked up the intensity in the fourth quarter at both ends and won it with the masterful game winner by Jamie Edoka. “We learned from that first Slovenia game to play more as a team. He also learned to move the ball better as well as playing better against ball pressure”, stated Lucai Anderson. Edoka closed out the game with a pretty step back jumper on the baseline where the basketball God let it bounce around on rim and back board before finally rolling in. “I knew Jamie´s shot was going in. It was crazy how it was in and out and then fell in”, said Lucai Anderson. Germany controlled the boards again 41-33 with 16 offensive rebounds and had 4 guys score in double figures. Lucai Anderson was top scorer with 16 points and nailed big three´s when Germany needed it in their come back. Caspar Vossenberg added 13 points and was one of those silent hero´s during the tournament stepping up in so many ways. “Caspar was really important for our success. He always brought a lot of energy. He always got us going with dunks”, remembered Lucai Anderson. Germany next faced Turkey where many Turkish fans showed up adding to a beautiful atmosphere. Germany was in control in the first half, but had a horrible third quarter being outscored 24-4, but retreated in the fourth quarter demonstrating that they can flip the switch at any time exploding for 29 points and winning easily 95-80. “We struggled a bit against Turkey with rebounding. We got a little laid back and lost our principles. That was our wake up call and then we got going”, remembered Lucai Anderson. Germany once again dominated the boards 44-26 and offensive rebounds 20-8 and shot a potent 46% from outside. Germany was led by Lucai Anderson with 26 points and had 4 players in double figures. Fin Borczwanoski had a solid game of 13 points, but was in the shadow of Lucai Anderson´s brilliant scoring game. “Fin was also a vital piece for our success. He always found a way to help us get rhythm on offense. He had the ability to score and rebound well”, remembered Lucai Anderson.

Germany then faced Sweden in the fourth game and won 91-56. After a tight first quarter, Germany then played consistent ball in the last 3 quarters averaging 22 points and allowing only 11 points on the way to a comfortable victory. Germany led by as much as 35 points and won the rebound duel 61-32. They also forced them to 6/37 shooting from outside. “We really dominated the boards at both ends. I think that the second chance points was a big reason why we won the game”, added Lucai Anderson. Germany spread the love around with scoring once again totaling 5 players in double figures led by Edoka´s 15 points. Not only did Kiehlneker have a dominant double double, but so did Alba Berlin talent Anton Kemmer. “Felix is a great rebounder and lob threat. He helped us a lot with his rim protection, presence and being able to alter shots”, remembered Lucai Anderson. The German domination continued against Japan winning 103-78. After a tight first quarter, Germany then exploded for 62 points in the second and third quarters paving the win. “They played fast like we did, but we had the size advantage. Mentally we were strong and didn´t take them for granted”, said Lucai Anderson. Germany was led by Caspar Vossenberg with 17 points and had 4 guys score in double figures and won the rebound battle again easily 61-32 with 20 offensive rebounds. Germany was 5-0 and now met Brazil in the semi-finals. Was any one going to stop them? Germany witnessed a tight scoring first half leading 51-50, but stepped it up in the third quarter exploding for 31 points and took it up another notch in the last frame with 39 points winning 121-98 “We had a good first half and then their defense put more focus on me. We didn´t let that hurt us. We got others involved and there was no stopping us”, added Lucai Anderson. Anderson and Edoka combined for 47 points as Anderson led all scorers with 26 points. Another key player for Germany at AST was Ludwigsburg guard Kenan Youdom who chipped in with 11 points vs Brazil, but was one of the team´s best defenders. “His defense always gave us energy and got us going. He always got all to play defense, but his offense was also vital”, stressed Lucai Anderson. Germany won the rebound battle again 40-24, shot 42% from outside and only coughed up the ball 9 times.

The final was a close battle against Slovenia. Germany led 46-38 at the break, but in the second half Slovenia led briefly until Germany got the lead back and never looked back despite winning the second half only 41-37. “I think that Slovenia rushed to much at the end and couldn´t hit shots. We sped them up more than they wanted to. We also wanted it more than they did”, warned Lucai Anderson. Germany was led by Edoka with 17 points and had 4 guys score in double figures and won the rebound battle again 49-36. ”I think our biggest strength during the AST was our ability to run transition. We wore out all the teams. Our depth also was really important in our success”, remembered Lucai Anderson. After the win, coach Alan Ibrahimagic was greeted with a massive shower in the dressing room. There was a team dinner and then most guys were on their way home except for Anderson and Dopfer who left Sunday to travel back to the states. The German who lists players Alessanco Vazquez Dos Santos of Brazil and Slovenian players Igor Stjepanovic and Lukas Bojovic as the playesr that impressed him most during the tournament had a solid tournament averaging 15/1/2 stats and shot 15/35 from outside. “It was a lot of fun playing against so many familiar faces that I had seen at the Next Gen tournament. I think that more team ball was played at AST, but the players were more talented at Next Gen. I think I played well, but could have been more consistent. I could of impacted the game more in 2-3 games. When shots aren´t falling then you try to do other things to help the team win. I´m just happy that we won”, expressed Lucai Anderson. He played against 6 different nations and against the best youth players on earth which helped his game make another step. “I struggled at the start with the ball pressure, but then it got better. I also learned to finish better against bigger bodies”, stated Lucai Anderson. All his teammates were impressed with his incredible shooting and it is something that helped carry Germany in so many times during AST. “My dad has taught me to shoot the ball a different way since I was 2 or 3. I think what separates me from other shooters is not focusing on quantity but quality. At the next level, shooters all have quantity, but it´s all about quality”, warned Lucai Anderson. It was the first time that he played for head coach Alan Ibrahimagic and was able to learn so much in such a short time. “Coach Alan gave me good tips like how to bring the ball up with less effort as well as challenging me on defense”, said Lucai Anderson. He had so many incredible moments on the court with his play, but what was his favorite? “I think my fondest moment was hitting the three´s against Slovenia after struggling at first”, remembered Lucai Anderson. It will be interesting to see where the career of Lucai Anderson continues to go in in the next years. One thing is for sure. The focus and hungriness to win the next Title with Germany will only continue to grow.

Scoring In Bunches Rascal Tehree Horn leads BBC Bayreuth To 89-75 Victory Over The EPG Baskets Koblenz

With the weather getting warmer and days onger, basketball fans in Koblenz had some other things to concentrate on besides their team, because with 2 game days remaining in the season, the club was no longer a playoff contender. The club had had their chances the last weeks, but with too much up and downs and slim loses to Paderborn and Tuebingen ruined any hopes of reaching the playoffs. The EPG baskets Koblenz had their last home game on the menu and faced 13-19 team BBC Bayreuth that shared the same record as them. They also had no chances or making the playoffs as their whole season had been an up and down affair as they could never go on a long winning streak and had 4 2 game winning streaks the whole season and were 5-5 in the last 10 games. It was an open game after three quarters, but a key 12-2 run in the fourth quarter by BBC Bayreuth sparked them to easy 89-75 win over the EPG Baskets Koblenz. “Key for the win was sticking together. We did a good job slowing down our turnovers and we had real good rim protection on the pick and roll. We had good play calling by coach and rebounding as well. All in all it was a good team effort”, stressed BBC Bayreuth guard Tehree Horn (193-G-2001, college: USC Aiken, agency: One Motive Sports). The EPG Baskets wanted to finish strong in their last home game, but not being able to finish strong hurt them once again in the loss to BBC Bayreuth. “They hit tough shots through out the game, We did a good job regrouping, but we just couldn´t put together a good effort for 40 minutes. We just showed it in spurts”, stressed EPG Baskets Koblenz guard Julian Larry.

Kevaughn Allen with the lay in

The EPG Baskets were in the hole from the get go not having Calvin Wishart who was ill. He did sit on the bench to support his teammates. BBC Bayreuth had a quick start leading 9-2. The guests found an offensive rhythm and nailed 3 consecutive three´s from Mr 50/40/90 player Kevaughn Allen, American Cantia Rahming and ex Ulm forward Lenny Liedtke. ´Koblenz had little intensity and coughed up the ball early. They finally found to their game getting some easy baskets from American DJ Jeffries on a step back and a transition dunk from ex Phoenix Hagen guard Devonte McCall to trail 9-6. However BBC Bayreuth continued to execute well attacking the rim and getting easy lay up´s from Rahming, Horn, and Liedtke to lead 17-10. BBC Bayreuth was playing Koblenz´s game in that they were running and getting out on transition. Koblenz was playing catch up basketball, but didn´t lose total control, but remained in the game receiving a clutch trey from 2025 BBL cup champion Aleksa Kovacevic. BBC Bayreuth then were sparked by a mini 4-0 run as top Pro B player Jonathan Zeisberger made a lay in as did Liedtke for the 21-13 advantage. Koblenz closed out the first quarter with a little momentum with a 4-0 run by McCall who showed again how big of an impact player he can be. BBC Bayreuth led 21-17 after 10 minutes. “I felt like we had good mobility up front. Everybody was involved. But at the same time we had too many phases where we were unconcentrated and had too many unforced errors. We also had problems on the rebounds and missed easy lay up´s, Stated EPG Baskets Koblenz sport director Thomas Klein. The EPG Baskets Koblenz shot 42% form the 2 point area and 20% from outside and had 11 rebounds and 4 turnovers while BBC Bayreuth shot 67% from the 2 point area and 30% from outside and had 10 rebounds and 5 turnovers.

Cantia Rahming at the FT line

The game of runs continued in the second half and BBC Bayreuth continued to manage the lead and led 38-32 after 20 minutes. The EPG Baskets Koblenz had a better start in the second quarter getting 4 consecutive stops, but couldn´t make significant ground only getting a dunk from DJ Jeffries on the perfect alley-op pass from Jannis Sonnefeld to trail 21-19. BBC Bayreuth caught Koblenz lacking concentration again for a few minutes and hit them with a brutal 9-0 run to extend their lead to 30-19. In the run, the guests were sparked by 4 different players as they shared the ball around. Liedtke dropped another trey while Horn made a step back and Allen a lay while Rahming a tip in. Rahming gave Koblenz fits all day long as he was a wrecking force in the zone as he finished with a 15/15 game. Kovacevic then found some instant energy adding 5 points as he made a left handed lay in and trey and suddenly the guests led only 30-25. Kovacevic also showed his Teodosic passing skills with a pretty over the shoulder pass to German Alex Moeller for 2 points. “Aleksa played very well today. That was definitely a great pass”, said Thomas Klein. Koblenz just couldn´t find any consistency inside as Rahming continued to do what he wanted with a put back and dunk to keep BBC Bayreuth ahead 34-29. Buck added a jumper, but BBC Bayreuth always had an answer as Horn closed out the first half with a lay in for the 6 point advantage. “We had too many ups and downs. We weren´t strong enough on the close outs and gave up too many offensive rebounds. We weren´t good on the box out. I do feel like the team still did a good job playing without Wishart”, explained Thomas Klein. BBC Bayreuth shot 52% from the 2 point area and 25% from the three point line and had 22 rebounds and 8 turnovers while the EPG Baskets Koblenz shot 42% from the 2 point area and 30% from the three point line and had 20 rebounds and 8 turnovers.

Alex Moeller with the lay in

In the third quarter the EPG Baskets Koblenz had their first lead of the game, but couldn´t keep it as BBC Bayreuth fought back and stole the lead back and led 63-60 after 30 minutes. The EPG Baskets Koblenz came out refreshed going on a 8-0 run to lead 41-38. Badu Buck nailed a trey while Texas native Julian Larry hit a jumper and free throws and Jeffries made a free throw. Koblenz upped their intensity at both ends including being more of the hustling team and were a lot more aggressive attacking the hole. Koblenz kept the slim lead, but BBC Bayreuth also attacked the rim and got free throws from Liedtke and Rahming. But BBC Bayreuth also had an ace in their sleeve as Horn showed total responsibility scoring 4 buckets in the row to give his team the 53-51 advantage. “I like to score in bunches. I kept being open off screens and my teammates found me. I just took what the defense gave me. I also attacked on transition”, added Tehree Horn. Kovacevic gave Koblenz the lead back again at 54-53 with a floater, but BBC Bayreuth always had an answer. They got to the free throw line getting free throws from Rahming and German/American Leroy Ikejiaku and a pretty hook shot from Dutch forward Willem Brandwijk to lead 61-56. Larry made another lay in late and Sonnefeld free throws, but Koblenz just couldn´t get over the hump trailing by 3 points. “We got hot as a team and got open shots. That helped us get a better rhythm which we didn´t have in the first half”, commented Tehree Horn. “We didn´t hit shots despite getting open looks. Horn did a good job finding his spots and made shots”, said Julian Larry. BBC Bayreuth shot 52% from the 2 point area and 28% from the parking lot and had 29 rebounds and 12 turnovers while the EPG Baskets Koblenz shot 46% from the 2 point area and 31% from the parking lot and had 27 rebounds and 11 turnovers.

Alexsa Kovacevic at the FT line

In the fourth quarter BBC Bayreuth punched one last time for a big run and that was that as the EPG Baskets Koblenz were unable to get over the hump. BBC Bayreuth wasn´t fooling around as they surprised the EPG Baskets Koblenz with a lethal 12-2 run to lead 77-62 and would never look back again. Ohio native Tehree Horn was in attack mode again carrying the Bavarian team with 6 points while ex Sienna (NCAA) forward Brandwijk saved his best for the last quarter making 2 lay in´s and Liedtke also supplied a lay in. BBC Bayreuth just overpowered Koblenz by attacking the rim with severe force while Koblenz had continued difficulty with the close out and had mental lapses. Brandwijk still had a trick up his sleeve as he launched a nasty dunk for the 79-64 lead. “Willem shows those kind of dunks all the time in practice. He is a freak athlete. It is fun playing with him and watching him”, stated Tehree Horn. With 4 minutes to play, the EPG Baskets Koblenz were unable to make a comeback simply because they couldn´t string along extra stops. Larry did supply 5 points, but BBC Bayreuth always had an answer with an Allen lay in and free throws from Horn and Brandwijk to ice the win. “We did a good job in crunch-time taking advantage of the mis matches. We forced turnovers and our bigs did a good job protecting the rim”, stated Tehree Horn. “We didn´t have the needed execution or physicality. We had the same problem in Tuebingen last weekend. We have to do a better job executing and handling adversary”, warned Julian Larry. BBC Bayreuth was led by Tehree Horn with 23 points while Lenny Liedtke had 19 points and Cantia Rahming 15 points while the EPG Baskets Koblenz were led by Julian Larry with 17 points and Devonte McCall had 15 points. BBC Bayreuth shot 48% from the field and 32% from outside and had 41 rebounds and 16 turnovers while the EPG Baskets Koblenz shot 35% from the field and 27% from outside and had 32 rebounds and 12 turnovers.

2026 AST Champion Caspar Vossenberg Will Never Forget His Poster Dunk Against Japan

Pic credit: DBB

During Easter weekend 2026, the paths of Caspar Vossenberg (200-F-2009) and Ivan Kharchenkov couldn´t have been more different. Ivan Kharchenkov had been a easyCredit BBL player for years and even the youngest who ever played a game at age 16 and took the step this season to take advantage of the NIL and played with Arizona (NCAA). He had a great season and made it to the NCAA Final 4, but on that holy weekend, his season ended to the hands of Michigan. For Vossenberg on the other hand, the young German battled at the Albert Schweizer tournament for the second time in his career and played a massive role in Germany winning it´s third AST in the tournament´s 31 year existence. Despite a 3 year gap between both boys, both actually suited up last season to win the 2025 NBBL (U-19) title in Berlin. That was the memorable final where Kharchenkov took the train from Weissenfels to take a break from the BBL playoffs and play the final. Despite being concentrated for AST, was the young German able to follow Kharchenkov´s NCAA Final 4 weekend in Indianapolis? “Unfortunately I couldn´t follow it too much. It was really too bad that he didn´t win. However I feel like Ivan can still be really happy about his season. A big future is awaiting him”, warned Caspar Vossenberg. Did the 2 aggressive players that have an incredible drive have any kind of relationship last season? “We didn´t. He played most of the season with the Munich Euroleague team. Despite that he was still like a mentor for me though. One could see how good of a player he was. He is a really nice guy, hard worker and very humble”, remembered Caspar Vossenberg. “I can´t remember too much about Caspar since I only played one game with him, but he is a good guy”, said Ivan Kharchenkov.

Pic credit: DBB

Germany played Bahrain first at AST and used it as a warm up destroying the Asian team 116-59. Germany totally controlled the boards 55-31 and had 6 players score in double figures led by Lucai Anderson with 16 points. “To be honest I feel like at first it wasn´t our goal to win the AST. We saw the AST initially as a preparation for the World Cup this summer. But I think that we all realized in the semi-final that we could win it. We had taken our game to another level. It was key playing Bahrain first so everyone could get used to each other”, stressed Caspar Vossenberg. Jamie Edoka had a solid first game scoring 11 points and filled the stat sheet and was on his way to becoming one of the best players in the tournament. Could he be the next German after Isaac Bonga from the Skyliners to reach the NBA? “Jamie is a cool guy and we understand each other really well. It was extremely important to have him as our captain and have his leadership skills. He is one of the best players in his year. He definitely has NBA potential”, warned Caspar Vossenberg. Germany next faced Slovenia and had their toughest challenge of the tournament. Germany started slow and had to play catch up basketball for most of the game. Germany picked up the intensity in the fourth quarter at both ends and won it with the masterful game winner by Jamie Edoka. “We were behind most of that game and even trailed by 15 points. We learned that game that if you fight, you can turn the game around. We brought that belief in our come back. I think that game was a learning lesson for our whole career”, warned Caspar Vossenberg. Edoka closed out the game with a pretty step back jumper on the baseline where the basketball God let it bounce around on rim and back board before finally rolling in. “I passed Jamie the ball. The idea was for him to get the ball. He did his thing. His mid range game is very good. We all trust him to make that shot. At first my heart sank when it was on the rim and back board, but when it went in, I was very happy. Jamie is made for those kind of shots”, stated Caspar Vossenberg. Germany controlled the boards again 41-33 with 16 offensive rebounds and had 4 guys score in double figures. Lucai Anderson was top scorer with 16 points and nailed big three´s when Germany needed it in their come back. Big man Leonard Kroger stepped up big bring great energy with a superb 11/6/3 game. “Leonard is a real hustler in the zone. He is very dangerous in the zone, can block shots well and finish. He also has a really good shot for a big man”, added Caspar Vossenberg. Germany next faced Turkey where many Turkish fans showed up adding to a beautiful atmosphere. Germany was in control in the first half, but had a horrible third quarter being outscored 24-4, but retreated in the fourth quarter demonstrating that they can flip the switch at any time exploding for 29 points and winning easily 95-80. “I didn´t play against Turkey. Turkey was a really good opponent. However we played strong and rebounded well. We really grew as a team in this game”, commented Caspar Vossenberg. Germany once again dominated the boards 44-26 and offensive rebounds 20-8 and shot a potent 46% from outside. Germany was led by Lucai Anderson with 26 points and had 4 players in double figures. Fin Borczwanoski had a solid game of 13 points, but was in the shadow of Lucai Anderson´s brilliant scoring game. “Fin had a great impact on the team. He is a very versatile player and it was really fun to play with him”, remembered Caspar Vossenberg.

pic credit: Lukas Adler

Germany then faced Sweden in the fourth game and won 91-56. After a tight first quarter, Germany then played consistent ball in the last 3 quarters averaging 22 points and allowing only 11 points on the way to a comfortable victory. Germany led by as much as 35 points and won the rebound duel 61-32. They also forced them to 6/37 shooting from outside. “Sweden was another good opponent for us. Over time we also were able to get away from them and outrun them. We showed our domination over them”, expressed Caspar Vossenberg. Germany spread the love around with scoring once again totaling 5 players in double figures led by Edoka´s 15 points. Not only did Kiehlneker have a dominant double double, but so did Alba Berlin talent Anton Kemmer. “I like how big and athletic Felix is. He is always a lob threat. He has a really good feel for the game and is another player that is fun to play with”, said Caspar Vossenberg. The German domination continued against Japan winning 103-78. After a tight first quarter, Germany then exploded for 62 points in the second and third quarters paving the win. “Japan had a good pace and played very fast. Key was rebounding that helped us get the win. We out ran them”, stated Caspar Vossenberg. Germany was led by Caspar Vossenberg with 17 points and had 4 guys score in double figures and won the rebound battle again easily 61-32 with 20 offensive rebounds. Germany was 5-0 and now met Brazil in the semi-finals. Was any one going to stop them? Germany witnessed a tight scoring first half leading 51-50, but stepped it up in the third quarter exploding for 31 points and took it up another notch in the last frame with 39 points winning 121-98 “We had a slow start and they hit three´s well. I think that we defended better in the second half. They were physical and rebounded well, but we boxed out better in the second half and were able to match their physicality and just played our game”, remembered Caspar Vossenberg. Anderson and Edoka combined for 47 points as Anderson led all scorers with 26 points. “Lucai is a very calm player and has a really good feel for the game. His shot is incredible and he can get hot at anytime”, warned Caspar Vossenberg. Germany won the rebound battle again 40-24, shot 42% from outside and only coughed up the ball 9 times.

Pic credit: DBB

The final was a close battle against Slovenia. Germany led 46-38 at the break, but in the second half Slovenia led briefly until Germany got the lead back and never looked back despite winning the second half only 41-37. “When the buzzer sounded, it was an indescribable feeling. It was very emotional as it was only the third time Germany had won the AST. We were all overjoyed. We had beaten them once before and were unbeaten coming into the final. We also had great fan support. Our tank was empty in the last few minutes, but we pushed until the end. We simply wanted it more than they did”, stressed Caspar Vossenberg. Germany was led by Edoka with 17 points and had 4 guys score in double figures and won the rebound battle again 49-36. ”Our biggest strength during the tournament was that we found each other quickly. We had great individual quality, athleticism, depth and played well together”, added Caspar Vossenberg. After the win, coach Alan Ibrahimagic was greeted with a massive shower in the dressing room. There was a team dinner and then most guys were on their way home except for Anderson and Dopfer who left Sunday to travel back to the states. The German who lists player Alessanco Vazquez Dos Santos of Brazil as the player that impressed him most during the tournament had a solid tournament averaging 11/3/1per game “I was very content with how I played at AST. I rebounded well, but I still have a lot of room to improve”, warned Caspar Vossenberg. He played against 5 different nations and against the best youth players on earth which helped his game make another step. “My game grew during the week. It was great playing against some non European countries like Brazil and Japan. My IQ grew”, said Caspar Vossenberg. It was the first time that he played for head coach Alan Ibrahimagic and was able to learn so much in such a short time. “Alan is a really good coach and it was a lot of fun to play for him. He always stuck behind the team and gave everyone so much trust. He always wanted to play fast. I enjoyed that”, stated Caspar Vossenberg. Did he have a special personal moment on the court? “My favorite own play was my poster dunk against Japan and when the clock went tom 0 and we had won the title”, stressed Caspar Vossenberg, It will be interesting to see how Caspar Vossenberg´s career continues to go. At the moment he is concentrated on helping his NBBL team FC Bayern Basketball win a do or die game against Ulm.

Having Massive Family Turnouts At Every Game Was A Major Blessing For 2026 AST Winner Leonard Kroger

pic credit: photosbykellz

Last summer young German Leonard Kroger (205-C-2008) had his first experience playing for the German U-16 national team finishing in 7th place averaging 3/3. He saved his best for last hitting Turkey with a 12/7 game getting the 73-64 victory. He had to wait 9 months to get that next experience with a youth national team competing at the Albert Schweitzer tournament recently and winning the Gold medal. “The rosters at AST was a totally different one than at the Euro-18 last summer. I feel like we had a totally balanced roster at AST. Last summer we had a very good player with Mathieu Grujicic who was at a totally different level. There were also different coaching philosophies and we played a lot faster this time”, said Leonard Kroger. The young Paderborn center experienced a week that he will never forget where he helped Germany have an incredible 7-0 record to win Germany´s third title at AST. He was so fortunate to have a massive family gathering at every game. “I was so relived when the buzzer sounded in the final. Slovenia was a very tough team. I´m happy that we could pull it out despite them coming back. I was so happy that we won. We had a great team. It was such a great experience. It was even nicer to win in front of so much family. The brother of my father lives near Mannheim. I had cousins and uncles there. There were always 5-6 family members at every game. It was fun talking about the game and just seeing their support and them believing in me was special”, stressed Leonard Kroger.

pic credit: photosbykellz

Germany played Bahrain first at AST and used it as a warm up destroying the Asian team 116-59. Germany totally controlled the boards 55-31 and had 6 players score in double figures led by Lucai Anderson with 16 points. “Of course it was vital having an easier opponent in the first game. We had never played together as a team and only practiced a few times together. This game gave us the chance to make mistakes and get adjusted to each other better”, stressed Leonard Kroger. Jamie Edoka had a solid first game scoring 11 points and filled the stat sheet and was on his way to becoming one of the best players in the tournament. Could he be the next German after Isaac Bonga from the Skyliners to reach the NBA? “Jamie is a really good guy with a lot of potential. He is very athletic and is a super teammate. I really appreciate how he will accept criticism like when you tell him you were open and he didn´t pass the ball. He definitely has NBA potential”, stated Leonard Kroger. Germany next faced Slovenia and had their toughest challenge of the tournament. Germany started slow and had to play catch up basketball for most of the game. Germany picked up the intensity in the fourth quarter at both ends and won it with the masterful game winner by Jamie Edoka. “We learned from that first Slovenia game that we had to play better defense. We also realized that we had to play even faster. We played to their tempo and simply had to play our game”, remembered Leonard Kroger. Edoka closed out the game with a pretty step back jumper on the baseline where the basketball God let it bounce around on rim and back board before finally rolling in. “The shot also looked a bit long to me. I was right under the basket and saw everything. At first I thought that I had to jump in and try to make the basket, but luckily it fell in”, said Leonard Kroger. Germany controlled the boards again 41-33 with 16 offensive rebounds and had 4 guys score in double figures. Lucai Anderson was top scorer with 16 points and nailed big three´s when Germany needed it in their come back. Caspar Vossenberg added 13 points and was one of those silent hero´s during the tournament stepping up in so many ways. “Caspar is a really good player and is a really good dribbler. He also pushed the ball well and attacked the rim well. He is an allrounder and we could always rely on him to do his job”, added Leonard Kroger. Germany next faced Turkey where many Turkish fans showed up adding to a beautiful atmosphere. Germany was in control in the first half, but had a horrible third quarter being outscored 24-4, but retreated in the fourth quarter demonstrating that they can flip the switch at any time exploding for 29 points and winning easily 95-80. “Turkey was an annoying opponent. Even after that weak third quarter, we always stayed together. We played really well after that and we always got extra new energy from the bench that helped us get win”, expressed Leonard Kroger. Germany once again dominated the boards 44-26 and offensive rebounds 20-8 and shot a potent 46% from outside. Germany was led by Lucai Anderson with 26 points and had 4 players in double figures. Fin Borczwanoski had a solid game of 13 points, but was in the shadow of Lucai Anderson´s brilliant scoring game. “Fin is a very athletic player. I had never seen him play before AST. I felt like he fit really well into our system. He is long, can shoot and finish. We definitely always had an advantage on transition with his game”, remembered Leonard Kroger.

pic credit: DBB

Germany then faced Sweden in the fourth game and won 91-56. After a tight first quarter, Germany then played consistent ball in the last 3 quarters averaging 22 points and allowing only 11 points on the way to a comfortable victory. Germany led by as much as 35 points and won the rebound duel 61-32. They also forced them to 6/37 shooting from outside. “I didn´t play so well this game. Felix and Anton had very good games. When we are able to win the win the rebound s and have more possessions, it makes it easier to win”, said Leonard Kroger. Germany spread the love around with scoring once again totaling 5 players in double figures led by Edoka´s 15 points. Not only did Kiehlneker have a dominant double double, but so did Alba Berlin talent Anton Kemmer. “Felix is very athletic. His biggest strength is on the offensive rebound and likes getting the alley-ops”, commented Leonard Kroger. The German domination continued against Japan winning 103-78. After a tight first quarter, Germany then exploded for 62 points in the second and third quarters paving the win. “Key in beating Japan was that we had a big advantage under the basket. We beat them easily on the rebound. Japan had a good answer against our fast game so we had to find another way to beat them and did so on the glass”, added Leonard Kroger. Germany was led by Caspar Vossenberg with 17 points and had 4 guys score in double figures and won the rebound battle again easily 61-32 with 20 offensive rebounds. Germany was 5-0 and now met Brazil in the semi-finals. Was any one going to stop them? Germany witnessed a tight scoring first half leading 51-50, but stepped it up in the third quarter exploding for 31 points and took it up another notch in the last frame with 39 points winning 121-98 “Key in beating Brazil was that they were too slow. In the second half, we picked up our offense to the next level. After making a few fast break baskets and a three pointer, our self-confidence rose. Plus we continued to get new energy from the bench which made it easier to play”, stressed Leonard Kroger. Anderson and Edoka combined for 47 points as Anderson led all scorers with 26 points. “Lucai is really quick and a great shooter. He was a real game changer in the first game against Slovenia after making many three´s in a row. He put our game at another level”, explained Leonard Kroger. Germany won the rebound battle again 40-24, shot 42% from outside and only coughed up the ball 9 times.

pic credit: DBB

The final was a close battle against Slovenia. Germany led 46-38 at the break, but in the second half Slovenia led briefly until Germany got the lead back and never looked back despite winning the second half only 41-37. “We never got scared or let up when they came back. We just played our game until the end getting rebounds and playing fast”, remembered Leonard Kroger. Germany was led by Edoka with 17 points and had 4 guys score in double figures and won the rebound battle again 49-36. ”Our biggest strength in the AST was that we were very athletic and all defended well. We also were consistent pushing the ball well. We were able to overrun all teams. Even when teams scored on us, we always had an answer being able tom push the ball”, warned Leonard Kroger. After the win, coach Alan Ibrahimagic was greeted with a massive shower in the dressing room. There was a team dinner and then most guys were on their way home except for Anderson and Dopfer who left Sunday to travel back to the states. The German who lists player Alessanco Vazquez Dos Santos of Brazil as the player that impressed him most during the tournament had a solid tournament averaging 8/9/1/1per game “I was very content with how I played at AST. I feel like I did my part to help the team be successful. I finished, rebounded and was a rim protector”, warned Leonard Kroger. He played against 6 different nations and against the best youth players on earth which helped his game make another step. “I think that I gained a lot of extra experience. It was great playing against non European countries like Brazil and Japan. It was also great being able to work with a different coaching staff and receive different view points”, added Leonard Kroger. It was the first time that he played for head coach Alan Ibrahimagic and was able to learn so much in such a short time. “He didn´t give me one special tip, but I was alert to be ready to take small things that he said. For example keeping the ball at my chin after a rebound so small guards can´t steal the ball. It was a lot of fun playing for Alan´s philosophy and playing fast”, said Leonard Kroger. Of course seeing his family after games was a huge highlight off the court, but he also had an on court favorite moment. “My favorite own play was my last dunk against Slövenia that helped put us in winning position”, said Leonard Kroger. It will be interesting to see where Leonard Kroger´s basketball journey will go in the future. At the moment, he is focused on winning a do or die NBBL playoff game at home against Alba Berlin and finishing the Pro A season strong with Paderborn.