Erol Ersek (194-SF-1999) is a 25 year old 194cm guard from Austria playing his first season with the MLP Academics Heidelberg (BBL). He played the last 3 seasons for the Tigers Tuebingen. He began his basketball career in Austria with the Vienna DC Timberwolves and also spent a year in USA at Pacific Grove High School, Pacific Grove, California. He played in the FC Bayern Munich organization from 2016-2021. He spoke to germanhoops.com after the massive 69-67 win over top team rastiopharm Ulm.
Congrats Erol on the huge 69.67 win over ratiopharm Ulm. You and the MLP Academics are in first place. How crazy is that?
It is crazy. Especially seeing all the feedback on social media. But we also know that the season isn´t even half over yet. This is indeed a super feeling. We have to enjoy it.
Is Heidelberg a city that will go crazy after a win like that and having first place? The fans here are obviously very excited. Last season wasn´t a great one so the excitement is obvious. The fan support is super.
If someone had told you in September that shortly before Christmas the MLP Academics would be in first place what would you have thought? I would of never believed it. I had a lot of confidence in this team already in pre-season. I thought that we had a good group of guys, but having this kind of success is great.
I know that this is a tough question, but how cool would a ULM-Heidelberg final be in June 2025?
That would be cool. But we know that is very far away and a lot has to happen. Ulm always has a great atmosphere and it is a great derby, but way too early to talk about things like that.
Let´s talk about the game. With what kind of a mindset did you go into the game? Ulm was on a 5 game winning streak and you had lost against MBC allowing 100 points?
That is correct. The loss against MBC was tough. I think that we found ourselves again last week in practice. We went into the game knowing that we had to play aggressive, play together and believe in our system. We were definitely very excited to play against a great team in a cool arena. We were definitely very motivated.
At halftime ratio Ulm had the comfortable 48-33 lead. You had allowed 20 points in the first quarter, but 28 points in the second quarter. Defense is a big part of the Academics identity, but we all know has been inconsistent this season. What was key defensively that allowed Ulm to explode in the second quarter? We made too many defensive mistakes. We had problems getting over screens. Ulm did a good job stepping up their game a bit more and delivered a lot of pressure on us and forced us to turnovers. That helped them get out on transition.
How was the mood in the locker room? I can imagine Danny Jansson wasn´t pleased. What did he tell the team? He wasn´t happy, but was able to wake us up. He just told us to play our game and not let them dictate it. He also told us that we were only down 15 minutes which wasn´t the world. He was loud, but gave us energy.
He must have had the right words as Heidelberg allowed only 19 points in the second half. That is incredible. What adjustments did the team make on the defensive end? We were more aggressive and just smarter with the mismatches. We knew that they have very good individual class with great shooters and drivers like Karim Jallow. We were also more aggressive as a team. We got great support from Michael Weathers on the defensive end. His great play sparked us. He put great pressure on them and had 5 steals.
The MLP Academics went on a little run. Do you believe that the team aspect was able to get into the focus in the third quarter? Many guys stepped up. Yes the team aspect was huge. That is a great strength of ours. We have some great scorers with Mikesell and Horne, but many other solid scorers. We have much versatility on the scoring end
What did head coach Danny Jansson tell the team down 60-50 after 3 quarters to do going forward in the fourth quarter? He told us that we were only down 10 points, 5 less than at the break. He just told us to keep playing our game and keep the energy up.
Heidelberg went on a lethal 13-0 run a to lead 63-60 and Ulm didn´t get their first points until the 3,11 minute mark. Do you feel like they were challenged mentally with that run? The momentum changed in our favor. I feel like it affected them mentally.
In the last minute Barcello and Horne nailed clutch 3 pointers to seal the win. What was the biggest strength on this night? Our biggest strength in the game was us sticking together and pushing each other forward and having great energy. When somebody does something great, then 10 guys will tell you it´s nice. That pushes you forward.
What was your impression of Ulm´s 2 big talents Saraf and Essengue who most likely will get drafted by NBA teams. Are these guys that much better than guys like Yourself, Weideman or Vrcic back in the day when you were youth players?
They are both very young and have great quality. They didn´t have their best games, but you can´t await that from young players. The potential is huge for both.
How special is it always playing against your ex teammate Nelson Weidemann who won the 2017 NBBL title with you and FC Bayern Munich. How potential does he still have now? We were teammates for a long time and were roommates. It is always nice to see him. I´m happy for his situation in Ulm. He is playing a good season and has a cool role. I know what he can do. He is a hard worker and very disciplined.
You were top scorer of the team with 14 points. It was your best scoring game of the season. Was it extra special because of beating top team Ulm?
Yes it was. It feels even better with a win and then being able to celebrate. I had a good start with shots falling. I felt good and it was nice to see my shot falling early.
How happy were you with your game? You had 14 points in 22 minutes and were very efficient. I was happy with my game. I made my first 3 shots and after that Danny drew up some plays for me. My teammates looked for me. I got more room with Horne and Mikesell driving.
This was a big win. The next opponent is Bamberg. This is the Christmas game at home. Bamberg is playing well as of late having beat Alba Berlin and Bonn. What will be key to winning? We just have to play our game and be aggressive and stick together no matter who we play.
Who won a 1-1 in 2017 and who wins today you or Nelson Weidemann? We played often. I don´t remember who won more, but I will always take myself.
It is always a delight meeting another Miles in life. I mean Miles is a very rare name. Sometimes it is written Myles, but I actually have come across more names written Miles. It is even nicer when I meet a basketball player that shares my name. This season there is a new player balling in the German Pro A with the Tigers Tuebingen called Miles Tention (196-G-1999, college: St.Anselm). He like me hasn´t come across many Miles´s either in his life, so his response to meeting another Miles was just as enriching. “Oh another Miles great. I think I’ve met 3 other Miles’ ever, Miles Byrd who is a family friend, our dads coached together and he is currently playing college basketball at San Diego State University. One of my girlfriend’s family friends is a Miles, and finally Miles Simon, who I last knew was the coach of the South Bay Lakers – LA Lakers G League affiliate. He’s actually who I got the name Miles from, my dad coached at University of Arizona where Miles Simon won a national championship and was national player of the year”, stated Miles Tention. He has found his calling with basketball while I found my calling in my teenage years with running. Even before I began running, I heard that annoying line so often growing up with “your running for miles and miles or I can see for Miles and Miles”. Now when I look back on those days, I chuckle. I run almost everyday and I literally run for miles and miles and love it. Tention also heard his share of lines from people about his unique first name. “ That´s funny because same, run for miles and miles, or it´s only a miles long. (about 6 ½ feet) and my last name being Tention I also got some Attention jokes growing up”, remembered Miles Tention. For now Miles Tention is in Tuebingen to do his running on the court and try to help the Tigers Tuebingen reach the easyCredit BBL again.
Miles Schmidt-Scheuber doing a training run around the Alster lake in Hamburg, Germany
Miles Tention who has seen his array of incredible players on the court and battled guys like Anfernee Simons of the Portland Trailblazers, and during the summer having worked out or played open gym with Jeremy Lin who´s a Palo Alto High School Alum, Jordan Poole, or Andre Iguodala was born on March 21st, 1999 in beautiful Palo Alto, California. He began his basketball career at Palo Alto high school and then spent a year in Connecticut at the ST Thomas More school. He then traded the beautiful pacific ocean and sun for the beautiful mountains of New Hampshire playing at Saint Anselm College (NCAA2). “New Hampshire was great to me, a totally different feel than Palo Alto, but getting able to experience four seasons, getting there in summer, playing through Fall and Winter, and then enjoying the spring before going home made years feel long. But that isn’t a bad thing because I loved campus, living with my teammates and playing for my coach”, remembered Miles Tention. In his freshman year he averaged 5.5ppg, 2.3rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 40.4%, 3PT: 36.6%, FT: 79.4%, but really took off in his last 3 seasons averaging 14/3/3 stats. His shooting was incredible as he averaged 44% from downtown in those 3 years. He helped the school win the Northeast title in 2020 and 2023. “Personally I think 2023 was sweeter for me, going into that season there were a lot of questions and doubts about what to expect from our team having lost some key players in 2022. So I knew that I was ready to step into that role of leading the team and being the oldest guy, we had a group of guys who mostly were inexperienced so to be able to pack our gym for the conference tournament, win something as a group and get to see those young guys all see what it takes, how hard it is, and how fulfilling it is to win a championship really felt special to me. Not that 2020 wasn’t another amazing experience, I just think the doubt from the outside and proving them wrong and proving myself right was extra sweet”, stressed Miles Tention. In his last 3 years, he scored in double figures in 51 of 84 games including 35 points against Bentley and 30 points against S Conn.” So many moments at Saint Anselm that I’ll keep with me for the rest of my life, and it´s hard to choose one. Besides winning 3 championships during my time there, 35 points at home against Bentley my senior year, one of the few games each year my family got to come watch in person, also scored my 1000th point that game, and really carried a majority of the offense that game for our team, was a special one for me”, said Miles Tention. His game grew and matured under the guidance of head coach Keith Dickson for whom he will always be grateful to. “Coach Dickson is a realist, a straight shooter, so he’s going to tell you how he feels, what he wants, when you do good or when you do bad. Under him I learned how much goes into winning a basketball game, how important it is to play together, believe in yourself and believe in one another. He really showed me and everyone what it means to be together, be a family on and off the court, and trust the work. He had been so successful for so long, and I just wanted to come in and continue that, and starting as a freshman and learning as much as I could until I was a senior and then passing that down to the guys below me was an experience that gave me so much gratitude”, added Miles Tention. He even had the pleasure of being teammates with German Elias Rodl who´s dad is German basketball legend Hendrik Rodl and won the NCAA title in 1993 with North Carolina “I only got to play with Elias for one season but still talk to him every week and he’s like a younger brother to me. So many memories around school, in the dorms together, eating together and I love the kid. He faced some challenges coming over from Europe to the States but seeing him keep his head down and keep working extremely hard was motivational for me as I came from California which was a long way away but he was even changing countries. He’s a heck of a shooter and can really score the ball in a variety of ways and a great competitor. He’s fearless, and a true competitor and really wants to learn and get better on the court, so I can’t wait to watch him play at Brandeis”, expressed Miles Tention who remembers getting the best of Matt Becker in 1-1 battles. Some honors that he got there were All-Northeast-2010 Third Team -2020, All-Northeast-2010 Second Team -2022 and Northeast-10 All-Tournament Team -2023
The California native who lists Tim Guers, Tyler Arbuckle, Christopher Paul, Gustav Suhr-Jessen, and Matt Relihan as his best teammates of all-time began his overseas career last season with Frederick Achilleas Kaimakliou (Cyprus-OPAP Basket League) averaging 15.5ppg, 3.2rpg, 4.4apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 46.8%, 3PT: 36.3%, FT: 75.9%. Coming from California to Cyprus may not have been a shock with the weather, but there were other factors that weighed in heavily with the adjustment period. “Outside of basketball for sure when they gave us a car in Cyprus and we drove on the left side of the road with the steering wheel on the right side of the car was the initial shock to no longer being at home or anywhere close to home. Along with being in the locker room and talking to players or coach one minute and the next minute their speaking Cypriot and I have no idea what they are saying. On the court, I think the wake up call was joining a team where most the guys have never played with one another before. In college I was at the same school for 5 years so the only turnover was seniors graduating and freshman coming in along with an occasional transfer, but a majority of the team stays the same year to year. Where in Europe you have a team with guys of wide range of age, most of which have never played together, so having to learn how everyone plays, guys strengths and weaknesses all while trying to build some chemistry was a wake up call”, remembered Miles Tention. His best scoring games in Cyprus included 25 points against Apop and 23 points against Etha. This season, he is playing his second professional season in Germany with the Tigers Tuebingen and has no complaints about the experience. “This organization feels pretty special or unique, the group of guys that the team has brought together along with everyone from coaching to managers to people behind the scenes are all extremely welcoming, close knit, caring. The team is already connected and closer than most other teams if not all other teams in this league even only being together for about 2 months. The whole organization supports one another and wants the best and I truly couldn’t be more grateful for how caring everyone is from top to bottom. On the court we play together, we want to see one another succeed just as much as we individually want to succeed. We play for one another and I think we are just at the beginning of that too”, said Miles Tention. After a season in the first division, the Tigers have moved back down to the Pro A. The Challenge of helping them move back up was big on his list of coming. “Being in this league, with the professionalism of a team who has proven they can be promoted to the BBL was definitely a reason for coming. Hearing nothing but good things about the club’s structure and organization, as well as getting on the phone with Coach Dominek Reinboth and hearing how he wanted to run the team, what his philosophies were and who he is as a person, it made the decision to want to come here pretty easy. My agent Mario Scotti also had very high praise and was reassuring me the high level the team would be at, along with being able with Kenny Cooper, another player in my agency who I knew was highly talented”, said Miles Tention. Being able to play for a great coach like Reinboth and be teammates with the ultimate leader Marvin Heckel has been enticing and enjoyable. ”Coach is one of if not the most detailed oriented people I’ve ever been around. And that´s on and off the court, his offense really allows us to play to our strengths, we have a lot of talent on the team and it´s not always easy to manage when you have a lot of capable players. That being said he has taken time to learn all of us as people and players and put us in positions to thrive. His offense isn’t fixed and rigid, he gives us some structure and then gives the responsibility to us to make the plays and go out there and perform. Defensively he has made it clear what he wants the identity of the team to be from the first conversation that I had with him, and he has really gotten everyone to buy in. We play hard, we play aggressive, and we play fast, and it´s a great feeling knowing that you can give it everything you have, and when you need a breather the guy who comes in next is going to do the exact same. His philosophies make sense, they are well thought out, and everything that we do has a reason for why we are doing it. And he holds everyone including himself accountable, like I said he is extremely detail oriented and can´t emphasize that enough to us that one step, one foot, one hand can make the entire difference and I’ve tried to take everything he says to heart and live with the results. Marvin! Marvin is just an A+ person. There isn’t a negative thing you could say about him, he leads by example for sure, works extremely hard on the court, in the weight room. He’s a true professional when it comes to his preparation and making sure he is always taking care of his body which I’ve tried to learn and copy as much as I can. He’s a very calming presence on the court, level headed, mindful, and I’ve really enjoyed competing against and with him everyday”, commented Miles Tention.
Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and Miles Tention in Koblenz on Dcember 1st, 2024
The versatile player that lists Lebron James, Steph Curry, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore is a player that watched Andre Iguodala most of his life and would compare his game best to Donte DiVincenzo. “Like most players I’ve grown up watching the NBA, going in the back yard and practicing moves or shots that I saw on TV. Andre Iguodala, who my dad coached in college and I’m lucky enough to know and feels like a much older brother. His selflessness, willingness to adapt to his situation, desire to make his team better, effort on defense is someone I would say I’ve learned or tried to take the most from his game. But his athleticism is something special that I can’t say I possess, however I would say I’m a better shooter. Donte DiVincenzo is a good comparison to my game, an athletic guard who can really play defense, handle the ball, and shoot it at a high rate. but I’ve always struggled at who my NBA comparison would be so please if you have any ideas let me know”, said Miles Tention. His shooting is possibly his biggest strength, but what a joy to have versatility just as potent in one´s game. “Versatility is huge for me, and really just trying to do whatever my team needs to win. And for most people that is scoring as much but I know how much goes into winning a game. So being able to score, defend, set my teammates up or make plays for guys, space the court, push the pace and push the ball in transition, control the pace of the game, know the offense, know defensive scenes are all things that go into winning and I try to do at a high level. There are 10 guys on the court at all times and only one ball, so growing up my parents instilled in me that, “what are you doing to help your team win if you aren’t scoring.” Being a taller guard, I love that I can bring the ball up, play off the ball, guard a team’s best player, hold my own in the post, and I think that really increases my value as a player”, warned Miles Tention. His shooting percentages were incredible in the NCAA and he has a special mentality that has helped him be successful. “I’ve never really focused on trying to shoot a certain percentage, I mean being a 40%+ 3 point shooter definitely means that you can shoot the ball well, but for me I want to be a threat at all times, a good bit of my offensive game stems from being a threat to shoot the ball, setting me up for long closeouts, spacing the court, making shots over defenders. So I think my mentality is understanding that I can shoot it at a high clip, and get as many good looks as I can over the course of a game, because percentages point to that making my team successful. And I know how many hours I’ve put in working on the art of shooting, so I always believe my shot is going in no matter where I take it from”, said Miles Tention. He has so many other assets on the court besides shooting out the lights. “I love defending, being a pest, being hard to score against. I think I’ve been around the game my entire life with my dad being a college coach, mom being my travel coach, so I would like to think I have a high basketball IQ. Whether that’s making sure everyone is involved on offense, knowing when to push the ball or slowing things down and controlling the game is definitely a strength. And also I like to think I’m a natural leader. Another thing my parents said was “don’t be a follower be a leader” and that can come in different forms in basketball. Whether that’s making sure I’m always setting the tone and bringing energy to games and practice, always working hard and giving it my all when I’m on the court, talking and making sure everyone is on the same page are all ways I can lead besides trying to be the best player on the court”, expressed Miles Tention. But it won´t only be his offensive game that will shine, but also his defensive game. “I think right now I’m a good defender, my size allows me to guard shorter guards, and I contest a lot of shots both on the perimeter and at the basket. I can guard wings, in the post I try to make it as hard as I can for bigs. I put a lot of preparation in to learn players and their strengths and weaknesses. Learn what kind of shots they like and don’t like and play to that. I want to be a great defender or all league defender. And that comes with experience, learning from Coach and taking what he has to say and applying that, gaining some weight to be more physical and stand up to forwards and really rebound better. But I think I’m on my way to becoming the defender that I want to be”, commented Miles Tention. As a rookie, your always grinding in the gym in order to get better. “I think I can improve all parts of my game, but I think playing lower to the ground is something that stands out for me, both on offensive it will let me be more explosive, have better ball security, and be able to make decisions faster, and then on defensive it’ll allow me to stay in front of the ball even better, get more steals because my hands are in a better position, and overall be harder to score on. Working on finishes around the rim, over people, through contact, changing up my finishes with floaters, stride stops, off one leg, dunks is another area I definitely see myself improving as the year goes on”, warned Miles Tention. The Tigers Tuebingen will play with Jena and Trier and some other teams to move up to the easyCredit BBL. Miles Tention will play a big role with the Tigers to get back. I don´t know if he will meet another Miles in Tuebingen, but on December 1st, he met another Miles with me in Koblenz and it was a real pleasure.
Malik Riddle (193-G-1999, college: HSU) is a 24 year old 193cm guard from Tennessee playing his second professional season and first in Germany with Pro B team RheineStars Cologne. Last season he played with Gzira Athleta Birkirkara (Malta-BOV League D1) averaging 28.8ppg, 9.4rpg, 3.9apg, Steals-3 (2.6spg), FGP: 57.8%, 3PT: 33.1%, FT: 75.5%. He began his basketball career at Rossville Christian Academy. He then played 2 seasons at Morehead State University (NCAA) and then played 3 seasons at Henderson State University (NCAA2). He teams up with germanhoops.com every week to talk basketball.
Congrats on the big 93-72 win over Ludwigsburg. Another game another win. How big was this win? Is every new win to keep the winning streak going bigger than the other no matter the circumstances? It was a great win for us had. Our big Bjorn was out and we had some guys step up and played well in some big minutes. I don’t think we really focus on the streak just approaching every game with the mindset to do our job and win.
The RheinStars had a potent first quarter allowing 11 points, but allowed 26 in the second quarter. Did the opponent make any special adjustments or what did you as a team get away from? We just allowed some easy drives to the basket and the help defense wasn’t there like it was in the first quarter.
Cologne stepped up the defense again in the third quarter, but really stepped up the offense in the fourth quarter with 32 points. Did Stephan Baeck have any special strategy for the fourth quarter?
There were guys that had good offensive night that help a lot . We have to do better on the boards but just guys stepping up was biggest thing.
Ludwigsburg German Julis Baumer had 23 points. The guy plays with so much energy. How much potential does he have? He’s has a lot of potential and he was very aggressive and played smart . When he saw a mismatch, he took advantage. A very good player.
6 guys scored in double figures including Tim Lang. Talk a little about what you appreciate most about his game? Tim had a very good game and shot the ball well. I love his floaters I feel everyone is going in .
You added 12 points and had 5 rebounds and 2 assists. You were consistent on a night where every one was clicking. What was your biggest focus with your game on this night’? We had guys out and I felt this was a game to get good shots. This could’ve been a game where I shot the ball wild but just taking good shots and being good on defense was the main focus.
You next play against Wurzburg who after suffering a 6 game losing streak to begin the season have a 4 game winning streak. What will be key to winning? The key to winning will be defense . Being aggressive on that end is the main focus. Also we have to be better at rebounding as a team.
Ok so in the Pro B you won´t see many imports during a season on one team simply because the league rule restricts it. So when a Pro B team gets a new import, my first thought is always, he better be good. Over the last years 2024 Pro B champion Dragons Rhondorf have had some really good imports like Kameron Taylor, Devin Goodman and for a second straight season Kelvin Omojola. Over the years they also have had good snipers as Nicolas Buchwald showcased his bomb effect from outside on numerous occasions and currently the team has Antonio Pilipovic back for a second season. Who could forget his tantalizing and lethal shooting during last years final against the RheinStars Cologne where he combined for 13/22 shooting. Well this season the Dragons Rhondorf may have that new sniper with Tim Smith Jr. (201-F-2000, college: N.Alabama, agency: 011 Sports). On a late August evening, I witnessed an exhibition game in the Dragon dome against Pro A team Rasta Vechta where this new American Tim Smith Jr. right away made an impact and big impression on me. Smith had a big role in the big 93.79 win as he stroked home 21 points. In the first half he was nailing three´s one by one and for a very small moment, I thought that Steph Curry was in the building in the body of Smith. Smith was playing his first game overseas and acted as if he had been there already for many years. He shot 44% from then parking lot last season in the NCAA and it´s obvious that he wants to continue to fire away at a high clip in his rookie season. His three pointer is beautiful to watch and he has that all business attitude in that he will fire away without any hesitation. “I’ve always been able to shoot it since I was little but like you said the last couple years I’ve really grown in my ability to hit shots consistently. I’d say that my shot feels really good almost every time I shoot it, but when I miss it’s 90% of the time short and in target. So that something I’m trying to work on, making sure I got enough power from the legs and also shooting with a wider base”, warned Tim Smith Jr.. The interesting thing is that he really has so much more to his game then just being a cold iced sniper. “. “He is super tall for a wing and can really shoot the ball. He plays above the rim, but just didn´t show it tonight. He is super talented”, warned Kelvin Omojola.
Tim Smith Jr. was who lists North Florida´s Chaz Lanier who hit his team for 40 points as his toughest foe in college was born on Oct.7, 2000 in Cleveland, Ohio. He began his basketball career at Lakewood high school. He then played 4 years of college ball at 3 schools. He began at California University of Pennsylvania (NCAA2) playing 29 games in his freshman year and averaged 8.9ppg, 4.0rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 45.6%, 3PT: 30.3%, FT: 88.9%. Unfortunately he couldn´t play a second season as Covid shut down the season in 2020-2021. “It was extremely challenging, all I’ve known was playing basketball so to not have it was hard to say the least. But it gave me time to focus on my body as I was battling with injuries around that time and the things I worked on during that year if stayed with me throughout the rest of my career so even though it was tough it was also a great learning experience”, stressed Tim Smith Jr.. There he scored in double figures 12 times including a 21 points game against Clarion and 18 points against Gannon. One game he won´t forget was the wild 106-102 win over Millersville where he logged 41 minutes scoring 19 points. Reading that gave me chills as I haven’t thought about it in a while but looking back on it, it was probably one of the most important games of my college career. Before that game I was really struggling and not having a good year. But after that game I regained confidence and eventually won the starting job that led me to having a pretty decent year”, remembered Tim Smith Jr.. He then played at Walsh (NCAA2 from 2021-2023 averaging 10.9ppg, 5.4rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 45.1%, 3PT: 37.5%, FT: 72.1% and stepped up his game in his second season averaging 16.1ppg, 7.8rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 48.1%, 3PT: 34.4%, FT: 87.1%. He won the GMAC title in 2022. That was his favorite moment at Walsh along with another one as well. “ I would have to say our win in the conference tournament over Lipscomb was my favorite. I hit a 3 with like 15 seconds left to take the lead, they come down hit a 3 to take the lead and then KJ one of my teammates comes down and it’s a floater from the 3 point line to win the game at the buzzer. It was absolutely insane”, commented Tim Smith Jr.. His game really took off in his second season under head coach Jeff Young. “ He definitely introduced me to the post game, that was something I had never done before then. He added another tool to my arsenal that I could now use at anytime”, expressed Tim Smith Jr.. In his 2 years at Walsh he played 52 games and scored in double figures in 39 games. He hit Northwood for 27 points and had 24 points a piece against IUP and Carlow. He then finished at the University of North Alabama (NCAA) averaging 9.4ppg, 4.7rpg, FGP: 48.9%, 3PT: 44.4%, FT: 79.2%. He proved there that he could make the jump from division 2 to division 1. “Coach Pujol and coach Smith just preached to me to be a pro everyday. With how you train to how you eat and take care of my body everything. They made me aware of all things that can help your career and how to approach everything”, added Tim Smith Jr. who will never forget the 1-1 battles with teammate Dallas Howell. “ It was always a battle between me and him, we were never on the same team in practice and always had to guard each other with no subs. There’d be days when he’d out play me and there’d be days when I outplayed him. We made each other better and I loved that battle we had all year long”, added Tim Smith Jr..
The 201cm forward who lists Jordan, Lebron, and Kobe on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore is playing his rookie season in Germany with Pro B team Dragons Rhondorf. It´s not easy for Americans at times to come overseas and make the adjustment with a new culture, but so far he loves the experience. “ I’ve been enjoying just seeing new things, I’ve been trying explore a little here and there when I have time. It’s definitely different than the states but not to different that it feels uncomfortable”, said Tim Smith Jr.. He did his home work before coming to Germany and knows how respected basketball is in Germany. “ I know that Germany has some of the most competitive and respected leagues in overseas basketball. I have a couple guys I played against in college, and actually one of my teammates from last year is playing in Pro A”, stated Tim Smith. Coming to Rhondorf was really a no brainer for him especially when you see and hear the word BBL in conversations.” I mainly came for 2 reasons, the experience being able to practice with Telekom Bonn I thought was invaluable. Just being able to see and feel what it’s like to play at that level and what I would need to do in order to make it there. The second was I need to develop my on ball skills, getting used to having the ball in my hands and making plays happen. I used to play point guard in high school but I’ve been primarily off the ball my entire college career”, stressed Tim Smith Jr.. The whole experience has simply been great for him as all have welcomed him with open arms. “ I really enjoy the guys on the team and the coaches. It’s a really fun environment and I think that as long as we stay together and lock in we can do great things. I’ve enjoyed being around Coach Dohrn who´s a very likable person and I enjoy his coaching style he is very detailed oriented, doesn’t let stuff slide. Makes sure we are always paying attention to the little stuff within the game and always holding guys accountable”, warned Tim Smith Jr..
Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and Tim Smith Jr in Rhondorf, Germany 2024
So what kind of game can we await from the Ohio native who lists Jordan as his GOAT besides shooting out the lights? He compares his game to that of a point guard or of Jayson Tatum with less ball handling skills. He is tall and long and very important can score at all 3 levels which will add more offensive opportunities as Kelvin Omojola is also very keen at all 3 levels. He is a very versatile player, but he also has something else in common with Kelvin Omojola besides being able to score at all 3 levels. “Something that I haven’t been able to showcase much since I didn’t have that role in college but I’m a really good playmaker and like getting people involved. So other than being able to score at all 3 levels I’d say that’s probably it”, added Tim Smith Jr.. Coach Dohrn has stressed that he can play any position. Could he develop into that 2 way kind of player? “I would say I’m a decent defender I want to get to the point where I can comfortably defend guards. I’m a pretty decent shot blocker and I want to be a defensive player of the year type of person. I have the length and the instincts I think know it’s just making sure to have the motor and drive to just not let someone score”, stressed Tim Smith Jr.. In order that he will be 100% prepared this season he will continue to work extra hard on his ball handling, strength and defense. It will be interesting to see how this season´s import pans out. Currently he is tearing up the Pro B league averaging 21,6ppg, 5,4rpg, 2,7apg, 1,9spg and 1,4bpg. In the last 2 seasons the Dragons Rhondorf had nothing but joy with Devin Goodman and Avery Sullivan. The question will be can Tim Smith equal or top his predecessors seasons? In 4 years of college ball, he never made more than 5 three´s in a game. Without wanting to put too much pressure on him, I´m sure that this season he will produce many smiles on the fans in the Dragon Dome.
Malik Riddle (193-G-1999, college: HSU) is a 24 year old 193cm guard from Tennessee playing his second professional season and first in Germany with Pro B team RheineStars Cologne. Last season he played with Gzira Athleta Birkirkara (Malta-BOV League D1) averaging 28.8ppg, 9.4rpg, 3.9apg, Steals-3 (2.6spg), FGP: 57.8%, 3PT: 33.1%, FT: 75.5%. He began his basketball career at Rossville Christian Academy. He then played 2 seasons at Morehead State University (NCAA) and then played 3 seasons at Henderson State University (NCAA2). He teams up with germanhoops.com every week to talk basketball.
Congrats on the thrilling 97-96 win vs FC Bayern Munich. How good did the 2 week break do the team? Thanks. It was great break for us felt some of the guys needed some time with family so it was good.
This was another close win after the Ahorn Baskets. How good does the team feel in general in crunch-time? Yeah it was another close one. I think we understand what we need to execute on both ends of the court during crunch time.
The RheinStars exploded for 35 points in the first quarter. Was that the best offensive quarter of the season? I think that’s one of the best quarters we’ve had this season offensively.
FC Bayern Munich 2 fought back in quarters 2 and 3 scoring a combined 52 points. What did the team lose control of on the defensive end most? As a team we got out of our details and being disciplined, such as ball pressure and our rotations were late. We have to do a better job at that if we want to keep winning.
How key was the 8-0 run to start the fourth quarter? Cologne were spot on attacking the rim: Just being more aggressive going to the basket and feeding the bigs on the role. We had to get a few easy baskets.
How dangerous was Ivan Volf who led the comeback in the fourth quarter and was Munich top scorer with 24 points. What did you like most about his game?
He had a good game. He shot the ball well and got to free throw line quite a few times.
Davi Remagen hit the wining basket. How much is the minutes for young Germans paying off?
Was a huge shot by Davi and I feel like he is getting more into rhythm. I feel the more the minutes make them feel more comfortable on the court.
You had a solid game with 16/3/3/5 stats. How much did your 33% from the 2 point range bother you? I just had to be more aggressive with my finishing couple mid range was in and out but just have to focus more on finishing through contact
You had a super defensive game. How do you feel is your game as a defender growing this season?
Coaches expect me to be more dangerous defensively so I’ve really been trying to focus on that end a lot more. Great defense usually turns in to great offense
The RheinStars next play another young team with Ludwigsburg. I can imagine Stephan Baeck will want not such a close finish again. What will be key to win? Yes of course try to play a lot better than we did this past game. We definitely have to do better defensively with being aggressive and being disciplined also. The key will be a lot more focus on defense than the previous game.
Mike Davis Jr. (193-G-1996, college: Queens, NC) is a 28 year old 193cm guard from Georgia playing his seventh season overseas and playing his first season with FIT/One Wuerzburg Baskets (Germany-BBL). He has gathered valuable experience in countries like Ireland, Georgia, Ukraine, Poland, Greece, Russia and Turkey. He began his basketball career at Brunswick high school and then played 2 seasons with Francis Marion University (NCAA2) averaging 11.0ppg, 3.5rpg, 3.2apg, 1.8spg, FGP: 54.3%, 3PT: 35.1%, FT: 69.4% and 17.3ppg, 3.5rpg, 2.7apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 43.9%, 3PT: 38.2%, FT: 68.3% and then played 2 seasons at Queens University (NCAA2) averaging 13.4ppg, 3.7rpg, 2.3apg, 1.9spg, FGP: 44.0%, 3PT: 39.1%, FT: 74.4% and 12.4ppg, 5.0rpg, 2.8apg, 1.9spg, 1.0bpg, FGP: 42.6%, 3PT: 38.9%, FT: 76.5%. He spoke to germanhoops.com after the tough 81-77 loss to the Niners Chemnitz.
Thanks Mike for talking for talking to germanhoops.com. Wurzburg suffered a tough 81-77 loss to the Niners Chemnitz. What was tougher having the win streak snapped or totally collapsing on the defensive end in the fourth quarter? I would say the winning streak was tougher. Playing bad defense in the last quarter was tough, but we lost momentum by having the win streak snapped.
Wurzburg played a great first half leading 32-23. Did everything go accordingly to coaches game plan? We kept them off the paint and were aggressive on defense. We executed pretty well.
In the third quarter it was a three point party in the first 5 minutes and the Niners just executed better. What adjustments did the Niners make and why did Wurzburg lose that intensity on the defensive end? They got out on transition a bit more. That opened up the 3 point line more and they continued to make shots.
In the fourth quarter the Niners Chemnitz scored an incredible 35 points. As a team you allow 73 points per game. How can one explain 35 points allowed in the last quarter? They made really tough contested shots and even a half court shot. They also continued to run.
What was it like playing against ultra veteran Deandre Lansdowne? He has that special combination between veteran leadership and talented offensive player. It was Ok. I know that he is respected in the league. It was just another regular game for me.
What was key in crunch-time for the win? The game was close but you were unable to keep them off the free throw line. We had some unlucky calls. They made shots and just executed a bit better and the game swung in their direction.
A crazy stat is this. Wurzburg got to the free throw line 37 times and Chemnitz coughed up the ball 23 times but still won. What do you believe can you learn from this loss? Missing 16 free throws played a big role. We should of capitalized more off their turnovers. We didn´t get the stops that we needed.
Victor Bailey had a solid game with 20 points. What was most difficult in containing him? He is a very solid player and is one of the better shooters. He had a very good game so a lot of respect to him.
Jhivvan Jackson had an excellent scoring game with 35 points. On any other day, Wurzburg would have won. How valuable is his game for the team success? He is so valuable for us. He is one of our top players. He is our engine and gets us going. He makes big shots and knows the league well.
After scoring in double figures in your first 7 BBL games, you mustered only 7 points on 2/10 shooting. Is it fair to say that your still adjusting to the BBL in terms of finding your shot? Yes definitely. I´m not shooting the ball well in the BBL around sub 30%. I can´t blame it on the new league. I´m my own self in the BCL shooting the ball a lot better there. I´m still figuring it out in the BBL. I should be coming out of it soon.
How motivated will he team be to bounce back in BCL play? Maybe the loss was a little blessing in disguise? We will be super motivated. If we win we can clinch.
You will play in Hungary this week. How much are you looking forward to playing in Hungary? Have you been there before? It will just be another game. We won´t see anything from the city.
In the first game Wurzburg won convincing despite Holon getting 35 bench points. What will be key to getting win again? We have to contain their ball handlers well, play good pick and roll and 1-1 defense.
Malik Riddle (193-G-1999, college: HSU) is a 24 year old 193cm guard from Tennessee playing his second professional season and first in Germany with Pro B team RheineStars Cologne. Last season he played with Gzira Athleta Birkirkara (Malta-BOV League D1) averaging 28.8ppg, 9.4rpg, 3.9apg, Steals-3 (2.6spg), FGP: 57.8%, 3PT: 33.1%, FT: 75.5%. He began his basketball career at Rossville Christian Academy. He then played 2 seasons at Morehead State University (NCAA) and then played 3 seasons at Henderson State University (NCAA2). He teams up with germanhoops.com every week to talk basketball.
After tough loss to Erfurt and an exciting win over the Ahorn Baskets, how vital was it for the team to get a more comfortable win again beating Coburg 89-63? It felt good getting a comfortable win again. The team still felt we started off slow but glad we picked it up in the second half.
The RheinStars had a slow start but came back in the first quarter, but still trailed 23-20 after 10 minutes. Especially Ben Diederichs gave the team problems.
Yeah we started off too slow and weren´t locked in as we should’ve been, especially me. We have to all be collectively invested if we want to stop the slow starts.
The RheinStars then outscored Coburg 48-25 in the second and third quarters. What adjustments did the team make to defend better? We applied more ball pressure than we did the first half. We picked up the intensity and started getting easy buckets in transition.
The RheinStars broke the game wide open in the third quarter. How vital was your aggressiveness on the offensive end that helped ignite the RheinStars offense?
I felt I wasn’t aggressive enough on both ends of the floor so felt I needed to pick it up. Too relaxed first half and needed to play harder so the team could go on a run.
How proud were of the team that there were no let ups in the fourth quarter? The team played hard and executed until the end.
That was a good sign for sure, seeing how everyone was still focused in the end. We want to be a great team and in order to do that we need to finish games strong no matter what.
How satisfied were you overall of the defensive effort and pressure? You forced 26 turnovers as a team.
I thought we did a great job, have guys that play very hard on the defensive end and bring a lot of energy. Our defense is the key for us so as a team forcing 26 turnovers is good.
You had a very good shooting performance and scored 25 points. You were very efficient in 19 minutes. Are you getting more and more comfortable with your teammates every new game?
I’m getting more comfortable and I was just being aggressive and getting easy baskets. I know my teammates trust me so I just try to keep the aggression going.
You next play against the weak FC Bayern Munich. This is another team with very young players. How will you prepare for this next task best? We have to focus on our details no matter the team or age. We have to come out with focus and be aggressive from start to finish. Personally I have to do a better job out the gate and be better defensively for the team.
DJ Woodmore (190-SG-1992, college: VWU) is a 32 year old 190cm point guard that is playing his 10th professional season and 8th with the Ahorn Camp Bis Baskets Speyer. Last season with Speyer he averaged 17.9ppg, 5.9rpg, 4.2apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 56.5%, 3PT: 41.5%, FT: 82.9% and 2 seasons ago averaged 16.3ppg, 5.3rpg, 3.1apg, 1.8spg, FGP: 52.0%, 3PT: 36.5%, FT: 86.6%. Three seasons ago he averaged 15.5ppg, 6.3rpg, 3.0apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 55.8%, 3PT: 43.3%, FT: 81.0%. In the 2020-2021 season with the EPG Baskets Koblenz he averaged 13,3ppg, 6,0rpg, 4,3apf and 1,3spg. In 2019-2020 with the Morgenstern BIS Basket Speyer (Germany-ProB) he played 21 games averaging 15.1ppg, 4.4rpg, 2.3apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 60.0%, 3PT-2 (50.0%), FT: 87.3%. In 2018-2019 13.8ppg, 4.5rpg, 2.8apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 60.2%, 3PT: 36.5%, FT: 71.6%. In his first two seasons with Speyer he averaged 14.5ppg, 5.2rpg, 2.3apg, FGP: 44.6%, 3PT: 40.1%, FT: 72.1% and 17.5ppg, 7.0rpg, 3.4apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 47.5%, 3PT: 33.0%, FT: 76.4%. he played at Virginia Wesleyan College (NCAA3): from 2010-2014 and as a senior played 31 games averaging 20.1ppg, 5.9rpg, 2.4apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 50.3% (219/435), 3Pts: 46.0% (91/198), FT: 76.9% (93/121). He spoke to germanhoops.com after the big 76-71 win over Ludwigsburg.
Congrats DJ on the big 76-71 win in Ludwigsburg. How big was it winning again after the tough 86-84 loss last weekend to the RheinStars?
Thanks, I thought it was an important win for us, but not because of the loss to Köln but it’s always better to go into the bye week with a good feeling. We’ll enjoy the break a little more this way.
Sometimes a team can be down after a tough loss like against the RheinStars, but the Ahorn Camp Baskets rebounded with a win. Did you sense there was some urgency within the team to win right away again?
I think we approached it the same way as we always have. I think everybody feels like we let a few games slip through our hands. But we’ve been right there every weekend. We’re very familiar with Ludwigsburg and know how dangerous they can be. So it was already a sense of urgency.
Ludwigsburg had the tight 20-17 lead after 10 minutes. The team allowed many three´s early on, but then cleaned that up. Did their influx of three´s surprise you early on?
Yes, a few guys who we weren’t expecting to hit shots stepped up and made some tough ones. But well we didn’t panic. I thought we stuck to the game plan early and just played percentages.
In the second quarter Speyer buckled down on defense allowing only 9 points to lead 32-29. What adjustments did the team make on the defensive end? Just staying consistent and trusting the game plan. David Aichele was really good protecting the basket. And Dennis Diala was doing a good job at making it tough for their guards.
In the third quarter Ludwigsburg found their offensive groove again and scored 25 points. They had the 54-53 advantage after 30 minutes. Speyer had problems containing the drive and what else gave you headaches on defense in the third quarter? I thought they did a good job of attacking and not settling. And we had the opposite approach. We settled a little bit too much and allowedthem to make their runs. Turnovers also killed us in the third.
It was a tight battle in the fourth quarter. What did head coach Carl Mbassa tell the team to do better in the fourth quarter?
Slow the game down and let the offense create opportunities for us. We took better care of the ball and had more possessions. We found Carlos and he was stepping up big time.
Carlos Hidalgo scored 8 unanswered points to get Speyer in great position to cruise to victory. Is Hidalgo Speyer´s version of Ruppert Hennen of the RheinStars? He’s definitely our floor general and sets the tone for us in late game situations. When he has it going we’re a much better team. He was everywhere offensively and defensively with four steals.
But Ludwigsburg kept fighting and cut the lead down to 1 point with a few minutes remaining. What was key in crunch-time for preserving the win?
We’ve been in similar situations and couldn’t pull it out. I think the experience helped us in this game. I want to say we’re learning from our mistakes.
Where was this game won? From the stats pretty even and despite Speyer hitting only 3 three´s, you won the game. Was it the little things here and there that sealed the win?
Stepping up and hitting free throws was big for us. We weren’t perfect from the line but we made the ones we needed to. And got the stops when we needed to!
Ludwigsburg always have really talented young players. Some that come to mind are Lenny Anigbata and Julis Baumer. Was there one player that stood out for you?
Anigbata Baumer and Pleta are all really good young players. Definitely think they all have bright futures ahead of them.
Speyer is 4-4. How content have you been with the start? Without 3 road wins in a row, the team would be struggling now. After starting 0-3 in definitely content with where we are. But I think we all believe we could easily be 6-2 or 7-1. A couple fourth quarter collapses have changed the outcome of a lot of these games. I think we’ve led in the 4th quarter in every game this season.
How realistic are the playoffs this season with the team you have and the Pro B competition? Very realistic but we won’t look that far ahead. Just need to get through the rest of this tough schedule we have ahead of us.
The team has a good core back with Hidalgo, Diala and Aichele and Rupp. How would you describe the team chemistry at this juncture of the season?
Great chemistry. Everybody has a good feel for each other on and off the court and I think that helps. And the new players fit is perfectly with the core.
Your averaging 20,0ppg this season and since returning to Speyer from Koblenz in 2021, you have improved your season scoring each season. You continue to show no signs of slowing down. Does the fact that knowing this is your team continue to motivate you to be the best version of yourself?
Absolutely. I feel like I’m improving each year. But knowing my team needs me to lead and be ready each week, makes the motivation easy to keep going.
I thought I had seen it all with 40 points last season against Ludwigsburg and this season bang you do it again against Wurzburg. How about scoring another 40 points this season?
I really needed to be on my game against Würzburg. At that point we were 0-3 and I know we shouldn’t afford to drop another one. I was locked in from the jump. I’m a little upset I missed a wide open layup that could of gave me a career high. But I’ll take the 40 and the win.
Coming into this season you had averaged 40% or better from outside in 2 of the last 3 seasons and now your averaging a crazy 57% from outside. Do you have that feeling now that everything you tough will fall in? Yes. I shoot it with extreme confidence. And I only look to take the good shots. I try not to force anything so every shot feels comfortable
You also continue to be a aggressive defender and continue to defend very well. What´s the most challenging thing with defending well and being consistent at this stage of your career where you aren´t getting any younger? Just trying to limit my mistakes defensively. But if I’m being honest, it’s hard to bring that level of focus and intensity in practice each day but it’s always going to be there on the weekend. Hope it stays that way for the next few years.
Who wins a 1-1 in practice you or Carlos Hidalgo? Me and it’s not even close lol
After a brutal 115-105 loss in Leitershofen, the Dragons Rhondorf were having serious soul searching and wondering how and when they could turn around their defensive woes in the Pro B? It was the clash of two 4-3 teams with the Dragons Rhondorf against the Frankfurt Skyliners Juniors. The Dragons Rhondorf may have a shaky defense, but their offense and three point shooting was incredible as they came in shooting 43% with 6 guys shooting over 40%. Frankfurt on the other hand also rely on their guard terror led by Bruno Albrecht and Felix Hecker and were shooting 38% as a team coming in. The Dragons Rhondorf needed a real strong week of practice especially on the defensive end as they had much to clean up. Rhondorf had another solid offensive performance, but missed golden opportunities late in the fourth quarter to seal the win, but instead came out flat in overtime to lose 93-86 to Frankfurt. “We had our ups and downs in the game. This was our second game in a row that we let out of our hands. We couldn´t get stops or score in crunch-time. Our biggest problems was rebounding and getting stops. We took good care of the ball. That was the only positive thing”, commented Dragons Rhondorf guard Alexander Lagermann. The Frankfurt Skyliners Juniors got good support from so many sides including a big man monster in Malick Kordel (211-C-2004) and the clutch performances of Jamie Edoka and Ivan Crnjac in the overtime that helped them get the win. “We played very well as a team. Even if we didn´t have Bruno Albrecht, we were very focused. Our bench was great and we played very physical. When they made runs, we didn´t sink our heads, but fought back. Our young guys played really well in overtime”, said Malick Kordel.
Namori Omog at the FT line
The Frankfurt Skyliners Juniors arrived in Bad Honnef with an injured Bruno Albrecht who had hurt his finger and would miss 2 weeks while the Dragons were without youngster Janne Muller who had accompanied the BBL team Telekom Baskets Bonn to Munich. Both teams found their offensive rhythm rapidly especially Felix Hecker who scored Frankfurt´s first 10 points, but led only 10-6 as the Dragons got 2 three´s from ex Drake (NCAA) player Antonio Pilipovic and Ohio native Tim Smith Jr. Hecker had a big opportunity to excel with the absence of Albrecht and he took full advantage of it. Frankfurt also received great production from their young NBBL players as Ivan Crnjac and Maximilian Peters scored for the 15-12 advantage. The game remained tight as the Dragons also got a huge basket from youngster Dyami Jannek who as usual supplied epic energy from the bench while Kordel made a thunderous dunk as Frankfurt kept supplying him with the ball, but he also opened up the floor with his body as he used his good passing skills to find open guys. Rhondorf got some vital baskets down the stretch to tie the game at 21-21 as ex Coburg foreward Danas Kazakevicius and Las Vegas native Kelvin Omojola scored. However Frankfurt got the last laugh as Dusan Nikolic snuck back door and got the basket for the Frankfurt 23-21 lead after 10 minutes. Frankfurt shot 50% from the 2 point range and 38% from outside and had 12 rebounds and 2 turnovers while the Dragons Rhondorf shot 54% from the 2 point range and 29% from outside and had 9 rebounds and 0 turnovers. “Hecker was motivated and took advantage of Albrecht´s absence. The Dragons didn´t defend bad, but it wasn´t easy containing Malick Kordel as he played very well and found his teammates for the back door cuts”, stated Hamm head coach Ivan Rosic.
Alexander lagerman at the FT line
The Frankfurt Skyliners Juniors switched to zone at the start of the second quarter and went on a run to lead in double figures, but the Dragons fought back and led 39-37 at the break. The Dragons had no remedy how to defeat the Frankfurt zone as they got stopped 6 times and got baskets from Peters with a lay in while Albert Schweitzer winner Philipp Hadenfeldt supplied 5 points for the 32-21 lead. The Dragons Rhondorf finally got their first field goal at the 4,42 minute mark as Lagerman made a steal and went coast to coast for the lay in as they trailed 32-24. The Dragons began to recuperate and add more energy to defense and went on a lethal 15-5 run to have the 2 point advantage at half-time. Kazakevicius was really key in the run making a three on his first attempt of the season and made a big dunk. Marko Rosic also made a lay in where he found daylight and went coast to coast, but also was a superb pick and roll player with Kazakevicius. “You can´t forget that Marko isn´t 100% fit again. He still has problems with his shooting hand. But he still has enough other good qualities that allows him to find his teammates and when his shot isn´t falling can sill do other good things”, stated Ivan Rosic. Frankfurt lost total rhythm on offense as the Dragons defense was a lot better with communication. Lagerman closed out the second quarter with a floater for the Dragons lead at the break. “At the start the Dragons had no offensive rhythm and went more to 1-1 play. They then got on transition and attacked more and had better rotations on defense and just fought to come back”, said Ivan Rosic. The Dragons Rhondorf shot 56% from the 2 point range and 24% from the three point line and had 24 rebounds and 2 turnovers while the Dragons Rhondorf shot 48% from the 2 point range and shot 27% from the three point line and had 19 rebounds and 8 turnovers.
Philipp Hadenfeldt from outside
In the third quarter both teams exploded on offense combining for 55 points, but after 30 minutes the Dragons Rhondorf led 69-62. Both teams found to their offense rhythm´s quickly as Pilpovic nailed a trey and Omojola made a lay in and Lagerman a turnaround shot while Hecker hit 2 three´s to keep Frankfurt at bay and only down 48-45. However the Dragons Rhondorf had good spurts on the defensive end getting consecutive stops and then took advantage of it as Alex Lagerman dropped back to back three´s keeping his great shooting at 18/22 this season form downtown as the Dragons led 54-49. Marko Rosic and Kazakevicius followed his lead getting buckets as Rhondorf led 59-50. But whenever the Dragons punched, Frankfurt were able to punch back as Mr energizer Philipp Hadenfeldt nailed 2 three pointers as Frankfurt trailed only 63-60. But Frankfurt had too many up and down phases as the Dragons just executed well and showed a solid inside out game as ex RheinStar guard Kenan Reinhart made a trey and Kazakevicius scored twice for the 68-62 lead after 3 quarters. “You can´t give any player in this league open looks. A Hadenfeldt will make those shots. We closed out the quarter strong though”, said Alexander Lagerman. “They hit way too many shots. Hadenfeldt gave great energy and kept us in the game”, stated Malick Kordel. The Frankfurt Skyliners Juniors shot 54% from the 2 point range and 33% from the parking lot and had 30 rebounds and 13 turnovers while the Dragons Rhondorf shot 46% from the 2 point range and 36% from the parking lot and 33 rebounds and 4 turnovers.
Alexander Lagerman to the rim
In the fourth quarter the Dragons Rhondorf controlled the game, but Frankfurt continued to hang around and forced overtime at 85-85. The young Frankfurt guns of Crnjac and Edoka made big baskets, but Rhondorf always punched back as Pilipovic made a big trey and Rosic a floater for the 74-70 Dragons lead. But Frankfurt was relentless and never gave up and the universal genius Ivan Crnjac drilled home a trey and Kordel made a free throw to tie the game at 74-74. But Frankfurt couldn´t hold the momentum as the Dragons punched back and went on a 7-2 run to lead 81-76 as ex Jena forward Marco Rahn made a pretty fade away jumper while Omojola made a three pointer and Kazekevicius a lay in. But Frankfurt always found an answer as Felix Hecker nailed a trey and Edoka made a lay in to tie the contest 81-81. Rahn and Rosic then made lay in´s for the 85-82 lead. It looked like the Dragons had the game in their hands with time running out, but they gave it up. Hecker made one free throw and purposely missed the second which Kordel dunked home to send the game into overtime. “Our will was great. We wanted it more than they did. Hecker wanted to miss the second shot. I give a lot of credit to Joscha Zentgraf who tipped me the ball”, added Malick Kordel. “That last basket was the game changer. It hurt our moral going into overtime”, said Alexander Lagerman. In overtime there was only one team who competed as the Frankfurt Skyliners Juniors won it 8-1 not allowing a field goal. Frankfurt played with massive intensity at both ends and attacked the rim 4 times and scored with Kordel, Hecker, Edoka and Crnjac. “We were all tired, but we wanted it more. We had good possessions and it seemed like they didn´t know what they wanted to do”, stressed malik Kordel. “We had no energy and missed too many shots. It was all mental on our end. They just continued to play their game consistently”, said Alexander Lagerman. Key in overtime was of course the team, but Frankfurt´s 2 NBBL (U-19) guys Ivan Crnjac and Edoka were brilliant. They didn´t only add baskets, but Crnjac got 2 offensive rebounds while Edoka 1 of 4 blocks on the night. “They played super. They gave great energy and hustled great. They made good decisions and played good team basketball”, stated Malick Kordel. “They are 2 super prospects. When they play with confidence, then they can play well in the Pro B. Their energy carried the team which led to easy baskets”, added Alexander Lagerman. The Frankfurt Skyliners Juniors were led by Felix Hecker with 27 points while Malick Kordel added 16 points, 21 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks while Philipp Hadenfeldt contributed 15 points while the Dragons Rhondorf were led by Alexander Lagerman with 19 points while Danas Kazakevicius added 16 points. Frankfurt shot 45% from the field and 30% from outside and had 57 rebounds and 18 turnovers while the Dragons Rhondorf shot 36% from the field and 30% from outside and had 42 rebounds and 6 turnovers.
Jeremy Black (205-C-1985, college: Tampa) is a 39 year old 205cm center playing his 16th pro season and 6th with TV Bad Bergzabern. He began his basketball career with Blake high school and then played at Tampa (NCAA2) from 2004-2008 playing a total of 104 games and in his senior year played 30 games: 18.7ppg, 11.0rpg, 1.6apg, 1.1bpg, 1.5spg, FG: 49.3%, 3Pts: 30.8%, FT: 72.1%. he played 6 years in the Pro A with Jena and BG Karlsruhe playing a total of 190 pro A games. He also split a season ion Luxemburg and Switzerland. He also played 3 Pro B seasons with 2 with BG Karlsruhe and 1 with KIT SC Karlsruhe. He spoke to germanhoops.com after a Regionalliga 2 game against the Bona Baskets Limburg.
Thanks Jeremy for talking to germanhoops.com. It´s been a while since I last saw you play. It was in the 2017-2018 season when you played with KIT SC Karlsruhe (Germany-ProB). Has time flown by for you?
Yes it has. That was my last season in the Pro B. After that season it just made more sense for me to play at TV Bad Bergzabern. I had a family and it fit with work. I also wasn´t far away from Karlsruhe.
We have done interviews in the past. Any idea how many if you had to guess?
I would say 2 or 3
It has only been 4 and our first was more than 10 years ago in 2014. How crazy is that your still playing? Yes it is. Now your really going down memory lane.
Your playing your sixth season for TV Bad Bergzabern (Germany-2.Regionalliga). What kind of an experience has it been for you?
I am player coach this season. Originally I wanted to only keep in shape, but then things happened with the team where I had to step up. They had roster problems and injuries. I had the most experience and I really like the family atmosphere here. It is a real challenge being a player/coach
Technically your playing your 16th pro season. Do you still take it as serious as 10 years ago or is it now more for fun?
I´m very competitive. My teammates tell me that I´m too intense. I feel like you can´t improve unless you take the game seriously. My focus is always to get the team better. We came with 7 guys to Limburg and won by more than 20 points. I think that teams underestimate us. It has been like this for a while. We know how to play well with a reduced roster.
How do you make a living now in Germany? Do you have a 9-5 job?
I actually don´t work 9-5. It´s more like 4 am to 12.30. I get up at 3.00am and work the ware house at Edeka. Then I come home and clean the house and get my daughter from school. My wife takes care of our daughter in the morning and then goes to work and comes home at 6:00pm. Before Edeka I was at Lidl.
I can´t find stats on Eurobasket.com because they don´t have stats for Regionalliga 2 players. Are you still putting up big stats like in the Pro A and Pro B? My stats are always fluctuating. I usually start at the 4, but will also help bring up the ball. I´m practically doing it all and always adjusting to what we don´t have on the court. I try to do everything I can so we can win games. I believe that I´m near triple double stats.
What is your role now as a 39 year old? You have much experience but so does Philipp Behrendt. Do you guys share leadership duties?
Yes. He is the engine. He is the other big on the team that we can count on. He has good moves and is another big body that gives us a stable front. He does a good job cleaning up the paint area.
What has it been like having ex pro B veteran Aaron Schmitz as point guard. How much easier does he make your job?
He is actually my assistant coach. He is my right hand man. He is a second set of eyes. He helps with plays and subs and things I can´t see when I´m on the court.
In your time in the Pro A, you were a dominant center and one of the top 3 each season. The Pro A has gotten more competitive. How would you fare today in the Pro A? I believe that I would still be effective and be able to help my team. Getting rebounds, scoring and getting to the free throw line was always a staple in my game. It never changed. I could still do it today. I´m walking like 27-28 kilometers a day with my warehouse job. I´m in shape.
You were teammates with Rouven Roessler at BG Karlsruhe. What was your nicest moment with him on the court? We had many nice moments. His birthday is a day after mine. I remember the derby games against Carilsheim around our birthdays. We always stepped it up and brought the wins home.
Do you agree with me that Roessler and Black could have been a great duo in the easyCredit BBL if having been given the chance?
Absolutely. The season where we had Mike Stockton, we were so close. We were up 2-1 against Vechta and lost 3-2. That was our year. We had such a great roster, but it just wasn´t meant to be.
How much longer do you still want to play? Another 2-3 years until I´m 42 or 43 years old.
Who was the toughest player that you battled in the Pro A? There were many great players. I´m not good with names. I think I would name Rob Ferguson. He was with Vechta that moved up.
Did you see the sequel to the classic Coming To America? Shouldn´t they have left it alone? Absolutely. Nothing is better than the original. You shouldn´t mess with the original.
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