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.
The RheinStars lost a tough 93-92 loss to the Basketball Lowen. How tough was it not playing and being able to help your team? It was very tough not being able to play and only watch. I really wish I was able to play but unfortunately I wasn’t able to play due to injury.
It was a tough battle that went to OT. It seemed like Erfurts big plays helped them pave the way to OT.
It was a hard fought game. I feel like the guys played hard but made some mistakes that the other team fed off of. They made some big shots down the stretch and that really hurt.
In the OT Paul Albrecht made a big block. Did that give the guests the momentum to win?
I don’t think that gave them the momentum at the end. I feel it was back and forth and was a huge block but I also think we had many other opportunities that we just didn’t take advantage of like we should’ve.
Ruppert Hennen was huge as always leading all scorers in points. Is his mid range game unstoppable? Yeah Ruppi seemed unstoppable in the second half with that mid range It seems like automatic. He is a really good player.
What positives could the RheinStars take from the loss? A 1 point loss always hurts, but the team did lead some categories of the stats.
Yeah I think one of the things is taking care of the ball. I feel we had too many turnovers very careless ones and feel that hurt us as a team. Hopefully we will be more aggressive and take care of the ball better.
On what areas of the game will the RheinStars work on most this week?
I feel our defense is always the main focus for us. We believe that great defense can lead to great offense. So our defense is always what we focus on most.
The next opponent are the Ahorn Baskets who are 3-3. What will be key to getting the win? Locking in on defense will be the key and us being aggressive from start to finish will be the key for us to win.
Basketball life couldn´t be any tougher for the EPG Guardians at the moment as they have a walking wounded list that seemingly won´t stop. In Bremerhaven they were without key players Ty Cockfield, Dominique Johnson, David Bohm and Moses Poelking. If that wasn´t bad enough, they had lost big man Maurice Pluskota who retreated back to PS Karlsruhe. However Koblenz never hung their heads but fought hard for 40 minutes losing only 83-73. The next bad news was that they didn´t have a week to recuperate, but had to play 3 days later against top team Munster who had a 6-1 record. They are a team that finds ways to win especially in crunch-time where they won 2 nail bitters. They don´t have any real superstar, but a team that play for each other. The EPG Guardians returned back home to their living room and were unable to showcase anything near to the performance they had had in Bremerhaven as they just didn´t have the needed energy to compete for 40 minutes. They were down quickly 18-2 and they never crawled out of their hole as the Uni Baskets Munster destroyed the EPG Guardians Koblenz 98-55. “We had no chance. We were too tired and were always a step behind. We were totally empty. We couldn´t play at their level”, stressed EPG Guardians Koblenz team manager Thomas Klein. Munster came prepared and took their last game Nurnberg as a good example and didn´t underestimate Koblenz. “We played 32 minutes against Nurnberg and then let them come back. We knew they had injury problems, but we knew we had to put the foot on the gas pedal for 40 minutes. We did a good job with our defense keeping them under control which helped us get out on transition”, stressed game top scorer Jonas Weitzel (205-C-1998) of the Uni Baskets Munster. “We didn´t come out with the energy that we wanted to. We got hit in the mouth first and never responded”, stated EPG Guardians guard Michael Bradley.
Jakob Hanzalek at the FT line
The Uni Baskets Munster came out roaring and luckily for Koblenz, they found better into their game to only be down by 12 points after 10 minutes. Munster jumped all over Koblenz leading 18-2 as the CGM arena was as quiet as ever as the comparison between both teams was like night and day. Munster wasn´t really doing anything fancy, but getting easy transition baskets and just attacking the rim whenever possible as surprisingly they layed off their hot three point shooting as they were second best in the Pro A coming into the contest. Ex BBL player Jonas Weitzel dominated the paint area scoring twice while American ex Butler forward Bo Hodges supplied 9 points as his athleticism allowed him to get easy baskets. American ex Butler (NCAA) forward Tyler Groce also scored twice showing he can play above the rim. Koblenz couldn´t establish any offensive rhythm as they didn´t move well with out the ball. They did attack the rim well, but missed many easy lay ups. They did finish the first quarter in fine fashion with a 11-7 run to get back into the game and trail 25-13. American Alin Blunt and German Jakob Hanzalek scored inside while American ex NCAA 3 player Kasey Draper and German Henning Schaake made free throws. “We missed many easy shots. Koblenz could of taken more advantage of the less aggressive on ball defense they were seeing from Munster. They were containing Draper well. We played good on ball defense. Munster was doing just enough to have the lead”, stated Thomas Klein.
Jaspar Guenther from outside
In the second quarter the Uni Baskets Munster continued to up their lead and play good basketball at both ends while the EPG Guardians Koblenz couldn´t keep up with their opponent and lost more and more energy as the clock ticked down. They began almost identically with the same run of the first quarter, but this time it was a 16-2 run to extend their lead to 41-15. In the run Munster received lethal support from Spanish point guard Seikou Jawara who scored 8 points in a row including back to back three´s while ex Oldenburg German Stefan Wess hit a trey as did Weitzel. Munster stepped their game up a level in this span as they defended more aggressively on ball and upped their intensity on offense as the ball movement was better. The German support from Munster was consistent as anyone head coach Gotz Rohdewald threw at Koblenz stepped up. Koblenz got a 8-0 run down the stretch as every now and then Koblenz would execute in fine fashion. Blunt added 5 points and Hanzalek also scored as these 2 players were the only real Guardians who took responsibility on this day. German Julius Ferber delivered a clutch 5-0 run with a trey and lay in in the last seconds giving the guests the commanding 53-27 advantage at the break. “One saw by half-time that the guys were tired. Draper and Bradley were unable to play their games the way they know how to”, stressed Thomas Klein.
Jakob Hanzalek from down town
The third quarter was actually the strongest from the EPG Guardians Koblenz as they scored their most points in a quarter in the game and allowed the least points from Munster. Despite big man David Boehm scoring the first points of the third quarter, it was Munster that threw a 6-0 run in the faces of Koblenz to lead 59-29. American Nick Stampley, German Stefan Wess and Jawara all scored. It seemed like Munster was less aggressive again on ball, but Koblenz were unable to take advantage of it. Both teams began to trade baskets not helping Koblenz´s cause in their come back attempt. Munster got good support from their 2 Americans Hodges and Stampley as they scored twice to lead 65-35 as Koblenz couldn´t make any ground. Blunt and Hanzalek continued to be the only real scoring bright spots as they scored again to still trail 67-37. In between Munster was also to produce some spectacular plays as they had 3 alley-oops on the menu in the game. Their second was a pretty pass from Jawara to Hodges for the dunk. Down the stretch the little dangerous but pooped Michael Bradley hit a three pointer while Blunt made an offensive rebound and put back, but Munster still had the very comfortable 74-42 advantage after 30 minutes. “We just kept playing our game and didn´t take our feet from the gas pedal. You can´t underestimate any team in the Pro B. If you do, it can be dangerous”, warned Jonas Weitzel. “We went to zone in the third quarter which broke their rhythm only a little bit. We were able to conserve our strength. Our gas tank was empty. You could tell that our shots were short”, stated Thomas Klein.
Tyler Groce at the FT line
In the fourth quarter there was no slowing down the Uni Baskets Munster as they played the last quarter as if it was the first with super execution at both ends and some added high light film baskets. The third quarter began with an incredible alley-oop pass from young German Paul Viefhues who averaged 13,0ppg in the NBBL last season and was lauded by Thomas Klein for his play during the game made the perfect very high pass that Tyler Groce threw down with authority. “I felt like the pass was a bit too high. But Tyler can jump so high that it was no problem for him”, smiled Jonas Weitzel. That was the first basket in a 9-0 Munster run to start the last quarter as they extended their lead to 83-42. In the run, Groce would score again as well as Weitzel with an offensive rebound and put back and Viefhues made a pretty lay in. After Bohn made a lay in, Jawara and Schaake traded three pointers as Munster led 86-47. Speedy Jasper Guenther then made an acrobatic lay in shifting gears, making a nice fake and then finger tip lay in. “Guenther can be a magician if he wants to. If you let him play, he will show you plays like that”, stated Jonas Weitzel. Weitzel had found a groove and was just dominating in the paint as he was unstoppable scoring twice while Koblenz big man Aike Bensmann scored 4 points. A few weeks ago, he was balling in the second Regionalliga in Limburg and now was experiencing the Cinderella story in the Pro A. He came to help out an injury plagued team and one really couldn´t expect that much, but he really came through again scoring 4 points just like he did in Bremerhaven 3 days earlier. Henning Schaake also gave great support with 5 points. “I´m really proud of how Bensmann and Schaake stepped in and helped us get through tough times. They were out of their comfort zone and really stepped up. I really appreciate them win or lose”, warned Ty Cockfield. Down the stretch Weitzel added a three pointer and Bradley a lay in before Stefan Wess ended the game with a jumper. “What I really liked was that everyone stepped up for us tonight. A Paul Viefhues who doesn´t play so much showed that he can play at a high level, but just couldn´t show it yet because he didn´t have experience or rhythm”, stressed Jonas Weitzel. “We tried to get back to our principles in the fourth quarter. Now we will rest and wait to get some guys back and then get back to fundamentals”, warned Michael Bradley. The Uni Baskets Munster were led by Jonas Weitzel with 20 points while Seikou Jawara added 14 points and 7 assists while Tyler Groce and Bo Hodges contributed 11 points a piece while the EPG Guardians Koblenz were led by Alin Blunt with 14 points. The Uni Baskets Munster shot 52% from the field and 30% from outside and had 43 rebounds and 10 turnovers while the EPG Guardians Koblenz shot 32% from the field and 14% form outside and had 34 rebounds and 16 turnovers.
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 Malik on the big 91-84 win. How good does 5-0 feel? Feels good to be 5-0, but we also know we and continue to get even better.
The RheinStars controlled the game from the start, but Frankfurt never gave up. What impressed you most about the young German team?
They played very hard until the end, and they fueled off of the mistakes we made especially on the defensive end. Think they are a great young team.
In crunch-time, Frankfurt cut it down to 4 points. Was the individual qualities of the RheinStars the difference? We had a couple players make some big shots for us down the stretch also it was getting some key stops on defense that was a big help.
Ruppert Hennen hit 2 big shots at the end. Where would this team be without him?
Tough to say, he is our captain and a great point guard as well as person. He’s been with the team for a couple years so he knows what needs to be done to help us win.
How much fun is it to paly with big man Bjoern Rohwer?. How much of a role model is he for the young German players? It is a lot of fun playing with Bjoern he is a beast down low and can shoot. I enjoy being on his team not to many bigs like him in this league.
You had a solid game of 8/2/3/5 but shot 3/12. How content were you with your game?
Not content at all, I have to do a lot better and give more to the team. I know I’m capable of playing much better than that and have to show it.
Your finding your defensive game. How much more dangerous are the RheinStars with your energy on defense?
Yeah I felt I was doing as well offensively so I needed to up my defense. Coaching staff really emphasizes defense so I try to be aggressive and focused on that end. I think great defense translate to great offense and energy for the team.
The RheinStars next play the basketball Lowen. What will be key to getting the win? Sticking to our principles and playing aggressive on defense and play with a lot of energy for a full 40mins as a team.
The German NBBL (U-19) league has been underway for a few weeks now and it came to the showdown of 2 undefeated teams with Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners-IBAM. Not too long ago these 2 great youth teams were sporting big time talented players like Isaac Bonga and the Da Silva brothers where 2 reached the NBA and the other the Euroleague. In 2024 both teams have 2 big prospects with Ivan Crnjac (203-F-2007) and Jonathan Zeisberger who are the absolute leaders of the team. Ibam destroyed the mighty Fc Bayern Munich by 27 points recently and Frankfurt won their first game of the season in a real nailbitter 84-82 against another ambitious young team with Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg. On a rare Wednesday night game, Ibam traveled to Frankfurt and experienced 2 massive runs in the second half. In the third it was Frankfurt who seemed to have decided the game after 30 minutes, but no Kickz Ibam punched back with a masterful run in the fourth, but just fell short as Ivan Crnjac took charge and guided Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners to the grind out 66-56 victory. “We played well for 30 minutes until the fourth quarter. I was proud how we did our job defensively as that kept us alive. We were able to play well for 30 minutes despite not shooting well. We had a fall out in the fourth quarter just like against Ludwigsburg. We have to learn to finish games better”, warned Ivan Crnjac. “I felt like when we played well, we showed that we could play well as a team. I felt we only played well for 12-13 minutes”, stated KickZ Ibam head coach Danilo Barthel.
Maximillian Peters at the FT line
Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners dominated from the start getting a massive lead, but then had a lull allowing the guests to sneak back into the game, but still led 19-11 after 10 minutes. Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners needed no time to race out to a rapid 14-2 lead. Frankfurt´s aggressive defense and on ball pressure sparked their offense. Before anyone knew it, Frankfurt led 10-0 as they were as aggressive on defense as on offense attacking the paint area and getting to the free throw line and Tiago Mousa made a lay in and Ivan Crnjac a trey. Frankfurt continued to attack the rim getting added buckets from Maximillian Peters and Namori Omog. German Jonathan Zeisberger had gotten Ibam on the score board with a lay in. But Ibam fought back going on a 7-0 run to cut Frankfurt´s lead down to 14-9 as Zeisberger scored again and Jordan Knacke hit a trey and ex Skyliner Darren Maglocky made a lay in. Ibam upped their intensity while Frankfurt lost theirs. Ibam was more calmer in the set play. But Frankfurt closed out the first quarter strong with a lay in by Peters and energizer Rephael Edward who got an incredible nifty over the head pass from Namori Omog that brought back memories to Larry Bird´s bag of passing tricks. “That was a sexy pass. I never got a pass like that from him. I think he has really gotten better as a passer”, stressed Marvin Esser. Frankfurt led 19-9 after 10 minutes. Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners shot 35% from the field and 25% from outside and had 16 rebounds and 4 turnovers while Kickz Ibam shot 29% from the field and 14% from outside and had 11 rebounds and 7 turnovers. We had a good start. We moved the ball well and made nice passes. We defended very aggressively that helped us get easy baskets”, stated Marvin Esser.
Moritz Renner with lay in
The game remained a defensive battle in the second quarter as shots didn´t fall and Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners kept the comfortable 7 point lead at the break. In the first minutes Ibam upped their defensive intensity as Frankfurt had problems executing. Pass first point guard Jamie Edoka made a lay in as did Slovakian U-18 national player Martin Pospisil as Frankfurt led 21-16, but the Bavarian team was clawing their way back. German Fabrice Heberer was then inserted and hit a massive three pointer. He is a solid role player who is supposed to come in and give the team energy and that is exactly what he did. His shot sparked the offense as Mousa made a lay in for the 27-16 advantage. “You can always rely on Heberer. We rely on him to make three pointers for us to get momentum back”, said Marvin Esser. Ibam were having problem with execution and relying too much on 1-1 play. Ivan Crnjac added a lay in for the 29-18 lead. Both teams had problems hitting shots and Darren Maglocky found some daylight at the end hitting 2 shots including one at the buzzer as Ibam scampered into the locker room only trailing 31-24. “I felt like we rebounded well and gave no second chances. I feel like we rushed shots a bit on offense”, stated Marvin Esser. Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners shot 32% from the field and 17% from the three point line and had 27 rebounds and 11 turnovers while Kickz Ibam shot 26% from the field and 8% from the three point line and 22 rebounds and 13 turnovers.
Jamie Edoka at the FT line
In the third quarter Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners went on a massive run and it seemed like they decided the game after 30 minutes leading 54-34. But it was actually Kickz Ibam that had the better start going on a 5-0 run to trail only 31-29. In the run the Bavarian team was aggressive attacking the rim getting free throws from Maglocky and Pospisil and an old school hook shot by Alexander De Groot. But Frankfurt stayed calm and demonstrated how rapidly they can shift gears and just produced a lethal 20-1 run to totally paralyzed Kickz Ibam to lead 51-30. In the run Frankfurt did what they did best on this night which was attack, attack, attack. Crnjac began with a trey, but after that it was all lay in´s as he made one, Edoka made 3, Omog scored as did Finley Pruever and Edward. Frankfurt found back to their aggressive defense from the first quarter totally shutting down the guests as steals and blocks were also on the menu. Zeisberger made a lay in at the buzzer as Frankfurt led 54-34. “We knew that we had to give gas after their 5-0 start. We just focused on playing our game and setting the tempo at our pace. We defended very aggressive again”, added Ivan Crnjac. Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners shot 43% from the field and 23% from the parking lot and had 39 rebounds and 18 turnovers and Kickz Ibam shot 23% from the field and 6% from the parking lot and had 28 rebounds and 20 turnovers.
Darren Maglocky at the FT line
It looked like Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners would breeze to victory, but just like in the third quarter a huge run dominated the last 10 minutes, but it wasn´t from the home team, but from the guests. The comeback just fell short. Kickz Ibam set the tone at both ends and went on a lethal 20-0 run to trail only 54-52 with less than 2 minutes to play. In the big run, Kickz Ibam got a team effort as many guys stepped up. Maglocky added 5 points while Austrian guard Moritz Renner added vital energy with 5 points. Zeisberger wasn´t the potent scorer that he usually is, but was the perfect playmaker organizing the offense. Caspar Okoro and Jordan Knacke also made important baskets. Frankfurt had problems getting good looks and opted to often for the 1-1 play with their super athleticism, but failed. KickZ Ibam was gaining more and more confidence with every added basket while Frankfurt was wondering when they would finally score their first basket. “We knew going into the fourth that we had to stay focused. But that is sometimes easier said than done when your up by 20 points. We have to work on closing out games”, added Ivan Crnjac. Ivan Crnjac had missed shot after shot, but when it was 10 to midnight, he finally scored Frankfurt´s first basket in the fourth quarter at the 1,40 minute mark. But Kickz Ibam didn´t let off easy as Zeisberger scored to be back only 57-54. But Edward made a huge offensive rebound and put back to lead 59-54. Zeisberger did it again with a lay in to trail 59-56 with 50 seconds to play. But the defense was a fort as Omog made a steal and made free throws for the 62-56 lead. Crnjac then closed out the game and win with 4 free throws. “My lay up gave the team energy. Edward and Omog made big plays. We named Edward player of the game after the win. I closed out the game with free throws”, stated Ivan Crnjac. “We didn´t rebound well at the end and had bad 1-1 defense”, stressed Danilo Barthel. Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners were led by Ivan Crnjac with 21 points. Jamie Edoka added 12 points and Namori Omog 10 points while Kickz Ibam was led by Darren Maglocky with 16 points and Jonathan Zeisberger added 14 points. Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners shot 39% from the field and 18% from outside and had 49 rebounds and 24 turnovers while Kickz Ibam shot 28% from the field and 13% from outside and had 39 rebounds and 22 turnovers.
Alex Barcello (188-G-1998, college: BYU) is a 26 year old 188cm guard from Arizona playing his third professional season and first with easyCredit BBL club MLP Academics Heidelberg. Last season he played Acunsa Gipuzkoa BC San Sebastian (Spain-LEB Gold) averaging19.6ppg) 4.1rpg, 3.1apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 55.9%, 3PT: 43.3%, FT: 90.0%. He played his rookie season with Kolossos H Hotels Rodou (Greece-GBL) averaging 4.0ppg, 1.8rpg, in Nov.’22 moved to Filou Oostende (Belgium-Pro Basketball League) averaging 7.3ppg, 2.1rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 52.5%, 3PT: 47.3%, FT-1 (94.7%). He began his basketball career at Corona del Sol high school and then played 2 years at the University of Arizona and then finished at Brigham Young University (NCAA) averaging 16.1ppg, 4.7rpg, 4.3apg, FGP: 55.2%, 3PT: 47.7%, FT: 85.6%, 16.8ppg, 3.7rpg, 3.3apg, FGP: 47.9%, 3PT: 42.1%, FT: 86.5%. He spoke to germanmhoops.com after the road win in Frankfurt.
Congrats Alex on the massive 95-72 win over the Frankfurt Skyliners. How big was this win for the team after the tough blow out loss to Bonn? The win in Frankfurt was huge. It helped give us momentum again with guys coming back. We showed that we could win against good teams without a full roster.
You guys seem to be a bank on the road. Is the team getting more comfortable with every new win? Yes we are. Each game in the BBL is tough. To be able to travel and win games is huge.
The MLP Academics ran away with the game in the second half. It is no secret that the three point shooting was huge in the win. Did that opening night extravaganza of the Celtics rub off on the team?
I like that. Maybe you could say so. I think it began on defense. We had had some hiccups on defense. We stepped up our defense in the second half and hit more three´s. It all went well together.
What words of wisdom did coach Danny Jansson give the team at halftime? Did the team want to make any adjustments?
He told us to say true to what we were doing and that was defending well. We were lacking a bit on ball pressure, and communication. We also did a better job of getting loose balls. We cleaned it all up.
When Parsons and Calvin have strong games, Frankfurt has very good chances to win. They were soldi but not great. How big was it shutting them down in the game plan? I think that it was a point of emphasis. They are good players. We just tried to make it as tough as possible for them.
Frankfurt did a super job on the offensive boards. Is rebounding something that the team has to address more?
I think that anytime that we get more rebounds, it is good. We stress getting stops. But we do have more upside on rebounding.
Horne and Weathers combined for 34 points. What do you appreciate most about their games?
I like how much energy Michael brings. He puts a lot of pressure on ball and even when he gets beat, he is great on the recovery. Dj is a great scoring talent. You saw it in the game. It is great to have such versatility at the guard position. It is nice to have them on the team.
How big was the game of Ryan Mikesell? He seems to be a guy that can do everything. Is he the team´s Swiss army knife? I think that Ryan has some experience. He has played for coach Danny before and can do so much on the court. He gets rebounds, stops, can dish and score. He is the type of guy that you always want on the team. He plays the game the right way.
You had 2 solid scoring games, but your 24 points was your break out game. How motivated were you going in after being 3/10 in the first 2 games?
I don´t put too much thought into it. Each game is different. I just try to give my best each game and trust my work ethic. It was definitely nice to see the ball go in. I´m always confident in my shooting.
You have always been a scorer in your career, but Heidelberg has many options. Could you imagine not being as consistent as a scorer this season, but still being versatile? I don´t think I can imagine that. I just try to do what I can to help my team win. If the team needs me to get assists then I will do it, or if they want me to score then I will. The biggest thing in my career is to win games. I think that with our team versatility we can do that.
Heidelberg is one of the surprise teams in the easyCredit BBL. What has been the secret to the success?
I think it has to do with the group of guys that we have and the coaching staff that have done a good job bringing us together. Our identity is our defense, but we have many that can score. Our defense translates to offense. We are an unselfish group of players that focus on what the coaching staff wants.
I have heard playoff talk concerning the MLP Academics. How well is head coach Danny Jansson keeping the team grounded?
He is doing a great job. Each day is new and our practices are hard and physical. We know that it is still a long season. We have a lot to prove. We won a few games, but have bigger goals.
The team continues to be up and down on the defensive end. What areas of the defense need to be tweaked most at the moment? We have to be more comfortable with each other. We have to communicate better, get on the same page and limit mistakes.
The MLP Academics next play Wurzburg. They are another highly talented team. What will be key to getting the win? I sound like a broken record, but it will be defense. They are a talented team. We have to be on the same page.
The Dragons Rohndorf came home last weekend and gave their fans an experience that they will never forget as they erased a 2 point deficit with a game winning shot by Tim Smith Jr to get their first home win of the season. The fans were on cloud 9 and hardly had anytime to relax from the incredible finish against Erfurt last weekend. The 3-1 club next met the ambitious Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg that were off to a great start having a 3-1 record and had won 2 games in crunch-time. The club has an average age of 18 and is led by head coach Khee Ree and German youth national player Julis Baumer. The Dragons Rhondorf needed a defensive break out game as they had their hands full with the Ludwigsburg good ball movement and aggressive defense. However on this night the Dragons Rhondorf had no recipe how to crack the aggressive press and timely shots by Lenny Anigbata (196-G-2004) and Simon Feneberg and seemingly endless easy lay in´s by big man Dominykas Pleta losing 91-84 and falling to 3-2. “We beat ourselves in the first half. We weren´t aggressive and didn´t play together. We knew that they would be aggressive, but we couldn´t match it. We played better in the second half, but had to play catch up until the end. They got too many 50/50 balls and that broke our neck. We were frustrated with their press”, stressed Dragons Rhondorf forward Antonio Pilipovic. Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg came in to the Dragon Dome and played their game from the start and never had a bad lull, but were consistent for the most part of the game. Their press and incredible ability to hit at a high clip from the 2 point range helped them secure the win. “We gave all we had tonight. Everybody played their roles. We played well together. Our press worked very well as well. I´m really proud of the team”, stated Lenny Anigbata.
Dominykas Pleta at the FT line
The Dragons Rhondorf were without captain Kelvin Onojola, but Marko Rosic was back from injury. In the first quarter the guests presented their press that forced the guests to 8 turnovers and half way through the first quarter broke away and were able to lead by plus 10 points that helped them keep a good distance except for a few Dragons runs until the end. There were 4 lead changes in the first minutes as Tim Smith Jr and Lenny Anigbata showed early with baskets that they were hungry to play a central role that night. The Dragons knew they had to play smart and disciplined on offense, but to many times coughed up the ball that led to easy Ludwigsburg baskets as 206cm big man Pleta would score easy baskets all night long. Rhondorf held their own keeping up getting baskets from Marko Rosic and ex Coburg big man Danas Kazakevicius to trail 15-10, but Ludwigsburg kept executing very well and closed out the first quarter with a 12-5 run to lead 27-15 after 10 minutes. In the Ludwigsburg run, it was the potent big man duo of Anigbata and Pleta who combined for all 12 points while young German youth national player Julis Baumer always found them in easy spots for easy baskets. ”Despite his young age, he is one of our leaders. He did a great job on defense and on offense, I don´t need to say anything. It is top. He does a great job leading us on the defensive end with his energy”, expressed Lenny Anigbata, Rhondorf had no recipe how to slow them down as they were always in easy position to score as the Dragons 1-1 defense was nonexistent. “I was honestly a bit surprised how well we played. This was our longest road trip of the season, but we were all ready. Our press was there and we were ready to compete”, stressed Lenny Anigbata.
Mako Rosic from downtown
In the second quarter Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg continued to play the way they left off in the first quarter combining their aggressive defense with good offensive execution, but in the last minutes the Dragons Rhondorf buckled down on defense and made a run and only trailed by 6 points at the break. In the first minutes the aggressive press continued to stifle Rhondorf as it took longer to get into their sets and on offensive Ludwigsburg got 2 clutch three´s from Abdulkay Koemuekara and Anigbata for the 35-19 lead. Ludwigsburg also did a great job using the mismatches and length to their advantage. Ludwigsburg played smart and continued to get easy baskets as Pleta made a lay in and Koemuekara scored in the lane using his athleticism. 2024 U-18 gold medalist Janne Mueller made a 25 footer and ex Drake (NCAA) German Antonio Pilpovic an off balance jumper, but still trailed 40-30. However the Dragons kept grinding away and found some daylight and went on a 10-4 run to suddenly only trail 44-40. In the run the Dragons were able to up their intensity as Janne Mueller was able to take on more responsibility and was more aggressive and scored 4 points as did Smith Jr and Dyami Janneck gave valuable support from the bench. “Basketball is a game of runs. They made some adjustments and it worked in their favor. Our pick and roll defense didn´t work and they took advantage of it”, added Lenny Anigbata.
Simon Feneberg from outside
In the third quarter the Dragons Rhondorf continued to fight, but they just couldn´t get over the hump and their defense continue to be a thorn in their back. Ludwigsburg began focused going on a 4-0 run as Pleta got free again in the zone registering a dunk and Ognjen Veljkovic made a lay in using the mis match well for the 50-40 lead. But the Dragons are a team that can execute on offense and showed what they are capable of by going on a 13-5 run to suddenly trail only 55-53. In the run, the Dragons received great support from Tim Smith Jr who scored 3 baskets while Pilipovic nailed a trey and ex Jena forward Marco Rahn made a lay in on transition. Ludwigsburg did a good job all game long taking away the three, so when Pilipovic did get open, it was only logical that he would fire away. But the Dragons just couldn´t get over the hump. Their defense just couldn´t find consistency as Ludwigsburg punched back with a 9-3 run to lead 64-56. In the run the guests got good support from the bench as Lukas Modic drilled home a trey and made free throws and the bigs Pleta and Anigbata were at it again doing what they wanted to in the paint area getting easy buckets. Pilipovic added another three pointer in the last minute, but Modic followed with a trey and Ludwigsburg led 67-61. “We knew that we had to contain Smith and Pilipovic as best as we could. We did a good job limiting their three point shooting”, added Lenny Anigbata. “We didn´t defend well. They continued to get the 50/50 balls. Whenever we scored, they had an answer. They played more in their comfort zone, while we reacted too much instead of dictating”, said Antonio Pilpovic.
Janne Mueller at the FT line
In the fourth quarter the Dragons Rhondoirf made one more run to once again get stopped and punched back and Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg slammed the door shut getting the well deserved win. The Dragons executed better on offense and received much needed energy and support from Marko Rosic who supplied 5 points while Pilpovic and Kazakevicius made lay in´s to trail 75-73. It seemed like the game could down the wire in exciting fashion, but Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg didn´t fade away, but stayed mentally strong and went on a 14-4 run to decide the game as they led 89-76. In the run the guests were led by Lenny Anigbata who nailed 2 clutch three pointers while Baumer and Pleta continued to attack and attack scoring inside and Feneberg added a three pointer for good measure. “I wasn´t in the game at the start mentally on account of the long ride. But once I was on the court, there was no pressure. I was more aggressive as usual and took more responsibility”, stressed Lenny Anigbata who crowned his career high in points with 26. The game was decided and time was running low for the Dragons. They closed out the game strong with a 8-2 run as Rahn and Smith contributed 2 buckets a piece, but it was too late too little as Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg moved to 4-1. “We stayed aggressive and knew they were in foul trouble. We just continued to attack them and never let up”, stressed Lenny Anigbata. “We just weren´t aggressive enough defensively. They made big shots in their run”, added Antonio Pilpovic. Porsche BBA Ludwigburg was led by Lenny Anigbata with 26 points while Dominykas Pleta added 18 points and Julis Baumer 12 points while the Dragons Rhondorf were led by Tim Smith Jr with 20 points while Marko Rosic added 17 points and Janne Mueller had 15 points. Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg shot 79% from the 2 point range and 41% from outside and had 18 rebounds and 9 turnovers while the Dragons Rhondorf shot 63% from the 2 point range and 50% from outside and had 21 rebounds and 16 turnovers.
Lagerman (202-SG-2004) is a 20 year old 202cm shooting guard playing his first season with Pro B team Dragons Rhondorf. Last season he played with the wiha Panthers Schwenningen (ProB) playing16 games averaging 15.1ppg, 4.9rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 61.6%, 3PT: 27.1%, FT: 72.7%. He began his basketball career with the Fraport Skyliners in the JBBL (U-16) and also played 4 Pro B games and in 2022-2023 season in the NBBL averaged :21.2ppg, 6.2rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 54.2%, 3PT: 31.3%, FT: 78.3%. He spoke to germanhoops.com after the big 96-93 win over the CATL Basketball Lowen Erfurt
Congrats on the massive 96-93 win over Erfurt. Could the fans have asked for a more exciting first home win of the season? I don’t think they could of seen a more exciting game. It was a thriller until the end. It was the best kind of a game you could experience.
How proud are you of the team on how they reacted to playing hard and strong without Kelvin Omojola and Marko Rosic? I was very proud of the team. Many others had to step up. Dyami Janeck did a great job. It was a really good team performance.
Both teams came out scoring and it lasted until the end. Did you figure going into the game that it would be much offense and little defense?
I didn´t think going in that we could top the Oberaching game. That was another level higher. It was just another high scoring game. You have to give credit to both teams for hitting shots.
When did the team find about Kelvin Omojola not playing? Did that totally change the game plan? It put Dyami Janeck into the hot seat as a starter?
I found out on game day. I knew that Kelvin had calf problems again. Djami probably heard before me that he would start. He was put a little into cold water, but I was confident he could do the job. He works hard in practice.
The first quarter had some little runs and Rhondorf led 27-25 after 10 minutes. How proud of Janeck how he bounced back from 2 consecutive turnovers and played better at the point and hit big shots?
He plays with a lot of confidence and it was good that he continued that after his turnovers. He is still a young player and mistakes happen. He reacted very well. He found into the game with his three pointer.
Tyseem Lyles was in a huge slump coming in. Did the team try o do something different defensively to try to slow him down to hinder a break out? We knew what he is capable of doing. He is a high volume shooter and scorer. Our goal was to try to contain him and force him to take tough shots. He had a good game. He is just hard to defend. He hit some tough shots. Our rotations weren´t always good.
Janne Mueller made a pretty spin move and shot. Tim Smith Jr said after the game that he saw make shots that he never saw before. How was it for you? Janne had a great game. We all know that he can score well. He is always aggressive. His performance was no surprise to me. He can make creative shots.
How did you like the mask of Marco Rahn? Did he look like superman?
I told him he was bad ass. It looked good. A little bit of Bat man. You see those masks in NBA with Lebron and Kyrie. One always thinks that you will play better with a mask.
In the third quarter Erfurt came out strong with a 10-0 run. Noah Kamdem made many shots. A team can´t physically keep him out of the pain area. He is like an NFL lineman.
Post defense was a real challenge. Paul Albrecht and Kamdem are 2 dominant post players. Kamdem is so strong and physical and hard to get out of the zone. He has more kilos thea everyone else and knows how to use them. He also rebounded the ball well.
Tim Smith hit big shots all game long? I see him as a possible MVP candidate as a rookie. How do you see it? I think so. From the first practice, I was shocked that he landed in the Pro B. When you compare him to other Americans in the Pro B, he is way too good for the Pro B. He plays with high confidence and plays hard. He can do it all. He is almost unguardable.
The Dragons came back strong especially through big shots from Janne Mueller. How vital is he as a player to make big shots whenever there is adversary?
He was very important. He plays with so much confidence and has no fear. His big shots began runs for us. It is important to stay aggressive and take shots.
In the fourth quarter Erfurt tried to get away but the Dragons stayed strong. How visible is that toughness in the team in adversary?
I see that toughness as well. I think it comes from guys from last season. Kelvin is always a big support with his vocal support. We support each other. I see a big difference from last season where we didn´t win in Schwenningen. The mind set and vocal support is great this season. That motivates all to play hard.
Tim Smith Jr said that the game was won through Danas Kazakevicius´s defense. He made 3 big blocks in the fourth quarter. Was he the x-factor?
He was the x-factor. Erfurt really had the game in their hands with their post game. When Danas began his rim protection, we were one level up. We used his energy which helped us begin defensive runs.
Tim Smith Jr hit the winning shot. It was a huge shot. He said it was off a broken play. Should he have waited a bit more to get more time of the clock.
They trapped and I got the ball and did a skip pass to Marco Rahn. We wanted to start an offensive play, but their trap gave Smith Jr the open look which he took earlier.
Talk about that last Erfurt turnover. What was key in that play for getting the stop? Kamdem wanted the ball in the post, but was near the bassline and lost the ball through our aggressive defense.
Defense continues to be a problem. Why can´t the team execute better and what is the biggest area that has to be corrected? We need to all be on the same page and have better communication. We also have to be better in rotations.
You had a solid game of 8/5/5. How content your game?
I was very content with my play. The most important thing is always that we win. I just prepare to do whatever it takes to win. I never go into a game thinking about how much I will score.
You have been shooting the ball really well. Is it just more reps and better shot selection or have you changed something with your mechanics? I definitely have been having more reps. I think that good shot selection has also been key. I take the drive when I know that I have an advantage. I just play simple and do nothing complicated. I don´t know if I can continue to keep my good 3 point %, but I will keep working hard with the reps.
The club next plays against hungry team Ludwigsburg. What will be key to the win? They are a young team and play with much energy. We have to focus on not getting sloppy. We are better on paper, but can´t underestimate them either. We have to be solid and play good defense and have good ball movement.
What do you do on a free Sunday? Do you follow American football? I like watching American football and boxing.
In October 2010, I recorded my first interview with Kyle Hines (198-C-1986) leading up to the Frankfurt-Bamberg game in Bamberg. 14 years later, our interview count stood at 24. Who would of thought in 2010 that Kyle and I would have such a special player to Journalist relationship for so long. I mean I interview many guys more than once, but seldom as much as I did him. I don´t remember if I had met him in Bamberg at that game, but now remembering our meeting in Frankfurt in March of 2011, that may have been the first time we met. I just remember before the return game in Frankfurt, I was preparing my broadcast and Kyle came over to me during warm ups and shook my hands. This was his third professional season and he was already as professional as it gets. That professional mindset would continue until he retired. I unfortunately only saw him play live 3 times with the last time being in Munich in 2020. We always did our interviews on the phone and his voice is one that I will definitely never forget. After such an illustrious career like he had, it was only obvious that I would ask him if he had any ideas about writing a book. “I actually have started a book and am half way through it. The question is if I have enough energy or discipline to finish it. I have a story to tell. I think that especially younger players could learn from my path. I think that would help better their games”, stressed Kyle Hines. I have been covering basketball for more than 20 years as a journalist and play by play commentator and brought out a book earlier this year called “The Real basketball Deal”, It was only fitting that 1 chapter would be about Kyle Hines. His chapter is 81 entitled “A decade of interviews with Kyle Hines. In another chapter in the book, players reflect about my work in the basketball scene and he also gave his 2 cents about me. “Even if your focus on basketball is primarily in Germany, you have a huge knowledge of basketball in Europe which is seldom. Most journalists only know about the country they are in, but you have a huge IQ about basketball in Europe”. There is that immense professionalism of Kyle Hines again. After 16 professional seasons he has retired and wants to be remembered as giving his heart to the game and playing the game the right way.
I reach Kyle Hines on a Wednesday night at 10:15 pm as he is enjoying retired life in his home state of New Jersey. It was only logical that we would review his illustrious career that spanned more than 20 years since his senior year at Timber Creek Regional High School. He then proceeded to have a great NCAA career at University of North Carolina at Greensboro (NCAA) from 2004-2008 being a All-SoCon first team selection for 3 years and in his last 3 seasons averaged 20,0ppg and 8,0rpg. After playing at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (Pre-NBA Draft) averaging 17.3ppg, 7.3rpg, 1.3apg, 2.3spg, 3.3bpg, FGP: 78.6%, FT: 72.7%, as well as having numerous NBA work outs and playing NBA Summer League with the Charoltte Bobcats, he opted to come overseas. It was his only option as for whatever reason his game didn´t appeal to NBA teams. He played his first 2 years in Italy with second division team Prima Veroli (Italy-Lega 2) where he averaged 17,0ppg and 8,0rpg and won 2 cup titles as well as helping the team move up to the Serie A. It was practically here where 2 future stars with him and head coach Andrea Trinchieri were born. It was in Italy also where his winning titles started. How did that first title compare with his Euroleague titles he would soon win? “Veroli was an important part of my early career. Being able to play for coach Trinchieri was vital as well. He taught me how to win and impact game in a positive way. Every title I won in my career had a different meaning. I think the titles with Veroli set the blue print for me to become a winning player”, stressed Kyle Hines. In Veroli he was a young buck and played with really talented players and of course there were guys here that really impacted him. “2 guys that stand out were American Jerome Allen who was an older guy and Afik Nissim. He was an Israeli national player. Both of them helped me make the transition to becoming a professional. I really appreciated them and learning to become a professional helped carry over for the rest of my career”, stated Kyle Hines. He then made the next step in his career and played a season in Germany with Bamberg winning the double. With the Bavarian team he averaged 12.9ppg, 5.4rpg, 1.1bpg, FGP: 64.3%, FT: 46.7%; in the Euroleague and in the German League averaged 10.4ppg, 4.6rpg, Blocks-3 (1.2bpg), FGP-3 (61.1%), 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 52.4%. In Bamberg head coach Chris Fleming had established himself as a top coach in Germany and was another key piece in the continued development of Hines as a player. “He was a big part of the success in Bamberg. He taught me how to accept a certain role and how to play it. Up to there, I had always been the main guy on my teams. At Bamberg there were many more talented players. He taught me to embrace my role and how to make an impact and win. It wasn´t so much about scoring for me anymore, but how to still have an impact and win games at a high level. He did a great job creating a system here where every player could be successful. It showed how guys would go to other places and continue to be successful”, added Kyle Hines. In Bamberg he had a massive list of great players to choose from as being the guy that impacted him most. “Casey Jacobsen had the biggest impact on me. I spent a lot of time with him and his family there. He was a veteran guy who had seen it all in Europe and NBA. He taught me a lot about how I should carry myself. Another guy that impacted me was forward Predrag Suput. He gave me a lot of secrets about how to play on the court and helped me to develop further. He was a very efficient player as an older guy. He helped me understand the game”, remembered Kyle Hines.
The winning of Kyle Hines continued in his next 2 years as he went to Greece to play with Olympiacos S.F.P. Piraeus (Greece-A1) and prompt won 2 Euroleague titles in a row as well as a Greek league title. He is unable to pick one that was sweeter, mainly because he helped write history in winning back to back titles. “Both were very special. We were only 1 team of 3 teams to ever win 2 Euroleague titles in a row. Being part of history meant a lot. We were part of a very special era and you can´t single one out. Both mattered the most”, explained Kyle Hines. In his 2 seasons in Greece, he averaged 9.9ppg, 4.5rpg, 1.0apg, 1.1bpg, FGP: 51.9%, FT: 57.6%; in the Euroleague and in the Greek League averaged 8.6ppg, 3.7rpg, 1.1apg, 1.0spg, Blocks-4 (1.1bpg), FGP: 57.4%, FT: 64.4% while in his second season averaged 7.4ppg, 4.6rpg, FGP: 62.8%, FT: 61.1% in the Greek league and in the Euroleague averaged 9.4ppg, 6.0rpg, 1.2apg, Blocks-5 (1.2bpg), FGP: 60.5%, FT: 58.7%. It is incredible that it wasn´t always guys at his position that had the biggest impact on him, but also guys that played other positions like a Vassilis Spanoulis. But then again which player on earth wouldn´t be impacted by him? “I also spent a lot of time with him. He helped me become a top player at a top level. Every day I mimicked things that he did on and off the court. He taught me that you have to put in a lot of work at that level. It wasn´t just natural talent that helped him become a top point guard in Europe, but also the hard work he invested in himself each day”, warned Kyle Hines.
The top Euroleague player than played with CSKA Moscow from 2013-2020 and one can say this was his most successful time as he won 2 more Euroleague titles as well as 6 VTB league titles, 2 Gomelsky cups and 4 Euroleague Final 4 appearances. In his 6 years in Moscow, he continued to develop his game and become the ultimate leader on and off the court. He continued to demonstrate what it means to play one´s role to the fullest without putting up the major stats, but playing for the team on every possession. Was it fair to say that Moscow became his second home overseas? “ “I love Milan, but Moscow was a special place for me. It will always be in my heart, because I stayed there the longest. I think I was known most as a player in my time there. It was almost like my home city. I care so much for that organization. It was a very special time for my wife and I”, stated Kyle Hines. The great thing about his time in Moscow was that he played with so many great players, but also didn´t see guys come and go, but spent years together with them. It was only obvious that he couldn´t name just 1, 2 or 3 guys that impacted him most, but more than a hand full. “It really is very difficult to say that only 1 guy impacted me most. The first guy I have to name is Nando de Colo. We had a great bond and chemistry. I played 5 years with Milos Teodosic. We created great moments and plays. I had a great relationship with Sergio Rodriguez. He became a great friend. I also had a great relationship with Corey Higgins. I mean there were so many. Others were Aaron Jackson and Sonny Weems. I can go on and on”, expressed Kyle Hines.
His last stop on his legendary career was Milan and it was only clear that the winning wouldn´t stop there. In his 4 years in Milan, he proceeded to win 6 more titles with 3 league titles, 2 league cups and a Super Cup. He was part of a new generation in Milan where consistency with winning was brought back to the organization. “I really enjoyed being part of a new era of winning in Milan. I remember coach Messina telling me when I arrived, that he wanted to bring back success back to the organization. I also really enjoyed the relations I had with the people there. Milan was one of my favorite places. We built so much as a team and to be honest, it became a way better experience than I thought it could be”, commented Kyle Hines. To be able to win 6 titles in 4 seasons in the Serie A is no easy feat, but each season´s team showed that it was able to develop something very unique that always led to winning. “I think that our secret the last years was being able to deal with adversity and being able to rely on each other and build chemistry. You can´t forget that 2 of our league titles were achieved where we didn´t have home court advantage. To be able to win like that can only happen when you have a strong minded group. Coach Messina did a fantastic job preparing us to peak at the right moment”, added Kyle Hines. He played for many so great coaches including a Dusan Ivkovic, but he will always have a high regard for having balled for Ettore Messina. “He was like a teacher. I learned something new about the game and life every day. He didn´t only talk about the game, but also about life events. He helped me appreciate the game even more as I got older. He helped utilize my game in many ways within my role where I could still have an impact in many ways”, said Kyle Hines. He played with so many great players and saw how Shavon Shields developed into a top player and was able to be teammates with ex NCAA champion Shabazz Napier and believes that he will have an impact in Munich under world champion coach Gordon Herbert. “Shavon is the prefect testament of how a player can grow and reach the highest level. He began in Frankfurt and via Trento and Baskonia became a top 15 player in Europe. He used his opportunity everywhere to develop further and now is in his prime and one of the best players in Europe at his position. I think that Shabazz will have success there. You can´t forget that he hasn´t had a full season since coming overseas. He is healthy now and feeling more comfortable in Europe. He is one of the smartest players that I have been around in my career. He and Gordie will have a good connection. Gordie is used to coaching point guards like him”, stressed Kyle Hines.
The ex Bamberg player announced his retirement recently at age 38. His life is different now and he can finally focus on other things besides the day to day grind of a Euroleague player. “It has been fun to explore new opportunities. It also has been great spending more time with my family”, added Kyle Hines. He was at an age where he could retire, but could of still played longer, but he knew that it was time. “My goal was to go out on top. I think to make history in Italy and win 3 titles in a row was the right time to retire. It had always been my goal since 2008 when I was in Italy to win the Serie A title one day. My mom saw me win that Serie A title and that was really special. It was the first time my mom saw me play. Winning that last title and having my mom put an exclamation mark on my career. My body still feels great and I believe I could of played 2-3 more years. I always had taken good care of my body and developed good habits to have let me play as long as I did. Key was being able to retire on a positive note and not because of injury. I have 3 kids and don´t want to be limited after my playing days. I still want to be able to run and do things with my kids”, stated Kyle Hines. So what is the next step for him? “I want to remain in the game as much as possible. If that means in a management level, helping players or something within a league. I want to be involved with the game someway overseas teaching the game, sharing knowledge and learning more about the game. The great thing about sports is that there are so many different paths that make up the game”, warned Kyle Hines. He played 16 seasons playing 909 professional games and 397 Euroleague games. Did he accomplish all that her wanted to? “I thought I accomplished all I wanted to and more. When I started my pro career, I never would have thought that I would play in all these incredible places. I´m very happy and blessed how my career went. I wouldn´t have changed anything”, stressed Kyle Hines. At the moment he is the winningest American Euroleague player. Will that record ever be broken? “I think so. Records are meant to be broken. I hope a guy can win 5 titles”, expressed Kyle Hines. It is only obvious that his 5 best teammates of all-time were all his CSKA teammates with Milos Teodosic, Vassilis Spanoulis, Nando De Colo, Sergio Rodriguez and Corey Higgins. How would he like fans to remember him best? I think that just being remembered is an accomplishment. I always gave my heart for the game, respected the game and my teammates and just played the game the right way”, warned Kyle Hines. Thanks Kyle for so many great moments over the years. Your game and character will never be forgotten. Oh by the way, I´m sure our interview count won´t end at 24. I´m looking forward to number 25.
Kevin McClain (190-G-1996, college: Belmont) is a 27 year old 190cm point guard from Florida playing his 5th pro season and third in Germany and first with the Giessen. Last season he helped the Frankfurt Skyliners move back to the easyCredit BBL averaging 7.4ppg, 1.6rpg, 3.2apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 47.4%, 3PT: 29.8%, FT: 68.8%. He played his rookie season with the EWE Baskets Oldenburg and played 2 seasons with FOS Provence Basket (France-ProB) averaging 15.5ppg, 2.7rpg, 4.2apg, Steals-4 (1.9spg), FGP: 54.1%, 3PT: 38.9%, FT: 77.9% and 11.1ppg, 2.5rpg, 3.8apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 53.7%, 3PT: 28.1%, FT: 66.7%. He began his basketball career at Hamilton County High school and then played at Belmont University (NCAA) fom 2015-2019 playing a total of 125 games and as a senior averaged 16.8ppg, 3.6rpg, 3.9apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 55.3%, 3PT: 36.6%, FT: 70.2%. He spoke to germanhoops.comafter the big 98-74 win against Bayreuth.
Thanks Kevin for talking to germanhoops.com. Congrats on the big 98-74 win over Bayreuth. How vital was getting back on the winning track after losing to Munster 91-90?
It’s always vital to get back on track with a win after a tough loss. But after only practicing once, our chemistry was good and will only get better
After winning the first quarter 18-14, Giessen exploded for 34 points in the second quarter and took over the game. What did head coach Frenki give for instructions going into the second quarter? He told us to keep control of the game, and play smart, and use our fouls smartly.
Giessen began on a 10-0 run and overall in that quarter got 11 points from Simon Krajcovic. How vital is his game for the team? He’s very important, he’s an experienced guard and does well with controlling the game and offense. He’s been a lot of help for me
Mladen Vujic also gave great support from the bench especially in the second quarter. What do you appreciate most about his game? He’s very important for us. I like the intensity he brings, rebounding and defense. He’s also a force on the offensive end of the court
You led 74-53 after 30 minutes. Obviously the big second quarter allowed Giessen to have a nice cushion, but what did you feel was the biggest strength defensively on this day? Not letting up on defense, we took it personally on ourselves just to play good defense even while we were up on the scoreboard.
Giessen did a great job taking care of the ball and shooting. But it got only 10 free throws and lost the rebound battle. Are these 2 areas that need to be improved most or are there others? I’m not sure what it said on paper, but those type of things change every game, so I’m not sure especially after playing only 2 games.
What has it been like playing with Robin Benzing? He is a German basketball legend. Is he a type of player where even a guard like you can learn something from?
It’s been great playing with him, and it doesn’t matter what position you play, you can definitely learn from someone with his experience. He’s helped me the first 1 day I got here and yeah whenever he gives me advice I listen.
What has it been like being teammates with Kyle Catlin? He like you knows how to light it up? He’s a great teammate, I like all my teammates and they have excepted me with open arms which was cool. But he’s a great shooter and I’m always looking for him when I break down the defense, and I also like that he plays hard on both sides of the floor offense and defense!
You are back in Germany. Has Giessen been like a culture shock in comparison to being in Frankfurt last season? No not really, my town in Jennings Florida has like 1000 people so GIeßen and most places are pretty big places to me.
What have you appreciated most about the Giessen organization? It has a lot of tradition and great home fans. I’ve only been here a week and a half but I like how they’ve accepted me so far!
What is it like being teammates with Aiden Warnholtz? What kind of a relationship did you have with him in Frankfurt. I like being teammates with Aiden, I was sad he was hurt because I signed thinking he just had a minor injury. But Aiden is a great teammate, he works hard and is funny once you get to know him! I look forward to moving up another team with him.
What exactly is your role with Giessen. In Frankfurt you came from the bench and in Giessen start. I always saw you more as a starter. I was injured for 2 years and Frankfurt was my first time being back so maybe it was a good thing I didn’t start because I don’t know if I could have withstood a lot of minutes. I’m healthy now and my role is to play offense, defense, and win games.
What is your goal with Giessen? You obviously want to help the team win, but also have good stats. Doesn´t a guy like you belong in the easyCredit BBL? The goal is to get them back in the BBL, and yea I think I belong in the BBL and any first league, sadly some teams passed up on me but I think I just have to prove I’m healthy again and that’s what I’m focused on now.
What kind of a development do you want to make this season in the Pro A? You have a versatile game and can do so much. I’m focused on controlling my pace and getting to my spots more, when I was younger I used my athleticism a lot and athleticism can become a one trick pony. Just playing with more IQ.
You helped Frankfurt move back up to the easyCredit BBL. Was there no talks of remaining for the BBL season?
There were some words but no real discussion.
Will you take the 45 minute trek to Frankfurt this season to watch a game?
Yeah for sure, my old teammates Booker, David, and Bruno are still there so for sure
Do you feel like the Frankfurt Skyliners will remain in the BBL? Why not, that’s not really for me to predict
Who would win a 1-1 you or Mr energy Booker Coplin? I would say me but I’m sure he would say the same.
The up and down weeks of 1-2 team EPG Guardians Koblenz continued as after a thrilling come from behind win in their own living room against the Dresden Titans, a week later lost by 18 points against top Pro A contender Trier where they easily understood that there was a class difference between both teams. Koblenz returned home, but didn´t have an easy task as they had to battle the 2-1 team Kirchheim led by head coach Igor Perovic that has demonstrated the last years of forming talented teams that compete for the playoffs. This season, they have another potent offense, but also have willing and talented defenders like Cameron Henry (198-G-1999, college: Indiana St.) and have held teams to an average of 68 points through out the first 3 games. On a cool Saturday night, the pretty CGM arena was packed and ready to observe Guardian basketball and as usual saw it for a half, but not for a second half as the Bozic Estriche Knights Kirchheim won 87-80. It was a hard fought game for 40 minutes, but in the fourth quarter a 5-0 run by the guests helped them get momentum and then manage the lead well until the buzzer sounded. “We did a good job rebounding and took advantage of the mismatches and got to the free throw line well. It helped we could contain Cockfield in key moments and were disciplined down the stretch”, stressed Knights guard Demetrius Ward. The EPG Guardians had their moments in the game, but couldn´t keep the intensity and physicality of the first half and were hurt badly with mismatches created by Kirchheim in the second half. “We fought hard, but not as hard as we could of. We didn´t implement what we wanted to from the week of practice until the second half. Our ball movement was good. We only had 8 turnovers. Our decision making wasn´t good and we didn´t make good reads”, stressed EPG Guardian Ty Cockfield. “We couldn´t match their physicality in the 1-1 and couldn´t control Cameron Henry. They were more consistent and deserved to win”, stated EPG Guardians sport director Thomas Klein.
Ty Cockfield at the FT line
The EPG Guardians were without German big man Moses Poelking who will be out until December, but new big man David Boehm form the Czech Republic made his debut. The first quarter was low scoring as the EPG Guardians Koblenz took the early lead only to see Kirchheim fight back and gain the lead momentarily until Koblenz stole it back and led by 6 points after 10 minutes. Koblenz played Guardians basketball early getting 2 steals that led to transition points from Cockfield and Boehm who balled at Northern Kentucky University (NCAA) made a thunderous dunk. Henry got the Knights their first field goal of the night at the 7,37 minute mark off a turn around shot. Koblenz got the quick 10-4 lead as American Michael Bradley who played at Mercyhurst (NCAA2) sunk a three and ex Assumption University (NCAA2) American Kasey Draper made a lay in. Kirchheim had to combat the physical and aggressive Koblenz defense and drew fouls and tied the game at 10-10 with Miryne Thomas free throws. Kirchheim kept getting to the free throw line and walking bucket James Graham who played with Munster last season made a fade away shot. “He is a very good 1-1 player. The fade away is his bread and butter shot”, stated Thoams Klein. That lead didn´t rattle the Guardians as they closed out the first quarter in style with a 9-2 run and 22-16 advantage after one quarter. In the run, the Guardians got good support from veteran Pro A player Maurice Pluskota and American Alin Blunt made his debut making a three pointer. “He has a quick release and shoots at a high percentage. He is also a physical defender”, added Thomas Klein. Graham also added a lay in as his energy was vital from the bench. “We got into early foul trouble due to our physical defense”, said Thomas Klein. “We couldn´t hits shots. The game was very physical and there were many fouls”, said Demetrius Ward.
Cameron Henry at the FT line
The game remained tight in the second quarter as Kirchheim fought back and regained the lead only to lose it at the end as the EPG Guardians Koblenz led by 3 points at the break. The Knights totally broke away in the first minutes going on a lethal 13-1 run to lead 29-23. In the run the Knights were led by team as every one chipped in. Ex Western Michigan (NCAA) guard Demetrius Ward who is in his 13th pro season struck with a trey, Graham continued his dominating 1-1 play with a left handed lay in, Chilean big man Aitor Picket scored twice while rookie Braden Norris made his first basket of the game and ex Indiana State guard Cameron Henry made a fade away jumper. Koblenz lost concentration and their intensity was down. Kirchheim found their spots better, but also made some tough shots. That basketball is a game of runs is no secret as the EPG Guardians punched back with a 16-5 run to regain the lead. Koblenz buckled down again and found their game again as they were led by Ty Cockfield who just flipped a gear up scoring 7 points. Bohm also hit a massive trey in the charge. Bradley and team identity figure Dominque Johnson iced free throws as Koblenz led 39-36 at half-time. “After that run we found to our game again. We were playing 50% Guardians basketball up to half-time”, stressed Thomas Klein. “We did a good job exploiting the mis matches in our run. Picket showed that he can be a great big man and Thomas gave great energy. We played tough, but then they came back taking the lead”, stated Demetrius Ward.
TY Cockfield to the rim
In the third quarter both teams started to find better offensive grooves. Koblenz got a lead, but couldn´t pull away as Kirchheim continued to execute well and stay with them as the Guardians led only by 1 point after 3 quarters. Both teams traded buckets early as Cameron Henry made a beautiful acrobatic lay in while James Graham proved twice that he is a genuine walking bucket making a turn around shot and 20 footer. “He already showed last year that he is a walking a bucket. 14/9 in 19 minutes says a lot”, added Demetrius Ward. Koblenz began to execute better and better and went on a 9-3 run to lead 51-45. In the run, Cockfield made a lay in as his speed to the basket was unstoppable. Blunt who played at the University of Lowell made a trey and Pluskota hit a wide open trey. But the Guardians couldn´t break away as their defensive intensity and physicality just wasn´t what it was in the first half. Kirchheim continued to execute really well getting a beautiful off balance shot from ex Guardian Lucas Mayer and an offensive rebound and put back by Thomas to dead lock the game at 53-53. Bohm then made a pretty left handed hook shot that brought back memories of a Kevin Mchale for the 55-53 lead. Norris who played at Loyola, Chicago (NCAA) made a clutch three pointer with less than a minute to play, but Kasey Draper made a shot at the buzzer to give the Guardians the 59-58 advantage after 30 minutes. “Our focus was to be the best defensive team in the first 5 minutes. If we can´t do that then it will be a tough game. We tried to swap baskets with them instead of getting good stops”, commented Ty Cockfield. “We did a better job slowing Cockfield down. We wanted other guys to beat us. We played good inside out basketball”, stated Demetrius Ward. “We didn´t have much rhythm. We had less intensity and played too much 1-1. Norris also found his game”, said Thomas Klein.
In the fourth quarter the game remained tight, but a 5-0 Knights run gave them enough room to maintain the lead until the end despite the Guardians never giving up and fighting until the end. Both teams continued to play 1-1 basketball. Kirchheim got key baskets from Thomas and Norris while Koblenz got key buckets from German ex BBL player Leon Friderici and Ty Cockfield to tie the game at 63-63. “Cockfield was keeping us alive”, warned Thomas Klein. Then came the turning point of the game as Kirchheim went on a 5-0 run to lead 68-63 and they wouldn´t look back. In the run, Henry made a fade away jumper and Demetrius Ward sunk a trey after Picket had made a massive block on a Cockfield drive. The Knights with mis match king Henry led the charge and good defense led to easy baskets. Kirchheim now managed their lead well as Norris showed his agility and quickness with a lay in and Henry made a reverse lay up in traffic for the 72-66 lead. You can never shut down a great player for 40 minutes as Braden Norris found his groove in the second half. “He has a great skill set. He didn´t have a great first half, but he never lost his confidence. He made tough shots”, stressed Demetrius Ward. Pluskota was key in crunch time scoring on 3 straight possessions on free throws, but they couldn´t make ground as the Knights punched back with baskets from Ward and Norris to keep the 78-71 lead. Koblenz kept battling down the stretch and cut the lead down to 83-80 with 28 seconds to go with a clutch Cockfield lay in. However Koblenz couldn´t get any closer as Henry and Thomas closed out the game with free throws and the 87-80 win. “We showed that we had experience down the stretch. We shared the ball well and we were lucky in certain possessions. We made key rebounds and got some calls. Credit to Koblenz for fighting back”, stressed Demetrius Ward. “They are a smart team that controlled the pressure. They exploited the mismatches. Henry did that really well and put team on his back”, stressed Ty Cockfield. The Bozic Estriche Knights Kirchhem were led by Miryne Thomas with 21 points while Cameron Henry added 20 points while the EPG Guardians were led by Ty Cockfield with 25 points while Maurice Pluskota added 15 points. Kirchheim shot 49% from the field and 25% from outside and had 35 rebounds and 11 turnovers while the EPG Guardians shot 41% from the field and 24% from outside and had 28 rebounds and 8 turnovers.
