Just when the Wurzburg arena went bonkers after they had won their second game in exciting fashion beating derby opponent Giessen 46ers 104-101 in OT with a Maurice Stuckey game winning three letting ex German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to ponder why it took him so long to witness his first ever Beko BBL game and most fans probably boasting that they had witnessed the most dramatic game of the Beko BBL second game day, the German walking wounded of the Fraport Skyliners with national players Danilo Barthel, Johannes Voigtmann and Konstantin Klein had a little mix of shock and anger as they had witnessed the end of the Frankfurt-Oldenburg game where they were robbed of overtime on a Johannes Richter bucket that wasn´t given. Depending just how good the cooking aptitude of cooking chef Danilo Barthel was, the players seemed to have enjoyed his feast that he has prepared, but even when not one could of at least excused ones self to the rest room to relieve one´s self, but in the aftermath of the horrible call, there would have been no need to scamper away to the lavatory as the scene left in the Oldenburg arena would have been enough to vomit one´s grief all over the living room. After a magnificent victory in Bremerhaven where they held a very offensive talented team to only 59 points, the club traveled to Oldenburg with a walking wounded list as long as the grocery list of Shaq, but once again Fraport Skyliner´s mastermind behind the bench Gordon Herbert devised another plan of getting the most out of the talent he had and stayed close to Oldenburg all night long. The way the Fraport Skyliners lost left a very sour taste in their scent in their stomach, but the club had four days to try to digest this misfortune as best they could and next had to battle against aspiring s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg who blew away the Pro A last season despite losing to Giessen for the Pro A title and came into the Fraport arena with a 1-1 record. It a very tight game throughout, but in crunch time when the Fraport Skyliners could have used a Justin Cobbs who displayed countless times last season his calmness, cool demeanor, rookie leadership and cold execution in getting Frankfurt over the hump, tonight it was Lebron James friend Dru Joyce who stole the show from Jordan Theodore hitting big shots and keeping the club together in the end winning a real nail bitter 77-75 the way Cobbs did last season “Frankfurt had more energy in the first half, but luckily we were able to stay close to them. However we gave a better effort in the second half, played with more intensity and picked it up on defense”, warned ex TBB Trier guard Dru Joyce. The Fraport Skyliners lost their second game in a row on the last possession and their frustration showed after the loss with faces as long as the trek a person would have to take across the Bering strait. “This loss was unnecessary. We have had lost two games in a row at the end and it really hurts. We have very high goals and to lose two games like this is very difficult”, added Fraport Skyliner center JohanneRichter. Fraport Skyliner Jordan Theodore didn´t shy away from expressing his grief, but at the same time was man enough to take a blame for the team´s shortcoming. “We have injuries and also lost two close games, but we can´t make excuses. I have to play better at the end. I am a player that can score, but I didn´t get it done tonight. I will get better. It all comes down to execution. It is still early in the season. We still have many games. We will be fine and believe me I will be in the gym tomorrow morning”, warned New York native Jordan Theodore. “We gave up too many three pointers in the first half and had bad rotations. We defended better in the second half and attacked more in the second half after being too passive in the first half”, added ex UCLA center Brendan Lane.
Frankfurt Skyliners
The Fraport Skyliners Choose Experience Over NCAA Inexperience For Their Season Meal Ticket
When you examine the scalp of Fraport Skyliners head coach Gordon Herbert one sees a white bushel of hair that could substitute for a plate of snow with that touch of dark grey which could have been added in by splatting specs of dirt from a dog playing in that seasons first snow storm or trying to find that bone it buried the summer before. His white scalp was once a more brownish with spots of grey creeping through when he won the 2004 Beko BBL title with the then Opel Skyliners. Since then the coaching of career of Gordon Herbert has brought many playoff appearances and titles in France and Finland, but even with that success has supercharged his scalp in going in the more white direction. Just how much more stress his scalp has taken in the last two seasons is hard to say as it is more difficult to notice with his sea of white which seems unfathomed, but this season the club is going in a new direction to give success a better chance of developing and bearing the 1984 Canadian Olympian less burden upstairs by choosing experience over NCAA inexperience for their season meal ticket. That the Fraport Skyliners have a limited budget is nothing new as they have been doing the best out of their resources and hauling in the best players available for years. They also have started a new trend in the BBL where they give contract extensions as early as possible as Canadian national player Aaron Doornekamp and Florida native Mike Morrison were kept, but wait until very late in the summer when the prices of the players on the market have sunk to do their season shopping. Especially at the guard position, the Fraport Skyliners have gambled the last two years taking NCAA players where one never knows if they will pan out. Two seasons ago, the club brought in Jared Dubois and Ramon Galloway who had some good games, but overall the inexperience especially hurt in crunch time as the club seemed to lose almost as many close games as the German national team did at the Euro 2015. Last season Gordon Herbert did everything right bringing in the correct early season player with Justin Cobbs and scorer in Sean Armand. Herbert had the correct touch adding that cool and calm Los Angeles demeanour of Justin Cobbs and that fierce and tough New York attitude in Sean Armand. The two Americans with a solid supporting cast went from last to the playoffs and a Eurochallenge final 4 berth showing that inexperience can be overridden with skill and effort. This season the club practiced the same procedure waiting until very late to haul in two guards, but this season the two gentlemen didn´t have a college degree, school year book, or school team sweat shirt in their baggage to present, but a Eurochallenge title, wife and baby, NBA Summer league experience and for those long bus trips the ultimate John Patrick stories. The club added experienced guys with Jordan Theodore and BBL veteran John Little in the hopes of bringing consistency at once and not starting the season off on the wrong foot again. Even if new swing man Tomas Dimas is only 21, he has played 24 Euroleague games what no other Skyliner has ever done. With a roster that has continuation and a foundation of chemistry with the German three of Johannes Voigtmann, Danilo Barthel and Konstantin Klein added to veterans Aaron Doornekamp, Quantez Robertson and Mike Morrison, the club will have that needed overall experience for their season meal ticket and the better chances of reaching the playoffs for a second straight season.
One of the big key´s for a successful season for the Fraport Skyliners is their continuity and already existing team chemistry that they have developed over the last years as the club has held on to a majority of key players from the last years. Out of the big German three of Johannes Voightmann, Danilo Barthel and Konstantin Klein it was the Heidelberg native Barthel that made his breakthrough two years ago and last season it was Voigtmann. The big man is a 23 year old 210cm center that started as a hand balller and first started to play basketball at age 15 and will be playing his fourth season in Frankfurt. He has the looks of a young Arnold Schwarznegger and the gracefulness and versatility of a Tim Duncan. He has been able to improve his stats each season as last season he played 35 games averaging 12.2ppg, 5.9rpg, 2.4apg, FGP: 61.2%, 3PT: 36.1%, FT: 79.3%; EuroChallenge: 17 games: 16.0ppg, 7.2rpg, 1.6apg, FGP: 64.8%, 3PT: 28.6%, FT: 79.4%, He made a big jump in his development playing for the German national team and the Euro 2015 playing 4 games: 4.8ppg, 2.5rpg. With the rate of his development he is one of the center´s of the future for German basketball. “Joe had a great experience with the German national team and developed a fine relationship with Dirk Nowitzki. He changed his diet following that of Aaron Doornekamp and lost 12 pounds”, added head coach Gordon Herbert. The development of team captain Danilo Bartlel who is a 23 year old 207cm forward and will be playing his fifth season in Frankfurt was detoured a bit last season due to injuries and will miss the start of this season as well. Last season the German played 30 games: 9.3ppg, 4.8rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 53.1%, 3PT: 41.5%, FT: 74.1%; EuroChallenge: 10 games: 10.4ppg, 4.6rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 55.6%, 3PT: 37.5%, FT: 81.0%. A positive note was his slick three point shooting accuracy last season in the BBL as the team will need his production very much this season with the absence of solid shooters Jacob Burtschi and Sean Armand. Despite the loss of key players and current injuries, the German believes that it will be a successful season. “We kept last years team together to a degree and our young guys developed further and can make a further step now. I strongly believe that we can build from the success of last season”, warned Danilo Barthel. Klein is a 24 year old 186cm guard that will be playing his fourth season in Frankfurt. He also made a big jump over the summer helping the German A-2 national team to the final of the University games and being one of the 16 German national players despite coming off injuries from last season. Last season in the BBL he played 16 games: 6.7ppg, 2.6rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 46.7%, 3PT: 34.1%, FT: 88.5%; EuroChallenge: 6 games: 6.7ppg, 2.0rpg, 2.2apg, FGP: 44.4%, 3PT: 52.9%, FT: 83.3%. Frankfurt will also need Klein to give much input from downtown which he displayed in the Eurochallenge last season. Head coach Herbert is optimistic that Klein will have his breakthrough this season the way the German twin towers Barthel and Voigtmann had the last two seasons. “Klein had a good pre season. He is playing with a lot of self-confidence. He is the hardest working guy that I have ever coached. You can see him in the gym at 9 AM on Sunday morning”, said Gorden Herbert.
The identity and heart and soul of the Fraport Skyliners is Quantez Robertson. He is a 30 year old 188cm guard that has played in Frankfurt his whole career and is the last remaining player on the team from the 2010 team that lost a bitter 5 game series to the Brose Baskets Bamberg. He has played a total of 212 BBL games and for the most part been free of injury. Last season he played 37 games: 11.1ppg, 4.4rpg, 3.2apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 50.3%, 3PT: 34.1%, FT: 80.6%; EuroChallenge: 17 games: 10.9ppg, 4.6rpg, 2.5apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 55.2%, 3PT: 33.9%, FT: 76.2%. Last season he had his best scoring and assist average in his professional career. He is a freak athlete who is the minister of defense and despite being 30 years old can still battle with the quickest in the league and Herbert believes that the Cincinnati native can still make a further jump this season. “Tez really has improved his leadership. He has been here since the start of training camp and despite injuries and less players, he has played his heart out. He will make another step this season”, warned Gordon Herbert. Canadian national player Aaron Doornekamp is a 29 year old 201cm forward that will be playing his second season with Frankfurt. Last season in the BBL he played 37 games averaging 6.8ppg, 4.0rpg, 1.6apg, FGP: 48.3%, 3PT: 34.2%, FT: 77.6%; EuroChallenge: 17 games: 6.1ppg, 3.8rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 43.9%, FT: 71.4%. Herbert continues to proclaim that he is the most professional player he has ever coached as his habits on and off the court are excellent. With more scoring power last season, he didn´t have to produce as much as his versatility was much more needed whereas this season the club will need more scoring support from him. Mike Morrison is a 25 year old 205cm center from St Petersburg, Florida that will be playing his second season with Frankfurt. Last season he played 32 BBL games: 7.4ppg, 3.4rpg, FGP-1(71.2%), FT: 53.2%; EuroChallenge: 12 games: 6.3ppg, 3.3rpg, FGP: 69.6%, FT: 73.3%. Last season he was the man for spectacular dunks in many variations and often aided the team with his energy when Voigtmann was catching a breather. “Mike came to camp bigger and stronger and has worked hard each day. He has got many minutes in pre season. He has really taken advantage of the many injuries”, stressed Gordon Herbert. Johannes Richter is a 23 year old 206cm center that will be playing his third season in Frankfurt. Last season he had his breakthrough in the Eurochallenge leading Frankfurt past the Baaken Bears denying them their evening dose of honey in Frankfurt netting 15 points and six boards. Last season he played 24 BBL games: 2.3ppg, 1.4rpg; EuroChallenge: 11 games: 3.8ppg, 2.2rpg, played also for Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt II (ProB): 14 games: 13.7ppg, 8.9rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 45.9%, 3PT: 44.4%, FT: 65.2%. Richter will also be a guy who can step up the way he did last season early with the injury plague that the team has at the moment. „He has another big chance to step up. With all our injuries he has played the 4-5. You can see it in his eyes that he wants to play”, warned Gordon Herbert. The club also held Max Merz(10 games: 0.7ppg, played also at Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt II (ProB): 6 games: 14.2ppg, 2.8rpg, 4.8apg, 2.3spg, FGP: 45.2%, 3PT: 26.3%, FT: 66.7%), Niklas Kiel(21 Pro B games averaging 9.6ppg, 6.3rpg, 1.6apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 44.4%, 3PT: 19.6%, FT: 70.8%, and Stefan Ilzhoefer(9 games: 8.3ppg; EuroChallenge: 6 games: 0.8ppg, 3.2rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 28.6%, FT: 72.2%, played also at Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt (BBL): 13 games: 1.2ppg) all who have injury problems at the moment. The club will continue to let these guys get the maximum club experience with practice time in combination of minutes. This season the club brought in four players with John Little, Jordan Theodore, Garai Zeeb and Tomas Dimsa. Little is a 31 year old 183cm guard from Peoria, Illinois that will be playing his eighth professional season in Germany. He won the Eurochallenge with BG Goettingen in 2010 and also has had three years experience with Wurzburg and last season played for the MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg playing 33 games: 7.1ppg, 2.4rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 43.4%, 3PT: 29.4%, FT: 68.2%. The biggest asset to obtaining Little is his vast BBL experience, his impeccable character and his defense where he roams around the floor annoying every opponent like a nasty pit bull. Jordan Theodore is a 25 year old 182cm guard from New York that played 127 NCAA games at Seton Hall (NCAA). After a strong Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (Pre-NBA Draft) playing 3 games: 13.0ppg, 4.3rpg, Assists-1(8.0apg), 1.7spg, he had interest from the NewYork Knicks, but wasn´t drafted. As a professional he has had experience in Europe playing for losing teams like Mersin Buyuksehir Belediyesi (Turkey-TBL) and JL Bourg Basket (France-ProA) playing 17 games averaging 12.7ppg, 3.6rpg, Assists-2(6.1apg), 1.4spg, FGP: 54.4%, 3PT: 21.6%, FT: 87.2%. He has a good knack of knowing when to score and when to find his teammates. He already showed what he was capable of leading Frankfurt to a pre season tournament win in Holland over Bamberg pouring in 28 points. Ex TBB Trier guard Ricky Harris knows the game of Theodre and reflects on it. “I think Jordan is going to do well. He has that mindset to over achieve which is good and he also has that attitude to prove himself which will help him as well. I think he’ll have a great season and play injury free. I think Jordan is going to have to take on a big scorers role with this rotation because the other two guards are known for other things. His style and his flash its going to be fun to watch”, warned Ricky Harris. The club also added Garai Zeeb is a 18 year old 186cm guard that comes form the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven system. Last season he played for their NBBL team, BSG Bremerhaven (2.Regionalliga and the Cuxhaven BasCats (ProA): 12 games: 3.8ppg, 1.0rpg, 1.8apg. His defense and passing ability is his strength while shooting will be one of his things he will continue to improve on. Dimsa is a very interesting project as he got a three year deal from the club.”He is a top talent with many basketball abilities. He has gone through a top Lithuanian basketball schooling and wants to develop further. He fits perfect to our system and will take on an important role as a shooter. He played well at Creta and we are happy to have him”, stressed Gordon Herbert. The question will be will he not succumb to pressure of having to step up right away?
So what will be the Fraport Skyliners style, goals and where will they end up this season? Fraport Skyliners manager Gunnar Wobke stressed young and sexy which has been their motto since many years as they have continued to make big strides in becoming the top Beko BBL team in the development of young Germans. Wobke said three seasons ago that they want to go this route and annoy and play with the top teams in the third year. Last season the club finished in sixth and made the playoffs. They want to continue this route and their style will be similar to last season. The Fraport Skyliners have been known for some years as having top defensive teams which Herbert started after the departure of Murat Didin in 2010which Muli Katzurin continued which Herbert held on to since 2013. Herbert believes that their defensive success will get a push with their new guard rotation. “I think that we will be better defensively on the perimeter. The addition of Theodore and Little really will help.It is important to be defensively strong from 1-3, if not your in trouble. We will be a fast break team, but not run and gun and will look to score off our defense. We won´t have many plays, but many options. We want guys that will read plays and make good decisions. We will teach them to do this. It will take more time, but in the end we will have better players and results. Last season we had problem with turnovers. Guys can only learn from mistakes and that is how you get better. We won´t have a superstar, but 6-7 guys that can contribute. It will be harder to play against us this way than against just 2 guys that score”, warned Gordon Herbert. Despite the early season injuries and loss of many key players, the goals might not be as extreme as what a Donald Trump expects of himself, but the 2004 Beko BBL champion has high goals as they believe that they will live by their experience which will be their meal ticket this season. “Our goal is to be in the top 5 this season. We also want to qualify for the cup which means that we would have to be in the top 7 teams. We also want to win the Fiba Cup. We want to have an identity as a team. An identity that one will see game after game. We have to be unselfish and want to be a tough team to play against as if the opponent had been in a war”, warned Gordon Herbert. So what will be the fate of the Fraport Skyliners this season? Of course question marks will be can they stay healthy and can they become a shooting team with what they have? Herbert sees the European game now differently anyway as more and more teams are going with two point guards and two combo guards. The position three seems to be evaporating slowly. “My concern is will we have enough shooters? Cobbs was a money shooter and knew when to take the right shots. Now other guys will have to step up like a Tez or Doornekmap. Our big guys can also shoot”, stressed Gordon Herbert. Head coach Gordon Herbert has shown many times what he is capable of putting on the floor despite a limited budget. Herbert has practiced this method many times and is an expert. Why shouldn´t this roster be able to reach the playoffs. The biggest strength of this team is their continuity, team chemistry, and character. Herbert has always had a good feeling of hauling in character guys. The Fraport Skyliners might not be the deepest team or have ex NBA players or have the most skillful players, but the club will come to play in every game. If they can find a way to stay injury free then this team will make the playoffs again. The club has more experience and character than last season and at least with this meal ticket Herbert knows what he will get at all times which should reduce the stress factor and additional snow to his hairline.
The Hole Is The Ocean As Medi Bayreuth Clobber The Fraport Skyliners 101-75
Coaching the Fraport Skyliners is never an easy task for Canadian Gordon Herbert as injuries and just not having a full supply of personal is about as usual for him over the years as Michael Koch must ask himself will this be the year I finally win my first coaching title. In the game against German pro A team RheinStars Cologne there were times where Herbert must have thought why me why me in terms of not being able to run a full functional team, but he was saved by a potent and in beast mode Johannes Richter who scored 18 of his 21 points in the second half pacing the Fraport Skyliners to a commending 72-59 victory, but when the 1984 Olympian thought that basketball life would get easier on Sunday against medi Bayreuth then he was mistaking. The RheinStars Cologne may have had three solid Americans, but two of them were rookies, but with Beko BBL team medi Bayreuth, the Fraport Skyliners were the clear underdog as the team led by head coach Michael Koch had the total experience factor as well as high quality players like a Travis Leslie who played 10 NBA games with the Los Angeles Clippers, Jeff Xavier who played six season sin the Spanish Leb Gold, Canadian national player and high flyer Daniel Mullungs who is a young buck compared to the older Quantez Robertson who has been around the block for years, American Jake Odum who played in Greece or a Ken Horton that tore up the Korsliga in Finnland and not to forget Bastian Doreth who continues to grow that long beard and now stands alone in the BBL as Anton Gavel cut his long ago. This was a great test for the young Skyliner kids like Zeeb, Okeke and Hoffmann to see how they match up against these experienced players. The Fraport Skyliners stayed tough and matched up well for the first 15-16 minutes, but medi Bayreuth then showed that there was a talent and experience difference as they started to take control of the game and never looked back winning easily 101-75. Medi Bayreuth came into the game licking their wounds after being embarrassed by Phoenix Hagen the day before and came out a lot stronger against Frankfurt and especially shot very high from the field and from downtown. “We came out very flat against Phoenix Hagen being stagnant on offense and defense. We changed up some things for the game against Frankfurt installing three new plays and playing better defense. We helped each other more on defense and that was a big difference”, stated ex Providence Friar Jeff Xavier. It was like day and night comparing the teams on paper and the talent difference was very noticeable. “We had a 8 man rotation and had only two plays. We got into foul problems as well. We played well in some phases and the young guys played well. Our best phase was in the second quarter, but we had only three players from last season while the rest were Pro B players and that makes a difference”, stated Fraport Skyliners guard Konstantin Klein.
The Fraport Skyliners Hoping To Erase Current Uncertainty With Adding The Right Mix Of NCAA Type Lottery Picks
With the majority of the Beko BBL teams complete and in the swing of things practicing since weeks, the Fraport Skyliners started later into the 2015-2016 pre-season and are still searching for two import positions at the point guard and shooting guard position and while most teams can boast some well-known new players, the best press and show off material that the 2004 BBL champion Fraport Skyliners can boast in this young off season is the further consistent development of one half of the twin towers Johannes Voigtmann who will play at the 2015 Euro and in 20 years be able to tell his grand children that he played together with NBA legend Dirk Nowitzki and NBA star in the making Dennis Schroeder. Other than that the Fraport Skyliners are looking at some current uncertainty, but all that can be erased if head coach Gordon Herbert has that right endearing magical touch again and is able to bring in that right mix of NCAA lottery picks to the roster. The most positive news that the Fraport Skyliners have going for themselves is that they have kept many players from last season with the big three Germans of Johannes Voigtmann, Danilo Barthel and Konstantin Klein who will have an even bigger responsibility this season for the club. The organization also held on to their three imports Quantez Robertson, Aaron Doornekamp and Mike Morrison and also have retained the next generation of young Germans with Niklas Kiel, Max Merz and Stefan Ilzhoefer, so chemistry will be there come October second when the club opens up the season in Bremerhaven against ex head coach Muli Katzurin. The club also has new point guard Garai Zeeb who is a very interesting player that will mostly play for the farm team and NBBL team and the club also will continue to bring along young big man prospect Armin Trtovac. One thing is for sure nothing is ever dull when Gordon Herbert is around and if it ever does get tedious, just ask him about his Michael Jordan encounter at the 1984 Olympics.
Don´t Call Justin Cobbs (Fraport Skyliners) Clumsy, But Just A Calm Decison Making General On The Court
If Fraport Skyliner mascot Dunking Kong who is the big goofy looking, but very loyal monkey that cheers on the 2004 Beko BBL champion at home games were to set up his own tight obstacle course on the floor with the objective to weave in and out of the small cones with a scooter and not to knock any over, Fraport Skyliner rookie Justin Cobbs might not have a perfect score if he were to attempt a miraculous ride without any contact from the scooter to a cone. Just to weave between the tightly placed cones would be a massive challenge for even the most gifted people like BMX rider Tom Dugan if he were given the chance. When you watch the extreme smoothness and elasticity of Justin Cobbs on the court, one would never expect that he could ever be clumsy in any way. However back when he was balling at California(NCAA) he had an experience with teammate Richard Solomon where he seemed to know better himself not to do something and did it anyway and got the clumsiness label put upon him. Cobbs didn´t want to move a glass of water, but did anyway and a short time later had knocked it over. Anyone can knock over a glass of water and this whole experience was more of a ribbing from Solomon in the direction of Cobbs than any kind of real truth that the American is someone that is inept and more unlikely to bump into people than Paris Hilton is to go on a eating binge at Mcdonalds in downtown Los Angeles without make up on. However one thing is for sure, Cobbs is as distant from being clumsy on the court as teammate Jacob Burtschi getting an ally-op dunk pass from Quantez Robertson. Cobbs came to the Fraport Skyliners in November 2014 and turned a cellar team to a playoff candidate and led the team to the Eurochallenge Final 4 with a 10-0 record.
FC Bayern Munich Take Off Leaving The Fraport Skyliners In The Gate Area With 92-71 Victory Winning Playoff Series 3-1
If there was any last spec of proudness and energy that the Fraport Skyliners had carried over from the blistering 24 point annihilation of FC Bayern Munich in game two in Frankfurt, it disappeared as quickly as cheese balls did back in the day when Chris Farley was put into a cage having to eat as many as possible in a short time as in the fourth quarter of game three as Bryce Taylor put more salt into the wound hitting 10 points and a bit of alcohol for bad measure as little used ex TV Langen forward Robin Benzing stroked home a last three pointer ending the game 82-64. After the buzzer sounded, the Fraport Skyliners went into the locker room getting some verbal confidence from head coach Gordon Herbert. The team then trudged slowly back onto the court and preceded to do their stretching with one player looking more depressed than the other. Top point guard Justin Cobbs just stood starring as if he had just found out that his home team Los Angeles Dodgesr had suffered through a 21-0 drubbing or a Quantez Robertson even had difficulty finding his usual right words for the defeat. As Oklahoma native Jacob Burtschi explaned, the Fraport Skyliners had suffered a vice versa experience as FC Bayern Munich were flattened by 24 points 48 hours earlier and now that what FC Bayern Munich couldn´t do in game two was set upon the shoulders of the 2004 BBL champion Fraport Skyliners who stunk up the Audi Dome losing by 18 points. This time the great big ocean which was as huge as a valley now was as tiny as a fountain as they shot only 2/17 and they were hammered on the boards 40-32 giving up nine offensive rebounds. In game four the question now was would the Frankfurt fans witness a role reversal and see a same kind of game like in game two, or could Frankfurt pull out a nail bitter or would FC Bayern Munich move on winning the series? This time there would be no vice versa as FC Bayern Munich had learned from their game two mistakes and carried on with their strong play from game the game three win in Munich and now overpowered the Fraport Skyliners in the second half with crushing 92-71 victory winning the series 3-1. The physicality of FC Bayern Munich was simply too much as the 2014 champion had not only banged up the Fraport Skyliners on the court with their offense, but also their bodies as a Danilo Barthel had to witness countless times as a Nihad Dejedovic countered one too many elbows in the direction of the Heidelberg native which got head coach Gordon Herbert to explode at the end of the game. “Munich was the better team for 40 minutes today. They got stronger in the second half and really hit their shots in the fourth quarter. We broke down and they didn´t let off”, stressed Oklahoma native Jacob Burtschi. Except for game two where FC Bayern stunk up the Fraport area, they were the better and more consistent team in the series and picked up from their strong game three win in Munich and closed out the series in spectacular fashion closing out the last quarter with 32 points. “We came out focused like in game three. I felt we played at a high level for 40 minutes defending and rebounding. We didn´t hit as much at the end of the third and going into the fourth, but we got a lot of offensive rebounds that helped”, stressed FC Bayern Munich guard Heiko Schaffartzik.
Nihad Djedovic Powers FC Bayern Munich Past The Fraport Skyliners 83-72 For 1-0 Series Lead
It may not have the exact same excitement factor as a meet and greet with Justin Bieber for an overzealous 12 year old girl, an American player returning back home after an arduous nine month season in Europe and returning to his favorite eating spot ready to chow down on his favorite food or an anti FC Bayern Munich football fan enjoying the rapid downfall of the football team in the last 13 minutes in the Champions league semi-final against FC Barcelona, but for most Fraport Skyliner fans returning back to the Beko BBL playoffs after a 4 year absence is surely a very happy and satisfying moment again even if they have to meet up against Germany´s most famous team FC Bayern Munich in a best of five series. There are only two key figures remaining on the Frankfurt team from the bitter five game semi-final loss to Alba Berlin in 2011 with the minister of defense Quantez Robertson and head coach Gordon Herbert. If you look at the current Fraport Skyliner roster and go back to the 2010-2011 seasons the German twin towers Danilo Barthel and Johannes Voigtmann were playing in the second Bundesliga for with USC Heidelberg and Science City Jena, the two rookies Justin Cobbbs and Sean Armand were rookies at Minnesota and Iona and role players Jacob Burtsch was just finishing his rookie season with the Phoenix Hagen, Canadian Aaron Doornekamp rookie season in Italy and put back and dunk specialist Mike Morrison was finishing up at George Mason(NCAA). After an unsatisfying finish to the Eurochallenge season where the Fraport Skyliners finished fourth at the final 4 in Turkey, they had their last challenge of the season with the playoffs and had an annoying opponent with FC Bayern Munich and were hoping to steal game one in Munich, but came up a bit short after staying with the FC Bayern Munich powerhouse for 30 minutes, but running out of gas in the fourth quarter as they were unable to match the consistency of their opponent losing game one in Munich 83-72.
Sean Armand Erupts Leading The Fraport Skyliners To Miraculous Fourth Quarter Comeback Shocking FC Bayern Munich 76-73
The one guy looks like he could be a lumber jack with his strong build and curly wavy hair and be chopping down trees somewhere in the redwoods in northern California, but FC Bayern Munich center John Bryant who is known as big country actually comes from San Pablo which is across the bay from San Francisco and would have a quicker drive finding some tasty waves on the pacific than a tall red wood. The other guy Johannes Voigtmann who is one half of the Frankfurt twin towers comes from the former Eastern Germany Eisenach and looks like he could be a high school senior with piercing eyes as blue as the ocean on a crystal clear day and could even pose as Arnold Schwarzenegger´s son from a distance. Bryant is a 28 year old 208cm center that has been a dominating force since he entered the Beko BBL in 2011 and was the top rebounder in the league three years in a row with ratiopharm Ulm. Last season he moved to FC Bayern Munich where his stats declined, but only because of the deep roster and so much scoring potential. This season Bryant is back to top stats averaging 13,9ppg and 8,1rpg and is third in rebounds and ninth in blocks in the BBL. Voigtmann on the other hand is a 22 year old 2010 cm center that has made a vast improvement since coming to Frankfurt in 2012 improving his points from 3,3ppg, 8,1ppg to 12,1ppg and 5,6rpg this season. He is on course to pick up the most improved player award and follow in the foot steps of teammate Danilo Barthel who won it last year. The Frankfurt big man has really been a force in Eurochallenge play averaging 15,7ppg, 7,1rpg and 1,8 apg. It is always interesting to see what kind of progress a young guy like a Voigtmann has done over the course of the season from the first meeting to the last meeting with a team. In the 80-73 loss in Munich John Bryant had a typical game of 12 points and 10 boards on 6/7 shooting while Voigtman had four points and four rebounds. Six months after their last meeting the two big men met again this time in Frankfurt and the German big man got revenge getting the winning bucket helping the Fraport Skyliners shock FC Bayern Munich 76-73. It wasn´t the best games of the two centers and Voigtman had eight points, seven rebounds, three assists and four turnovers while Bryant spread the floor with his inside out game getting 13 points and two rebounds. Voigtmann strives for getting this opportunity week in and week out against the best centers and was in awe mostly with that strong body of Bryant. “John Bryant has so much quality. He can shoot the ball and that unbelievable body, it is so strong that it is hard to get around him. He is one of the best players and its fun to compete against him”, stressed German national player Johannes Voigtmann. Jermale Jones of the Licher Baskets Baehren who is a regular guest in the Fraport arena has been observing Voigtmann all season long and was excited about the duel against Bryant. “Voigtmann´s game has really progressed this season especially his court vision. He is always in passing mode before he has even put the ball on the floor. He has become more physical. I remember him being softer last season. Voigtmann has understood through experience what it takes to compete. He knows that he has to do the little things. I am sure that he was able to take something from the game of Bryant”, stressed Alabama native Jermale Jones. “Voigtmann has improved so much with his physicality and passing. He has gone from a solid player to a potential player of the year candidate”, expressed Oklahoma native Jacob Burtschi.
Jacob Burtschi Finds A Second Lake Burtschi Pacing The Fraport Skyliners With 10 Three Pointers Past Bremerhaven 88-79
It is hard to believe how fast time flies and it has been almost two years since the last game that Muli Katzurin coached with the Fraport Skyliners and after two seasons with little success, he saved his best for last helping save the 2004 BBL champion from having to move down a level with a 77-72 do or die win against Ludwigsburg where that seasons most lethal weapon Zach Peacock scored 20 points. In his first season the club just missed making the playoffs with a last game loss in Bonn as his defensive approach to the game and style helped the team gain some huge home wins against FC Bayern Munich and Bamberg back to back holding them combined to an average of 58 points. His second season was a season to forget as the club got used to losing and almost had to settle to beg the league for a wildcard had they lost against Ludwigsburg. The whole two year tenure seemed like a misunderstanding as he had been traded during the summer of 2011 with then Skyliner head coach Gordon Herbert to Alba Berlin. Katzurin definitely had an amazing resume having coached the national team of Israel, won a polish title and led top Czech team CEZ Basketball Nymburk to 8 titles in four years with the league and cup wins. He may of already been noticed by manager Gunnar Wobke in the summer of 2008 where he and CEZ Basketball Nymburk played an exhibition game against Frankfurt. He was the total opposite of another Israel head coach Pini Gershon who could be called the Bobby Knight of Europe who even gets carried away in pre season as he threatened to stop an exhibition game between Frankfurt and top Euroleague club Olympiacos Pireus in 2006 in the training facility in Frankfurt. Off the court and outside the locker room Katurin is a quiet gentleman who reminds one of Star Wars character Obi Wan Kenobi sneaking around arena´s the same way the Star Wars figure was looking to turn off the force field of the Death Star. After leaving Frankfurt he took a year off and this season coached Bnei Hertzeliyya (Winner League) before moving to the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven (Germany-BBL) in February coming in as a sort of fireman to help save a sinking ship. Since his arrival the club has played a lot better and have a 3-4 record. Katzurin returned back to Frankfurt since almost two years ready to battle his old team and ex players like Quantaz Robertson, Jacob Burtschi and the German big three of Barthel, Voigtmann and Klein, but had a long 6 hour bus ride to Bremerhaven most likely having many Jacob Burtschi three pointers in his head trying to figure out why his team couldn´t make better adjustments as the Fraport Skyliners rolled by Bremerhaven 88-79 courtesy of 10 Burtschi three pointers. Burtschi had taken extra shooting with Gordon Herbert son Daniel on Wednesday and was two short of the BBL record of Huel Beechum which he set back in 1998. Burtschi didn´t need an ocean, but had a second Lake Burtschi on the court in Frankfurt which is also present in his home town Chickasha was making shots at ease as if he was shooting into a lake at close range, was happy to play against his old coach Muli Katzurin again and grind out the win at the end. “I have never hit this many three pointers. It must be close to my birthday, but that is still a few months away. I had a regular meal before and nothing special. The basket got bigger and bigger the more I hit. It was like throwing into Lake Burtschi back home. Lake Burtschi is a man made Lake where you can fish. My great uncle helped make it, but passed away so they named it after him. It was nice seeing Muli again. He really has made the team better since his arrival. I know that he wasn´t happy with this result. He likes grind out games, but it was high scoring something he doesn´t like. It was an up and down game where we controlled the first half and they made a run at the end of the third and start of the fourth. We took care of business in the last three minutes”, stressed Oklahoma native Jacob Burtschi. Burtschi stole the show from Bremerhaven forward Moses Ehambe who shot over 40% from outside wherever he played from 2005-2012 and many have called him the best shooter in the world finished with 17 points and tipped his hat from one shooter to the next. “What the heck did Burtschi do tonight? When it rains it pours. I know what it feels like when you throw a rock into an ocean and that was the kind of night he had. We could of keyed in more on him”, stressed ex ORU(NCAA) forward Moses Ehambe. TV Langen forward Martinis Woody had a fist row seast and saw the damage Burtschi did wasn´t surprised. “He hit nothing the last game and was due for a big game. The hole was like an ocean for him. When you start to feel it, it is hard to stop you. The way he felt and was throwing he had that unstoppable feeling that everything would go in”, added South Carolina native Martinis Woody. “Burtschi had good looks early and then had the flood gates on. He made open shots and later contested shots and shots beyond NBA range and he just let us pay”, expressed ex Giessen 46er guard Lorenzo Williams.
Big Shot Tone Don´t Leave Him Alone Graves Fires Buzzer Beater Propelling Artland Past The Fraport Skyliners 90-87 In Double Overtime
Having big upsets during college basketball´s March Madness is no surprise as they are present each year like in 2012 when Norfolk State sent Missouri home, George Mason letting UCONN pack their bags in 2006, Virginia Commonwealth kicking out Kansas in 2011 or recently North Carolina State rudely dismissing top ranked team Villanova, but one thing that isn´t a surprise is seeing great point guard battles each weekend in the German Beko BBL. For Fraport Skyliner American Justin Cobbs being tested each game is a normal occurrence as he faced off against great point guards in the Eurochallenge like Brandyn Curry, Courtney Forston and DJ Cooper, but also in the BBL he faces off against the best. Everybody was looking forward to Los Angeles facing off against Detroit like Magic vs Thomas back in the day with Cobbs vs the pride of the Artland Dragons playmaking core with David Holston. Holston has been among the top point guards in Germany and is playing his third season in Germany. The great thing about the Cobbs vs Holston battle is that it would have pitted two spectacular point guards with a veteran facing a rookie and fans seeing a 23cm difference with Cobbs taking his 191cm to the court against the diminutive 168cm Holston who is like an adorable teddy bear in a toy store that is waiting to be bought as his smile gets everybody happy. Holston battled in the first meeting against Frankfurt in a big 83-74 victory against Richard Williams who stroked home 20 points while the Artland point guard contributed 12 points and five assists. With Williams having moved back to Vechta, Holston would have made his debut against Cobbs who has big aspirations of moving to the NBA, but this duel had to wait. This duel might not have been equal to Magic vs Thomas back in the day, but both guys have had their own special intensity that bring much flair to the court whenever they are present. Sometimes one can also dream about a great match up like this and it is so much sadder when a guy like Holston can´t play due to injury, but then it gives the chance to other guys like young German Bastian Doreth or veteran Terrell Everett who has played with more than one team in one season in six of nine seasons to showcase their game and battle a future NBA player like Justin Cobbs. Fans didn´t get disappointed in the point guard duels as Cobbs, Doreth and Everett had their moments and after 50 minutes and two overtimes, the only thing that divided both teams was an Antonio Graves buzzer beater that sent the Artland Dragons home with a big 90-87 victory and their playoff hopes remained alive. Fraport Skyliner forward Quantez Robertson who sometimes moonlights as a point guard observed how well Doreth controlled the first half over Frankfurt. “The German point guard did a good job controlling the tempo, making good passes and playing the pick and roll. He executed the offense well and also made his own shots. He was definitely a good replacement for David Holston”, added Cincinnati native Quantez Robertson. “Doreth can be a starter for many teams in the BBL. He always plays well in practice and took advantage of the situation with Holston being out. I like his confidence and how he controls the tempo. This type of play is normal for him, because he does it every day”, stressed Artland Dragon guard Antonio Graves. Fraport Skyliner center Mike Morrison came out of the locker room disappointed and one could feel it with his soft words. “We dug a hole throughout the game and didn´t have the energy at the end. OT is usually our time, but with a few mistakes made, good teams will make you pay. Both teams made plays so fans had to have loved this game”, commented Florida native Mike Morrison. “The game was fun. Both teams were competitive and executed well. The game was neck to neck with both teams fighting for the playoffs. It was a big road win for us, but I give a lot of credit to Frankfurt as they fought hard”, added ex Pittsburgh(NCAA) guard Antonio Graves.
German Hoops 