Frankfurt Skyliners

Tim Ohlbrecht (Fraport Skyliners) I Have Learned Toughness From Muli Katzurin

Tim Ohlbrecht is a 23 year old 211cm power forward that was born in Wuppertal, Germany. He is playing his first season with the Fraport Skyliners. He started his basketball career in 2003 with the Bayer Giants Leverkusen junior team. He played his first Beko BBL game in the 2005-2006 season with the Bayer Giants Leverkusen. He played for the Brose Baskets Bamberg from 2006-2009 playing a total of 68 Beko BBL games. He played for the Telekom Baskets Bonn the last two seasons. Last season, he played 27 games averaging 6.7ppg, 4.9rpg, FGP: 56.0%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 73.7%. He played at the Olympic Games in Beijing (China) 2008: 3 games: 3.3ppg, 2.0rpg. He also played at the 2009 European championships, 2010 World championships in Turkey averaging 8.0ppg, 4.4rpg, FGP: 63.6%, 3PT: 46.2%, FT: 61.5%. Last summer he played at European championships in Lithuania. He spoke to german hoops about basketball.

If The Fraport Skyliners had an Easter egg hunt which Skyliner would find the most eggs?

I think Marius Nolte would find the most because he knows the area best.

It took the Fraport Skyliners a few months to find their rhythm. What was the deciding factor in December 2011 that things turned around?

It took us a little longer to come together. We had lost some bitter close games, but in December we slowly came together got over the mountain and one can say better late than never.

The Fraport Skyliners are able to beat the top teams, but the lose to BG Goettingen. Why is the team so inconsistent at times?

That was a bitter loss that shouldn´t have happened. You can never underestimate their fight.

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Will This Be The Last Time The Fraport Skyliners Experience Maik Zirbes In The Green Of TBB Trier?

There always comes a time when young German players will move from lesser teams and smaller markets to bigger teams and bigger markets. For some players like Tibor Pleiss or German wunderkind Dirk Nowitzki going from a Cologne-Bamberg-Oklahoma City or Wurzburg-Dallas happens quicker than for other players. Players like heiko “Give me the ball at Ostbahnhof if you want” Schaffartzik going through six Beko BBL teams to finally land back where he started at with 8 time Beko BBL team Alba Berlin and finally getting minutes or German national player Philipp Schwethelm landing with the most famous German sports name FC Bayern Munich via Rhein Energy Cologne and Bremerhaven take a little longer to get to that most desired luxury address. There is one Giant German talent who wears the green and happens to seem to be almost as big as the famous American jolly green giant who is the symbol for a Minnesota valley canning company is TBB Trier 205cm center beats Maik Zirbes. There have been rumors that he may be headed to Bamberg next season if Tibor Pleiss goes to the NBA. With only a few games left in the beko BBL regular season, many diehard TBB Trier fans who will miss the playoffs will be enjoying every last moment with Zirbes in the paint as Bamberg fans will with Tibor Pleiss. The 22 year old German is playing his third season with TBB Trier and has increased his minutes, points and rebounds from last season. “Maik has developed the most for sure. He works extremely hard and has gotten results. He is getting better with his back to the basket but his pick and roll defense is getting better as well”, stressed TBB Trier guard John Bynum. Pleiss made the adjustment from Cologne to Bamberg, but could Zirbes also make the adjustment to a bigger market? “ I think Maik can do whatever he puts his mind to. He has a great work ethic and I am sure he will succeed where ever he goes. In my opinion he just has to stay patient and continue to improve each aspect of his game and don’t listen to what everyone is saying about his game.he can and will succeed no matter where he decides to play at next season”, expressed John Bynum. If Zirbes does depart, he will be dearly missed and always remembered as a guy who always came to play and wanted to learn, but Bynum doesn´t believe the rumor until something is official is stated. “My nicest memory on the court has to be his block last season against Bonn. And as far as off the court, he was my personal driver for the whole season when I had trouble with my license and he is always smiling for sure. He is a great teammate on and off the floor and he works hard and has gotten the results this season because of his work. As far as the rumor goes I don’t know anything about the rumor. They are good as nothing until it happens”, warned John Bynum. The question is, can Zirbes follow Pleiss one day to the NBA? “I think he has potential to play in the NBA but it is up to him how far he wants to take it. He has caught attention of people this season and now it is up to him to not just be satisfied but to get better and take advantage of the door possibly being opened”, stressed John Bynum. Zirbes helped his market value today as he got two Beko BBL awards as Best German budding star and most improved.

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Quantez Robertson Flies, Dunks And Blocks The Fraport Skyliners Past The Phoenix Hagen Thunderbirds 92-47

Four months ago, the Fraport Skyliners were about as far away from the Beko BBL playoffs as Jack Black is from having a sensual love scene with Jessica Alba and Scarlett Johansson at the same time in a movie, Peyton Manning from winning a Super Bowl again with his first NFL team Indianapolis Colts or the New Orleans Saints from regaining any kind of respect again in the next years. Back in early December, Frankfurt fans were wondering if a long winter in the Beko BBL cellar was to happen making early Christmas shopping and wondering if Jon Leuer would leave for the NBA. Now more than four months after the 83-65 win in Hagen and 27 point performance from Jon Leuer, Phoenix Hagen continue to be fighting to stay in the Beko BBL while the Fraport Skyliners continue to make a late season run for the Beko BBL playoffs and showed a powerful display of offense and defense totally dismantling Phoenix Hagen 92-47 holding a Beko BBL team under 50 points for the third time this season. The way the Fraport Skyliners play now then compared to early December is like night and day and that has to do mostly with coach Muli Katzurin, the team as a whole and a player that can play Monopoly with the best of them. “I think a big part of the success in Frankfurt has to do with Jacob Burtschi. He does all the little things that keep a team together and he is the glue guy. The way he plays makes the team get better. It also took some time for the team to mesh and understands the coaches defensive style. “We expected them to be a lot better than four months ago. There defense is a lot better, but that is because they know each other better. Their size and athleticism are the same, but whats different is that the Skyliners are clicking”, expressed ex Duesseldorf Giant Marc Anthony Carter. “I think that my non stop style has helped the team. I don´t have to score as much as in Hagen, but can do other things like rebound and find my teammates”, added ex Phoenix Hagen forward Jacob Burtschi. “Frankfurt play more together now than then making the extra pass and just doing things that good teams have to do”, stated Phoenix Hagen American Adam Constatine.

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Jermareo Davidson Has The EWE Baskets Oldenburg For A Pre Easter Dinner Leading The Fraport Skyliners To 75-67 Victory

The Fraport Skyliners have reached the Beko BBL playoffsthe last 4 years and the last time that they didn´t reach the promised land, Murat Didin had just come back for his second tour of duty in Frankfurt, Jimmy Mckinney had just ended his first professional basketball season in Frankfurt, Jacob Burtschi was a senior at the Air Force and Michael Thompson and Devin Gibson were finishing their senior years in high school. With a do or die type game in Oldenburg and every game like a match point for the reaching of the playoffs and ex Skyliner Dominik Bahiense De Mello ready and parked in the corner to release basketball bombs on his old team and wanting to show Jimmy Mckinney that he had picked something up from the ST Louis native the last years watching him shoot, the Fraport Skyliners were as motivated to keep their winning streak and hopes of the playoffs alive as Deadmau 5 was slamming Madonna at the Ulta Music Festival for glamorizing the use of ecstasy, Tim Tebow exploring his new home New York in a pimped out limo van or pop star Robbie Williams showing his interest in the purchasing the Michael Jackson home as the gang of Muli Katzurin were able to make a beautiful Easter present by winning their third game in a row in Oldenburg 75-67 and showing that they are very much serious in slipping into the playoffs. “This was a do or die game for us and a loss would have put a damper on our hopes of the playoffs. Their crowd kept them in the game, but we just kept pushing getting this big win and hope for playoffs alive”, stressed Skyliner forward Jacob Burtschi. With the loss, the EWE Oldenburg have one less win for the playoffs and their chances erode even more. “We really gave all that we had, but this team has gone through a lot recently. It was very disappointing how the game ended, but every game crucial now and there are 4 games to go, so we just have to see what happens”, added 2007 German cup winner with Rhine Energy Cologne Ronald Burrell. Skyliner Devin Gibson may only be a Beko BBL rookie, but he often plays more like a season veteran and his energy and aggressive defense annoys opponents all day long, but he also doesn´t shy away at sprouting penetrating words. “Teams will still be surprised when we make the playoffs. I hope that they eat my words”, warned Skyliner guard Devin Gibson. “We put ourself in a tough situation with this loss. We have to win the last four games and then just see what happens”, commented ex NBA player Bobby Brown. “For us reaching the playoffs is out of our control. We have to win the rest of our games and see what the other teams do”, commented Rickey Paulding. “We know the win in Oldenburg is huge, but now we have another big game against Phoenix Hagen. We have to keep taking it one game at a time”, stressed Johannes Herber.

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The Fighting Lion Jacob Burtschi Carries The Fraport Skyliners Past ratiopharm Ulm 77-64

In the last years when contemplating about the Schwaben club ratiopharm Ulm, one usually had the big all American smile of Mike Taylor in their thoughts, Coleman Collins being the basketball version of GQ, Robin Benzing being able to fine tune his game for two seasons there like a rookie race horse or Dru Joyce and Romeo Travis having to dig out Lebron James antidotes from their times at St Marys high school in Ohio. However times have changed as these people are all gone and usually around this time at the beginning of April, ratiopharm Ulm was usually sleep walking somewhere in the middle of the standings starting to book their flights back home and breaking in a few chic Ulm cafe´s. However this season ratiopharm Ulm have been having a Cinderella type season being a force in the Beko BBL and fighting to keep their second place standing. The Eric Chadfield buzzer beater may be five and half years old, but ratiopharm Ulm met a very focused Fraport Skyliners who were as ready as Jimmy Mckinney always is with his Mizzou Tiger scowl as they were able to dismantle the club of Thorsten Leibenath 77-64. Besides the big win players were able to reflect after the win the amazing transformation that ratiopharm Ulm has undergone in the last year. Jacob Burtschi who played like a fighting lion was all smiles after the game and was just waiting for his dinner reward as this Lion had once again played to the limit helping any which way he could on the court. “Nobody expected this team to be in second place at this time. They have added great players and each guy knows his role and they are always ready to play”, stressed ex Phoenix Hagen forward Jacob Burtschi. Dane Watts always looks like he could grace the cover of GQ has seen the transformation this season from day one. “The success has to do with a different philosophy and that defense first has been instilled. We play team defense, work together well and just have good character guys on the team”, expressed ex Walter Tiger Tuebingen forward Dane Watts. Skyliner captain Marius Nolte didn´t as he was still nursing an injury, but had only the utmost respect for ratiopharm Ulm. “I always like looking back on the games against Ulm especially the hard fought battles in the Kuhberg gym. The secret is that each player knows his role and coach Leibenath has done a fine job putting his signature on the style of play. He really has done a great job forming this team”, expressed Skyliner captain Marius Nolte.

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Jimmie Hunt (Murat Didin Would Say Bubba At least Every 5 Minutes)
Jimmie Hunt is a 29 year old 187cm guard that is playing for the second time for Euroins Cherno More in Bulgaria. He started his basketball career at Franklin Pierce (NCAA2) in 2000 where he played until 2004. He started his basketball career for : Kemoplast Alpos Sentjur (Slovenia) in 2005. In the 2006-2007 season for : Kemoplast Alpos Sentjur (Slovenia ) he played : 35 games: Score-1(18.4ppg), 3.1rpg, Assists-1(4.6), 1.6spg, 2FGP: 55,9%, 3FGP: 38,9%, FT: 80,0%. In 2007-2008 season, he played for the Deutsche Bank Skyliners Frankfurt (Germany)German League: 43 games: 2.8ppg, 1.1rpg, 1.1apg; ULEB Cup: 10 games: 4.8ppg, 1.1rpg, 2.4apg. He ha splayed in Bulgaria since 2008 and last season for the Florida Flight (CBL). He spoke to German Hoops about basketball.
It has been almost four years since you played your last game with the Deutsche Bank Skyliners. Has the time moved quickly since then?
Yes and no. I really missed my time in Frankfurt, but at the same time I have had good times since so I can´t complain.
You are playing your second time for Cherno More in Bulgaria and since 2008 in Bulgaria. You seem to like Bulgaria to stay?
Bulgaria is a nice country which has treated me good. I have always goten nice contracts so why shouldn´t I stay?
 
You live in Varna which is on the Black sea. What do you like most about the city?
The Black sea is nice. It is a nice place to walk around and there are always people around you. It isn´t Frankfurt, but Varna is nice.

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Matt Bauscher Slips But Recovers Bausching Home A Buzzer Beater As BG Goettingen Shock The Fraport Skyliners 62-61

Saying goodbye to the sympathetic purple colors of BG Goettingen after this season will be as difficult for New England Patriots fans when Tom Brady is no longer barking signals for them, when Ray Bourque left the Boston Bruins after 21 seasons with no Stanley Cup win to go play for the Colorado Avalance in 2001 to finally win that cup or former Boston Celtic great Robert Parish leaving after a stellar 14 season career and three NBA titles to end his career with Charlotte and Chicago. BG Goettingen will return back to the PRO A after five successful seasons where they reached the playoffs three times. The two teams have had some very memorable wins in the last five years like the 64-61 win in 2008, where half the Skyliner team was sick and Maksym Shtein exploded like a mini Dwight Howard scoring 24 points leading the team to victory or last season where Frankfurt won 88-82 as Dashaun Wood countered with 25 points and 12 assists. In their last meeting, BG Goettingen was able to win in exciting spectacular style as Matt Bauscher hit a buzzer beater giving BG Goettingen their third win this season 62-61. After playing in Holland the last three years, Bauscher was humble and lauding the BG Goettingen organization despite their hard times this season. “It has been great playing for this organization. They have die hard fans. The fans have showed a lot more heart than what we could ever ask for. It has been a pleasure playing here”, stressed 2009 Dutch scoring champ Matt Bauscher. “I remember winning games against them, but I will never forget their press defense”, stated Skyliner American Quantez Robertson. It isn´t always the best thing to do after a bitter buzzer beater loss to have a player reflect on what had happened in the past against BG Goettingen after a game like that. Skyliner guard Jimmy Mckinney couldn´´t reflect on his memories about BG Goettingen, but probably more on the last play in which Bauscher was able to retain himself after slipping and making the shot. “It doesn´t mean nothing to me what happened in the past”, expressed Jimmy Mckinney. Burtschi played four times against BG Goettingen in his career and only had praise for the 2010 Eurochallenge winner. “You have to give them a lot of credit for the success that they have had despite a small budget. They have a great fan base there. I am sure that they will find the right pieces next season and be back soon in the Beko BBL”, added ex Phoenix Hagen forward Jacob Burtschi.

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Johannes Herber (Fraport Skyliners) Jacob Burtschi Would Be The Hunter And I Would Build The Hut In The Wilderness

Johannes Herber is a 29 year old 197cm shooting guard from Darmstadt, Germany that is playing his first season for the Fraport Skyliners. He started his basketball career in 1999 for TV Langen where he played until 2002. He then played for West Virginia from 2002-2006 playing a total of 128 NCAA games reaching the NCAA elite 8 in 2005 and NCAA Sweet 16 in 2006. H ethen played for Alba Berlin from 2006-2009 playing a total of 48 Beko BBL games and 10 ULEB Cup games and two Euroleague games. He battled ACL injuries in his time in the German capital. Last season, he played for the Walter Tigers Tuebingen playing 34 games averaging 6.6ppg, 2.5rpg, 2.0apg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 30.8%, FT: 66.7%. He spoke to German Hoops before the game against Alba Berlin.

What do you remember most from the amazing 76-68 win against the Brose Baskets Bamberg?

Just the good feeling after the game. It is also nice seeing how the team has developed since the first loss in Bamberg and how many steps it has taken.

Bamberg came back in the second quarter to lead 37-36. How big was the belief of winning still at halftime?

The belief was there. We had shown early that we felt we could win with our good start. We got a bit tired in the second quarter and it was obvious that there would be some runs in this game. We wanted to play the third quarter like we did in the first quarter and did. If someone had told us before the game that we would be down by one point at halftime, we would very gladly have accepted it.

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Jon Leuer Bringing That Ferris Bueller Cleverness To The NBA

As a 12 year old kid 22 year old Jon Leuer might have had sweet dreams of going head to head against his idol Kevin Garnett one day, but after a stellar career at Wisconsin there was no question that he would be playing somewhere in the world as a professional and after playing against top Beko BBL players Derrick Allen, Predrag Suput, Jan Jagla or Dane Watts recently, he now has played against Boris Diaw, Andrew Bogut and Andray Blatche in a matter of weeks and he soon might be rubbing his eyes when he sees Boston Celtic Kevin Garnett running on the same floor as the Minnesota native in an NBA game. For the 208cm power forward who was drafted in the second round at #40 of the 2011 NBA draft, his dream of reaching the NBA has come true even if it was delayed a bit by the NBA lockout. Leuer brings the Ferris Buellar look similarity and cleverness to the NBA. For 80s movie freaks, the movie Ferris Bueller is a classic where Matthew Broderick fools his family and school principle that he is sick and needs to stay home from school, but instead takes his two friends to Chicago to enjoy the day school free. Bueller is so clever that he makes up his bed as if his body is there and rigs the answering machine with a recording that he is there and installs snoring sounds. Visually, Leuer has a similarity to Ferris Buellar even if he can´t recollect ever having heard it . “I never heard that resemblance before, but Ferris Bueller is a cool dude so I am all right with it”, added Jon Leuer. Ferris Bueller had the talent to trick his family and school principle in thinking he was too sick to go to school which would be equivalent if ex Skyliner Leuer used his canniness to set back the office clock of ex head coach Muli Katzurin, getting the BCM practice court flooded or making a call so the practice basketballs had to be secretly taken, because TV Langen needed them for their practice just so the Fraport Skyliners would have to cancel practice. Of course, Leuer would never have a mischievous thought like this simply because he wants to play basketball and is too focused on the court and always has that all business demeanor. Leuer uses that sharpness not to the disadvantage of canceling a team practice, but to the advantage of helping his team win on the court displaying his great team mentality and defensive smartness and knowing how to score (and to gain fouls) in the low post and with his hot outside shooting. Leuer may seem like the quiet guy at first glance, but his hard focus is deceiving. “I lived with Jon for 3 years at Wisconsin. He is a laid back guy but when it comes to competing in an activity, he’s one of the most competitive guys out there. He can be vocal with his teammates and let them know what needs to be done in order to get the win.”, stressed ex Wisconsin Badger Tim Jarmusz. Even If Leuer has never heard the Ferris Bueller look comparisons, his ex Wisconsin teammate Keaton Nankivil wasn´t perplexed when asked about the Ferris Bueller comparison. “Jon has some resemblance to Ferris Bueller, but his character also fits to him”, stressed ratiopharm Ulm player Keaton Nankivil. The nickname Ferris Bueller might have slipped the mind of his ex teammate at Wisconsin Tim Jarmusz since so many funny names were being knocked around. “He is not too much like Ferris but I like the nickname none the less. We had millions of nicknames for everyone on our team. One that fit Jon well was “Jonny I wanna score more” from the kids movie Little Giants we all watched growing up. He has also been a guy who can fill up the score box”, stressed Tim Jarmusz.

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The Fraport Skyliners Face No Kevin Durant, But A Ear-Splitting Arena And Belligerent BBC Bayreuth Team

Two months ago, the small basketball world in Bayreuth was about as exciting and comparable to if Lebron James were ever to be traded to small market team Memphis Grizzlies, ex Artland Dragons Darius Hall and Michael hakim Jordan going back to the Artland Dragons to have a smiling contest with the loser to tangle with mascot Toby the dragon in a mud pit or the current buzz that is actually happening in Berlin with famous coach Otto Rehagel coming to save Hertha Berlin and keep them in the Bundesliga. The rumor of NBA mega superstar Kevin Durant joining the team the Bavarian team had transformed the city into Durant fever and put the quaint city onto the world basketball map. Even though the city never got to see the American do his magic on the court, the possibility of what he could have done on the court and how he could of helped the team win removed some boring and laid back afternoons for some into an exciting and magical dreamland. With Jeremy Lin and Linmania taking the big apple by storm presently, BBC Bayreuth fans may be dreaming of a new basketball mania for the future, but for now basketball life is back to normal in the Richard Wagner city as the team is still fighting to reach the beko BBL playoffs despite a slump presently. For BBC Bayreuth German big man Stefan Schmidt, the whole Kevin Durant is old news, but he still remembers how life was in early December 2011. “I was surprised at the beginning about the Durant rumors and we sat together and talked about it and we agreed not to talk about it and just concentrate on our games. At that point the topic of Durant was forgotten. The whole Durant rumor wasn´t really as spectacular as many may have expected. I don´t read Bayreuth newspapers, so I didn´t really follow what was happening. I thought it was only funny that suddenly as Durant wa sin the news, everyone was interested in little old Bayreuth. Everything is back to normal, but the only difference now is that I am not getting 50 messages a day asking if Durant was coming”, smiled Stefan Schmidt.

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