For The Deutsche Bank Skyliners, their goal now after the TOP 4 bust in Bamberg losing too Braunschweig and Artland with very little 
resistance like a George Clooney has for beautiful women is too just finish the current beko BBL season on a strong measure while for Phoenix Hagen, the season is winding down quickly and some players are already counting the days before they are back home in the crib and getting ready for where ever they will play next season. Phoenix Hagen is tiptoeing in muddy no mans land at the moment not wanting to get their sneakers filthy, but at the same wanting to get as many wins as possible. Despite their dream of reaching the playoffs in their second season back in the beko BBL not happening, something positive can still happen to American teammates Jacob Burtschi and Mark Dorris. Both guys are beko BBL rookies and if nothing goes drastically wrong like a team like Bamberg playing a lower team leading by 20 on their home court and then losing in crunch time, one of them or possibly both could be named best beko BBL newcomer 2011 on account of their consistent and 
potent play this season. ‘I didnt even know that there was such an award. It would be a great honor. I think it would be pretty interesting if we both shared th award’, commented Phoenix Hagen forward Jacob Burtschi. ‘Both of them have a great chance because both of them had great seasons and led there team in a lot of ways. I like both of their styles of play and they bring a lot to the table day in and day out’, warned TBB Trier guard John Bynum.It has been so much more surprising how well they have developed considering Quantez Robertson friend Mark Dorris came from the PRO A where one isnt always guarenteed of making a splash in the beko BBL, but guys like Danny Gibson and Omari Westley have recently and Jacob Burtschi who had to wait 3 years after finishing in the NCAA, because he had to fulfill his duty in the Air Force. ‘I am very surprised how well it has gone for me. I knew that I could be an effort player if all else failed, but surprisingly I have shot the ball well and done a few other things well. I am glad that my hard work for three years has paid off. I think that Mark has always been a great player. He was just never given the opportunity until this year. He finally had the opportunity to showcase his talent’, stressed Phoenix Hagen American Jacob Burtschi. ‘I was surprised because I know being out for one year it was hard for me to get into a rhythm but Jacob Burtschi did a great job and is having a great season. He can shoot the ball from anywhere and causes a lot of match up problems. I got to see Mark Dorris last season in Cuxhaven and he deserves to be at this level. It did not surprise me one bit, there are a lot of players in Pro A if given the right chance and the right system can have a lot of success, Hagens system gave Mark a great chance to show his ability and he took full advantage of the opportunity’, warned TBB Trier guard John Bynum. It is only normal that both guys will want to finish the season helping their team get wins and also shine in their own play and will be as focused as the NCAA team Butler team has been this March Madness, actor George Clooney having to explain why he is a witness in the Silvio Berlusconi prostitution trial despite only meeting him once and how the Deutsche Bank Skyliners will have to be against Phoenix Hagen when they meet April 8th in the Ballsporthalle.
Frankfurt Skyliners
The Artland Dragons Hold A Nasty Flame On The Treasure Beating The Deutsche Bank Skyliners 90-56 Reaching Third Place In The 2011 Top 4
At 13:30 on Top 4 final day, The Deutsche Bank Skyliners would rather have been in their hotel rooms chilling watching the Repeat of the
UCONN win over Kentucky and seeing Kemba Walker flashing his Disney Land smile, dreaming about their 2011 home town summer fantasy or just playing a cute harmless prank on their room mate, but instead the gang of Gordon Herbert found themselves on the basketball court playing a meaningless constellation game for third place, which is as undesirable for a competitive player like the first day of school for a kid after the summer holidays, having to have played against the 2011 NCAA Butler team that has mowed away all of the competition so far except UCONN like a hurricane can the coast of Florida or having to go into a New York city bar as a Red Sox fan when their team is losing badly. The Deutsche Bank Skyliners still seemed to be a bit in sleep mode as they were creamed by The Artland Dragons 90-56 not reaching their goal as 2011 beko BBL cup champion, but coming home to the river Main with very sad faces in fourth place and with a whole lot of questions. “This was not a meaningless game to me, but meant a lot. You have to play each game as if it means a lot. If your going to lose at least lose with pride”, expressed Skyliner center Chris Moss. The Artland Dragons have often had very difficult games against Frankfurt and couldn´t believe what they were seeing on the court an dhow easy everything seemed. “I was very surprised how flat Frankfurt was. They had no energy at all”, witnessed Artland Dragon guard Bryan Bailey. “I don´t think it was tough playing at this time for us. We had the chance to learn from our mistakes in the Braunschweig loss, but we didn´t against Artland which was even worse”, stated Skyliner guard Dashaun Wood. “Even if you have to play at an early hour, you have to come to play”, warned Skyliner guard Jimmy Mckinney.
The Deutsche Bank Skyliners were thwarted by The New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig in getting their 2011 cup treasure, but at least they could of gotten a type of constellation prize from the treasure chest against The Artland Dragons, but were denied again but this time even more rudely as they lost by 36 points. “The Artland Dragons blew that flame all over the treasure chest not letting us to open it”, said current top scorer of the beko BBL Dashaun Wood. “Our anger didn´t allow them to get close to that treasure”, smiled Artland Dragon forward Adam Hess. The dragon in general isn´t only talented at sprouting a flame, but also other things. “We were able to hide the treasure well and they didn´t find it”, joked Bryan Bailey. It didn´t help the cause either that Dashaun Wood didn´t play as Frankfurt was without their top scorer and assist man. “It was awful being on the bench. I wanted to play very badly, but coach Herbert felt is was better to sit out not risking anything with two games coming up next weekend. My back was a little tight. If we had been in the final, I would of played”, expressed Dashaun Wood.
The New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig Find Their 12th Treasure Reaching The 2011 Cup Final Outlasting The Deutsche Bank Skyliners 82-77
A few days ago, Skyliner coach Gordon Herbert tried to get his team in the right mood setting them on a scavenger treasure hunt in the dense
forest of Rothenburg to find the delectable chocolate treasure in a team building measure to help put The Deutsche Bank Skyliners in the right frame of mind for the 2011 beko BBL cup semi final similar to how Kate Middelton will find her pot of gold soon in the British family, Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki finding the right switch for his first NBA crown or young 16 year old German tennis player talent Urs Thurau looking to land in the foot steps of idol Roger Federer and not like dad Didi Thurau as a cyclist, but Frankfurt were unable to find their treasure on the court of the Stechert arena in Bamberg never finding their rhythm slipping to The New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig 82-77. „Even though we had GPS navigation systems in the woods , we were technically unable to use them on the court tonight to help us find the treasure“, commented a sad Kimmo Muurinen of Frankfurt. „ After the big win, New Yorker Phantom players were more than relieved to talk about not letting Frankfurt find that most desirable treasure. „The treasure to reach the final was on the court, but Frankfurt didn´t have the right key to unlock the treasure chest“, stated Braunschweig center Kyle Visser. „We buried the treasure in the ground“, joked Braunschweig American Brandon Thomas. “The key to Braunschweig finding the treasure was that their plan worked best in that they got many hustle plays and got the majority of the loose balls”, expressed Dashaun Wood.
The New Yorker Phantoms hadn´t won against The Deutsche Bank Skyliners in 60 months losing the last 11 games in a row and sooner or later the big bubble losing streak of the Phantoms had to burst. Guys like Brandon Thomas and Kevin Hamilton had lost the last 4 games in a row losing by only a combined score of 17 points and were about as sick of losing as the Gloria Giants Duesseldorf have been this season. Hamilton summed it up best before the game. „I am pretty sick and tired of losing to Frankfurt“, stressed Kevin Hamilton. After the game Kyle Visser reflected about always losing with Braunschweig, but not never having beaten Frankfurt. „Frankfurt has been our achilles heel. Pascal Roller has won too many games against me. However we were very motivated today, but in the beko BBL it is pretty difficult to beat a team 3 times in a season, but I did beat Frankfurt last season with EnBW Ludwigsburg“, joked ex Wake Forest star Kyle Visser. Braunschweig led for most of the game and never let Frankfurt back into the game and displayed disciplined basketball and nothing out of the ordinary. “Coach Machowski prepared his team well. Braunschweig was able to follow their game plan and just did the easy things. They played pick and roll, penetrated and kick out and got the ball inside and that was the key to getting the win”, stated ex German national player Ademola Okulaja.
Deutsche Bank Skyliners-New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig 2011 BEKO BBL Cup Preview. Will 12 be a charm for Braunschweig?
The way players come and go in the BEKO BBL, remembering a streak is often not in the cards for players, because they don´t stay long enough
to enjoy the highs and mope with the lows. The New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig have not won against The Deutsche Bank Skyliners in 60 months dating back to April 2006 as they slipped by Frankfurt 81-76. Back then, current Skyliner coach Gordon Herbert was coaching Racing Paris and still far away from landing as an assistant with The Toronto Raptors some years later and in the dreams of many Skyliner fans of ever returning to Frankfurt, ex Phoenix Sun forwad Dan Langhi led Braunschweig in scoring with 19 points in the win, Skyliner Kavossy scoot Franklin led his team in scoring and hobby rapper and Skyliner guard Nino Garris had a smoking hot game making 14 points, four assists and four steals. Frankfurt has won the last 11 games and maybe the 12th game will be a charm for Braunschweig? Possibily playing Frankfurt on neutral ground for the first time will give them luck? “I think that Braunschweig just have to play their game and not worry about the streak, cause once the ball goes up it doesnt matter anymore about the past. I just think they have to come out and play hard and anything can happen they will be alright”, stressed TBB Trier guard John Bynum. Frankfurt on the other hand have a 1-3 record on neutral ground since 2002. They lost to Alba Berlin 100-88 in a cup game in Berlin, lost to The Telekom Baskets Bonn in the Frankfurt Festhalle 89-82 and lost to Alba Berlin in teh 2009 semi final cup game in Hamburg and then beating Duesseldorf in the game for third place. “I think playing on a neutral court can be tough but at the same time if it is neutral neither team does have an advantage. I think Frankfurt will adjust just fine”, added TBB Trier guard John Bynum.
Dashaun Wood Is The Sun As He Drives The MBC Wolves Back Into Their Den As The Deutsche Bank Skyliners Prevail 70-58 On The Road
When checking out the Looney Tunes, there is absolutely no surprise that the roadrunner never gets captured and eaten by the motivated Wile E
coyote, because the bird is too quick and too smart. In Weissenfels, The Deutsche Bank Skyliners were looking to start a new winning streak and were up against a torn and tattered Mitteldeutscher BC squad. The scenario on the floor was similar to Looney Tunes as Dashaun “mr roadrunner” had to put up with pesky wolves all night long, but the current leading scorer in the BEKO BBL had the hoop in front of him at most instances and the MBC wolves behind him as he led Frankfurt to the 70-58 win and had no problems getting the wolf pack to retreat back to their dens. “I was the sun. When the sun rises, wolves go away. I was slowly rising in the second half and when I made the last of the floaters, I had reached the top. There was no more howling from the wolves and they went back to their caves”, laughed Dashaun Wood. Quantez Robertson was glad that Wood was on his side. “The wolves were unable to catch up to him. Wood howled like crazy which the wolves didn´t like”, smiled Quantez Robertson. “Wood was a very hot sun that was burning”, added Kimmo Muurinen. Wood was as unstoppable as a tiger tearing apart an antelope on a barren field in Africa, and the way Kemba Walker has been leading UCONN to the 2011 NCAA Final 4. “Wood is the heart and soul of team. He is most comfortable when he can do what he wants. The difference between him and other players is that he is consistent and gets the job done”, added Ronald Ross.
The Deutsche Bank Skyliners had had a tough time digesting the 79-70l oss to 8 time BEKO BBL champion Alba Berlin last weekend and one might of expected that Frankfurt would jump out on MBC early, but instead they were trailing as the home team was desperate to win and get out of the BEKO BBL cellar. Frankfurt surprisingly had a tougher time with the 16th ranked MBC squad, but in the end a win is a win no matter if it was pretty or butt ugly. “I have said all year long that any win on the road is big. Drums were playing and it was harsh environment, but as soon as we got control, they had a tough time coming back. No team is easy in this league as each team can win against anyone. It is important that we continue to bounce back after losses”, stressed Dashaun Wood. MBC lost their fifth game in a row and continue to drown at the bottom of the standings. “This was a very disappointing loss. We practiced well this week, but let the game get away in the third quarter. We couldn´t get flow going the way we needed too”, added MBC guard Ronald Ross. “This wasn´t a pretty win. We found a way to pick up our intensity in the second half, played more aggressive defense and limited them to one shot”, added Quantez Robertson.
The Deutsche Bank Skyliners Look To Survive a Hungry MBC Team Who Want To Find A Few More Late Season Highlights and Remain In The BEKO BBL
After the refreshing relaunch by MBC Last Season in the BEKO BBL where the team combined heart, effort and luck to a 1oth place finish and 
near playoff appearance, fans were looking to build on the success of last season this year, but their sophomore season back in the big show has felt more like a rough earthquake while scrambling not to fall into the earth. The team has been struck by injuries, lost coach Bjoern Harmsen for an extended period of time due to sickness and recently announced that he will miss the remainder of the season and had to say good bye to top players Jerome Tillmann, Michael Jordan and Richard Schields who were responsible for scoring, scoring, scoring and leadership. This season has been a nasty nightmare as the club seems to have been as unlucky as Charlie Sheen where the big suits upstairs from Two And A half men no longer put up with his personal theater and drama, Cavalier fans having to explain a 13-53 season and no more Lebron James and BEKO BBL team Walter Tigers Tuebingen were last week losing to The Deutsche Bank Skyliners leading for 36 minutes and then getting pierced through their hearts with a white dagger as they lost and their playoffs hopes sunk a bit more deeper into the Ammer river. With so much misfortune happening this season to MBC, the team may have to hope for many four leaf clovers and much wolf support in the arena as top team The Deutsche Bank Skyliners arrive March 26th for a late season duel at 19:30. “Yes it has been a tough season for them and it is tough to imagine what they are going through. They still are in most games but when you have that many changes in a season I am sure it is tough to find a good chemistry and get players on the same page all the time. It also hurts confidence, but at this level, you cant hold on for things too long because you have to find a way to play the next week just as hard and you have to have short memory playing the game of basketball”, stressed TBB Trier guard John Bynum.
Derrick Allen Returns Home And Hasn´t Forgotten The Ballerina Moves And Kevin McHale Type Fade Away Jumper Pacing Alba Berlin by The Deutsche Bank Skyliners 79-70
One Thing that is always interesting to observe in professional sports is when a player returns back to his old stomping ground for the first time since his
departure. How an athlete is received by the fans can be positive or negative. Ken Griffey jr returned back to Seattle in 2007 as a Cincinnati Red and received a 15 minute tribute, Michael Jordan came back to Chicago as a Washington Wizard and got several minutes of standing ovations or Wayne Gretzky returning back to Edmonton where he won 4 Stanley Cups as an L.A King listened to 4 minutes of standing ovations and got cheers every time he touched the puck while other returns have not been as memorable as Johnny Damon of the New York Yankees came back to Boston and witnessed as the fans unleashed a fury of boos, or Bret Favre going back to Green Bay where he won a Super Bowl in 1997 as a Minnesota Viking and was violently booed by fans. However for Derrick Allen to be booed, who played three season with the Deutsche Bank Skyliners and was loved by everyone was about as unlikely as Charlie Sheen letting the cat have his tongue for at least 24 hours as it seems like he is constantly talking to some media outlet. Allen led Alba Berlin in scoring with 17 points and helped his team make a furious come back in the third quarter and lead the 8 time BEKO BBL champion to a 79-70 win and was all smiles after the win. Allen was put in OT duty long after the win signing autographs for everyone while the first players had finished showering. At times it looked likes a swarm of bees were hovering around Allen and the American as the queen Bee as his yellow warm up suit made him fit that part “Wearing the yellow wasn´t as strange as coming back into the arena again. It already felt strange last night practicing here. It felt great playing here and I am very proud of my ex teammates and the type of season that they are having”, warned Derrick Allen. Everyone in Frankfurt talks about Wood for MVP while in Berlin its Allen. “Allen is our MVP. He represents the heart of the team. He is our leader and everyone else follows him in line”, stressed ex Telekom Baskets Bonn guard Bryce Taylor.
Derrick Allen (Alba Berlin): Dashaun Wood Would Get My Vote For MVP Since He Is Playing At A High Level At The Moment
Derrick Allen is a 30 year old 203cm forward that grew up in Gadsen Alabama and is playing his first season with Alba Berlin. He is a rugged inside player who attacks the glass, will provide help on the boards, is a solid defender in the post, a competitor and hard worker that can score facing the basket and has shooting range to the foul line. He started his career at Southern Union State from 1998-2000. He then transferred to Mississippi and played there from 2000-2003. He then started his professional basketball career in Iceland playing for Keflavikur ripping up the FIBA Europe Cup playing 8 games and averaging 26.6ppg, 9.4rpg, 2.5apg, 1.8spg and playing 22 games in the Iceland league averaging 23,4ppg, 10.5rpg. He won the Icelandic league and cup title in his rookie season. In 2004, he ventured to Germany and has played there ever since with two years in Karlsruhe, one year in Leverkusen and played with The Deutsche Bank Skyliners from 2007-2010 playing 148 games for them. In 2006-2007, he led Leverksuen into the playoffs and led the BBL in scoring playing 38 games and averaging 16.5ppg, 7.3rpg, 1.2apg, 1.0spg, 2FGP: 50.6%, 3FGP: 32.3%, FT: 72.2%. In 2007-2008, he was second best scorer in the BBL for Frankfurt playing 43 games and averaging 18.1ppg, 7.3rpg, 1.9apg, 2FGP: 50.4%, 3PT: 36.1%, FT: 75.6%; and playing 10 ULEB Cup games finishing as the third best scorer averaging 19.9ppg, 7.9rpg, 2.0apg, FGP: 54%, 3PT: 28.6%, FT: 72.9%. He has reached four BBL playoffs in five seasons and played in the four BEKO BBL Allstar games He spoke to German Hoops before the game against The Deutsche Bank Skyliners March 20th.
How has the adjustment been for you as a player from Luka Pavicevic to Muli Katzurin. How much of the Alba Berlin style has changed and does it fit your game more now?
Well for me it was an easy adjustement. Coach Luka played a more controlled pace, and Coach Muli plays uptempo and more face pace. Both styles fit my game, im still playing the same way.
Mr Road Runner Dashaun Wood Looks To Outbolt The Gracefulness Of Mr Ballerina Derrick Allen As The Deutsche Bank Skyliners Clash With Alba Berlin March 20th
When studying players before an upcoming season, there is usually no reason not to expect spectacular seasons from fabulous athletes like Sydney Crosby from the Pittsburg Penguins, a Lionel Messi from FC Barcelona, a Kobe Bryant from the Los Angeles Lakers or a Tom Brady from The New England Patriots because these guys have been having incredible years with their clubs winning titles and landing at the top of the league leaders in stats. Before the 2010-2011 BEKO BBL season, one might not have doubted a Derrick Allen not having a superb season with Alba Berlin after dominating the league the last 6 years in Germany or a Dashaun Wood who had been the top scorer in Italy for Cantu, however there was a possible cloudy forecast on the horizon for both players as Derrick Allen was going to Alba Berlin where the team is filled with so many players that could be top scorer and a Wood who was hurt with Benetton Treviso in 2008-2009 and didn´t even play last year. However both players seemed to have totally exceeded expectations as Allen has fit into both systems of Luka Pavicevic and Muli Katzurin and is leading the team in scoring and shooting 64% from the field the best in his career and still displaying his ballerina moves despite having a team filled with superstars and Wood has shown no ill effects of a knee injury and is possibly the most unstoppable player in the BEKO BBL in a long time as he has dominated like crazy. It really is no wonder that both players have adjusted so well. “Both players are professionals. Both have always had successful years and they play with the right attitude. One also should not forget that both have played for good teams and good coaches”, stressed Skyliner sport director Kamil Novak. It hasn´t surprised John Bynum either how well both players have developed with their new teams. “Both are great players and are showing why they are premier players in the BBL. I expected D.A. to have a good season because he has been consistent every where he has been at in Germany. I didnt know much about Wood but he is showing why he is one of if not the best point guard in the league”, added TBB Trier guard John Bynum. The duel Allen/Wood will be the highlight in the game as Mr Ballerina Derrick Allen will try to tip toe more gracefully than Mr Road Runner Dashaun Wood can bolt to the hoop. Is this a game where both guys could battle and eclipse the 30 point mark? “Both guys are the key players for both teams. The role of Allen is to score and Wood can score and is the second best assist maker. They are two different type of players that could score 30, but I think it will eb difficult for both to make it in this game”, expressed Kamil Novak.
Dashaun Wood Is Like A Slot Machine With Three Hearts In Crunch Time As The Deutsche Bank Skyliners Survive in Tuebingen 80-76
After recuperating from an annoying and controlled pressure from BG Goettingen last weekend, The Deutsche Bank Skyliners met the 
previously hot but since two games very much cooled down Walter Tigers Tuebingen and aside from many tough players the game concentrated on two players. It is always a treat to watch top point guard duels in Europe like in the ACB in Spain with Marcelino Huertas and Omar Cook, in Italy between Marques Green and Travis Diener or in the Russian league between Anton Ponkraskov and Marcus Wilson. In the BEKO BBL, the Paul Horn arena in Tuebingen witnessed the duel between the top two point guards Dashaun Wood who leads the league in scoring and Branislav Ratkovica who leads the league in assists. The battle between the two guards was very intense and Wood remembered his 34 point, 24 free throws and Frankfurt victory effort in the Ballsporthalle earlier in the season and after a slow first half was as focused as Carlos Arroyo who has been playing behind Rajon Rondo in Boston, the way the Los Angeles Clippers will have to continue to play after losing another key player in Eric Gordon and the way the Miami Heat are about winning after many players cried recently after their 87-86 loss to the Chicago Bulls recently. Frankfurt had been trailing for 36 minutes, but then got their first lead and it was Wood in the last minutes that helped propel the team to the 80-76 win. “The duel Wood-Ratkovica was a very nice duel. Ratkovica has been just as important for his team as Wood has been for us this season, but tonight Wood was more important”, stressed Skyliner center Marius Nolte. Wood always gets up for the challenge and was impressed by the play of the Serb. “Ratkovica is a very smart player that ran his team well. He attacks the pick and roll well and he did a great job getting the ball to his teammates”, added Skyliner guard Dashaun Wood. “The wood- Bane match up was intense. I thought that we did a good job on Wood in the first half, but at the end he still had 22 points. No team can totally shut him down. You just have to hope to contain him a bit”, added Tuebingen forward Dane Watts.
It was the eighth win in a row for The Deutsche Bank Skyliners while The Walter Tigers Tuebingen have cooled down a bit after their fantastic six game winning streak some weeks ago as they lost their third game in a row and their playoff hopes get squashed a bit more with each loss the same way the title hopes become less of a reality for the Boston Celtics with every embarrassing loss after the trading deadline where key players like Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson were dealt away. The Deutsche Bank Skyliners trailed for 36 minutes until Jimmy Mckinney gave the team their first lead and the club held the nerves as their performance was about as far from a Picasso painting in worth. “This was an important win for us. We didn´t play well and never found our rhythm, but it was worth so much being able to win the way we did”, stressed Skyliner sports director Kamil Novak. Despite the bitter loss, The Walter Tigers Tuebingen have nothing to be ashamed of by losing this game. “We didn´t execute well in the last two games, but tonight we fought well and gave a good team effort. We played with a lot of intensity and it was just sad that we lost it at the end. I am proud of our team. This loss made reaching the playoffs even more difficult. We can control how we play, but will need some help form other teams”, stressed Dane Watts. “We didn´t play well tonight, but we never gave up and we played with a lot of heart”, stressed Dashaun Wood.
German Hoops 