The playoff hopes of the EPG Baskets Koblenz dwindled a little bit more with the bitter 95-93 loss against Paderborn last Monday. Now the team had 2 really tough match ups against top 5 teams BG Goettingen and the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven. Koblenz had lost 3 of the last 4 games and had lost the first meeting against Bremerhaven in a 100-91 shoot out. Bremerhaven had their 5 game winning streak recently snapped and arrived in Koblenz with a two games losing streak. Koblenz had to find a way to forget their bitter crunch-time loss to Paderborn and find a way to produce an upset that could still turn their season around in the stretch run for the playoffs. However Koblenz couldn´t compensate the loss of their MVP candidate Calvin Wishart who was thrown out of the game early in the third quarter after sustaining his second technical foul of the game as they lost 75-59 to Bremerhaven. The EPG Baskets Koblenz had a solid defensive effort, but just had a horrible shooting game where they only converted on one three the whole game. “We played good defense, but just couldn´t hit shots. When you only make 1 three, it becomes difficult to win. We had good looks through out the game, but I couldn´t buy a bucket today”, stressed EPG Baskets Koblenz guard Devonte McCall. The Eisbaeren Bremerhavedn didn´t have their best offensive day either shooting only 21% from the parking lot, but they gave a very good defensive effort which was enough to win. “Defense got us the win today. Our focus all week long was on defense. We made sure that our rotations were right and that we were standing in the right position. We got in passing lanes and got steals as well. Our communication was really good and on offense we kept the ball moving and speed helped us open it up for shots. We had a good will to win”, stressed Eisbaeren Bremerhaven American Carlos Carter (197-G/F-1999, college: Shippensburg)
Devonte McCall at the FT line
The EPG Baskets Koblenz were without American Tim Smith Jr and Mr 42 points scorer in Artland Aleksa Kovacevic and quickly fell into a deep hole as Bremerhaven led easily 7-0. The guests got easy lay in´s by Germans ex Skyliner Jordan Samare and ex RheinStars forward Jannis Von Seckendorf and Carlos Carter nailed a trey for good measure. Koblenz couldn´t even match the physicality early, because there was no body contact and were too lax in 1-1 deefnse. But Koblenz slowly found their rhythm better attacking more aggressively and got baskets from ex Hagen guard Devonte McCall and a lay in by ex easyCredit BBL player Alex Moeller who was in the starting lineup. Bremerhaven then got a clutch trey from ex Artland Dragon Adrian Breitlauch and free throws from ex Jena guard Raphael Falkenthal to lead 17-10. However Koblenz continued to chip away at the guests lead and got good energy from Minnesota native Calvin Wishart who came from the bench netting 4 points and the only trey of the game for them from little used David Gaspers as suddenly they were only down 19-18. Koblenz used the bench momentum from Wishart as German Jonas Niedermanner closed out the first quarter with 6 unanswered points as Koblenz led 23-21 after 10 minutes. The Koblenz bench had given a great effort with 14 points. “We couldn´t match their physicality, but we had good ball movement, just had a little problem at times with hitting shots”, said EPG Baskets Koblenz sports director Thomas Klein. The EPG Baskets Koblenz shot 67% from the 2 point area and 20% from outside and had 10 rebounds and 2 turnovers while the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven shot 75% from the 2 point area and had 6 rebounds and 3 turnovers.
Elijah Miller jumper
The second quarter had 2 runs, but at the break the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven had the advantage leading 39-32. Both teams had difficulty in the first 2 minutes finding a rhythm as both teams produced 3 stops. Canadian Elijah Miller then got Bremerhaven it´s first score with a lay in, but Koblenz then punched back with a 5-0 run attacking the rim and getting easy lay in´s by 2018 NBBL champion Badu Buck and Texas native Julian Larry to lead 28-23. Bremerhaven had lost a little concentration and head coach Steven Esterkamp then took a time out. That seemed to work as they found their offensive rhythm again going on a lethal 10-0 run to lead 33-28 sharing the ball with love again. In the run it was the import trio of Miller, Carter and Jake Biss who supplied all the points. Carter and Miller dropped three´s while ex Paderborn guard Jake Biss drove twice to the rim with success. Koblenz once again had a weak phase on the defensive end with lax 1-1 deefnse and not defending the three point line diligently enough. Koblenz stuck with Bremerhaven and got some baskets from ex G-League player DJ Jeffries who hit an off balance shot while ex Oldenburg center Marco Bacak made a pretty old school hook shot to trail 35-32. Bremerhaven closed out the first half strong as Carter and Samare made lay in´s. Koblenz continued to have problems slowing down the guests drive. “We had up and down phases on defense. We weren´t concentrated during their 10-0 run. We had many good looks simply, because their on ball defense wasn´t that aggressive. Our key players simply didn´t hit shots”, stated Thomas Klein. The Eisbaeren Bremerhaven shot 55% from the field and 27% from the three point line and had 22 rebounds and 5 turnovers while the EPG Baskets Koblenz shot 55% from the field and 9% from the three point line and had 18 rebounds and 4 turnovers.
Alex Moeller lay in
The turning point of the game came in the third quarter as the EPG Baskets Koblenz were only 3 points behind the Eisbaeren Bremerhaven, but their star player Calvin Wishart was disqualified from the game for his second technical foul which then led to the guests taking control and never looking back. The EPG Baskets Koblenz began the second half finding their rhythm right away playing their game getting 2 transition baskets from Buck and Bacak off a steal and turnover and only trailed 39-36. Koblenz had some momentum, but then came the unexpected as Calvin Wishart was handed his second technical of the game and was bounced from the game. Koblenz has had a history this season of having serious mental lapses when real adversary strikes the team. It wasn´t any different this time as Bremerhaven cruised out on an annoying 11-4 to get the comfortable 50-40 advantage. In the run the Koblenz physicality suddenly was gone as Bremerhaven got easy lay up´s from Miller and Brenneke and Von Seckendorf made a thunderous dunk. The intensity that Koblenz once had was below standard and on offense the three point shooting plague continued. Badu Buck did a good job keeping his team somewhat in the game, but Koblenz couldn´t string along a number of stops. Bremerhaven attempted less three´s as their shot wasn´t falling, but penetrated and got buckets from Miller and Carter to extend their lead to 56-44. Koblenz got a lay in from ex Trier forward Jannis Sonnefeld and free throws from McCall, but they couldn´t get closer. Jake Biss closed out the third quarter with the only three pointer made the whole 10 minutes to lead 58-48. “Wishart is a good player and we had a game plan for him which was being physical on him. It obviously became easier when he was ejected. They had weaker ball handlers and they didn´t close out as strong”, stressed Carlos Carter “Losing Wishart really hurt us. We had less experience having to put in a 17 year old and we had foul trouble. We weren´t good on close outs, communication or help”, stressed Devonte McCall. The Eisbaeren Bremerhaven shot 59% from the 2 point area and 25% from the parking lot and had 32 rebounds and 6 turnovers while the EPG Baskets Koblenz shot 58% from the 2 point area and 6% from the parking lot and had 26 rebounds and 6 turnovers.
Carlos Carter at the FT line
The EPG Baskets Koblenz really had their backs to the wall in the fourth quarter and not scoring any points in the first 5 minutes didn´t help their come back attempt either. Both teams could muster no real offense. Bremerhaven only scored 6 points in that span getting a 20 footer from Carlos Carter, a reverse lay up from Adrian Breitlauch and lay in from Lorenz Brenneke where there was very little resistance from the lax Koblenz defense in the paint. Bremerhaven led 66-48 with 5 minutes to go with the EPG Basekts Koblenz lacking confidence and the game was over. Both teams did muster 20 points in the last 5 minutes, but it was mainly stat filling sequences. Jefferies got 2 scores while Bacak also scored with his left hand while Bremerhaven got to the free throw line getting 3 points from Von Seckendorff while young German Lukas Stelmokas got his first Pro A points in his young career. “Koblenz didn´t seem to be in the game as much mentally. It was hard to get a feel in the game with the refs calls. We played together to close out the game well. I played with the flow of the game. I played with confidence. Coach Esterkamp was hard on me during the week of practice. He expects a lot of me. I appreciate a coach like that who pushes me. I always play as if I have to prove something”, warned Carlos Carter “We had no real point guard. We played good defense, but just couldn´t execute on offense”, added Devonte McCall. The Eisbaeren Bremerhaven were led by Carlos Clark with 15 points while Elijah Miller added 13 points while the EPG Baskets Koblenz were led by Badu Buck with 15 points while DJ Jeffries added 10 points. The Eisbaeren Bremerhaven shot 45% from the field and 21% from outside and had 41 rebounds and 7 turnovers while the EPG Baskets Koblenz shot 39% from the field and 6% from outside and had 33 rebounds and 8 turnovers.
Josh Harris (196-F, college: Illinois Coll.) is a 196cm guard that was briefly overseas in Germany for his rookie season with the TuS59 Hamm Stars and team Nikola Tesla in Hamburg. He played at Illinois College (NCAA3) form 2021-2025 playing a total of 98 games. In his freshman season he averaged 5.0ppg, 1.6rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 48.5%, 3PT: 29.6%, FT: 61.1%. In his second season he averaged 12.3ppg, 3.3rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 42.3%, 3PT: 34.5%, FT: 60.8%. In his junior season he averaged 13.8ppg, 3.3rpg, 2.6apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 43.5%, 3PT: 38.2%, FT: 63.7% and as a senior averaged 15.2ppg, 4.5rpg, 2.4apg, FGP: 37.5%, 3PT: 27.1%, FT: 74.1%. He spoke to germanhoops.com last summer about basketball.
Thanks Josh for talking to germanhoops.com. How blessed do you feel to be playing overseas? Not many former NCAA 3 players get a chance to become professional?
I am extremely blessed with all glory to God. And yes I know there aren´t many people from division 3 but there have been some and I always thought I was next.
Your playing your rookie season with TuS 59 HammStars (Germany-Regionalliga). What did you know in general about the country Germany and it´s basketball? If you want to be honest before looking it up I knew not a lot but watching some youtube videos I found out that Germany along with some other countries is a good starting point to begin your career
Did you ever have former teammates or opponents ball in overseas? Yes I have a bunch of former opponents and teammates that currently play overseas to name a few Troy Burrows is in China, Keenon Cole is in the Czech republic, and Duane Goodman is heading to Malta.
What were the main reasons for you joining TuS 59 HammStars (Germany-Regionalliga). What really stood out for you most about this organization? I love how professional they are with things. When I talked to coach they had dreams on being champions and I like to compete for championships when I play.
How did the talks go with head coach Ivan Rosic? What did you appreciate instantly about his basketball philosophy?
I love my talks with coach Rosic. He let me know right away their expectations are to win a championship and let me know clearly what my role would be on the team when I got here. Love how he talked about offense will come, we want to be the best defensive team in the league.
You had a great college career. In the German Regionalliga it is the imports that usually have to carry the team. Do you feel any pressure? I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel any pressure but I trust the work I put in to get to this point and the work I’m going to continue to put in throughout the season.
Let´s talk about your game. You’re a 196cm guard. If you had to compare your game to a NBA player who would best fit the description? I would say I play a lot like Austin Reaves a combo guard who can play on or off ball
Coach Ivan Rosic defines you as a great leader. How developed did you leadership skills get at Illinois College where you won 2 MWC titles? I would say my last two years in school, I was considered one of the leaders so if I wanted to or not I had to be the one to push my teammates to be the best they can be every day.
You’re a guy that fills the stat sheet well. How much of a versatile player would you describe yourself?
I would consider myself very versatile I can move off the ball and play that way but I am also a bigger point guard who can control the offense and create for others
Is it fair to say that your 3 pointer is still a work in progress? What is your biggest goal this season with your outside shooting? I would say just being confident in my shot. If you check I shot almost 40% from 3 my junior year of college and senior year I just lost a little bit of confidence in it but I know I can shoot the ball at a high level.
How would you describe your defensive game? Is it fair to say that your still a raw defender? What kind of a defender would you call yourself now and what kind of defender do you still want to become? I would say my defense is a very underrated part of my game. I would say yes I would love to improve to be better but I am not a liability on that end of the floor. If you check high school and college my teams are some of the best defenses in the state or nation and I am a part of that. I would say I can hold my own on that end but I want to get to a point where you don’t even want the ball around me.
On what areas of your game are you working on most now so that you can continue to improve as a player?
I would say my strength the game here is a lot more physical and I want to get stronger to last over here. I want to get more athletic and also want to improve my shooting.
You played at Illinois College (NCAA3) from 2021-2025 playing 98 games. You improved your scoring average each season. How did your game grow in your 4 years? What kind of a player were you in 2021 and what kind now?
I would say the game slowed down for me throughout my 4 years and understanding how to play within the system picking my spots. I would say I was strictly a slasher in 2021 trying to beat people with my speed and that’s it. Now I am scorer that knows when to shoot or drive and get to my spots.
You won 2 MWC titles. Which one was sweeter? I would say the first one was sweeter from my sophomore year because it was the first time in school history so that was a special moment.
You had so many great games at Illinois College including a 30 point explosion against Wisconsin-Lutheran. What was your best game in school? I would say my 36 point game against Knox I just feel like I showed all parts of my game in that game and we won with a clutch shot made by me.
How did head coach Steve Schweer groom and prepare you best for a pro career? I would say just prepared me as a man to be out on my own in the real world.
Who won a 1-1 in practice you or Jake Mazrimas? Aye he won’t tell you but I won
Who was the toughest player that you ever faced in the NCAA that reached the NBA? No one in the NCAA reached that I played against but in high school I played against Max Christie
Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time? Ben Vanderwal, Jake Mazrimas, Buzz Ritzel, Will Rogers, Jemari Moore
Please list your personal NBA Mount Rushmore? Lebron James, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry
Who is your GOAT?
Kobe Bryant
Did you see the sequel to the classic Coming To America? Shouldn´t they have left it alone?
Eugene Campbell III (190-G-1995, college: NJCU, agency: Daggers Sports)l is a 30 year old 190cm guard from New Jersey living the ballers dream having played overseas now for six years. He has played in countries like Moldova, Armenia, Portugal, Bosnia, Peru Malta and Jordan. He began his basketball career at East Brunswick high school and then played 2 years at Middlesex County College (JUCO) averaging 15.4ppg, 3.6rpg, FGP: 48.6%, 3PT: 39.5%, FT: 92.9% in his last season. He then played 35 games at New Jersey City University (NCAA3) from 2016-2018. He spoke to geramnhoops.com about the horror that he experienced in the country of Jordan.
Thanks Eugene for talking to germanhoops.com. You have been a pro overseas almost 10 years having played in Moldova, Armenia, Portugal, Bosnia, Peru, Malta, Lebanon and Jordan. What was the worst experience that you have had with all the politics off the court before this season?
The worst experience that I have had is my situation in Jordan I have never been in a situation like this in my life. I was sitting in the house for almost two weeks without playing basketball water was cut off for hours there was no heat for multiple days and the stove didn’t work after my second day there. I was supposed to play the Jordanian cup which consisted of 3-4 games and after that I would go back to USA I had a game fresh off the flight 3 hours after I landed. We won the game and I had 23 points 9 rebounds and 5 assists with 0 turnovers. Everyone told me I had a great game and played well and we achieved victory. I thought everything was good until the coach messaged me after practice the following day saying I was cut from the team. I accepted it even though I didn’t understand it. He also told me in the message I will get your salary as well as your flight home and he asked me for my flight details afterwards. I gave them my airport information and afterwards got no response. I was off the team not asked to practice with the team and kicked out the group chat so I was just sitting in the house not playing basketball no gym access just waiting. Days went by and I’m asking about to the information of my flight and money so I can get home and no one is giving me clear communication. The coach told me go to the agent the agent told me go to the coach. They were blaming each other for days and didn’t want to help me. My agent told me the club can only fly me from Turkey because my layover to Jordan was in Turkey. He also suggested Greece randomly and the reason for that can only be because my cousin Kenneth Faried who heard the conversation plays basketball in Greece and he was trying to send me there to make him fly me back to America. They were trying to be cheap and unreasonable instead of getting me home. I was told eventually they I had to evacuate the apartment in the morning and that is when I took matters into my own hands and when I went on social media to let my friends and family know how I was being treated. This changed everything immediately. My posts went viral and I received a lot of support from social media and it forced the management to speak up. They were so flooded with posts that the management took the club page down off instagram. They eventually tried to hit me up and said take the post down if you want to fly home. I was told to take something down to fight for myself for them to give me a flight they were already supposed to give me. It was horrible. I refused to take it down and they finally got my flight and let me go home. I didn’t get my money but it was more important for me to get home safely because I felt like I was danger at some point.
This season has been a roller coaster ride as you have played in Malta, Lebanon and Jordan. When you look at your career is it all worth what you have experienced this season?
Malta was a great experience shoutout to coach Harry for giving me the opportunity to play in Malta and perform great numbers to get into Lebanon. Shoutout to Faisal and the Crew Management for getting me a job in Lebanon to play for Hrajel Tadamon. Everything was great until I was injured because the glass in the shower exploded and left me with several cuts on my body including a huge gash on my hand. I had to get 7 stitches in my hand and even at this very moment my hand hasn’t completely closed. Unfortunately because of this injury I missed 3 games. Shortly after this the season was cut short in Lebanon because of the war. I felt like I needed to play more games and get more film so when I was presented with the opportunity to go to Jordan while I was in Turkey I took it. Taking this opportunity started off great but ended really bad. The person responsible for the trusted Jordanian basketball page the Coach of Inglizia club and the Crew management were all responsible for what transpired to me. There is no one specific person to give all the blame to but all three of them made this situation difficult for me and there was a lot of lies and shady business going on that led to my situation being what it was.
I guess you really have to love the game to have to experience so much hardship off the court with clubs? I love the game with all my heart but I will never deal with this type of situation ever again I wish everyone the best for who were involved in this deal but I will be parting ways with all parties in the situation because they not only effected my mental health but they tried to make me look like I was the issue knowing they were doing shady business.
You began the season in Malta with Valletta Dream (Malta-BOV League D1) averaging 35,0 points per game. How do you summarize your stay there?
Malta was a great country the coaching staff was great the team was great and the league was fun. The only problem was the money and we had to take time to develop chemistry with the club in order to win games. My teammates are great people and I talk to them till this day. If they had the money I wanted I would of stayed but I told Coach Harry my situation and he understood.
You only practiced twice a week. Was this the best opportunity to work relentlessly in the gym or was gym time also a problem?
Even though we practiced twice a week I was in the gym everyday because we had access to the gym everyday and I also had a membership at 24/7 fitness so I was able to go to the gym
At any hour of the day. The two practices a week were not that bad because we only played once a week and I was able to have time to recover after games because I played almost 39 minutes every game.
Then you landed in Lebanon with Tadamon Hrajel (Lebanon-DLBL). You only played 5 games and lost 4. The one game you won you scored 30 points. How do you summarize your month in Lebanon ?
Lebanon was cool shoutout to the Crew agency for making it happen but it was a strange situation with the club having a bad losing record and players being swapped when I arrived. The team definitely had good people they just weren’t as organized as other teams in the league. The new president was great and paid me on time so I had no issues with money. They honored the contract and we’re professional. The coach was a great person but I didn’t understand his method at times because we had no set plays but he was a great coach and respected me as a professional. Overall Lebanon was a great experience I became close with my teammates I made good money and I was able to help the club win its first game.
You then moved to Al Inglizia Sports Club (Jordan-Premier League). With what expectations did you come to Jordan this time? You already had played in Jordan once with Shabab Bushra. I thought that Al Inglizia was going to be similar to Shabab Bushra because I had a great time with Shabab Bushra. Those guys are my brothers. I talk to my teammates from Shabab Bushra almost everyday they are great people and I love them. That is the best group of guys I ever played with in my whole career. Even though they weren’t rich in money they were rich in brotherhood and respect. English club was a club with more money but treated me strange. I felt like that were two faced, they would smile in my face but talk behind my back negatively. They’re were teammates on this club that were great people who treated me like a brother and respected me. I had played against some of them last year in Jordan and they remembered how good I played and gave me the respect. I’ve learned that some people don’t care about the player they just care about the money. It’s very easy to do both but some people are greedy and that’s fine I will just remove myself from those situations. I wish the club the best of luck no bad blood they just have to treat players better because what I went through there is not ok.
But Jordan turned out to be different. You played 1 game and then the problems began. Please talk about your experiences? You had no water or heat. The stove was not on after my second day we reached out and got no response the water was cut off for hours after 5 days and we got a response hours later and it was cut back on. The heat was cut off for about 4 to 5 days and we got no response. It wasn’t until I went viral on social media that they cut the stove on and had someone to put the heat in the apartment. I have all the screenshots and proper documentation to back up everything I said on this interview so if any one has a problem please feel free to contact me.
Have you had support from your teammates? Are you the lone American on the team? I’ve had a tremendous amount of support from my teammates all three of us lived in the same house going through very similar issues. We stuck together throughout the process and made sure we had each others backs. I am grateful to have met them and I have built a bond with them that will last forever.
You wanted to get home to the States, but had no money. You started a Go Fund Me project. How did that come about? I have money I just couldn’t use it because I had to replace my credit card due to a fraud transaction that was made in Lebanon. I ordered a new card in the mail but it wouldn’t let me activate my new card to my Apple wallet. I would have needed to physically activate it in order to use it. As a result I had no way to purchase the flight home and started the go fund me. The go fund me was amazing. I set the goal to 3.5k to get me home because at the time flights were around 2k and I wanted extra breathing room for my two check bags Uber money food and getting back to my home in New Jersey. In about 2 days I ended up raising about $16,000. My family, friends and community really had my back and I appreciate them very much. Because of the great amount of funds I offered to give people back their money on social media and if they didn’t want to give the money back it would go into Walkamilenourshoes non profit organization to give back to those in need. Walkamilenourshoes Inc provides shoes clothes toilet trees and essential needs for those who need it the most. I started the organization in 2019 and I have impacted the lives of many and will continue to do so. Since my community had my back and raised the funds to get me home and some it’s my priority to pour that right back into the community.
When a baller like yourself goes through a tough time like what you went through in Jordan, does one lose faith in the process of being a pro player overseas?
I never lost faith in being a pro overseas I just learned a valuable lesson. Pay attention to the early signs of bad business and remove yourself from the situation before it gets worse. I was warned by many people not to do business with these guys but because they had legitimate reputations and were getting people I know jobs I thought I was going to be in a good situation but I ended up being a part of the vicious cycle. I have no animosity or hatred towards the parties involved in this Jordan deal. I wish them the best of look in their respected jobs I just know to never do business with them again as they had myself as well as my family sleepless and worried over this situation. My family comes before all of these people and I will never put them in a situation like this ever again.
What advice can you give to other overseas ballers who may be going through these kind of problems?
The best advice I can give to other ballers is to never let people abuse you and get away with it. Speak up for yourself. It is 2026 social media rules the world speak up for what you believe in. Once I posted what was going on all parties involved in my situation ( The club the consultant and Agent) were communicating with me a lot more than when I was asking them nicely to get me home. It was as if they were scared. The club blocked me and deactivated their page for a little while because of the amount of people that tagged them on social media. Trusted Jordan basketball blocked me on everything because he was scared and didn’t want to take accountability for what he did to me. My agent provided a lot of false information and was playing both sides even though he knew the club was wrong for what they did. Moral of the story speak up and make sure you network with people and have a pure heart. When you do right by people, people do right by you and that’s why I get the support I got from my community.
How big is your love for the game still after this experience? Will you continue to play overseas? Your 30 and surely still have some good years in you. I still have so much passion for the game and I won’t let this situation stop me from living my dream and doing what I love to do. I will just make sure that I work with people who want to do business the right way and that I am in a comfortable situation so I can properly do my job.
Brandton Chadfield is a 24 year old 208cm forward from Washington playing his rookie season for Pro A team Nurnberg Falcons. He began his basketball career at Clarkston High School and then played 7 games at Washington State. He then played 3 years at Seattle University (NCAA) averaging 4.2ppg, 3.4rpg, 7.0ppg, 5.1rpg, 1.1bpg, FGP: 69.1%, 3PT: 39.3%, FT: 87.0%and 9.3ppg, 5.3rpg, FGP: 65.8%, 3PT: 29.0%, FT: 67.1%. He finished his NCAA career at Iowa State University playing 35 games averaging 3.8ppg, 3.1rpg. He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball.
Thanks Brandton for talking to germanhoops.com. Your playing your rookie season with German Pro A team Nuernberg Falcons BC (Germany-ProA). What kind of an experience has it been for you? What have you enjoyed most about the experience? It has been a great experience so far, my wife has moved over here with me so that has definitely helped me a lot. My teammates and coaches have made the transition much easier. I have really enjoyed all the amazing places I’ve been able to see already, as well as the welcoming environment the fans have given me.
What was your wake up call to being a rookie overseas where you knew that you were far away from home? One wake up call was going to the supermarket for the first time, and not recognizing much of the things I am used to back home, as well as trying to learn Deutsch to be able to read items at the grocery store. On the basketball side of things, I think it was one of our first preseason games at Crailsheim, I expected the game to maybe have a few fans, mostly family and friends of each team. But when it just kept getting more and more full, I realized that it was much different than America. But I had a really good time and enjoyed playing once some of the butterflies went away.
Nurnberg has had a roller coaster season so far winning the first 2, then losing 4 and then a 4 game winning streak. How can you explain the early season play as of now? We had a very strong pre-season and I feel like that carried into the beginning of the season. But after those first two games we began struggling defensively, and we weren’t functioning as well as we could have been, as seen in the preseason. We have put some hard work and dedication into our defensive fundamentals, clearing up how we want to defend certain actions, and this has helped us succeed.
The team has been playing good basketball as of late and won 2 nail bitters. What strides have you seen the team make in the last weeks? With the improvements we’ve been making on the defensive end it has allowed us to get more in transition and get out and run the ball. This helps the team become more confident on the offensive end, and allows us to have more flow through our offense.
Your averaging 13/87stats. You have needed no adjustment period. What has been your secret to the success? I did a lot of work over this past summer working on my offensive game with a former overseas pro big man who played in Japan. This really helped me gain the confidence to score the ball more, And the preseason helped me find where I fit within the team, and helped define what my role was going to be this year.
How key have German guys Julius Wolf and Lars Lagerpusch been for you? Have they been like mentors in the early going? What have you soaked up most from him so far? Both Wolf and Lagerpusch have helped me a lot, in terms of understanding the way European basketball is played and helped to adapt my game to the different play style. They both give me tons of tips all the time, that I try and implement right away to improve my game.
Let’s talk about your game. You’re a 208cm forward. If you had to compare your game to a NBA player who would best fit the description. If I had to compare my game to an NBA player, I believe that Brook Lopez would best fit the description, I really like the way he plays, for example getting to the boards, being able to battle inside, but also not afraid to go out and shoot the 3.
You’re a versatile forward. Would you describe yourself as a modern day big man. What are your biggest strengths on the court? I would describe myself as a modern day big man, but I feel as if one of my main ways of scoring the ball is with my back to the basket, as well as offensive rebounding. And I take a lot of pride on my defensive capabilities, whether it is guarding the ball screen or switching onto a smaller player.
Your three pointer has been up and down the last years but currently shooting 57%. Your shot selection has been very good. What goals do you have with your shooting this season? My goals for shooting this season are to be confident in my 3 point shot and take good ones when they are available. I try my best to work for a good position inside, but if the shot is not there, I don’t want to force up any bad shots inside, even if they may have the chance, I would rather pass the ball to an open teammate and get the best possible position for an offensive rebound.
How would you describe your defensive game now? What kind of a defender are you now and what Kind of defender do you still want to become? I am strong and physical player by nature, and I use that to my advantage on both ends of the floor, I can guard smaller players, but I want to continue to improve so I can guard 1-5, if I am needed too. I want to continue to work on my speed and quickness, and I want to be able to play tight to whoever I’m guarding, and be able to dictate where I want them to go.
On what areas of your game are you working on most now so you can continue to improve your game? The areas that I am working on most are my 3 point shot, ball handling, and working on my driving game. As I feel as though all three can help expand my game, and be an asset to the team and having a big man that can do those things will help spread the court, and provide more scoring options.
You began your college career at Washington State University (NCAA) and was there from 2019-2021, but played only 7 games. How tough were these 2 years for you. Could you sample any positives from these years? It was tough not playing but I was surrounded by a lot of great people that wanted to see me succeed, older teammates, the strength coach, and basketball coaches. They helped to push me to gain more weight, put on more muscle, and work extremely hard to become better. I am extremely thankful for my time at Washington State. You were teammates for 2 seasons with DJ Rodman. What was it like being teammates with him? Did he ever tell any Dennis Rodman stories? DJ Rodman is a great teammate and friend, he and Ryan Rapp were my best friends, and roommates, while going to school at Washington State. They saw potential in me and helped to push me to work hard, they are both extremely skilled players, and being able to go to the gym with them and see how they worked on their game helped me a lot.
You then moved to Seattle University (NCAA) averaging 4.2ppg, 3.4rpg, 7.0ppg, 5.1rpg, 1.1bpg, FGP: 69.1%, 3PT: 39.3%, FT: 87.0% and 9.3ppg, 5.3rpg, FGP: 65.8%, 3PT: 29.0%, FT: 67.1%. How big was making this decision to go there? How did your game grow in those 3 years? The decision to transfer to Seattle was a big one, it was hard leaving everything at Washington State, but everyone around me knew it was the best decision as I would be earning a scholarship there and getting some real minutes playing. It helped me gain a lot of confidence and found out who I was as a player, and how I would be able to score the ball and help my team. I appreciate the entire staff at Seattle for my development, both past and present.
How valuable was head coach Chris Victor for your development? What was the most important thing that you could learn from his coaching? The entire coaching staff was amazing at Seattle from my first to last year there. All of the knowledge they instilled in me is invaluable. The most important thing I could learn from their coaching was that I need to work my best to be an everyday guy. Of course you will have your good and bad games, but doing your best to be consistent both in practice and in games can help your team and teammates in a lot of different ways.
You won the CBI title in 2024 beating High Point. How much did you cherish this title? What memories do you have of it? I cherish this title a lot, it was the first championship, outside of regionals, that I had won in my basketball career. The team and I worked hard to get there, and we showed up everyday in that post season, as our mindset was to win the whole thing from the beginning. My most vivid memory was coming to the top of the key, catching and shooting the three, it may not have been the best choice in that moment giving the situation of the game, and I hadn’t had as great of shooting year as the previous year, but it went in, and helped give us a boost to finish the championship game strong.
You then added a season with Iowa State University (NCAA) playing 35 games averaging 3.8ppg, 3.1rpg. You averaged 13 minutes per game and reached the NCAA tournament. What positives could you take from this season The positives I can take from my last season with Iowa State, are that even though I had built confidence when at Seattle, I was able to gain more and understand that I belong at a high level of basketball. I appreciate Coach TJ and the entire staff at Iowa State for believing in me and giving me the amazing opportunity to play in an amazing program, at the highest levels of college basketball.
You played against all the top school beating Arizona and Arizona State and others. What was your fondest experience on the court? My fondest experience on the court would have to probably be in the moments when we would get a stop through strong defense, either by forcing a turnover, or forcing a bad pass that would go out of bounds. After this I would be able to celebrate for a couple of seconds with my teammate, while the crowd would be cheering like crazy in Hilton Coliseum.
Who won a 1-1 in practice you or Dishon Jackson? It just depended on the day, he’s a great player and we both had times where we won 1v1s in practice.
You played against many great players in the NCAA, but who was the toughest battle that is in the NBA now? I have had a lot of tough battles, its hard to put my finger on just one player.
Please name your best teammates of all-time? I have had many great teammates throughout the years. One of them is Kobe Williamson. He is playing in Australia’s NBL. He was my roommate and best friend for the three years I was at Seattle. Although we played the same position, he always pushed me everyday to become my best self.
If you had to construct your very own NBA mount Rushmore which 4 heads would you? For all time, I would probably have to choose Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and it is tied for the last spot between Larry Bird and Stephen Curry.
Who is your GOAT? Michael Jordan
Did you see the sequel to the classic Coming To America? Shouldn’t they have left it alone? I have, I didn’t think it was too bad, but nothing can beat the original movie!
Berkant Campinar (180-PG-2001) is a 25 year old 180cm point guard playing for the Baskets Limburg. He has played here most of his career, but also played with ROTH Energie Basketball-Akademie Giessen (NBBL) and played a season with ASC Theresianum Mainz (2.Regionalliga). He spoke to germanhoops.com after the win over Eintracht Frankfurt ending the 2025-2026 season in third place.
Thanks Berkant for talking to germanhoops.com. When you arrive into the Limburg home court, what are your first thoughts? I always feel proud. I have played here since my youth. It always feels like home. I feel really comfortable.
Except for some short stays in Giessen and Mainz, you have always played in Limburg. What does it mean to play for this organization? It means a lot. I always give my all home or away. I always play hard when wearing the Limburg jersey.
Could imagine ever leaving this organization again? That is a good question. You never know. As of now I feel really good playing for this organization.
The club had a good season finishing in third place. What has been your summary of how the team has played?
I feel like we had a really good season. We had a tough start losing our first three games. We had many new players. We fought back well and had good wins at home. We grew as a team this season.
How big are the aspirations in general to get back to the Regionalliga?
We as an organization have big aspirations to play in the Regionalliga. It is a different level though. Our main focus this season was to integrate and develop the young players.
Talk a little about your teammates. What has it been like being teammates with young German Myles Howell? How much potential does he have?
He has a lot of potential. I feel like he could play a role for any team. He always gives 110%. You don´t want to be guarded by him. He is a great defender and great teammate.
Where do you rate his nasty poster dunk recently?
That poster dunk was great. I got the steal and passed him the ball. I just remember how he jumped. That was definitely the best poster dunk that I ever saw live.
How special of a player is Kaan Kus? How valuable is his energy for the team? Is it infectious?
He is my cousin and is one of the team´s most experienced players with Justin Stallbohm. Kaan is so vital in the locker room. He always gives everything for the team. His energy always pushes the team.
Does Justin Stallbohm have the most incredible smile ever? He has a super smile. He is always positive and laughing. He has a joker´s smile. He is always in a good mood.
What kind of a relationship have you had in the last years? How has his game helped yours? We have known each other more than 10 years. He was a youth friend of mine. We understand each other so well on the court. I´m always looking for him. We harmonize so well on the court and know each other´s tendencies really well.
What is your fondest moment on the court with Justin? I think every back door cut where he finds me for the score.
How vital has head coach Danny Stallbohm been for your game? How has he helped your game most over the years? He gives me freedom. He has a lot of trust in me. He always has my back. If you play hard then you will play for him. We respect each other.
You’re a 180cm guard. If you had to compare your game to a NBA or Euroleague player who would best fit the description?
In my youth I would of said Rajon Rondo. I was always passing the ball. I have improved my scoring since then. Now I look at videos of Jalen Brunson.
Talk a little about your offensive skills. You have never been a big scorer. How can you impact the game best? I have been fortunate to have been able to play with many talented point guards. I think that I read the game very well and know how to control the tempo. I think that I drive well and can find my teammates well.
Talk a little about your defensive game. How have you seen the development of your defensive game over the years?
Playing defense is a lot different in the first Regionalliga. I had to defend many physical players in the Regionalliga. I feel like having that experience really helped my develop. I have always played against older guys and that also helped me. I feel like I got a lot tougher and that makes it hard to score against me.
On what areas of your game are you working on most now so you can continue to improve your game? I´m always working on my shot. I can be a bit streaky with my shot. If I have a good practice week of shooting, then I´m capable to hit a few three´s in a game. I always try to work on my aggressiveness and also to be more disciplined on defense.
How do you remember playing with the ROTH Energie Basketball-Akademie Giessen (NBBL)? You played with Nicolas Lagerman and Sebastian Brach. Brach has become a Pro A player. How talented was he already then?
I also have to add Tim Schneider to this group. All are great players. I had many good battles with them in Practice. I always had to give my all when facing them.
What is your earliest memory of strapping on the Limburg jersey? Your first game was against USC Heidelberg.
I remember that game against Heidelberg on the road. The atmosphere was great. It was a really cool experience. I just remember after that game, I wanted to keep doing that and play in the Regionalliga.
You were teammates with Kevin Yebo who went on to play in the Euroleague and BBL. Did you already see his incredible potential then? It was hard to predict then that he could get so far one day. However I did see something special then when watching him play. He did things in practice then simply from instincts. That can´t be taught. I´m really happy for his success.
What is your best Mantas Bernatavicius story?
I just remember one time in practice he was battling another import and he blocked him and he gave the Mutumbo finger signalizing not in my house
What was your fondest memory with the Baskets Limburg? I think that my personal fondest moment with Limburg was in our home gym. It was a few years ago when we played Reutlingen. I scored 18 points. It was my break out game. It felt so good. We stayed in the league that season. We played so well together.
Who was the toughest player that you ever faced on the court that reached a high league? I remember it was a test game in the JBBL and we played Rasta Vechta and I played against Radi Casin. He was so good then. I had never seen something like that before.
Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time? Justin Stallbohm, Kaan Kus, Kellon Thomas, Kelvin Nelcha, Melvin Adrovic
Please name your NBA, Euro and German Mount Rushmore?
NBA: Kyrie Irving, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James and Michael Jordan.
Euro: Alperen Sengun, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Hakeem Olajuwon
German: Dirk Nowitzki, Andreas Obst, Dennis Schroeder, Franz Wagner
In general people in Germany may not know it, but Joe Asberry is a guy that has been extra instrumental in the paths of many young players find their way early when odds may have been against them. He is an ex pro player that really has seen it all from crime to drugs, but also played against legends like David Robinson (215-C-65, college: Navy), Gary Payton, Jason Kidd and Brian Shaw and was teammates with German legendary player Christian Welp. He had a 11 year professional career that saw him toil around in the minor leagues of Germany, but he belonged to the best in his day at that level. He has done so much since his playing days like being that vital spokesperson for young kids and drug prevention, being a guest speaker, a master of ceremonies at UBC Hannover, worked with Alba Berlin and currently in his second year with the Artland Dragons organization coaching girls U-14 and U-16 and boys U-18. And not to forget been a mentor for young Americans coming overseas trying to live the dream of being a professional basketball. There aren´t many Americans overseas that don´t know him. 2 players that he helped find their way were Kevin Yebo and Oluwadamilola Ade-Eri (193-SF-2002) simply known as Dami to his friends. Kevin Yebo has had a Cinderella story having began in the Regionalliga and really climbed the ranks in the Pro A and easyCredit BBL before finally reaching the Euroleague with FC Bayern Munich years later. “I discovered Kevin Yebo in Tannenbusch the roughest hood in Bonn. A big shout out to coach Danny Stallbohm in Limburg who gave him his first chance. I don´t need the credit. Kevin did all the work”, stated Joe Asberry. He met Oluwadamilola Ade-Eri and has guided him as well the last years. After moving up with Koblenz from the Pro B to Pro A, he mostly sat in the Pro A, but this season has found a new home in Speyer in the Pro B having taken a step back to recharge his career again. “I told Dami that coach Joe is going to let you play free and wild for 40 minutes. Your going to average 30,0ppg and 15,0rpg and we will win like I did back in the day. He listened and that´s exactly what he did at Tura Braunschweig”, stressed Joe Asberry. “My mentor definitely was and still is to this day Coach Joe Asberry. I’ve known him for years now and he was actually the one bringing me to Braunschweig. He really mentored me in good and bad days. It was an awesome feeling averaging 30,0ppg. Coach Joe really is great at making players play confident and comfortable. He made me play freely as long as I grab every board and dunk on people. Ade-Eri is a player that likes to do the dirty work on the court and credits Joe Asberry for being his mentor.
Joe Asberry with Kevin Yebo in Berlin
Oluwadamilola Ade-Eri who names German world champion Dennis Schroeder as being his toughest opponent ever on the court was born on August 18th, 2002 in Berlin Schoeneberg and grew up there. He played youth basketball with the Junior Loewen Braunschweig (NBBL) during Covid. This was such a tough time for players with missed seasons and less training opportunites, but he actually found positives out of it. “In my opinion, Covid was actually good for my career. Covid was a time of me grinding daily in the gym and working on weaknesses with Coach Liviu Calin and Nico Dilukila, stated Oluwadamilola Ade-Eri. At the same time, he always got his feet wet playing with and against men with SG Braunschweig in the Regionalliga but only averaged 7,8 minutes. “It was actually a good experience. It was actually my first glimpse of more organized Basketball and made me hungry for more”, remembered Oluwadamilola Ade-Eri. In this time, he also was able to practice with another young with Sananda Fru who reached the easyCredit BBL. I had some battles with Sananda Fru. We actually spend every summer together with some other friends and train together. I´m really happy for where he has gotten”, commented Oluwadamilola Ade-Eri.
pic credit: Angel King Media
The ex Braunschweig player who lists Raphael Ejimophor, Sananda Fru, Olivier Borgol, Dominique Johnson and Moses Pölking as his 5 best teammates of all-time then made the next step in his basketball career and went to the EPG Baskets Koblenz. In his first season he helped the club win the Pro B title and move up to the Pro A. He played a total of 53 games in 3 seasons and it may not seem like he played much, but his minutes rose every year. Did he get a fair chance there? “I played more every year. We really had a strong roster every year. I just used every chance I got and battled every minute. But I don’t think I could really put my abilities to prove, so that’s what I’m trying to do right now”, warned Oluwadamilola Ade-Eri. His minutes rose from 3,9 to 5,8 to 12,4 each season. “I’d say my Basketball IQ grew the most in those three years. I’ve learned to understand Basketball at a high pace and make the right play at the right time”, stressed Oluwadamilola Ade-Eri. He had some good scoring games last season against Munster and Crailsheim. “I remember those games, because they proved I was able to play on that level. My fondest moment was the pass from Moses Pölking in the post to me cutting through the middle and going up for the dunk. Beautiful feeling, the whole arena was hyped”, remembered Oluwadamilola Ade-Eri. He was more than blessed having great teammates each season who all impacted him in his years of development there. “I’m really grateful for having many experienced teammates on the team. I’d say Dominique Johnson aka DJ really was the one impacting me the most. He really shared all of his knowledge with me, inspired me to play with confidence and believed in me. Don’t get it twisted, he really showed me tough love at times but was a great teammate for real”, said Oluwadamilola Ade-Eri.
pic credit: Angel King Media
This season the ex Koblenz German who lists Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Magic Johnson,Dirk Nowitzki, Dennis Schröder, Franz Wagner, and Detlef Schrempf on his personal NBA and German Mount Rushmore has a new challenge in the Pro B with the Ahorn Camp Baskets Speyer. “I actually like it here. It’s a small city and a quite familiar club. Good Organization and friendly people all around”, smiled Oluwadamilola Ade-Eri. Last weekend he played the most minutes in his pro career with 36 in Frankfurt. Was this the best basketball decision in his life going to Speyer? “Winning the Pro B title in Koblenz was definitely a wonderful experience. And playing pro A has definitely helped me gain a lot of insight and experience in high level professional Basketball. Coming to Speyer I was expecting it to be an opportunity for me to have an important role with more responsibility for a club. The aim is to achieve the best possible outcome. It’s very nice playing more minutes, I’m really enjoying playing ball free and finally being able to use what if learned and trained for the past years So far, I don’t regret the decision”, stressed Oluwadamilola Ade-Eri. He is more than blessed to have a great coach like Carl Mbassa who has noticed his qualities and given him minutes. “My relationship with Coach Carl is close. He always expects me to be aggressive and always inspires me to play as physical as possible”, added Oluwadamilola Ade-Eri. He also has been very fortunate having another type of mentor figure with Speyer legend DJ Woodmore and battling against top pro B defender Dennis Diala on a daily basis. “DJ and I grew quite close over the season, we have dinner every other evening or just chill. It’s more like a friendship in which he’s just the older experienced friend that just motivates you and shares his knowledge. Dennis and I are actually good friends, but on the floor its straight business. We go at it daily in practice and exchange buckets. It’s good to have some kind of 1 to 1 rivalry, it just keeps you challenged at all times. No bad blood beside the court at all though”, stressed Oluwadamilola Ade-Eri
picc redit: Angel King Media
So what kind of a player is Oluwadamilola Ade-Eri in 2026 who names Michael Jordan as his GOAT? If one inspects his game, you would see a little Jonathan Kuminga in his game. “He is a little taller than me but I’d say I got a similar playing style,I run the transition and know how to finish well around the rim with dunks or athletic finishes. He goes for boards and is a good defender”, said Oluwadamilola Ade-Eri. With Speyer he has that special role that will definitely help his entire game. “My Role in Speyer is definitely to be an allrounder and bring energy. Going for every board, defending the best man, being aggressive to the rim and hyping up the team and fans with some dunks of course”, smiled Oluwadamilola Ade-Eri. Especially those guys that battle in the trenches are the most respected. “My strength really is running in transition and doing all the dirty work, putting my body on the line and going for every board. I attack close outs and play good off ball, for example with backdoor cuts”, stated Oluwadamilola Ade-Eri. But there is one area with his game where he knows if he can improve that, then some more doors may be opened in his future. “I constantly work on my shot, taking extra reps and staying consistent in the gym. Right now, I try to find ways to still create the best shot for the team but working on my shot is daily work at the moment. I’ve been hitting more shots the last games but I still have a lot to work on my shot”, added Oluwadamilola Ade-Eri. What goals does the young German still have with his game? “I think the sky is the limit. I really think I can reach high levels, I just need to keep hustling and believing. I know Jesus got me”, commented Oluwadamilola Ade-Eri. It will be interesting to see where the journey will go in the next years for Oluwadamilola Ade-Eri. One thing is for sure Joe Asberry will always give him advice and the words “sky is the limit” will always come from his mouth.
Miki Novovic (208-C-1992) is a 33 year old 202cm center from Monenegro that is playing his 13th professional season and thiird season with KFUM Kalmar (Sweden-Basketettan). He began his basketball career with the BC Buducnost Podgorica junior team. He then went on to gain massive experience in Europe in countries like Spain, Germany, Italy and Denmark. He spoke to eurobasket about his basketball career.
You have had a long career and played in 7 countries for 12 teams. What has been the biggest challenge for you being a basketball globetrotter?
I think the biggest challenge is that every day, every practice and game you need to prove something to yourself and to others. Just that you are professional and how good you are. That’s the other side of professional sport, it’s never guaranteed one bad year can put you down mentally and physically, but also one good season can move you up. So staying professional is the biggest challenge. Every country have some differences to other countries, so staying professional will help you adjust to every system, coach, country.
On your Instagram you have an interesting headline with “there is a hell, believe me I have seen it”. Of course all players overseas go through lows, but you have played professionally for more than a decade. Your life couldn´t have been that bad or?
Well that’s a quote that have a deep meaning for me. Me coming from a small country such as Montenegro and growing up there in really tough ‘90 and early 2000’s was not simple as it looks. I never thought that basketball will take me anywhere, and when you look now it’s been quite a journey. There you meet a lot of people good and bad, you go through lot of situations. Like I mentioned ups and down. So every time I have some “bad times” I just think about quote and keep pushing try to make best out of it. One year you play good and your in a good team and organization, next maybe not so. And you always try to stay professional and keep pushing. Basketball was always “safe place” and in every situation in life or profession career once you on court that’s where I enjoyed it. Even if I have issues with life, career, friends, relationships. There was always court. I think that’s what make me play in good and bad situation. I just have love for the game.
You began your career with BC Buducnost Podgorica playing in their youth. What memories do you have of that time? Did you have a mentor in those days?
Yes Buducnost was always big part of my career. I been with the youth-yes but that was first time I saw how professional basketball looks like. We were sometimes also joined with the A team, and that’s where we could learn. About professional approach, about how serious practices are, how to recover, eat, and sleep. It was again an experience that later helped me to carry myself. At that time Buducnost had one of best teams players like Marko Simonovic, Sead Sehovic, Nemanja Milosevic, Vladimir Dragicevic, Bojan Dubljevic, Vladimir Mihailovic. I don´t want to skip somebody, and just seeing how serious they were made you know and learn about professionalism which was amazing foundation for me. Also from youth there are few guys still playing and once we meet on or off the court we still talk about that and we really have true friendships untill today.
You then left your homeland and played with Ferrol CB (Spain-EBA) averaging 4.5ppg, 4.3rpg, FGP: 48.8%, 3PT: 20.0%, FT: 61.5%. What memories do you have of that season? You were teammates with many Spanish guys. What was your wake up call to being in Spain for first time where you knew that you were far away from home?
Yes. At that time there were not many players from our country in Spain. And it was new to me. Everything. Language, basketball, culture, their look on basketball. That was my first year of being there and we had a great system where we practiced basically 3x a day. It was more of developing than actually trying to focus on winning championship. And it was great. We were a young team, at that time our oldest player was 23 years old so we were really young. We had players from all over the world, Brazil, Cameroon,Chad, USA. It was a mix and that made it perfect. We were all with same goal there. Try to improve and find our place in the basketball world.
You then went to Germany playing with the Westfalen Mustangs (Germany-Bezirksliga) who were in a very low league. I remember reporting about this organization a few years later. Was money a big reason for playing in a low league? I remember that club having lots of money then and being able to sign guys from other countries. Yeah next destination Germany. And your right about that. That team was in a lower league but as you know our economy was great. At that time my agent told me about situation and how they have economy and will to move up, so I thought it’s good opportunity for someone young like me at that time, where I can move around easy. Germany was a nice country really, money was on time, everything was by rules. And for some of time I enjoyed it. But also being that young and having some extra money sometimes it’s not really good. Because I didn’t have life outside of court. The city I live was pretty small, and there was not much to do of court. I was getting home sick, especially I came from Spain playing year before that and their culture is very social and they hung a lot on and off court, late night outs, parties and when your young you need that stuff. Unfortunately all my teammates were married family guys or they had their other friends and I felt alone there. That’s why I couldn’t stay there long, so I decide to move. At this age I think that situation will suit me perfectly but when I was young with this mindset, it was not good to me.
In the 2015-2016 season you returned to Spain and played with Club Basquet Cantaires Tortosa. I believe they played lower than EBA. What positives do you remember getting from that experience? Yes Tortosa were great memories till this day. I think maybe I’m wrong but that was the first year they moved to EBA actually. But anyways it was amazing. Again I was trying to find anything in Spain, I moved in middle of season from Germany. As young as I was, I thought that Spain was best for me with great basketball and off court balance. So I took it. I went there and really enjoyed playing. Later in years when I didn’t play for a team, I came back to city and visited and people still remembered me and how much they loved me there and I was really happy about it. The season was full of ups and downs, but again meet some great players like for example Jaime Sorolla who was member of NT Spain later for FIBA windows and Girona Basquet, and had some great memories from that period.
You then played your first season in Italy with Valentino Basket Castellaneta (Italy-Serie C Silver) averaging 17.0ppg. You were the only real big man on that team. What memories do you have of that league? Many guys start there in the Serie C to help move up to higher leagues. Was that a stepping stone league for you?
Yes Italy is amazing. I was in Italy before that, before Spain actually right after Buducnost been there with PMS Basket (now I think they go by name Fiat Torino Basket) and spent there most of my youth. Then coming back let’s say in Italy was great. I had a contact with GM and President who wanted to sign me for a few seasons before that actually, but again I was looking for something new and wanted to prove myself so our path didn’t cross until that season. Castellaneta was a small city but with great fans and great love and passion for basketball. Till this day I think. We also started rough and we had few losses at the start, but then we found chemistry and we played great. Coach was really great to me as only big, and he was actually one making me using other stuff. Running, passing, dribbling. He didn’t want me to be stuck only as big. And it was a great season at the end. Fans there were amazing until this day they follow my journey, sending messages of support and have some best friends that I met here. It was really a great experience with people and organization.
You then discovered another new country playing with Futebol Clube Barreirense (Portugal-LPB) playing 28 games averaging 10.4ppg, 5.7rpg, FGP: 57.1%, FT: 66.3%. How important was this season for your career? You had solid games and against top teams FC Porto and Benefica. Was this your breakthrough season in Europe?
Yes. After good season in Italy I got call from Portugal. First division. It was really great basketball experience. We had a good coach but unfortunately the organization and us as a team were not ready for that extra step. And that’s why after that season the team stepped down from league. For me personally it was a great season, where I matured a lot and proved to myself that I could play well. The Team was looking bad because we didn’t have team chemistry. We had groups local players stick to them self, American players stick to them self and there was me in between haha. So that was tough, although I learned Portuguese finding the balance between team was super hard. Portugal at that time had 3-4 good teams, and Porto and Benfica led that group. I had a chance to play against some really good bigs like Sasa Borovnjak from FC Porto or Miguel Quieroz. And other sfrom Benfica such as Claudio Fonseca. The experience playing against guys such as them was really amazing. Also I lived in Lisboa, one of the nicest cities in Europe which was quite an experience. It was nice weather whole year and good food.
In the 2018-2019 season you returned back to Spain and played with Units Pel Basquet Gandia (Spain-EBA) averaging 8.3ppg, 5.0rpg, 2FGP: 64.5%, 3FGP: 66.7%, FT: 57.1%, in Jan.’19 moved to CB Miraflores Burgos (Spain-EBA). What memories do you have of that season. You bounced around. You went from the first Portugal division back to fourth division Spain. What did you learn from this season?
Yes. Spain at that time was always “safe place” for me. Since I spent a lot of years playing there, I always returned there. It was “home far from home” to me. After everything that happened with team in Portugal I was waiting for a new club but unfortunately I couldn’t find anything that I felt was good to me. I wanted to have bigger role and become leader and at that time I couldn’t find that which will suit me. I had contact with agent that mentioned me to Gandia. The club had a big tradition in basketball, great gym, great city, amazing organization and people that support basketball. I spoke to coach Rubio, who is till this day one of really good friends to me that I can call for advice or anything related to life and basketball and I decided to sign. They had a project of us moving to Plata league and I went there. The team was amazing, great mix of both older guys and young guys, older in need to mention is Shay Miller who was at that time having 44 years still playing, and playing good. That was a really pure example of a true professional. We played really good and quick we become favourites for winning it all. But at half of season, I got call from Burgos, offering me to be 2way basically. Be signed in EBA but be full time with Burgos ACB team at that time, and try to earn my minutes maybe there. It was huge for me trying to be on roster of ACB team and maybe be able to compete against some of best players in Europe. So I took it. Unfortunately the roster was full of bigs, coach Epi (Diego Epifanio) really loved me and trusted me on ACB team but we had 5-6 bigs and we all wanted to play, with me having less experience in that set. Some names I will mention is Augusto Lima, Javi Vega, Goran Huskic, Dominique Sutton. Then my secondary position as 4 was tough as well. Vlatko Cancar and German Paul Zipser came from the Chicago Bulls, so team was pretty tough. But again those 6 months with such a professionals and talents helped me later in career and even till today.
You then played 2 seasons with top Danish club Team FOG Naestved (Denmark-BasketLigaen) averaging 4.2ppg, 2.8rpg and 5.0ppg, 3.1rpg, FGP: 50.8%, FT: 56.5%. In your second season you lost in the playoffs to Svendborg. In 3 of the 4 regular season games the games had been very close and in the playoffs as well. How much fun was it battling that team that season?
Denmark was place that I have in great memory. Not such results, since we didn’t win trophies. After a Burgos half season I had offer from them again. To be 2 way and get my minutes but now in little better position, starting there from beginning I didn’t like it because I knew I could play against all those guys and compete, also I was more mature to be in that position and I was looking somewhere where I will be one of main players and that’s how Denmark showed on map. I knew coach there who was an amazing coach and one of best friends I have Arnel Dedic. I knew his ideas and style and I decided to join. First year was more of getting things in order new coach for club, new players, and in the second season we played good. We reached playoff and lost close. It was a great series and we almost beat them in first game away, but unfortunately we lost in last few seconds. I think that “broke us” because we were so close and we knew if we get that one later with home court advantage we can go to semis and later maybe finals. I would continue there but unfortunately coach Arnel became head coach of Danish national team, and in Denmark there is rule that you can’t coach clubs if you are NT coach. So club brought new coach and players and we split ways.
You then returned back home in 2021-2022 and played with KK Lovcen Cetinje (Erste Liga). There you played with 2guys I have covered in Germany with Elijah Clarence and Isaiah Washington. The first could dunk with the best of them and the second is the master of trick shots. How do you remember these 2 dudes?
Yeah, after “corona season” and all bubble, lock downs, flight cancellations.. etc, I decided to say for a season until everything got back to normal, let’s say, because I was far from them never knowing when borders can close and maybe I couldn´t see them for long period of time, which happen to me while I was in Denmark. I signed with Lovcen, club playing in ABA 2 and Montenegrin league at that time. It was a great team and roster as you mentioned with Elijah that I’m still friends with and we see each other when he is back in Sweden now and famous Jelly, Isaiah. Another great experience and see how basketball work is small and connect people. Me and Elijah were really close because I had some Danish experience so I understand the mentality of Scandinavia and obviously he being Swedish make us hang a lot. Jelly was also a great friend till this day, kids and youth love him and he was really a fun guy. On court he was really mature- that was his first pro season but he carried himself like if it was his 10th season. Really good player and I knew he will do good. Elijah is one of best athletes I’ve ever seen. The explosiveness he got is unmeasured. I loved playing with him, he is hard working and 24/7 in basketball so I like that mindset. Unfortunately team was struggling with economy afterwards so we all basically left because of those problems.
You then played parts of 2 seasons with KFUM Fryshuset Basket (Sweden-Basketligan) averaging 9.7ppg, 6.8rpg, FGP: 50.8%, FT: 54.9% and 16.7ppg, 9.4rpg, 1.7apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 60.0%, 3PT: 15.4%, FT: 67.4%. How did you like Sweden. You were able to be a real scoring and rebounding force.
Sweden, after turbulent season with Lovcen, and economic part, I decide to move to Sweden. Knowing how it was in Denmark and also talking with Elijah about Sweden during our time in Lovcen I decided to move there. First stop Fryshuset. Good league imports that are really good or experienced and Swedens best players it’s really mix of both. Fryshuset was struggling at that time which was stuck between going fully professional and just get all professional guys, or also give a chance to young guys that are coming up. Then losing some games started and imports left, some important guys left and I was only one. I played good, kept being professional as I can and had solid numbers there.
You finished the 2023-2024 season with KFUM Kalmar (Sweden-Superettan) and now are in your third season. This is the longest that you have been with one club. Has KFUM Kalmar become like a second home to you?
Yes after a Fryshuset I got signed with Kalmar. And as you mentioned this is my third season with them. Good play in Fryshuset recommended me to Kalmar and they offered me great contract. They make me feel like home. People around club are amazing people in city as well. They all appreciate me and what I do for club and that’s why every season I’m more and more motivated to play better and be better. Kalmar also slowly talking about my plans for future and they want to help me follow my dream and study to become coach after career so I hope I can achieve that and after finish playing and still be part of the game. I had interviews here and say that me staying here is some kind of me paying back for people who pushed me and help me to be and become better player and person. And people here really do that.
Last season with KFUM Kalmar (Sweden-Superettan) you exploded averaging (23.0), RPG-2 (12.5), 2.6apg, FGP: 65.2%, FT: 57.2%. You were a big time player. Did you always know that you could be a player like this? Last season I did good. Again I felt like people believed in me and they showed it. They kept pushing me and that makes everything easier. Then I shifted my focus on game and stats get better. I always believed in my work ethic and everything I just needed that trust and push which today unfortunately is hard to be found, but Kalmar as club really makes me feel that way now and I try to return it as best I can.
You had unbelievable games last season netting 41 points once, getting 21 rebounds in another game and then having a crazy 38/24 game. How has your game grown in Sweden since your arrival in Jan 24?
Yes, since I arrived I needed time. Although I´m professional and all but I needed time to adjust. Players and stuff in Kalmar help me that all be quick and accepting me like I’m there from day one. Then I focus on basketball and team and points like those games you mentioned just come. I always try to put hard work and see how far it will get me.
You picked up your game this season averaging 26/14 stats. Unfortunately the team is 0-7. What goals do you still have at age 33? How tough is it winning that first pro title when you lose like that?
After last season I spoke to team manager and as I mentioned, they wanted to “reset and start with young prospects. They were all aware that there will be loses at the start and it will be tough, physically and mentally, because it’s not nice losing but I believe in project. Yes, I am 33 but I still feel good. I still enjoy every minute on court. I had offers from other team from Sweden and other countries but I decided to stay here. I believe in them like they believe in me, but you never know. I’m open for everything but now I really enjoy playing here. It’s tough knowing the tittle seems so far but I will still work hard. Try to motivate others to work and believe. And most of all enjoy and love basketball. Right now those plans are here in Kalmar but you never know what future can bring. I will play basketball as long as I have that “spark” and desire for every practice and every game. Maybe till I’m 50 hahah and if my body keeps me going.
Who was the best player that you ever played against in your career that reached the NBA or Euroleague?
One of best players I got chance to meet, and one of players that I really admire was Stefano Mancinelli. One of best players that I shared the court with was Bogdan Bogdanovic. Captain of Serbia NT and Clippers guard. We played against each other as youthes in a lot tournaments and every time I got late on pick as I big men I got that 3 over me or 1×1 iso 3.
Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?
Good one. Let’s say position 5, probably I go with Bojan Dubljevic ex Valencia Basket, position 4- Vlatko Cancar ex Denver Nuggets and Olimpia Milano, 3 I will put Elijah although he not 3 but in my set up he will be, 2 I would go for Victor Benite shooter from Burgos and at 1 I would put, I need to put two guys Isaiah Jelly Washington and Jahmal Jones, spent with him 2 years in Denmark and 1 in Sweden.
Please list your NBA and Montenegro Mount Rushmore of 5 best players for you?
PG: Goran Jeretin SG: Suad Sehovic SF: Vladimir Dasic PF: Nikola Vucevic C: Nikola Pekovic
Who is your GOAT?
My goat uh that’s tough one. I belong to that generation when I started Jordan was best, but then LeBron showed up. But of course Kobe was there. So it’s pretty tough, but if I need to pick one then I would say Michael Jordan.
DeLonnie Hunt (183-PG-2001, college: Richmond, agency: Players Group) is a 24 year old 183cm guard playing his rookie season with KK Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia-Premijer Liga). He began his basketball career at Rock Creek Christian Academy and also played at DC Premier (DC) (UAA U17). He then played at Wagner College (NCAA) from 2020-2023 playing a total of 99 games. He then finished at the University of Richmond (NCAA) averaging 9.3ppg, 3.0rpg, 1.8apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 44.6%, 3PT: 38.6%, FT: 76.6% and 15.6ppg, 3.7rpg, 2.7apg, 2.1spg, FGP: 46.9%, 3PT: 28.6%, FT: 84.3%. He spoke to germanhoops.com about his 44 point game.
Thanks Delonnie for talking to germanhoops.com. You recently scored 44 points in a game and was the highest scorer in the world. You did it in first division Croatia which is a very respected league in Europe. What does this feat mean to you?
It means a lot to me personally just proving that I can compete at a very high level in Europe and that all the work that I’ve put in to prepare for this stage is paying off! Especially having that type of game against ABA league competition following a 30pt performance against another ABA league team (Zadar) also proves that I can be consistent in scoring the ball at an efficient rate!
You have been a good scorer in your NCAA career but not a guy that averaged 20,0ppg or more. Did this scoring total surprise you a bit?
I wouldn’t say surprised me but definitely impressed myself! My last year at Richmond I showcased this scoring ability before I was injured, It was just during my time in college I was never asked to score at such a high rate. That didn’t mean I was incapable but just meant I had to contribute in other major ways to winning! I always knew and had the confidence to put the ball in the basket so I can’t say it surprised me but it felt good to have those kind of numbers and result in a win.
Did you have a special breakfast or do something different on this day to help you achieve so many points?
No, nothing really special just treated the day like any other game day however we did travel to split by van the same day of the game so once we got on the court I took some extra time to rollout and band stretch than usual.
How did you feel going into the game? Do you sometimes know how your game may go after warm ups and how your shot is feeling?
Just really focused, was a much needed win to put us in a better position going into round 3, didn’t really go in overthinking just more so focused and willing to do what it took to win!
How did you get into the game flow? How rapidly did you know that you might have a real good scoring day?
My captain Gara (#5) found me on back to back fast breaks for a three that I made after I had made a layup so those quick 8 points really kind of got me going! It wasn’t until about the 3rd quarter when I realized the rate I was scoring because like I said before I was just focused on doing what it took to win the game
The team had 22 assists in the game and you 6. How many of your buckets were made on the isolation?
A good amount were made on isolation, some came from transition and P&R too. My coach trusts me not only to score but to make the right play late shot clock and when defenses switch and also I’m surrounded by shooters so I’m able to use my speed to get down hill on driving lanes and create space for 3s as well.
You produced well from the 2, 3 and FT line. Is it fair to say that you displayed your 3 level scoring well?
For sure as a small guard it’s important to be able to score in all different aspects, opens the game up for myself and my teammates.
You followed up the next game with 33 and had 77 points in 2 games. Does a performance like that of Bam Adebayo give you hope you might score 50 points one day?
Lol Not something that I am hoping for, I think it would be an awesome accomplishment but I can’t say it’s something I’m hoping for if I feel I can make it happen it’s beneficial for the team then it would be even better
What was your favorite own basket of the 44 point game?
Probably the one that gave me 40! Not just because of the points but that basket put us up 10 with 3 minutes left which is pretty tough to come back from for any team!
Did you get any special messages from people that you might not have expected from?
Yes for sure! Every message I got was special to me because it just shows the support system and the amount of people keeping up with me even though I’m not in America anymore!
Did you have to get your teammates donuts after game?
Marley Jean-Louis (188-SG-1994) is a 32 year old 188cm guard that is playing his 14th professional season and first with DBV Charlottenburg (Regionalliga). He began his career in the Alba Berlin organization and then played for clubs like Munster, EN Baskets Schwelm, FC Schalke 04, EPG Baskets Koblenz, ScanPlus Baskets Elchingen, Rhein Stars, BG 2000 Berlin, and BSW Sixers Sandersdorf. He spoke to germanhoops.com after exploding for 52 points in a Regionalliga game.
Congrats Marley on scoring 52 points in a crazy 148-21 win over Buchorn Bau. You won by 177 points. How crazy is that?
Thank you Miles, I appreciate the Interview. That was definitely a crazy experience that I was not expecting starting the day. I think that was the biggest win I ever had.
You scored an incredible 52 points. They only dressed 6 players. Do you feel like that helped your quest for 52 points?
To be Honest it definitely helped with more guys or all their better players they would’ve had a bigger rotation and could’ve guarded more physical and better.
Not many pro players no matter what league score 50 or more points in a game. You did it in 27 minutes. That is super efficient. What does this feat mean to you?
It’s nice, I’m happy that I was able to keep my focus high during that game and had the trust from my teammates and my coaches. It’s good that I was finally able to give our commentator Arne his birthday present. He was asking for a 40 piece and I was able to give him even more.
Did you have a special breakfast in the morning or do something out of the ordinary that may have helped your game go off for 52 points?
It was actually a kind of busy day for me we had shootaround after that I worked out a kid because I’m also an individual Skills Coach. So I didn’t really spend that much time at home and was kind of stressed about it.
How did you feel going into the game? You had been averaging over 20,0ppg in the last 5 games? Did it feel different than other games once you started hitting shots?
I was surprised that they just showed up with 6 people and our coach was mad because of it. Rightfully so of course. He kept our head straights for the game and motivated to go out and make a statement so I was just trying to stay locked in and don’t let the appearance from the other team affect me.
How quickly did you know that you may have a great scoring game in the first half?
After I was hitting a couple of 3s in a short time. That was the moment where I thought to myself let’s see what’s type of day it’s going be for me today.
The team had an incredible 43 team assists. How thankful are you for your teammates always finding you again time in and time out?
Without my teammates it would not been possible. I did disappoint some of them in the last games when I missed some open looks. So it was my way to apologize.
You hit 12 three´s. How does that make you feel that the greatest three point shooter of all-time Steph Curry only hit 1 three more in a game in his life?
To be honest I was not really thinking about it. Now that I know I’m kind of mad because I definitely would’ve tried to hit 2 more to break his record.
Did you know in the fourth quarter that you were close to 50 points?
No not really. But after I made the 3 for 50 points everybody was cheering and in the timeout Dilim told me from The stands that I had 50.
What was your favorite own basket of the game? That´s a good questions probably during that game always the next one.
Did you get any unique congrats via phone or social media after the game? No not unique. But I appreciate Adam our Marketing for uploading the video of every bucket of mine. It got a lot of love on Instagram.
Did you have to get donuts for the team? Hahaha no luckily not. I already got the team 3 or 4 donuts this season.
Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye (193-G-1996, college: Bradley) is a 29 year old 196cm guard that has the British/French citizenship and currently is playing his third season with UMFN Njardvik (Iceland-Subway League). He also has experience having played in countries like Italy, France, Holland and Austria. He began his basketball career at the Bristol Flyers and then played at Bradley University (NCAA) and played a total of 129 NCAA games. He spoke togermanhoops.com after scoring 50 points in a first division game in Austria.
Congrats on scoring 50 points in a win over Armann. What does it personally mean to you to score 50 points?
The most important thing for me was getting the win but afterwards looking back at it, it felt really good. Not many people can say they’ve reached 50 points in a professional match and my assistant coach informed me afterwards I am only 1 of 5 people in club history to reach the milestone so it’s nice to join the club
You were never that explosive scorer before you came to Iceland. Did 50 points surprise you a bit that you could be capable of a feat like that? I feel like I’ve always been capable of being an explosive scorer but throughout my journey as a professional I’ve had to take on different roles at different times for the betterment of the team. I knew if there was a game this season in which I was feeling it early I would have a chance to have a big night. It was just my night that night and ended up going for 50.
There is a side story to your milestone. On the stats there was 48 points but you really scored 50 points. What happened exactly?
So on the paper I had 50 but on the online stats it was 48. But after, the game was reviewed and we learnt that human error on the table gave a dunk of mine in the 3rd Q to my big man Dominykas Milka. It’s crazy because we don’t look the same but the federation amended the issue and confirmed that yes it was in fact 50.
How strange is it knowing you had 50 points despite ending the game thinking you had 48 points?
It was weird because I just wanted to know the truth and know for sure which it was, but we got the 2 points on the league table for the win so that was all I really cared about.
Did you have anything different for breakfast or change something on your routine to amass so many points? The crazy thing is I was sick the last few days in practice and wasn’t able to do too much in the sessions. I maybe slept only 3 hours the night before the game with headaches and a runny nose. But with a playoff push needed for the end of the season I knew how much we needed to win and just tried to power through. And I was able to do it much better than I could have imagined. I guess there’s some magic in a flu game.
How were you feeling going into the game with your game? You had had 31 points in the previous game and scored 30 points or more 6 times in the season going in?
My coach and teammates do a great job giving me confidence and telling me to be aggressive in games. Coming off the international break you’re sometimes not sure if they’ll be rusty or not. But we had a game plan to attack some weaknesses Arman had and I knew if we executed it would be a good game.
How quickly did you know in the game that you might have a great scoring game? I think I knew at halftime, when my team mate came up and joked that he’d buy me lunch if I scored 50. ‘I was like what do you mean 50?’ Then he let me know that I had 24 points, which surprised me. But maybe the added motivation helped me get it. Safe to say I will be getting that lunch from him.
The team had 22 team assists and you had 6 assists. How much of your scoring would you say was done on isolation?
I wouldn’t say too much scoring is done in isolation, we have certain actions to try and punish the defense or put them in uncomfortable situations so we just try to focus on that.
How blessed are you to have such a talented big man in Dominykas Milka who had 8 assists in your feat? It’s a privilege to play with a big man like Milka. He’s selfless and willing to do whatever it is for the team. He sets great screens, does all the little things and is a beast on the rebounds. You add the playmaking too, he’s easily one of the most underappreciated players in the league. Playing now multiple seasons with him we’ve built a good chemistry and it shows in how many easy baskets he gave me.
Did you know in the fourth quarter that you were close to 50 points?
When I got to 45 I knew, we had a timeout and some of the young guys on the bench let me know and just kept saying ‘you’re almost at 50’
What was your favorite own basket of the game?
I would say my last free throw gave me 50. We’d pretty much sealed the game now, I subbed out and my coach and team mates gave me a big hug and I could relax and really take in what had just taken place. It was my first 50 point game in my career so it felt nice to know it’s something I’ve accomplished.
Did you get any unique congrats via phone or social media after the game? Nothing crazy, just a bunch of messages from friends and family that were happy about the moment.
Did you have to get donuts for the team?
No donuts but I’ll have to bring in something for sure for everyone.
German Hoops 