After a day of rest, recuperation and preparation for the next opponent, Germany was back at it facing Israel in the round of 16. Germany entered the game having had a 1-2 record losing badly to Slovenia and France while Israel came into the match with a 2-1 record. Israel had disposed of Georgia easily while winning a nail bitter over Greece and then got crushed by Spain 101-62. Germany led for most parts of the game, but could never shake Israel and had to watch the game come down to a last possession, but they stayed strong getting the stop and 78-75 victory over Israel to reach a quarterfinal clash against Lithuania. “This was an unbelievable important and big win for us. We have been working for this goal the last 7 weeks and the boys really worked hard for the win. It was a deserving win and I´m really proud of the team”, stressed Frankfurt Skyliner JBBL (U-16) coach Lukas Scherer. After sustaining some really poor starts, Germany didn´t let that happen this time against Israel as they exploded for a 9-0 run to start. Germany´s three point percentage had been terrible in the first games, but they let it rain three´s right away with two from Bonn guard Oliver Papez and one form Hakro Merlins Crailsheim guard Linus Ohr. Big Man Johan Meinberg was a rock under the basket getting the defensive rebounds off the first two misses of Israel. Marko Volf (185-PG-2009) who had missed the last game hit his first jump shot as Germany led 11-1. Israel then called a time out at the 7.11 minute mark. However that things can go so fast in basketball is no secret as the next time out came at the 5,03 minute mark by Germany as Israel suddenly had punched back scoring 11 unanswered points to trail 15-11. In the run Israel was carried by David Rotem of Maccabi Tel Aviv who added 8 points including 2 three´s. Maor Sela of Hapoel Tel Aviv also added a lay in on transition as the game had become an even affair. After the time out Germany still wasn´t able to get Rotem under control as he scored his 10th point on a jump shot. Germany finally ended the 13-0 Israeli run as Marko Volf got going scoring 6 points and giving Germany the 23-16 lead. Volf is so important for Germany as he is the leader and a player that just lives by carrying his team in crucial situations. However Israel didn´t let loose, If Germany had their Marko Volf, then they had their David Rotem. He was on fire and connected on two more three´s to have 16 points on 6/7 shooting as Germany led only 23-21. Israel also got good support from Itay Kedem of Maccabi Tel Aviv who scored twice to keep Israel close traling 24-23 in a very high scoring first quarter. Germany kept attacking getting a lay in from Hamburg´s Danny Egbe and a trey from Ulm´s Justus Reintjes as Germany led 29-25. Germany shot an incredible 66% from the field and 57% from outside and had 7 rebounds and 3 turnovers while Israel shot 67% form the field and 50% from outside and had 7 rebounds and 4 turnovers.
In the second quarter both teams continued to execute well, but Germany had the slim 45-40 lead at half time.. Volf continued to be aggressive and scored on transition after making a steal and made two free throws while Meinberg also scored being 2/2 in the game from the field. His scoring game continues to suffer with the German guard attack doing a big part of the scoring. Israel got buckets from Kedem and a trey from Omer Zvi of Maccabi Tel Aviv to stay on Germany´s back door trailing 34-30. Israel continued to chip away and got huge support from their bench as Yanai Lachmanovich of Hapoel Emek Hefer gave the team great energy with 2 steals and transition baskets that gave them the 35-34 advantage and Germany took a time out at the 5,02 minute mark. The game in the last minutes continued to be a tight affair as Israel had the slim 38-37 advantage as Yanai Lachmanovich had the hot hand and carried his team. Germany was defending solidly, but having difficulty on the offensive execution as good looks and misses and missed free throws kept them from taking the lead. The game was tight and it was time for Marko Volf to step up as he added 3 points and Meinberg continued to be super efficient scoring in the paint and Reintjes ended the first half with a steal and transition basket for the 45-40 Germany lead. Germany shot 61% from the field and 40% from the three point line and had 15 rebounds and 8 turnovers while Israel shot 47% from the field and 33% from the three point line and had 15 rebounds and 8 turnovers.
In the third quarter Germany was able to keep the lead as whenever Israel scored, Germany was able to punch back. Germany began very well continuing to keep Johan Meinberg involved in the paint with touches. He continued to make buckets as his teammates found him for two easy lay in´s. Germany continued to mix it up well keeping their guard terror in tact as Papez and Volf scored to keep Germany up with the comfortable 60-50 advantage. Israel had to play catch up basketball and Germany did a good job keeping David Rotem in check. He had only mustered 2 points since his 16 points in the first quarter. Israel couldn´t muster much offense as Yanai Lachmanovich was the only real bright spot scoring 4 points and keeping Israel from not totally losing control of the game. Israel also got baskets from Ilay Serruya from Maccabi tel Aviv and Ido Ziv from Maccabi Tel Aviv, but trailed 60-53 with 3,16 to play in the third quarter. Israel continued to be aggressive at both ends and kept fighting not allowing Germany to get away and decide the game early. Down the stretch, Israel got good support from Lachmanovich and Kedem with lay in´s as Germany led 65-59 after 30 minutes. Germany shot 58% from the field and only 28% from the parking lot as shots weren´t falling as well anymore and had 28 rebounds and 13 turnovers while Israel shot 42% from the field and 27% from the parking lot and had 23 rebounds and 9 turnovers.
In the fourth quarter Germany didn´t waste anytime jumping all over Israel starting with a 7-0 run to lead 71-59. Instrumental in the run was Jaroslaw Zinn of Frankfurt steering 5 points. After scoring 9 points in the first game against Belgium, he hadn´t been a factor in the last 2 games, so getting this incredible push from the bench from him must have had Dirk Bauermann smiling on the bench. “I´m really proud of him. Of course I spoke a lot with him since his situation isn´t that easy. I always told him to stay ready, because he could become very important for us. In a tournament like this, you need everyone. What really stands out for him is that he is never shy of big moments and is a big competitor. When we needed him, he was ready to help us”, stated Lukas Scherer. While Germany continued to have major difficulty hitting the trey and executing on offense, they were able to keep the 74-64 lead through strong defense. There was no clear path to the basket for Israel as there was always a German big standing ready to swat the ball away. Reintjes like Volf is another guy that loves the big moments as his lay in with 3,48 to play caused Israel to call a time out. They came back strong with Kedem free throws and a Ziv trey to trail 75-69. Germany called a time out and regrouped as Egbe hit a trey, but Germany just couldn´t shake Israel as they got 2 buckets form Rotem and Kedem to trail 77-73 with 1,41 to play. Germany had problems closing out the game as Marko Volf missed 2 free throws which led to Rotem free throws with 42 seconds to go to trail 78-75. Egbe hurled up an airball with 21 seconds to go and Israel had one last chance to send the game into overtime, but a last heave by Rotem missed giving Germany the exciting 78-75 win. “Key at the end was that we fought until the end and gave all we had on defense. We led the whole game, but we knew that they would never give up and fight until the end. We held our nerves and deserved to win the game. I think that the guys will first realize what they have achieved in two weeks. We have a lot of self-confidence now. We aren´t at the end yet. Lithuania is a big basketball nation, but if we play good team defense and believe in ourselves and invest all we have then we have a good chance. We want to reach the semi-final”, warned Lukas Scherer. Germany was led by Marko Volf with 20 points while Johan Meinberg produced a 12/12 game while Israel was led by David Rotem with 22 points while Yanai Lachmanovic added 15 points. Germany shot 54% from the field and 30% from outside and had 38 rebounds and 17 turnovers while Israel shot 35% from the field and 22% from outside and had 38 rebounds and 11 turnovers.
Germany wanted to bounce back after their brutal loss to Slovenia which put them at 1-1 in the U-16 Euro competition. However in their third game, they definitely had no cake walk as they had to encounter 2-0 France who had defeated their first 2 foes Slovenia and Belgium by an average amount of 24 points. Germany had to clean up their team defense against France, improve their three point shooting and have less turnovers. But for the second day in a row, Germany was outclassed losing 87-58 to France. Germany was pounded on the boards and their three didn´t fall. On top of that, they were without Marko Volf. “We knew what we were up against, but still were unable to match their unbelievable athleticism and physicality. We had a bad start and had no solution for their aggressive defense. But like in the games before, we showed that we had a lot of moral and character. We never gave up and kept fighting. Other teams would have given up and hung their heads. We fought back and were able to have a more even second half against France. They can be really proud of that”, stressed Frankfurt Skyliners JBBL coach Lukas Scherer. France wasted no time attacking Germany and before anyone knew what was, France led 10-0 and soon after 17-2 as Germany had experienced the worst case scenario for a start. Germany began with little energy and let France get out on transition and take advantage of their early turnovers. Emmanuel Destom of FC Barcelona Lassa 2nd team (Spain-Tercera FEB) scored 6 of France´s first 8 points as he electrified the crowd with a dunk and two lay in´s. France was playing unselfish ball from the get go spreading the love around as Liham Eleka of BCM Gravelines Dunkerque Grand L. U21 team (ProA U21) also scored twice on transition while Liam Kabeya of Pole France Paris (NM1) hit a trey to show that France wasn´t only potent on the drive. Germany was down by 15 points with 5,46 to play and they had already suffered 4 turnovers. Germany´s only bright spot was a lay in by Hamburg´s Danny Egbe. Hamburg´s Lino Schenk then responded with a lay in, but Germany was too inconsistent on offensive execution as France struck again for it´s next run going on 9 consecutive points to lead 26-4. In the run, France mostly attacked the rim with success as Taïg Nonga Drieux of Pole France Paris (NM1) scored 6 points and Deston dropped a trey. Germany didn´t have the needed defensive intensity and made it very easy for France to get easy looks and baskets. The whole first quarter wasn´t a washout for Germany as they closed out the first quarter with a 11-6 run to trail 32-15. Oliver Papez of Bonn scored 6 points showing his inside out game and Johan Meinberg was aggressive inside getting 2 buckets.
In the second quarter Germany took the momentum of the last quarter and allowed only 15 points being more aggressive on the defensive end, but had little solutions on the offensive end scoring only 11 points to trail 47-26 at the break. Germany defended better in the second quarter, but also had some fortune that France missed some key free throws, but still were getting beaten on the boards as offensive rebounds led to easy baskets like for Taïg Nonga Drieux who scored twice as well as Livio Mendes who gave good support from the bench with 5 points including a three pointer as France still had the commanding and overwhelming 41-21 advantage. Germany couldn´t muster much offense except for a Justus Reintjes lay in on transition and 4 points from Lukas Schmidt of Porsche BBA / BSG Basket Ludwigsburg. Germany didn´t have the needed aggressiveness as the absence of Marko Volf really hurt the German offense. ”Losing your best player hurts a lot. Mark´s good experience and qualities would have helped us a lot against them. But other guys stepped up and took more responsibility. Guys like Linus Ohr and Oliver Papez did a good job taking responsibility with scoring”, stated Lukas Scherer. Linus Ohr of the HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim gave the team good energy in the last minutes with 5 points, but all in all Germany was facing a massive uphill battle against a hungry and athletic French side who had total control of the game. France shot 54% from the field and 30% from outside and had 24 rebounds and 5 turnovers while Germany shot 34% from the field and 15% from outside and had 12 rebounds and 9 turnovers.
In the third quarter France was in the drivers seat with a big lead and continued to manage the lead well and won the quarter 22-17 to lead comfortably 69-43 after 30 minutes. Liham Eleka found his spots well and made a jump shot to get France on the board first in the second half, but then came another strong phase by Germany as they rushed out on a 8-2 run to trail only 51-34 as there was a little hope again for Germany, but they were still a long way from being near France. In the run, Germany found some aggressiveness again attacking the rim the way a Volf would of as 4 different guys scored with Meinberg, Schenk, Pohlack of Alba Berlin and Egbe. However that basketball is a game of runs is no secret as Germany couldn´t hold the momentum and allowed France to go on a 11-2 run to up their lead to 62-36. In the run, France was led by Messie-Guethan Iwani of PFYM INSEP Paris U18 team with 4 points while Isaac Ramphort (186-PG-2010) of Olympique Antibes Juan Les Pins U18 team gave good energy from the bench with 5 points. France continued to show their bench worth as they always had guys stepping up. Germany got a few buckets in the last minutes with a lay in from Papez, a lay up from Jaron Braun of Braunschweig and a trey from Berin Nurkic from FC Bayern Munich, but Germany was already in such a big hole that they now needed a major miracle in the fourth quarter. France shot 50% from the field and 23% from the three point line and had 35 rebounds and 9 turnovers while Germany shot 38% from the field and 18% from the three point line and had 21 rebounds and 14 turnovers.
That miracle didn´t occur in the fourth quarter as France managed their big lead well defending well allowing 15 points while adding 18 points to close out the simple victory. Germany begam with a bang as Oliver Papez hit for 5 unanswered points to trail 69-48. However that didn´t faze France as they demonstrated just how strong they could be as they punched back rattling off 11 points in a row to up their lead up again to 80-48. They had been pretty quiet with their three ball, but now decided to let it rain three´s as they connected for 3 as Iwani, Ilian Toholin of Pole France Paris (NM1) and Laynce Mendy of Pole France Paris (NM1) all connected from the parking lot. That was the final dagger in the heart of Germany as the game was a real rout with 4,52 to play. Germany closed out the game well outscoring France as Egbe scored on a lay up, Schenk scored twice including a dunk and Reintjes made a lay in. For the second day in a row, Germany was schooled by a very good team that attacked from the get go and never stopped until the final buzzer. “Now the tournament really starts. France is simply better at this age. But we know that we can beat every other team if we can play our game for 40 minutes. We have shown character, never given up and always believe in ourselves. Now we have a day to rest and prepare for Israel”, added Lukas Scherer. France was led by Nonga Drieux with 16 points while Isaac Ramphort added 15 points while Germany was led by Oliver Papez with 13 points. France shot 47% from the field and 35% from the parking lot and had 47 rebounds and 12 turnovers while Germany shot 38% from the field and 19% from the parking lot and had 32 rebounds and 20 turnovers.
Germany came into the 2026 U-16 European championships with a sort of a chip on their shoulder having finished last year in 9th place. In their first game, they had to face Belgium who had reached the final last year in the B group. Germany came into the game as the favorite being coached from German basketball legend Dirk Bauermann who had won numerous titles with the Bayer Giants Leverkusen in the 90´s and in the 2000´s won titles with Bamberg and the silver with the German national team and Dirk Nowitzki in 2005. Germany began the 2026 U-16 Euro on a positive note beating Belgium 82-60. “We were concentrated and began well. Bost most importantly always stuck together in tough situations and never let our heads hang and always believed on our strength. We defended well in crucial phases and made the extra pass on offense. A first game is never easy, but the guys had good solutions and got extra confidence for the next game”, stressed Skyliner JBBL coach Lukas Scherer. Germany stormed out to a rapid 7-3 lead as ratiopharm Ulm´s big talent Marko Volf (185-PG-2009) scored consecutive buckets in the paint. He is a player that likes to get hot quickly and didn´t waste any time. Germany added a trey from Skyliner Jaroslav Zinn who is the future of the organization. “I´m so proud of Jaroslaw and how he played today. He was nominated so late for the Euro and then to begin the game as the starting point guard isn´t easy. One has to really laud how relaxed and sure he was. Is primary task was to put a lot of pressure on the ball and to have responsibility on offense to control the game and to organize it. He did both well. He also was able to create well for his teammates and himself. He also proved that he had no fear to take responsibility at this level. It was a really strong Euro debut for him. He can be proud of himself and I´m sure his performance will give him more security and confidence for the next games”, commented Lukas Scherer. Zinn finished with 9 points in 15 minutes on 3/3 shooting. Belgium forward Gabriel De Coninck from Orange Academy who is familiar with the German players struck back with a clutch three pointer to trail only 7-6. However Germany kept up the pressure and went on a 7-0 run and led comfortably 17-11 after one quarter. In the run Germany continued to be aggressive attacking the rim as Volf scored and Elija Pohlack of Alba Berlin hit free throws while big man Jaron Braun of SG Junior Löwen Braunschweig made a lay in. Braun also has a brother Elijah who plays in Braunschweig as both are the sons of former German national player Oliver Braun. Germany had been aggressive and disciplined on the defensive end not allowing anything easy for Belgium and had the edge on the glass.
In the second quarter Germany had a soild start managing their lead well leading by as much as 9 points, but let up a little in the last minutes and only led 33-32 at the break. Hamburg Towers electric athletic beast Danny Egbe gave Germany some real energy scoring 6 consecutive points. He showed just how lethal he can be when unleashed as he scored a lay in, free throws and a thunderous dunk. His 3 level scoring is evident. Zinn and Volf also added buckets inside while 2026 JBBL (U-16) champion with Bonn Oliver Papez nailed a trey for the 29-20 advantage for Germany. Germany continued to defend well and were securing the defensive rebounds well. However Germany was unable to hold the momentum and allowed a 12-2 run to Belgium to close out the first half. Belguim´s run was led by Alexander Triki who scored twice inside including once off a turnover while Joah Ikoma Yaliko also scored off a steal. Belgium upped their intensity on the defensive end as Germany had to fight hard to get good shots. Jeremiah Tchekouyep also added a lay in as Belgium also turned on the aggressiveness on the offensive end. Germany shot 39% from the field and only 16% from outside and had 20 rebounds and 11 turnovers while Belgium shot 39% from the field and 25% from outside and had 16 rebounds and 11 turnovers. Germany´s big talent under the hoop Johan Meinberg wasn´t a force scoring, but did a great job filling the stat sheet and being that genuine rim protector.
In the third quarter Germany came out cooking as head coach Dirk Bauermann had them prepared with the right state of mind as they hit Belgium with a nasty 10-0 run to extend their lead to 43-32. Pohlack and Meinberg scored inside while Papez demonstrated his fierce range again from outside connecting from the parking lot while Marco Volf added 3 free throws. Belgium coughed up the ball twice in the run and also missed a few lay ups. Belgium recovered getting buckets from Mats Pepermans and free throws from Youssef Zagdoud, but Germany was always able to punch back as Danny Egbe fired 2 three´s keeping Germany ahead 49-35. Egbe shows that he has a very versatile scoring game unveiling his outside shot in this phase. Belgium actually cut Germany´s lead down to 6 points with Lowie Van de Vyver free throws, but Germany remained mentally strong closing out the third quarter with 4 Egbe free throws. He is a player that loves carrying his team and did so in this phase. Germany got added scoring insurance from Egbe teammate Lino Luca Schenk (Hamburg Towers) as Germany led 56-49 after 30 minutes. Germany shot 40% from the field and 27% from the three point line and had 26 rebounds and 14 turnovers while Belgium shot 42% from the field and 20% from the three point line and had 25 rebounds and 17 turnovers.
In the fourth quarter Germany kept Belgium within 10 points, but after a few minutes went on a lethal run to decide the game in their favor. Belgium got two quick lay in´s from Youssef Zagdoud, but it was Oliver Papez again who showed again why he is Mr reliable always coming up big with the massive three as Pascal Roller did back in the day with the Frankfurt Skyliners to lead 59-51. Germany then went on a 12-4 run to slam the door shut on Belgium leading 71-55. Team leader Marko Volf led the charge with 3 buckets in the paint as Belgium had no remedy how to slow down his drive while his team Justus Reintjez who had been quiet in the game scored 2 lay in´s while Lino Schenk also scored in the paint. The German guards were a force, but the German bigs seemed to always give good support in needed moments. Belgium had little energy left in crunch time as Reintjez scored another lay in while Zinn added a trey for good measure as Germany easily led 76-57 with 3,01 to play in the game. Role player Linus Ohr of the Harko Merlins Crailsheim also got into the scoring trend dropping a trey for Germany as did Lukas Schmidt (Porsche BBA, BSG Basket Ludwigsburg) as Germany had full command leading 82-60 with 33 seconds remaining. It was a great start for the German U-16 team in the 2026 Euro championships. “Our biggest strength today was that we always stayed together as a team and never stopped believing in ourselves. Even when Belgium played better and made the game tighter, we were always able to make the right decisions and we deserved to win the game. Also our better team defense in the second half was an important factor”, stated Lukas Scherer. Germany was led by Marko Volf who had 20 points while Danny Egbe added 16 points while Belgium was led by Youssef Zagdoud with 13 points and Joah Ikoma Yaliko added 10 points. Germany shot 48% from the field and 37% from outside and had 38 rebound and 19 turnovers while Belgium shot 38% from the field and 15% from outside and had 32 rebounds and 20 turnovers. Germany next battle Slovenia tomorrow.
Chris Widmer (198-F-2007) is a 19 year old 198cm forward playing for the Skyliners organization with their Pro B team Skyliners and NBBL team Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners. He has played most of his career with the Skyliners, but also played with TV Langen. He spoke to germanhoops.com about his career.
Thanks Chris for talking to germanhoops.com. You live in Germany, but play for the youth Dutch team. Talk about your childhood. You grew up in Germany, but have Dutch roots? Yes for my whole life I have lived in Frankfurt. My mother is D utch and my father Swiss. I always went there when I was on vacation to visit family and friends. So I always had a connection to my home countries and I always enjoy being there. As for basketball I came across some coaches from Amsterdam last season at a pre season tournament. I connected myself and got integrated into Netherlands Basketball.
You played JBBL with Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners, but also played a season with TV Langen. What positives could you get from your Langen season? I made first experiences outside of youth basketball having played a few games in 1. Regionalliga. I had good coaches like Niklas Pons and Tobias Jahn who were able to give me some Input and support me on my basketball journey. They also encouraged me to take the next steps in my career. Overall it was a good learning experience.
How valuable was a player like experienced Henk Droste? What could you learn from him?
Henk Droste was a great teammate and a fun guy to be around. He himself is a good all round player and also very physical. He showed me how important it is to be consistent in what you do. As a 16 year old back then he also taught me fundamental things about basketball that helped me become a better player.
Last season you played Regionalliga in Frankfurt and this season in the Pro B. How valuable was the pro B experience? How did your game grow there?
I earned my first minutes and also scored my first points at some point for which I am very grateful. I didn’t have a big role but I helped out the team when it was needed. I didn’t improve my game that much just by playing Pro b but still learned a few useful things under the coaching of Markus Klusemann.
Let´s talk about your game. You’re a 198cm forward. If you had to compare your game to a NBA or Euroleague player who would best fit the description? I don´t really know who I would compare to my game, a lot of the times the players are unique in their playing style.
Talk about your strenghs as a player. What kind of an offensive player are you? Are you a guy that also does things that aren´t always seen on the stat sheet?
Offenisvely I try to use my first step to attack the rim and use my body, when I get a good shot I also take 3s. If its needed I can also be used for screens and use my strength for pick and rolls and other situations. Other than that I am good on fast breaks and defense to offense runs.
How would you rate the development of your 3 point shooting this season? You shot 27% in the NBBL. Is it tough developing it when there are others taking the bulk of the shots?
It was better at the beginning of the season but overall I’d say I improved my shooting over the last years. When you have players like Jamie and Ivan but also the other guys like Lukas Smazak for example you have a limited amounts of shots per game. But that´s also how it should be and I have of course adapted to this.
What kind of a defender are you now and what kind of a defender do you still want to become? In my opinion I can defend almost anybody, from guard to wing to big. I want to become even quicker on my feet and maybe be more solid when boxing out. I can anticipate steels of ball pretty well and want to use this when defending on ball.
On what areas of your game are you working on most now so you can keep improving your game?
Definitely fundamental shooting, being able to knock down open 3s is very important for me. Over the summer I want to improve my handles and overall finishing.
You also have been a member of the Dutch U-18 team. How is the state of Dutch basketball? How good is Tayshawn Gipson? His dad played in the BBL around the time you were born? Tayshawn Gipson is a very talanted player with crazy athleticism and ball handling. It was fun playing with him as it also was with my other teammates from nationals. I also met his family briefly, they all are very nice people, it is obvious that he got his talents from his dad and learned a lot from him. Dutch basketball is definitely evolving and starting to get more recognition. Especially with the new generation of players it will only get better from here.
You know players like Endurance Ayiamenkhue and Yanu Slingerland. How good are these 2 players and what do you like most about their games? Both Endurance and Yanu proved that they are one of the best players in European competition. Yanu is a go to shooter with tough athleticism and Endurance a physicall center who can dominate around the rim. I believe in these boys and I’m sure they are going achieve great things.
You played at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket Division B in Romania -2025 playing 5 games. What kind of an experience was that? What was your fondest moment there? To be honest it was more a lesson for me to deal with pressure and having to accept your coach not having trust in you anymore. I lost my rhythm starting the tournament and didn’t play much after that so I had chance to let it sink in and better myself mentally. But all in all I also had a lot of fun with my teammates and made some great connections.
What is your goal as a professional player? Is being a pro a goal? What would be your plan B? I want to see how I evolve in the next years. If I see myself playing on professional level I will give everything to achieve that. My number 1 goal is to become the best player that I can be.
Who is the toughest player that you ever faced in your career that made NBA or Euroleague?
Untill now I’m not sure that I have actually played against Players that already made NBA or Euroleague but there are a number of guys where I’m sure that they will reach one of those two. Take Endurance as an example. Furthermore as I already mentioned I’m confident a few of my teammates will also reach that level.
Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time? Jamie Edoka, Ivan Crjnac, Konstantinos Kapetanakis, Julius Messer und Noah Koch.
Please list your personal NBA, Dutch and Euroleague Mount Rushmore of 4 best players of all-time? Lebron James, Anthony Edwards, Worthy de Jong, Kendrick Nunn
That players get lost in the shuffle with a team isn´t any different for fans and others affiliated with basketball to lose track and memory of a player that once played for an organization. It wasn´t any different for Richard Williams who had a very short stay with the Frankfurt Skyliners in the 2014-2015 season. All in all he played only 9 games and stayed 5 months. His memory may be very minimal for people in Frankfurt, but not as a player overseas. He carved out a stellar and long career having played a total of 16 seasons including 9 seasons in Germany where he established himself as a top 3 point guard in the Pro A season in and season out. The 38 year old who had a great career at San Diego State University (NCAA) is still playing actively and played in Austria last season and currently was still content on continuing his overseas grind. The Frankfurt Skyliners hauled in American player Jaedon LeDee (206-F-1999, college: SDSU, agency: Slash Sports) for the 25-26 season who also had an incredible career like Williams at San Diego State University. Sometimes guys can remember guys who played at their school, but in the case of Ledee, he couldn´t remember about Williams´s history at his school. But then again, Ledee was only 6 years old when Williams was a freshman. It is somewhat unique that both have an association to each other. “I am not too familiar with that name, but once an Aztec always an Aztecs. It’s cool to have that connection. It sounds like he went to Germany and had an impact, which is what I am trying to do. I want to be able to put my imprint on things and be successful”, warned Jaedon LeDee during the summer of 2025. Ledee attempedt to carry the great SDSU tradition of players overseas with the Frankfurt Skyliners, but left during the season to play with the Liaoning Flying Leopards (China-CBA)
Jaedon LeDee who lists Michael Jordan as his GOAT was born on July 25th, 1999 in Houston. He began his basketball career at Kinkaid high school. He was an all-state selection from 2015-2019. He then began his NCAA career at Ohio State and played 26 games averaging 3.0ppg, 1.7rpg. He scored in double figures 3 times including 16 points against Purdue. Even if his NCAA career got off to a rocky start, he was able to gain positives from it. “You never forget your freshman year of college. I made friendships and bonds that will last me a lifetime. I didn’t play as much as I wanted to. There are certain things in life that you come across that can make you stronger, or you can fold. It is one of the experiences I have had that has helped strengthen my faith since I have already been through adversity. I try to find the positive in things. It helped make me stronger and helped me become a man”, warned Jaedon LeDee. His next stop was Texas Christian University in 2019 playing 2 seasons and a total of 53 games. He averaged 2.7ppg, 2.9rpg and 5.8ppg, 3.9rpg in his 2 seasons there. He had severe growing pains again there and just couldn´t find his game as he had to play center which wasn´t his natural position. “TCU was a unique spot as well. I was playing out of position with not as many minutes as I would have liked. It was another place I could have quit and thrown in the towel. I didn’t let it stop me, and I kept pushing. It was the second place I didn’t think I had the opportunity that I deserved. God is too good, and he put me there for a reason. A lot of things in life are mental, so I think those two experiences helped make me stronger”, stressed Jaedon LeDee who will never forget his 1-1 battles with teammate Nate Mansah. “Nate is my guy. I worked out with him this week in San Diego. We had two years of battling – my red-shirt year and the year we played together. I love him to death, and he is a great guy. Nate is a great defender. I like to pride myself on offensive scoring. I like to play defense as well, but Nate is a great defender. We both got better in our battles”, stressed Jaedon LeDee.
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The forward who lists Desmond Bane (TCU), Matthew Bradley (SDSU), Aguek Arop (SDSU), Kendrick Davis (AAU team in high school), and Nathan Mensah (SDSU) as his 5 best teammates of all-time then made another change and then finally 3 was a charm as he joined San Diego State University. His first season was like a Cinderella story as he helped the school reach the Final 4 and the final averaging 7.8ppg, 5.1rpg, FGP: 50.5%, FT: 71.9% in that season. The 2023 NCAA run was incredible. The back to back tight wins over Creighton and FAU were unforgettable. Did he know that Lamont Butler´s shot at the buzzer would go in and beat FAU? “The NCAA run was a great experience. We fought all the way back in that game. I made a few buckets prior to Lamont’s shot. It was one of those moments that was almost magical. Lamont came down and hit that shot. He had made that shot many times before in practice. It was an awesome feeling, and I’m glad we were able to experience that as a team. It’s once in a lifetime for a lot of people, so I am glad we all got to experience that together”, stated Jaedon LeDee. In his second season, he really propelled his game to a new level averaging 21.7ppg, 8.3rpg, 1.3apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 57.5%, 3PT: 43.2%, FT: 73.4%. Were these 2 years some of the best times in his life? “Reaching the NCAA finals was an amazing experience. It’s something most college players never get to, so I am very grateful for that. It was in Houston, where my family lives and where I grew up, which made it even more special. My last year at San Diego State was also great. It was the first time in college I felt I was able to showcase my game as a whole and be me. Basketball was going well, and I had a great season. I was happy with my role, and when basketball is going well, everything else seems to be good too”, remembered Jaedon LeDee. In his senior year he scored in double figures in all 35 games and had 11 double doubles. He scored 20 points or more in 23 games including great games against SJSU and Washington. Did he have a favorite game? “ I wouldn’t put any game over the next. I am a very nonchalant guy. I take the business approach to basketball – it’s just another day in the office. I try not to overthink or overanalyze what we do. I just know we have to perform and be professional”, warned Jaedon LeDee. His game made great strides in his 2 years in San Diego and is thankful for the instrumental support by head coach Brian Dutcher. “I think how we do things at SDSU is very professional. I’m not sure what things are like overseas yet, but Coach Dutch is huge on developing us as men. We will go in, but we won’t practice long. Everything is with intention. He believes that if you want to be great, you have to come in outside of practice and put in the hours. As a professional, you have all this time to do things outside of practice and in life. Success depends on whether you choose to come in and do your job outside of required practice times”, commented Jaedon LeDee. He picked up many awards his senior year including All-MWC First Team -2024, MWC All-Tournament Team -2024, NABC Division I All-Americans Second Team -2024, NABC Division I All-District 17 First Team -2024, Sporting News All-America Second Team -2024, USBWA All-America Honorable Mention -2024, ESPN.com All-America Breakout Star -2024, ESPN.com All-America Third Team -2024, Jersey Mike’s Naismith Player of the Year Semifinalist -2024, NCAA East Region All-Tournament Team -2024, and the John R. Wooden Award All-American Team -2024
The Texas native who lists his NBA Mount Rushmore with guys Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Kobe Bryant played NBA Summer League with the Minnesota Timberwolves averaging 2.6ppg, 2.0rpg and then split his rookie season with the Iowa Wolves (NBA G League) averaging 6.8ppg, 5.3rpg, FGP: 53.7%, 3PT: 25.0%, FT: 82.8%, in Feb.’25 signed at Salt Lake City Stars (NBA G League) averaging 4.1ppg, 5.4rpg. Every player has their rookie wake up call and it wasn´t any different for him either. “The wake-up call for me that I was not at San Diego State anymore on the basketball side was opportunity. At a certain point, everyone can play and everyone is good. The biggest thing is opportunity – who gets it? G-League teams have guys who they have already drafted and are paying a lot of money. It’s not always who is better than who. I think I woke up to the business side of things the most this year. I try to control what I can control, and when I am on the court, I try to let my game do the talking for me”, warned Jaedon LeDee. He played for head coach Ernst Scott with Iowa. With him he had another Germany connection as Scott played with Trier back in the day. “Coach E was a great guy. He was a straight shooter as well. He was always honest and helped us be the best players we could be. In Summer League and Iowa, he tried to help us become better men and better players. I have nothing but love for Coach E”, said Jaedon LeDee. He averaged 17 minutes with Iowa and 12 minutes with Salt Lake City per game. It is always tough having to compete with everyone else and the minutes What did he do mentally and physically to give himself the best NBA chance on a daily basis? “I tried to control what I can control. Some things are out of my control. I know the coaches and organization has certain things they have to do. The only thing I have to do is come in every day and work. When my opportunity did come, I was able to produce. I am pretty sure that when I got a lot of minutes and a bigger opportunity, I had a double-double or almost a double-double each game. The only thing I can control is my attitude, my effort, and how I perform in my minutes while staying professional”, expressed Jaedon LeDee. Is the NBA still a realistic goal for him? “Of course. I am going with the flow now. Europe is where I am going now. Life cannot be predicted as much as we may want to as human beings. God is in change. I am just going to be the best I can be every day, let my talent, God, and all the work I have put in take me where it needs to take me. I just try to be the best person I can be”, warned Jaedon LeDee.
He began his second pro season and with German easyCredit BBL team Frankfurt Skyliners. Some players will stay in the G-League 2-3 years before heading overseas. But then some guys will come overseas quicker than others. “The main reason is opportunity. I gave it a year. It was my first year out of college. I am fortunate to have had many people who have played and continue to play professionally in the NBA and overseas in my life. I have been able to go off their guidance and listen to what they have said. I feel like going overseas presents a large opportunity for me. I didn’t have the biggest opportunity in the G-League, so I wanted to be somewhere where I could continue to develop, improve my game, and showcase my skills. I gave the NBA a year, and if it’s meant to be later, it’s meant to be”, added Jaedon LeDee. He was excited for a new challenge in Germany and heard only positive things. I’ve heard good things about Germany through my friends who have traveled there and a few people who have played basketball in Germany. I’ve heard great things, like how westernized it is and how it should be an easy transition from what I am used to in the US. With regards to basketball, I know there are a few German players in the NBA; they have had success in the Olympics as well. I’ve talked to a few guys who were on the Skyliners last year and others who have played in the BBL. Everyone says it’s a great league with good competition and a great place to be”, said Jaedon LeDee. He knew that the Skyliners would be an organization where he would know exactly what he could do to make an impact. “My agent brought the opportunity to me, and after I talked to the coach and another representative from the team, I felt I would have a chance to come and be me with minutes to play. I felt I would have the opportunity to come in and change things around. The role and opportunity were really important to me, especially coming from the G-League, where my opportunity was not consistent. I know the importance of opportunity, and if you get the opportunity, you have to make the best of it”, said Jaedon LeDee. He couldn´t of picked a better coach to work with than Klaus Perwas in his first season overseas. “The talks with the Coach went well. We had a great conversation about what my role would be and what I would bring to the team. He was very straightforward, and I really appreciated his honesty. I did not know he was a part of the German staff, which is pretty cool. I have only heard good things about him as a coach and I felt good about our conversation when we spoke”, added Jaedon LeDee,
So what kind of a player did the Frankfurt Skyliners get in Jaedon LeDee who didn´t watch Coming to America 2, because he didn´t like the age gap as Eddie Murphy was very young in the first Coming to America, so he thought it might be weird seeing him so much older in a similar role. One thing was for sure. He won´t be 1-dimensional, but moreover a guy like a Rasheed Moore who could have had versatility as his middle name. “I think my game is kind of unique. It’s one of the things I pride myself on. I am very versatile – I can dribble, I can shoot, I can pass, I can score, rebound, and defend – I can do it all. People I watched growing up were Julius Randal and Carmelo Anthony. I liked to watch them, because they were stronger and bigger guys who can do it all. They can score inside and outside and play make. My favorite player is Michael Jordan. I watched him a lot growing up too. I try to take pieces from each of their games and make it my own”, warned Jaedon LeDee. Coach Perwas described him as a physical player that has an unbelievable will to win. Was that will cultivated mostly at SDSU (NCAA) or did he already have that before that? “I have always been a competitor. The basis of any sport or anything in life is your will to compete and go hard. My family has instilled that in me at a young age. I played football growing up, and I hate losing. I never want to lose. I think that is where it comes from. I try to be the best I can be when I step foot on the court and be the best I can be off the court as well”, said Jaedon LeDee. His three pointer still seems to be a work in progress. He shot 43% in his last season at SDSU, but in the G-League under 30%. He went on to shoot 22% from outside with Frankfurt “My three-pointer is something I want to keep working on. I am a rhythm player – I score in bunches. I wouldn’t say I’m a straight-out three-point shooter. I like to mix it up. I drive, get to the rim, get offensive rebounds, and shoot the mid-range really well. Once I am in rhythm, that’s where, if I get a three, I’ll knock it down. When I was shooting in the high 40s at SDSU, my opportunity was so great that once I was in rhythm, I would knock them down. Any shot felt good. Once I get rolling, I will hit 7/10 threes once I get a feel for things. In the G-League, I was put in a role where I was not touching the ball much and playing off others. That was an adjustment. The teams I was on really only wanted three’s, which was a different role I had to adjust to. Going 5 minutes straight without touching the ball and then having to shoot a three is not the easiest job in the world”, stated Jaedon LeDee. But he planned not only making an impact on the offensive end, but also on the defensive end. “I always want to keep growing and getting better, but I think I am a very good defender. At SDSU, we switched 1 through 5. Pretty much every team I have been on has switched 1 through 5, keeping a body in front of a body, keeping a man in front of a man. If everyone can guard and guard every position, it makes a team every position. That is who I am on the defensive side – I can switch 1 through 5 and compete”, warned Jaedon LeDee. He continued to work very hard in the gym so he could be his best version when the season started. “My mindset is to leave no stone unturned. I like to work on everything in my game. There are things I put emphasis on, like getting a lot of reps on the three. I work on everything every day because you play different teams that have different scouts, and they give you different looks. If someone is one-dimensional, it’s easier to guard you. If you can do everything, how can they stop you? I work on post work, guard work, inside-outside – keeping everything tight”, stressed Jaedon LeDee. Unfortunately Ledee left the club for China instead of remaining with the Skyliners to finish the season. He averaged 17.8ppg, 9.5rpg, 1.0spg, FGP: 57.3%, 3PT: 22.2%, FT: 72.9% and won some games for Frankfurt with his individual class. One has to wonder if the Skyliners would have made the playoffs with his services. They surely would have had a good chance winning some of the close games they lost in the last month. It wasn´t a classy move from him to go, but basketball is a business and sometimes a club will get the short end of the rod. The Skyliners surely learned from this experience as did LeDee. It will be interesting to see how LeDee´s career continues. He may have gotten the big bucks in the far east now, but will surely be back in Europe again soon to display his versatile game.
Jonathan Almstedt (208-C-1999) is a 26 year old 208cm center that completed the 2025-2026 season with the ETB Miners Essen (ProB) averaging 8.0ppg, 5.1rpg, FGP: 53.8%, 3PT: 38.2%, FT: 57.6% and helped the team win the Pro B title. He has previous Pro A experience having played 3 seasons with the ROMERSTROM Gladiators Trier (ProA) playing a total of 89 games. Previously he played 2 seasons with SG DJK Saarlouis-Roden/BBF Dillingen (Regionalliga). In the 2023-2024 season he played with the Iserlohn Kangaroos (ProB) averaging 6.0ppg, 4.5rpg, FGP: 52.0%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 84.2% and in the 2024-2025 season played with the EN Baskets Schwelm (ProB) averaging 12.0ppg, 6.0rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 68.8%, 3PT: 29.1%, FT: 57.9%. He spoke to germanhoops.com after helping win the Pro B title
Thanks Jonathan for talking to germanhoops.com. Your 2026 Pro B champion. How good does it feel? Is this your personal biggest achievement as a player? Thank you for having me. It feels great obviously and yes basketball wise this is my biggest achievement so far.
Essen lost game 1 by 36 points and won game 2 by 41 points. Many are saying this is the greatest comeback in German basketball. How special do you rate this massive comeback? It was definitely a very special game. Was it the greatest comeback in German Basketball history? I don’t know…it was definitely a big one and I´m happy that I was on the winning site on this one. Now when I think of it, we once came back from a 20 deficit in just one quarter when I was in Trier against Leverkusen and that was also a special one.
Did you ever have doubts the last years of ever winning a title in your career? There were phases when thoughts like that came up, but there was never the ultimate goal to win a title. For sure I had the wish to play in a successful team and be a contender for the championship and promotion. But like I said I never pictured myself winning a title or something like that, I’m just grateful that I’m able and allowed to play professionally and that we won it all this season is even better.
What was the team feeling after the horrible 107-71 loss at Orange Academy? How much soul searching did the team do the days following?
Well, what can I say…of course it was pretty quiet on the 7 hour bus ride back to Essen and everybody needed some time to process what just happened. But from the next day on, we all knew that it’s not over until it’s over and if they can do that at home we can do the same in our gym. So, all in all there wasn’t that much “soul searching”. There was nothing we could have changed, that’s why we focused on what we could to better keep the title in our gym.
How key was head coach Lars Wendt? How did he help the team most in the days leading up to game 2? I mean what do you want to do if you lose by 36 in the first game. All he could do was fix the strategy and find some solutions to what went wrong and how we can put them under so much pressure that they might struggle as well. Besides that, he gave his best to keep the moral up and make us believe that we can still do it and I would say the result speaks for itself.
How quickly did the team know that game 2 would see only half of Orange Academy as all the talented youth players wouldn´t play because they were attending the NBBL Top 4 in Berlin? To be honest we knew before game 1 that there is a chance that half of the team would play the NBBL Top4 in Berlin that weekend, but of course we didn’t know rather they would make it to the final or not. So that’s why we needed to wait until they played their semifinal and after that we knew that they might not come with their full roster. However, that didn’t influence how we prepared for the second game.
Any other team could have underestimated Orange Academy. Why didn´t Essen? We never underestimated any team during the whole season, and I think that’s already the answer. The coaches did a great job preparing us for our opponents, it didn’t matter rather they were lower or higher placed in the table.
What was the focus of Essen going in? I mean did you have a plan how you would come back through out a 40 minute game so you would have more than 36 points?
Keep the pressure up, Fight and All Out until we have those 40 points. There is really nothing else you can do when you go into a Game with a 36 points deficit.
The team began well and led 53-32 at the break. Essen was playing well offensively, but still had to do more on the defensive end. What wasn´t functioning as well so far on the defensive end through the first 20 minutes?
Leading by twenty at halftime. That’s pretty much what you want if you must make up 40 points. Of course, we could have been a bit more consequent in defense and be up by a little more, but if you go all out for twenty minutes its normal that you have some minutes where the opponents get a little momentum.
What did head coach Lars Wendt give the team for advice at half-time? To be honest I can´t say much about that, because our doc and I changed my cast (I had to wear one because I got myself a lymphangitis in between the two games) during the halftime (haha)
In the third quarter Orange Academy actually played well for the first few minutes outscoring Essen, but then came a 14-0 run by Essen which changed the game. You made drives and Ben Uzoma a big dunk. What was key in the run for Essen? I can´t say much to that either. Because, like I said, I did not play due to my injury. It just took us a couple minutes to get back to that intensity especially in defense. But after this short low I think the guys did a tremendous job by not letting them score in the paint and collect the rebounds to go and score quick on the other side of the court.
Essen was up with 32 points with 10 minutes to play. Essen was in the drivers seat. Which player at this moment was a big motivator with words?
I think Marc Friederici is our guy in those moments to speak up and make sure that we really keep going until the last second is played. He was our emotional Leader and on the other hand we have Nic Sperber with all of his experience and calmness, who knows how to stay cool in those situations to make the right decisions. Those two, that’s why they are our captains, are probably the perfect combination for those kinds of games.
Essen began with a 10-2 run to lead 86-46. Now all Essen had to do was manage the lead to the buzzer. Essen then held Orange Academy minutes without scoring. Did you want it more than Orange Academy?
I´m sure Ulm wanted it as much as we wanted it. But I think they were just out of gas at this point and kind of stunned by how we played them. Furthermore we didn’t want them now to take what we worked so hard for the last 35 minutes of this game and the whole season before that, as well at home in our gym and in front of our fans and families. We worked too hard to lose at that point.
Essen outscored Orange Academy 41-21 in the last half. Was this the best defense the team played in the season? I don’t know if this was our best defense we played in the whole season, but it was a really good one and probably the most important one.
Essen held their 2 best scorers Joel Cwik and Namouri Omog to 8/28 shooting and 25 points. How much of a focus was the defense on slowing them down? I´m not a big analyst of games I have to say, but yes in the end it was probably one of those keys to success to slow those two guys down and maybe let others create, who are not used to create for the team.
Quashawn Lane saved his best for last with a 28/11/10 game. Where would the Miners have been without him?
I don’t want to imagine that and the good thing it and I don’t have to. Q played a hell of a season and is/was the ultimate Teammate. Words can´t tell how much I and the team appreciated what he has done for us. That’s why he is the MVP and he deserves it. But I also have to tell that we had an amazing group this year all the way from the starting 5 to the bench and beyond. Everybody gave his all into the Team so that we were able to reach the ultimate goal. Nobody could have done that alone.
What was your fondest moment in Essen against Orange Academy? Probably the celebrations on court after the game, when we all realized that we really did it.
Mychael Paulo (193-G-1998, college: McMaster, agency: 011 Sports) is a 28 year old 193cm guard from Canada that also has the Portuguese citizenship. He helped the ETB Miners Essen (Germany-ProB) win the pro B title averaging 12,8ppg, 4,4rpg, 2,6apg and 1,3spg. He began his basketball career at Father Henry Carr Secondary School and then played 2 seasons with Williston State College (JUCO) averaging 15.4ppg, 3.4rpg, 1.9apg, 2.1spg, FGP: 48.8%, 3PT: 38.1%, FT: 75.9% and 11.4ppg, 2.6rpg, 2.2apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 40.6%, 3PT: 28.1%, FT: 69.4%. he then played a season at Montana State University (NCAA) averaging 6.2ppg, 1.9rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 46.3%, 3PT: 32.9%, FT: 60.0%. He then played at McMaster University (U Sports) averaging 13.3ppg, 3.6rpg, 1.4apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 51.9%, 3PT: 31.2%, FT: 75.0% and 13.1ppg, 3.5rpg, 3.3apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 55.5%, 3PT: 29.3%, FT: 65.0%. He then began his pro career with the Telekom Baskets Bonn 2 team (Germany-Regionalliga) averaging 24.6ppg, 4.2rpg, APG-4 (5.1), 2.5spg, FGP: 50.8%, 3PT: 36.0%, FT: 75.5%. In the 2024-2025, he played with BG Hagen (Germany-Regionalliga) averaging 19.0ppg, 3.7rpg, 3.3apg, 1.8spg, FGP: 59.2%, 3PT: 36.6%, FT: 81.8%. He spoke to germanhoops.com after helping win the 2026 Pro B title.
Thanks Mychael for talking to germanhoops.com. Your 2026 Pro B champion. How good does it feel? Is this your personal biggest achievement as a player? It was a surreal feeling, words couldn’t describe how I felt during the moment. During my 3 year professional career this was definitely my biggest achievement as a player
Essen lost game 1 by 36 points and won game 2 by 41 points. Many are saying this is the greatest comeback in German basketball. How special do you rate this massive comeback? I don’t know much about previous Pro B final games, but me personally I think it’s the greatest comeback ever. This game will be talked about for years to come and motivate teams.
What was the team feeling after the horrible 107-71 loss at Orange Academy? How much soul searching did the team do the days following?
A lot of soul searching was had in between game 1 & 2. We know we didn’t play our best game and got embarrassed and knew that couldn’t happen again.
How key was head coach Lars Wendt? How did he help the team most in the days leading up to game 2? He helped keep us level headed and reassured us we can still win the championship, it won’t be easy but we can do it.
How quickly did the team know that game 2 would see only half of Orange Academy as all the talented youth players wouldn´t play because they were attending the NBBL Top 4 in Berlin?
We didn’t know until minutes leading up to the game, but our mindset/game plan was still the same no matter who was out there on the court playing
Any other team could have underestimated Orange Academy. Why didn´t Essen? We understood that they were a really good team regardless of who was playing for them or they wouldn’t have been in the finals.
What was the focus of Essen going in? I mean did you have a plan how you would come back through out a 40 minute game so you would have more than 36 points? The focus going into game 2 was try to win each quarter by 10 points. We also wanted to muck the game up by blitzing ball screens, full court pressing and trapping whenever we saw fit. Giving us as much possessions as possible
The team began well and led 53-32 at the break. Essen was playing well offensively, but still had to do more on the defensive end. What wasn´t functioning as well so far on the defensive end through the first 20 minutes? In the first half we had a couple errors on our transition defense and not getting back plus we gave them some easy points at the free throw line not being disciplined.
What did head coach Lars Wendt give the team for advice at half-time? He said we’re right where we need to be heading into the second. We just need to stop fouling which is giving them easy points at the free throw line and we need to do a better job getting back on defense because that was the only way they were scoring on us that game.
In the third quarter Orange Academy actually played well for the first few minutes outscoring Essen, but then came a 14-0 run by Essen which changed the game. You made drives and Ben Uzoma a big dunk. What was key in the run for Essen? Just keeping our composure and understanding that basketball is a game of runs and that was theirs.
Essen was up with 32 points with 10 minutes to play. Essen was in the drivers seat. Which player at this moment was a big motivator with words? Both our team captains, Marc Friederici and Niclas Sperber. They told us not to let up and keep our foots on their necks.
Essen began with a 10-2 run to lead 86-46. Now all Essen had to do was manage the lead to the buzzer. Essen then held Orange Academy minutes without scoring. Did you want it more than Orange Academy?
I believe we wanted it more than Orange Academy, during the game we sensed that they were just not trying to lose by more than 36 and we took advantage of that.
Essen outscored Orange Academy 41-21 in the last half. Was this the best defense the team played in the season?
This was one of the better defensive games we played together as a team but we had a couple of defensive outputs like this throughout the season.
Essen held their 2 best scorers Joel Cwik and Namouri Omogto 8/28 shooting and 25 points. How much of a focus was the defense on slowing them down? Our defensive game plan is always to try and neutralize the opposing team’s best scorer or playmaker. So during the game 2 of the finals it was no different because we know if we minimize their touch’s it’s going to very hard for any team to beat us.
Quarshawn Lane had an incredible 28/11/10 game. Did you sense going into the game that he could have a type of game of his life? The MVP did MVP things. Q has been giving us big games like this all season long.
What was your fondest moment in the final in Essen against Orange Academy? The sounding buzzer after the game and celebrating the victory with my teammates and our amazing fans who showed up to support us.
This was such a special season for the ETB Miners. Why was this team so special?
I believe this team was so special because we didn’t care who shined, we were all happy to see the other person eat and enjoyed playing and hanging out with one another
One thing basketball fans rarely get to observe in Germany Live is NCAA basketball. Watching college basketball in the States is something very special and even more unique during March Madness. The NCAA recently got even more interesting and thrilling to watch with the addition of NIL which has made the potential of players joining with the crazy salaries extremely tempting. But to see a NCAA team play in Germany is very rare. It was late Summer in 2017 when the Iowa Hawkeyes did a European tour and played an exhibition game in Heidelberg, Germany to help support Basektball Aid against a special German team that was thrown together of BBL. Pro A and Pro B teams. I had had the great opportunity to call the game and conduct an interview days before with Iowa starting point guard Jordan Bohannon. After 40 minutes Iowa had destroyed the German team 99-65 that had had some interesting players play like BBL legend Alexander Nadjfeji and young German prospects at that time with Richard Freudenberg and Lukas Wank. There were a few guys from that Iowa team that I remembered like dominating big man then Luka Garza as well as future NBA player Tyler Cook. I also remember what kind of a clout head coach Fran Macaffery already had then. He would coach Iowa for 15 ´seasons reaching March Madness 7 times and reaching the NIT Sweet 16 3 times. Last season he coached Penn (NCAA) and won the Ivy League title. I will never forget that game. I saw young American prospects like Garza and Cook do their thing and saw a great NCAA team battle overseas. The only thing I missed in that game was Joe Wieskamp (198-G/F-1999, college: Iowa). He would come to Iowa the season after and have an extraordinary NCAA career and reach the NBA. For him, the whole Iowa experience was one that he will never forget especially playing for Fran Macaffery. “I became a versatile and confident/aggressive playing there. Playing for Fran was awesome. He was awesome to play for and truly helped me become the player I am today. He always had his players backs and put us in positions to be successful”, remembered Joe Wieskamp.
Joe Wieskamp who lists Luka Doncic in the NBA and Chris Duarte in the NCAA as his toughest covers was born on August 23, 1999 in Muscatine, Iowa. He showed already in middle school that he had talents in other sports like football and baseball, but in high school decided to focus fully on basketball. He played 4 years at Muscatine High School and had an incredible career there. He already averaged 18,0ppg as a freshman and upped his scoring average each season going from 21,0ppg to 30,0ppg to 33,0ppg. He finished his career there becoming the state of Iowa’s all-time high school leading scorer; school record holder in career points (2,376), points in a single-game (54), 3-pointers in a single-season (62), scoring average (26.1), and career rebounds (908). He was a HS first-team All-MAC selection in 2015, 16, 17, 18, HS MAC Player of the Year -2017 ,HS Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year -2017, 18, and HS All-State First Team -2017, 18. He then played at the University of Iowa (NCAA) for 3 seasons and played twice at March madness losing to Tennessee and Oregon. “Playing in the NCAA was amazing and something that everyone at the college level dreams of. Special memories forever”, stressed Joe Wieskamp. He got to play with current NBA player Luka Garza and witnessed him transform into a real beast in his last 2 seasons “Luka is an extremely hard worker and I’m so happy for him with all that he’s accomplished”, said Joe Wieskamp. He played a total of 97 NCAA games and scored in double figures in 72 games. He exploded with 30 points against Nebraska and had 26 points against Rutgers. He was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team -2019, USBWA All-District VI Team -2020, 21, All-Big Ten Third Team -2020 NABC Division I All-District 7 Second Team -2020, Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award Finalist -2021 and All-Big Ten Second Team -2021.
The forward who lists Doug McDermott, Pascal Siakam, Dejounte Murray, OG Anonuby, and Luka Garza as his 5 best teammates of all-time was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs in 2021 at #41 and then played NBA Summer League with the Spurs averaging 10.4ppg, 5.6rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 66.7%, 3PT: 30.8%, FT: 80.0%. He scored 17 points in a tough 106-105 win over Charlotte in Las Vegas. He then played his rookie season with the Spurs playing 29 games averaging 2,1ppg and also split time with the Austin Spurs (NBA G League) averaging 15.2ppg, 4.1rpg, 1.7apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 57.7%, 3PT: 37.2%, FT: 85.3%. He scored in double figures in 23/27 games and scored 30 points against Salt Lake City. He will never forget his NBA wake up call to being in the NBA. “Playing in the NBA was a dream come true and I’m so grateful for the experience. It was definitely an adjustment. Guarding Luka Doncic and the top star was a pretty cool experience”, remembered Joe Wieskamp. He made his NBA debut against the Sacramento Kings and played 3 minutes and hit one three and shot 100% in the game. Three point shooting is a massive staple in his game so making that first trey will never be forgotten. “Hitting my first NBA 3 is something I’ll remember forever. It was truly something very special”, stated Joe Wieskamp. It is no surprise that a guy like ultra veteran Doug McDermott is in his personal list of 5 best teammates of all-time. “Doug was awesome. Someone I really looked up to and was able to learn a ton under”, said Joe Wieskamp. In NBA 29 games as a rookie, he averaged double figures minutes only 7 times and when he played 20 plus minutes showed his game well. One of the tough things in the NBA are the fluctuations of minutes for players. “It was one of the toughest things that I struggled with. Going from always being a main guy on the teams I played for, to being 16-17th man. I learned that it’s a business at the end of the day and you have to perform at your best consistently to stay”, added Joe Wieskamp.
· The versatile player that lists LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird on his NBA Mount Rushmore played 9 NBA games with the Toronto Raptors in his second pro season and also split time with the Raptors 905 Mississauga (NBA G League) averaging 13.4ppg, 5.4rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 38.5%, FT: 62.5%, and played also with the Wisconsin Herd (NBA G League) averaging 16.6ppg, 5.9rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 60.7%, 3PT: 40.0%, FT: 74.3%. In the G-League he scored in double figures in 23 of 28 games including 30 points against Windy City. With the Raptors he played for Serbian head coach Darko Rajakovic. “It was a good experience. He brought good energy and knowledge”, said Joe Wieskamp. In his third pro season he played with the Texas Legends (NBA G League) averaging 9.3ppg, 4.5rpg, FGP: 61.3%, 3PT: 28.8%, FT: 71.8%, and in Feb.’24 signed with the Maine Celtics (NBA G League) averaging 14.5ppg, 6.0rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 62.9%, 3PT: 40.4%, FT: 60.0%. He exploded for 36 points in the G-League against Birmingham, but didn´t get a NBA call up. “I felt like I was close to a call up towards the end of the season but unfortunately never happened. I was proud of how I continued to fight and finish the season strong”, commented Joe Wieskamp. After 3 seasons in the NBA/G-League, he decided to come overseas and played with the South East Melbourne Phoenix (Australia-NBL) averaging 11.1ppg, 5.0rpg, FGP: 55.9%, 3PT: 31.5%, FT: 66.7%. It was a solid rookie season overseas where he lost a 3 game playoff series against Illawarra. “The NBL was amazing. The lifestyle there and all that you can do off the court makes it really appealing to play there. We lived right by the beach which was awesome“, remembered Joe Wieskamp. He scored in double figures in 21 games including netting 25 points against Illawarra.
Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and Joe Wieskamp in Frankfurt, Germany 2025
The Iowa native found a new challenge in Germany in the 2025-2026 season playing for Science City Jena who had moved up from the Pro A. “Playing in Germany was a good experience overall. European basketball is different than the US and Australia, so it was a bit of an adjustment but I feel like I’ve grown and gotten better as the season went on”, said Joe Wieskamp. Off the court he took advantage of all the countries near Germany and hasn´t regretted anything. “Jena was definitely a culture shock at first, but the longer I’ve been here the more I’ve gotten used to it. The cool thing about basketball is all the places you get to experience. We went to Austria and Italy during the FIBA breaks which we really enjoyed”, added Joe Wieskamp. It was a tough season for Jena as they finished the season losing 7 of 9 games, but they achieved their goal. “Our main goal was to remain in the BBL and we were able to do that”, stressed Joe Wieskamp. Jena finished in 16th place with 2 more wins than Braunschweig and 3 wins more than Heidelberg who moved down. He had a very solid first season in the easyCredit BBL averaging 16,1ppg and 7,7rpg. He displayed certain valuable parts of his game in the BBL and also knows what still needs to be done to improve his game. ”Shooting, attacking the hoop, and rebounding are the main things I showed this season. I want to continue to grow in becoming more physical and a better overall defender”, expressed Joe Wieskamp. He scored in double figures in 29 games including scoring 32 points against Rostock and 28 points against Oldenburg. After 2 years away from the NBA, is there still a side door open for him to return? “That’s the goal at the end of the day, but I’m just focused on playing at the highest level possible”, warned Joe Wieskamp. Europe continues to be his focus now as he signed a three year deal to ball with 2026 easyCredit BBL champion cteam Alba Berlin. After his potent season in Jena, I´m sure that he will be an instrumental player for Alba Berlin in the 2026-2027 season.
Richard Schmitt (203-F-2007) is a 19 year old 203cm forward playing in the Alba Berlin organization and this season played for Pro B team Lok Bernau averaging 4/1/1 an din the NBBL averaged 11,6ppg, 3,6rpg, 1,4apg and 1,1apg. he also played a easyCredit BBL game for Alba Berlin. Last season with Lok Bernau he averaged 2.6ppg, 1.4rpg, and also played with the Alba Berlin NBBL team averaging 9.2ppg, 3.0rpg, FGP: 60.3%, 3PT: 26.7%, FT: 80.6%:He spoke to germanhoops.com about his basketball career.
Thanks Richard for talking to germanhoops.com Let’s talk about your game. You’re a 205cm forward. If you had to compare your game to a NBA or Euroleague player who would best make the description? Maybe a modern forward who can play multiple positions and impact the game in different ways. I don’t have a good comparison.
You’re a guy that can fill the stat sheet well. How big is versatility in your game?
It’s very important. The more things I can do on the court, the more valuable I can be for my team.
Your known as a very good three point shooter, but under 30% in the Pro B and NBBL. What steps are you making in your shooting preparation most daily to continue to improve your shooting? I work on my shot every day. A lot of repetitions, focusing on technique and consistency with different drills to get better and more consistent.
Talk a little about your defensive game. What kind of a defender are you now and what kind of a defender do you still want to become?
I would say I’m an aggressive defender, who brings energy and can guard multiple positions. I still want to become more consistent and smarter defensively.
On what areas of your game are you working on most now so you can continue to improve your game? I work on my shooting, ball handling and decision making, but also off the court a lot on my body.
You were already a fixture on the NBBL team as a 16 year old. How valuable was it for you already playing against the best competition at a very young age? It was extremely valuable for my development, because I learned early how to compete at a high level
Last season you lost to Ulm at the NBBL top 4. What will you always remember from that tough loss? It was a very tough loss, but also a big motivation for the future.
You played ANGT last season averaging 6.0ppg,6.5rpg, FGP: 25.0%, 3PT: 37.5%, FT: 80.0%. What memories do you still have playing against great youth teams like FC Barcelona? Playing against top youth teams and prospects I would say. Also, how different the level of basketball can be in my age in Europe. This is something I learned a lot from.
This season you made the jump to Alba Berlin playing a BBL and BCL game, What was the biggest adjustment that you had to make playing against grown men? In my opinion it’s the physicality and the speed of the game. It’s so much higher and you have to make decisions so much faster.
You scored your first pro field goal against BCL team Sabah. How cool was that and what will you always remember from that basket and game? It was a special moment that I will always remember.
How valuable has the experience been practicing with BBL team Alba Berlin. What has impressed you most about Pedro Calles? He is a very detail oriented and demanding coach. You learn a lot from him every day.
You also have gotten good minutes in Bernau for Dan Oppland that has a very deep team. How do you feel has your game grown further this season under Oppland? I feel like I improved a lot, especially in my understanding of the game and also how to deal with different situations on the court.
What is your goal as a player? Is there anything else on your bucket list besides reaching the highest level possible? Just improving every day to reach the highest possible level and getting the best version of myself.
Who Is the toughest player that you ever battled in your life that reached the NBA or Euroleague? I don’t really know. I have played against a lot of talented players, so it’s hard to pick just one.
Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time? I have had a lot of great teammates in jena, where I played before and I have also great teammates here in Berlin. It’s really difficult to name only five.
Please name your NBA, Euro (players from Europe non german) and German Mount Rushmore of your favorite 4 players of all-time? NBA: Micheal Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant Euro: Vezenkov, Diamantidis, Navarro, Spannoulis German: Dirk Nowitzki, Detlef Schrempf, Franz Wagner, Dennis Schroeder
After a disastrous loss to France, Germany struck back in the round of 16 to defeat Latvia 88-72. Germany displayed toughness and heart in the second half after enduring a major comeback by Latvia in the first half to lead only by 2 points, Germany buckled down on defense and allowed only 23 points in the second half to preserve the win. Germany began strong in the first quarter taking the 4-3 lead as ex Alba Berlin forward and current University Of Richmond player Amon Doerries made 2 lay in’s. He had been quiet in the first games, but was super aggressive in the first minutes. However Latvia was able to find their game also quickly due to back to back turnovers by Germany that led to 5 points from 201cm forward Tomas Talcis of Valencia Basket U22 team (Spain-U22 League). However Germany fought back getting the 10-9 advantage as FC Bayern Munich forward Nicolas Kodjoe made up for his turnover with the slick three point play and Ludwigsburg guard Julis Baumer was his aggressive self sneaking into the lane and scoring a lay up. Germany then upped their defensive pressure forcing two turnovers in a row leading to free throws by Doerries, and Nurnberg Falcons guard Lars Lenke and ex RheinStar guard Davi Remagen dropped a trey for the 15-9 advantage with 5,31 to play. The German attack and run continued as U-19 German World Cup silver medalist Musa Abra (179-PG-2006) made a lay in and Jordan Muller added free throws for the 19-9 advantage. Germany’s defense continued to be aggressive and strong on ball as Latvia coughed up the ball a few more times. Germany continued to execute well being in a groove and showing their inside out game as Muller scored two more free throws and Abra nailed a trey. However Germany couldn’t hold the momentum as Latvia closed out the first quarter with a 6-0 run to trail 24-19 after 10 minutes. In the run, Martins Kilups of Oral Roberst (NCAA) and Helmuts Petrovics Joventut Badalona U22 team (Spain-U22 League) supplied the damage with lay in’s. Germany shot 41% from the field and 25% from outside and had 8 rebounds and 3 turnovers while Latvia shot 35% from the field and 40% from outside and had 12 rebounds and 6 turnovers.
Germany broke out of their late first quarter funk and came out smoking in the second quarter going on a 8-2 run to lead 32.21. Julis Baumer was a force adding 6 points including a trey while Doerries found space inside for an easy layup before Latvia called time out. Latvia talked it over and came out of the time out strong an played their best basketball of the game finally finding real consistency hitting Germany with a 26-13 run to take the 47-45 lead with 55 seconds to play in the first half. Latvia begun with a swift 7-0 run to trail only 32-28 as Arturs Ozols of Rigas Stradina Universitate / VEF Riga (RNBL) made a lay in, Talcis a trey and Jekabs Niedra of VEF Riga (LBL) a lay in. Remagen halted Latvia’s run with a trey and Kodjoe had a pull up jumper, but Latvia just continued to execute well. Niedra really got it going showing his scoring in bunches and one man wrecking crew abilities adding 10 points as suddenly Latvia only trailed 45-42. Germany couldn’t muster much offense against Latvia’s zone during Niedra’s run except for consecutive three’s by Musa Abra. Latvia had the momentum and higher intensity and even gained the lead with a Kilups lay in. Germany was able to get the lead back with 3 Abra free throws and a clutch trey by Jordan Muller with 3 seconds to play to lead 51-49 at the break. Latvia did a good job controlling the boards in the first 20 minutes while Germany had solid shooting percentages. Germany shot 47% from the field and 41% from the three point line and had 14 rebounds and 5 turnovers while Latvia shot 47Y% from the field and 45% from the three point line and had 23 rebounds and 7 turnovers.
Germany came out refocused into the third quarter and punched first with a swift 7-0 run to lead 58-49. In the run, it was the third consecutive time in the game that Amon Doerries would began with points in the paint. After his second bucket, it was Jordan Muller that made a lay in and three point play. Germany stepped up their defense in the third quarter not allowing anything easy and made big plays like a Lenke block on Reds Martinsohns. Germany managed the lead well and weren’t scoring as well as in the first half, but still led nicely 65-53 on account of a Bruno Loll (Rostock) trey and Baumer and Remagen free throws with 4,06 minutes to play. After Talcis free throws, it was Loll again who launched a trey for the 68-55 advantage. Germany continued to be aggressive at both ends and their toughness was always there and there was no defensive break downs as they closed out the third quarter with a 4-0 run with lay in’s by Abra and Muller for the commanding 72-55 lead. Germany was a rock on defense allowing only 6 points Germany shot 47% from the field and 39% from the parking lot and had 28 rebounds and 9 turnovers while Latvia shot 33% from the field and 26% from the parking lot and had 32 rebounds and 10 turnovers.
In the fourth quarter after both teams missed their first two possessions, Germany then found their groove again with points in the paint by Baumer and Remagen while Niedra found his touch again with a trey after being held scoreless in the third quarter, but Germany led easily 76-58. Latvia kept chipping away at the lead of Germany getting valuable buckets from Niedra (4 Points) and a trey by Petrovics, but Germany always had an answer getting another trey from Loll to keep the 82-68 advantage over Latvia with 4,56 to play. Latvia called a time out with 3,25 to play and continued fighting getting baskets from Talcis and Niedra to trail 84-72, but time was starting to run out. Latvia played better defense, but weren’t rewarded on the offense end with points. Germany never stepped off the gas pedal halting Latvia’s little run and answering with their own 4-0 run with lay in’s from Lenke and Remagen to lead 88-72 to close out the big win in the round of 16. Germany was led by Musa Abra with 16 points while Davi Remagen chipped in with 15 points as they had five gyus in total score in double figures while Latvia were led by Jekabs Niedra with 25 points and Tomas Talcis added 16 points. Germany shot 46% from the field and 34% from outside and had 40 rebounds and 12 turnovers while Latvia shot 34% from the field and 23Y% from outside and had 43 rebounds and 12 turnovers.
