Markus Roewenstrunk is a German coach who has been coaching for 20 plus years. At the moment he is the head coach for the Artland Dragons as Pat Elzie has taken a leave of absence. He has sampled experience in Spain and mainly in Germany being with organizations like Herford, Konigsdorf, Cuxhaven, Dresden, Dragons Rhondorf, RheinStars Cologne and BG Bonn. He spoke togermanhoops.com about basketball.

Thanks Markus for talking to germanhoops.com. You have seen a lot as a coach the last years. Now another new challenge this time with the Artland Dragons. What kind of an experience has it been so far?

Hi Miles and thank you for the opportunity to share my experiences. It has been great with the Artland Dragons, a professional organization, with very good facilities to practice and play but even better people who take care of everything needed to focus on basketball. Therefore, the signing of the players, the arrival and medical checks, as well as the pre-season with all the events and games have been going very well.

You have been head coach and assistant for teams. Shouldn’t But wouldn´t the goal beafter a while to try to always get a head coaching job after you have paid your dues. Why be an assistant again?

Yes I have been an assistant and head coach through out my 10+ years of professional coaching and I like to think that I am a great asset at both positions. I haven’t taken on the responsibilities of a head coach in ProA so being the assistant to the UK great Vince Macaulay is a good fit. He appreciates my help with the German approach and system.

How enticing was coming to the Artland Dragons and working for Vincent MacCaulaey and Pat Elzie? I´m sure that many others would take that assistant job?

Oh yes, I believe there were many applicants, but I was very fortunate that I have known Pat for quite a long time. He reached out to me after he was appointed as the sports director with the idea of bringing me to the program regardless of the head coach. I was very excited about that opportunity and have enjoyed everyday since I am here. Working together with Pat and Vince but also Marius Kröger and the other staff members has been very good.

What other reasons were there coming to the Artland Dragons? What do you like about the organization in general?

Well, the club has a very interesting history, playing in the BBL with widely known players and coaches such as Chris Fleming and Arne Woltmann. Even though now we play in ProA, the organization still works very professional which made my decision to come here a lot easier. Additionally, the distances between the apartments and the practice facilities as well as the arena are very short so that working becomes highly efficient. I appreciate these factors.

What did you enjoy most about the coaching philosophy of Vincent McCauley? He is a UK coach. One doesn´t always see them in Germany.

Yes, there aren’t many but that makes it even more interesting. He shares his experiences and stories through the British lens, and I can tell him about the Basketball development here in Germany. Vince is a very friendly and open person; we exchange our thoughts and strategies regularly. Specifically, I enjoy his approachability for the players and myself as well as the fact that he allows all players to show him their abilities.

What were your main duties as assistant coach this season and what is your greatest strength as a coach?

The question should be, what are not my duties, joking. I am involved in pretty much everything. We have a great team manager in Ole Reumann who organizes our schedule, practices, games, travelling etc. but of course in exchange with me. I then filter what the head coach has to be included in and what I can spare him with. Same goes for events and school practices that our players attend which I manage with our Mini-Coordinator Andre Röding. Apart from that I scout the opponents, create videos, support or run practices and drills. So, everything ?? and because I am pretty well organized, I enjoy the challenge and the diversity of the tasks.

There was turbulence so far in the pre season with players going. Despite that how much potential does the team have?

Well, we had a relatively hard pre-season schedule with quite a few first league opponents. It showed us in what areas we had to improve. According to that we made some changes and acquired two players rather late. Their integration is still an ongoing process and by far, we have not reached our full potential yet. What that potential may be exactly is not that simple to say but we are aiming for the play-offs.

How vital is a guy like legend Joe Asberry? He brings a real breath of fresh wind. He could not only excite young kids for the game, but keep the pro´s in check with his experience or not?

Oh yes, very much so. Joe is a motivation monster and just a good guy to have. The experience he has as a player, coach, social worker, and in life in general is very valuable for our pro’s. His famous saying is: “it’s the work you put in when nobody is watching …” and even though it’s becoming a running joke here, its so true. Joe is a great asset for the entire Artland Dragons organization.

You were a pro player in the late 90´s2 and early 2000´s2 which was a very long time ago. How do you remember the game being back then in comparison to today? How would you have survived as a pro in today´s game as a young buck?

The game was different, not so much P&R, more mid-range and post-up and less 3p shooting. For example, many coaches didn’t allow 3 pointers in transition whereas today that is a good shot. But in general, I believe that most old school pros could also play today and vice versa. To become a professional player in any sport, you have to have a strong mindset and work attitude. So, pros from the past would adjust to today’s fast pace and shooting dominant game just as players today would develop mid-range skills and become more physical (if talking about NBA).

I started playing basketball relatively late when I was 16 years, and I worked my way to second Bundesliga and NCAA with defense, rebounds, and hustle play. Over the years my offensive game also became better. I guess the later would have to develop faster than it did back then but player development and practices also changed so that I am confident I could have achieved the same or more if I would be a young buck now ??

You were teammates with Pat Elzie in 1997 in Paderborn and also played for him in the second Bundesligain 1998 he was coach. How has his coaching changed and developed in the last 25 years?

Teammates is a bit overstated; Pat was the second league head coach but played a few games with the second team in Regionalliga and I was a double license player. So, I was fortunate to share the court with him a few times and loved his guidance. As far as I know Pat has always been a player’s coach. He was always authentic, approachable, empathetic, and caring. Making sure that the style of play would match the skills of his players. And even when players were not the right fit for his teams, he tried to find them better situations and didn’t leave them hanging. I remember that he had us play the flex offense 1998 in Paderborn, he was running it in Vechta and after as well. But of course, he developed and adjusted his coaching over his long career. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so successful through many decades.

You played with the College of the Sequois (Junior College)
and with CSU Stanislaus (NCAA). What memories do you have of those days? Against what great players do you remember playing against in those days that reached the NBA? It was a totally different age of basketball.

The moment one of my best friends, Emeka Erege, went to high school in the US and later played college ball at Davidson, I wanted to do the same. Fortunate for me, Pat Elzie had great contacts of course and helped me get try-out opportunities with different colleges. I decided for the 2-year College of the Sequois (COS) in California at first because I thought it would be a great start into a new life experience. I also loved the sunny weather, and the presence of the German women’s player Anja Goebel made the adjustment much easier.

It was worlds apart from what I knew in Germany though and it was a different age of basketball, as you said. Before the season started, former COS player and NBA prospect DeeAndre Hulett (drafted by Toronto but never played) dropped by for pick-up games, and I was able to impress him and the others with my effort and rebounding. However, my team was very athletic, and I had to get used to the speed of play. But I was able to excel in the aggressive full court press and amoeba defense that coach George Tarkanian had taken from his legendary dad Jerry. We made it all the way to the California State Finals but came up a bit short. My second year, NFL great Antonio Gates (San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers) was my teammate, just a beast in basketball as he was later in football. Great memories and the chance for me to experience life and basketball in the US.

You also played in Kronberg in 2004. What memories do you have of seeing the Skyliner double license players like Alex King and Malik Badiane play there? Badiane had been drafted by the NBA and never made it and Alex King came out of his shell later and had a great career.

I played in Kronberg with Alex King and Fredrick Kleemichen. Malick only played with the Skyliners, I believe. It was quite an experience playing with these two very talented players. Freddy was way taller than I and Alex was so strong for a 19 year old. It was a big challenge going against them in practice since I had lower back problem already at that time but it was very much fun when together on the court versus other teams. Later on, it was great to see how succesful especialy Alex became. About two years ago, when I was with the RheinStars Köln, Alex and I coached against each other in NBBL.

You always had to pay your dues in coaching, but 10 years ago worked with Pat Elzie again in Vechta. How do you remember those days? He helped that team move up to the BBL.

As a player, I never thought about coaching and I kind of regret that now. I wish I would have written down more from my coaches. Because after years of having lower back problems while playing, a disc herniated and ended my serious active time too early in 2007. However, not doing anything basketball related only lasted so long before I started coaching on the side. Then Pat again gave me a great chance coming to Vechta in 2013 to work as a professional coach for my first time. It was a great situation coming in because Pat just moved them up to BBL and the excitement of the organization and the fans was amazing. During that year, I was able to move the second team past Quakenbrück with Isaiah Hartenstein to Regionalliga and got to coach great youth players.

The second year with RASTA, I was trusted to be the ProA assistant coach for Stephen Arigbabu. Unfortunately, the season didn’t go very well but it was a great learning experience and in Stephen I found a dear friend and mentor.

Since I am back in that region now, I get to remember those two years quite often with people from back then.

You also coached 2 seasons in the Regionalliga with BBGC Herford. What is the biggest challenge coaching in the Regionalliga in comparison to higher leagues?

Well especially the Regionalliga West has a very high level, close to that of ProB, but both leagues often face difficulties in structure and resources. Usually, these teams like BBG Herford can only employ a hand full of players full time so that practices have to be in the late evenings after work or university duties. Most often the gyms are owned by schools/cities, making it a competition with other clubs and sports for practices times. Even in ProA many clubs are not as lucky as we are here in Quakenbrück with a team of full time professionals and our own facilities.

You also coached in Cuxhaven and also coached in the youth? What memories do you have of that season?

Cuxhaven just moved back up from Regionalliga to ProB but didn’t want to continue working with the success coach Moris Hadzija. It was my first time as head coach in ProB and I think we did a pretty good job recruiting. But the structural conditions were not easy leading to two players leaving early and the replacements not filling the void. Towards the end, management brought in a veteran coach first as support who later took over. The experience of being fired sucked but since my duty was also to promote the youth during that season, I continued coaching a mixed under 12 group and enjoyed that very much.

You also coached in Dresden. How many strides has that organization done in the last years under Fabian Straus? You kind of set the ground workgroundwork in your season?

The Dresden Titans have developed very well over the last years under Fabian Strauß. The groundwork for the promotion to ProA and the continuing success was set after my short sting, however. I took over in December 2018 and we held the league, a change in management lead to my departure after the season. I am excited to return there with the Artland Dragons, talk to people but also to get the W.

You also coached in Rhondorf. How tough was coming in late and not saving the team and then being fired the next season? You may want to change the question a bit, I was hired in the summer of 2019 after they dropped down.

I was hired in the summer of 2019 after Rhöndorf dropped down from ProB to Regionalliga. Simultaneously Thomas Päch took over Telekom Baskets Bonn and the cooperation between the two as well as the Hagerhof basketball boarding school was supposed to be refreshed. The goal for the Dragons was to develop the young German players such as Kilian Binapfl, Gabriel De Oliveira, the Falkenstein brothers etc. and at the same time win the league and move back up again. Many new wheels in place. We then didn’t start the season as well as we should have but it was a very young team, and I felt that getting fired after only 6 games and a record of 3:3 was not called for. Especially a young team needs time to excel.

I don´t know if you keep tabs on ex players you coached, but why is a guy like Curtis Hollis not balling in Europe. Since he left the Dragons in 2020, he has really paid his dues and now making good strides in Canada, but wouldn´t he have had a better resume now overseas?

Of course, I check on former players of mine and its great to see when they do well. Curtis has come around a bit, he played in Central America, Africa, Canada… But it seems that he likes it up north now. Maybe he could have a better resume if he stayed in Europe, he is a great athlete with good skills. I don’t know on what basis he made his choices; they don’t necessarily have to do with basketball. Nevertheless, I wish him all the best for the new season and thereafter.

You were 3 years in the RheinStars Cologne program as JBBL and NBBL coach. You saw some very talented young Players come up like Kenan Reinhart and Davi Remagen. What positives could you get from this experience?

I didn’t just see them come up; I worked a lot with these two and others. In 2020 when I started as the JBBL head coach for the RheinStars Köln, Anton Krings was coaching the under 14 with Kenan and Davi. He highly recommended that they should be with the JBBL as well even though they were only 13 years old. Anton was very right and did a great job developing them before I continued the process. The first season however was cut short due to corona but since both were state selection players, I was able to work with them countless hours on a 1on1 basis (in the beginning even with a mask on). We used the time as good as we could improving dribbling, finishing, shooting, and decision making. The following year the JBBL team was really clicking and improving over the course of the season, making it all the way to the second round of the play-offs. It was so much fun to see their rapid developement and joy for the game.

The experience with those young players was amazing. The fact that the RheinStars have their own practice facility (just like the Artland Dragons) is huge for kids, enabling vast amounts of hours on the court. At the same time, it is very important to monitor the stress load on those young tendon, ligaments, and joints to reduce the risk of early injuries.

You have coached so many young German players over the years? Which player do you remember being the most joy to coach?

Like you say, I have coached many but if you ask about recently, I have to go with Davi Remagen. Unfortunatly, Davi was hurt for the most part of the great 2021/22 JBBL season but I was so impressed by his moral and work ethic. Since he couldn’t take part in team practice, again we spend hours and hours working on fundamentals and not ones during those long months did he not have a smile on his face and his hopes up to return to action. In the beginning of 2022, he reached 81 made free throws in a row at the age of only 14 years old. I am very excited to see how he will do in the ProB this year and Kenan Reinhard in Bonn/Rhöndorf.

Please name your NBA Mount Rushmore and Euro Mount Rushmore for coaches?

My NBA Mount Rushmore for coaches is: Red Auerbach, Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich, Pat Riley

My Euro Mount Rushmore for coaches is: Svetislav Pesic, Zeljko Obradovic, Ettore Messina, Pablo Laso and maybe one day Gordon Herbert (through a German lens)

Which coach is your GOAT?

I am an old school Chicago Bulls fan, so I go with Phil Jackson. He also got the same last name as I do now (laughing).Thank you very much Miles for the interview and the chance to share my story a bit. You have been doing great work all these long years, highly appreciated.

It is always a delight to watch 2 organizations that put a lot of effort, passion and love into their youth programs as the Frankfurt Skyliners and MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg do. Both currently have great young players looking to make the next step. However both teams the Juniors and Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg have struggled as of late having lost 2 of 3 games and 3 of 4 games. A few years ago, Juniors fans were shocked as Sebastian Schwachhofer hit a buzzer beater in Frankfurt to secure the win while this season, Frankfurt won an exciting 82-80 game in Ludwigsburg. On a untypical Wednesday evening Pro B game, Frankfurt welcomed Ludwigsburg and fans were able to see Junior newcomer Chrysostom Chukwuma from Finland for the first time. He was reeled in because German Philipp Hadenfeld is taking another semester abroad. The Finish guard exploded for 28 points in his Pro B debut in Cologne a few days earlier. On this night Chuku Chukwuma didn´t need another explosive evening as he finished with 13 points, but Frankfurt had enough other scoring options on this night including Ivan Crnjac (203-F-2007) who had a career high with 29 points leading the Skyliners Juniors to a 95-86 victory over Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg. Frankfurt didn´t play their best game as they had a lot of depth compared to Ludwigsburg who had only 8 players for the game. “It wasn´t a great game from us. It was way to close of a game considering we had a full roster and they had 8 guys. But I feel we handled them well. Even if it´s a ugly game, you have to be able to win the game. It wasn´t a great team performance, but we had good ball movement”, stressed Ivan Crnjac. Ludwigsburg fought for 40 minutes and were led by the duo of Feneberg and Baumer who combined for 53 points. “We fought hard and at times played real good basketball. We were a little unlucky at the end. I was happy though how we played despite the thin roster”, stressed Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg head coach Kheeryoung Rhee. Crnjac had his career best in the Pro B tying his brother Drago who also once scored 29 in the Pro B. “It was a very good game performance from me. I´m sad I didn´t make more points. I missed some easy lay ups, but I´m still happy to be tied with my brother”, stated Ivan Crnjac. “I´m a bit mad that he tied my 29 points. He shot very well. He did a good job staying in the game after having 4 fouls in the third quarter. His teammates found him well and he was very effective. He didn´t do anything wild”, stated Drago Crnjac.

Ivan Crnjac at the FT line

The first few minutes of the first quarter were tight, but Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg then got away a bit only to see Frankfurt rally back and lead by 1 point after 10 minutes. In the first few minutes it was apparent to see that the guests were led by 2 guys Julis Baumer and Simon Feneberg who were the main guys running the offense. The U-18 youth national player Baumer added 5 points while Feneberg made a lay in. These guys would prove all night long that they were as good as unstoppable on the drive. Frankfurt on the other-hand were also executing well on offense as the new Skyliner Chuku Chukwuma added 5 points and Crnjac a trey, but Ludwigsburg had the slim 9-8 advantage. “Chuku Chukwuma isn´t only a classic scorer, but also a good passer. He made some nice no look passes. He calmed the team down when we needed it and also showed his strong 1-1 play on offense”, said Skyliner big man Florian Dietrich. Ludwigsburg then went on a 7-2 run to lead 16-10 as Sebastian Kuhn made a lay in, Baumer free throws and Feneberg a three pointer. Ludwigsburg were very aggressive on defense getting in the passing lanes well and causing turnovers while Feneberg was finding his spots well and Baumer was being an energizer and getting into the paint. However Frankfurt found out of their funk and finished the first quarter with a 13-8 run to lead 23-22 after 10 minutes. In the run, Frankfurt let it rain three´s as Crnjac found the hot hand early nailing 2 three´s while Philipp Hadenfeld also connected from outside. Athletric Lukas Modic gave good energy getting in the lane and scoring twice. “It is never easy playing against a team that is without some of their key players. We started slow, but once we realized that we could play well against 8, we executed better. It was also important that Chukwuma d to get integrated as he played well”, stated Florian Dietrich. The Skyliners Juniors shot 44% from the field and 57% from outside and had 11 rebounds and 6 turnovers while Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg shot 47% from the field and 25% from outside and had 9 rebounds and 4 turnovers.

Simon Feneberg from down town

The second quarter was a real dog fight for the most part, but in the waning minutes of the quarter, the Skyliners Juniors were able to spring free and lead by 10 points at half-time. Frankfurt kept the momentum from the end of the first quarter getting some easy baskets in the first minutes as they went inside. Dusan Nikolic who had a great 20/9/10 game against Nurnberg in NBBL play this season made a lay in while Malik Kordel made 2 dunks including a pretty alley-oop dunk with the prefect feed from Hadenfeld for the 30-25 lead. Modic hit a trey as Ludwigsburg was opting for the outside shooting. Ludwigsburg kept executing well staying with Frankfurt as Marko Masic hit a trey and Baumer scored inside. Long injured Julius Messer also added a three pointer, but the guests were on their tail trailing only 35-34. Frankfurt then got hot again finishing the second quarter with a 15-6 run to lead 50-40 at the break. Nikolic began the drive with an incredible 2 handed dunk from the wing. So what dunk was nicer the Kordel alley-oop or the Nikolic dunk? “Kordel´s was nicer simply because he jumped higher”, said Florian Dietrich. “I think Kordel´s dunk was a little more special”, smiled Ivan Crnjac. Frankfurt got good production from many sides as ex Hanau guard Bruno Albrecht nailed a trey while Jamie Edoka scored twice inside as did Chuku Chukwuma. Kordel made a lay in at the buzzer getting the prefect pass from Chuku Chukwuma. “We played a lot better against their pick and roll defense. Kordel got more touches inside”, said Florian Dietrich. The Skyliners Juniors shot 54% from the field and 50% from the three point line and had 23 rebounds and 11 turnovers while Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg shot 42% from the field and 28% from the three point line and had 16 rebounds and 8 turnovers.

Dusan Nikolic with the dunk

In the third quarter the Skyliners Juniors did a good job managing their lead, but got a little sloppy in the last minutes allowing Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg to get close again, but then kept them at bay leading by 5 points after 30 minutes. Frankfurt got early support from Bruno Albrecht with another trey while Kordel and Hadenfeldt hooked up again for the dunk and dime. Feneberg continued to be all over the court finding his spots and dropping 2 three´s. Both teams were executing well as Frankfurt got a Crnjac three pointer and step back by ex Kronberg guard Felix Hecker as Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg just couldn´t make any serious ground as they trailed 60-50. After Crnjac made a trey for the 63-50 lead, Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg went on a massive 12-1 run to suddenly only trail 64-62 and it was a game again. In the run, Ludwigsburg got a nice tip in dunk by 205cm Daniel Mack and a trey by Masic while Julis Baumer led the charge with 7 points. “I have a lot of respect for Baumer. I know him since many years. He had made a great development this season and has seen BBL action. He has a lot of potential”, warned Ivan Crnjac. Baumer´s incredible energy sparked his team in this run as Frankfurt had lost intensity and had problems with their aggressive on ball defense. However Frankfurt kept their cool as utility guy Marvin Esser made 2 vital and clutch buckets to help keep the lead at 69-64 after 30 minutes. Esser had 5/4 stats in 6 minutes and couldn´t have been more efficient. “One could see that we were missing experience. Guys have had to take on different roles in the last weeks. Having guys out makes a difference, “added Kheeryoung Rhee. “We executed well and had important stops in key phases. They got too many easy baskets”, commented Ivan Crnjac. The Skyliners Juniors shot 53% from the field and 41% from the parking lot and had 31 rebounds and 17 turnovers while Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg shot 47% from the field and 35% from the parking lot and had 21 rebounds and 10 turnovers.

Julis Baumer at the FT line

In the fourth quarter Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg kept fighting and cut Frankfurt´s lead down to 1 poins, but they just couldn´t get over the hump as Frankfurt prevailed and broke away in crunch-time. Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg began with a 5-2 run to trail 71-69 as Simon Feneberg made all 5 points. Even if it was the fourth quarter, it didn´t seem like Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg was getting weaker. Their energy was still as high as the first quarter. Crnjac continued to execute making a back door lay in and trey while Feneberg hit a 20 footer as Frankfurt led 76-71. After a Hadenfeld 15 footer and 78-71 Frankfurt lead, it seemed like maybe this was the time for the guests to throw in the towel, but no Feneberg continued to execute and was a real one man wrecking crew. He made 6 points in a row as Frankfurt led only 78-77. Feneberg actually had made 13 points in a row. Frankfurt continued to execute well getting a floater from Chukwuma and a trey from Crnjac for the 83-78 lead. Crnjac made 4 more free throws for the 87-80 lead. Feneberg continued to do his thing making free throws for the 87-82 lead. Baumer then got his 2 flagrant foul and had to depart the game. Albert and Crnjac then sealed the win with 5 free throws for the 91-82 lead. Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg now was deep in the hole deep and wasn´t going to break free. Feneberg made a lay in and that was his 20th consecutive points. Kuhn then made free throws as did Kordel and Chukwuma to end the game. “We had some luck. Important that they had 5 team fouls early. That made it easy for me to get easy baskets. They had 5 teams fouls and we could still play hard”, expressed Ivan Crnjac. “We were too nervous and not disciplined enough. We had it in our own hands, but didn´t have enough self-confidence”, warned Kheeryoung Rhee. The Skyliners Juniors were led by Ivan Crnjac with 29 points. Chuku Chukwuma added 13 points and Malick Kordel 12 points while Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg was led b Simon Feneberg with 33 points while Julis Baumer added 20 points. The Skyliners Juniors shot 53% form the field and 44% from outside and had 39 rebounds and 22 turnovers while Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg shot 47% from the field and 31% from outside and had 26 rebounds and 15 turnovers.

Jesus Ramirez is a Spanish coach currently in his 4th season as head coach of the easyCredit BBL team Basketball Lowen Branschweig. He also has head coaching experience with Alba Fehervar (Hungary-A Division) and King Szczecin (Poland-EBL). He was also an assistant coach for 6 years with ratiopharm Ulm and a season with RETAbet Bilbao Basket (ACB), He spoke to germanhoops.com after a 107-86 win over BG Goettingen.

Congrats on the 107-86 road win in Goettingen. How vital was this win stepping up again and winning again after the loss against Bonn?

More than the win, was important to meet with the point of right energy that we had lost the days before.

It was the third road win in a row. How difficult is it always to play a last placed team?

Every BBL game on the road is extremely difficult, and Goettingen being a derby is even more difficult, especially because of factors that might be out of your control like emotions and feelings

Braunschweig could have won by a lot more, but gave up 31 points in the last quarter. Were the first 30 minutes the kind of standard that you like in terms of how the team played?

As I said before playing with the right energy and the right mindset is key for us, and yes, in many moments of the game we showed that offensively the team was clicking.

7 Lowen scored in double figures. Was that some of the best unselfishness that you saw as a team this season

Not in a consistent bases but YES, it’s absolutely something that we want and are working for because it is part of our identity: play as a team, share the ball and put as many players as possible in the right position.

Braunschweig led 30-24 after The first quarter. BG Goettingen was scoring too much. What was giving the Lowen the most problems on defense that allowed them to score 24 points.

First of all Goettingen is a well-coached team. They know their strengths and play well there. For another hand we started soft in on- and off-ball defense, receiving points from the 1×1 that we expected to happen and also from off-ball cuts and backdoors.

The Lowen allowed only 15 points in the second quarter. What adjustments did the team make?

We increased our tension and the level of focus making Goettingen play longer and under way more difficult circumstances.

In the third quarter there was no let up as the Lowen scored 31 points again and allowed only 16 points. Sanada Fru gave great support and ended with 15 points. He has been playing consistently as of late. How have you seen his development?

Sananda didn´t stop to improve since the first time I have met him 4 years ago. He is a smart kid who understands what the game requires to be played at the highest level. I ´m sure he will continue his development because he is still far of his best version.

In the fourth quarter the Lowen let up as BG Goettingen exploded for 31 points. Was this the classic example of a team leading by so much that they felt to comfortable?

I don´t know, I only can tell you that it’s not what we want. We stopped to do the things in the right way and it was somehow sad to see.

Despite the win does the last quarter bother you as a coach? The team not finishing strong?

Yes, it absolutely bothers me. Independent of the score I want my team to play the right way, I will tell you the same if we lost by 15 points and we stopped to play.

Was the scoring and sharing the ball the biggest strength of the team?

Those were 2 important points but I was happy also with the defense for 30 minutes, which gave us the opportunity to run and be in the open court.

Barra Njie continues to have a great season averaging 11/3/3. If this continues, he could be a candidate for most improved player. What has been key in his development for being able to continue to grow as a BBL player?

To me the key is the time. Every player needs time to adapt, and understand a new league. I think for Barra it was very important. I think for Barra this process was very important last season. And he never stopped to work and to believe. I’m really happy to see him playing well, but I’m even more happy when I see him smiling, it’s contagious and has a big positive impact in the team.

I have covered German Benjamin Schroeder since his U-16 years. Is he a guy that will continue to get minutes and make the gradual rise in the next year?

Yes, Benny is a kid with a lot of talent who wanted to come to Braunschweig and came with the right mentality. I´m very happy with what I see and I ´m very positive with his development and future.

The team has made a big rise this season. What has been the secret to the success?

Honestly, I don’t see any success. I see a positive progress of the team due to the hard work, good persons and very talented basketball players and staff.

The playoffs look very realistic this season. What does the team have to do better in the next months to achieve that goal?

Don’t stop to progress.

You’re in your fourth season as a head coach. How vital were your 6 years in Ulm? How did that time prepare you best to become a head coach?

Yes, It was, the same like my times in Barcelona coaching all basketball categories chronologically and the same like my first 2 experiences as a HC with ALBA (Hungary) and Szczecin (Poland). That time prepared me in many ways but mainly in understanding a professional basketball club and team better from inside. Getting to know and study the BBL really deep and working with Thorsten Leibenath made me a better professional in many aspects of my job.

What do you enjoy most about being a head coach in Germany? You are carrying that tradition that Aito once had as a seldom Spanish coach.

Aito is for me and many Spanish coaches a mentor, a mirror and an example how to do things. I follow and study him and coaches that had worked with him like Carles Duran all my career. But my journey in the BBL started earlier with my time in Ulm, than his time in ALBA and my time continued in Braunschweig. First of all, I enjoy my club, my organization and OUR project. Then I like the BBL because it is so competitive. There is so much talent out there that makes you feel that the preparation of your team must be excellent every single week.

Please name your 5 greatest Spanish players of all-time?

Ricky Rubio, Navarro, Llull, Pau Gasol and Marc Gasol.

Thanks Jesus for the chat.

One of my favorite places in the United States besides my hometown Boston is San Francisco. I will never forget visiting it in 2015 and spending 3 days there. If I could I would have spent 2-3 weeks there. Just hanging out at the marina and enjoying the view over the bay or visiting filming locations of the Dirty Harry series would fill the time. It would never get old. Not far away from the bay area is a Half Moon Bay which is about a 40 minute drive to San Francisco. Half Moon Bay sits on the pacific ocean and looks like paradise. How could anyone not want to live there? But sometimes guys even want to get out of there. In the case of Jacob Salinero (185-PG-1997, college: Sonoma St.) it was 1000 emails for the love of baseketball. He was his own agent for 2 years and researched leagues overseas with the bible of basketball eurobasket.com and used Instagram to connect with teams. The American is playing his second pro season and first in the German Regionalliga (4th division) for seemingly peanuts, but hey the trek up the basketball ladder to higher leagues isn´t without paying their dues and it isn´t always easy. “I think the biggest thing is truly committing to the process of getting better. I really love basketball and personally I believe playing overseas means you HAVE to love it because you are sacrificing so much. In terms of trying to establish myself and climb the ladder it will always be difficult being that I am 186cm but no one works harder and is more committed than I am to try to be great so I believe that anything is possible and within reach”, stressed Jacob Salinero. Some guys will do anything when they are chasing the basketball dream. “My first year playing in Spain I lived in a house with 15 people so being adaptable I would say is essential to the job but the communities of Lich and Leer have welcomed me with open arms. I believe only about 3-4 people from my hometown have been able to play overseas and the experiences I have each year are part of what makes the journey so special and the adjustment not as difficult as one might think. I am extremely grateful for it all”, stated Jacob Salinero. All in all, he is just blessed to be able to play the game he loves. He didn´t have the greatest stats in the NCAA 2, but still made it across the pond to play. ““I really love what I do and throughout all the ups and downs I always knew this was a possibility, it was just about timing matching up with all the hours I have spent in the gym”, said”, Jacob Salinero”

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber in front of the filming location of Dirty Harry film “the Enforcer “Barber Shop” in the Filmore District, San Francisco

Jacob Salinero who lists Jeremy Lin, Will Cherry and Jaylen Wells as his toughest foes on the court was born on December 2nd, 1997 in Half Moon Bay, California. He attended Half Moon Bay high school and then played at Skyline College (JUCO) from 2016-2019. He had to red shirt one year and in his 2 years there played a total of 55 games averaging 2.1ppg, 1.2rpg, FT: 81.8%, 3PT: 22.2%, FG: 34.7% and 5.9ppg, 4.1rpg, 2.6apg, FGP: 43.5%, 3PT: 34.1%, FT: 66.0%. “Juco was a 8-5 job pretty much. With classes in the morning and team practice in the afternoon and you are at the school the whole day. Additionally everyone is trying to make it out so it cultivates a certain chip on your shoulder. That was the place where I first saw who really loves it and who doesn’t”, remembered Jacob Salinero. Even if he wasn´t a main scoring threat on the squad there, he did grow as a player with the guidance of Justin Piergrossi. “He was huge about playing off of two feet and showing up daily. He had a great quote “How you do anything is how you do everything.” He really cares about his guys and still follows all of us to this day”, commented Jacob Salinero. His basketball career then continued at Sonoma State University (NCAA2) where he played 2 seasons averaging : 6.2ppg, 2.8rpg, 1.7apg, FGP: 44.3%, 3PT: 42.1%, FT: 71.4% and 5.0ppg, 2.5rpg, 2.0apg, FGP: 37.5%, 3PT: 32.0%, FT: 77.8%. He missed one season due to COVID. “I would say Sonoma State was the first time in my college career where I realized how good I could actually be. I give a lot of credit to Coach JJ Santa Cruz for throwing me into the starting lineup against CSU Monterey Bay because from there I really began to grow. My favorite memories though are the late nights shooting in the gym with my former teammates Jaylen Wells, Simon Ramirez, Jackie Luong, and Isaiah Usher. That gym became a sanctuary for us that despite having a losing season we were able to go there and get better. It should be mentioned too that 3 of those guys went on to play professionally so we must have been doing something right”, expressed Jacob Salinero. He made the jump to the NCAA 2 and became a solid role player thanks to head coach Pat Fuscaldo. “He taught me how important it is to enjoy the daily grind or else you can get lost in it. His passion for life is what truly set him apart. He loved coaching at Sonoma State more than anyone”, added Jacob Salinero. He was teammates with 201cm forward Jaylen Wells who proved you can go from the very bottom in 2022 at JUCO to the top via 1 season at Washington State (NCAA) to the NBA in 2024 where he is currently a rookie with the Memphis Grizzlies and averaging 11,6ppg. “I knew after the first few weeks of open gym that he could be a NBA player as it was just so obvious to me. He could dribble, shoot, and pass at 6’8 and he was extremely unselfish and coachable. He’s one of my best friends. We still talk all the time in our group chat with our other Sonoma State teammate Jackie. Jaylen and our teammates used to shoot every night sometimes after coming back from the airport at 1am. Jaylen´s story is super inspirational because I have seen first hand what a NBA player looks like up close and how quickly your life can change in a year. It’s just about continuing to work and show up”, warned Jacob Salinero who remembers beating teammate Michael Smith at 1-1 and is still tied with NBA player Jaylen Wells.

The California native who lists Jaylen Wells, Isaac Davidson, Tommy Nuño, Johannes Lischka and Clayton Ladine as his 5 best teammates of all-time came overseas in 2022 playing in Spain in the fifth division. Last season he made the jump to Germany playing with Kleene Trockenbau Baskets Fortuna Logabirum (Germany-2.Regionalliga) averaging 20.1ppg, 6.2rpg, 7.4apg, 2.6spg. He will never forget what his wake up call was to being overseas. “Just going to the grocery store and not being able to ask for anything was difficult, because I don’t know how to speak the language. That’s usually when you realize you need to hop on Duolingo fast”, laughed Jacob Salinero. This season with the thanks of top German agency Scorer´s First has landed in Lich that is playing in the fourth division called Regionalliga. Lich is having a very successful season competing head to head with the SC Wizards and traditional organization TV Langen for first place in the south-west standings. “The secret to the success has been great coaches and a team that already had a high level of chemistry before I arrived. Many of the players in Lich have played together for almost a decade and at various levels including BBL, Pro A, Pro B so having me being able to come in and add to already tight knit group has been extremely helpful to our success thus far”, said Jacob Salinero. The team has great players like Johanes Lischka, Noah Litzbach and Niclas Bilski. So where does Salinero fit in who is currently averaging 15,1ppg, 7,3rpg, 3,0apg and 2,6spg. “My role on the team is similar to my role at Logabirum which is to use my speed and shifty ball handling skills to create easy scoring opportunities for myself and others as well as pick up full court and keep the other team from running their offense successfully”, said Jacob Salinero. He is very fortunate to be teammates with ex easyCredit BBL player Johannes Lischka who has seen it all in the last 20 years in Germany. “ Johannes has been someone who I have been able to learn from. He has the best midrange I’ve ever seen and has a huge breath of knowledge in the game of basketball. Definitely someone I knew right away would be able to teach me a lot about the in’s and out’s of German Basketball”, stressed Jacob Salinero. I rarely saw Lischka smile on the court as he is like a tiger with that non stop focused look. How can you make him smile? “I am still trying to figure out the answer to that question to this day maybe it’s the 8th wonder of the world. In all seriousness he takes basketball with an incredibly focused approach and that’s likely why he has been so successful in his career”, stated Jacob Salinero. He continues to grow with his game and has received the perfect guidance from experienced coach Rolf Scholtz. “Rolf and Kai have both been instrumental to my success this year and they were a huge reason why I signed to play here. They both played in the Bundesliga and are constantly giving me advice about where I can improve and grow as a player. One of the things they tell me is what higher leagues look for in their point guards and how to make great choices offensively and defensively. They both have done an excellent job in making my transition to Lich as smooth as possible and I can´t say enough how appreciative I am for both of them”, added Jacob Salinero. It is always interesting to get the 2 cents from players how low leagues óverseas compare to division 2 leagues or JUCO. “In my opinion Regio 1. teams could beat a lot of D2 teams just because of how well they move the ball and consistently make correct reads on both ends of the court. Also with the addition of a high level import player on the majority of the teams it’s definitely a jump. I think the athleticism in the states is the real separator and would be the biggest reason as to why the D2 teams would be able to give Regio 1 teams some trouble”, commented Jacob Salinero.

The 185cm guard who lists LeBron, Michael Jordan, Steph, and Wilt on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore and has Lebron James as his GOAT is a player that can compare his game to many NBA players. “I wouldn’t say it’s one player but the three players I have taken the most from would be Trae Young, Jalen Brunson, and Kyrie Irving. Being exceedingly strong for my size and position allows me to guard players much taller than me well. I feel highly confident in my ability to guard in the post and against switches. Offensively utilizing my dribbling skills creatively coupled with my speed grants me the ability to create plays without ball screens and when defenses retreat to prevent drives I feel super comfortable shooting off the dribble or in catch and shoot situations. I’m in the gym everyday”, warned Jacob Salinero. At Skyline and Sonoma State he never averaged more than 6,0ppg in a season, but as a professional is suddenly a walking bucket. “Personally I have always been able to play like this it was more so just that in college I was so afraid to get subbed out or have my teammates get mad at me for making mistakes that I never tried to be aggressive. It wasn’t until I came overseas that I realized that my aggression actually helps the team and makes me 100x better. I think as players and people we all possess unique skills and it is our duty to explore them to the fullest. The best version of yourself is the one that helps the most people”, stressed Jacob Salinero. He is currently filling the stat sheet like a Russell Westbrook, but versatility isn´t his biggest strength “ I would say my biggest strength is being a winner. I don’t mean that literally in terms of winning and losing games but more so just the persistence and grit to do anything in my power to make things happen. A perfect example is what you just said about players that average 6ppg don’t usually play pro but I made it happen. You won’t find a player as dedicated as I am and that skill has carried me into being a versatile asset to the teams I have had the privilege of being a part of”, stated Jacob Salinero. This season he has scored 23 points against Saarlouis and 22 points against Bensheim, but his versatility also lets him shine as a playmaker and defender. “I grew up watching a ton of AND1 street ball and players like the Professor and Skip2MyLou always had an innate flair to passing. The more I began to understand defensive coverages and how defenses respond to dribble penetration I gained the ability of knowing what the defense would do before they did it. Then from there the reads kind of make themselves. I know if I drive from the wing which low guy is supposed to help and now the weak side is open. Combining the creativity of AND1 with conventional basketball knowledge allows me to accurately deliver on time and on target passes to shooters and cutters. I am aggressive on defense yet calculated. I watch a lot of film especially on the guards I am going to play. I’ll watch an entire game film just watching the other player I’m going to be guarding and no one else. I have found that a lot of my steals come from making calculated reads and picking on up tendencies. I want to become a guy at the point guard position that can guard ideally 1-5. Where there is no match up disadvantage defensively and I am always putting my team in good spots with rotations”, warned Jacob Salinero. It will be interesting to observe how the journey overseas of Jacob Salinero will keep progressing. The guy definitely has the right attitude and correct work ethic. I would love to see him make the next step next season in Pro B in Germany. One thing is for sure, no matter how his career goes, he will always have paradise with Half Moon Bay to go home to every summer. No matter the mood, that will always keep him happy.