The up and down play of the 8-8 Dragons Rhondorf continues. The good news was that they were at home again in their own living room. But this season that unfortunately doesn´t mean anything when your 3-4 at home. The team is fighting for the playoffs and desperately needs to go on a run. They are only 4-4 since December ist and there doesn´t seem to be any rapid development. Winning doesn´t come easy anymore and it didn´t get any easier with the 10-6 Fellbach Flashers who continue to sparkle in the Pro B since arriving last season. They are a team with veterans and top bigs with Daniel Mayr and Brian Butler and a hungry and talented American with Malik Whitaker (198-G-2000, college: Fort Lewis, agency: Starting 5) The Dragons had some confidence going into the game remembering beating Fellbach on the road 78-75, but that game was the first of the season and since then the guests had improved. On a mild Saturday evening in Bad Honnef, fans in the Dragon Dome witnessed the debut of New head coach Marko Zarovic who had replaced Stephan Doehrn only few days earlier. Would a change in the team´s play occur? It definitely didn´t show at the start, but throughout the game, the Dragons Rhondorf heightened their game every quarter until the end, but they never got over the hump despite fighting hard for 40 minutes. “We got better every quarter, but when you dig such a big hole,it is just really difficult to come back especially against a good team like Fellbach. We played with so much energy in the last 3 quarters that it was contagious for our offense”, stressed Dragons Rhondorf guard Kelvin Omojola. Offensively Fellbach had their ups and downs, but defensively they played very well except for the third quarter where they allowed 32 points. The Flashers continue to play great basketball despite not having Zaire Thompson and Mickey De Souza than more than a month. “We did a good job sticking to the game plan for 40 minutes. We played great defense and were disciplined. Despite being banged up, we had others step up”, stressed Fellbach Flasher Malik Whitaker

Brian Butler at the FT line

In the first quarter the game was at eye level for the first minutes, but The Fellbach Flashers found to their game then going on a 26-7 run to lead by 21 points after 10 minutes. It was no secret that it would be a massive mismatch having 218cm giant Daniel Mayr battling against the undersized Dragons team. In the first few minutes, Mayr who played 1 Euroleague game with FC Bayern Munich scored 6 points and dominated the paint area. The Dragons Rhondorf also tried to go inside getting a basket from Ohio native Tim Smith Jr and free throws by German Janne Muller, but Fellbach led 10-6. Fellbach then really found their game going on a 13-2 run to lead 23-8. Brian Butler led the charge with 5 points like Mayr dominating the paint area with his quick moves while the team also got great support from their role player Jeremy Kolev who scored 4 points and Nikola Jekov also scored. “Jeremy has been big for us since the new year. We always knew he could play. His hard work has paid off as he has become a starter. He makes big plays for us”, warned Malik Whitaker Fellbach was playing with great intensity at both ends, had a stifling zone on display, got transition baskets and dominated the boards. The Dragons Rhondorf couldn´t hit the ocean and couldn´t get the 50/50 balls. Young German Kenan Reinhardt made a rare three pointer and Kelvin Omojola a lay in, but all in all their offense wasn´t moving the ball well and were forced to tough shots as Fellbach were everywhere on defense. On offense, they got 5 points from ex JUCO player Malik Whitaker and Lithuanian guard Tauras Ulevicius nailed a three pointer as Fellbach led 36-15 after 10 minutes. Fellbach shot 72% from the 2 point area and 25% from outside and had 17 rebounds and 3 turnovers while the Dragons Rhondorf shot 33% from the 2 point area and 14% from outside and had 7 rebounds and 6 turnovers. “We weren´t ready to play. We knew they had size, but they still punished under the glass. They also had a good zone which we had prepared for”, said Kelvin Omojola.

Marco Rahn at the FT line

The Dragons Rhondorf upped their play in the second quarter especially defensively as they allowed only 15 points, but they couldn´t make up much of the deficit and still trailed by 17 points at the break. The Dragons Rhondorf woke up going on a 10-5 run to cut the Flashers lead down to 41-25. In the run, their mind set was more positive than the first quarter and was more aggressive at both ends. That led to an offensive rebound and put back by Danas Kazakevicius and offensive rebound and hook shot by ex Bayreuth center Marco Rahn while Marco Rosic hit a clutch trey. The Dragons were reborn on the boards as they had the 9-2 rebound edge in that phase. Fellbach didn´t have the easy shots anymore as they had more contested shots. But Fellbach fought back and moved the ball better and got 2 three´s from Texas native Malik Whitaker and a left handed hook shot by ex Schwelm center Daniel Mayr as Fellbach extended their lead to 50-28. The Dragons remained aggressive getting to the free throw line as Smith, Kazakevicius and Reinhart scored, but they still had a long trek to the peak as they trailed 51-34 after 20 minutes. “We were flying on defense. We were helping each other, had good communication and were simply all on the same page. Our defense was huge and kept us in the game”, stated Kelvin Omojola.The Fellbach Flashers shot 61% from the 2 point area and 33% from the three point line and had 23 rebounds and 8 turnovers and the Dragons Rhondorf shot 32% from the 2 point area and 11% from the three point line and 26 rebounds and 9 turnovers.

Daniel Mayr in the pain area

In the third quarter the surge of the Dragons Rhondorf continued as they exploded for 32 points and all of a sudden trailed only by 10 points after 10 minutes. The Dragons Rhondorf are a strong offensive team and only time will tell when they will break out and they finally did going on a 16-9 run to trail 63-50. The Dragons finally let it rain three´s as Omojola connected twice as did Antonio Pilipovic and Marco Rahn. Rhondorf´s offense was clicking, but here and there still sloppy getting unneeded turnovers while on defense continued to be all over the court making it difficult for Fellbach to execute. But Fellbach always had an answer. Once they faced adversary, they came back with a 8-2 run to extend their lead to 71-52 as Ulevicius and Whitaker connected for three pointers. “Whitaker is a great player. He is so smooth and polished. He made us pay with his three pointer. It was pick your poison”, stated Kelvin Omojola. The only bright spot in the run for the Dragons was a nifty behind the back pass from Pilipovic to Smith Jr for the easy lay in. “We know that Antonio can pass like that. In practice he is always calling the Doncic pass. He is a great passer”, commented Kelvin Omojola. But Rhondorf stayed tough and on the door step of Fellbach as Janne Muller hit a trey and ex Schwenningen guard Alexander Lagerman for a lay in as the Dragons trailed 73-60. Despite a trey by Nik Schlipf, the Dragons continued to execute getting lay in´s by Smith Jr and Lagerman and Fellbach led 76-66 after 30 minutes. “We knew that they were a good team and strong at home. We also knew they would go on a run. They couldn´t stay cold that long. We never got down”, stated Malik Whitaker “We continued to bring energy and our three finally fell. We were getting stops and our good defense led to our offense”, added Kelvin Omojola. The Fellbach Flashers shot 61% from the 2 point area and 41% from the parking lot and had 28 rebounds and 12 turnovers while the Dragons Rhondorf shot 43% from the field and 29% from the parking lot and 31 rebounds and 13 turnovers.

Alexander Lagerman with the lay in

Defensively the Dragons Rhondorf saved their best for last allowing only 11 points, but still couldn´t get over the hump never trailing by less than 5 points as they mustered only 16 points in the last quarter. The Dragons came out with fire going on a 6-2 run to trail Fellbach only 78-72 as Muller and Rahn made lay in´s and Reinhart a floater. However Fellbach made clutch baskets to keep punching back going on a 4-0 run as Jekov made a lay in and Butler a tip in to lead 82-72. Then it was time for the Dragons to punch back as they made key stops and went on a 5-0 run to trail only 82-77 as Mueller made a lay in and Omojola a trey. Mayr and Kazakevicius then traded baskets as Fellbach led 84-79 with 1,23 to play. The Dragons Rhondorf had their opportunities. Brian Butler missed 2 free throws, but Muller came back and missed. Tim Smith Jr then made a lay in with 19 seconds to play as Fellbach still led 85-81. Then Rhondorf forced a turnover to get the ball back with 18,2 seconds, but then coughed up the ball. Whitaker then sealed the win with free throws. “Our bread and butter our defense was key at the end. We remained locked in and disciplined. They were physical and hit tough shots, but we withstood their pressure”, said Malik Whitaker “We didn´t run out of gas. Turnovers hurt us. Good teams like them will make you pay”, expressed Kelvin Omojola. The Fellbach Flashers were led by Malik Whitaker with 27 points. Daniel Mayer, Brian Butler and Jeremy Kolev chipped in with 12 points a piece while the Dragons Rhondorf were led by Tim Smith Jr with 17 points. Marco Rahn added 12 points and Janne Muller 11 points. The Fellbach Flashers shot 46% from the field and 33% from outside and had 42 rebounds and 18 turnovers while the Dragons Rhondorf shot 35% from the field and 23% from outside and had 47 rebounds and 16 turnovers.

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.