Science City Jena

There Was No Curse As The Fraport Skyliners Survive The Science City Jena Scare Winning 67-65

The weekend was supposed to start off with a bang for the Fraport Skyliners as the easyCredit BBL season was winding down with three games remaining as they were involved in a playoff dog fight with s.Oliver Wurzburg for the eighth and last place. Instead of beginning the weekend with a big victory in Berlin, the 2004 BBL champion stunk up the building so badly losing 106-69 that even NBA legend Jack Sikma who was watching his son Luke play must have thought did Frankfurt really deserve that? The embarrassing loss in Berlin brought back putrid memories from more than 10 years ago when coaches like Charles Barton and Murat Didin had to exit the then O2 arena with nasty 20 plus point slap in the face loses. The only positive effect to the lousy evening was that Wurzburg battled hard in Ludwigsburg, but ran out of gas in the second half losing 87-77. The Fraport Skyliners had one win more than the Bavarian team, but also knew that if they ended up late Tuesday afternoon tied in the standings that they would have an early summer vacation as Wurzburg would get that last ticket because they had the better head to head record. Wurzburg had an easy road game in Tuebingen while Frankfurt welcomed Science City Jena who had beat Giessen at home 48 hours earlier by 21 points and wanted to end their season in fine fashion as they were resting in 13^th place. Even if this was a huge must win for the Fraport Skyliners, it is always a delight for the fans to be able to observe three BBL legends of Derrick Allen aged 37, Julius Jenkins aged 37 and Immanuel Mcelroy aged 38 for another time as these guys just don´t want to quit. When looking at the three Americans, you see unending experience and the three role models combined share 112 years of age. The three players brought combined 43 professional seasons into this season including 38 seasons in Germany displaying their amazing dedication to playing in Germany. The three BBL legends also aren´t short on titles as combined they share 13 professional titles and they share 11 BBL allstar appearances. The three also share 1,163 BBL games, 268 international club games and 66 Euroleague games experience. You could almost call them brothers as all three have a dedication to the game and their body that has allowed them to play so long into their thirties. Unfortunately for the fans only 1/3 of the three legends were active as Jenkins and Mcelroy didn´t make the trip due to injuries, but the Fraport Skyliners still struggled very badly as with a lot of breaks at the end, they didn´t witness a curse, but got around it surviving the guests 67-65.

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber and Chicago Bull Paul Zipser in the Fraport arena after the 67-65 Fraport Skyliners win against Science City Jena

There was a short span midway through the fourth quarter where it seemed like the basketball God had had it with the Fraport Skyliners and had set a curse on them. First Quantez Robertson made a steal, turned around and collided into Mike Morrison forcing a turnover, Robertson then missed two free throws and Tai Webster missed an easy lay up. Frankfurt was doing all it could to lose, but somehow the basketball God turned it´s head the other way in the last minute as Frankfurt escaped Science City Jena with a 67-65 victory. Mr Canada Philip Scrubb was calm after the win, but knew they had to quickly forget this loss and get focused for Oldenburg as a win there on Tuesday and a Wurzburg loss against Bayreuth would send them to the playoffs. “We toughed out a win. They hit shots early and quickly had confidence. We didn´t respond well to that and were sloppy taking care of the ball. We´ll take the win. There was no curse, but sometimes when you go through adversary, you don´t always get the bounces, but we did get the stops when we needed to. I hope we get all the right bounces on Tuesday in Oldenburg”, stressed Fraport Skyliner guard Philip Scrubb.

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Kyle Weaver (Science City Jena) Getting To The NBA Is Easy But Sticking There Is Hard

Kyle Weaver is a 32 year old 198cm shooting guard from Beloit, Wisconsin playing his 10^th professional season and first with Science City Jena. He started his career with Washington State and helped them reach the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2008 and was able to improve his scoring each season. As a senior he averaged 12.2ppg, 5.3rpg, AssistsConf-4(4.3apg), StealsConf-4(1.7spg), FGP: 46.3%, 3PT: 36.4%, FT: 73.3%: Is the first player in Pac-10 history to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 400 assists, 175 steals and 75 blocked shots in a career. Finished collegiate career ranked second in assists in Washington State history with 465, third in steals with 188, seventh in blocked shots with 93 and 17th in scoring with 1,162 points. He played in the D-league and NBA from 2008-2011. He played two seasons with the Oklahoma Thunder and briefly with the Utah jazz. He played in countries like Belgium, Germany, Italy, Israel, Poland and Greece. He spoke to German Hoops before the game against the Fraport Skyliners.

Thanks Kyle for talking to German Hoops. I remember your second season in Europe with Alba Berlin. That was 6 seasons ago. Since then you have played for 7 teams and in 4 countries. Has time flown by?

I remember my time with Alba Berlin well. Now that I look back at that time, you realize how much you have done and it´s scary. I´m happy to be back in Germany. At that time I didn´t think I would be back in Germany ever again, but now I´m back. With my bad situation with Aris, it´s great to be with Science City Jena especially being together with great teammates.

Now your back in Germany and playing with your 7^th team in Europe with Science City Jena. Your on a team now that boasts 3 BBL legends with Derrick Allen, Julius Jenkins and Immanuel McElroy. Did your arrival in Jena feel like a school reunion since you had battled two of them back with Alba Berlin and had Allen as a teammate?

I remember my time well with Alba Berlin and being teammates with Derrick Allen. Jenkins was playing with Bamberg and MEelroy was with Braunschweig. I always had a lot of respect for those guys and just with normal research had known what they had done in their career. I never knew those two at a personal level until now. It is really cool being able to know them better now at a more deeper level. They aren´t only great players, but great dudes.

The goal of Science City Jena was too stay in the BBL and they accomplished that early on. You have played with so many teams in your career and had many different roles. What kind of role have you had with Jena?

It is never easy coming into a new situation in mid season. It is always a challenge for all. The funny thing more than often guys go to a new team thinking about themselves and their roles, but guys don´t think how their arrival will effect the roles of the others. Coach has allowed me too be myself which is important. Coach Harmsen hasn´t wanted me too do too much or to little on the court. He has kept me honest. Allen, Jenkins and Mcelroy have pushed me too do more and always be aggressive. They want me to be a key player and that has built my confidence. In the last few weeks, I haven´t thought too much, but just played.

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Richard Freudenberg Watches The Fraport Skyliners Three Point Crunch Time Party Overpower Science City Jena 69-61

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber´s first encounter with Immanuel Mcelroy in the locker room after he won the 2005 BBL cup with Rhein Energie Köln in Frankfurt

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber interviewing BBL identity figure Immanuel Mcelroy of Science City Jena after 69-61 loss in Frankfurt

The highlight for Easter for any child is too be able to go into the yard and explore and hunt for those chocolate easter eggs that are already melting in their mouth, but if you are an old school BBL basketball fan in Frankfurt the gigantic highlight on Easter Monday is entering the Fraport arena and seeing two real professional basketball dinosaurs playing together and still playing the game they love with Julius Jenkins and Immanuel Mcelroy. Which one of these BBL legends would come away with the most chocolate eggs if they would have a contest is difficult to determine, but it would definitely be a very competitive match. You obviously cant compare these two BBL veterans to future NBA legends, but their longevity, importance and play in the German BBL can be compared to the likes of the Lebron´s and Melo´s of the league. These two BBL players just keep coming back and don´t want to retire. Jenkins is 36 and Mcelroy is 37 and still going strong. Their longevity speaks for itself as combined they have played up to this season a total of 630 BBL games and 201 international club games and share 10 titles between them. The massive experience doesn´t end there as there is also Wayne Bernard who rounds out the trio as he is 35 and is only playing his 5^th BBL season but 9^th straight season in Germany and can boast 136 BBL games going into this season. Jenkins and Mcelroy have been BBL identity figures for over 10 years and it will be a sad day in German basketball when these two retire, so there were probably quite a few Skyliner fans that were hoping that this wasn´t their last appearance in Frankfurt. However the Frankfurt fans only had Immanuel Mcelroy to observe as Julius Jenkins was out with an injury and saw how Science City Jena dominated in the first half, but fell apart in the second half as a hot shooting Jenkins was dearly missed as they lost 69-61. After the defeat, Mcelroy was stretching his sore muscles and if his words of retirement were really genuine after the loss was hard to tell, but if he keeps battling guys like Quantez Robertson on a regular basis who make him go to his limit then this might have been his last game in Frankfurt. “It is always fun to play against a competitor like Robertson who does everything on the court. I respect him a lot and how he competes at both ends of the court”, stressed ex Alba Berlin guard Immanuel Mcelroy. For Quantez Robertson, it is no different in that he is only 4 years younger than Mcelroy, but has had numerous battles with the ex Braunschweig player over the years. “It is always fun to play against him, because he competes at both ends of the court. We both know each others moves well and try to trick the other one”, stressed ex Auburn star Quantez Robertson.

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Wayne Bernard (Science City Jena) Sometimes A Simple One Second Look With A Head-Nod And Jenkins And Mcelroy Immediately Know What I’m Trying To Say

Wayne Bernard is a 35 year old 190cm guard from Poway, California playing his 14^th professional season and ninth in Germany and third with Science City Jena. He started his basketball career at Davidson(NCAA) in 1999 where he played until 2003 playing a total of 99 NCAA games and as a senior played 27 games averaging 15.1ppg, 3.3rpg, 5.4apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 41.7%, 3PT: 38.1%, FT: 83.3%. He turned professional in 2003 and in his first five seasons played in Israel, Greece, Sweden, France and Finland. In 2008 he moved to Germany and has continued to play here playing three seasons with the Mitteldeutscher BC helping them move to the BBL in 2009, and then also gained further experience with Giessen, Ludwigsburg and Nurnberg. He spoke to German Hoops during the Christmas holidays before playing his 150^th BBL game against the Fraport Skyliners.

Wayne thanks for talking to German Hoops. This is your ninth season in Germany. Could one say that Germany has become your second home?

Yes it definitely is. I have really grown to love the country. Definitely a lot different from the States, and “home” will always be “home”, but Germany has treated me so well these past nine seasons and I’ve appreciated my time being here.

This is also your ninth Christmas in Germany. What have you come to appreciate most about the holiday season in Germany and if you had to choose between Weissenfels, Giessen, Ludwigsburg, Nurnberg and Jena which city have you enjoyed most in this time?

CHRISTMAS MARKETS! By far. We don’t have many of these in the US, and the ones that are there, do not compare to the how big they are in Germany. I know everybody loves the Glühwein at the Christmas markets, but my favorite thing to buy when I’m there are the “Gebackene Mandeln” (baked almonds), especially when they are warm. The city I’ve enjoyed the most during this time? Very difficult to say. But if I had to pick one, I would say Weissenfels in the year 2010. I say this because that was the first year my mother had ever been to Europe and she came to visit me. Watching her having a new experience in a new culture was like watching a child open their favorite Christmas present. It was great to see someone her age “become a happy child” again.

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Another Day At The Office For Myles Hesson With An Ally-Op Dunk, Big Free Throws And A 84-75 Victory For Giessen Over Science City Jena In Game 3

When one looks back to game one last weekend and compare it to game three, there were so many parallel´s that one could have thought that coaches Bjoern Harmsen and Denis Wucherer might be writing a new book together as everything on the court seemed to have a certain chapter involved and both were eying towards a game five with a whole new chapter with no known ending. If a game five happens depends on the outcome of game four, but in game one Giessen had a Comfortable lead at half time, Science City Jena came back in the second half, a crushing Myles Hesson aly-op dunk as well as big free throws and a game deciding Garrett Sim play and in game three all these things were repeated again as if the basketball God had wanted it and in both games Giessen survived at the end to win 84-75 for a 2-1 series lead. A major difference in game 3 was that mascot Fabius was back again with his child Fabi as their horsing around on the court as for some reason they hadn´t been around on the court in game one. “It has been a crazy series with all games being close. There has been a special energy in each game and Jena fought back again. We kept our composure at the end and just focused on making shots and plays”, added Ex Temple(NCAA) guard TJ DiLeo. For Science City Jena all the energy and heart that they left on the court wasn´t rewarded with a win as it was obvious that they wanted the win so bad. “We made a comeback in the fourth and really wanted the win so badly. We played great defense and pressed well. My turnover at the end and Sim missed shots were key. You can´t change what the ref calls. We weren´t able to keep our composure at the end with the Sim game misconduct”, added Green Bay native Dennis Tinnon.

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Myles Hesson Hits Big Free Throws As The Giessen 46ers Squeak Out A 75-74 Nail Bitter against Science City Jena in Game One.

Fans in Giessen weren´t disappointed as they witnessed an exciting second half and were able to close out their Saturday night with a smile as the 46ers were able to Slip by ex Beko BBL team Science City Jena 75-74. Giessen dominated the first half of play, but Science City Jena fought back in the second half as Giessen didn´t come to terms with their more aggressive defense and trapping and had the chance to win the game on a last possession, but were denied as the off balance jumper by American Garrett Sim didn´t fall as it rattled of the back end of the rim. “Giessen made their shots in the first half as Bennett got hot. We made adjustments on defense and were more aggressive on defense. It was tough to loose this game. We fought so hard to get back into the game. The series still has a lot of games, so I hope we can take the energy of this game into game two”, stated Oregon native Garrett Sim. For Giessen, it was a great start to the series as they remained unbeaten against Jena this season winning for the third time. “It was great winning the game. It was the first time for me in a playoff game and I know from watching NBA how much emotion there is in these games. The game can always be up and down. We really wanted to win this game”, stated California native Steven Bennett.

The Giessen 46ers got off to the better start in the first quarter going out on a 13-4 run as they had no problem scoring against the lax Science City Jena zone. Bennett got hot rapidly and didn´t hesitate to shoot as he scored three buckets in a row. Rob Chubb also gave support with a pretty spin move. Science City Jena countered with a mini 4-0 run as 217cm German big man Daniel Mayr who is rumoured to be headed to FC Bayern Munich next season scored inside and American Dorenzo Hudson made a hard dunk soaring to the basket from the wing as Jena trailed 13-8. Giessen kept up the pressure on offense as now it was time for ex Ulm player Myles Hesson to score three consecutive baskets as Giessen led 20-9. After a another Mayr hoop, American TJ DiLeo ended the first quarter with two consecutive three pointers as Giessen led 27-11. Giessen was playing potent offense and kept Science City Jena off guard as when they did force turnovers, they led to easy buckets for Giessen. Giessen was shooting an astronomical 53% from the field and 46% from outside while Science City Jena was shooting 33% from the field and 0% form outside. Giessen had the 12-9 rebound edge, and had three turnovers while Science City Jena had four turnovers.

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Dorenzo Hudson (Science City Jena) I Will Take A Lot From This Experience Playing For Bjoern Harmsen

Dorenzo Hudson is a 26 year old 195cm guard from Charlotte, North Carolina playing his second season as a professional for German Pro A team Science City Jena. He played at Virginia Tech (NCAA) from 2008-2012 and in his senior year played 33 games: 10.9ppg, 2.8rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 43.7%, 3PT: 33.0%, FT: 81.5%. Last season as a rookie he played for Zalakeramia-ZTE KK (Hungary-A Division): 24 games: 13.9ppg, 5.7rpg, 1.1apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 52.4%, 3PT: 29.4%, FT: 70.4%. He spoke to German Hoops about basketball.

Thanks Dorenzo for talking to Eurobasket.com. Where are you at the moment in Germany and how was your day?

It’s great! How is yours?

You are playing your second professional season in Germany with Science City Jena. How do you like Germany? I am sure it is a lot different than Hungry.

From a personal perspective; Germany has a lot to offer culturally. I really enjoyed Hungary but the language barrier was a little tough on me. In Germany I run into more people that I can converse with which makes things easier. I met some great people in Hungary as well and will forever cherish that experience. I have been pleasantly surprised with how prepared the coaches have been in my European experience in both leagues, Germany and Hungray. Professionally- the pace and style of the game here is different. Ironically I thrive in an up tempo style and Most of the teams here play fast. It really allows me to get out in transition and make things happen.

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Dennis Tinnon (Sciene City Jena) This Year people Will Get A True Grip What Type Of Player I Really Am

Dennis Tinnon is a 24 year old 203cm forward from Green Bay, Wisconsin. He is starting his professional basketball career for Science City Jena. He played at Kansas City (Kan) (CC) from 2009-2011 and then transfered to Marshall (NCAA) and in his senior year played 32 games: 10.5ppg, 9.1rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 50.9%, 3PT: 31.0%, FT: 64.5%. he spoke to German Hoops about basketball.

Dennis the summer is winding down and you are about to start your professional career. How was your summer and what was the coolist thing that you experienced this summer?

I had a really great summer got to spend a lot of time with my family and catch up with a lot of friends one of the most amazing experience this summer was watching my son begin to crawl its always great to be there for those moments that are important in your child’s life

You just signed with pro A team Science City Jena. What were the main reasons for you to sign at Jena?

I made the decision to sign with Science city because I feel like they are a great team what the potential to do amazing this year and I feel like starting in Germany is a great opportunity for my career I look forward to meeting the people and immersing myself in their culture.

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The Rapid 10 Miles Questions Basketball Exchange With Larry Cunningham(Science City Jena)

Larry Cunningham is a 25 year old 190cm guard that was born in Camden, New Jersey and grew up outside Los Angeles in Downey, California. He played at Cal.St.-Riverside (NCAA) from 2004-2008. In his senior year, he played 30 games: averaging 16.3ppg, 3.0rpg, 1.4apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 40.3%, 3Pts: 32.3%, FT: 82.5%. He scored 31 points against Hawaii to surpass Howard Lee (1969-72) and became UCR ‘s all-time leading scorer. He is an NBA level athlete who possesses high speed and strength which enables him to compete at the highest level. He has a quick release and the ability to create his own shot off the dribble and finishes well around the basket. He is an outstanding rebounder who likes to crash the boards, is aggressive one on one defender with impressive foot speed. He came to Europe in 2008 and as a rookie played in Holland for Landstede Basketbal Zwolle (Holland-Eredivisie, starting five): 33 games: 13.8ppg, 3.4rpg, 2.8apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 44.8%, 3PT: 29.1%, FT: 75.6%. He signed with Science City Jena and took the rapid 10 Miles questions basketball exchange for German Hoops talking basketball.

You played in Holland last season for Landstede Basketbal Zwolle (Holland-Eredivisie, starting five): 33 games: 13.8ppg, 3.4rpg, 2.8apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 44.8%, 3PT: 29.1%, FT: 75.6%. Now your playing in Germany for Science City Jena in PRO A. What do you expect from the league?

The league is going to be very competitive this year. A lot of competition from top to bottom and I’m excited to be part of that.

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