– David Hein
First off, we hope you all had a nice Christmas season. The news starts with the unfortunate news that ALBA BERLIN head coach Aito Garcia Reneses has tested positive for Covid-19 but is not showing any symptoms. We wish him all the best. On the court, MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg and HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim both continue to roll on while JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers finally collected their first victory - leaving RASTA Vechta as the only winless team in the league.
In this section, we break out our English language skills and inform you about the latest news from the German easyCredit Basketball Bundesliga. If you’re short on time but still want your fill of Germany’s top basketball league then you are in the right place. Every week David Hein (www.heinnews.com) brings you up-to-date in German basketball – the easyCredit BBL short and sweet:
Berlin head coach Aito tests positive for Covid-19, MBC game postponed
ALBA BERLIN head coach Aito Garcia Reneses tested positive for the SARS CoV-2 virus which has resulted in the postponement of Berlin’s game with SYNTAINICS MBC. The positive test came on December 24 for the 74-year-old coach, who is not showing any symptoms of the Covid-19 virus and is being isolated at home and in contact with Berlin’s medical staff. We all wish Coach Aito all the best.
Ludwigsburg still perfect at home after win over Würzburg
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg remained perfect at home this season with an 87-72 victory over s.Oliver Würzburg. Ludwigsburg nearly blew an 18 point lead as Würzburg went on a 15-0 run to pull within two points but the hosts regained control and went to 5-0 at home and 8-1 overall and Würzburg fell to 3-6. Ludwigsburg hit 20-of-24 free throws compared to 10-of-13 for Würzburg, who also hit just 41.3 percent from the field. Jaleen Smith flirted with a triple-double with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists and Tremmell Darden scored 13 points. Cameron Hunt paced Würzburg with 15 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists.
Ludwigsburg routs Chemnitz in Round 8 blowout
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg remained hot and cruised to a 114-91 rout of NINERS Chemnitz in Round 8. Ludwigsburg led 54-41 at halftime and never looked back in picking up their fifth straight win to move to 7-1 while Chemnitz dropped to 0-8. Ludwigsburg committed only eight turnovers while forcing 18 Chemnitz turnovers. Barry Brown scored 28 points and Jaleen Smith had 23 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists and 7 steals in the win. George King scored 19 points for Chemnitz while Joe Lawson picked up 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Crailsheim extend winning streak to five with win at Vechta
HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim extended their winning streak to five games as they grabbed a 98-81 road victory over RASTA Vechta. Crailsheim lost a 14-point first quarter lead and trailed by six points in the third quarter but Vechta scored just seven points in the frame and saw Crailsheim reel off a 22-0 run for an 8-1 record while Vechta sit at 0-9. Vechta committed 20 turnovers while Crailsheim hit 53.7 percent from the field. Trae Bell-Haynes collected 23 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals and Haywood Highsmith picked up 12 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals in the win. Jean Salumu led Vechta with 22 points while new addition Ike Iroegbu and Dennis Cliford both had 13 points.
Crailsheim pull away from Frankfurt in fourth in Round 8 action
HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim pulled away in the fourth quarter to knock off FRAPORT SKYLINERS 76-64 in Round 8 for their fourth win in a row. Crailsheim used a 9-0 run in the final frame to take control and improve to 7-1 while Frankfurt fell to 2-5. Crailsheim committed just eight turnovers and won the rebound battle 47-37, including 18 offensive rebounds to off-set shooting just 35.2 percent. Trae Bell-Haynes led the way with 21 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists and Tim Coleman had 13 points and 9 rebounds in the win. Matt Mobley paced Frankfurt with 14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.
Bayern too strong for Bamberg in home win
FC Bayern Munich used a big third quarter to grab an 84-70 home victory over Brose Bamberg as Bayern head coach Andrea Trinchieri was facing the team he led to three German league crowns and one German Cup. Bayern took the third quarter 22-10 and moved to 7-1 while Bamberg fell to 4-4. Bayern committed just 10 turnovers and shot 58.2 percent from the field. Jalen Reynolds scored 17 points in just 10 minutes and Nick Weiler-Babb also excelled off the Bayern bench with 13 points and 4 assists as the Munich starters combined for just 34 points. David Kravish was the only Bamberg player in double figures with 13 points and 9 rebounds.
Giessen finally pick up first win, knock off Bayreuth on road
JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers collected their first victory of the season as they knocked off medi bayreuth 110-99 at home. Giessen took control in the fourth quarter when they scored 39 points in moving to 1-8 while Bayreuth have lost four straight for a 3-6 record. Giessen connected on 56.9 percent from the field and were led by Jonathan Stark’s 21 points and 5 assists while Isaac Hamilton scored 20 points and Brandon Bowman added 17 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Frank Bartley paced Bayreuth with 27 points.
Bonn grab second win with home victory over Giessen in Round 8
Telekom Baskets Bonn collected their second victory of the season as they defeated JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers 81-68 at home in Round 8 action. Bonn used a 23-0 first quarter run to lead 31-16 after 10 minutes and were never challenged the rest of the way for a 2-6 record with Giessen still winless at 0-8. Bonn held Giessen to just 34.3 percent shooting in the victory in which Deividas Gailius scored 18 points, Strahinja Micovic had 16 points and Leon Kratzer chipped in 9 points and 12 rebounds. Johannes Richter was Giessen’s main weapon with 14 points and 7 rebounds.
Oldenburg come back to hand Ulm next loss
EWE Baskets Oldenburg handed ratiopharm ulm their second straight loss by grabbing an 89-86 road victory. Ulm led by 14 points in the second quarter but Nathan Boothe hit two free throws with 18 seconds left and Troy Caupain’s potential game-tying three-pointer was off target. Oldenburg now are 7-2 after three straight wins and Ulm fell to 5-2. Oldenburg took the rebound battle 38-28 and held Ulm to just 42.9 percent shooting. Keith Hornsby and Rickey Paulding both scored 16 points and Boothe had 15 points. Dylan Osetkowski was again outstanding for Ulm with 20 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals and Andreas Obst scored 16 points in the loss.
Ulm, Landers part ways, loan Lanmüller to Tübingen
ratiopharm ulm have parted ways with Trey Landers after the American has played less and less of a role with the club. Ulm made another move as they sent young talent Timo Lanmüller on loan to ProA second division team Tübinger Tigers, who are led by former Ulm youth coach Danny Jansson.
MBC win fourth straight in Round 8 to keep Vechta winless
SYNTAINICS MBC extended their winning streak to four games by defeating RASTA Vechta 82-72 in Round 8 action. MBC led 26-9 after 10 minutes and the lead was as big as 26 points before Vechta made it a bit more respectable. MBC moved to 4-4 and Vechta dropped to 0-8. MBC drained 12-of-36 from three-point range while Vechta went just 6-of-22 from deep. Quinton Hooker led MBC with 14 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists while David Brembly, Sergio Kerusch and Shavon Coleman all scored 13 points. Jean Salumu was Vechta’s leading scorer with 17 points with Josh Young and Dennis Clifford chipping in 14 points each.
Vechta sign Nigerian national team guard Iroegbu
RASTA Vechta reacted to their early season struggles and hope they have found help with the addition of combo guard Ike Iroegbu. The 25-year-old Nigerian international played in the FIBA AfroBasket 2021 Qualifiers in November and will be making his second stint in the easyCredit BBL after he played for Science City Jena in 2018-19.
Mobley gives Frankfurt overtime home win over Braunschweig
Matt Mobley drained three three-pointers in overtime as FRAPORT SKYLINERS prevailed 103-98 at home over Basketball Löwen Braunschweig. Ten points was the biggest lead for either team and Frankfurt never trailed in the final three quarter and the extra session, where Mobley hit 13 of his 31 points as Frankfurt moved to 3-5 and Braunschweig dropped to 4-4. Frankfurt hit 31-of-36 free throws compared to 15-of-24 foul shots for Braunschweig, who actually out-shot the hosts from the floor 50.0 percent to 49.2 percent. Helping out Mobley was Rasheed Moore with 16 points and 5 rebounds. Karim Jallow led Braunschweig with 23 points and 7 rebounds while Bryon Allen had 21 points and 7 assists, Lukas Meisner picked up 18 points and 9 rebounds, James Robinson chipped in 16 points and 8 assists and Gavin Schilling added 12 points and 9 rebounds in the loss.
Oldenburg roll past Göttingen on road in Round 8
EWE Baskets Oldenburg took care of business on the road by knocking off BG Göttingen 89-73 in a Round 8 game. Oldenburg took over in the second quarter and blew the game open in the third in moving to 6-2 while Göttingen have now lost five straight for a 2-6 record. Oldenburg drained 13-of-26 three-pointers (50.0 percent) while Göttingen hit just 6-of-18 (33.3 percent) from long range. Nathan Boothe paced the winners with 25 points while Philipp Schwethelm scored 12 points and Rasid Mahalbasic chipped in 11 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. Göttingen, whose coach Roel Moors was kicked out of the game after two technicals, were led by Tai Odiase with 22 points and 7 rebounds.
Chemnitz shoot way to road blowout of Hamburg
NINERS Chemnitz used a blistering hot shooting night from downtown in rolling to a 95-75 road victory over Hamburg Towers. Chemnitz gained control of the game in the third quarter and pulled away in the final frame for their second win in three games and a 2-7 record while Hamburg have dropped two of three and are now 6-2. Hamburg shot just 38.6 percent from the field while Chemnitz connected on 67.4 percent, including a white-hot 63.2 percent three-pointers. Wes Clark picked up 18 points and 5 assists in the win with Malte Ziegenhagen scoring 13 points and Isiaha Mike tallying 13 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. TJ Shorts was Hamburg’s leading scorer with 19 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals.
Bonn use long distance barrage to beat Göttingen at home
Telekom Baskets Bonn used a barrage of three-pointers to defeat BG Göttingen 102-87 at home. Bonn pulled away in the third quarter in winning their third game in the last four for a 3-6 record while Göttingen have lost six straight and are 2-7. Bonn committed only 10 turnovers and shot 57.4 percent for the game including 18-of-33 (54.5 percent) on threes with Göttingen knocking down 7-of-14 triples. Josh Hagins scored 27 points with 6 three-pointers and 5 assists while Strahinja Micovic had 23 points and Chris Babb added 20 points and 7 assists. Tai Odiase tallied 20 points and 12 rebounds in the loss and Jorge Gutierez added 19 points and 8 assists.
Göttingen bring in Deishaun Booker to help backcourt
BG Göttingen have run into tough times with six straight losses and a 2-7 record and reacted by signing Deishaun Booker for the rest of the season. The 23-year-old guard played earlier this season with Polish club Anwil Wloclawek. Göttingen head coach Roel Moors knows Booker from the Basketball Champions League as he played Moors’ Brose Bamberg twice with Czech Republic powers ERA Nymburk last season.
Player(s) of the Week(s)
The magic number in last week’s action was 31 as two players registered an efficiency of 31 in each of the two rounds. Nathan Boothe scored 25 points on 10-of-13 shots and 1-of-1 free throw to go along with 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 block for an efficiency of 31 for EWE Baskets Oldenburg against BG Göttingen in Round 8. Jaleen Smith also had a 31 efficiency as he had 23 points on 10-of-19 shots and 1-of-1 free throw, 3 rebounds, 7 assists and 7 steals for MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg against NINERS Chemnitz. Smith matched the 31 efficiency in Round 9 with 22 points on 6-of-16 shooting and 10-of-10 free throws, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal and 1 block against s.Oliver Würzburg. The other 31 efficiency in Round 9 went to Josh Hagins of Telekom Baskets Bonn as he had 27 points on 10-of-23 shooting and 1-of-2 free throws, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal against BG Göttingen.
German Top Five of the Week
G: Bastian Doreth, medi bayreuth
Doreth had two strong games - even though Bayreuth lost both of them. He picked up 10 points and 5 assists against s.Oliver Würzburg and then tallied 11 points, 3 rebounds and 7 assists versus JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers to pass the 700-assist mark in his career.
F: David Brembly, SYNTAINICS MBC
Brembly played a big role in MBC extending their winning streak to four games with 13 points, 2 rebounds 3 assists and 1 block versus RASTA Vechta.
F: Karim Jallow, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
Jallow continues to excel this season as he picked up 23 points and 7 rebounds in Braunschweig’s loss to FRAPORT SKYLINERS.
F: Johannes Richter, JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers
Richter grabs a spot on the team as he had 14 points and 7 rebounds against Telekom Baskets Bonn and then collected 7 points and 4 rebounds in less than 10 minutes against medi bayreuth.
C: Andreas Seiferth, medi bayreuth
Seiferth had two solid games - just like Bastian Doreth in two losses. The big man tallied 12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block against s.Oliver Würzburg and added 10 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks against JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers.
Young Guns
We’re changing this up this week as ratiopharm ulm’s talents are currently in Spain playing in the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Valencia. Ulm failed to score in the final 9 minutes of their opening game against Barcelona, who went on an 18-0 run to close the game and win 59-50. Ulm bounced back with a 67-52 win over Nanterre. Anton Gavel’s team will be facing Herbalife Gran Canaria on Monday and then has placement game on Tuesday. Jeremy Sochan is the star player for Ulm’s U18 team as he scored 16 points in both games and grabbed 16 rebounds against Barcelona and had 8 rebounds versus Nanterre.
Germans Abroad
Franz Wagner is picking up things in his second season at Michigan as he is averaging 11.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists through seven games. He guided the Wolverines to a win over Nebraska with 20 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists.
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Kochs Nachschlag
