– David Hein
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg dominated the headlines in the return to the easyCredit BBL as the league leaders not only fought off Hamburg Towers to extend their winning streak to 16 games but also added former league MVP Jamel McLean and extended their contract with head coach John Patrick. Bastian Doreth meanwhile had the game of his life but it wasn’t enough for medi bayreuth and ALBA BERLIN eased past HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim in a battle of contenders. The reigning champions also added some major size with the signing of Christ Koumadje.
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:
Ludwigsburg do it ugly, beat Hamburg to extend win streak to 16
It wasn’t pretty but MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg got the job done, defeating Hamburg Towers 73-67 in a defensive battle on the road to extend their winning streak to 16 games. Ludwigsburg won the game with a 22-12 fourth quarter to move to 18-1 while Hamburg dropped to 10-8 with their third straight home loss. Ludwigsburg used their rebounding prowess for a 47-30 advantage including 19 offensive rebounds. That helped them make up for shooting just 39.7 percent from the field and committing 19 turnovers. Jaleen Smith collected 19 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals in the win and Jordan Hulls added 14 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. TJ Shorts paced Hamburg with 19 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals and Terry Allen chipped in 11 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals.
Ludwigsburg add former Bundesliga MVP McLean
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg made a big move in their fight to challenge for the title as they added former league MVP Jamel McLean until the end of the season. The 32-year-old McLean, who claimed the trophy for the 2014-15 season while playing for ALBA BERLIN, will help Ludwigsburg make up for the departure of Elias Harris, who left for Casademont Zaragoza.
Ludwigsburg lock up coach Patrick until 2023
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg showed their commitment to the work of head coach John Patrick by extending his expiring contract for two seasons until 2023. The 52-year-old Patrick joined the club in 2013 and has now signed his fourth extension with Ludwigsburg following 2013, 2016 and 2018. Patrick helped the club reach the finals of the 2020 season-ending tournament in the summer, the best finish in the club's history.
Berlin blow out Crailsheim to take second place
ALBA BERLIN moved into second place in the easyCredit BBL with a convincing 100-62 home victory over HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim. Berlin took the first quarter 24-8 and never looked back to move to 16-2 including 11-0 at home while Craisheim fell to 16-4. Berlin out-rebounded Crailsheim 51-30 and held the guests to just 31.4 percent shooting. Peyton Siva led the way with 15 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists and Niels Giffey added 15 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. No Crailsheim player scored in double figures with Elias Lasisi and Radii Caisin both scoring 9 points. The starting five combined for just 24 points, including holding MVP candidate Trae Bell-Haynes to just 5 points on 2-of-10 shooting with 5 assists and 4 turnovers.
Berlin acquire mountainous Koumadje to help low block
ALBA BERLIN added a big piece in the fight to repeat as easyCredit BBL champions as they signed Jean Marc Christ Koumadje for more power in the paint. The 24-year-old Chad native towers over others at 2.21 meters and played last season in the G-League with Delaware and was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. Koumadje and Berlin agreed on a deal until the end of the 2023 season.
Giessen overcome amazing Doreth, win at home over Bayreuth
JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers overcame an amazing performance by Bastian Doreth to knock off medi bayreuth 97-92 at home. Giessen scored points on each of their final eight possessions in the final 5 minutes in moving to 4-16 while Bayreuth dropped to 6-14. Giessen took the battle of the glass 40-27 including 15 offensive rebounds, giving them 15 more shots. Brandon Bowman led the way with 21 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals and John Bryant flirted with a triple-double as he picked up 17 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 blocks. Doreth scored a career-high 33 points to go with 8 assists while Andrea Seiferth added 18 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks in the loss.
Oldenburg have no problems with Braunschweig
EWE Baskets Braunschweig kept pace with the leaders of the league as the defeated Basketball Löwen Braunschweig 101-89 at home. Oldenburg took control of the game with a 28-16 second quarter to move to 16-4 and Braunschweig fell to 6-10. Oldenburg shot 57.4 percent from the field, including 70.6 percent on two-pointers for the win. Rickey Paulding paced five Oldenburg players in double figures with 16 points while Braydon Hobbs had 15 points and 4 assists and Nathan Boothe picked up 15 points and 7 rebounds. James Robinson was Braunschweig’s main weapon with 20 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists while Arnas Velicka had 17 points and 6 assists and Gavin Schilling chipped in 11 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists.
Braunschweig bring in German big man Turudic until 2023
Basketball Löwen Braunschweig locked up a German big man for the future as they signed Benedikt Turudic until the end of the 2023 season. The 24-year-old comes to Braunschweig after playing with SYNTAINICS MBC.
Würzburg collect first home win, beat Giessen in Round 17 make-up s.Oliver Würzburg finally clinched their first home victory of the season as they knocked off JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers 101-82 in a Round 17 make-up game. Würzburg pulled away in the third quarter to move to 6-11 and snap a four-game losing streak while Giessen dropped to 3-16. Würzburg won the rebound battle 39-28 and held Giessen to just 29.0 percent from long range. Cameron Hunt paced the winners with 28 points and 4 assists and Robert Lowery added 18 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists. Brandon Bowman was Giessen’s top man with 19 points and 6 rebounds off the bench.
Würzburg add experience in backcourt with Lowery signing
s.Oliver Würzburg boosted their backcourt for the second half of the season as they signed guard Robert Lowery until the end of the season. The 33-year-old had played this season with Belarussian team Tsmoki-Minsk in the Basketball Champions League. Lowery comes to Würzburg with easyCredit BBL experience as well as he played for ALBA BERLIN in 2016.
Bayern too much in second half for Würzburg
FC Bayern Munich proved too much in the second half for s.Oliver Würzburg in bouncing back from their loss to NINERS Chemnitz with a 97-76 home victory. Bayern took control of the game with a 16-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to move to 15-4 while Würzburg fell to 6-12. Bayern committed only 6 turnovers to 18 for Würzburg and held the guests to just 22.2 percent from long range. DJ Seeley led the way with 20 points, James Gist scored 14 points and Jalen Reynolds added 13 points and 7 rebounds in the win. Tyson Ward paced Würzburg with 16 points and 6 rebounds and Robert Lowery had 15 points and 4 assists.
Bayern add perimeter depth with signing of Krämer
FC Bayern Munich added some depth on the perimeter as they signed David Krämer until the end of the season. The 24-year-old German-Austrian came up in the ratiopharm ulm system and played in the NBA G-League for Northern Arizona and Austin.
Ulm win another blowout - beat MBC at home
ratiopharm ulm have found their groove as they beat SYNTAINICS MBC 102-73 at home for their third straight blowout victory - all by at least 19 points. Ulm jumped ahead 31-13 after 10 minutes and it was 60-29 at halftime in eclipsing the 100-point mark for the fifth time this season for a 13-7 record while MBC have lost seven straight to fall to 5-13. Ulm shot 52.6 percent for the game and kept MBC to just 38.1 percent from the field. Per Günther scored a season-best 16 points along with 3 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals while Thomas Klepeisz scored 14 points and Andi Obst added 12 points. MBC could not take advantage of Michal Michalak’s 23 points while Quinton Hooker scored 17 points in the loss.
Ulm pick up forward help with Cameron Clark
ratiopharm ulm picked up some help at the forward position as they signed Cameron Clark until the end of the season. The 29-year-old has not played competitively since March 2020 as he had not found a club for this season.
MBC lose captain Brembly, add Barber
SYNTAINICS MBC have lost their captain as David Brembly left the club but they did bring in playmaker help with the signing of Anthony “Cat” Barber. MBC was paid a transfer fee for Brembly, who got out of his two-year contract to join Zielona Gora of Poland. The 26-year-old Barber was needed also to help fill in for the injury to Roko Rogic.
Bonn extend win streak to four with home victory over Vechta
Telekom Baskets Bonn continue to climb the standings as they defeated RASTA Vechta 94-89 at home for their fourth straight victory. Bonn secured the win by hitting 10-of-10 free throws in the final 43 seconds to move to 7-11 while Vechta have dropped six straight to fall to 3-17 in last place. Bonn survived shooting just 27.3 percent from long range by converting 28-of-38 free throws to 9-of-13 foul shots for Vechta. Chris Babb scored 18 points to lead Bonn and TJ DiLeo added 16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and six free throws in the final minute. Edgar Sosa paced Vechta with 30 points and 7 assists and Tim Hasbargen scored a career-high 24 points including 5-of-9 three-pointers to go with 4 rebounds.
Bonn revamp lineup with additions of Hamilton and Hudson
Telekom Baskets Bonn revamped their lineup for the second half of the season as they hope Alex Hamilton and Jalen Hudson can help them reach the playoffs. The 27-year-old Hamilton, who played this season with Galatasaray Istanbul, replaces Josh Hagins, who was released. Hudson meanwhile was needed to fill in for the injury to Deividas Gailius. The 24-year-old Hudson did not have a club for this season until now.
Bamberg use fourth quarter to pull away from Frankfurt
Brose Bamberg used a big fourth quarter to defeat FRAPORT SKYLINERS 78-62 at home. Bamberg gave up just 7 points in the first quarter and built a 13-point lead but lost all of it. The hosts bounced back with a 28-15 fourth quarter for the comfortable win and a 10-11 record while Frankfurt have lost four straight to move to 7-13. Bamberg were too much on the glass with 37 rebounds - 14 of them offensive - to 27 for Frankfurt, who also made just 2-of-14 three-pointers for 14.3 percent. All five Bamberg starters scored in double figures, led by Michele Vitali’s 16 points and 4 assists. Bennet Hundt had 15 points and 5 assists and Christian Sengfelder added 10 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Matt Mobley paced Frankfurt with 19 points and 8 rebounds, Joe Rahon added 10 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals and Quantez Robertson passed up fellow Frankfurt legend Pascal Roller for seventh place on the all-time assist list since the collection of data in 1998.
Chemnitz miss chance to build on momentum with Göttingen postponement
NINERS Chemnitz missed an opportunity to continue their momentum from their outstanding week before the FIBA national team break as their game at BG Göttingen was postponed. Before the league went on break, Chemnitz had the best week in the club’s history as they defeated RASTA Vechta, Brose Bamberg and FC Bayern Munich in a span of five days.
Player of the Week
Bastian Doreth had a game for the ages to earn Player of the Week honors even though it came in a loss for medi bayreuth. Doreth collected an efficiency of 42 as he scored a career-high 33 points on 13-of-14 shots including 4-of-4 three-pointers and 3-of-3 free throws. He also picked up 2 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal and just 1 turnover against JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers. Doreth’s previous career high had been 17 points.
German Top Five of the Week
G: Bastian Doreth, medi bayreuth
It’s no surprise that Doreth also tops the German Top Five as he collected 33 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists and 1 steal for an efficiency of 42 against JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers.
G: Per Günther, ratiopharm ulm
Günther continues his excellent play as he scored a season-high 16 points to go with 3 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals against SYNTAINICS MBC.
G: TJ DiLeo, Telekom Baskets Bonn
It’s a guard-heavy Top Five this week but DiLeo had to be on the team as he collected 16 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists - not to mention going 6-of-6 from the foul line in the final 43 seconds - in the win over RASTA Vechta.
G: Tim Hasbargen, RASTA Vechta
Another guard but how can you not put Hasbargen on this list for his showing against Telekom Baskets Bonn. He tallied a career-high 24 points with 5 three-pointers, 4 rebounds and 1 steal. The 24-year-old had collected a combined 20 points in his previous six games.
C: Christian Sengfelder, Brose Bamberg
Sengfelder is back on this list for his outstanding showing against FRAPORT SKYLINERS, picking up 10 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in 40 minutes - and that on his birthday.
Young Guns
Lukas Herzog, 19, PG, MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg
Herzog is becoming a regular in this segment as he scored 6 points on 2-of-5 three-point shooting along with 1 rebound in 14:45 minutes against Hamburg Towers.
Malte Delow, 19, SG, ALBA BERLIN
Delow makes the list this week for his performance against HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim, picking up 9 points on 2-of-3 shots and 5-of-7 free throws, 4 rebounds and 1 steal in 16:37 minutes.
Nemanja Nadjfeji, 20, SF, SYNTAINICS MBC
Nadjfeji made his easyCredit BBL debut for MBC as he played 1:58 minutes against ratiopharm ulm, collecting just 1 foul. If you are wondering, yes, the youngster is the son of former Bundesliga legend Aleksandar Nadjfeji.
Hollatz Check
Justus Hollatz had a big FIBA break as the 19-year-old point guard made his debut with the German national team at the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 Qualifiers. He collected 1 point and 2 assists in 11 minutes against Great Britain and had 2 points, 1 rebound and 2 steals against Montenegro. And then back in the easyCredit BBL, Hollatz could not keep Hamburg Towers from losing to MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg as he had 5 points on 2-of-3 shots, including 1-of-2 three-pointers in 9:21 minutes.
Germany finish EuroBasket Qualifiers with two more losses
Germany finished the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 Qualifiers campaign with two more losses, falling 83-81 to Great Britain and then 82-75 to Montenegro in the mini-bubble in Podgorica. Germany did not have to qualify for next summer’s spectacle as they are co-hosts and Henrik Rödl’s team went 1-5 in their group.
Germans Abroad
Sam Griesel came out of nowhere for many German basketball fans in 2019 when he helped Germany to third place at the FIBA U20 European Championship 2019. The naturalized Nebraska native is having a strong season with North Dakota State University, averaging 11.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.1 steals. He flirted with a triple-double in December against South Dakota State and picked up double-doubles against Western Illinois University in January and Oral Roberts in early February. The 20-year-old swingman also had 12 assists in a game against Texas Christian University just before Christmas.
RelatedNews
Nothing but Knowledge
Schwieriges Dilemma bei "For Three": Sind Tibor Pleiß, Elias Harris und Andreas Seiferth ehemalige Nationalspieler?
Kochs Nachschlag
Aus der zweiten Liga zum MVP-Kandidaten in der Beletage: Der steile Aufstieg des Jaleen Smith
Spielerverpflichtung
