Reigning champions ratiopharm ulm started the defense of their title with two wins - one of four teams to finish the first week of action at 2-0. The biggest surprise of that quartet might be promoted side RASTA Vechta, who have been carried by Tommy Kuhse. The team most observers consider as title favorites, FC Bayern Munich, got tripped up in their first road game of the season at EWE Baskets Oldenburg.
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:
Ulm wrap up two victories to start season
Reigning champions ratiopharm ulm started the defense of their title in fine fashion with two victories. In the league’s season opener, Ulm nearly blew a 13-point fourth quarter lead but fought off NINERS Chemitz 90-85. Karim Jallow paced five Ulm players in double figures with 16 points. Ulm’s Round 2 game at Tigers Tübingen saw the promoted side nearly erase an 11-point third quarter deficit but Ulm took the final frame 28-14 for a comfortable 99-84 win. LJ Figueroa scored 22 points, Jallow added 20 points and Trevor Williams and Juan Nunez combined for 34 points, 10 rebounds, 13 assists and 7 steals.
Ulm sign Matic to help bridge gap after Herkenhoff injury
Reigning champions ratiopham ulm reacted to the knee injury to Philipp Herkenhoff and signed Andrija Matic to a short-term contract. The 27-year-old Serbian owns a German passport and last played in Switzerland, Austria and for Itzehoe in the German ProB third division.
Vechta celebrate return to league with two wins
What a start to the 2023-24 season for last year’s ProA champions as RASTA Vechta picked up two victories for an early 2-0 record. After beating ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES in the first round of the BBL German Cup, Vechta buried 18 three-pointers in a 101-79 home victory over Bamberg Baskets. Tommy Kuhse led the attack with 5 three-pointers and 26 points. The Vechta point guard shined again in an 84-79 win at home over Telekom Baskets Bonn with 27 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals.
Bayern drop first road game after winning on glass LED floor
FC Bayern Munich picked up an early loss in the season as they were beaten on the road after opening the 2023-24 campaign with a home victory. Bayern started the season at home with 96-87 victory over SYNTAINICS MBC - playing the game on a LED glass flooring. Leandro Bolmaro scored 16 points and the world champions Isaac Bonga and Andi Obst both scored 15 points. Bayern could not keep up the momentum and dropped their first road game, 77-67 at EWE Baskets Oldenburg. Bayern lost control of the game in the second quarter, a 24-13 frame for the hosts. Bonga led the team with 16 points and fellow reserve Obst had 14 points as they starting five combined for just 25 points.
Oldenburg trip up Bayern at home after season-opening loss on road
EWE Baskets Oldenburg’s opening week of the season had a high and low with the team splitting the first two games. Oldenburg struggled out of the gates as they lost at Basketball Löwen Braunschweig 91-86, losing the third quarter 32-16. Kyle Foster scored 17 points while DeWayne Russell was limited to just 9 points. Oldenburg bounced back at home in Round 2 with a 77-67 home win over FC Bayern Munich. Charles Manning scored 20 points and Russell stepped up with 16 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists.
New-look Berlin start season with two wins
The new-look ALBA BERLIN tipped off the season in fine form, grabbing two wins - one each on the road and at home. After seeing a number of leaders depart and replaced with new players, Berlin opened the season on the road and pulled away from MLP Academics Heidelberg in the second half of the third quarter for a 90-81 win. Matt Thomas led the way with 21 points and world champion Johannes Thiemann picked up a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. In Round 2, Berlin jumped ahead 30-14 after 10 minutes and never looked back in beating HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim 110-75 at home. Thomas and Thiemann both scored 16 points in the victory.
Bonn slip up in first regular season game
The 2022-23 regular season champions and Basketball Champions League winners Telekom Baskets Bonn suffered a loss in their first game of the new campaign as they fell to promoted side RASTA Vechta 84-79. The Round 2 game was close throughout but Bonn could not use the 16 points and 6 assists from Glynn Watson. Bonn’s Round 1 game will be played on Wednesday October 4 at home against Tigers Tübingen.
Braunschweig with a perfect start, grab two more wins
Basketball Löwen Braunschweig followed up their BBL German Cup win over Tigers Tübingen with two more victories to tip off the 2023-24 season. Freshly-crowned world champion Dennis Schröder was among 6,205 spectators for the home opener, which Braunschweig pulled out 91-86 over EWE Baskets Oldenburg. The hosts took control with a 25-5 run spanning the final two quarters and TJ Crockett had 24 points. Braunschweig led most of the way at SYNTAINICS MBC, and ended up grabbing an 85-77 road victory thanks in large part to Ferdinand Zylka’s 22 points off the bench.
Chemnitz cruise past Bamberg after losing at Ulm
NINERS Chemnitz had a mixed start to the season with a loss at reigning champions ratiopharm ulm but then rolled past Bamberg Baskets at home. Chemnitz failed to spoil to party for Ulm on the season curtain raiser, falling 90-85 despite Kevin Yebo scoring 21 points in the loss. Chemnitz bounced back in fine fashion with a 109-79 hammering of Bamberg. Rodrigo Pastore’s team took over the game in the second quarter and were led by Wesley van Beck scoring 26 points off the bench while Kaza Kajami-Keane (17 points and 11 assists) and Jeff Garrett (16 points and 13 rebounds) both had double-doubles.
Würzburg blast Hamburg on road to open season
Würzburg Baskets sent a message to start the season as they trounced Veolia Towers Hamburg 88-58 on the road to tip off the campaign. Würzburg conceded only 22 points in the second half, including just 7 in the fourth quarter for the win with Darius Perry coming off the bench for a team high 23 points in the Round 2 game. No date has been set for Würzburg’s Round 1 home game against BG Göttingen.
Hamburg with mixed start to league
Veolia Towers Hamburg gave their fans a mixed start to the league season with a strong road victory but then a disappointing home loss. After knocking off Dresden Titans on the road in the first round of the BBL German Cup, Hamburg fought past MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg 87-79 on the road to tip off the season. Mark Hughes led the way with 23 points while Aleksander Dziewa and William Christmas both scored 18 points off the bench. Benka Barloschky’s team could not maintain the momentum and were beaten badly 88-58 at home by Würzburg Baskets. Hamburg managed just 22 points in the second half, including 7 in the final 10 minutes. Hughes paced the team with 12 points.
Ludwigsburg stumble out of gates with home loss
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg stumbled out of the gates with a home loss in their one game. Ludwigsburg led for most of the first 25 minutes but surrendered control in an 87-79 loss to Veolia Towers Hamburg. Desure Buie scored 25 points in the defeat. Ludwigsburg’s Round 2 game at BG Göttingen is scheduled for November 28.
Ludwigsburg add point guard Garrett - and then release him
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg had hoped to find an answer for their playmaker issues in signing former NBA player Marcus Garrett, but the club released him after just three days. The club is already facing injury concerns with Deion Hammond and Jeff Roberson and the 24-year-old Garrett arrived after playing 29 games last season in the G-League with Sioux Falls Skyforce. Garrett appeared in 12 NBA games for the Miami Heat in 2021-22. But Garrett and Ludwigsburg split ways after several issues arose quickly after his arrival.
Crailsheim pick up one win after losing in first round of cup
HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim picked up at least one victory in the first week of the season after losing to ProA side JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers in the first round of the BBL German Cup. Crailsheim bounced back to beat ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES 85-81 at home to start the 2023-24 campaign. Maurice Stuckey scored 19 points and new addition Leo Westermann dished out 7 assists. Crailsheim were no match for ALBA BERLIN in Round 2, falling 110-75 on the road. James Murray-Boyles scored 19 points in the loss.
Crailsheim strengthen backcourt with Frenchman Leo Westermann
HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim made pretty big headlines just before the start of the season as they signed former French international playmaker Leo Westermann. The 31-year-old point guard appeared in more than 200 games in the EuroLeague and EuroCup and also played for France at the FIBA EuroBasket in 2015 and 2017. Westermann played last season with Spanish top flight side Obradoiro.
Rostock take down Heidelberg in double-OT after losing at Crailsheim
ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES thrilled their home fans with their first win of the season in double-overtime after losing the opener. After having lost to RASTA Vechta in the first round of the BBL German Cup, Rostock could not get the win at HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim to start the season, falling 85-81 despite Maurice Stuckey’s 19 points. Things were better in the home opener with a 122-113 thrilling win over MLP Academics Heidelberg thanks to Mike Smith tallying 30 points - including a buzzer-beater three-pointer to force the second overtime session.
Heidelberg fall in double-OT at Rostock after aggravating Berlin
MLP Academics Heidelberg put up two solid efforts but have nothing to show for it as they start the season with a 0-2 record. Heidelberg hung close with ALBA BERLIN for about 25 minutes before succumbing 90-81 at home to start the season. Vincent Kesteloot and Mike McGuirl both scored 20 points. In Round 2 at ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES, Heidelberg blew a 15-point third quarter lead and eventually lost 122-113 in double overtime. Jeffrey Carroll poured in 33 points to go with 8 rebounds, Paul Zipser scored 22 points and McGuirl flirted with a triple-double with 10 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists to go with 4 steals.
Heidelberg extend with Joonas Iisalo until 2026
MLP Academics Heidelberg locked up their head coach Joonas Iisalo until 2026, extending his deal for another two seasons. The 37-year-old Finnish playcaller, whose brother Tuomas Iisalo this summer moved from Telekom Baskets Bonn to Paris Basketball, arrived at Heidelberg to start the 2022-23 season and competed for a playoffs spot until the closing weeks of the season.
Tübingen cannot keep up with Ulm in season-opening loss
Tigers Tübingen could not keep up with the reigning champions ratiopharm ulm as they lost 99-84 at home in their first Bundesliga game since 2018. In the Round 2 game, Tübingen were outscored 28-14 in the fourth quarter to lose despite Jhivvan Jackson scoring 24 points. Their Round 1 game at Telekom Baskets Bonn will be played on Wednesday October 4.
Bamberg beaten badly twice to start season
Bamberg Baskets did not have a good start to the season as they were beaten badly in their first two games. After knocking off Artland Dragons in the first round of the BBL German Cup, Bamberg dropped their league opener, 101-79 at RASTA Vechta as they gave up 18 three-pointers. Zach Copeland scored 20 points among five Bamberg players in double figures. Bamberg got blown out again in Round 2, 109-79 at NINERS Chemnitz, losing control in the second quarter. Justin Gray scored 14 points to lead the way and Filip Stanic chipped in a double-double of 11 points and 13 rebounds.
SYNTAINICS MBC drop two games to start season
SYNTAINICS MBC opened the season with two losses as they fell to FC Bayern Munich 96-87 on the road and then lost at home 85-77 to Basketball Löwen Braunschweig. Diante Baldwin scored 17 points to pace the team against Bayern, where they were within 4 points with 52 seconds left. Against Braunschweig, Johnathan Stove led the Wolfpack with 15 points and Baldwin had 8 points and 10 assists.
Göttingen the only team not to have played
BG Göttingen remain the only team to have not played domestically this season. After getting a bye for the first round of the BBL German Cup, Göttingen were competing in the Basketball Champions League Qualifers and could not play in the easyCredit BBL. Göttingen’s Round 2 game at home against MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg is scheduled for November 28. There is no date set for their Round 1 game at Würzburg Baskets.
Player(s) of the Week(s)
Two rounds of games meant two Player of the Week awards to hand out. For Round 1, the winner was Tommy Kuhse of RASTA Vechta as the point guard had an efficiency of 30 in the win over Bamberg Baskets. Kuhse scored 26 points on 9-of-19 shots and 3-of-3 free throws to go with 4 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 steals. Jeffrey Carroll of MLP Academics Heidelberg took the honors for Round 2 despite the team losing in double overtime to ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES. Carroll had an efficiency of 32 as he scored 33 points on 10-of-22 shots and 9-of-9 free throws to go with 9 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal.
German Top Five of the Week
G: Isaac Bonga, FC Bayern Munich
Bonga put together two excellent games for Bayern, starting with 15 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks as a starter against SYNTAINICS MBC. The world champion then collected a team-high 16 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists off the bench in a loss to EWE Baskets Oldenburg.
G: Andi Obst, FC Bayern Munich
It’s impossible not to have another Bayern world champion on this list as Obst shined in both games as well. He made 4 three-pointers en route to 15 points as well as 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal against SYNTAINICS MBC. Obst then had 14 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal against EWE Baskets Oldenburg.
F: Karim Jallow, ratiopharm ulm
Jallow had an outstanding start to the season in two Ulm wins. He scored 16 points to go with 5 rebounds against NINERS Chemnitz and then totalled 20 points, 7 rebounds and 1 assists against Tigers Tübingen.
F: Johannes Thiemann, ALBA BERLIN
A third freshly crowned world champion makes this list as Thiemann starred for Berlin in two wins. He picked up a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds to go along with 4 assists and 1 steal against MLP Academics Heidelberg. Thiemann then contributed 16 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals against HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim.
C: Kevin Yebo, NINERS Chemitz
Yebo built on his strong 2022-23 season with a good start to 2023-24. The big man had 21 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists in a loss to ratiopharm ulm and then picked up 15 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal against Bamberg Baskets.
Young Guns
Johann Grünbloh, 18, C, RASTA Vechta
Grünloh showed his BBL German Cup performance was no fluke as he had two strong games to debut in the easyCredit BBL. The center started both games and picked up 4 points on 2-of-6 shots, 10 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 blocks in 17:58 minutes against Bamberg Baskets. Grünloh then had 4 points on 2-of-4 shots, 6 rebounds and 1 assist in 21:53 minutes versus Telekom Baskets Bonn.
Elias Baggette, 21, PG, HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim
Just like Grünloh, Baggette shows up on this list for a second time in two weeks as well for two solid performances for Crailsheim. The 21-year-old playmaker scored 14 points on 5-of-6 shots (including 1/1 three-pointers) and 3-of-4 free throws to go with 1 rebound and 4 assists in 17:09 minutes against ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES. He then totalled 12 points on 5-of-10 shots and 2-of-2 free throws, 1 rebound and 4 assists in 20:52 minutes versus ALBA BERLIN.
Len Schoormann, 21, SG, EWE Baskets Oldenburg
Schoormann joins the list as he started the season well for his new team Oldenburg. The point guard scored 12 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting (2/2 on threes) to go with 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in 21:08 minutes against Basketball Löwen Braunschweig. In Round 2, the 21-year-old had 10 points on 3-of-7 shots and 2-of-2 free throws, 1 rebound and 1 steal against FC Bayern Munich.
Germans Abroad
World champion David Krämer contributed in all three games for Spanish side Granada so far this season. He averaged 4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals in his first two games and then hit for 12 points and 2 rebounds against Girona to open October.
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