Photo: NBC

heinnews’s David Hein was at the NBBL All-Star Game at the Beko BBL All-Star show in Ludwigsburg and caught up with NBBL South Team star David Taylor. Hein and the 17-year-old point guard talked about playing with both the second division ProA Nürnberger BC and the U19 NBBL Cybex Bayreuth at 17 years of age; playing for his father Derrick Taylor; what he needs to work on in his game; his expectations for the up-coming Albert Schweitzer Tournament and U18 European Championship; and his options of going to college.

heinnews:  David, you just turned 17 in January and here we are playing at the U19 NBBL All-Star Game. How does it feel to be one of the young kids on the block?
Taylor:  Yeah, I was kind of proud to be one of the guys selected to play in the All Star Game with the 1993 age group. It was a big honor. I just wanted to go out and have some fun. That was pretty much all I wanted to do.

heinnews: What is your approach to this season playing in the NBBL and ProA?
Taylor: In the NbbL, I just wanted to go in and play good and make the playoffs. We still have a little chance to make it. In the ProA, I really just wanted to get into the rotation and play some minutes and get some experience playing with the older players. Right now I got hurt a little bit so I have been out of the rotation so I am trying to get into my groove again to get back into the rotation.

heinnews: What kind of injury did you have?
Taylor: Five weeks, groin problem. The doctor said I couldn’t play for five weeks. So I’m getting back in shape.

heinnews: That must be tough at that age when you just want to go go go.
Taylor: Exactly. But my dad said I shouldn’t play. He kept me calm.

heinnews: What’s I like playing for your dad, former BBL great Derrick Taylor, at NBC?
Taylor: It’s normal like every coach. He treats me like all his players. I have no advantage or disadvantage playing for him.  Like always.

heinnews: Where is your game and what do you want to work on?
Taylor: I think I’m a decent all around player. Right now I’m a little bit of a scoring point guard. I really have to work on my shot to consistently knock down some threes. I think I’m a decent defender. I can guard people. I think I can drive to the basket pretty good. And I’m kind of athletic.

heinnews: Hitting those two three-pointers in the first quarter of the All-Star Game must have been a good feeling then.
Taylor: That gave me a good feeling starting the game making my shots. After that I really just wanted to create for other players. Get everybody involved and had some fun.

heinnews: The Albert Schweitzer Tournament is coming up. What are your thoughts on that event?
Taylor: I think it’s going to be an awesome experience. Playing with our team we have a really good team. We are really strong at all positions. I think we are just going to go out there and do our best. And get the title.

heinnews: One of your teammates at this All-Star Game is Paul Zipser. What’s it like playing with him – since he’s such a high flier?
Taylor: He’s unbelievable. He’s really good. Athletic and can shoot the ball. It’s really fun to play with him. I can just throw it up there and he will go get it. Going into the AST with all those players it will be good

heinnews: The U18 European Championship is also coming up. What are your expectations for that tournament?
Taylor: I think we are really good. We are at the beginning of our preparations, so we can’t tell what the plans are. But I think the expectation is to be at least fourth and go to the (2013 U19) world championship.

heinnews: You are a 17-year-old earning minutes in the second division ProA. What are your goals for the future?
Taylor: My short terms goal are probably next year finish school and then go to college in the U.S. and then after that maybe see. Maybe NBA, you never know. That’s my big goal.  I’m gonna work hard for it.

heinnews: You have a preference for a college? I’m sure the LSU Tigers would love to see Derrick Taylor’s son on campus.
Taylor: LSU is one of the options. There are a couple of colleges that I’m going to look at. But I’m not sure yet. I haven’t decided anything.

heinnews: Do you have a timeline for your decision?
Taylor: Probably after this season I will check out which will be the best.

heinnews: You ready to study hard? Your dad won’t just let you go over and just play basketball.
Taylor: I’m pretty good at school so I think I won’t have any problem.

Photo: Claus Quast

heinnews’s David Hein was at the NBBL All-Star Game at the Beko BBL All-Star show in Ludwigsburg and caught up with NBBL North Team star Ismet Akpinar. Hein and the 16-year-old point guard talked about playing with both the third division ProB Rist Wedel and the U19 NBBL club Piraten Hamburg at 16 years of age after winning the MVP of the U16 JBBL last season; how disappointing it is that Hamburg doesn’t have a top level basketball team; playing last summer at the U16 European Championship; and his expectations for the up-coming Albert Schweitzer Tournament and U18 European Championship.

heinnews: Ismet, we are here at the NBBL All-Star Game. It is a U19 event and you do not turn 17 until May. How do you feel being here?
Akpinar: Of course it’s an honor. It’s a sign that the hard work is paying off.  And I am happy to be at this kind of event, especially being from a younger age group.

heinnews: What expectations did you have coming into the NBBL season after winning the JBBL MVP last season?
Akpinar:  My personal expectations are pretty high. I hope I can continue what I did in the JBBL in the NBBL. My goal is to finish the season as Rookie of the Year. And we definitely want to reach the playoffs.

heinnews: You were born in Hamburg, which does not have a first division basketball club. How disappointing is that for you?
Akpinar: Of course if you look into the future you don’t see a lot of perspective.  Eventually you will have to leave Hamburg. It’s disappointing that a big city like Hamburg does not have a BBL team. We are working on that, and hopefully in the future Hamburg will have a BBL team.

heinnews: What about the football club Hamburg SV working on getting a basketball team similar to Bayern Munich?
Akpinar: Yeah, that would be great. I am playing for the ProB club. Maybe there are some perspectives there. Maybe we can get them to reach the BBL in a few years. Don’t know if Hamburg SV wants to invest the money in basketball.

heinnews: Last summer, you played at the U16 European Championships. What was that experience like for you?
Akpinar: Yeah, it was my first European championship. We went into the tournament with high expectations after playing some great tournaments beforehand. Then we had a disappointing eighth place. We thought we could do a lot better. Still it was a great tournament individually also. It was a great experience.

heinnews: In April, there is the Albert Schweitzer Tournament in Mannheim. How much are you looking forward to that event?
Akpinar: It’s a super experience to play against nations like the U.S., Australia, Croatia and other European top teams. I can play against the top teams in the world and the best players even though they are a year old. There is no better way to get better.

heinnews:  How do you feel going into the tournament?
Akpinar: I don’t really know about the international level at the 1994 age group. I just want to play my game and do my thing. I don’t want to shy away from the big names like the U.S. I just want to play how I usually do and do my best.

heinnews: Another player at this tournament and another talent from the 1995 generation is David Taylor. What do you think of him as a player and guy?
Akpinar: David is a super player. He proved that with all the other games with the 1995 age group. We are battling a little bit but friendly as well. Character-wise, he’s a great guy.

heinnews: This summer is the U18 European Championship in Lithuania and Latvia. What is the goal there?
Akpinar: We have some high goals. In Spain (at the U16s) we had our first experience with this team. It went really well. It’s still early to say how we will do at the U18s. We just want to do our best.

After years of working on making the German Beko BBL one of the most prospering and financially sound leagues in Europe, BBL chief executive Jan Pommer has shifted his focus to the Euroleague with hopes of forcing clubs to adopt and adhere to stiff economic licensing conditions and procedures.

“We have preached for years that there must be a European licensing procedure orientated on what UEFA is doing with its Financial Fair Play plan. Basically we should follow the example of the everyday housewife of not spending more than you earn,” Pommer said at a media chat at the Beko BBL All-Star Game on Saturday in Ludwigsburg.

“You have to operate economically. And clubs have to be able to plan accordingly.  I know this plan will not be popular with bigger teams like Panathinaikos, CSKA Moscow and other big clubs with big bosses at the top. But if we want the league to be played in a professional, lasting and solid manner then we have to move in that direction. And the bigger clubs also have to give in.”

Pommer took over as BBL CEO in April 2005 and in 2009 had his contract extended until 2015. He was a leading force in many of the reforms that have seen the BBL enjoy continual attendance increases and financial strength within the clubs despite years of financial strife elsewhere in the world.

The basis of the BBL’s success is solid, fiscally responsible measures. And now Pommer would like to bring those to Euroleague clubs.

“All told, you have to say it’s kind of a rewarding issue because now we can finally decide: Do we all really want to economize properly, yes or no? And you really have to have a certain vigor to say, nah, not really.”

Pommer is part of a Euroleague commission dealing with implementing elements of Financial Fair Play-like conditions and licensing procedures over the mid-term, meaning one or two years.

“The Euroleague has clearly recognized that it’s relevant and that it’s an important success control lever for the future,” said Pommer.

One problem Pommer recognized is that the Euroleague has been using a retrospective approach at looking at a team’s finances. While that offers the chance of gaining certain insight after the fact, it provides no chances of reviewing clubs and their finances in the current season – something that has been done in the German league for years.

“Of course it’s interesting to see what went wrong. But it’s more interesting to make sure that things cannot go wrong in the first place. That is an important issue,” said Pommer.

He hopes that the commission will have a set of regulations approved in 2012 to then present to the clubs for their approval.

“This is a very ungrateful job and we have to make sure we don’t approach it as wise guys,” he said.

“We are not trying to win a popularity contest. But I think it’s a very important step for the development of European club basketball if we can agree on uniform regulations and then put them into being.”

When asked if the Euroleague could unilaterally institute new regulations, Pommer answered: “Legally, yes, the Euroleague could implement them without discussing it with the teams. But they would never do that because it’s such a relevant issue and all the teams would have to adapt – save for the German and French teams. It wouldn’t work without the input from the clubs.”

But Pommer said the new regulations are “inevitable”.

“In my opinion it’s not a matter of if it will be instituted but rather when and how,” he said.

“It’s not about being overly correct. An entertainment industry like the Euroleague or the Beko BBL has to be certain that those teams competing will definitely be around until the very end. … That is a fundament concern of our league and it has to be a fundamental concern of the Euroleague. We are not doing this so that we can be the smart ass but rather because it’s urgently necessary for economic stability.”

Pommer said a two-step system is necessary – first a proactive prognosis procedure and then limiting certain investment possibilities and break-even rules.

The German Beko BBL league is moving even quicker than expected towards its long-term goal of becoming the top domestic league in Europe by 2020 with a continued increase in attendance, at least an 11 percent increase in total club budgets within the first half of this season, more general interest in the league and more playing time for German players.

There are also considerations to change the Top Four German Cup competition while the league is also discussing a new television deal.

The BBL published a new mission statement in May 2011 with the ultimate goal of overcoming the Spanish ACB as the number one domestic league in Europe by 2020. The long-term goal is based on improvements in attendance figures, television ratings and revenues and better sporting results among the clubs.

“We are approaching this goal quicker than even we had planned ourselves,” Pommer told a media chat at the Beko BBL All-Star Game in Ludwigsburg on Saturday.

Pommer said the BBL is even with France’s ProA as the top domestic league behind the ACB.

“But the ACB are clearly way ahead of us. We have to say that loud and clear,” said Pommer.

“They have much higher television revenues, much higher attendance figures, the sporting success is much more attractive than ours. And there are teams with much larger budgets than ours. There is still a long road. But we are only at the beginning of 2012.”

And it is definitely safe to say that basketball in Germany is booming. The Beko BBL has achieved a new attendance record 10 years in a row, eclipsing the 4,000 mark for the first time in 2010-11.

That mark will be obliterated in 2011-12 as the BBL lost the two teams with the lowest attendance figures from the 2010-11 season with MBC and Gloria Giants Duesseldorf being relegated. Joining the league in their places have been Bayern Munich with a capacity of 6,700 in the new Audi Dome and s. Oliver Wurzburg and their lengthy streak of sell-outs with 3,140 fans per game. In addition, ratiopharm ulm moved into a new 6,000 seat arena this season.

The average attendance for the 2011-12 season is already 4,246 after 17 game days – a 15 percent increase over the average from the same point last season – with a capacity of 83 percent.

When asked by heinnews in October 2011 if it would be possible to average 5,000 spectators this season, Pommer said: “No that would be too much. …  That is another goal. But a 20 percent increase would be too ambitious.”

When asked in Ludwigsburg what he expects for a final average after the playoffs for this season, Pommer said: “I could imagine 4,400. But it depends on a lot of things, for example if Alba Berlin, Bamberg and Bayern all exit in the first rond. Then we wouldn’t reach that.”

The presence of promoted side Bayern Munich has not only helped the BBL’s average attendance figure. The prominent club from southern Germany has helped the league’s overall financial wellbeing as well.

Pommer said the 18 BBL clubs went into the current season with a total budget of 61 million euro. The league will be receiving the clubs’ financial reports at the end of January and Pommer assumes the total budget will be between 68 and 69 million euro – an increase of at least 11 percent.

“This is actual money in the system. That is remarkable when you consider that we are still in a difficult financial time and what you see other European leagues are dealing with,” said Pommer.

And the interest of other cities on seeing Bayern come to town – and root against them – is one of the driving factors to the financial increase.

Pommer also cited a study by the market research company Sport und Markt that determined there is an increase of 15 percent in “general interest” in the league.

“If 15 percent more people say the Beko BBL is interesting, that is a significant figure,” said Pommer.

Beko BBL games on the German channel sport1 have drawn an average television audience of 120,000. Another 25,000 people in average are watching the games online. In addition, the Beko BBL league has nearly 50,000 fans on facebook and nearly 3,000 are following Beko BBL on twitter.

“This is a clear sign that the interest is there. And all that makes me optimistic about our goal of becoming the number one national league in Europe by 2020,” said Pommer.

The Euroleague has been impressed with the BBL’s progress over the past few years.

“The BBL has been investing heavily in the past years to consolidate the sport of basketball in Germany. It is backed by some great professionals and a consistent successful marketing scheme that provides some very positive results,” said Euroleague president and CEO Jordi Bertomeu in an interview published by the BBL.

“It is clear that the BBL on that level has many learnings and experiences to offer as a guide to some of Europe’s national leagues. As a league, the BBL has been able to consolidate the brand in its market and is slowly increasing its focus on increasing its sporting level on the European plain. This is going to be a fundamental part of the growth of the sport of basketball in the German market.”

Bertomeu also called the BBL “an example in Europe” for its economic discipline and for establishing the right political framework to keep clubs’ budgets stable with low or no debt, which is fundamental right now.

“The BBL has been committed to the project for the past years, establishing the right commercial and legal framework to make the sport grow. However, the league is committed to not only making basketball grow in its home market but has been a very close partner on the European front. Management from the BBL has been very close in some of the decision that have been made in Europe.”

The BBL has also worked hard in improving possibilities for German players, with the goal of giving the league a more German face while also improving the level of Germans to help improve the German national team in the long run.

The BBL has set the goal of having Germans playing 30 percent of the total minutes by the end of the 2012-13 season. The percentage at the end of last season was 22.39 and it has improved to 23.85 percent through the first 17 games days in 2011-12.

That figure could very well increase next season as German clubs will be required to have six Germans on a 12-player roster.

Pommer also said the league is considering changes to the Top Four German Cup competition, adding more teams to the qualifying for the final four tournament or even making it an eight-team event. The model for the BBL is the Spanish Copa del Rey, which is an eight team tournament which Pommer said is like a holiday attraction for Spanish basketball fans.

“We want to make it an event that the fans definitely mark down in their calendars and buy tickets for regardless if their own team is there. That’s how it is in Spain. I wish it would be like that here. But I think we are still quite far away from that. We need more patience,” said Pommer.

The league is also beginning talks regarding its television contract starting the 2012-13 season as the BBL’s three-year deal with sport1 runs out at the end of this season.

“We are in talks with other potential television partners. We have already completed the first round of exploratory talks,” said Pommer, listing Sky, Eurosport, sport1 and Telekom as parties with whom the BBL has already began initial talks.

“At the moment a number of these stations are focused on the bidding for the football Bundesliga and of course we will be impacted by that decision.”

While the BBL waits patiently to figure out its television situation for next season and beyond, German basketball fans can be satisfied with the strong state of the league. And the Spanish ACB must slowly but surely start looking over its shoulder.

Bayern Munich are still undecided about whether to allow guard Je’Kel Foster play at the Beko BBL All-Star Game on January 21 in Ludwigsburg.

“A decision has not been made. We want to wait the week out and then the doctors will decide if a short appearance is possible,” Bayern’s media department confirmed to heinnews.

Foster had missed seven German league contests and six weeks with an ankle injury until returning to the Bayern line-up over the weekend in Munich’s home victory over Oldenburg.

The 28-year-old Foster was voted to the All-Star Game but it’s unclear if he will be able to play in the showcase.

It didn’t sound like it according to head coach Dirk Bauermann’s comments after the victory over Oldenburg.

“Foster will definitely not play at the All-Star Game. The risk would be too high and it wouldn’t be responsible,” said Bauermann.

Foster himself said he would like to play in Ludwigsburg, telling sport1.de after the Oldenburg game: “I am at 70 or 80 percent. I would like to be at the All-Star Game. But if the coach says no, then it’s no.”

The name Svetislav Pesic is anything but an unknown for German basketball fans the Serbian coaching legend was responsible for two of the biggest successes in German basketball history. And now the 62-year-old is being heavily rumored as new head coach of the German national team.

Pesic and the German Basketball Federation (DBB) have both confirmed in various German media outlets that talks have taken place with a decision to come “at the end of January or early February”.

DBB President Ingo Weiss was quoted by the news agency dapd that no contract has been signed with Pesic, who currently is coaching Serbian club Red Star Belgrade. “I am still in talks with three candidates. One of them is Pesic,” said Weiss.

Pesic coached the German national team from 1987 to 1993, guiding the Germans to the 1993 European championship title. He then coached years at German club powers Alba Berlin, winning four championships and two German Cup crowns. He also led Berlin to the 1995 Korac Cup title. He also was head coach for Barcelona in 2003 when they won the triple – Spanish league, cup and Euroleague crown.

Weiss has been hesitant to confirm a candidate for the position which opened up when past coach Dirk Bauermann elected to remain coach at Bayern Munich and rescind his spot with Germany.

Since then a number of names have been thrown out there besides Pesic as Bauermann’s successor.

The top alternative seems to be Frank Menz, who coached both the German U20 and A2 national teams and received a boost from Bauermann.

“Frank is an excellent man, who has learned a lot and was also with us at EuroBasket 2009. He knows the system; knows the players now coming up; and would continue the concept. Therefore he is certainly a logical candidate. But others will decide if he is my successor,” Bauermann told sport1.de on September 13.

A day earlier the German language sports portal spox.com mentioned Tony DiLeo as a strong candidate as well. And the current Philadelphia 76ers senior vice president and assistant general manager admitted interest, saying: “The job has its appeal. Everything is possible.”

DiLeo was in Lithuania at EuroBasket 2011 and both he and Weiss confirmed talking at in Vilnius – though both said it was only an informal chat.

DiLeo coached in German from 1979 to 1990, winning seven straight German women’s titles with DJK Agon 08 Düsseldorf and coaching the German women’s national team from 1981 to 1986. He then coached BSC Saturn Köln to two men’s titles from 1986 to 1990 before returning to the United States and moved to the 76ers organization.

In addition, DiLeo’s older son T.J. DiLeo is a German youth international while playing at Temple in the U.S.

Germany’s next games will come in August and September as they attempt to qualify for EuroBasket 2013, being drawn into qualifying Group B with Bulgaria, Sweden, Luxembourg and Azerbaijan.

The Beko BBL has reached the All-Star break of its season and while ratiopharm ulm is clearly the biggest surprise of the first half, the two-time defending champions Brose Baskets Bamberg remain the class of the German league – with quite some distance.

Bamberg sit atop the standings after 18 game days with a 16-2 record and a nine-game winning streak. The only losses Chris Fleming’s men suffered game in back-to-back road games in late November when they were fighting for their lives in the Euroleague.

Bamberg have dominated teams at home, where they haven’t lost in the BBL since January 2010. Their last non-Euroleague defeat at home came in Game One of the 2010 Playoff Finals against Frankfurt.

The team from Franconia has been bounced from the Euroleague for about a month now and can solely concentrate on the BBL, which does not bode well for the other contenders trying to dethrone Bamberg.

Ulm are second in the league just a game behind at 15-3 and undoubtedly the biggest surprise of the first half. The combination of John Bryant, Isaiah Swann, Tommy Mason-Griffen and Per Günther has been superb but the fast start was not expected, especially since ulm played most of their early games on the road as their new ratiopharm arena was still being finished.

Torsten Leibenath’s team played seven of their first nine games on the road but opened the season at 7-2. They head into the much-needed break on a five-game winning streak and can use the time to rest their tired players.

But do not expect ulm to go away. With 10 of their last 16 games at home, Leibenath’s group has a strong chance of securing a top four spot and a first round playoff series at home.

Third place are the Artland Dragons, which have probably one of the most exciting players in the league in 5-foot-7 playmaker David Holston. The Pontiac, Michigan native replaced fellow small point guard Tyrese Rice as head coach Stefan Koch’s right hand man on the court. And Holston has received plenty of help in the post by the strong combo of Nathan Peavy and Anthony King. Artland will not go down quietly in the playoffs.

The 2011 runners-up Alba Berlin are fourth at the break at 12-6 but limp into the week off after a tough 80-77 loss at BBC Bayreuth after leading 17-2 in the first quarter. Gordon Herbert’s Berlin squad is just 4-5 on the road and has lost four of its last six games. But a playoff appearance is all but a lock.

New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig are next in the standings at 11-7 as the trio of Rich Melzer, Kyle Visser and LaMarr Greer have excelled for coach Sebastian Machowski.

Things start getting very tight after that with EWE Baskets Oldenburg, s.Oliver Baskets Würzburg and Bayern Munich all deadlocked at 10-8 for places sixth to eighth respectively.

Oldenburg have talented trio in their own right with Bobby Brown, Rickey Paulding and Ronny Burrell with Adam Chubb in the blocks. But Oldenburg are not deep.

The promoted side Würzburg have dominated at home but struggled on the road with a 2-6 record. Head coach John Patrick must get his troops to learn to win on the road if Würzburg hope to hold onto a playoff spot.

The final post-season berth at the current moment would go to the other promoted side Bayern Munich. Head coach Dirk Bauermann has seen a fair share of injuries (Robin Benzing, Bastian Doreth and Je’Kel Foster), departures (Sharrod Ford, Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje and Ben Hansbrough) and newcomers (Chevon Troutman and Jared Homan) while trying to form a cohesive unit. Bayern also have had major struggles away from home with a 1-7 record but two of those losses were on last second shots against Artland Dragons and ratiopharm ulm.

Eisbären Bremerhaven (ninth) and Telekom Baskets Bonn (tenth) are both on the outside of the playoffs looking in at the moment with 9-9 records. Bremerhaven have been led by Zack Peacock and Terrell Everett while Bonn has received a great season by Chris Ensminger and Jared Jordan is doing a fine job leading the team at the point.

A game further back at 8-10 are BBC Bayreuth and Fraport Skyliners, who have been pushed forward by Osvaldo Jenty and Jamareo Davidson, respectively.

Phoenix Hagen are 7-11 including a home victory over Alba Berlin while Walter Tigers Tübingen and LTi Giessen 46ers are both 6-12 and EnBW Ludwigsburg are in the final non-relegation spot at 5-13 for 16th place.

TBB Trier are also 5-13 with the superb 21-year-old center Maik Zirbes while BG Göttingen trail by three games at 2-16 with a nightmare season, which was preceded by the departure of coach John Patrick and strongholds John Little and Jason Boone to Würzburg and then worsened with a car crash resulting in the deaths of Marco Grimaldi’s wife and sister and the injury to Kyle Bailey’s girlfriend.

The second half of the season should be a fascinating race for the last three or four playoff spots while the rest of the league hopes to figure out a way to beat Bamberg.

Photo: Ed Cornejo

The Regensburg Baskets may not have started their 2012 with a victory, but they were satisfied with their 87-78 home loss against league leaders BBC Bayreuth II.

“I am very satisfied. We were able to do everything we wanted – play tough, defend well, and keep close as long as possible,” said Regensburg coach Markus Höß about the game Sunday.

“Everything worked. I don’t think we can complain about playing this tight with the leaders. Had they shot a little bit worse then maybe we could have gotten a win.”

Regensburg captain Johannes Wießnet was also satisfied with how the promoted team played at the Königswiesen Halle gym – especially after finishing 2011 with four straight losses, including a bitter defeat at last placed BBV Leipzig.

“We can build upon this loss because the opponents were the league leaders and we really expected a much bigger defeat,” said Wießnet. “We kept with them the whole game. If we keep playing like this, then we should be able to get another victory here or there.”

The Regensburg Baskets haven’t played competitive contest since the December 11 loss at Leipzig. But they had a strong showing against Bayreuth, who lead the 2. Regionalliga SouthEast standings with a 10-1 record. Regensburg are second to last as one of four teams with a 3-8 record.

“You could see that things are getting better. In general, the game flowed much better. We made relatively few errors. If we can maintain this level – also against the ‘weaker’ teams – then it will be okay. We have to make sure now that we continue to play like this,” added Höß.

Bayreuth jumped out to a 15-8 advantage thanks to two three-pointers by Lukas Edler. And the guests led 25-18 after one quarter.

Bayreuth increased the cushion to nine points a few times in the second quarter and went into the half ahead 41-36.
Regensburg fought back to within 45-42 but Peter Zeis nailed two three-pointers in a 12-3 Bayreuth surge which pushed the lead to 57-45.

Regensburg came back one more time and trailed just 57-53, but Bayreuth’s 45-year-old veteran center Nils Becker made two late baskets – the second a three-pointer coming just before the third quarter buzzer for a 62-53 lead.

Bayreuth scored the first four points of the fourth quarter and Regensburg could not get closer than nine points the rest of the way. Becker tallied eight points in the period and Bayreuth hit seven of eight free throws in the final 56 seconds to ice the victory.

Regensburg’s center Wießnet – 24 years younger than Becker – led the Baskets with 23 points while Daniel Waldhauser tallied 14 points and Tobias Waldhauser hit for 12 points. Jonas Schneider chipped in 11 points in the losing effort.

Coach Höß has been impressed with how the Waldhauser brothers have found their way into the team despite only joining the club in December.

“Both of the ‘new guys’ were much better integrated. You could really see that,” said Höß of the Waldhauser brothers.

Zeis led all scorers with 24 points including four three-pointers while Becker finished with 15 points. Edler and Jonas Riesner both scored 13 points for Bayreuth.

Regensburg’s next game is Saturday January 21 at home against TG Würzburg.

A tennis court in Tegernheim, Germany is hardly where one would expect to find one of Europe’s top baseball talents. But that is where Max Kepler can be found on a daily basis, working on his game at a tennis club that his former baseball team turned into two batting cages.

The 18-year-old Berlin native is in southern Germany keeping in shape and refining his baseball skills while he waits to head back to the United States for his third season in the Minnesota Twins’ minor league organization.

Kepler, who turns 19 on February 10, is working out three times a day with the hopes of starting 2012 at Single-A Beloit.

heinnews’ David Hein caught up with Germany’s talented outfielder in a café in the sleepy town of Regensburg to talk about his first two seasons in the Twins system; his early success against left-handed pitchers; where hopes to play in the outfield; the Twins’ connection with Germans; German baseball; and a scouting report about himself.

heinnews: How much different this winter compared to last winter?
Kepler: It feels pretty much the same. I mean, I’m always happy to come back to friends and family. I’m not really a big fan of the weather. But I’ll work my way through it. But it’s not much of a big difference.

heinnews: Talk about the 2011 season, moving from the Gulf Coast League to the Appalachian League. Where do you see your game thus far after two seasons of rookie level ball?
Kepler: The Gulf Coast season was a tough season going through the heat and stuff. We always played at 12 p.m., the hottest time of the day. It was a big upgrade moving to the Appy league since we play at night and the weather was great. The field was a lot better, we had fans who supported us and motivated us. And I think I have a good chance to be moving up in 2012 too since my year was pretty decent.

heinnews: How are the bus trips?
Kepler: Oh, they’re cool. We had MLB.com on the TV so we were lucky.

heinnews: After your season in the States, you played centerfield for Regensburg and the German national team. I will come back to that, but at Elizabethton most of your time was at leftfield – is that your position of the future?
Kepler: Depends, it’s all about staying healthy and keeping my arm strong in the outfield. I’m mostly known to have a good arm in the outfield. But when you get tired and stuff you have to keep that arm healthy. Sometimes I was just tired last season, that’s why I was in leftfield. I had some arm problems. But I hope to be in right though because I like using my arm.

heinnews: So, is that where you would rather play then?
Kepler: Well, I’d rather play center but there are speedier guys than me because I am tall.

heinnews: You began the 2011 season batting leadoff then switched between sixth and seventh (16 games each) in the lineup. Where do you see yourself more in the future – again seeing also that you batted leadoff this summer for Germany?
Kepler: I’m probably going to grow a lot in the future so a lot of people are saying I’m going to be a big guy to bring runs in. I see myself maybe third, fourth or fifth – somewhere in there.

heinnews: When you hit sixth, you batted behind Miguel Sano while Eddie Rosario batted third. What’s it been like playing alongside those two the past two seasons?
Kepler: Cool, they’re both great guys and they also have bright futures.

heinnews: What are you learning from those guys?
Kepler: Just to stay focused and stuff.

heinnews: I see you batted .262 last season overall but hit .351 against lefties. How important is it that you’ve started your career hitting lefties well?
Kepler: It’s very important. There was a point in time during the season when you click and you see the ball very well, and you just hope to keep that vision. I kind of lost it towards the end. But I was really seeing the ball well when I was hitting those lefties.

heinnews: Do you feel comfortable, or even more comfortable against lefties?
Kepler: I don’t know.  I always have the thought in the back of my head that lefty versus lefty is going to be tough. So I don’t know. Maybe I am more focused and stay more inside against lefties. But I seem to hit ‘em well.

heinnews: So, let’s get away from baseball for a sec, what’s the last book you read?
Kepler: “The Mentality of Baseball”. My coach recommended it to me because he said the game was getting to my head. So he gave me a book about baseball. It’s all about the way you think and the way you see the game mentally. It’s a good book. It helped me so far.

heinnews: What would you say is the biggest thing it has helped you so far?
Kepler: Just to shut down the mind when you’re up to bat or in the field and just see the ball and not think. And everything else will come by itself.

heinnews: How are you trying to get out of slumps thus far, do you think you got out of them quicker this year?
Kepler: No, I think the first year I dealt better with slumps. I think I just let it get to my head this year. I’m going to try to avoid that next year.

heinnews: What are you watching on TV as a German living in the U.S.?
Kepler: I like watching soccer, like the Champions League and stuff. And I like watching NBA playoffs, but the regular season is not really that exciting.

heinnews: Were you watching fellow German Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks?
Kepler: Yeah, I was there every morning watching the highlights at the breakfast table, cheering my German dude on.

heinnews: What did you think about that?
Kepler: It was awesome. It was a great comeback. Everybody was rooting for the Heat because they had all the big players and stuff but the veterans pulled it out.

heinnews: Who was your biggest baseball idol?
Kepler: I’d say Justin Upton. Good player. Ryan Braun’s good too. They’re just good players all around. Upton has a great arm, great swing. He’s big too – kind of everything I want to be in the future.

heinnews: Anybody from the left side of the plate that you look at?
Kepler: Josh Hamilton.

heinnews: How nice is it being in Twins organization – a club that has been so successful for so many years.
Kepler: It’s great. They work with every single player. It feels like a big, huge family there. The Triple-A players are good with all the players in the organization. Everybody is like a family, teaching each other. I’m very comfortable in that organization.

heinnews: Did I see correctly that you were managed by Jake Mauer – Joe’s brother?
Kepler: Not in the seasonal team. I played instructional ball for him. He actually moved up a league when I moved to the GCL. He was there a year before me.

heinnews: How was that experience?
Kepler: He’s great. He’s just like his brother, very soft-spoken.

heinnews: Have you had a chance to meet Joe Mauer?
Kepler: He’s always there in spring training, just like the other guys and they’re all cool to be with.

heinnews: Where do you think the Twins’ connection to Germany comes from with you, Tim Henkenjohann and Rodney Gessmann in the past and Markus Solbach, who spent last season in the Gulf Coast League?
Kepler: I don’t know. It might be because of the scouts. Maybe they send some specific scouts to Germany. My scout (Andy Johnson) I’ve seen him a lot in Germany. He hangs out in Germany, so that might be the reason.

heinnews: And you’ve been connected to Andy for a long time, right?
Kepler: Yeah, he’s been watching me since I was 14 years old probably.

heinnews: In Berlin right? Or where did he see you?
Kepler: He saw me in the Laenderpokal when all the cities came together to play a tournament and he watched me there. And he’s been down in Regensburg since I moved down there as well.

heinnews: Go back to July 2009 – how much pressure did you have when you signed the big 800,000 dollar contract as a 16-year-old? You were receiving headlines like “German Wunderkind of baseball”, you are from Germany, were you surprised by the reaction from the press, which does not cover baseball at all?  
Kepler: I was very happy to have all that media attention about me. At the same time I was just trying to stay focused on baseball, not get too high and just stay grounded and just appreciate everything that’s been written about me.

heinnews: Was it hard though? When you got to the States, German media were getting a hold of you more and more. Was it difficult dealing with it?
Kepler: No, not really. It got kind of tiring at points when it came at points when I just wanted to rest and relax. But no, I was fine with it.

heinnews: You played in October 2011 for Germany at the Baseball World Cup in Panama. You had a strong tournament individually – .347 avg, .464 OBP, 8 runs, 1 home run, 3 RBI. Despite the disappointing results, what was that experience like?
Kepler: It was awesome facing all kinds of nationalities. I just wish we could have done better. We deserved to win a couple of games that just slipped away in the last innings due to fielding and other things. But I think we hit good as a team. Us being Germany, we’re not as advanced as all the Latin countries. But I think we played pretty well for our level.

heinnews: German baseball fans will see the 0-7 record and think you guys got smoked. But you lost 5-4 to Nicaragua, brought South Korea to extra innings and were close with Cuba for a while. With the Twins’ Germans and Kai Gronauer and Donald Lutz and now Daniel Thieben among others now in the minor leagues, what’s the state of German baseball at the moment?
Kepler: It’s on the way up. More and more people are being signed. We’re moving up slowly.

heinnews: What do you think has been the key component for that?
Kepler: Not sure. Maybe more academies opening up. More youth is getting involved in baseball in Germany. and a lot more scouts are coming to Germany and to Europe in general.

heinnews: You mentioned the importance of the academies in Germany. Being here in Regensburg, we have the academy here, what kind of role has Regensburg had on the push in German baseball in say the last five years?
Kepler: A big part. But it’s just another part of the puzzle in Germany though. These players in Regensburg come from all over. Most of them did not grow up in Regensburg. So, all of Germany is in it. But Regensburg plays a really big part in it. That’s where most players get developed pretty fast. Yeah, we have a great program here.

heinnews: Regarding the 2011 Baseball World Cup, what did you think of the Netherlands – who beat the Dominican Republic twice at the 2009 World Baseball Classic – beating Cuba to win the gold medal?
Kepler: That was amazing. We were watching it on TV. I was really happy for them. It was amazing.

heinnews: What does it say about European baseball?
Kepler: Well, I guess that it’s growing. It’s getting there.

heinnews: And staying with the Dutch, what are your thoughts on the death of Greg Halman – did you know him at all?
Kepler: I didn’t know him, but I had heard a lot about him. It’s very sad. I don’t even know why stuff like that happens. My condolences.

heinnews: Like we were saying, there are more and more Europeans in the American game now. Alex Liddi is one in Seattle that’s drawing headlines, Kai is at Double-A. Do you have a sense that the Europeans kind of stick together in the minors?
Kepler: Yeah, for sure. We’re a small group of players so we probably do stick together a little bit more just like any other nationality. Like the Latins, they’re a strong group of people in the Big Leagues.

heinnews: What do you think the chances of some of the other Germans in the minors now and their chances long term?
Kepler: We all have good chances. Lutz just got moved to the 40-man for the Reds. We all have good futures in front of us.

heinnews: Back to you, what have the Twins said about your development?
Kepler: They said I’m doing good. I just need to get bigger, stronger and maintain my speed and they’ll see from there.
heinnews: Where do you expect to play next season?
Kepler: Low-A. Beloit.
heinnews: Do you have a sense that you’re going to have to fight really hard to get that spot? Or do you think that your play from last year will kind of get you there?
Kepler: No, I will always go hard. I will never take it easy. I have big expectations. I would say I would like to be in the Big Leagues next year but don’t want to be greedy. I just want to move up.

heinnews: Sticking with that, you said in interview in January 2010 wanted to get to majors in five or six years. Still on that course with lots of excellent OF prospects in the organization?
Kepler: For sure. I can make it.

heinnews: What would you say is the biggest thing you have to learn and work on?
Kepler: To just learn from my mistakes and not get frustrated when something is not working out for me. Like I said earlier, work good through the slumps you have and stay focused and work hard.

heinnews: You signed two years ago at 6-3 and 175, where you at now?
Kepler: I’m still 6-3, but I weigh like 210-215 now.

heinnews: Where do you see your ideal weight?
Kepler: Maybe 240-245. How much does Hamilton weigh?

heinnews: Yeah, probably 240. And he’s probably about 6-4. So is Hamilton kind of the guy you kind of want to play like since you mentioned him a second time and him being a lefty-lefty as well.
Kepler: I see myself looking to be like him in the future.

heinnews: Ever have a chance to meet him and if not, what would you ask if you did?
Kepler: No, not yet. Just anything I’d have on my mind. How he started, how he moved up through the minor leagues. How he developed.

heinnews: Interested at all in scouting reports at all?
Kepler: Sure

heinnews: Okay, here is the scouting report about your from Baseball Prospectus: The Good: Kepler certainly passes the sniff test. He’s a graceful athlete with length, and his fluid swing makes it easy to project him to hit for power once his frame fills. His speed and arm strength are both a tick above average, giving him the tools to play center field.
The Bad: Everything about Kepler’s game is raw. He’s still learning how to recognize pitches, and rarely drives balls in game situations. He needs to improve his reads and routes in the outfield and his baserunning.
Thoughts on that?
Kepler: I’ll take it for sure. And I’ll work on it.

heinnews: How accurate do you think it is from your perception and what others have told you to work on?
Kepler: The game situation one I know from myself that’s one I have to work on, being clutch and stuff. That’s when I start thinking too much. That’s really what I want to work on. So that was pretty accurate.

heinnews: What about the least accurate part?
Kepler: I think I have fine routes in the outfield. The coaches are all pleased with my routes. I work myself deep into counts, so I’m fine with pitch recognition too. I might be a little too aggressive in 0-2 counts but that’s what they’ve been telling me to be. And I’m going to stick with that.

heinnews: Biggest positive from hearing something like that?
Kepler: Just showing me things I have to work on. I love working on getting better. And I’ll go do some stuff on that today, right away.

heinnews: Plans for the next four-five months?
Kepler: Going to Florida at the end of January to start workouts. And then hopefully Beloit.

heinnews: So this will be the first full-season you will have. If you do make it there, what are your hopes, expectations about getting that?
Kepler: I’m excited. My only concern I have is staying healthy. That’s a big issue when you play everyday. I’m working on stuff everyday.

Photo: Brose Baskets Bamberg

Brose Baskets Bamberg center Tibor Pleiss called the hype surrounding NBA a “curse” and said he’s not interested in critics just looking at his statistics. The Oklahoma City Thunder No. 31 draft pick from 2010 has started to stay up into the night to watch what he hopes are his future teammates while he works on developing his game and avoids thinking about the pressure surrounding him and slowing climbs the mountain to the peak that is the NBA.

heinnews’s good friend Haruka Gruber chatted with the 22-year-old Pleiss for the German language sports portal spox.com. Here are some of the highlights, translated into English for those non-German speakers.

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After the EuroBasket you extended your contract with Bamberg for one year. But the hoped step towards a world class center has not come about. Do you agree?
Pleiss: Our team performance is satisfactory. But it’s true, I could be more satisfied with my own performance. There are reasons for that. In the past two years we have played with practically the same formation. Now we added two great players to the front court in Marcus Slaughter and PJ Tucker, who I had to get used to. It took some time until I was accustomed to my role.

Some critics see your numbers – 8.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks – and say you are not developing your game.
Pleiss: I don’t care about all the critics. Those who only look at points and rebounds to determine development do not understand what basketball is about. You can have a good game without having good stats. (Bamberg coach) Chris Fleming is satisfied – and that is the decisive criteria.

What consequences does Bamberg not advancing to the Top 16 in the Euroleague have on your NBA ambitions? Your goal was to go to the NBA after your contract with Bamberg runs out in 2012.
Pleiss: I am concentrating solely on this season. I will have enough time this summer for pondering and headaches.

But are you in communications with the Oklahoma City Thunder?
Pleiss: Since the end of the lockout I am in close contact with them. We email about every other day. At the beginning I talked with general manager Sam Presti as well, otherwise everything goes through scout Rob Hennigan, who has followed me for years and recommended me back then.

Earlier you were not interested in the NBA. Has that changed?
Pleiss: For sure. I always look at the results and in the future will get Thunder DVDs sent to me. Recently I stayed up a little later and watched a game live. I am really happy how great the Thunder have started.

Like you, Ricky Rubio remained in Europe and is now playing in the NBA with a lot of success despite nearly no pre-season. What does that mean for you?
Pleiss: Ricky is a sensation. I played against him in the U18s and thought it was incredible how much understanding he had for basketball. And he’s one year younger than me. He gives me hope. He initially decided to stay in Europe and then went to the NBA when he had matured. Maybe that will work for me as well.

German playmaker Per Günther said he is not unhappy that he was not in the media focus as a supposed super talent in German basketball. Do you understand what he means by that?
Pleiss: Absolutely! I experienced it myself when you cannot just develop at your own pace because there is a hype. It comes suddenly and increases with such speed. People demand more than you are capable of. You don’t realize that at first and put yourself under more pressure. Giving yourself more time is often the better alternative. The hype is naturally a form of compliment. Still it is too much when too much is expected.

Is the hype surrounding the NBA not a blessing but a curse?
Pleiss: Maybe not exclusively, but the hype is also a curse. You tell yourself: I have to be good! I have to be better! I have to be the top star now! That leads to nothing. I believe I have taken the first step in the right direction, but more have to follow. I compare my career with climbing a mountain. The steep direct way to the top does not work. First I have to go left then right. If there is something in my way then I may have to go backwards and take a different turn. That’s how I want to climb to the peak.

You almost sound like a wise old man. Have you finally grown up?
Pleiss: I am on the way. I went through a stage in which not everyone was behind me. I learned from that to see things differently and not let everything get to me.