Augie Johnston (185-PG-86, college: CS Monterey) is a 26 year old 185cm guard from Atascadero, Calfornia. He played at Cal.St.-Monterey (NCAA2) and his infinite range has proven he was one of the best shooters in the country. Although he is a prolific shooter, it is his overall ability to score the basketball and defend the opponent's best player that is so impressive. He is one of the most professional and hard working players. As a captain at Cal State Monterey Bay he has shown to have all the leadership qualities you would want in a point guard or shooting guard. He started his professional basketball career in 2009-2010 for Velbert Baskets (Germany-2.Regionalliga), playing 9 games: 28.4ppg. Last season, he played for SpVgg Rattelsdorf Independents (Germany-Regionalliga) playing 25 games: 29.8ppg . This season, he is playing his second season for SC Rist Wedel and helped bring the team into the playoffs against Nordlingen last season and Fraport Skyliners juniors this season. Last season he played 27 games: 15.9ppg, 4.4rpg, 4.0apg, FGP: 48.8%, 3PT: 40.1%, FT: 77.9%. He spoke to eurobasket before game one against the Fraport Skyliners juniors.
Congrats on reaching your second PRO B playoffs with SC Rist Wedel. After coming into thenlast game of the season to Hannover with a three game winning streak, SC Rist Wedel got blown out there by 28 points. Does that put somewhat of a small damper on the start of the playoffs? Not at all. It actually is helping fuel us some. Of course, we wanted to win that last game, but we understand what was missing in that game now and can learn from it and now we definitely have playoff anticipation and excitement on our team.
The team were badly outrebounded and had 21 turnovers. What else could the team learn from this loss? We didn't play with any emotion or passion. Making a turnover happens in basketball but as a team we must understand that if we play with no energy we are setting ourselves up to lose.
How much do you still have that playoff loss to Nordlingen on your mind? The club was so close to winning the series in game two, but lost a close game and then game three as well? Now that we are starting the first round I think about that series often. It doesn't bother me anymore, and it's funny because we are the opposite position as were in last season because we are in 2nd this season and not 7th like last season.
How excited are you about these playoffs? How exciting is the scouting process of a team you have never played against? I am very excited this season because our team is really coming together well and we have worked hard this season to put ourselves in a position to win it all. I am always excited to play against new competition too.
What kind of a series can we await? The double license German players may not always be playing which will give Rist Wedel a huge advantage. That is true, but we are preparing for their best effort and they have lost a few games lately without their 1st league players but they were against good teams and by only a few points. Every team can elevate their game in the playoffs so we'll be ready for that.
How happy have you been in your second professional season? Your scoring is way up, but your rebounds and assists down.
I'm very happy with this season. I am playing a little different role this season than last season at the shooting guard position which has allowed me to score a lot more but in this role I don't have the ball in my hands as often as I did last season when I played mostly point guard which is lowering my assists. Also, our rebounding rules are different than last year.
SC Rist Wedel have four guys scoring in double figures, but how valuable has the team play been of Marvin Boadu? He is the X factor in most games and another reason I am scoring more this season. He is a great rebounder, passer, and scorer. He has had game winners for our team and huge games. He does a lot for our team.
How much are you valuing each extra practice and game playing with Ismet Akpinar who is headed to Alba Berlin? It's fun to practice with a young, eager player who is headed to the top. I'm glad I was able to play with someone I can now follow for a few years and be a fan of. I wish him the best in Berlin and I know he will do well.
Who are your dark horse teams to make a possible run in the NCAA tournament? Ohio St., VCU, Saint Louis and Memphis
Larry Gordon(196-F-87, college: Cal Poly Pomona) is a 25 year old 196cm forward that is playing his first season in the German Beko BBL for Phoenix Hagen. He played at Cal Poly Pomona (NCAA2) from 2005 to 2009 playing a total of 116 NcAA2 games. In his senior year, he played 33 games: 15.7ppg, 10.4rpg, 2.0apg, 1.7apg, FGP: 53.8%, 3PT: 38.5%, FT: 75.7%. He was a CCAA Player of the Year and NCAA D2 Finalist in 2009 [read more]
Larry Gordon (196-F-87, college: Cal Poly Pomona) is a 25 year old 196cm forward that is playing his first season in the German Beko BBL for Phoenix Hagen. He played at Cal Poly Pomona (NCAA2) from 2005 to 2009 playing a total of 116 NcAA2 games. In his senior year, he played 33 games: 15.7ppg, 10.4rpg, 2.0apg, 1.7apg, FGP: 53.8%, 3PT: 38.5%, FT: 75.7%. He was a CCAA Player of the Year and NCAA D2 Finalist in 2009. In 2009-2010, he came to Europe as a rookie and played for Landstede Basketbal Zwolle (Holland-Eredivisie, starting five): 36 games: 14.0ppg, 8.1rpg, 1.8apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 48.3%, 3PT: 33.7%, FT: 75.8%. He played for ECE Bulls Kapfenberg (Austria-A Bundesliga) the last two seasons and last season played 38 games: 14.7ppg, Reb-3 (8.4rpg), 1.8apg, FGP-3 (65.2%), 3PT: 36.2%, FT: 77.1%. He spoke to Eurobasket after the game four loss to the Brose Baskets Bamberg ending the season of Phoenix Hagen.
A tough 92-75 loss in game four against Bamberg. How crazy were the last three days leading up to the game after the wacky game three and three player disqualifications?
It was too crazy, the thing with all of that with Mark Dorris was bogus and I felt that we got the short end of the stick.
What was your reaction to the three game suspension for Mr fantastic Mark Dorris?
It was very unfair and I think it should have been handled better than how it was. That ref who claimed Mark head butted Tadda was completely wrong and should be ashamed of himself. One player was not the cause of all that happened, Bamberg players should have been suspended as well. So it was disappointing when we heard he got suspended.
There was extra police in the Enervie arena. It never hurts to have extra precautions, but considering the type of fans that Phoenix Hagen wasnt the extra police protection a bit overblown?
Yes it was to me, but at the same time you never know what people will do when they are really passionate about their home team sport. Sports Fans are some of the craziest people in the world lol
Bamberg came out rocking leading 14-2 and soon led by 20 plus points. Was Phoenix Hagen a bit too overmotivated or why did they start so slow?
I think we tried too hard to be the aggressors, and things weren't going are way. So we dug ourselves and that hole and had to fight the whole game to try to Win. If we would have played a better first quarter, we will be playing a game 5 in Bamberg Saturday.
How key was Ole Wendt in the second quarter in the Phoenix Hagen 16-2 run getting back into the game?
He stepped up and played hard, and with a limited bench somebody had to do it and he did.
Phoenix Hagen cut the lead to 11 points in the third quarter, but Casey Jacobsen continued to hit big shots. Was it just one of those days where the shots werent falling at ease?
Well when your down the whole game, there is more pressure with every shot you take, every possession you get because making mistakes against a team like Bamberg, they always punish us for it
The Phoenix Hagen luck seemed to end in the fourth quarter as Davin White had to depart the game with 6.11 to play with an injury. Was that the last hit which slowly closed the season for the team?
I don't think so, it just showed that he was playing his heart out to help our team Win and just ran out of gas.
It seemed like Phoenix Hagen had too little fire power on this day as only David Bell and Davin White scored over 20 points. What other factors were key for not being able to win game four?
It was good that they led us and got us going, but we also turned the ball over numerous times and allowed so many offensive rebounds. It seemed they were well prepared for our pressure aggressive defense
How proud was Ingo Freyer after the game and what words did he chose to put a little smile on the faces of his players?
He was proud, we all were proud. We came a long way this season and the biggest thing was that we achieved our main goal of the season and that was to make the playoffs. Being a young club meant a lot for us to make the playoffs.
Are the New York Knicks done? Will Carmello Anthony ever be able to get rid of his label that he cant win a title?
I think they have something left in the tank, they better hope Indiana comes out flat. No he wont, he just going to go down as one of the best scorers in NBA history
Can the Golden State Warriors come down from 3-2 against the San Antonio Spurs?
I hope so, I really don't like the Spurs
What DVD movie will you watch to help forget game four against Bamberg?
Pro A team Oettinger Rockets Gotha announced today that the club will have a new coach this season. The team and head coach Christoph Nikol have parted ways. Both sides did agree though that the German will remain with the organization in some capacity. Nicol came to the team in the middle of the season and guided them to an 11-19 record. "It was a very turbulent time when I took over as head coach. Not everything went as plan and we at times were missing some luck [read more]
Pro A team Oettinger Rockets Gotha announced today that the club will have a new coach this season. The team and head coach Christoph Nikol have parted ways. Both sides did agree though that the German will remain with the organization in some capacity. Nicol came to the team in the middle of the season and guided them to an 11-19 record. "It was a very turbulent time when I took over as head coach. Not everything went as plan and we at times were missing some luck. However we were able to do some things well and end the season on a good note",added Christoph Nikol .
When Theron Laudermill (200-F, college: CS San Bernar.) completed his college career last year, he left the Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes as a decorated athlete who had done more than his fair share of helping the team win. When Laudermill recently left the Rattelsdorf Independents following his first season as a professional basketball player in Germany, he again left with personal accolades under his belt, but the feeling was not the same [read more]
When Theron Laudermill (200-F, college: CS San Bernar.) completed his college career last year, he left the Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes as a decorated athlete who had done more than his fair share of helping the team win. When Laudermill recently left the Rattelsdorf Independents following his first season as a professional basketball player in Germany, he again left with personal accolades under his belt, but the feeling was not the same. Despite Laudermill was constant double-double threat the Independents had struggled throughout the season and had to accept relegation after finishing the 2012-13 season with a 5-21 record and at the bottom of the Regionalliga South-East standings. "It was a real disappointment because of the talent we had on the team and how we lost the games. If we weren't talented it would've been a little less disappointing but it just hurt especially when I was trying my best", Laudermill says.
The Riverside, California native had a productive year in Germany, averaging 17.8 points, 11 rebounds (second best in the league) and 1.5 blocked shots (third in the league) per contest. He and Romanian big Bogdan Sandu (200-F-87), who added 17.7ppg and 10.8rpg, provided inside presence for the Independents and combined for a rare double double-double average in scoring and rebounding. "We always hang out off the court so I think it just translates", Laudermill adds, "when I messed up he was there to clean up my mess whether it be a rebound, tip back or help rotation and vice versa."
Something Sandu couldn't help his team mate with, were the climatical challenges he would face in Germany. "It was really different especially coming from Southern California. After my Christmas trip home the second half of the season I enjoyed it a lot more though."
Laudermill's combination of production and potential should help him to land his next job in pro basketball. Considering the numbers he notched he could have done better in Rattelsdorf, he says, "but it was my first year and I had to adjust to the Euro style of play", he says and added: "[I have to work on] my foot speed when it comes to defense and making sure I can consistently knock down those open looks I get."
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