The program is tightly packed in the easyCredit Basketball Bundesliga. The next tough nut to crack is already waiting for the MLP Academics Heidelberg on Thursday evening (7 p.m., live on MagentaSport from 6.45 p.m.). At BG Göttingen, seventh in the table, the Academics start their series of four away games in a row before they play the second half of the season at home against the violets in the SNP dome on March 10th. The reason for the tight timing of the two university city duels is the closure of the regular BG home arena, the Sparkassen-Arena, which is not available due to a mission to clear away explosive ordnance. As a result, the suspicion of a dud bomb in the catch-up game of the 16th matchday brought the venerable Lokhalle back into focus. In the historic machine workshop for locomotives from the 19th century, which was gradually expanded into a multi-layered event location near the train station, the Göttinger hosted their Bundesliga games between 2007 and 2011. After that, the industrial monument only occasionally formed the backdrop for the hunt for baskets.
While it should be an emotional return for the home team and its fans, for the North Badeners in southern Lower Saxony it is an away task like any other. At best, it could be a moment of remembrance for four protagonists of the Academics: “Captain” Akeem Vargas wore the BG jersey last season, Elias Lasisi and Bennet Hundt worked together in Göttingen and for Heidelberg’s assistant coach Hylke van der Zweep in the 2019/2020 season (42), the city around the landmark “Gänseliesel” was the first sporting station in Germany, first as an NBBL youth coach and then as “co” of the former head coach and compatriot Johan Roijakkers.
Vogel: “The positive surprise in the BBL”
All other Academics actors are not predetermined. Both teams want to get going in the Lokhalle in their first meeting of the season. The final preparations for the BBL meeting will be completed on Wednesday evening, and the Heidelberg delegation will arrive on the same day. “Göttingen is perhaps the positive surprise in the BBL. Roel Moors and his assistant coaches are doing an outstanding job,” says Alex Vogel, sporting director and squad planner at the Academics, “especially their recruiting in the summer is always impressive. With Geno Crandell, Harald Frey and Mark Smith they have three very strong pick and roll guards who can all score and pass.”
Joonas Iisalo sees an offensive firework display in the three men that needs to be controlled smartly. Heidelberg’s Finnish head coach says before the trip: “We have to do a very good job collectively on the defensive, they can’t get simple three-point shots or shots on the board.”
The respect for the opponent who holds a playoff place is understandable and justified. With 10:7 victories, the purple colors show a positive balance. They are also the only team that was able to beat champion Alba Berlin (96:95) at the end of November. And as Iisalo researched with his coaching team, BG has the third-best offensive efficiency, second-best three-pointer rate (39.2 percent) and fourth-lowest error percentage in terms of turnover.
Joonas Iisalo: Göttingen so far the only Alba conqueror
So the MLP Academics have been adequately warned. “The fact that they defeated Alba says something about their quality,” says Joonas Iisalo. But even the “Giants from the Neckar”, who have improved significantly in recent games, don’t need to hide their light under a bushel. The machine got going against Bayreuth, Würzburg and Frankfurt – and at times Washington and Co. were even against the supposedly superior Berliners (86:94) on an equal footing. The cogs in the interaction of the academics have been working together better for some time now, the relationship between attack and defense seems more balanced, the master plan and mentality are increasingly complementing each other.
In this respect, Heidelberg can calculate something in the “Lokschuppen”. Or not? “I’ve only heard stories that the old arena is really loud. Hopefully our performance will reassure them, that’s all I can say,” said Iisalo of the scenery factor.
De’Jon Davis an option again?
The head coach is happy that there are no injuries or ailments in his squad. The decision as to which of the import players has to sit out is not easy. De’Jon Davis got it in the last few games. Iisalo’s main motivation is that he expects “more speed” from his formation. Davis reacted to the vote in a completely professional manner and “continued to work hard and with focus”.
The 24-year-old, who can be used as a power forward or center, came to the Academics from Apollon Patron/Greece before the start of the season. There is no question that the team can put his physique and energy to good use. In his 13 appearances to date, Davis has averaged 9.1 points and 3.6 rebounds.
Whether again with or initially without De’Jon Davis, the main focus will be preventing a Göttingen three-way festival in Alba-style, own rebound strength and generally cushioning buffers on the defensive in order to bring the violets’ express to a standstill. Especially since their German rotation should not be underestimated either. “If we want to survive, we have to act with the right focus from the start and confirm our good performances from the past games,” said Alex Vogel, classifying the first of a total of four away games (Göttingen, Ulm, Würzburg and Ludwigsburg) in a row.
Ex-USC center Horst Wolf as an attentive observer
It is clear that Frank Meinertshagen, the managing director of Pro Basketball Göttingen GmbH, thinks more atmospherically before the home game double pack against the MLP Academics and the HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim and argues: “The two games in the Lokhalle will be a highlight for our players, fans and Employees – we are very much looking forward to that.”
A former USCler, Horst “Horscheck” Wolf (58), will follow the fight particularly closely. For almost three years, the native of Amorbach and longtime USC center has been responsible for sponsor acquisition at the BG. Another extraordinary reunion…
Text: Joachim “Jogi” Klaehn
MLP Academics Heidelberg
communication and media
