Freiburg’s first division basketball players start with little money, but a lot of idealism.
The first division basketball players at USC Freiburg are facing a challenging season. Despite an inexperienced squad and only three professional players, all of whom are new, the kingfishers also want to survive in the Corona year.
Hanna Ballhaus is not known for mincing words. Or to talk things nicely somehow. A week before the first competitive game of her first division basketball team on Sunday (4 p.m. / Sepp-Glaser-Sporthalle) in the Cup against Nördlingen, the 38-year-old USC Freiburg coach says: “It will be damn tough.”
Due to the imponderables of the pandemic, the Freiburg basketball players started their preparations with an open sponsorship hole in the six-figure range. Thanks to a crowdfunding campaign, they have now raised almost 11,500 euros. But they are far from a gold rush mood. Instead of four, they have signed only three foreign professional players this year. The team is very rejuvenated. Jugend forsch against the economic uncertainties in the Corona year.
“Our young German players will have to take on a new role next year and, to a certain extent, take two steps forward,” says Ballhaus and does the math: The remaining German athletes in the squad averaged seven points per game last season. Together. “That’s the challenge: to get ahead here,” emphasizes the trainer, who shares management positions with her Spanish partner Isabel Fernandez. “The summer’s work bears fruit,” the coaching duo stated. Since the contact restrictions imposed by the health authorities have allowed it again, the two coaches have worked with their German basketball players, who are on average 18 years old, to fine-tune their technique and understanding of tactics, train athletics and discuss game situations. Ballhaus therefore thinks: “The potential is there, now we have to make the leap from the mentality to say we are taking on our new roles.”
Three newcomers are supposed to help. A mix of players in the outside and inside positions: a director, a physical clearer under the basket and a precise thrower. The 22-year-old Cassidy Boensch from the American NCAA college league joins the Breisgauerinnen as center. In the outer positions, the Canadian Daneesha Provo (most recently University of Utah) complements the kingfishers.
Meanwhile, the Spaniard Paloma Gonzalez Vazquez will direct the construction position. The long-time youth national player from her home country worked three years ago in Spain with the kingfisher head coach Fernandez. The 21-year-old comes from the second division club CB Pozuelo.
“There are hardly any players like Paloma in the Bundesliga,” enthuses the coach Ballhaus and emphasizes: “She plays as if she was born with basketball.” Technically and tactically, the lively point guard player is considered outstanding, her passing qualities should be good for the team. Ballhaus thinks Vazquez’s basketball IQ improves the game of her teammates. “The question will be how quickly you and the other professionals will acclimate.” The three newcomers have been in Breisgau for almost three weeks. They played six test matches together. Against second and first division clubs and against Swiss teams. After all, four wins jumped out of it. Vazquez admits that German basketball is a new world for her: “It’s more physical here. The coaches want to keep a lot of control over the game.” She has a good impression of her new team: “We are a young team, but I have great confidence in our project here. What we lack in experience, we will make up for through teamwork.”
Start of the season in the cup next Sunday
The new season for the kingfishers starts next Sunday after a break of more than half a year. “The cup game will be important to find out where we stand,” says coach Ballhaus. 14 days later, the Bundesliga kick-off is on the program with a home game against championship co-favorite Wasserburg. In addition to Bayern, Keltern and Herne are also contenders for the title.
The Freiburg women will be somewhere behind in the midfield. Or so they hope. Hanna Ballhaus is currently emphasizing in a downright mantra-like manner that this will be extremely difficult.
–
