European Prospects

News about Young European Basketball Prospects

German prospects on the move

May 15th, 2008 · 5 Comments

The NCAA is still a very popular destination for some of Germany’s best prospects. And despite some problems with the NCAA regularization last year (you surely remember the case of Lucca Staiger and Fabian Böke who got suspended for one season), there is still a number of players that want to join the College league.

The most prominent case is surely Robin Benzing. Being recognized as one of the top talents in Germany of the 1989 born generation, Benzing has played this season with the Langen NBBL U19 team as well as with the ProA team. And the ProA is considered as a professional league by the NCAA board as there are players in this league that earn money. This has been the argumentation to suspend Lucca Staiger and Fabian Böke for this season, two players that have played with Urspring.

But the risk of being suspended for one season does not stop Benzing’s dream to play in the NCAA. In a recent article in the German press, he states that he will do extra session in the weightlifting room while the other guys are practicing. He has even rejected a professional offer by the German team of Frankfurt Skyliners in order to go to the States. And after some rumors sending him to Fresno States, there are currently only two teams left on the list that he may join: San Diego or Michigan. Michigan coach John Beilein even went to Germany and visited Benzing recently in order to explain him the advantages of moving to Ann Arbor.

But first of all, Robin will have to get his High School degree and play the Final Four of the U19 League with Langen on the 31st May and 1st June. I will be present for the two days of the tournament and give of course a detailed scouting report about his progress.

UPDATE: Benzing’s team Langen got eliminated this Saturday and will not play the Final Four.

Urspring, one of the top talent schools of German basketball will also see some of its players move to the United Stats in order to continue their scholar and basketball education in the NCAA. Big man Christopher Niemann is already sure to move to Arkansas but the destinations of PG Frank Wiseler, SF Thierno Agne and SF Patrick Horstmann are not sure for the moment. But all of them will most likely face the same destiny than Staiger and Böke which means a one year suspension in the NCAA system.

5 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Introducing Robin Benzing | UMHoops.com // May 15, 2008 at 8:16 pm

    […] has the scoop on Benzing: But the risk of being suspended for one season does not stop Benzing’s dream to play […]

  • 2 Stevan // May 20, 2008 at 3:40 am

    Thierno… i dunno, he plas like a pussy

  • 3 Christophe // May 20, 2008 at 6:32 am

    Well, he is however one of the best defenders in NBBL

  • 4 Stevan // May 20, 2008 at 6:49 pm

    but just look at whom he is guarding and compare to ncaa…, I mean if Dragovic is chained to the ucla bench then Thierno should get comfortable with the college hoodys

  • 5 Alex Petronis // Aug 25, 2008 at 11:20 pm

    evaldas zabas is the best play in the U22 world right now

You must log in to post a comment.