By Stefan Djordjevic/ sdjordjevic@eurohoops.net
MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg was one of the 40 teams that competed in the 2016-17 Basketball Champions League, the inaugural season of the competition. They also stuck around for the following two seasons before taking a break from European fields for two years. Now, they are back in BCL and they’ve started off with full focus and convincing results.
During the first three campaigns in BCL, Ludwigsburg saw some ups and downs, reaching the playoffs twice and grabbing the fourth place in 2017-18 but they also logged a disappointing season in 2018-19, getting only three wins in the group stage.
So, the German team has experienced both sides of the spectrum and adding to that also the fact that they actually faced Dinamo Sassari and Lenovo Tenerife in the past group stages, it doesn’t surprise that Ludwigsburg has come prepared.
They’ve already beaten Dinamo Sassari convincingly 94-81 at home and were also convincing against the ambitious newcomer Prometey with 86-64 on the road.
A new coach, a new system and rising to the top
Their real test, however, will come after a two-week break, on October 27th, against Lenovo Tenerife. They played against Spaniards in the 2017-18 group stage, their best year in the competition. Tenerife was the only team to beat them that season in group and both teams finished with a 12-2 record.
That was also the year Ludwigsburg coach John Patrick was named Coach of the Season. The American expert has been leading Ludwigsburg since 2013 and he’s earned the trust.
He took over a struggling Ludwigsburg squad that was in the relegation zone eight years ago and was actually lucky to stay in the first division thanks to a wildcard.
They certainly justified it all. Patrick coached the team to the playoffs the next five seasons and, after missing it in 2019, returned in 2020 in a spectacular way, reaching the Final for the first time in club history and finishing second to Alba Berlin.
Proving further it wasn’t a fluke, Ludwigsburg finished third last season and decided to return to the Basketball Champions League. Considering their past and the fact that they seem to always bounce back strong, a lot can be expected from the team this year.
The roster features a quite balanced profile with veterans Yorman Polas Bartolo and Tremmell Darden directing the younger force led by Jonah Radebaugh and Justin Simon who have put on big performances in the opening games.
Radebaugh went off vs Sassari with 24 points, five assists, five boards and followed it up with 14 points, nine boards against Prometey. Simon, on the other hand, logged ten points, five boards, four assists and an 18-point, 12-board double-double.
“It felt great. I’ve been telling myself that I took good shots in the last couple of games in the league but sometimes the ball just doesn’t go in no matter what you do. So I told myself – a clean slate, go out and play how you know to play, if the ball goes in, keep doing it. It felt good to get back in that groove and prove myself that I can play at this level,” Radebaugh said after the 24-point display in the opener.
But everybody gets a chance under coach Patrick as long as they fulfill one condition – hustle on defense.
“Coach John Patrick wants us to play defense, and defense is key for our game. That’s why I am trying to play hard and give a lot of energy to the team. I fight hard on defense – I just have the right mindset. It’s true that it’s hard to play for him, but if you have the right mindset and play defense you will get your minutes. If you make the right decisions on offense and defense you will be fine,” Herzog said in his interview with the competition’s official website.
Patrick has certainly been proving that story as he has already given minutes to 14 players including the 18-year-olds Paul Minjoth and Emmanuel Ugbo.
Such versatility comes a long way when playing a season on two fronts, domestic and European, and could become crucial in later stages of both. And coach John Patrick and his squad are certainly planning to show up for the final phases in Germany as well as in the Basketball Champions League.