In the first edition of the podcast « Coaches’ timeout: the podcast », national team head-coach Ken Diederich had some very interesting quotes about basketball in Luxembourg and the players in the FLBB-squad.
Diederich has high praise for Clancy Rugg, professional player of Basket Esch and current member of the national team, saying that „Clancy is a perfect player for team Luxembourg and the playing style in the international tournaments. He is a power forward who can play center, he can guard the opponent’s big guy and he can shoot the ball so he is a very valuable player. Furthermore, the other players have learned to play with him so he is not expected to do everything. He reminds me of Billy McDaniel and is not only a great players but also a great person. »
Ken Diederich also said that Clancy Rugg could easily play in a higher league than Luxembourg.
Asked about the reasons why Clancy Rugg continues to stay in Luxembourg, he gives 2 main reasons: „Having a family, I have seen how much Luxembourg as a country offers for stability and support. It is the perfect place to raise a family and feel comfortable and secure in your future outside of basketball. Second, I enjoy the great relationships and trust I have built with the Basket Esch community, including the players, coaches, committee members, and fans. I want to see this club win and I want to be a part of it. »
Clancy is feeling extremely well in Luxembourg, he has learned the language and is proud to represent the country. In addition, these international games are very motivating as player: „In Luxembourg, the competition is obviously not as strong so that these games against professional players from other countries are extremely challenging to me. I love to compete against them and this gives me a huge motivation to prepare to play against stronger players. »
Luxembourg needs its top scorer and rebounder to be in the best possible shape in order to compete with the other teams. Rugg has shown in his games with the FLBB-squad that he clearly has the level to dominate games on this level and there is no doubt that Diederich and the whole team will count on him to have 2 great games in Kosovo.
Other articles before the bubble:
–>Ken Diederich nominates 18-man roster to start training camp
–>On to the next “bubble”
–> Coaches` Timeout: the podcast (episode 1)
