Season preview in the men’s National 2

The season in the men’s National 2 starts on September 23rd. 9 teams compete in the league, 2 teams will move up to the LBBL while another team will have the chance to move up in a promotion series against the third last placed team from the LBBL. Let’s take a look at the roster changes and the expectations by the coaches.

Avanti Mondorf
Arrivals/Extensions:
Coach Philip Dejworek stays
Blake Seits
Jalen Green
Steve Kuhlmann (Bascharage)
Noah Horsmans (Nitia)
Brian Georges (returns)
Departures:
Tiago Figueiredo (retires)
Cyril Wealer (retires)

Philip Dejworek:
„Since we’ve been having a really bumpy pre-season preparation so far, our main goal will be to establish a competitive and consistent practice culture for our team as soon as possible. If we manage to be able to succeed with this, we will be aiming to finish among the 6 best teams in the league.“

Kordall Steelers
Arrivals/Extensions:
Coach Tara Booker
Alan Bedirhanoglu (Mamer)
Isayah Johnson
Scott Spencer
Sébastien Jovet
Timo Tani (Bascharage)
Departures:
Lazar Lukic (Mamer)

Tara Booker:
„As a team, we are approaching the season with a fresh perspective, and are excited for a competitive season. We are looking forward to exhibiting the hard work, effort, and dedication that we have committed ourselves to in order to achieve our goals.“

Sangliers Wiltz

Arrivals/Extensions:
Coach Zoritsa Mitov
Anthony Jones
Kevin Sarlette (Etzella)

Departures:
Dakota Zinser (Mamer)
Coach Paul Missavage (Résidence)

Zoritsa Mitov:
„Our team has changed a bit, but the ambitions remain the same. We are focused on our basketball to present the best version of ourselves every game and I think anyone can beat anyone and it will be a great season for each team.“

Mambra Mamer
Arrivals/Extensions:
Coach Mike Smith
Sam Ferreira (Arantia)
Dakota Zinser (Wiltz)
Billy McDaniel stays
Lazar Lukic (Kordall Steelers)
Jarni Pinto (Arantia)
Departures:
Alan Bedirhanoglu (Kordall Steelers)
Patrick Hoffmann (Black Star)

Mike Smith:
„We have a lot of new pieces this year with players and coaching staff; Jarni Pinto, Dakota Zinser. These changes mean learning how to work together and learning the different systems. We have some experience with Billy McDaniel, Sam Ferreira, Lazar Lukic and Yannic Tuffel, in combination with some of the younger players, who have great work ethic. Our main goals are to come ready to play, work hard and support each other throughout the season. I am hopeful that if we stay healthy and keep improving, it will be a positive season.“

Hedgehogs Bascharage
Arrivals/Extensions:
Coach Daniel Brandao (Heffingen)
Tyrell Sturdivant (Arantia)
Departures:
Coach Adam Radomirovic
Scott Morton (Amicale)
Greg Logins (T71)
Steve Kuhlmann (Mondorf)
Timo Tani (Kordall Steelers)

Daniel Brandao:
« Our expectations for the next season are to build a team with good chemistry among all and with an attractive style of play, which can step by step compete against the more experienced teams of National 2. We want to compete in every game and win. I really believe in the process that we started this season with our team and within the club itself and we want to contribute to making National 2 a more challenging competition, appealing to players and coaches and with more quality on the court. I hope that our team can play attractive basketball and bring our fans to the stands, because it is for them that we play and we will need their support. »

Black Frogs Schieren
Arrivals/Extensions:
Coach Nigel Tolentino stays
Brandon Suggs
Walter Williams
Departures:
Alex Mamer (Diekirch)

Nigel Tolentino:
To be honest, I know that nobody expects much from us, as a promoted team from N3. We expect the pace of the game to be different, we expect the level to be much higher than what we are accustomed to. But we do have a team that is willing to work, a core group of luxembourgish players that have been together for 3 years, we added talented import players with great character who we are trying to assimilate into the team. The plan is to play every game to compete and give ourselves a chance to win without having to depend on our 2 import guys only. Others may have 0 expectations of us, but we do have expectations of ourselves. I love being the underdog. And I know that is what we are. All we can do is be better every day. At the end of the season we hope that this mindset will put us in a position to be in the playoff mix.

Black Star Mersch

Arrivals/Extensions:
Coach Rainer Kloss stays
Ty’lik Evans
Patrick Hoffmann (Mamer)
Pit Diederich (Mamer)
Pit Hoffmann
Pol Breuskin (Amicale)
Lee Bourgeois (Résidence)
Departures:
Pit Hansen (USA)
Diogo Ramos (studies)
Pit Jaans (studies)

Rainer Kloss:
„After the roster rebuild, our goal is to build a team chemistry and keep this team together for several years. The main goal is to have nothing to do with relegation at the end of the season.”

Racing Luxembourg
Arrivals/Extensions:
Coach Pit Rodenbourg stays
Matt Wier
William Blet
Finn Reisdorffer (Sparta)
Jeff Keller (T71)
Damien Rupil (Gréngewald)
Jérôme Käfer (Zolwer)
Pietro Baustert (Fiels).
Departures:
Steven Mersch (career end)
Chritophe Laures (T71)
Vedran Brozovic (USA)

Pit Rodenbourg:
„This will be a very interesting season as we are going through a transition with the main focus on developing our young talents. With the right chemistry and motivation, we hope to play in the upper half of the league.“

BC Mess
Arrivals/Extensions:
Coach Joao Janeiro
Nate Sheppard
Marcus Neal (Résidence)
Cédric Schall (Mamer)
José Monteiro (Basket Esch)
Departures:
Maxime Sünnen (Basket Esch)
Yann Fux (Amicale)

Joao Janeiro
„First of all, is a great honor to be part of this club, and have the opportunity to work with a team, with great players people. BC Mess has a great history on basketball in Luxembourg, and that means that this jersey that we dress, it has a lot of value.
Certainly we will grow as a team, my players will be better players at the end of the season, they will improve on their knowledge of the game. Our main goal is to fight for a spot in the play-offs. The season will be a marathon and we will have good and bad moments, we will try to overcome the bad moments with a great team spirit.
I think that the competition in the league will be challenging, there are strong import players playing in this league which shows that basketball in Luxembourg is better today than it has been in the past.“

The game mode for the upcoming season: