Only few and little changes for RSV – Wetzlar counting on continuity, competition and personnel rotation
RSV Lahn-Dill start the new season, after having made only slight changes within the team. The various teams of the RBBL have approached the new season very differently. Whilst RSV have only made minimal changes, some teams have changed their squad entirely.
Athletic aims & new player
The management prove their trust in the successful team of the last year, who not only won the German double but also came third in the Champions Cup in Madrid, by only getting in one new player, who will predominantly continue playing for his home-team Heidelberg. Nico Dreimüller, 16-year-old Junior World Champion, fits in perfectly with RSV’s future-orientated concept.
Now four players, who also wear the colours of their national teams, are under the age of 23 and have a great career lying ahead of them which should build a great base for the future of the team. “Our aim is to plan in a manner that will give us the chance to still stand at the same spot that we are at now in five years’ time.” describes head coach Nicolai Zeltinger the five-fold Champions philosophy.
He and the assistant coach Ralf Neumann obviously want to start now by defending the German titles this year too. The title for the season 2015 is athletic aim, and despite confidence in the abilities of the team, the upcoming season will not become a walk in the park. Zwickau have made a lot of changes to their squad, Thueringen has reinforced quite a bit and also Hamburg will try to explore new shores of the RBBL.
Expansion & development
To be able to tackle these tasks of the new season, RSV have used the break over the summer away from the court as well. “Our appearance in public and a healthy economic base are also very importance for our overall presentation.” says RSV-manager Andreas Joneck. The office in Wetzlar has been renovated, and the team’s network of by now around 120 partners has been well prepared for what lies ahead with a collective Golf tournament and the big team presentation.
The club has gained another three premium partners with McDonalds (branches in Wetzlar, Asslar and Weilburg), Kinopolis Giessen and AOK Hesse. This network is meant to help the club to a great representation in the public and the community.
The League 2014/2015
Overall there have been 15 new players in the league who have joined the competition to chase after RSV. But that won’t keep the team from continuing to focus on themselves: “The constancy and stability will give us some advantages at the start, but the other teams will catch up relatively quickly within the season.” describes assistant coach Ralf Neumann the situation fittingly, as no one knows yet what the competition have up their sleeves.
Especially RSB Thueringen have upped their game. Despite having had to say good bye to key players Joakim Linden and Taz Capasso, their substitutes will give the league a run for their money. German national player Sebastian Magenheim has moved over from Frankfurt, as well as Britons Dan Highcock and Billy Bridge from Valladolid. Combined with Belgian low-pointer Bart Nulens this makes a strong team for Thueringen coach Josef Jaglowski.
The changes have been even bigger in Zwickau, where Britons Ghazian Choudhry and Abdi Jama have left the club. But Zwickau are well used to changes. They will try to cover the gap with German national player with Andre Bienek, and the international newbies James Stewart from Australia, Briton Darren Scott Peasley, US-boy Benjamin Kenyon and Lithuanian Vaidas Stavinskas.
Change is happening in the north as well. BG Baskets coach Holger Glinicki got Japanese national player Reo Fujimoto as well as Dutch player Mustafa Korkmaz from Champions Cup winners Galatasaray Istanbul. Female support has come from US-college champions Mareike and Desiree Miller from the University of Wisconsin.
Only one change is being made in Trier, where the club is focussing on continuity with top scorer of the league Dirk Passiwan. The only new recruitment is coming is Dutch national player Marc van de Kuilen. Whilst first opposition Cologne 99ers can be seen as one of the teams in the middle of the league, others will be fighting against relegation. German vice-champions 2013 Frankfurt had to suffer quite a lot of losses this season, as key-players like Thomas Becker, Sebastian Magenheim and Sebastian Wolk have left the club.
Their immediate competition will be Roller Bulls St. Vith and promoted team Rolling Devils Kaiserslautern. Latter club has strengthened the team with former RSV II-player Mark Beissert and other international players. Times will be harder for returning team Jena Caputs, lead by former RSV-captain Lars Christink, since they have lost one of their strongest players this summer, Mehmet Hayirli.