With the commitment of Ryan Schwieger (26) sets ProA second division team Phoenix Hagen an unmistakable sign in the race for promotion to the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL). The people of Hagen obviously don’t want to leave anything to chance – and don’t react out of necessity, but from a position of strength. Schwieger is not a supplementary player, but a top-class player with international experience and BBL routine, whose commitment should be interpreted as an announcement to the competition.
The 1.99 meter tall winger from the States was most recently under contract with the Würzburg Baskets and was primarily used there in the Basketball Champions League. Schwieger signed a contract in Hagen until the end of the season, has already arrived in Volmestadt and completed his first training session on Friday morning. He will wear jersey number 3 in the future.
Ryan Schwieger with a remarkable resume
“With Ryan, we have a player who has had a remarkable career path,” Phoenix quoted its head coach Chris Harris in a press release. “With his size and his playmaking, he gives us a dimension on the wing that we haven’t had in the squad before. As a ProA champion and now an internationally experienced professional, he brings a lot of experience with him.”
With Rasta Vechta, Ryan Schwieger (on the ball) became ProA champion in 2023.
© IMAGO | Christian Becker
Schwieger was part of the Rasta-Vechta team that easily eliminated Phoenix 3-0 in the 2023 playoff quarterfinals on the way to the ProA championship. In this series he averaged 14.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists. After promotion, he remained loyal to Vechta until the summer, before positions in Lithuania with Juventus Utena and later in Würzburg followed. In the BCL he scored 4.8 points and 2.4 rebounds in just over 16 minutes, and in the BBL he scored 7.5 points in two appearances.
Schwieger already knows some Hagen players
Schwieger himself says: “Phoenix is the right club at the right time for me. I know a lot of boys who have already played here and have only had good things to say about Hagen. My conversations with coach Chris Harris were very honest and trusting, which I really appreciate. From the games with Vechta in the Ischelandhalle or later visits, I know about the great Phoenix fans and the home game atmosphere – I’m looking forward to that.”
With the signing of Schwieger, Hagen’s coach Chris Harris now has more options than ever.
© WP | Michael Kleinrensing
The transfer is also notable given the current personnel situation: Phoenix currently has no injuries and the squad is complete. The Hagen team is now exceptionally deep in positions three and four – with Jeffrey Carroll, Marvin Omuvwie, Ryan Schwieger, Tim Uhlemann, Fabian Bleck and Dennis Nawrocki. The ability to rotate and adapt to different game types has grown significantly.
On Sunday in Koblenz
This new depth should now also prove itself in the everyday life of the league. The first away game of the second half of the season takes the league leaders to EPG Baskets Koblenz on Sunday (5 p.m.). With 15 wins from 18 games, Phoenix travels to the Deutsche Eck as the leaders, most recently with a 95:84 home win against Wolmirstedt. With an average of almost 97 points, Phoenix continues to have the most productive offense in the league.
Koblenz is currently in a playoff place (8) and has been stable recently, even though it suffered a 71:78 defeat in Karlsruhe on the last match day. Coach Stephan Dohrn’s team won three of the last four home games, and guard Calvin Wishart remains the linchpin. He has been receiving support for a few weeks now from Devonte McCall, who wore the Phoenix jersey in the preseason.
For Phoenix it is the next tough test – with a squad that has now increased in quality and depth. And with the clear message that nothing should be left to chance in the fight for promotion. db
