High-energy Saibou has coming out party for Germany in Qualifiers

BERLIN (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers) - One of the revelations of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers has been the outstanding 27-year-old guard Joshiko Saibou of Germany.

In the midst of a solid two-year stretch with German side Alba Berlin, Saibou is also now running full throttle for a national team that has streaked to four consecutive wins in Group G of the First Round and booked its place in the Second Round.

Saibou, not selected to play for Germany's youth teams, was terrific in the February wins over Serbia (79-74) in Frankfurt, and Georgia (87-77) in Tbilisi.

"I guess I was a late bloomer," he said to FIBA.basketball. "I was cut from the U20 team a couple of times but I just thought of the long run. I just tried to be in the moment and to enjoy myself when I play. That's when I play my best, when I'm having fun, especially the last couple of years when I didn't get nominated (to play for Germany until the Qualifiers).

"I always thought as long as I did the best I could and just enjoyed myself, things were going to end up well and that's exactly how it came about, playing for Alba and Germany." 

"THIS EXPERIENCE WITH THE NATIONAL TEAM, I'M GLAD I WAS ABLE TO MAKE AN IMPACT AND AM HAPPY THAT WE WON. THESE ARE EXCITING TIMES" SaibouSaibou

Saibou is all about energy. He and Ismet Akpinar - as well as Bastian Doreth, Andreas Obst and Karsten Tadda - played a fast game with a harassing defense that helped Rodl's side beat Georgia twice, blow out Austria and also defeat Serbia.

The Cologne-born shooting guard is a perfect fit for a team that has the ball moving constantly and players shuffling in and out of games.

"This was a major key for us, especially in this window, playing 11, 12 guys," Saibou said, "myself and the other guys being able to play multiple positions, also a couple of guys can play 3 or 4, or 4 and 5.

"This opens up a lot of possibilities, especially defensively on switching and intensity wise, too. The coach [Henrik Rodl] had many different match-ups to play with, which he used. And of course it was a major key to keep the intensity high."

Saibou enjoyed getting a break from the club season to play in the Qualifiers.

"I thought it was nice to get into another setting and work with other people on different stuff and also to meet the other guys," he said.

As for the results, Saibou knows that Germany need to keep their feet on the ground. 

"We won one game [over Serbia]," he said. "Our goal is to go to the World Cup and to get better. That is the goal at all times and that's what we are doing right now, getting better; win the next games coming up and improve.

"Of course Serbia had a totally different team because some players couldn't come but I liked the way that we played with confidence. We went out there to compete and that's what we did for 40 minutes."

Saibou's best statistics were in the February win at Georgia. He had 15 points, 5 rebounds and a couple of steals.

He had a season-high 17 points in Alba's league win over medi Bayreuth at the weekend so his run with the national team sure didn't hurt his club form. 

"I THOUGHT IT WAS NICE TO GET INTO ANOTHER SETTING AND WORK WITH OTHER PEOPLE ON DIFFERENT STUFF AND ALSO TO MEET THE OTHER GUYS" SaibouSaibou

While he hopes to be with Germany in the next window, he accepts that competition for places in the squad is going to be fierce.

"The coach should take the 12 guys that give them a chance to win the game, period," Saibou said.

As long as he continues to live in the moment, all should be fine. 

He'll always treasure this national team experience.

"WHEN I STEPPED OUT THERE FOR THE FIRST TIME TO PLAY FOR GERMANY, IT WAS AN OVERWHELMING FEELING. I ACHIEVED SOMETHING THAT I HAD BEEN WORKING FOR FOR A LONG, LONG TIME" SaibouSaibou

"When I stepped out there for the first time to play for Germany, it was an overwhelming feeling," he said. "I achieved something that I had been working for for a long, long time.

"It's just been really fun the past couple of months. This experience with the national team, I'm glad that I was able to make an impact and am happy that we won. These are exciting times."

FIBA