City of Basketball Love

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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After two years of playing professional basketball in Germany, Frantz Massenat is still very much learning the language.

The former Drexel point guard spent each of his first two professional seasons with Mitteldeutscher BC, a Weissenfels, Germany-based club in the country’s top hoops league, the BBL. But despite becoming the face of the club during the span of two one-year contracts, he didn’t put much time into acquiring some German vernacular.

“I might know about 10 words total,” he laughed over the phone on Tuesday. “I know how to do a lot of good signing, I sign out there when people don’t understand me.”

Before long, though, don't be surprised if Massenat comes home in the offseason ein bisschen besser Deutsch sprechend -- speaking German a little better.

After all, as he pointed out, he’s got three more years to learn.

Massenat ensured his professional career will extend at least that long as he signed his first multi-year contract, inking a three-year contract with another BBL club, EWE Baskets Oldenburg, late last month.

The former Dragon fan favorite, an affable and talented 6-foot-4 left-handed point guard who left University City as one of the best guards in the program's history, is quickly establishing himself as a young guard to watch in one of the best leagues in Europe.

It was an offer that initially blindsided the Trenton, N.J. native, a four-year starter for head coach Bruiser Flint at Drexel from 2010-2014. Instantly, he moves from a team that finished next-to-last in the 18-team BBL to one that finished second last year.

“I was like ‘wow’ to be honest,” Massenat said. “I didn’t even see it coming...and it was actually a team that I really would liked to have gone to, so for them to reach out to me and then they wanted me for three years, I thought ‘what better situation could I want?’ ”

Though financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, Massenat -- like most European basketball players -- will have his lodging and car paid for by his club, getting a new Volkswagen to drive around Oldenburg, a city of about 150,000 in northern Germany.

“To be in my third year, I’m happy with the money I’m making,” he said.

It’s money that he’s certainly earned, with two strong seasons to begin his professional career.

Massenat moved into the MBC lineup starting lineup midway through his rookie year, a season where he put up 10.3 ppg, 3.9 apg and 2.0 rpg.

Last year, Massenat averaged 13.1 ppg, 5.2 apg and 2.4 rpg, leading his team in points and assists. Those are numbers reminiscent of his final three seasons at Drexel, when he averaged north of 35 minutes per game, tying the program record for games played (128) in a Dragon uniform while also putting up 17.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg and 4.7 apg as a senior in 2013-14.

With EWE Baskets, he’ll be part of a backcourt that includes former Missouri star Ricky Paulding, a two-time BBL All-Star who’s been with the club since 2007, as well as former Purdue guard Chris Kramer, who’s been there since 2012.

“(On MBC) I had to guard the best player and be the first option on offense, so that’s a lot, and I was doing it for 38 minutes a game,” Massenat said. “So it kind of reminded me of Drexel, but now the team I’m going to now it’s like okay, I’ll be playing maybe 27 minutes a game, which is good...I won’t be having to kill myself all the time, I can give my maximum effort.”

While MBC’s 9-25 record means the club will be relegated to the second-tier ProA league in Germany, EWE Baskets is coming off a 27-7 year that had it behind only Brose Baskets (31-3) in the BBL.

Massenat is joining a club that’s been largely successful over the last decade, making the BBL quarterfinals in eight of the last nine years and winning a championship in 2009.

And for the first time, he’ll be with a club that’s playing in another level of competition. BBL has participated in the EuroCup, a trans-national league that features 24 teams from across European basketball, for each of the last four years.

“Playing in EuroCup this year...is a huge step for me,” Massenat said. “And then the fact that I’m with the team for three years, I’ll be playing EuroCup the next three years, so hopefully by the time I’m finished that I can move up to EuroLeague, which is the highest European competition.”

Of course, Massenat isn’t treating this contract like the high point of his professional career. After an ironman career at Drexel, he’s planning on a lengthy tour as a professional as well. And though he didn’t go as far as saying he would necessarily spend his entire career in Germany, he did say “I don’t want to keep jumping from country to country, because I’d rather make a name for myself in one great country.

“I’m trying to play until the wheels fall off,” he added.

And maybe by then, he’ll know how to say it in German.