VfL AstroStars Bochum

  1. Home
  2. Wiki
VfL AstroStars Bochum
VfL AstroStars Bochum logo
LeaguesProA
Founded2011; 14 years ago (2011)
HistoryVfL AstroStars Bochum
(2011–present)
ArenaBones Hands Arena[1]
Capacity1,536
LocationBochum, Germany
PresidentTobias Steinert
Head coachFelix Banobre
Team captainNiklas Geske
Websitesparkassenstars.de

VfL AstroStars Bochum, for sponsorship reasons named VfL SparkassenStars Bochum, is a professional basketball club based in Bochum, Germany. Since the 2022/23 season, the club competes in the second tier ProA league.

VfL AstroStars Bochum is a departmental club of VfL Bochum.

At the end of 2016, it was the sixth largest German basketball club with 555 active players.

History

[edit]

Formed in 2011, it is the successor club of VfL Bochum BG and was formed by its merger with BG Südpark Bochum. The club took over the licenses of its predecessor clubs on July 1, 2012, and has been competing since the 2012/2013 season.

Since the 2017/18 season, the club's 1st team has played under the name VfL SparkassenStars Bochum.

During the 2022/23 ProA season, under head coach Felix Banobre, Bochum fared well. Their top players included Hendrik Drescher, Jalen Bradey and others. Bochum defeated Tübingen twice during Tübingen's promotion season. Tübingen had previously won five games in a row. Tübingen had never ceded 98 points until they faced Bochum.[2]

After the season, Bochum lost Hendrik Drescher. Bochum would have liked to keep him and was willing to "go to the pain barrier," as general manager Tobias Steinert said. In the club's farewell message, Drescher was quoted as saying, "I would like to express my sincere thanks to the entire club and, of course, to the fans who made last season an unforgettable one, for me personally. Anytime I remember it fondly, I can't wait to play as a guest in the Rundsporthalle next season."[3]

Drescher was the third departure officially confirmed by the club after TJ Crockett and Jonas Grof. Lars Kamp and Niklas Geske extended their contracts.[3]

Bochum team bus in early 2025.

Players

[edit]

Current roster

[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.

VfL AstroStars Bochum roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name Ht. Wt. Age
SG 0 United States Jones, Myreon 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) 82 kg (181 lb) 25 – (2000-03-17)17 March 2000
PG 1 United States Williams, Antonio 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) 84 kg (185 lb) 28 – (1997-01-12)12 January 1997
SF 2 Germany Zajic, Luka 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) 79 kg (174 lb) 21 – (2004-10-05)5 October 2004
SF 3 Greece Giotis, Marios 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) 87 kg (192 lb) 23 – (2002-06-29)29 June 2002
PG 4 Germany Geske, Niklas (C) 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 83 kg (183 lb) 31 – (1994-04-13)13 April 1994
PG 6 Greece Bucur, Aurel 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) 80 kg (176 lb) 19 – (2006-08-18)18 August 2006
SG 7 Germany Kamp, Lars 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) 82 kg (181 lb) 29 – (1996-03-28)28 March 1996
C 8 Germany Dietz, Kilian 2.02 m (6 ft 8 in) 109 kg (240 lb) 35 – (1990-11-09)9 November 1990
PG 9 Germany Grof, Jonas 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) 90 kg (198 lb) 29 – (1996-05-03)3 May 1996
PF 11 United States Mangum, Dravon 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 93 kg (205 lb) 25 – (2000-01-04)4 January 2000
PG 12 United States Strange, Matthew 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) 77 kg (170 lb) 27 – (1998-10-07)7 October 1998
SG 13 Germany Neumann, Mats 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 70 kg (154 lb) 16 – (2009-04-28)28 April 2009
C 21 Germany Gustrau, Henning 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) 95 kg (209 lb) 19 – (2005-12-09)9 December 2005
PF 22 United States Green, Malek 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) 100 kg (220 lb) 26 – (1999-08-31)31 August 1999
C 64 Germany Brackmann, Max 2.18 m (7 ft 2 in) 120 kg (265 lb) 25 – (2000-03-10)10 March 2000
Head coach

Spain Felix Banobre

Assistant coach(es)

Spain Alvaro Sanchez Paredes
Germany Petar Topalski

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Injured Injured
Updated: October 31, 2025

Notable players

[edit]
To appear in this section a player must have either:

– Set a club record or won an individual award as a professional player.
– Played at least one official international match for his senior national team at any time.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ https://sparkassenstars.de/2025/sparkassenstars-spielen-kuenftig-in-der-bones-hands-arena/
  2. ^ Frank Wild (11 March 2023). "Siegesserie gerissen: Tigers Tübingen verlieren 82:98 in Bochum". Reutlinger General-Anzeiger (in German). Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Wären an die Schmerzgrenze gegangen": Bochum verliert Spieler innerhalb der Pro A Philipp Ziser (Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung), 26 June 2023. Accessed 30 June 2023.(in German)
[edit]