While their ex-teammates back home gear up for the beginning of the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) playoffs, longtime Carleton men’s basketball stars Philip and Thomas Scrubb have been separately trying to establish themselves as professional players in Europe.
After a national championship in each one of their five years of service as Ravens, it has been a freshman year redux of sorts for the brothers. The two have been tasked with adapting to the unfamiliar European play style, developing chemistry with new teammates and coaches in addition to living in foreign countries.
“It’s been a good experience I think. I was in Athens but things didn’t work out,” said Philip, now averaging 12 points and 2.5 assists per game with the Frankfurt Skyliners of the German Basketball Bundesliga.
“I’ve learned a lot—especially in my first couple of professional games—you know, how much different it is than in college,” he said. “I enjoyed my time there and I’ve enjoyed my time here as well.”
It’s been a similar experience for Thomas, playing with Kataja Basket Club of the Finnish Korisliiga. The elder (by one year) and taller (by two inches), Scrubb is averaging 12.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.
“It’s been a bit different in terms of the level of play,” he said. “It’s a bit higher and the players are a bit bigger and more athletic.”
“It’s more physical so you have to be ready and in terms of taking a toll on your body, it’s a lot more tiring,” he said.
One thing that hasn’t changed much from the brothers’ years at Carleton is being a part of winning clubs. With a record of 15-6, Philip’s Skyliners are currently in 4th place in the 18-team Basketball Bundesliga while Thomas’ Finnish side (21-5) leads their respective league by ten points.
“We’ve got the most talent in the league and we’re really playing to our potential. We’ve won in the Finnish league the past 13 or 14 games or something, so we’re really doing well here,” Thomas said.
Despite the success of their respective teams, the Scrubbs have had to get used to their new roles overseas. No longer are they the 1A and 1B targets on a young Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) squad, but are instead the fresh faces on teams with some players who have been playing pro for over eight years.
However, the midterm grades from management have been sparkling for both Scrubbs.
“Phil comes off the bench for us as the first or second guy in. We play him at the off-guard or as a point guard,” said Frankfurt head coach Gordon Herbert.
“He gives us a guy who can make a play offensively—he can shoot the basketball,” he said.
“As a rookie [Thomas] has been very good. He rebounds well, plays defence and runs the floor extremely well,” said Jukka Toijala, Kataja’s head coach. “His outside shot has been a bit streaky so that’s an area where he needs to improve in the future. He is very versatile and has been playing positions one to four during the year.”
Thomas said he understands what his coach is saying regarding finding an enhanced sense of personal accountability.
“Here, when you have a different coach [compared to former Carleton bench boss Dave Smart] you have to be more self-aware because you may not always be told you’re doing something wrong,” he said. “You’ve got to work it out yourself. It’s not going to be given to you, it’s expected out of us. We’re professionals now, so it comes with it.”
Off the court, the two say it’s been easy to fit in with their teammates from all over the globe. Both brothers say they find they can hang out with each and every one of their teammates.
Philip is living in a solo apartment near his team’s practice facility while Thomas is rooming with two American teammates.
“This is my first year living on my own, I guess. I always had roommates in college,” Philip said.
The Korisliiga permits teams to have four non-Finns on the team who are recruited via player agents and their client’s video profiles showcasing different skills.
The Basketball Bundesliga allows for six foreign imports and six German nationals on each roster. Despite plenty of new faces to familiarize with within the room, Philip has had the benefit of having a familiar face on the team.
Former Carleton small forward Aaron Doornekamp has been the Skyliners’ starting small forward since 2014. While Philip and Doornekamp never shared the court at Carleton, the two have been teammates by virtue of being on the Canadian national team. Both won a bronze medal at the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship.
“It was pretty surreal to be able to play on the national level with Phil. It’s not often two CIS guys get to represent Canada on that level,” Doornekamp said.
“It’s been nice to have him join our team. He’s an extremely good player and our team has been extremely grateful to have him join us,” he said, while adding he doesn’t think his fellow Raven needs any advice on how to figure out the European game.
Despite the possibility, the brothers shrug off the idea of orchestrating an ex-Raven trifecta in Germany or Scrubb family reunion elsewhere on the hardcourt.
“Hopefully, it’d be fun, I love playing with him, but there’s a lot of teams out here,” Philip said.
“I miss the relationships with the guys at Carleton. You can’t really replace that,” Thomas said. “We like to play together but it isn’t always easy to sign with the same team. We’ll see how the summer goes.”
