Sean Stoqua (5’11”-PG) is a 180cm point guard that recently completed his second professional season and first in Germany with the Bona Baskets Limburg averaging 20.4ppg, 4.4rpg, 2.6apg, 2.2spg, FGP: 55.0%, 3PT: 40.0%, FT: 76.1%. Following his season in Germany, Sean was hired as the strength coach for Balkan Botevgrad, the back to back champions of the Bulgarian Basketball League. This summer Sean was signed to practice roster for the Ottawa Blackjacks in the CEBL (Canadian Elite Basketball League), making him the 4th generation in his family to sign with a pro sports team in Ottawa. Sean played his rookie season overseas with Ararat Yerevan (Armenia-League A) averaging 32.3ppg, 7.1rpg, 4.3apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 59.4%, 3PT-2 (43.9%), FT: 76.8%. He began his basketball career at Sacred Heart high school and then played 4 years at Acadia University (CIS) as a dual sport athlete, competing as a guard for the basketball team and defensive back for the football team. He then moved to the University of Ottawa (CIS) where he completed his physiotherapy degree and played 2 seasons for the Gee Gees basketball team. He spoke to germanhoops.com about basketball during the 2022-2023 season in Limburg.
Thanks Sean for talking to germanhoops.com. Where are you at the moment and how is basketball life treating you?
Life is good! I’m currently out in Germany playing for the Bona Baskets Limburg in the Regionalliga. I’ve been to Germany a couple times before so I’m a little familiar with the country. Basketball wise I’m feeling good. My body feels healthy and skill wise I feel like I’m at the top of my game.
You’re playing your first season for the Bona Baskets Limburg. You came late to the season. Despite your great rookie season in Armenia, did the job market prove to be more challenging than you expected or wasn’t the right situation there until Limburg came along?
As an import player without a secondary passport it can be difficult to find good opportunities overseas. Sometimes I think the challenge for players from North America is finding a good agent who can connect you with the right team when an opportunity arises. I’m grateful for BLC Consultation helping me find a good opportunity here in Germany and looking forward to helping Limburg finish the season strong.
You played your first game against Soeflingen, but actually was already in Limburg for the Langen game but couldn’t play. You then experienced some harsh cold weather. Did that make the adjustment period easier because you come from cold Canada?
Yeah Germany and Canada’s idea of harsh cold weather are 2 different things haha. There were times in Canada when we had to cancel games and practices due to blizzards. From what I’ve seen so far this year, Germany’s winter is almost like Canada’s spring.
You put up solid stats in Canada in the CIS league with 2 different schools. You definitely can play, but how much of a role do you think has your height and size played for you not landing in higher leagues yet?
It seems to me like agents and coaches often dismiss smaller guards due to their size and are more likely to take a chance on a taller player. That said, once you can get your foot in the door and get in front of people and play they can see what you’re capable of. There are plenty of players my size who have made it to the highest levels, evidence that height isn’t necessarily the bottleneck. Limitations in athleticism, skill and basketball IQ are potentially limiting factors and things that I am actively trying to improve.
You battled against many future NBA players in Canada and have proved that you can play. How big is your chip on your shoulder and how do you deal with it?
Yeah I was lucky to play with and against many NBA players when I was growing up in Canada including Andrew Wiggins, Marial Shayok, Olivier Hanlan, Kevin Pangos, Nik Stauskas, Nazareth Mitrou- Long, Anthony Bennett, Tyler Ennis and Khem Birch. I wouldn’t say that gives me a chip on my shoulder in any way. I just feel lucky that I grew up in a generation when Canada basketball was on the rise and I got to be on the court and compete with a lot of these guys.
You recently started your first game with the Bona Baskets Limburg in a loss putting up 26/4/2 stats. How did it feel and how would you compare the German regionalliga with the league in Armenia where you played last season?
It felt great to be on the court again after a long off-season. I’m still working on finding some chemistry with my teammates but that will come with more time and reps. The German Regionalliga is a solid league. Most teams are well coached with good size, skill and depth. Its certainly a step up from my league in Armenia last season.
You played against German Ole Wendt who played in Germany’s first division BBL and held your own. When you see his game, does that give you hope that you can reach higher leagues down the road?
Yeah anytime you compete and hold your own with players who have played at a high level it gives you confidence. I know that I’m capable of playing at those levels, for me its more a matter of the limited import spots for North Americans. While I may be as good or better than some of the Germans who play at higher levels, I need to outperform other North Americans in order to make it to those higher leagues.
How have you gotten to enjoy your teammates so far? I can imagine that Justin Stallbohm and Brandon Cataldo have gotten a laugh out of you. Talk a little about the guys and what you have appreciated most from them on and off the court?
My teammates have been awesome! They have really made me feel welcome and part of the team, inviting me to different social events off the court. Justin has been playing on the team for many years so he has been very helpful showing me the ropes. Its cool having guys with different backgrounds from different countries. Its also nice how everyone speaks English, just makes communication that much easier. Its great having another guy from North America on the team in Brandon Cataldo to make me feel more at home. I think him and I will make an excellent ball screen combo as the year continues.
Let’s talk about your game. You’re a 180CM guard. If you had to compare your game to an NBA player who fits the description best?
Being from Canada, Steve Nash was always my favourite player growing up. I also like Nate Robinson a lot of because he played defensive back at the University of Washington. That said, I think JJ Barea might be my best NBA comparison. We have similar size, athleticism and style of play.
When looking at your stats one could say you’re a 3 and D player, but you seem to be more versatile than that. Talk a little about your game and strengths?
I feel like I’m a pretty versatile player in the sense that I can adapt to whatever my team needs. I can change what I do on the court based on what my teammates do well. I feel like when I have capable shooters and scorers around me I can play more of a pass first point guard role. I’m also capable of playing off the ball in more of a scoring role when my team needs that, like I did last season in Armenia. 3 point shooting and defense have always been two of my biggest strengths.
You also played football in University. A guy like Ishmail Wainwright of the Phoenix Suns also played football at Baylor (NCAA). How do you feel has your football skills helped your basketball game over the years?
I think playing football has helped me on the basketball court in several ways. I played defensive back for 4 years in University. It helped me become a better defender on the basketball court. You won’t meet many defensive backs who can’t play defense on a basketball court. The reverse isn’t necessarily true. Playing defensive in football & basketball both require great footwork, hip mobility and dissociation of the pelvis and ribcage. Football also made me a better rebounder, learning how to high point the ball and handle contact in the air. It helped me understand collisions better and how to keep my centre of mass low to the ground. Football also helped me learn how to watch film and study my opponents. It helped teach me how to be a better leader, communicator and handle inter-personal dynamics more effectively. It made me a tougher person physically and mentally.
What kind of a defender are you now and what kind of defender do you still want to become?
At the moment I think defense is one of my strengths. I am fast enough to stay in front of quick guards and strong enough to guard taller, bigger players. Creating turnovers and drawing offensive fouls have always been two of my biggest strengths. I’m working on becoming a better on ball defender in the full court.
On what area’s of your game are you working on most now you can continue to climb the basketball ladder?
My mid-range game
In 2022 you played for Ararat Yerevan (Armenia-League A) averaging 32.3ppg, 7.1rpg, 4.3apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 59.4%, 3PT FG (43.9%), FT: 76.8%. You led the league in 3PT FG made and 3PT %. What do you remember being your wake up call where you knew that you were very far from home?
When the war broke out between Russia and Ukraine I realized I wasn’t in Kansas anymore.
You didn’t have just massive games but unbelievable games scoring 55 points and 51 points twice. I mean that’s not easy to do at any level. Talk a little about scoring 50 plus points at the professional level. How can one classify that feat doing it 3 times in the Armenian pro league?
During those games I was able to catch a rhythm with my shooting, felt like I couldn’t miss. I was also in a great mental space last season. When you know you are going to play 40 minutes you feel very free on the court and you don’t second guess your shot selection. My teammates were also great when it came to setting me screens and finding me when I was open.
You hit 11 three’s in the 55 point explosion? Not many pro players overseas can boast having made 10 or more three’s. Was that just one of those games where everything fit. Do you feel like making 11 again is possible?
Yeah it was one of those days. I don’t see why its not possible to do that again. I think its mostly about getting the minutes and the attempts up. Once I see the ball go in once or twice the rim gets a lot bigger.
You have had a very interesting journey before even turning professional. First of all you come from a very athletic family where relatives played on Stanley Cup winning teams and others played sports. How did the family culture shape you to become the player you are?
Yeah I feel pretty lucky to have a history of professional athletes on both sides of my family, all having played for pro sports teams in Ottawa. My father played professional football for the Ottawa Roughriders in the 1980s. My Mum’s father also played for the Roughriders in the 1940s and his dad played for the Ottawa Senators (then called the Silver Seven) winning the Stanley Cup in 1904. One of my current goals is to play for the Ottawa Blackjacks (Ottawa’s new professional basketball team) so that I can make it 4 generations straight in my family playing professional sports in Ottawa. I think more than anything, my family history gave me the belief in myself that I had what it took to become a professional athlete one day. Having done it himself, my dad taught me so much growing up about how hard I would need to work and how tough the process would be. My Mum has provided me so much support every step of the way, I definitely wouldn’t be here without her. Having a younger brother and older sister who also played basketball added a fun and competitive aspect to our family culture.
You were a dual sport athlete at Acadia playing basketball and football and had many injuries. What did you learn most in this time about how to handle your body?
Yeah playing 2 sports definitely took a toll on my body. During this time I think I realized its not so much the workload, but more so how you carry it. During my first 2 years I wasn’t very disciplined with my training, nutrition and lifestyle and consequently in my 3rd year I suffered an ankle injury that required 3 surgeries to fix.
After establishing some new habits, I was able to return to both sports my senior year posting career highs in both sports and not missing a single game for either season. Being more focused on nutrition, sleep, breathing patterns, thought patterns, weight training and mobility made all the difference.
Do you sometimes wonder how your basketball career might have gone had you began earlier and not played football and had all those injuries.
Yeah I feel like I probably would have avoiding some injuries and started my professional basketball career at a younger age straight out of University if I had never played football. Sometimes I also think about where my football career would have ended up if I didn’t play basketball in university. I’m pretty confident I could have had a decent career in the CFL. That said, I’m grateful for my experiences and injury history. Its made me a more well rounded person and a better physiotherapist.
After finishing at the University of Ottawa you worked at a sports medicine clinic and also started a physiotherapy business called ‘TheFixedPhysio’. You also work with athletes overseas helping manage their injuries. What is the greatest satisfaction for you being able to give back after what pains you experienced with injuries?
After finishing physiotherapy school I’ve been working as physiotherapist and strength coach both in person and online. Having had ankle and knee surgeries myself, I especially enjoy helping athletes return from those injuries. I get a lot of satisfaction from working with my old teammates who are still competing at a high level playing professional basketball in the NBA or overseas. Sharing what I’ve learned and helping them stay healthy and have long careers doing what they love brings me a lot of joy.
You played at Acadia from 2011-2015. What basketball memories do you have of this time. What experiences do you take from there as being your most important?
Winning a conference championship in my 1st year is my favourite memory. My first couple years at Acadia we had such a close team and I’m still good friends with a lot of those guys to this day.
You played twice against Mr Canada Philipp Scrubb. What memories do you have playing against him? You lost both games and in one scored 20 points?
Yeah I got to compete against Phil during our Final 8 National Tournament in Canada on 2 occasions. I also got to play with his older brother Tommy Scrubb on a club basketball team a year before that. Both of them are great players and it was always challenging competing against them. Scoring 20 points in the national semi-final in my hometown was a cool experience.
You played 3 seasons with Owen Klassen who has played many years in Germany. What was your fondest moment with him and do you follow his career now?
Yeah Owen is still one of my best friends today. I spent last Christmas with him and his wife Paige in Germany. My fondest moment with Owen is probably eating an entire ice cream cake together from Dairy Queen after one of our University games.
How vital was head coach Stephen Baur in your early basketball development at Acadia? How did he help you most?
Steph was an awesome coach at Acadia and I’m super grateful he recruited me and allowed me to play football at the same time. He helped me gain a better understanding of the analytics side of basketball and how important discipline is to team success. I’m happy to see him have continued success as a coach with our Canadian Women’s National Team.
You then finished graduate school at the University of Ottawa and played 2 more years. How vital were these last 2 years? How do you feel did your game grow there under James Derouin?
Playing at the University of Ottawa was a great experience. Coach Jimmy had recruited me out of high school and continued to support me at Acadia which I always appreciated. Jimmy also helped me gain a better understanding of the analytics side of the game and how to become a better leader on and off the floor. He has a history of helping develop high level pro players including Johnny Berhanemeskel, Caleb Agada & Warren Ward. I enjoy going back and scrimmaging with the team during the summer and helping their current players manage their injuries.
Who was the toughest player that you ever faced on the court that reached the NBA?
I played against Andrew Wiggins in high school. I actually missed a game winning shot against his team, which will probably haunt me for the rest of my life.
Who are your 5 best teammates of all-time?
1-Kevin Pangos
2-Olivier Hanlan
3-Nik Stauskas
4-Anthony Bennett
5-Owen Klassen
*Big thanks to Miles Schmidt-Scheuber for the article!