One early morning in April 2013, a towering but spindly 15-year-old boy from Berlin settled in front of his television to watch an American college basketball spectacle known as -- somewhat confusingly, given the month -- March Madness.
What most left an impression on the teen from that weekend of games was Michigan, a team stocked with NBA-caliber talents such as Trey Burke, Nik Stauskas and Mitch McGary that ultimately lost in the championship game.