Diante Watkins is a 24 year old 174cm point guard that is playing his third professional season and second with SC Rist Wedel (Germany-ProB). He started his basketball career in 2009 with Daley CC (JUCO): 28 games: 26.5ppg, 5.8apg, 2.7rpg, 2.0spg, FGP: 44%, 3Pts: 38%, FT: 86%. He then played two seasons with Robert Morris (NAIA) and as a senior played 27 games: 24.4ppg, 7.4apg, 3.0rpg, 2.1spg, FGP: 47.0%, 3Pts: 38.9%, FT: 82.7%. Last season for SC Rist Wedel (Germany-ProB) he played 30 games: 16.2ppg, 2.3rpg, 3.8apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 48.0%, 3PT: 31.3%, FT: 86.9%. He spoke to German Hoops after the 94-85 victory against Iserlohn

Congrats Diante on the 94-85 game one win against Iserlohn. You can wrap the series at home this weekend? How badly did SC Rist Wedel want to steal that first game on the road?

We wanted to win game 1 pretty bad, we wanted to give ourselves a chance to end it in Wedel and not have to play a game 3 on the road. Now we have a good chance to close the series at home!

The first half was very tight, but SC Rist Wedel came out in the third quarter limiting Iserlohn to 12 points which sparked the team to the win as they led by nine points after 30 minutes and never looked back. What kind of advice did head coach Michael Claxton give the team at halftime that especially helped on the defensive end?

That was the speech during halftime. Our defense wasn’t good in the first half so we just wanted to do better and we did in the 3rd quarter and we made some baskets to stretch the lead!

You and American Brandon Spearman combined for 56 points of the team 94 points. Do you guys ever feel pressure to having to perform as the team does rely on you to score much?

It’s a little pressure on us to score. But we understand that anybody on our team can have a big night and pick us up, we have a really balanced team so it’s not as much pressure we just have to play our game and stay aggressive which allows our offense to be better!

Without one or two of Fabian Straus´s three pointers and Wedel could have had problems winning. How key has his play been overall this season coming up with timely big plays?

Fabo made some clutch shots when we really needed them, he has played a huge role in making big shots for us. He is stretching the floor which makes it hard for the defense to help off of him which allows me and others to get easy baskets at the rim!

You had another typical big game filling the stats sheet. Was your three point effort the only category that annoyed you on that night?

Yes my 3 point effort annoyed me but they were tough shots as well as my turnovers I had a few that were unforced, I have to limit those mistakes!

What was your impression of English national player Orlan Jackman? He can go off at any time like you? He is the motor of the team and his energy can infect his teammates at anytime.

I think he is a good player, he can stretch the floor. We have to do a better job at guarding him in game 2. I think he is a small forward playing the power forward position so he has more speed than our bigs and we have to be ready for his perimeter game!

It seems like both teams match up pretty well. Will this series pretty much be decided by the little things?

I think this series will be decided by who wants it more, who can play the best defense, get stops and get out and play the fast break & execute!

The other series pits Oldenburg and Rostock two teams you played this season. Oldenburg leads 1-0. How do expect the rest of this series to go and what will be key for both teams to win?

I think Oldenburg may pull it off at home! I think both teams are really good so it’s a 50/50 game but I think the rebounding is key for that game Rostock gets after the glass and I think whoever controls the rebounds will get the victory! That series is very interesting! They are two hard nose clubs!

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

I watched Focus with Will Smith it was a really good movie!

Thanks Diante for the chat.