Malik Riddle is a 24 year old 193cm guard from Tennessee playing his second professional season and first in Germany with Pro B team RheinStars Cologne. Last season he played with Gzira Athleta Birkirkara (Malta-BOV League D1) averaging 28.8ppg, 9.4rpg, 3.9apg, Steals-3 (2.6spg), FGP: 57.8%, 3PT: 33.1%, FT: 75.5%. He began his basketball career at Rossville Christian Academy. He then played 2 seasons at Morehead State University (NCAA) and then played 3 seasons at Henderson State University (NCAA2). He teams up with eurobasket.com every week to talk basketball.

A tough 114-110 double overtime loss. It was the second OT type game loss in a row. Is the basketball God annoying you guys a bit at the moment?

No I just felt like we just didn’t make the right plays that we needed during the whole game.

Do you feel like teams are scouting the RheinStars better in the second half?

I think so but also we need to make adjustments during the game. We also did not get stops like we need to.

It was one of those games where one team would punch and in the next quarter the other would punch back. In the second quarter the RheinStars punched back. What was key for having the lead at the break?

We were getting stops and getting out and getting easy baskets.

In the second half they punched the RheinStars, but you fought back in the fourth quarter. Ruppert Hennen tied the game at 89 and you stopped them to force OT. How fortunate were you to reach the OT?

Very fortunate I feel we were locked in during that moment and showed how focused we can be as a team when we need to at times.

That first OT was very fortunate again for Cologne as Alston missed a second free throw with one second to play. What was missing from you guys just to finish them off?

We just didn’t finish on offense as well as not getting consecutive stops and rebounding.

In the second OT the RheinStars went on a 4-0 run, but allowed Ehingen to come back. Is it fair to say that the RheinStars would have won the game without having to battle Jaylen Alston?

Yeah he was having a great game probably one of the best I’ve been a part of and we let him go off this game.

You had 9 points and not your best shooting day, but had 3 steals. Was your injury still hindering your play a bit?

It has been difficult for me with the injury hopefully I can use the break to heal properly.

The Pro B now has a 2 week break. What do the RheinStars Cologne have to do better in the next games?

We have to lock in more on defense like we did the beginning of the season. We have to come out the gate with intensity.

It won´t get any easier as you paly Wurzburg who beat you in the first game. What will be key to getting win?

Defense is the key. We have to play better collectively and finish with rebounding. Our intensity and urgency need to be better as a whole.

Thanks Malik for the chat.