#27 - Jalen Riley

We had the pleasure of speaking with Jalen Riley, professional basketball player that recently played in the Jeep Elite League in France. We opened up with a little bit about Jalen’s youth in Racine, WI. Jalen talked about how his natural ability in soccer helped him expand his basketball game. We then transition into his high school experience and the transition from Racine Park to crosstown rival Racine Case. How Jalen didn’t have the normal AAU experience and how he wouldn’t have had one at all if not for all the mom’s fundraising to put the team together, and how they were able to raise enough money to play in 3 major tournaments, in front of coaches Roy Williams and Tom Izzo. And even though Jalen had great games, due to his size he wasn’t receiving the type of interest he wanted. This is where the story gets interesting, Jalen shares his rollercoaster experience where he went from a Division 2 Junior College to Division 1 Junior College then onto Atlantic Sun Newcomer of the Year! From there, we talk about his professional career and his first stop for training camp with NBA D-League Memphis Grizzlies affiliate Iowa Energy, his short trip to Spain, his following season in Slovakia, Iceland where he had a few clashes with the coach, and the breakout season in Lithuania where he got the opportunity to be himself and EARN a shot to play in a top league in France where Jalen just finished competing for Cholet Basket.