First of all, you were born in West Barnet, a tiny town in Vermont, one of the smallest states in the USA, How were your beginning in basketball in so little State? There were enough opportunities to success for a young basketball player like you?
I started playing basketball when I was young. My father taught me to play and I had other friends in the small town who played also. I played AAU which is a program for young athletes to compete within the state and also out of state. When I was 11 our team won the state tournament and went down to Florida to play against teams from other states. Coming from such a small state I did not think I would play after high school and was not even sure if I would play in high school. I just enjoyed playing the game with my friends.

In your college stage you won many awards, you were America East Player of the Year three times and also you won the NCAA with Syracuse in 2005. What can you tell us about those years?
Playing basketball at UVM were by far my greatest years and I had the best time there. I do not think I could have made a better decision than the one I made to play basketball for the University of Vermont. I was very close with all of the players from the team(s) and we still get together every so often. We had one of the best classes to ever attend UVM in my opinion. We all worked very hard and played the best we could every day.

After these good years, you took part on the campus of the University of Nevada at Las Vegas and the 2005 Reebok Vegas Summer League. You were not picked in the 2005 NBA Draft, Were you very disappointed?
I was a little disappointed but I knew there were other opportunities to play. I wanted to show that no matter where you come from you can still accomplish your dreams if you work hard and believe in yourself. If I made it to the NBA then I would have been more of a leader to the young kids in Vermont. I think everyone knows the NBA players more then they do the European players but I think there are many European players who are just as good and obviously can play in the NBA.

My experience in Greece was difficult as it was my first year overseas. I had a difficult time adjusting to off-court experiences more so then on-court. I played pretty well but we had a young team and lost some games we should have won. It was a difficult place to play especially being my first year. I think it is difficult to adjust for players from America on any team but especially in Greece. I had a good time though as I became more comfortable and as I became used to how things work playing overseas. Greek fans are very competitive themselves and are known to throw things or spit at you. They are very loyal though and stick with their team.

After a season in Italy you decided to sign on with Lucentum. What decided you to take this decision?
Well my agent told me there was a team in Alicante, Spain and it would be a good situation for me. I was still waiting to hear back from Angelico Biella the team I played for in Italy, but they said they weren't interested in having me back. So I chose to come to Alicante. J

Last season in Alicante, Lucentum couldn’t achieve its objective, Which do you think were the reasons of that? What do you think about Quim Costa’s work in Lucentum?
Well we had a lot of talented players on the team. We won a lot of games but obviously not the most important games. We had a lot of injuries last year and some players struggled at times to deal with playing time and getting used to playing under Quim Costa. I think he had a great work ethic- - everyone worked hard and ran all the time. I think though he could have given more breaks so we were more rested for the games, but that was not his style. He cared about the players but it was hard to see it. I don't think you can blame wins and loses solely on the coaches or players. Some days we can play well and some days we may not play that well. That doesn't mean we don't care and are not trying to win. I think every game everyone wants to win and tries to do their best to win. It helps when we have good players and experienced players to win more games, but we still need to work hard.

This year, Lucentum has had a very good beginning with nine in a row victories, but now we are being weaker and we have lost the last three games. How is now the team motivation?

Well we had some problems with injuries and trying to fill in for them has been difficult. I think we still should win without Carlos but he adds a lot to our team on defense and on balance on offense. Pedro was also out for the game in Tenerife which forced Txemi, Kyle and Berni to play more minutes and therefore maybe made the game more difficult to win at the end of the game. The last few games I think we were waiting for someone else to help us win the game. We have to rely on each other on the court and make the best decisions at that moment. It is easy to play well when you are winning but once you start losing everyone begins to blame one another. We need to go back to just playing hard and not worrying if someone makes a mistake. We should worry about helping each other instead of helping ourselves.

What do you think about Quintana’s way of work with the team?
Well, he makes you work hard but also rewards hard work with rest. He is a great coach and he really makes practices fun and intense. Everyone enjoys him as our coach and we all respect his decisions. He is easy to get along with and has a great personality. He is friendly and funny, but when we need a kick in the butt he is not afraid to do so.

Do you think that is possible to achieve the ACB this year?
I think anything is possible. We have to obviously win more games and start playing with confidence and start playing better also. There are two ways to accomplish this goal, the first is to finish first after the regular season, second is to win the play-offs. We would prefer to win the regular season but we can still accomplish the goal if we win play-offs. We may drop from first at some point this season but we will be looking to accomplish the goal of finishing first at the end of the year.

Which is your best colleague in the team this year?
That is hard to say, I enjoy playing with everyone and enjoy hanging out with them also. I don't know if I have a best colleague but all of them are considered my good friends.

What do you think of the city of Alicante? Do you like living here?
I love the city of Alicante. It is on the Mediterranean Sea and has usually warm weather. Everyone is nice and there are many things to do. I live right near the Playa de San Juan so I can go to the beach any time I want. My family and friends love to visit and always enjoy coming. It was an easy decision for me to make last year to come back. I enjoy playing here very much.

And about the fans?
I think the fans are very faithful and obviously like it when we win. I know they support us very much and I am glad they come every Sunday afternoon. I would like to thank them personally for being so supportive of the team and me also. Gracias.

Playing in ACB in Lucentum or in another team, is that a dream for you?
Yes, definitely. I would enjoy to play in the ACB especially next year if we won and moved up. I would stay in Alicante and play in the ACB. I could not picture a better situation.

You are a very known person in Vermont, you collaborate with good causes there, you organise Summer Basketball Camps, there is also and official web page, blogs... What can you tell us about that? Tell us something about Vermont?
I have two camps I do in the summer. One is where I went to the University and the other is near my home town. I enjoy running them very much and it is one of my favorite things to do in the summer. I have a webpage and a blog also. I do not update them as much as I should but I hope people still follow along. I never have anything too exciting going on but when I do I usually write it down. Vermont is a beautiful state with green mountains and wonderful rivers and lakes. The leaves on the trees change in the fall and is one of the prettiest things I have seen. We produce maple syrup and some wonderful dairy products like cheese and milk. Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream was and still is made in Vermont. We had the band Phish come out of Vermont. Calvin Coolidge was the 30th president of the USA and he attended St. Johnsbury Academy which is the same high school I went to many years after.

Do you like working with the Youth? Do you enjoy teaching in those Camps?
Yes I enjoy it very much. I look forward to it every summer and eventually I would like to coach some day after I finish playing.

Could you tell us which are your hobbies? How do you spend your free time?

I usually collect shot glasses as a hobby. I usually listen to music, read, watch tv, play cards, or talk to my friends and family.

Did you know Lucentum Blogging? What do you think about this blog?
I know it a little and I enjoy blogs because you can read different thoughts or ideas of other people. They also allow other people to comment on what was written.

 

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