Alex Gklaros-Stavropoulos ’29 is a first year center on the men’s basketball team, towering at 6’11. Originally from Los Altos, California, he plans to pursue a Physics major. He played for Saint Francis High School, where he was a captain his senior year. He hopes to help the team reach the NCAA tournament again.

Victor Korte: Coming in as a freshman, what’s been the biggest surprise about college basketball compared to what you imagined?

Alex Stavropoulos: The biggest surprise for me was the physicality of play through all five positions. In high school, you can get away with a lot more with regard to late switches or missed box outs, but from what I’ve experienced so far, you have to be super intentional and move early. It’s not just bigs, either — you need to watch out for a box out from a guard just as much as a center if you want to rebound effectively.

VK: Which players — college, pro, or otherwise — do you study or model your game after, and why?

AS: I study and model my game after Hakeem Olajuwon and Domantas Sabonis. Hakeem had arguably the greatest low post footwork of all time. He was super creative as well. What I really like about his film is that he makes the defender play at his pace, not the other way around. He never looks rushed or off-balance, and he constantly keeps his opponent guessing without forcing anything ill-advised. There’s a level of patience and control in his game that I try to bring into mine, especially when I’m working in the post or trying to create in tight spaces. Additionally, he has great intuition on where to be in order to block a shot or force a miss. 

Sabonis brings a different kind of impact in playmaking ability as a big. He’s a high-IQ player who can facilitate from the elbows, run dribble handoffs and keep the offense flowing with quick reads and good decisions. He’s also relentless on the glass, finding ways to generate extra possessions. What I appreciate most is how involved he is in every part of the game. He doesn’t need to dominate the ball to make a difference, he just makes smart plays, competes, and plays to win. That versatility and toughness is something I really try to bring to my own game.

VK: Do you have any personal routines or superstitions before stepping on the court?

AS: I always visualize and set goals for myself for each practice, game or workout, as I feel it helps me prepare myself to succeed. I try to stay away from superstition because I know it doesn’t have any real impact on the things I can control, like effort, energy or how I respond when things don’t go my way.

VK: Do you think about basketball as a possible career, or more as a vehicle for growth, discipline, and opportunities while you’re here?

AS: For me, it would be a dream to be able to play professionally, even if just for a few years. I definitely plan to take advantage of the opportunities off the court afforded to me by playing, and I think it is a great way to grow as a person by learning discipline and work ethic. Ultimately, I play basketball because I love the game — and the things that come with it are nice to have.

VK: Outside of basketball, what’s been the most unexpected part of being at Middlebury so far?

AS: Something that has been unexpected is the overall openness of the people here to meeting new people and having new experiences, which I really like. I’m a pretty open-minded guy, and I like to surround myself with people who are the same way in that regard, so it has been a real positive surprise. I had a general idea of what it would be like, but seeing it in real life is different.

VK: What’s something about you that most people wouldn’t expect, especially given your role as a varsity athlete?

AS: Something that people wouldn’t expect about me is that I love learning and reading about science, specifically physics. I really enjoy knowing why things happen and their underlying structure, and physics satisfies that itch for me. 

VK: Do you feel extra pressure to perform because of your size and visibility, even when you’re just walking around campus?

AS: It can sometimes feel like I am always visible walking around campus, but I see that as a blessing rather than a burden. I would be lying if I said I didn’t like being recognizable most times. It isn’t always my favorite, especially when I am just focused on doing a specific thing and not on how I come across. However, for me, a cool thing about going to a small school is knowing a larger percentage of your class and being known more widely. There are a few times where I would like to be able to blend in more, but you can’t have it both ways. At the end of the day, I would take being visible over not being so.

VK: Best pregame song?

AS: MY favorite pregame song is “Digital Dash” by Future. 

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Editor’s Note: This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.