Last Tuesday Portland beat #1-seed Gonzaga 64-60 in the WCC tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to next week’s NCAA tournament. The Pilots were swept by the Zags during the regular season but the 3rd time was the charm as they prepare to play the school’s 1st NCAA tourney game since 1997. Yesterday HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Portland F Alex Fowler about being a 2-time conference tourney MVP.
You were born/raised in Australia: how did you 1st get into basketball? I am a triplet and 1 of my sisters had a balance problem when she was younger. We all started playing basketball and I just fell in love with it.
Are you friends with any of the Australian men’s players in the US (Sean Bairstow at Utah State/Alex Ducas at St. Mary’s/Reyne Smith at Charleston/other)? I know all of those guys and we always hear about each other’s successes.
You are 6’2”: how much of an advantage is your size on the court? I would say it is less of an advantage. I have been told that I eventually need to move out to the wing and become a 3…but so far my size as a post player has helped.
In 2020 as a player at Portland you led the league in scoring with 18 PPG and were named conference ROY: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I was a new player who had not been seen before so it was a lot easier for me. People did not know how to scout me and did not know my strengths/weaknesses and my coaches were very supportive.
In the 2020 WCC title game you had 21 PTS/10 REB in a 1-PT win over San Diego en route to being named conference tourney MVP: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most? My teammates/coaches/parents trusted that I had the ability to do whatever I could do to help our team win.
What was your reaction when you learned a few days later that the NCAA tourney was being canceled due to COVID? That was very heartbreaking for us. We had been a “dream team” so we were very excited and after hearing the news there were a LOT of emotions going on.
You have led the conference in FG% during each of the past 2 years: what is the secret to being a great shooter? Coach Michael Meek likes to harp on “finishing above the tape” and being “slow and in control” with your finishes.
You also led your team in AST 7 times this season: how do you balance your scoring with your passing? I have great teammates who get open on the perimeter. They can step up and produce on any night, which is why we are a great team.
Last Tuesday in the WCC title game you had 15 PTS/11 REB in a 4-PT win over #1-seed Gonzaga and became the 1st player in school history to be named the conference tourney MVP twice: how were you able to overcome an 11-PT halftime deficit, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? We came together at halftime and said that it was a new beginning after we had gotten rattled in the 1st half. We gave it all we had and found a way to get through it. It was such an amazing feeling because we put in 100% effort.
What kind of seed do you think you deserve, and what kind of seed do you think you will get? I think we might get a 12 seed but it depends on so many other teams playing this weekend. It will be the 1st time for all of us and you never know what will happen in March. We could upset a bunch of teams or be 1-and-done but whatever seed we get I know that we will be ready to play.