Alex Gross only played 1 season at Morehead State but he sure made the most of it. On the court he averaged 2 BPG, was named conference DPOY, and helped his team overcome a 15-PT 1st-half deficit on the road to beat Clemson in the NIT. Off the court he was named an Academic All-American with a 4.0 GPA as a Sports Management major. Yesterday HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Alex about his work on the court and his work in the classroom.
You began your college career at Olivet Nazarene, where you had 3 triple-doubles as a senior: how are you able to balance all of the different aspects of your game? I was put in a perfect system that maximized my skill set. The coach put me in the right spots and I just tried to make my teammates better and do whatever it took to win games.
What is the biggest difference between NAIA and D-1? The physicality that is allowed. In D-1 there is much more physicality between post players and a lot more guys can create their own shot so the skill level also goes up a notch.
What made you choose Morehead State over San Jose State/Stetson/Utah State? Coach Preston Spradlin and his staff during the recruiting process. Coach P separated himself due to his honesty/integrity: it is pretty remarkable. Morehead is also 3 hours from my hometown, which has allowed my parents to come to my games and be part of my journey. It has been the right spot for me.
What makes Coach Spradlin such a good coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from him? The patience/passion that he brings every single day. He backs up his actions due to his consistency and I really admire his outlook on life. We share a lot of the same values off the court. The most important thing I learned was the importance of discipline. He taught us how much it can help us both individually and as a team if we stuck to the right things.
You averaged 2 BPG this season and were named conference DPOY: what is the key to being a great defender? You definitely need to get the schemes down by learning the ins/outs. You need to know your surroundings and read rotations so that you can react in a timely manner. Blocking shots is about timing it right when someone is going up for a layup.
Take me through the NIT last month:
You scored 16 PTS/7-9 FG in a 4-PT win at Clemson: how were you able to overcome a 15-PT 1st-half deficit on the road vs. an ACC team? That game was awesome because when we played Power 5 schools earlier in the season we struggled due to having 11 new guys who were still learning how to play with each other. It was really cool to see how far we came: Clemson came out hot but we were able to overcome that adversity. Coach P told us to stay true to the game plan and take it 1 possession at a time. We let it rip in the 2nd half so I give credit to our coaches for getting our minds right.
You scored 11 PTS/5-8 FG in a loss at UAB: you played some great teams in non-conference play this year (including Indiana/Vanderbilt/West Virginia) but where do the Blazers rank among the best teams that you have ever faced? UAB was definitely 1 of the better teams we played and were probably the most athletic team we played along with Indiana. That is what jumped off the page when we played them: there is a reason they made the championship game.
In 2022 you were named NAIA Academic All-American of the Year and in 2023 you were named 2nd-team Academic All-American: how are you able to balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? It is about time-management and scheduling out your day. I try to put in blocks during my day for eating/shooting/assignments. Some people use a list but I am a calendar guy. I am a planner so when I wake up I like to figure out what I have to do and how many hours it will take and just plan accordingly.
You had a 4.0 GPA this year while majoring in Sport Management: why did you choose that subject? I have always loved sports: it has been my favorite thing in the world since I was a little kid. I want to work in sports as a professional and I have a business minor so I might tap into that as well. I love the atmosphere of all sports and knew I had to work somewhere within that.
What is the post-graduation plan? I have been talking to agents to figure out which is the best 1 and my plan is to play pro basketball overseas.