Creighton's Gregory Echenique
This time last year, Gregory Echenique was turning heads at the Omaha Metro Summer Basketball League. Much had been made about his transfer to Creighton from Rutgers, and many Jays fans couldn’t wait to see him play.
After becoming eligible in December, Echenique turned heads in the Missouri Valley Conference for his physical style of low post play. This summer, instead of spending time with his teammates in the Bahamas for exhibition games in August, Echenique is trying out for a spot on his native Venezuela’s National Team. He’s even blogging about it for the good folks at GoCreighton.com.
Watch video of Gregory and the Venezuelan National Team here and here. And check out our recent interview with Echenique, which followed his team’s two wins against Japan in friendly competition.
White & Blue Review: What did you learn playing Japan last weekend? What are the biggest things to work on?
Gregory Echenique: So far the biggest thing coach (Eric Musselman) said was to not hug my guy on defense and to be able to look at the ball at all times. I also have to be more vocal on both ends of the court.
WBR: Throughout the rest of the month, you will be playing opponents each weekend. Who are you playing? What does winning these games mean for the Venezuela National Team?
GE: Our first tournament will feature Cuba, Panama, and Brazil. We will play the Dominican Republic and Argentina. If we can play well and win, we’ll qualify for the 2012 London Olympics.
WBR: How soon will the roster be finalized?
GE: We leave for Argentina on August 10, and only 15 guys will go. So, about 3 more guys will be cut to meet that number. Then 3 more will be cut the day before the tournament starts. We will be in Argentina for 15 days before the tournament.
WBR: We’ve heard you have been serving as Coach Musselman’s interpreter for the native Spanish speakers on the team. How did that role come about, and has that role helped you become more of a vocal leader on/off the court?
GE: Yeah, it has helped me but I still need to get better on being more vocal. At the moment I don’t translate as much as I used to the first week. We have one of the assistant coaches do most of it now. But that first week he just asked who was the best Spanish English speaker; that’s how I got the role.
WBR: From what you’ve seen so far, how much different in international basketball from what you experienced in the Big East and in the MVC?
GE: It is different in all aspects, not just the rule book and the physical aspect of the play. I mean, you are playing with and against guys who get paid for doing this, so the sense of commitment is greater from each guy. Also you just worry about playing and practicing, you don’t have to worry about schoolwork at the moment.
WBR: In photos and video clips we’ve seen of you in action, it looks like you’ve gained some muscle mass while also slimming down some since Creighton fans last saw you on the court. Is that a result of being able to fully work out this offseason now that the eye injury is behind you? How has it helped your performance on the court?
GE: Yeah, I feel in better shape, better than I was before. This summer has been huge for me and still is; I started the preparation in Omaha with the strength coaches and the team. They did a good job in getting me started and ready to come to this training camp. Here we have been doing a lot of work on the court, which is helping my stamina and speed. Also not having to worry about my eye is without a doubt a huge weight off my shoulders.
WBR: In your last blog post, you wrote that Parque Miranda is a pretty intense environment, with the fans right on top of you. How do some of the arenas in Venezuela compare to arenas in the Missouri Valley, in terms of noise and atmosphere?
GE: Honestly you can’t compare that to anything. The fans in Venezuela are probably the wildest you will find. They will be loud and say whatever comes to their mind. The support was unreal, and they love everyone and everything that represents the country. That makes it a good thing to be the home team, but if you are the visitors you will be surprised.
WBR: How has the chemistry been for the team so far?
GE: The chemistry is good. I think we are all on the same page. We all want to win and go to the Olympics, so we are all working hard and helping each other.
WBR: How does the practice schedule compare to anything you’ve done in the past during organized basketball?
GE: It doesn’t really compare to anything I’ve ever done. We have been going at it since day one with no days off. We have 24 practices straight and 2 games with no full day of rest, which is a tough stretch. But we have to keep on pushing because we need the most practices we can get because of where we are going to play. It won’t be easy.