Loyola men’s basketball senior Golden Dike recently chatted with PressBox about growing up playing basketball in Spain, his advice for younger players back home and more. The 6-foot-10, 248-pound forward averaged 5.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game for the Greyhounds last year. Dike is a native of Málaga, Spain.

PressBox: How did you become interested in basketball?

Golden Dike: At first, I was a huge soccer fan because I’m from Spain, so I played soccer there in Spain. When I was 7 or 8 years old, my family told me I was tall and big, so they told me to try to play basketball. At first it was kind of tough. I didn’t know how to play, but I noticed I was bigger than the other ones, so I liked it just because of that. I started learning fast, knowing more people, knowing my friends, so I just started playing.

PB: When did you hit a growth spurt?

GD: I was big my whole time. When I started playing basketball at 8 years old, I was bigger than my teammates. At 13, 14, I was like 6-6, 6-7, so I was way bigger than the other ones. I just kept growing until 6-10, [which is what] I am right now. Pretty much my whole life I was bigger than the other ones.

PB: Did you outgrow soccer at some point?

GD: I never reached that point. I stopped playing soccer when I had to choose between soccer and basketball because basketball demanded a lot of time and then I had to study as well. … I’ll play in my free time now in the offseason sometimes. I’m not great at it because I stopped playing when I was 10 years old, 11 years old, but I think I would have been able to play at a mid-level if I kept going.

PB: Who was the biggest influence on your basketball game back home?

GD: It would probably be my family and my early coaches. I remember two coaches, [Pipi Senperos and Juan Jesus, both of whom] would play with me. We had to practice two hours. They would be there an hour before and then an hour after just working on my technique, my shot, my dribbling, my passing and my footwork. They were my biggest influences over there. I remember spending three, four hours practicing my footwork, my skills and all that. At that time, people would start knowing the game of basketball or their family members like basketball, but I was the first one in my family playing basketball. I didn’t even know that much, so I had to build myself and they helped me out.

PB: At what point did you game go to the next level where you started getting recruited? How did Loyola come into the picture?

GD: I [had] two big steps. The first one was getting recruited by the national team, under 12. It was a big thing for me, representing your country. And then I played a huge tournament in which all the clubs in Spain … go and play in big numbers. That would be my early beginnings, but I think the huge step was when I went to Real Madrid from the club of my hometown, Unicaja de Malaga to Real Madrid. Everyone knows that Real Madrid is the biggest club in Europe soccer-wise and basketball-wise. So I went to play there, spent three years. My game really expanded, went to all these big tournaments, under-age in Europe to the EuroLeague under-age. I went a few times. Played the national championship in Spain, went to a lot of different tournaments.

… Loyola came into the picture in 2019, when I was 17 years old, almost turning 18. [Former Loyola assistant Ivo Simović], he’s at UCLA right now. He recruited Santi Aldama, who is an NBA player of the Memphis Grizzlies. He recruited him the year before, and I think they needed big guys, so he called me, talked with me. [Head coach Tavaras Hardy] did a great job coming to Madrid. I think that was why I came here. I had a lot of bigger offers, but the fact that the staff came from Baltimore to Madrid to see me, talk to me, explain everything to me. Coach Ivo was here. Santi was here. I had people that talked Spanish here. It kind of felt [like I’d] be home, that kind of was the main thing [as to] why I chose Loyola.

PB: What’s your favorite memory so far at Loyola?

GD: I would say my favorite memory of Loyola would be my very first [home] game against Fairfield [in 2019-20]. I think I played pretty well, got [18] points, [eight] rebounds. … I would say Fairfield and playing at Marquette — playing in an NBA arena. It was my first game, 13,000 people, huge school, a school with history. Dwyane Wade went there. I think those were the main two great memories. But for me it’s more the relentlessness I’ve built with this school. You’ll never see Real Madrid lose, ever. We used to win every time and play hard and be the best guys out there. Coming here to a mid-major, you aren’t used to winning [as] much. You have to grind every time, work for it every time, be relentless. I think that would be my biggest takeaway from Loyola. This year, play hard all the time, play harder than before, work on my game and earn my confidence back to be the best guy and be the guy I was when I was playing for Real Madrid.

PB: What’s your favorite thing about Loyola?

GD: It’s how everything is connected. People here are so nice. The coaches will work for you 24/7. They will [see] that I am more than as an athlete. They will push you to do internships, have connections, make friends, be good in the class. They will actually push you to be a good person. I think that’s great. Coach Hardy’s doing a great job with that, the assistant coaches as well. And also, all the school is involved in our success. The president, every time he sees me, he says hi to me, ask how I’m doing, ask how is it going, push me to be greater — [athletic director Donna Woodruff] as well.

PB: Who’s your best friend on the team and what’s a story that underscores your friendship?

GD: [Roommate Daraun Gray] is my best friend here. I feel like he’s been my friend for years and years and years. I have a room in his house. That’s crazy. His family always treats me well, looks after me. If I need something, they’ll buy it for me. On Thanksgiving, they will take me home. His mom, his dad and his grandma pull for us. They will spend time with us, talk with me, give me advice. It’s kind of like my host family. He’s the funniest dude on the team. I love being around him, his sister as well. It’s a great family. It’s important when you go to another country to have that type of people to support you and help you out because at the end of the day, I’m here by myself. … The fact that they help me out and take me to the airport when I need it, pick me up, take my backpack back when I leave in the summer, I don’t have words to thank them.

PB: What advice would you give to younger players in Spain?

GD: I am not going to say just come here and go to Loyola or Colgate or wherever. I would say if you really want to have a great experience and get ready for that, being here is tough. You are [away from] your family the whole year working. I’m from Spain, so the weather over there is way different. … If you’re ready for that, come here, grind. You’ll have your degree in the States, which is huge. If you’re not a basketball player after that, you will have your degree here, will learn the language, the culture. You can have after that a great life, a great job and build your family. If you’re going to pursue your basketball dreams, in Europe they don’t wait for you. You have to be ready. If you’re not ready, you’re out. Here, they will work for you, work with you, give you that time.

Coach Hardy and the staff do a great job of that with the freshmen. They will try to explain to them every single thing of the offense, everything of the defense, the culture, their values. That’s huge. They don’t do that in Europe. So I would say if you’re ready for that and you want that, come here. If not … it’s tough — not being at home, not being with your friends. When the weekend comes and you’re friends are doing something, you are here and you are not there. Of course you have friends here, but it’s not the same. I’m the type of dude that when I want something, I will go for it, so that’s why I think it worked for me, but it might not work for other people. I don’t want to sell [that] you should come here. No, if you are tough and you are ready for that, come here. If not, stay home. That’s the message.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Loyola Athletics

Issue 277: October/November 2022

Luke Jackson

See all posts by Luke Jackson. Follow Luke Jackson on Twitter at @luke_jackson10