Loyola men’s basketball senior Alonso Faure recently chatted with PressBox about picking up hoops growing up in Spain, playing the piano and more. The 6-foot-10, 238-pound forward averaged 8.9 points and 6.0 rebounds per game for the Greyhounds in 2022-2023. Faure is a native of Busot, Spain.
PressBox: How did you become interested in basketball growing up in Spain?
Alonso Faure: When I was little, I started playing soccer because in Spain soccer was the king sport so I was more of a soccer fan. But since I was tall, I just decided to try out basketball. I just started liking it and kept playing basketball for the rest of my life.
PB: At what point did it become difficult to play soccer because of your height?
AF: I was like 8, 10 years old playing soccer and I was so tall, it was hard for me to move. I wasn’t very coordinated since I was growing so fast. I was running around the [pitch] like a headless chicken, so it was hard for me. Basketball, I also wasn’t very coordinated, but I had the height advantage, so it was easier for me and I’m better.
PB: Who was the biggest influence on your game growing up?
AF: Since I’m from Spain, I always looked up to Pau Gasol. He was always a big [deal] in Spain, winning championships for us, so I’ve always looked up to him.
PB: At what point did you realize you had a chance to play Division I basketball?
AF: When I was little, I was never standing out, really, in basketball. I think freshman year of high school, maybe, is when I started to play maybe a little bit more. I stopped growing that fast. I was a little bit more coordinated. I started playing a little bit better. That’s when I started standing out. It was after that year I said, “Maybe I have some chances of playing at a higher level.”
PB: At what point did Loyola come into the picture for you?
AF: I was playing in Valencia in Spain. [Former Loyola assistant coach Ivo Simovic] started to talk to me about Loyola and how he brought two Spanish guys the year before, Santi Aldama and Golden Dike. He was interested in recruiting me and it would be a great experience for us. It was the summer of 2019 when I started talking to Coach Ivo and started learning about Loyola, and then I finally committed in 2020.
PB: How is basketball different in Spain and America?
AF: First of all, the rules are different. We have 24 seconds a possession [in Europe]. You can’t throw backcourt on a side out of bounds. So there are different rules. I also feel like it’s maybe a higher pace of basketball here in the United States, maybe more sets in Europe.
PB: How is the coaching different?
AF: I think coaches are maybe tougher in Europe. They’re a little more crazy. They scream more. In Spain and Serbia, there are some coaches that go crazy and start screaming at the players and here it’s more relaxed.
PB: What’s your favorite memory from your time at Loyola so far?
AF: We had a good run my freshman year going into the [Patriot League] playoffs when we made the final against Colgate, so I think that’s a good memory.
PB: What’s your favorite food back home?
AF: Lots of things. I love the Spanish ham — so good. Also Spanish omelette — it’s a potato omelette. I like that, so good. I also like steaks. I love steaks. You have lots of steaks here in America, so I like that here.
PB: Who’s your best friend on the team and what’s a story that underscores your friendship?
AF: My best friends are the Serbian twins, [Milos and Veljko Ilic]. Since the first day, we’ve bonded because all of us are from Europe and I also like learning languages, so I’ve been asking them lots of questions. I’m trying to learn Serbian with them. We’ve been bonding like that.
PB: Who did you look up to early in your college career?
AF: When I was a freshman, Santi Aldama was here. He was a big-time player and I was looking up to him. Now he’s in the NBA, so I still look up to him. … I try to check how he’s doing sometimes, but I can’t every game. I see he’s doing well, so I’m happy for him.
PB: What advice would you give to younger players, particularly those in Europe who are thinking about coming to the U.S. to play college ball?
AF: I would say it’s a great experience. If you come here, you’ll have the opportunity to play at the highest level and have the highest education possible, which is also very hard in Europe. I would recommend, if you have the opportunity, to come have this experience because it’s great.
PB: What are your goals for after basketball, whenever it ends?
AF: I want to have a great career in basketball and then see what happens. That’s why I’m here in college trying to get a degree so that when I finish basketball maybe I can get a job or whatever.
PB: Your Loyola player profile says you’re an accomplished pianist. Is this true?
AF: Yes, it’s true. I’ve been playing piano since I was little. I have a keyboard in my room and I keep playing whenever I can.
PB: What kind of music do you like to play?
AF: I like to play classical music mostly. I had four years when I was little of piano, then I stopped playing for some years because I didn’t have much time with basketball. And then when it was quarantine, I had the piano in my house and just started playing again and learning again. Since then, I’ve been just practicing whenever I have some time?
PB: Who are your favorite composers and pianists?
AF: Beethoven, of course. I like Mozart and Chopin.
PB: Whose music do you like to play the most?
AF: I like Mozart. He’s fun to play. It’s flowing. It’s fun. I like it.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Loyola Athletics