Sophia Aleksandravicius holds seven career records at Davidson, including the most points, rebounds and blocks.
Former Wildcat Great Enjoying Pro Basketball Career
1/29/2014 2:03:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID
Sophia Aleksandravicius career bio
DavidsonPhotos.com
DAVIDSON, N.C. — In her first season playing professional basketball overseas, Sophia Aleksandravicius has had a great experience on and off the court.
A former two-time Southern Conference Player of the Year (2011-12 & 2012-13), Aleksandravicius is the starting center for the Kibirkstis-Vici-Iki Vilnius Lithuania team. They are off to a 17-1 start in the Lithuania-LMKL standings, while going 2-5 in Euroleague games so far.
Aleksandravicius, who finished her career at Davidson as the program's all-time leader in points (1,878) and set six other records, has played in 17 games and is averaging 9.5 points, a team-best 6.9 rebounds and shooting 55 percent from the field. She has also netted 90 percent of her free throws (28-for-31).
Her best game to date was December 20 against Ruta-University when the forward dropped in a season-best 21 points and hauled in 19 rebounds to go with five assists in a win. It was in the middle of a three-game stretch in which Aleksandravicius scored a combined 57 points and pulled in 41 rebounds.
You can follow Sophia's season by clicking here on Eurobasket.com. Davidsonwildcats.com had a chance to catch up with the forward in all her adventures since graduation Davidson.
Q: How have you liked playing at the Professional level?
Sophia: "Playing overseas isn't just about adjusting to the different style of play, a significant part is also adjusting to
European culture. I was just telling one of my teammates that it is still so mind boggling to me when we are in the airport and you can hear 6 or 7 different languages walking from gate to gate. In America, we discuss and disagree on so many levels (and we are all from the same country) it is truly astounding to watch how all of these countries with their own unique cultural identities interact on a daily basis. So far it has been an amazing experience on so many levels and I feel truly fortunate to have this opportunity. It's pretty cool the way people talk about traveling to different countries the way we talk about going to different states."
Q: What have you enjoyed the most about playing at the next level?
Sophia: "Definitely the traveling and competition. Our Lithuanian team is playing in the Euroleague this season, which provides the chance to travel to some amazing places and compete against some of the most talented players in the world. I have had the opportunity to come up against WNBA players and Olympians; there is no better teaching tool than experience. We have gone to Croatia, Prague, Spain and Russia just to name a few."
Q: Did you get home for the holidays?
Sophia: "Yes I was able to come home for a week! I think I overloaded my family with all of the pictures and videos I had!"
Q: Give us a day in the life of Sophia on a practice day and then a game day?
Sophia: "On a practice day I usually wake up at 8:30 a.m. make some breakfast and try to get to the gym by 9:30 a.m. to warm up and get some shots before practice starts at 10:00 a.m. and goes till 12:00 p.m.. Our next practice is usually at 6:00 p.m., so if I need groceries or want to mail a letter to the states I'll go to the mall (malls have everything here from grocery stores to movie theaters). After four years of Davidson, it also doesn't hurt to enjoy the free time and catch up on all the TV series I missed out on during college!
On a game day we generally have a shoot-around at 11:00 a.m. and our games start later at night around 8:00 p.m. Usually the hours in-between are spent resting, making a good pregame meal and watching some film. Right before I leave for the game, I'll watch a few "Shaqtin a fool" videos on YouTube (if you haven't seen them, check them out ASAP!) it's a good reminder to have fun and remember that even the best can make some silly mistakes."
Q: What kinds of fun sites have you seen and visited while traveling across Europe?
Sophia: "While I can't brag about seeing the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben (just yet) we usually have a few hours to walk around while we are away for Euroleague games. It's always fun to simply walk around the city centers of countries just to see the different food, the way people dress and even carry themselves, how friendly they are and even get a hold of what the national currency is and how that compares to the dollar. From a political science perspective it's a great way to expand my European IQ!"
Q: What's something you'd wish you could bring from the U.S. College game to the Europe league's?
Sophia: Their concept of a kicked ball! In Europe if a ball touches someone's foot it's automatically a kicked ball, as you
can imagine there is a lot of game stoppage. Also when I first got here, I was mortified by the amount players who would foul on a fastbreak instead of running back to play defense. (I remember thinking if Coach Savage ever saw me do that I wouldn't play the rest of the game!) Europeans use fouls much more tactfully than we do."
Q: Is there a difference in the Euroleague teams compared to the Lithuania League teams?
Sophia: "Yes, generally speaking most national leagues are not as competitive as the Euroleague or Eurocup teams. Most of the teams playing in either of those are the champions in their domestic leagues or are known for being exceptionally strong clubs. Spain, Turkey, and Israel are known for having strong national leagues as well."
Q; Have you played against or seen anyone you know from your playing days during college in your first year of professional ball?
Sophia: I have had the opportunity to play against several WNBA players I've followed, which has been surreal. Seven
Q: Where are some of your teammates from?
Sophia: "Most of my teammates are Lithuanian, although Euroleague teams sometimes have as many as five or six different countries represented on their teams. We have one player from Latvia, and then myself and my roommate are American."
DavidsonPhotos.com
DAVIDSON, N.C. — In her first season playing professional basketball overseas, Sophia Aleksandravicius has had a great experience on and off the court.
A former two-time Southern Conference Player of the Year (2011-12 & 2012-13), Aleksandravicius is the starting center for the Kibirkstis-Vici-Iki Vilnius Lithuania team. They are off to a 17-1 start in the Lithuania-LMKL standings, while going 2-5 in Euroleague games so far.
Aleksandravicius, who finished her career at Davidson as the program's all-time leader in points (1,878) and set six other records, has played in 17 games and is averaging 9.5 points, a team-best 6.9 rebounds and shooting 55 percent from the field. She has also netted 90 percent of her free throws (28-for-31).
Her best game to date was December 20 against Ruta-University when the forward dropped in a season-best 21 points and hauled in 19 rebounds to go with five assists in a win. It was in the middle of a three-game stretch in which Aleksandravicius scored a combined 57 points and pulled in 41 rebounds.
You can follow Sophia's season by clicking here on Eurobasket.com. Davidsonwildcats.com had a chance to catch up with the forward in all her adventures since graduation Davidson.
Q: How have you liked playing at the Professional level?
Sophia: "Playing overseas isn't just about adjusting to the different style of play, a significant part is also adjusting to
Q: What have you enjoyed the most about playing at the next level?
Sophia: "Definitely the traveling and competition. Our Lithuanian team is playing in the Euroleague this season, which provides the chance to travel to some amazing places and compete against some of the most talented players in the world. I have had the opportunity to come up against WNBA players and Olympians; there is no better teaching tool than experience. We have gone to Croatia, Prague, Spain and Russia just to name a few."
Q: Did you get home for the holidays?
Sophia: "Yes I was able to come home for a week! I think I overloaded my family with all of the pictures and videos I had!"
Q: Give us a day in the life of Sophia on a practice day and then a game day?
On a game day we generally have a shoot-around at 11:00 a.m. and our games start later at night around 8:00 p.m. Usually the hours in-between are spent resting, making a good pregame meal and watching some film. Right before I leave for the game, I'll watch a few "Shaqtin a fool" videos on YouTube (if you haven't seen them, check them out ASAP!) it's a good reminder to have fun and remember that even the best can make some silly mistakes."
Q: What kinds of fun sites have you seen and visited while traveling across Europe?
Sophia: "While I can't brag about seeing the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben (just yet) we usually have a few hours to walk around while we are away for Euroleague games. It's always fun to simply walk around the city centers of countries just to see the different food, the way people dress and even carry themselves, how friendly they are and even get a hold of what the national currency is and how that compares to the dollar. From a political science perspective it's a great way to expand my European IQ!"
Q: What's the competition like compared to the college level you faced the last four years?
Sophia: "The Euroleague has some of the best teams in the world next to the WNBA, so that competitions has been top-notch and a great opportunity to learn ways I can improve my game. In general, however, the coaching and training players receive in America creates a great and truly competitive collegiate atmosphere in which the best in the world come out of, so I feel lucky to have played and learned from the college game over the past four years."Q: What's something you'd wish you could bring from the U.S. College game to the Europe league's?
Sophia: Their concept of a kicked ball! In Europe if a ball touches someone's foot it's automatically a kicked ball, as you
Q: Is there a difference in the Euroleague teams compared to the Lithuania League teams?
Sophia: "Yes, generally speaking most national leagues are not as competitive as the Euroleague or Eurocup teams. Most of the teams playing in either of those are the champions in their domestic leagues or are known for being exceptionally strong clubs. Spain, Turkey, and Israel are known for having strong national leagues as well."
Q; Have you played against or seen anyone you know from your playing days during college in your first year of professional ball?
Sophia: I have had the opportunity to play against several WNBA players I've followed, which has been surreal. Seven
years ago, I was watching them play in front of me and now they're my defensive assignment. I have yet to play against anyone I directly played against in college."
Q: Where are some of your teammates from?
Sophia: "Most of my teammates are Lithuanian, although Euroleague teams sometimes have as many as five or six different countries represented on their teams. We have one player from Latvia, and then myself and my roommate are American."
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