Former Greyhound Basketball Player Goes Big

Written by: Devin Gauna '13



Former Greyhound, Alex Gauna proves that hard work pays off.

            No one would have thought that 6’5” Alex Gauna would be an asset to the Eaton Rapids Varsity Basketball team as a freshman. The talk about Gauna jumping up to varsity his freshman year all started when he was in the 8^th grade.

Alex himself wasn’t quite sure how he felt about it; he thought maybe he should just play for the junior varsity team for his first year. After a lot of thinking he decided to take the chance and see if he could help out the Greyhounds.

Being on the Varsity team didn’t come easy. After hard practices and lot of overtime, Gauna eventually became a superstar for Eaton Rapids fans. During Alex’s junior year, 2008-2009, the Varsity Greyhounds were invited to play in the Holiday Hoops Classic at the Breslin Center on the campus of Michigan State University. This, coupled with the fact the Hounds played in the Holiday Hoops Classic again Alex’s senior year, enabled Alex to be viewed on an elite stage.

While sporting his famous #1 jersey with the Greyhounds, Alex set many lofty goals for himself.  He wanted to beat the Single Season Block Record by the end of his senior year. This was one record Alex did not achieve by the end of his senior year. However, he broke six other records for the Eaton Rapids Boys Varsity Basketball team, one of them being the career record for Blocked Shots at ERHS, with 218 blocks.

The other school records he broke were Field Goals made in a career, with 505 shots; Three Point percentage in a season at 51% in 2010; Three Point percentage in a career with 38.6%; Free Throws made in a career at 288 free throws; and career Free Throw percentage at 75.2%.

But Greyhound basketball was not the only team Alex could be found playing for. Alex also played AAU basketball for the Mustangs. The Mustangs is the top elite basketball team in Michigan, which requires a difficult try-out period to become a member. It is an honor to be handed a jersey for this team, and Gauna was gifted enough to have the opportunity to be on the court with that team. The Greyhounds were glad to have a Mustang wearing their uniform every Friday night to help bring in a couple more wins, and many more fans, for the team.

Prior to Alex Gauna’s senior year, he began getting numerous letters from different colleges from all over. However, the one he really wanted to attend was the NCAA Division I school closest to home, Michigan State University. After multiple meetings and a period of weighing his options, Gauna received and offer he could not refuse.

The Spartan coaching staff offered Gauna a full-ride scholarship to play on the Michigan State Men’s Basketball team. Graduating at 6’10” with a four-year varsity plaque, Alex was ready to play at the next level. After meeting his new team, getting his shoes, and his dorm room, Gauna received his new jersey, #2. Alex was now officially a part of the team.

Gauna was introduced by Tom Izzo at Midnight Madness as the first Mexican to ever play for Michigan State Men’s Basketball. Now living his dream at MSU, Alex receives assistance from a personal tutor, like all MSU freshmen athletes, to keep his grades in line, a personal trainer to keep him in shape, five hundred dollars a month for food, and shoes for whenever he needs them.

Gauna’s hard work and dedication is now paying off. Gauna played 8 minutes and scored 6 points during his first exhibition game as a Michigan State basketball player. Though it appeared Gauna may have won a spot in the playing rotation, Coach Izzo informed him after the second exhibition game that he had the opportunity to be red-shirted this year, as the coach did not envision Gauna getting much playing time. 

When a player is red-shirted, he is not allowed to play in games during that season, but in return earns an fifth year of eligibility while still maintaining all of the benefits of being a member of the team.

Gauna took that opportunity with no hesitation. Now Alex has a 5 year, full-ride scholarship and courtside seats to every MSU basketball game. Alex Gauna fans can see the old Greyhound superstar on television when he shoots around in the beginning of each game sitting on the sideline supporting his team.

But don’t worry Eaton Rapids; look forward to next season when our former Greyhound, Alex Gauna, can be seen on the court making slam dunks for a national television audience.