Kostas Antetokounmpo will soon be able to practice with Dayton Flyers

Freshman is redshirting this year as NCAA partial qualifier

Dayton Flyers freshman Kostas Antetokounmpo will soon be able to join his teammates on the court. When final exams for the first semester end next week, he’ll be able to practice for the first time.

As a NCAA partial qualifier, the 6-foot-10 Antetokounmpo — his last name is pronounced ah-deh-toh-KOON-boh — was only able to watch practice in the first semester and sit on the end of the bench during games. That’s a change from a couple years ago when partial qualifiers could practice all season, as late Dayton center Steve McElvene did in the 2014-15 season.

On the Archie Miller Show on Monday on WHIO Radio, the Dayton coach provided an update on Antetokounmpo, who will make his UD debut next season.

“Kostas is in a tough spot because he hasn’t really been able to participate in any basketball work, but he’s with us every day,” Miller said. “He’s done a great job in school. He’s about a week and a half away from being able to be back with us full go. He’s a really pleasant kid to be around. He’s fun to be around. He’s a good teammate. He’s well liked. Within his classes and his academics, there’s been no sign other than he’s a great kid. We’re really pleased with him.

“We’re also excited to get him in the mix with our team to help us in practice every day. Those guys are invaluable when we can go against guys like him with size and length in practice. He’s off to a good start in school. He loves it here. That’s the most important thing when you’ve got a guy who’s coming from a long way away who for the first time hasn’t been around his family. He’s adapted well.”

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Antetokounmpo was born in Greece and went to high school there for two years. He moved to Milwaukee with his family in 2014 when his brother Giannis signed with the Milwaukee Bucks. Giannis started playing pro basketball in Greece when he was a teenager and was 18 when the Bucks drafted him with the No. 15 pick in the 2013 draft.

Kostas turned 19 in November, so he’ll be almost 20 when the 2017-18 season begins.

“He’s going to be in much better shape next year at this time than he is this year at this time,” Miller said, “even if he was eligible to play. Learning how your day works as a college student athlete is a lot different for a freshman let alone for someone who has only been in the country for two years and change. In Kostas’ world, it wasn’t like he grew up in a normal household like we do in the United States where the process is high school, college, professional. In his world, it’s grow up, go to school, try to become a professional. That’s a much different way of thinking, not that it’s right or wrong. If you’re 16 or 17 or 18 years old and you’re in Greece and you’re a great basketball player, there is no school. They start making money at 17, 18 years old, and they start playing pro ball. It’s a different way of life over here. For him to get acclimated to college, learn what it’s about, I think it’s good. He’s been with us watching us every day, so i think he has a better feel.”

Adapting physically to the rigors of the college game will be a big thing for Antetokounmpo as well. He is listed as weighing 190 pounds on Dayton’s roster. Giannis, who is about an inch taller, weighs 222.

“I’d say he’s a little over 200 right now,” Miller said. “I would say next year if he’s at 215, that would be a win. He’s closer to 6-11 than he is 6-9, so he’s really really long. I think our strength and conditioning coach, Pat (O’Neal), would say within about a year from now he thinks he can be 220.”

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