Phil Goss

BS 2005 communications

Phil Goss knew at an early age that he wanted to play basketball at the professional level – either in Europe or for the NBA. So when the opportunity came to join the team at Drexel he committed on the spot, getting one step closer to his dream of playing basketball in the big leagues.

"Bruiser came to visit me when I was in high school. He said it wasn't going to be easy," said Phil, noting that going to Drexel was his first time outside of D.C.

All of Phil's hard work on the court paid off because he graduated from Drexel in the spring of 2005 and later that year was drafted to a professional team in Holland. In the time since, Phil has played for teams in Israel, Poland, Italy, and now he is one of the key players on team ASVEL in France.

Phil says that his strength as point guard is scoring, but he also takes pride in his strong defensive game. He still remembers how Bruiser used to say that if you can't play defense, then you don't play. While at Drexel, Phil was ranked among the top players for career steals.

"The style of play is different in Europe than it is in the NBA," said Phil. "The NBA is more a 1-on-1 game while in Europe you play as more of a team. It's also more physical here and it's up to each player to keep up."

This past fall, during the NBA lockout, San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker signed on to play with Phil and his teammates on ASVEL. Parker was raised in France and owns a stake in ASVEL.

"Playing with Tony Parker was a great experience, he's a great guy," said Phil. "Guarding him in practice has taught me a lot. He is one of the best point guards in the NBA."

At 29 years old, Phil says that he's in his prime, enjoying his career and making the most of it all. "Basketball has always been my escape, my safe haven," he said. "It's been good to me."

Phil may be nearly 4,000 miles away from Philadelphia, but he keeps up with Drexel basketball and has some words of advice for the team which is currently having a great season.

"I want to tell the players to cherish the moment; there is nothing like the time you get to play basketball in college," he said. "Play with your heart and remember that the second half of the season is most important. And of course, good luck!"