Santa Barbara AHEPA Chapter 243

Basketball has taken Nick Livas to three colleges in three years.But this summer, the game took Livas, a Prairie Ridge graduate, to one of the most remarkable places he ever has visited.Livas, who will be a senior this fall at NAIA University of Illinois at Springfield, was part of a 10-player contingent of Greek-American athletes to travel to Greece as a touring all-star team.“I wasn’t sure whether I was going to go or not,” Livas said. “It’s one of the best decisions I’ve made in my entire life.”The trip, which involved four games in 11 days last month, was sponsored by the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), a Greek-American fraternal organization.The players visited sites in Athens and other cities, played against Greek pro teams and the country’s junior national squad, and enjoyed soaking up the culture.“I learned a lot about my heritage,” said Livas, whose great grandparents were born in Greece before coming to the U.S. in 1909. “They’re very proud people. Every five feet, each building has a Greek flag.”The Greeks’ warm attitude toward visitors also was evident.“Everything is a little more laid back,” said Livas, who never had traveled to Greece. “People aren’t as confrontational. If you bump into somebody in downtown Chicago, there might be a problem. If you bump into somebody in Greece, they might talk to you for a half hour.”There was very little bumping on the basketball court, however, for the American players, who were coached by ESPN analyst and former Villanova coach Steve Lappas.“They’re not very physical,” said Livas, who averaged 12.5 points and a career-high 7.5 rebounds last season at UIS. “In America, you can get hammered and not get a (foul) call. Over in Greece, if you breathe on somebody, they call the foul.”The 6-foot-6, 225-pound Livas added 10 pounds this summer to carry into his second season at UIS, where he has found a home after one season each at fellow NAIA schools Olivet Nazarene and McKendree.Playing in a fast-paced offense guided by 11-year NBA veteran Kevin Gamble, the seventh-year UIS coach, Livas has been a key contributor.“It’s not quite a run-and-gun, but it’s very paced,” Livas said.