In what began as a random email from his Slovakian coach to Syracuse Orange basketball assistant Adrian Autry, Marek Dolezaj embarked on his pursuit to play college basketball in the United States, all the way from Bratislava, Slovakia.
Eventually, Dolezaj would find a home in Syracuse, New York and not long thereafter, find his way into the hearts of the Syracuse fan base. Jim Boeheim, who at the start of last season referred to him as ‘the kid from Czechoslovakia’ — divulged that Syracuse took a total flier on Dolezaj during Syracuse’s NCAA Tournament run last season.