Navy Basketball Feels Like Home For Greg Paulus

By John Singleton
Greg Paulus knows how to maximize an opportunity. He graduated from Duke with honors; he is the owner of a freshly-minted Master’s Degree in Communications from Syracuse University - completed in just 10 months; and he is just 24 years old.

"I am very excited to be part of the Navy basketball family. I?appreciate the opportunity that Head Coach Lange has given me and am looking forward to helping the Naval Academy in any way I?can,"?said Paulus, who was named an assistant coach in August 2010. "I?have always wanted to get into coaching and to get my start at such a special institution like the Naval Academy is very rewarding for me.”
Long before he arrived in Annapolis, however, Paulus’ type-A personality was well-known. Prior to joining the Navy coaching staff, he managed to fit in a career as an All-America point guard on a Duke team that was ranked number one for most of the 2006 season, and won the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season and tournament championship. Additionally, he used his final year of college eligibility in 2009 to play major college football for Syracuse, completing 67.7 percent of his passes and throwing for 2,025 yards and 13 touchdowns as the starting quarterback.
“I’ve had some incredible opportunities in my life,” added Paulus, who graduated from Christian Brothers High School in Syracuse, NY. “Coach Krzyzewski and I talk on a weekly basis… We have a great relationship. I’ll always be a big Duke fan.”
Maybe it’s his German-Slovokian ancestry or the fact that he has four older brothers, but Greg Paulus’ toughness and intensity are a perfect fit for Navy Basketball. Navy fans should beware; Paulus has come to Maryland with a kinder, gentler entourage than the hard-charging squad he traveled with at Duke. Both his mother and father now reside in Annapolis.
“My dad works out of Baltimore,” said Paulus, who is the fifth of seven children. “And I’m very close to my parents.”
Paulus will be forever associated with the tradition of standout point guards at Duke, many of whom have links to the local area. Paulus was coached by Duke assistant Steve "Wojo" Wojciechowski, a Severna Park native who played point guard for Coach Krzyzewski in the 1990s. Paulus’ successor at Duke, Nolan Smith, played schoolboy basketball under Severna Park’s Ed Wilson in the local 3D basketball organization. Smith is currently a senior on Duke’s ACC-leading squad.
“I’m excited about our season at Navy. I think we’ve made strides as a team. I’m also looking forward to coaching at Navy basketball camps this summer,” added Paulus, who has now forged his own link to Anne Arundel County. “Yes, I will be showing campers the correct way to take a charge,” he joked.
To kick off the summer, Navy Basketball will present a Skills Development Camp June 16-18 for ninth through twelfth graders. From June 13-15, a Coed Shooting Camp will be offered for ages 8-18 and June 27 to July 1, a Boys Day Camp will be available for players 8-18 years of age.
To learn more about basketball camps at the Naval Academy, visit navybasketballcamp@usna.edu or call 410-293-2627.