Todor Pandov
Profile of Todor Pandov

HH: When did you really start playing basketball?
TP: Let's say....about five years

HH: What got you interested in basketball?....You said your dad was a boxer right?
TP: He was a boxer and I'm from a sports family, so I just got into basketball. My sister was playing professional basketball and I was a big fan....so I just wanted to play.

HH: Now your dad was an Olympic boxer right?
TP: Yes, he was. He went to the Olympic games. He was the European champion. He was a lot of times the champion of my country...
HH: Heavyweight?
TP: Heavyweight, yeah.
HH: Which Olympics was he in?
TP: He was in Tokyo in 1964 and Mexico in 1968.
HH: Did he win any medals?
TP: No, he got fifth place....in Mexico. He fought against an Italian guy...my father beat him in Bulgaria, like 7-0 in points, like two months before the Olympic games. He lost to him.
HH: Did you ever get into boxing yourself?
TP: Yeah, I was a boxer for like a year or year and a half.

HH: So is basketball becoming more and more popular in Bulgaria all the time?
TP: Yeah, it is. Since 1991 or '92 when they started playing the NBA on TV, you know. So, everybody started watching it and it became popular.
HH: Do you have any favorite American players?
TP: Favorite American players? (Laughs) Yeah, all of my favorite players are Americans.
HH: Who's your favorite player?
TP: Michael Jordan.

HH: What are the main reasons you chose to come to Western?
TP: Well, I was playing in the European Championships during the summer...in 1998. So, Coach McDonald saw me over there and he just wanted me. He called my home and was writing me and stuff. I didn't know English, so I went to Tennessee to high school to learn English and after that I signed and I came here.
HH: So how long have you been speaking English?
TP: About a year
HH: That's all, really??
TP: Yeah.
HH: You speak English pretty well for only a year. You speak better than some Americans.
TP: Oh, yeah right. (Laughs).

HH: So how is life different in America than from Bulgaria? What's the best and worst things you've found about life over here so far?
TP: Well, the best thing....everybody is like, pretty much the same, you know? In my country it's not like that. In my country there's a lot of rich people and a lot of poor people.....there's just a little middle class. Everybody here is like middle class.

HH: Do you keep in touch with your family very much?
TP: Yeah, I try to call my family....I try to make a phone call every two or three weeks.

HH: So what are your strongest points as a player?
TP: Coach Felton says I am very quick for a tall guy, and my athleticism. Those are my strong points.

HH: How do you feel about the team? Do you see a lot of potential for the team this year?
TP: Yeah, I see a lot of potential. We're eight freshmen, we're still young players, but we can develop and we can learn.

HH: So, what impresses you the most about the coaching staff?
TP: Probably....they care a lot about us. Not just because we're players but they care about us as individuals. They care about our school, how we're doing in school and everywhere. They don't care about us just on the court. They care about us everywhere.

HH: What's the big difference in basketball over here than in Bulgaria, as far as the style of play?
TP: Probably, in America....players play much more defense in this country. It's faster basketball, there's more running...that's about it.
HH: Well, overseas fundamentals are stressed more too, right? It seems like the players over there are better shooters and ball handlers and everything.
TP: Yeah, in Europe it's a different system. Here, you come from high school....in Europe I used to play for my club team, I didn't play for my school I played for my club team, and we practiced twice a day. So it's a different system, we'd shoot a lot and stuff, and that's what made us better shooters.
HH: But you don't work on defense as much over there?
TP: No.
HH: Is your defense coming along pretty well.
TP: Yeah.

HH: What are your goals for the team....this year and maybe four years down the road?
TP: My goals are the Final Four and a Championship. Everybody wants that.

HH: What are your career goals after college?
TP: My dream is to play in the NBA, but I don't know if I'm going to be able to. I'm going to try real hard.
HH: If you can't, do you want to play overseas?
TP: Yeah, probably I will do that.
HH: Have you decided on a major yet?
TP: Yeah, I'm going to major in Business Management.

HH: Do you have a favorite thing about Western, or a not so favorite thing? I know Filip said his least favorite thing was walking up the Hill every day to go to class.
TP: Oh yeah. (LAUGHS) I have to do it like twice a day. I've got to walk up the Hill. I've got to walk a lot to my classes.

HH: Now you're from Plovdiv right?
TP: Yeah, I'm from Plovdiv. It's exactly in the middle of the country. It's the second biggest city.
HH: Well, what do you think about Bowling Green so far? I know it's a lot smaller town.
TP: Yeah, it's kind of small, but I like it. I like the people here, they are so nice. They talk to you everytime, like when I go to the mall, or whatever. They see you're tall and they start talking about basketball and Western and stuff.
HH: Is it a lot different in Bulgaria?
TP: Yeah, it's different. People don't talk you on the streets like here, but I think that's because of the big city, you know?

HH: Are you looking forward to the game Saturday (Southern Illinois)?
TP: Yeah, we're really looking forward to it. That's our first game...and we're excited. We just want to win that game, we're going to be prepared for it.