Oklahoma State University Athletics
Two Cowboy Freshmen Adjusting to Life in Stillwater
March 09, 2023 | Cowboy Tennis
A nervous 13-year old Alessio Basile sat in the waiting room of a Belgian hospital. He was preparing to undergo his first of four open-heart surgeries.
His heart rate had surpassed 220 beats per minute for over 3 hours. Doctors diagnosed him with a form of tachycardia, a heart condition that comes with frequent bursts of a high heart rate.Â
"I was terrified," Basile said. "I had never experienced something like that before. It was completely new to me."
The first three surgeries were unsuccessful, but each time doctors determined that continuing to operate was the best course of action.Â
"The condition is still there, but it's definitely not as bad as it was then," Basile said.
He and South Africa native, Carl Roothman, are the latest crop of freshmen for coach Dustin Taylor and the Oklahoma State men's tennis team. Roothman was captain of his rugby team at Carl Roos Gimnasium in Cape Town, a school known for producing some of the top rugby talent in the world. He missed his entire final season of juniors due to several injuries.
"It's been tough, just having to battle through all those injuries," Roothman said. "It definitely set me back a couple years."
Despite the challenges they've faced, moving across the country for college has been a whole new endeavor.Â
"It's been hard…I miss my family a lot," Basile said. "I hadn't been away from my family for more than three months until I came here. If I get a day where I'm free for most of the day, I'm FaceTiming with them pretty much the whole day."
Both players are attending classes in-person, which Taylor says has helped them greatly. In terms of finding their way around a new town, it's been easier than they expected.
"Everything is in one spot," Basile said. "In Belgium it was a bit different…school was 15 minutes away, tennis was 15 minutes away, the gym was 15 minutes away…so it was a bit of a hustle."Â
In college tennis, moving across the globe is not uncommon. Taylor reiterated that recruiting is often done on the phone with very little in-person visits. Only two of Oklahoma State's nine men's tennis players were born in the United States.Â
"We've learned a lot from the older players already," Roothman said. "Knowing that they've been through what they've been through and that we're all international students helps. They really set the example for us on the court and have helped us learn what it means to be a Cowboy."
Their teammates and coaches alike have praised their maturity and their willingness to jump right into being a part of the team.
"They've acclimated as well as they possibly could have as freshmen," Taylor said.Â
Both players picked up tennis at an early age – Roothman's parents met playing tennis, Basile's parents were both pros. Basile's mother was his coach until he reached college.
"They both come from strong tennis backgrounds," Taylor said. "That's one thing that stuck out immediately to me when we were first taking a look at them. Their passion for the game is tremendous because they've been playing for a long time."
Roothman was ranked as high as 122nd in the world in the junior circuit. Basile cracked the top 50 and completed a Junior Grand Slam. He traveled straight from the U.S. Open in Flushing, New York to report to Stillwater in September.
"It was amazing getting to play in all of those venues," Basile said. "It's something you dream about as a kid."
For players like Alessio and Carl who have success in the junior circuit, attending college or going pro is a decision they must face.
"At first I wasn't excited about going to college," Basile said. "The dream for me is to go pro. But I felt like I still had a lot to improve on before turning pro, and the best option for me was to come here."
For Roothman, the decision was a bit easier. "I always knew I wanted to play in college," Roothman said.
When deciding between schools and coaches, Dustin Taylor was the clear choice for both. Basile felt it gave him the best chance at launching a professional career. Roothman placed great value in his experience and leadership.
"He's won NCAA Championships, he's been on the tour…when he says something, we trust him," Roothman said.
Off the court, the team frequents each other's apartments, the gym and Mexico Joe's. Wherever they are, chances are they'll be together.
Fifth-year senior Chase Ferguson is at the forefront of a lot of team activities. "Those moments are honestly the most important to us," Ferguson said. "It's what brings us together…those are the lifelong memories we'll take from our time here."
There's a time to relax and there's a time for heated rivalries on the golf course. The players usually compete two versus two – the teams consist of a variation of Basile, Roothman, junior Isaac Becroft and senior Tyler Zink. Tee box antics are fair play, including hollering chants and attempting trick shots.
"I always win," Zink said. "But it's a good time out there. We all enjoy it on our days off."
Assistant coach and former national champion Martin Redlicki also gets in on the action.
"Marty really gets me going," Zink said. "Let's just say he doesn't know all the golf etiquette."
There's also group barbecue cookouts at Coach Taylor's house, which happen as often as every few weeks. Perhaps more than anything else, the team loves attending other OSU athletic events together.
"It's a great chance for the guys to get out, meet new people and explore campus," Taylor said. "The energy and the crowds are an added bonus."
Basile and Roothman are full of energy themselves. Basile is known for being vocal and competitive at practice. Roothman is more quiet, but when the mood is right, he takes full advantage of an opportunity to make his teammates laugh.
"Alessio and Carl are always bringing it, whether it's on the court or something we're doing outside of tennis." Zink said. "They've jumped right in and been ready to learn. It's been really good for them and really good for the team, too."
Â
Both have already appeared in several matches. The hope of playing early and often was part of the draw for both players.
"I definitely made the right choice in coming here," Basile said.Â
Â
His heart rate had surpassed 220 beats per minute for over 3 hours. Doctors diagnosed him with a form of tachycardia, a heart condition that comes with frequent bursts of a high heart rate.Â
"I was terrified," Basile said. "I had never experienced something like that before. It was completely new to me."
The first three surgeries were unsuccessful, but each time doctors determined that continuing to operate was the best course of action.Â
"The condition is still there, but it's definitely not as bad as it was then," Basile said.
He and South Africa native, Carl Roothman, are the latest crop of freshmen for coach Dustin Taylor and the Oklahoma State men's tennis team. Roothman was captain of his rugby team at Carl Roos Gimnasium in Cape Town, a school known for producing some of the top rugby talent in the world. He missed his entire final season of juniors due to several injuries.
"It's been tough, just having to battle through all those injuries," Roothman said. "It definitely set me back a couple years."
Despite the challenges they've faced, moving across the country for college has been a whole new endeavor.Â
"It's been hard…I miss my family a lot," Basile said. "I hadn't been away from my family for more than three months until I came here. If I get a day where I'm free for most of the day, I'm FaceTiming with them pretty much the whole day."
Both players are attending classes in-person, which Taylor says has helped them greatly. In terms of finding their way around a new town, it's been easier than they expected.
"Everything is in one spot," Basile said. "In Belgium it was a bit different…school was 15 minutes away, tennis was 15 minutes away, the gym was 15 minutes away…so it was a bit of a hustle."Â
In college tennis, moving across the globe is not uncommon. Taylor reiterated that recruiting is often done on the phone with very little in-person visits. Only two of Oklahoma State's nine men's tennis players were born in the United States.Â
"We've learned a lot from the older players already," Roothman said. "Knowing that they've been through what they've been through and that we're all international students helps. They really set the example for us on the court and have helped us learn what it means to be a Cowboy."
Their teammates and coaches alike have praised their maturity and their willingness to jump right into being a part of the team.
"They've acclimated as well as they possibly could have as freshmen," Taylor said.Â
Both players picked up tennis at an early age – Roothman's parents met playing tennis, Basile's parents were both pros. Basile's mother was his coach until he reached college.
"They both come from strong tennis backgrounds," Taylor said. "That's one thing that stuck out immediately to me when we were first taking a look at them. Their passion for the game is tremendous because they've been playing for a long time."
Roothman was ranked as high as 122nd in the world in the junior circuit. Basile cracked the top 50 and completed a Junior Grand Slam. He traveled straight from the U.S. Open in Flushing, New York to report to Stillwater in September.
"It was amazing getting to play in all of those venues," Basile said. "It's something you dream about as a kid."
For players like Alessio and Carl who have success in the junior circuit, attending college or going pro is a decision they must face.
"At first I wasn't excited about going to college," Basile said. "The dream for me is to go pro. But I felt like I still had a lot to improve on before turning pro, and the best option for me was to come here."
For Roothman, the decision was a bit easier. "I always knew I wanted to play in college," Roothman said.
When deciding between schools and coaches, Dustin Taylor was the clear choice for both. Basile felt it gave him the best chance at launching a professional career. Roothman placed great value in his experience and leadership.
"He's won NCAA Championships, he's been on the tour…when he says something, we trust him," Roothman said.
Off the court, the team frequents each other's apartments, the gym and Mexico Joe's. Wherever they are, chances are they'll be together.
Fifth-year senior Chase Ferguson is at the forefront of a lot of team activities. "Those moments are honestly the most important to us," Ferguson said. "It's what brings us together…those are the lifelong memories we'll take from our time here."
There's a time to relax and there's a time for heated rivalries on the golf course. The players usually compete two versus two – the teams consist of a variation of Basile, Roothman, junior Isaac Becroft and senior Tyler Zink. Tee box antics are fair play, including hollering chants and attempting trick shots.
"I always win," Zink said. "But it's a good time out there. We all enjoy it on our days off."
Assistant coach and former national champion Martin Redlicki also gets in on the action.
"Marty really gets me going," Zink said. "Let's just say he doesn't know all the golf etiquette."
There's also group barbecue cookouts at Coach Taylor's house, which happen as often as every few weeks. Perhaps more than anything else, the team loves attending other OSU athletic events together.
"It's a great chance for the guys to get out, meet new people and explore campus," Taylor said. "The energy and the crowds are an added bonus."
Basile and Roothman are full of energy themselves. Basile is known for being vocal and competitive at practice. Roothman is more quiet, but when the mood is right, he takes full advantage of an opportunity to make his teammates laugh.
"Alessio and Carl are always bringing it, whether it's on the court or something we're doing outside of tennis." Zink said. "They've jumped right in and been ready to learn. It's been really good for them and really good for the team, too."
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Both have already appeared in several matches. The hope of playing early and often was part of the draw for both players.
"I definitely made the right choice in coming here," Basile said.Â
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Players Mentioned
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