Junior forward Ethan Fauss has become a central offensive force on the No. 7-ranked Emory University men’s basketball team, helping to drive the Eagles’ success this season. Fauss led the team in scoring in three of their last five games, including a career-high 29-points against the University of Rochester (N.Y.), 22-points against New York University (NYU) and a game-high 19 points in Emory’s nine-point win over Case Western Reserve University (Ohio). Simply put, Fauss is a force to be reckoned with on the court.
Fauss started playing basketball at around five years old. A taller kid, Fauss said he started off as a center, but over time, he experimented with playing different positions. Fauss was a chameleon: He said he fit himself into the roles that his high school team needed, when they needed them.
“I have played every position in the book,” Fauss said. “As I moved into high school, I started playing more wing and then a little bit of point guard here and there when my team needed it because we were a smaller school. We didn't have a lot of options.”
As he progressed through high school, Fauss started thinking about playing in college. He said he chose Emory because he felt drawn to the people he met during his visit to campus.
“I just really loved the coaching staff when I came and I met them, and I love the idea of being in Atlanta,” Fauss said. “I met probably seven or eight different people that were all completely different in their personalities. And I really liked that about Emory.”
While Fauss has been especially integral to the team this season, his rise has only been because of the mental and physical work put in over his entire Emory career. He went from averaging 9.1 minutes per game in his sophomore year to 31 minutes per game this season. Fauss said his personal growth stems from tweaking his pre-game routine and preparation to be less ritualistic and more relaxed.
“One thing I’ve done in the past that didn’t work for me was I tried to really overemphasize everything,” Fauss said. “I’ve taken a different approach this year, of being more laid back and letting things come as they come, and that’s been super successful for me.”
Junior forward Spencer Hall, who has played alongside Fauss since the start of their Emory careers, emphasized Fauss’s growth in confidence on the court. While Fauss has always been a strong offensive presence, Hall said he has become a more well-rounded player this year.
“He’s much more confident on the court, understanding what it takes to win in college basketball,” Hall said. “His defense has taken huge strides, both protecting the rim and guarding on the perimeter. He was always super skilled offensively, but he’s putting it all together and becoming a full package.”
With his younger brother Eli Fauss joining the team this year as a freshman forward, Fauss has also found more motivation to prioritize the team and step up as a leader. Fauss said he wants to help his brother and the other freshmen grow in the way seniors did for him as a younger player.
“I’ve been through so much stuff in the two and a half years that I’ve been here that I want to share with him,” Fauss said. “I end up sharing with everyone to help all of those guys grow.”
Fauss and his brother have competed in basketball together their whole lives. As siblings, Eli Fauss said the two have naturally competitive tendencies, but that does not take away from his older brother’s ability to balance being a supportive sibling and a good teammate.
“He expects more out of me as a teammate, but at the same time, he wants to help, wants to see me succeed,” Eli Fauss said. “On the court, he really pushes me … and wants to see me help benefit the team in a winning aspect.”
Junior forward Ethan Fauss dribbles past a defender.
With his younger brother and roommates on the team, Fauss is constantly surrounded by basketball. When he’s on the court, he channels all his focus into the game. However, Fauss emphasized the importance of balancing basketball with life. He said senior guard and forward Jair Knight has been someone who helps him in that regard.
“Since day one, he’s been someone I can lean on,” Fauss said. “He’s taught me a lot in terms of the game of basketball and how to understand it at a college level and how to balance academics and athletics and the pressure that comes with that.”
Fauss began this season with an ankle injury, which forced him to sit out of the first four games of the season. He came back for the Eagles’ game against Guilford College (N.C.) on Nov. 22, where he was the second-highest scorer with 20 points across 33 minutes.
Eli Fauss said that, at the start of the season, the Eagles were not sure how the season would unfold after a loss in their third game, but his older brother’s recovery and performance against Guilford provided great motivation and momentum for the team.
“Ethan came back his first game and helped lead us to a comeback victory against Guilford, and he played arguably the best game of his career at that point in time,” Eli Fauss said. “That was a huge morale boost … because it showed the true potential of our team.”
Fauss’ performance against Case Western on Jan. 23 was emblematic of his growing impact on this strong season for the Eagles. In addition to leading all scorers, he equaled junior guard and forward AJ Harris with a team-leading nine rebounds and added three blocks, contributing on both ends of the court. He also had a career-high five steals in the NYU game on Jan. 18 and made five three-pointers.
As the season continues to progress, Fauss said the team is aiming to win the University Athletic Association (UAA) and national championships, but said he wants to take the season game-by-game and make an impact in each one.
“We want to win the UAA and we want to win the national championship,” Fauss said. “Personally, I just want to enjoy it as much as I can, this ride that we’re on, and try to make a difference in every game.”
