By Hogan LePore
GoMason.com Staff Writer
 
The nickname "Big Haiti" means more to Greg Calixte than just another way for teammates and fans to get his attention at the RAC or around campus.
 
The name personifies the sophomore's process both on the court and in the classroom, from grade school to now.
 
He was raised by his two first-generation American parents who are from the island nation.
 
Calixte, who was born in Mount Vernon, N.Y, believes the Haitian culture he grew up immersed in helped him in his road to playing collegiate basketball.
 
His father passed away from cancer when he was just eight, so Greg was raised primarily by his mother, who preached the importance of education and effort in his life.
 
"He stays focused on school work and shows the team how to be a responsible citizen," head coach Dave Paulsen said. "He understands the bigger picture."
 
When the Mount Vernon, N.Y. native was growing up, his mother placed a lot of emphasis on academics and stressed the importance of how balancing schoolwork with athletics would help him become a more disciplined student.
 
Calixte started playing basketball in seventh grade. He was one of the taller kids on the court, as he stood 6-feet-3-inches in eighth grade.  
 
Mason teammate and incoming freshman Jason Douglas-Stanley played with Calixte for three years at Mount Vernon and knew him before their time at the high school.
 
"He just kept developing as the years got on. He grew his skill set and improved his fundamentals as he matured," Douglas-Stanley said.
 
Despite not being the most athletic player on the court growing up, Calixte used the discipline his mother and his upbringing instilled in him in order to develop into the player Mason fans see at EagleBank Arena today.
 
"He always worked hard throughout high school and had the right people around him to make him better," Douglas-Stanley. "He just always drives to work hard and get better."
 
That development turned into success for Calixte and his high school teammates as they won the New York AA State Championship during the forward's senior year. One thing Calixte attributes to that title run was the adversity his team faced the years prior to Mount Vernon's record-setting 11th New York State Public High School Athletic Association title in 2017.
 
Coming to Mount Vernon as a freshman, Calixte played JV for a few of games until he was promoted to varsity, where he was groomed to be the next starting forward, as the senior class featured multiple big men. During that season, the team made it into postseason play, however they were eliminated in state regional championship, leaving the senior class with a bad taste in their mouths.
 
That next season, Calixte got substantial playing time and really jelled with his team. Despite the team chemistry, the Knights fell again in postseason play, this time in the state semifinals. This trend continued into Calixte's junior year.
 
Calixte's senior year was one that consisted of a lot of hard work and focus. His senior class, which included eight other players, did not want to end their high school careers on a sour note like the classes before them. They refused to go out that way.
 
"We realized we really had to be locked in," Calixte said. "We wanted to bring the state title back home."
 
That state title was not the end of the accolades for Calixte. The forward was also named a finalist for the prestigious title of Mr. Basketball New York. Previous winners of that award include Kenny Anderson, Stephon Marbury, Elton Brand and Lance Stephenson.
 
Calixte also credited a lot of his awards and honors to high school head coach Bob Cimmino, who recently attained 500 career wins as a head coach, for instilling that basketball culture of knowing what it takes to win.
 
"That great culture in high school just transferred over for me to George Mason," Calixte said.
 
That culture helped to prepare "Big Haiti" for the college game, as well as other aspects of his upbringing.
 
Growing up around the Bronx, basketball is played as tough as it gets. Calixte feels the physicality and play style that defines the Bronx has helped to prepare the rising sophomore for what was to come in Division I basketball.
 
"In the city, players develop into extremely gritty basketball players," Calixte said. "I loved it, I love New York and representing New York basketball."
 
That bruising style prepared Calixte to have a great freshman season, using his physicality in the post and around the rim to lead the Patriots in field goal percentage (.610). He also ranked third in blocks (17) and starting the last 22 games of the season, accumulating a total of 620 minutes.
 
That is a big workload for a true freshman.
 
Calixte, along with his classmates Goanar Mar and Javon Greene, all acquired significant minutes last season, which is often rare for freshmen in college basketball. Throughout last season the three learned from good performances and some mistakes along the way. With that experience under their belts, Calixte feels the trio know what to expect coming into this season.
 
Paulsen and the rest of the coaching staff didn't feel comfortable throwing a freshman into the fire early in the 2017-18 season, against some of the best bigs the team would face that season. However, game-by-game, the coaching staff's decision to play Calixte early showed to be a teaching tool for "Big Haiti" moving forward.
 
"He really responded well," Paulsen said. "That shows his quiet toughness he has. I think he has that mindset where he thinks he can better than just being okay, he thinks he can be really good."
 
Paulsen believes Calixte's progression throughout his freshman season was nothing short of spectacular and continued that type of development throughout the spring.
 
The four-year coach here at Mason watched as Calixte's presence on the low post continued to expand, along with his ability to finish in the paint.
 
"Greg improved as much, if not more, during his freshman season than any player I have ever coached in 24 years," Paulsen said.
 
Coming into the 2018-2019 season, Paulsen believes Calixte's battles in practice with University of Virginia transfer Jarred Reuter has only strengthened his game over the past 18 months, as Reuter has the potential to be one of the most dominant big men in the Atlantic 10. Going up against that competition has only improved Calixte's game in every facet.
 
Iron sharpens iron.
 
Paulsen is most pleased by the fact that Calixte is not an attention seeker. He doesn't need a lot of touches to be an effective basketball player and often finds success as the result of his high basketball IQ.
 
"He is a really smart player." Paulsen said. "Our team just bunches well when he's on the floor. He doesn't need to do anything spectacular. He's just out there excited to help his team win."
 
As he matures into a sophomore, Calixte is using that high basketball IQ it to help guide Douglas-Stanley in the right direction, from giving him pointers on things outside the basketball court, to telling the freshman what the coaches like and dislike.
 
"He has definitely helped me with the transition to college already," Douglas-Stanley said. "He looks out for me and shows me the ropes."
 
Having an old friend by his side during the season is exciting for Calixte and he is trying to share as many of his experiences and lessons learned with Jason as he progresses into his first season with the Green & Gold.
 
"I feel like it'll be beneficial for Jason," Calixte said. "Being a freshman, he has me here to help him, tell him what to expect and how to work. I am excited to play with him these next three seasons."
 
From being a mentor to an improved player, personally, Calixte really wants to get in the gym and work on reps. He wants to get stronger in the weight room so he can have even a bigger presence down low, and wants to have more stamina so he can play more minutes without becoming fatigued.
 
The tough, disciplined play style that Calixte has evolved into over the years has prepared him for a successful college basketball career.
 
He plays basketball to honor his family, his heritage and his father's memory. Each game, Greg inscribes on to his shoes the date of his father's passing – April 16, 2007. His father loved basketball, and Greg takes part in the tradition each game to show he is playing for him.
 
His father certainly would be proud with his son's progress and with the effort and attitude he puts into the game of basketball.
 
With his motivation in front of him daily, Calixte has the potential to put together a breakout sophomore season in 2018-19.
 
A season that may even surpass his rookie season, where he cracked the top-10 in Mason's history books for single-season field goal percentage (.610).
 
"I am just trying to be the best at what I do," Calixte said. "That's what coach Paulsen says a lot, 'Be good at what you do.' I want to be a complete basketball player, and if I can improve in each area little by little I will."

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