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DeMasco to join Owl men's basketball team
KEENE, N.H. 12/18/09 - Everybody changes their mind. It's human nature. What once seemed like a good idea can quickly go sour. Just check out the return line the day after Christmas at your local department store.
A few days after Christmas last year, Nicco DeMasco decided to accept a full scholarship to play basketball at Division II Franklin Pierce University. Although the Swanzey, N.H., native and Monadnock Regional star claimed at one time to be 90-percent sure he would be playing at Division III Keene State College, the full-ride was too good to pass up.
"At the time, I felt it was the best thing to do," said DeMasco.
But, once on the Rindge campus, DeMasco had a change of heart. "I didn't really enjoy the college. It wasn't what I was looking for," he said.
Like most 18-years old, DeMasco went to his parents (Steve and Kelly) for advice. "It was a difficult," acknowledged Steve DeMasco. "Nicco received a scholarship to Franklin Pierce and now he had to tell us he wanted to go to Keene State. However, Nicco needs to be happy and be in an environment that he can thrive in."
"It was hard leaving the Franklin Pierce team and the coach. He had made a commitment to me, and I made a commitment to him, but he understood," said DeMasco.
DeMasco and his family spoke highly about Keene State coach Rob Colbert. Despite initially losing DeMasco in the recruiting wars, Colbert told Nicco that there would always be a place for him on the Owls team if he decided to come to Keene State. DeMasco decided to take him up on his offer.
Although not an epidemic, transferring is not usual among student athletes, according to NCAA membership services.
"We recruited Nicco for quite some time," said Colbert. "He's a local kid from a great family. He decided to leave Franklin Pierce, and we're delighted that he's joining our program."
De Masco grew up in Branford, Conn., and lived briefly on Long Island before moving to the Monadnock Region as an eighth-grader - just in time to join the Monadnock Regional middle school basketball team. As DeMasco sprouted, so did his play on the court. Moving on to MRHS, he was the lone freshman in the Huskies' starting lineup.
Monadnock improved every year during DeMasco's tenure, culminating with a Class I State Championship his junior season. Joining a talented lineup that included his twin brother Mike, Will Nikiforakis, Ryan Hart, and Jeff Pelkey, who currently pitches for the KSC Owls, DeMasco and the 10th-seeded Huskies took down #2 Portsmouth, #3 John Stark, and #6 Hanover to capture the program's first men's hoop crown. "I'll never forget it," said DeMasco. "We definitely worked harder than any team in the state to win that championship."
Although Monadnock would come up short trying to defend their title the following year, DeMasco completed his Husky career by earning first-team All-State honors, a nomination to the McDonald's All-American team, and surpassing both 1,000-point and -rebound career milestones.
Despite getting the six-foot, six-inch forward on the rebound, Colbert is anxious to see DeMasco on the Spaulding Gym Court and get him acclimated to the team. "He's a very mobile post player who can rebound in traffic and block and alter shots," said Colbert. "Nicco has a battery that won't quit. He gives us an additional body in the middle that we need right now."
"I can't wait. I think about it every day," said DeMasco, about joining the Owls. "I feel like I can bring something to the table and be a part of a young and improving Keene State team. I'm basically starting college all over again."
DeMasco adds a different dimension to the Owls. He and Mike, have been studying Kung Fu since they were five and are now certified black belt instructors. "Kung Fu has helped develop my basketball game in so many ways." said DeMasco. "There's the physical aspect that improves your quickness and the mental aspect that helps you go after a ball to get a rebound."
Nicco credits his parents for helping him to pursue his basketball dreams. "They've helped me out my entire life, traveling with me to tournaments and constantly providing motivation," said DeMasco. "From day one, all they wanted was for me to be happy and to make the right decision, and I think I did that with Keene State."
