Scocca Realizes Division I Dream

New England Recruiting Report | Sunday, February 12th, 2012

As a senior at Melrose High School, Andrew Scocca got nothing but division III recruitment last year. 

Despite a plethora of good opportunities from high academic division III programs with strong academics backgrounds, Scocca elected to give his division I dream another chance and thus chose a post-graduate year at Worcester Academy.

Scocca was so under the radar that he didn’t play on the summer AAU circuit and was virtual unknown to college coaches once the fall open gym season rolled around. 

With great size, a strong body, and some deceptive skill, Scocca intrigued coaches from a variety of levels this fall, but probably none more than Bryant head coach Tim O’Shea, who came back to see the big man five times according to Worcester Academy head coach Jamie Sullivan.

“Andrew worked really hard coming into Worcester Academy,” Sullivan said.  “Coach O’Shea saw the things we were talking about, the leadership qualities, the rebounding on both ends, being able to step out and shoot the basketball, and already having a man’s body.”

Scocca is similar to another Massachusetts, Dane Diliegro, who like Scocca, earned one division I scholarship offer out of his post-graduate season at Worcester, and went on to have a tremendous four year career at the University of New Hampshire before beginning a professional career in Italy. 

“He’s very similar to Dane,” Sullivan said.  “He’s not as athletic, but more skilled offensively, and he can rebound like Dane with his position and the way that he uses his body to step out and box out.” 

Unfortunately for Scocca his post-graduate season has been a limited one.  He suffered a major concussion that left him literally spitting out a few teeth during a January 30th game, and still hasn’t been cleared to return to action.

But that wasn’t enough to deter Bryant, who had already seen enough to believe that Scocca could be the latest such under the radar big man. 

The six-foot-eight center was already plenty familiar with the Smithfield, Rhode Island campus after watching his sister play volleyball there for the last three years, and last Monday when he returned to campus for his own unofficial visit, Scocca gave Coach O’Shea his word by making a verbal commitment. 

Scocca realized his division I dream and became the first player to commit to Bryant in the class of 2012 in the process.