By Christina Kelly
When one thinks of the how the current 14-8 record of the Hofstra women’s basketball program has already more than doubled last season’s 5-25 record, it’s hard not to think of newcomer Nicole Capurso.
Since joining the team this season as a guard, Capurso, a freshman from Staten Island, has been named CAA Rookie of the week twice. Capurso also has a scoring average of 10.8 points per game, which is second only to senior Jess Fuller.
“While I didn’t know how much success I would have, I did what I had to do. I know what I’m capable of and that success was not out of reach,” she said.
Capurso deals with the pressure of keeping up with statistics by “not thinking about it. I just play every day and this is a great team. The 5-25 record last season didn’t show how good this team really was. I don’t think of it as pressure, I think of it more as expectation and as a player you always want people to have high expectations for you.”
Capurso and freshman Joelle Connelly have been a major part of the team’s success but Capurso believes it’s also due to the team’s chemistry.
“We have a great bunch of girls. The older girls look out for the younger girls and teach us everything we need to know. We really are like a family, like sisters.”
While Capurso was recruited by Boston College, St. John’s, Fordham and Pittsburgh to play basketball, she chose Hofstra.
“The athletic training program, which is my major, is one of the best. The team fit the most and the coaching staff was the most welcoming, they didn’t try to sell me anything.”
Being so close to home, Capurso says her family has miss very few games.
“I’m an only child so I’m really close with my family. I really liked Hofstra because of how close it is to Staten Island. I can go home for dinner if I want to,” she said.
While most of Capurso’s time at Hofstra is spent on the court, she also enjoys “just spending time with people. Other athletes are great to talk to because we have a mutual respect. I also like talking to people outside my field and getting to know them.”
Being a freshman, Capurso has a lot to look forward to with the revived basketball program. “As a team, our greatest accomplishment has been this turnaround. We came together and really showed how strong we are.”
“As an individual, my greatest achievement would be growing as a player. I watch tapes from my high school career and can’t believe I was considered good. I feel like I’ve improved so much since them and want to continue to do so,” Capurso said.