By By Drew Buono
Antoine Agudio is on the verge of something big.
Now in his second year on the men’s basketball team, Agudio is becoming a standout player. He has quickly picked up were he left off last year, which included starting every game for the team and winning CAA Rookie of the Year by unanimous choice. He is leading the team in scoring and has a chance of breaking his own record for three pointers made in a season (82 last year).
Not only are things going well on the court for Agudio, but he is finding success off the court as well. He is enrolled in New College, were he is taking four classes worth four credits each.
“If I don’t make it to the pros, I would want to be involved in physical education in some aspect,” he said.
Agudio coached and helped out, along with his teammates and coaches, in the University summer league. Agudio agreed that it’s always good to remind kids that, “practice makes perfect.”
The Blue & Gold usually practice five days a week with games occurring on Thursdays and Saturdays. The practices are typically two hours long and according to Agudio, “don’t really interfere with our school schedules. We came here to play basketball and knew we would have to make sacrifices to play college ball.”
In terms of school schedules, Agudio said that New College does not have class on Wednesdays, helps him prepare for games that fall on Thursdays.
The spring, though, is the hardest semester for Agudio because, “we take more classes and our social lives become non-existent because of basketball.” School is really more of a sidebar to Agudio compared to talking about basketball, his first love. Agudio was shocked when he first began playing in the CAA last year.
“I’ve learned to respect the players in the CAA,” he said. “I came to Hofstra thinking I was going to dominate on the court by scoring 30 points every night. But everybody wants to play in college and the talent level is much higher than I had expected.”
Agudio has still proven himself to be among the best in the CAA night after night. As professional as he is, he still has to deal with a hostile crowd on the road.
“The fans are obnoxious almost all the time and it just sticks out in your mind as your playing,” he said.
His best memories are of home games at the University. He said his best collegiate memory was during a home game against Old Dominion, who was leading the conference at the time. Pride was leading by 14 points, but according to Agudio, “we gave it up.” The team eventually lost by one point.
Agudio takes this as his most distinct memory because he believes people learn more from a loss than from a win. Perhaps that loss last year to Old Dominion is what sparked his great play up to now.
“It’s special to win a game and it is a moment you cherish and no one can take that away from you,” he said.
Agudio’s dream would be to win the CAA Championship game, most likely against Old Dominion if he could choose and to take the Pride back to the NCAA tournament, somewhere the team hasn’t been since 2000.
“You work your hardest and dream that someday you grow up to be the best,” he said.
Right now, Antoine Agudio is the best the Pride has.