Shermaine Singh - Staff Photographer
The men’s basketball team lost to Case Western Reserve University on Feb. 17, before defeating Carnegie Mellon University on Feb. 19. Senior forward Nate Novosel came away from these two games with 34 points, four blockws and three steals. Novosel’s performance was especially crucial in UR’s victory over Carnegie, since he contributed 20 points on 6-8 field goal shooting and 8-10 free throw shooting. In the second half of that game, Novosel converted a three-point play, giving UR a seven point lead over Carnegie with two minutes remaining.
What is your major?
I am majoring in economics and political science.
Why did you choose to attend UR?
Once I visited the school, I knew this was the place for me. The campus is beautiful, the basketball program is one of the best in the country and the academics [are] flexible enough so that I could really study what I wanted to study.
What is your favorite aspect of basketball?
The camaraderie you gain from being on a team is by far the best part. My teammates are some of my best friends and even when I am done playing, our friendship won’t end.
With CMU up 67-64 in the second half of your Feb. 19 game, what was going through your mind?
I was thinking that we needed to get a stop defensively. They caught fire toward the end of the half so we had to bear down and get a stop. And we did. It also helped that [senior guard] Chip Dende made a huge 3-pointer to tie the game. I think that gave us even more momentum.
Is there any particular moment of your college basketball career that stands out?
My favorite moment was when we found out last year that we won the regular season University Athletic Association Conference and clinched our automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. We had just beat Case Western at their gym and we were all in the locker room after the game looking at the live stats from the Emory game. Their game was in overtime. When we found out that they lost, we all went crazy because we had just clinched the title. I’ll always remember that.
What factors do you think are most important to your team’s success in future games and the post-season?
I think defense will be the key to our success. We have steadily gotten better at it over the year and we need to keep honing in on the basics this week.
What are you most looking forward to in your last home game?
The home crowd. We have the best fans in the conference and I know our team is ready to get a [win] for them on Saturday.
What are your plans after you graduate?
As part of Teach For America, I will teach elementary school in Washington, D.C. for the next two years. I am really excited and content with my decision. I think it makes a lot of sense for me because of my interests in politics and public service. In addition, TFA partners with over sixty law schools and makes me eligible for a full-tuition scholarship to any of those law schools. But most of all, I really think I can make a difference in some of these students’ lives. It really will be a growing experience for me. And it will be nice living in D.C.
Ondo is a member of
the class of 2014.
