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Colucci, Haverford making strides towards next level

01/04/2022, 11:00pm EST
By Josh Verlin

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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Nick Colucci read the pass from the instant it was thrown, took a step across the 3-point arc and picked it off, dribbling down the far sideline at Haverford High School’s Juenger Gymnasium. The Fords’ senior guards got to his own 3-point line, and you could see the gears turning: the shooter’s mindset he’d developed during his younger days told him to pull the trigger.

Then the coaching kicked in: playing with a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter of a Central League game against defending champ Garnet Valley, a rushed, off-balanced shot was not the right one. Colucci gathered himself, waited a beat, then found classmate J.R. Newman plunging towards the bucket, Newman’s stretched-out layup finding twine as the ref’s whistle sounded. 


Nick Colucci (above) committed the University of Scranton last month. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

“Over time, you learn what’s a smart play,” Colucci said, “and passing the ball to JR [...] that’s the right play right there. I’m glad I made it.”

It was just one play in Haverford’s 51-43 win Tuesday night, but it showed the type of progress Colucci has made during his years on the Fords’ varsity squad. From a lanky sophomore who gunned 3-pointers alongside John Seidman, Hunter Kraiza and the rest of the 2020 Central League champs, Colucci has become one of the crucial parts of the Haverford lineup.

“He’s maturing each week,” Fords coach Keith Heinerichs said of the 6-foot-2 guard. “Each time he steps on the floor and in practice, we’re kind of pushing him that [way], even in practice, to be more mature in his decision-making on the court and make the right play, talk on defense, and do the little things that are going to help your team win.”

Those plays are also why he’ll be continuing at the next level. Colucci committed to play hoops at the University of Scranton, making public his decision last month. 

He started getting looks this summer while playing with Pro Skills Basketball in various regional AAU tournaments, the maturation of his game and body from those earlier years more apparent with each appearance. 

“Freshman, sophomore [year], you think ‘I’ve got to score all the time, got to shoot, shoot, shoot’ to get recruited, but it’s not,” he said. “Making the right play is going to get you recruited.”

Colucci’s commitment makes it consecutive years that the Fords have sent a player onto the collegiate ranks (John Seidman, Franklin & Marshall).

“My old coaches at Ridley used to say if you don’t have any college coaches coming to your practices, you’re not very good,” said Heinerichs, whose win Tuesday night was his 100th as Haverford’s head coach. “We must be pretty good.”


Colucci (above) scored 19 points in Haverford's win Tuesday night. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Colucci said his college recruitment came down to Scranton, Wilkes and Gettysburg, and it was clear he was quite interested in all three programs, thanking all the coaches from the Wilkes and Gettysburg staff who had recruited him along the way.

“Honestly, I thought (Scranton) wanted me the most, and that means a lot for me,” he said. “I like the campus, I like the overall vibe of the team, I was able to catch a practice, I just liked their energy and that’s really what led me to them.”

At Scranton, Colucci will be playing for a program that’s been one of the state’s most successful D-IIIs over the last couple decades. Under the direction of Carl Danzig, who’s been with the Royals since 2001 — and who was present at Tuesday’s game, along with associate head coach Ryan Van Zelst — the Royals have made 10 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Tournaments, making it to the Elite 8 in 2012. 

“When I heard about their success, that was eye-opening,” Colucci said. “That’s something I want to do, I want to get to the tournament one day.”

Before success in college, Colucci is focusing on one more successful year in high school, and the Fords are off to a good start. Tuesday’s win pushed them to 5-1 on the season and 3-0 in Central League play, winners of five straight following a season-opening loss to Penn Wood.

Newman led the way with 20 points in the win over the Jaguars (6-3, 2-2), getting at least four points in every quarter. Colucci was a point behind him, scoring 17 of his 19 in the second half, adding seven rebounds. 

J.R. Newman (above) paced Haverford's win over Garnet Valley with a 20-point effort. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Colucci spent much of the opening 16 minutes on the bench thanks to fouls early in the first and second quarters, but wasted no time getting going in the third. He popped in one 3-pointer from just right of straightaway, then another one, pushing Haverford’s five-point halftime lead to 10 early in the third. Another Colucci triple later in the third helped the lead grow to 13 entering the final stanza, and the Jaguars never really threatened.

Googie Seidman (six points), Colin Reynolds (three) and Kevin Gannon (three) combined to hit four 3-pointers; Haverford went 7-of-19 from beyond the arc.

Reynolds, whose older brother Sean was an integral part of the 2020 championship team, also played excellent defense on GV guard Max Koehler. The senior guard stayed locked on Koehler, holding the talented junior to just two points on only three shots through the first three quarters before a few late buckets got Koehler up to nine points on the evening.

“He’s just awesome, he’s so tenacious,” Heinerichs said. “Must be in the blood in that family, because Hacksaw [Sean] was a lot like him. He doesn’t come off the floor, he wreaks such havoc on the best player that I think he frustrates the guy who he’s covering.”

Junior wing Logan McKee led Garnet Valley with 13 points.

Haverford, which is playing without junior guard Brian Wiener (wrist) for the next few weeks, has a couple more challenging-but-winnable games this week, with Strath Haven (1-3) visiting Juenger on Thursday before a trip to Marple Newtown scheduled for Saturday. They won’t play league favorite Lower Merion until Jan. 25 and Feb. 8, but there’s a lot of work to do until then.

“You can’t rest on your laurels, so you’ve got to just keep going, keep working hard,” Colucci said. “The most important play’s the next, and the least important play’s the last, so that’s what we’ve got to keep focusing on.”

By Quarter
Haverford High: 14  |   7   |  16  |  14  ||  51
Garnet Valley:    11  |   5   |   8   |  19  ||  43

Shooting
Haverford High: 18-36 FG (7-19 3PT), 8-11 FT
Garnet Valley: 17-41 FG (6-23 3PT), 3-7 FT

Scoring
Haverford High: Newman 20, Colucci 19, Seidman 6, Reynolds 3, Gannon 3

Garnet Valley: McKee 13, Koehler 9, Wooten 7, Sniras 7, Faccenda 4, Brennan 3


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