George Washington University Athletics
10 Questions For...Greg Collucci
12/9/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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| Greg Collucci |
The only senior on the GW men's basketball team, Greg is the graybeard. He is so old, we gave him an extra question to answer. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard from West Palm Beach, Florida is sharing his experience with the younger players on the team which has helped the Colonials get off to a fast start.
1- As a coach's son, do you want to get into coaching after your playing days are over? Has anyone ever angrily called you a Son-of-a-Coach!?
GC: Understanding that my days will be numbered as far as playing is concerned once this season is over, it would be difficult for me to leave the game of basketball. I would definitely like to test how well I could adapt as a coach. I have been around this game my whole life, and it has always been my one true love. I really understand what is happening on the floor I just simply don't have the same physical tools as some of my teammates to execute in certain areas. That being said, there is something to be said for smarts, shooting, and leadership. As far as my dad being a coach it has allowed me to learn the game properly because he was always there for all my questions, ups, downs, and made a point to tell me the truth whether I liked it or not. (And NO, no one ever called me a son-of-a-coach in anger!)
2- Tell us about the tattoo.
GC: My tattoo was my little form of rebellion. I never had my ears pierced, went out late, did drugs, or any of that, so I just decided I'd encompass all my inward urges to be bad and put it on my arm. The picture is a tribal sun, with a Gemini sign in the middle. The guy who did it guaranteed I'd be back for another within a year, but so far I have stayed away.
3- What's been your favorite road trip in your career? Why?
GC: My favorite road trip in my career is genuinely a tie. The first was the A-10 tournament in Philly my freshmen year. We beat Duquesne and Xavier, but lost to Temple in a heartbreaker, but I had three good games and proved to myself and my teammates that I could be an effective player at this level. The other was Providence my sophomore year. We were down 12 in front of a ton of my family and friends from Rhode Island and eventually won the game. I had a good game, and the trip to Boston and then back home was great.
4- Which A-10 school has the best basketball fans?
GC: Other than the fans at GW (OF COURSE!), the best fans in the league in my opinion are St. Bonaventure. It's like you walk into a time warp and nothing else exists except the Bonnies. They are organized, loud and, at the same time, extremely proud and enthusiastic about their school.
5- You were born in Rhode Island and grew up in Florida. How do you explain your allegiance to Boston pro teams?
GC: I have always been a Red Sox fan (Bless our hearts), a Patriots fan, and a Miami Hurricanes Football fan. The first two are obvious why, but the Hurricanes are a different story. New England doesn't really have a great college football team, so I just picked the best one when I was little and have never wavered in my loyalty, even through their probation and down times. I am always loyal to the teams I root for. An interesting note is that Providence College was always my favorite college hoops team because my father played there but I turned them down to come to GW and have never looked back.
6- Rumor has it that you're not a big fan of flying. What do you do to get through the flights on road trips?
GC: I hate flying. I didn't always but it just sort of developed. Once we get to the level where it's OK to use "portable electronic devices," I put on my portable DVD player and zone out. I swear [Washington, DC's] Reagan National Airport is the worst place to land because you get winds that blow you all around. I just try and stay calm and joke with T.J. because he knows my deal with flying.
7- You're a movie buff. What are your five favorite movies of all time?
GC: My five favorite movies of all time are Shawshank Redemption, Goodfellas, Godfather, Tommy Boy, and Braveheart. I especially like Robert DeNiro, everything he's in is great from Cape Fear, to Raging Bull and even Meet the Parents.
8- What's your maximum range for a three-point shot in an actual game?
GC: The deepest shot I've ever hit in a real game was probably about 35 feet from the basket. Shooting the ball has always been something that I have been able to do. It is difficult in games sometimes because other teams understand why I am in a game, but once you get going it's as if you can make anything from anywhere. People don't understand how difficult it is to make shots in a college basketball game. The speed, and agility of players, along with how quickly a shot has to be released is so far advanced from high school.
9- Who would win a one-on-one game between Karl Hobbs and Steve Pikiell?
GC: The winner in a one-on-one game between Coach Hobbs and Coach Pikiell would have to go to Coach Pikiell. Sorry Coach Hobbs. The only reason I say that is because Coach P is more of a scoring player, and Coach Hobbs is a distributor. I'd take Coach Hobbs as the playmaker and Coach Pikiell as the shooter. So in the case with the shooting a height advantage I got Coach P, but don't underestimate Coach Hobbs' Valentine.
10- You're the only player on the team who has played for two head coaches. How has the transition affected your philosophy on the game?
GC: The difference between two coaches is difficult to gauge simply on X's and O's. It's comparable to being given a new teacher in the middle of a semester. It's as if all the hard work you did before the new coach came in is gone, but any bad marks on your record are also erased. The transition from Coach Hobbs to Coach Penders was night and day. One was more free-flowing, and allowed for more up-and-down action, the other is defensive-minded and focused on a set system. Obviously, I have great respect for Coach Penders, he won 500 games and took one team to a final 8 and the other to a "Sweet 16" for a reason. We are now seeing the fruits of Coach Hobbs' system. My view on the game has benefitted from what I have taken from each of their styles for my own knowledge and deciphered what I feel could be useful in a game situation. I have learned one of the biggest keys to coaching is the ability to make adjustments on the fly.
Bonus- When Senior Day rolls around, will you be more sad than glad or more glad than sad?
GC: Senior day will provide a wave of emotions. It will be the last time I will officially play the game I love so much, even though I will be at a local gym within the next week of my last game. I would have to say I would be very sad and glad at the same time. Glad because I will be proud to be on schedule to graduate from a highly respected university such as GW, and ready to move on for my own life and career. I will be sad because I'll miss it all. The bus rides, the lifelong friendships that are created in a locker room, my friends T.J. Thompson, Tamal Forchion, and Rock Battistoni. I'll miss getting up at 6 a.m. I'll miss not being able to eat or sleep at night because I missed a shot, or feeling almost physically ill. I'll miss it because I understand that six months after that I will be losing sleep over real problems, like how to pay my bills, and eventually feed my family.
