When he’s not splashing long range 3-pointers at a high clip on the basketball court, Greenwich Country Day (CT) 6-foot junior sharpshooter extraordinaire Nick Triolo gets work in as a wide receiver and safety on the gridiron as well.
A talented prospect, whether he’s catching footballs or lofting jumpers, college coaches in both sports are paying keen attention.
We caught up with him after a tough 34-26 loss on the football field against the top team in their conference recently. But he flashed his skills nonetheless with 150 receiving yards, three solo tackles and a couple of pass breakups.
Shed some light on young Nick growing up.
“My life and household revolved around sports. My dad played college basketball and my mom has a passion for sports. We spent a lot of time outdoors as a family, going hiking or out to neighborhood parks. My younger brother and I played everything growing up – baseball, basketball, football, lacrosse, hockey and skiing. As early as we could start as kids, that’s what we were doing.”
When did you get serious about hoops?
“The summer going into the eighth grade, I set a goal that I wanted to play on the high school junior varsity team that year. So I started working harder on improving my skills. When the high school guys had workouts, I’d show up so the coaches could see me. And I wound up making the JV and starting that year.”
You’re actually in the middle of your football season at Greenwich Country Day right now. How does that help you with your basketball development?
“I enjoy playing football. It gives me a nice break from basketball and helps me to not experience burnout. Being in the weight room is great for your body and building that strength and overall toughness that football demands. And that translates on the hardwood. It actually gives me an advantage because not only does it make you physically tough, there’s a mental toughness as well because it engages my brain at a high level. I play safety and wide receiver, so there’s a lot of film study and memorizing involved, figuring out where the open spaces are that we can take advantage of on offense. And I’m the last line of defense, seeing everything from the back of the field. So I’m constantly analyzing things in football the way a point guard would in basketball.”
Who are the basketball players you enjoy watching and studying?
“When I was in middle school, I looked up to the guys on the varsity team. In terms of college and NBA guys, I like undersized guards like Trey Young and Peyton Pritchard, who my style more resembles.”
What does the scouting report say about you?
“‘Do not leave him open because he’s a very efficient shooter. He enjoys playing D and even if his offense isn’t going, he’s gonna impact the game on the defensive end. On the court, he’s an energy shifter.’ Last year, that scouting report said to keep the ball in my hands because I was a lot more effective coming off screens as a shooting guard. This year, I want to erase that narrative.”
What are you working on to expand your game this year?
“I’m in the gym working on my shooting and ballhandling. I’m really good off the ball, so I’m working on being just as effective with the ball in my hands. I’ll be playing more point guards this year and at the next level, at my size, I’ll have to sharpen up my handle and be more of a distributor that’s really adept at knocking down shots . So this summer, I was working on being more of a true point guard and controlling the game.”
What was your favorite moment playing with the 6th Boro squad on the MADE Hoops circuit this summer?
“Our last game of the summer, the last game we played at the Summer Hoops Finale in Baltimore. I scored 40 points, but it wasn’t a great feeling immediately afterwards because we lost. But it was definitely an accomplishment for me. The week before, there was a game where I scored 37.”
Share your goals for this year as you enter your junior season.
“I want us to win our league championship and make a deep run in the NEPSAC playoffs. Last year, we lost in the first round and it was one of the worst losses I ever experienced. I also want to shoot 50% from three.”
Do you have a preference of what you want to play in college? Are you leaning towards one sport over the other?
“My goal is to play college basketball but football is definitely an option. The best case scenario for me would be a high academic school at the D-III or low major D-I level. Playing at an Ivy League school would be great.”
How are things going in terms of college football and basketball programs that are expressing interest right now?
“We’ll see more this winter for football and later this spring for basketball. I’m hoping to be committed to a great school by the late fall or winter of my senior year next year.”
Enjoy this free article? Sign up for MADE Society to receive:
-
Access to Members-Only News Content – A blend of top national, regional and international coverage.
-
Exclusive Player Rankings – Members gain access to player rankings not available to the public. MADE is the lone service to have all four high school classes ranked to 150 players.
-
Expanded Player Profiles – More detailed player profiles, including additional stats and attributes.
-
Tagged Articles Visibility – Players tagged in articles will see those articles listed in their profiles.
-
Player Finder — Customizable search filter to find and sort through all of our 20,000 profiles, including an expansive database of international prospects.
