It is my pleasure to introduce this week’s campus celebrity, who could also definitely be a campus cutie, freshman Pierfrancesco Oliva, or as his friends affectionately refer to him as, Checco. This basketball star comes to Hawk Hill all the way from Italy, with a quick stop to the U.S. shortly before beginning his freshman year here. I caught up with Checco to talk about basketball, school, and everything in between.
Major: Undecided Business
Hometown: Taranto, Italy
HC: When did you come to the US from Italy and why?
PO: I came here halfway through my junior year of high school, so January 2014. The main reason for me was basketball, but also a life experience.
(His mom and sister recently came to visit all the way from Italy, aw!!)
HC: What made you want to come to SJU?
PO: The basketball program and the opportunity to play and learn from someone like Coach Martelli, but also the campus, the size of the school, and good academics.
(Look at that smile!)
HC: What is your favorite aspect of the basketball program here?
PO: The atmosphere and the tradition are my two favorites.
HC: What has been your favorite memory of your freshmen year so far?
PO: Playing Richmond on January 2nd. We left on New Years Eve and we had a chance to spend the night together and celebrate as teammates.
HC: What’s it like rooming with Lamarr (Kimball, another freshmen basketball player)?
PO: It’s good! We get along really well and it has been like that since the summer. Even though he gets mad sometimes because I’m better at video games.
HC: What’s one piece of advice you would give to incoming freshmen?
PO: Study and party hard… and go to the basketball games!
There you have it! Come out to a basketball game this season to see Checco in action on the court, or if you see him around campus say hi! You can’t miss him, he’s only a little bit tall.
HCXO,
Paige