Boston College Athletics
Newcomer Notice: Meet Nick Mosakowski
November 15, 2008 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 15, 2008
By Alex Lupica '12
The road that put Nick Mosakowski in an Eagles uniform was far from predictable.
The 6-foot-1-inch sophomore from Swampscott, Mass., was a product of two different in-state high schools: St. John's Prep and the Pingree School.
Nick finished three years at St. John's before transferring to Pingree where he repeated his junior year and finished up high school.
While talking about the switch Nick said, "It wasn't strictly basketball related. Basketball was a factor, but overall, Pingree was a better fit. I just felt like I should make a change and it worked out well for me."
But Nick didn't ignore what was one of the primary motives for the move.
"I was cut from varsity (basketball) my junior year. That's kind of been a motivation for me," Nick said.
Although that was a humbling time for Mosakowski, it's probably one of the life experiences that gave him much of the drive to become a basketball player qualified to compete for an ACC school like Boston College.
It would be his two years at the Pingree School that would prove to all of Nick's doubters that he had a future in hoops. During his junior and senior seasons Nick shined at the South Hamilton, Mass. prep school, racking up solid numbers and earning All-Eastern Independent League honors both years.
Following his experience at Pingree it came time to choose a college. One stood out above all the others.
"BC was the biggest school that I applied to. I was looking at mostly D3 schools for basketball, a lot of the NESCAC (New England Small College Athletic Conference), but I decided to go to BC, because well, it's BC," he said.
During freshman year on the Heights, however, basketball was a bit of an afterthought. He adjusted to life at college and played some intramurals. The prospect of walking in to Conte Forum as a player was far from a reality.
Gradually, though, Nick started to think bigger in terms of his basketball future.
"Last spring I had been playing and lifting all year so I was feeling good about where I was at physically," Nick said.
When he approached assistant coach Mo Cassara, a long-time family acquaintance, about the idea, Nick recalled him saying, "It's going to be a commitment, you're going to have to work hard, but if it's something you want to do we'll see what happens when you come back in the fall."
"I trained all summer and worked out really hard," Nick said.
The rest is history.
Nick was offered a spot on the roster this October and his life as a walk-on officially began. It's a thankless task with little playing time and little prestige, but Mosakowski couldn't be happier.
"I just love being out there with players who are as skilled and gifted as the guys BC has," Nick said.
But while enjoying his spot on the team, all of the apparel that comes with it, and the chance to play highly-competitive Division I basketball, Nick still keeps everything in perspective.
"Basically the practices are my games because that's where I'm going to be able to really contribute to the team," he said.
However, as far as he's come and after all that he's accomplished, Nick will be the first to admit that he couldn't have made it so far by himself.
"Coach Mo (Cassara) has been `my guy' on the coaching staff. Whenever I don't get something in practice, or for anything else, he's the guy who takes care of me," he said. "Before the season started he brought me in to his office, explained everything to me, told me what would be expected of me, and what I could do to make sure this was a really good experience. He's led me along the whole way."
That combination of his tight relationship with an assistant coach and his personal drive and positive mindset has given him a spot on the 2008-09 Eagles.
Mosakowski realizes that this isn't the movie "Rudy". He knows he's not going to be taking the last shot in a tie ballgame, but he revels in the fact that he's going to be able to help this team get better in whatever ways he can.
