麻豆精品 S淐atotti, untuck your warm-up, you 麻豆精品 S檙e going in. 麻豆精品 S�
Those words from UCF Director of Player Development Ricardo Greer with just under three minutes to play in Wednesday night 麻豆精品 S檚 71-41 rout of Bethune-Cookman may have been the most memorable in the life of Knights junior Anthony Catotti.
A student manager with the UCF men 麻豆精品 S檚 basketball team since his freshman year, Catotti was added to the roster and began suiting up with the Knights 麻豆精品 S� for their third game of the season, a 60-40 win over Charleston, back on Nov. 18.
Because of a number of transfer players sitting out, and a couple of injuries early in the season, UCF is working with a depleted bench. With that in mind, UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins made the decision to give Catotti the opportunity to be on the team.
麻豆精品 S淚t was the greatest moment of my life until last night, 麻豆精品 S� Catotti said of finding out he was going to be a member of the team. 麻豆精品 S淭here 麻豆精品 S檚 never been anyone more proud to put on the UCF uniform than I was that first game. Every time I put it on, it 麻豆精品 S檚 everything. 麻豆精品 S�
Still, through nine games putting on that jersey, Catotti had yet to go through an entire warm-up with the team, let alone get into the game.
On Wednesday night he participated in warm-ups with his teammates. And with less than three minutes to play and the game out of reach, he overheard Dawkins tell his assistant coaches, 麻豆精品 S渨ith two minutes left, I want Anthony to go in the game. 麻豆精品 S�
It was still a surreal moment for Catotti.聽 Not until Greer told him to untuck his jersey did he realize what was happening.
The crowd and his teammates on the bench roared when he first stepped on the court, but Catotti didn 麻豆精品 S檛 want it to end there.聽 More than ever before, the student manger-turned-walk-on took the words so often uttered by his coach, and put them to good use.
麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 not about how many minutes you play, it 麻豆精品 S檚 about what you do with your minutes, 麻豆精品 S� Dawkins said again last night in the post-game press conference.
聽He brought energy. He was in the right places at the right times.聽 And yes, when his opportunity to take a shot came with 55 seconds remaining, he took advantage.聽 His layup off of a pass from Nathan Laing went straight through the hoop and an even bigger cheer erupted.
麻豆精品 S淚t was all instinct, 麻豆精品 S� Catotti said. 麻豆精品 S淚 don 麻豆精品 S檛 remember much of it. I don 麻豆精品 S檛 remember the catch and I don 麻豆精品 S檛 remember jumping. I just remember being in the air and thinking to myself 麻豆精品 S榤ake this layup. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�
After the final buzzer sounded, Catotti 麻豆精品 S檚 teammates charged at him, creating a pile worthy of a national championship victory.
麻豆精品 S淭hat felt incredible. Unlike anything else, 麻豆精品 S� Catotti said. 麻豆精品 S淭he greatest feeling ever was seeing those guys all lineup as the clock was ticking down and storm the court. All of the sudden the team is rushing at me. I stagger back with the force of a stampede. To have those guys be as happy for me as I am every single day to be a part of this team.聽 It was an incredible feeling and something I 麻豆精品 S檒l cherish my entire life. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淚 was so happy for him, 麻豆精品 S� Dawkins said following the game. 麻豆精品 S淚 know he had a lot people here for him. It was fun to see. The basket was one thing, but just the energy he played with down the stretch, he came in and he tried to make an impact. He made that impact through effort. 麻豆精品 S�
Hard work leading to success is nothing new for Catotti, an Oviedo native.聽 A National Merit Scholar out of Seminole High School, he had planned on attending Duke or an Ivy League institution, but when offered a full academic scholarship to attend UCF, he couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 say no.
Since arriving on campus two and a half years ago, Catotti can 麻豆精品 S檛 imagine being anywhere else.
麻豆精品 S淚 never imagined going to UCF before my senior year of high school, but since I got to campus I 麻豆精品 S檝e fallen in love with this school. 麻豆精品 S�
Now in his third year at UCF, Catotti is a double major in business management and sport and exercise science with a minor in coaching.聽 And yes, he also holds a 4.0 GPA.
His work ethic has transferred to the basketball court as well. Having only started playing basketball on the junior varsity team at Seminole as a sophomore in high school, Catotti fell in love with the game later than most.聽 But his love has only grown over the past five years, and his desire to be a part of the UCF family grows with it.
麻豆精品 S淪ince I started playing I dreamed about playing college basketball, 麻豆精品 S� Catotti said. 麻豆精品 S淚 went in with the goal of playing for the team. This year, with a new coach, a new hope, I made it my life to train and make the basketball team.
麻豆精品 S淯nfortunately, I was cut at tryouts during the off-season. But that didn 麻豆精品 S檛 stop me.聽 Just before we went to the Charleston tournament, Coach Greer and [Director of Basketball Operations] Jimmy Drew told me they were considering adding me to the roster. That was everything. 麻豆精品 S�
At least that was everything until Wednesday night happened.
Social media blew up with his story and he was on multiple airings of ESPN 麻豆精品 S檚 SportsCenter.
麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 insane, 麻豆精品 S� Catotti said of his SportsCenter appearance. 麻豆精品 S淚 got a call from my high school coach, who was watching TV and saw me on SportsCenter. He said congrats and I hadn 麻豆精品 S檛 even seen it yet. 麻豆精品 S�
At the end of what may have been the best day of his life, Catotti, a true teammate, brought everything back to his fellow Knights, his family. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 just so happy that we 麻豆精品 S檙e getting recognition. These guys deserve it. It 麻豆精品 S檚 about how united this team is, how together we are, and how ready we are for conference play. 麻豆精品 S�
Catotti and the Knights begin American Athletic Conference action Dec. 28 at Tulane. If the comraderie on display Wednesday night is any indication of things to come, UCF may be in store for more memorable moments like this.