It’s the exact opposite of senior year in high school.
Despite how their team does in their final season of high school, basketball players with Division I scholarships in hand know there’s a bigger prize in store: college and a new team, a new coach and perhaps a chance to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament. A visit to campus, a call with new teammates, or a team sweatshirt quickly brings much-needed inspiration.
For college seniors who want to play professionally but may not be first- or second-round NBA draft material, such as Lehigh senior guard Jose Olivero, the future is shrouded behind rules and regulations that prevent players from knowing or doing anything before the season ends.
“Right now, I can’t have any contact with any type of agents, professional teams or anything like that. I’m kind of in the dark,” said Olivero, a W.T. Woodson High alum who will make his final regular season visit to the Washington area when the Mountain Hawks meet American on Saturday.
Olivero doesn’t know where he’s headed after school, and it likely could be abroad. With a father in the Army, he’s lived in Central and South America, but basketball could take him to Greece or Spain.
The best way for the Patriot League most-valuable-player candidate to increase his options is to keep the Hawks in contention, and he’s doing that with a team-leading 16.1 points per game, good enough for fourth in the conference.
Lehigh head coach Billy Taylor’s biggest concern is getting Olivero’s jumpshot to fall early — it opens doors for the rest of the team’s offense — but he’s also assured his playmaker that he will have plenty of professional options.
“I just try to let him know that I know enough people, and enough people are calling and are interested in him, that he doesn’t have to worry about anything,” said Taylor. “All he has to do is go out and play and enjoy his senior year, and all the rest of that will come together at the right time.”
Olivero is averaging just under 14 points in conference games, but saves his best for the biggest contests — he scored a career-high 32 with five assists at Notre Dame — and his final hometown visit trumps any concerns about what lies ahead.
“You don’t have a choice but not to worry about it. Right now I’d like to know a little something, but I can’t, and that’s perfectly fine,” said Olivero. “I just control what I can, and that’s how we play and how many wins we get as a team.”
Lehigh (9-14, 4-3 Patriot League) at American (11-11, 3-5)
» When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
» Where: Bender Arena
