Hailing from Lexington Kentucky, sophomore forward Nick Novosel is a rising star among the Yellowjacket basketball ranks. He helped UR keep close in the loss to Washington University in St. Louis on Friday and shined in the tight win against University of Chicago on Sunday. He scored a total of 37 points and 13 rebounds over the past weekend.
When did you start playing basketball?
I started playing when I was 5 in the Y[MCA] rec leagues. My sisters both play basketball, too. It’s sort of a family thing. And we just played ever since.My older sister played for Eversfield, and she just graduated. My twin sister plays for Notre Dame. She’s playing right now.
Does height run in the family?
My twin sister is 5-foot-9-inch and my older sister is 6-foot-2-inch, so there’s some height in the family. It’s pretty good.
If you could play on any NBA team now, which team would it be?
I would probably play for the Cleveland, Cavaliers. My dad grew up just outside of Cleveland, so I have always been a huge fan. And playing with Lebron would be pretty sweet. And me being a post, I would love to play with that team.
Are there any players out there now that you feel are similar to yourself?
More in the college game. Luke Harangody for the men’s Notre Dame team. He’s kind of an undersized post, but has some great outside skills and just lights it up inside. So, I really like his game, and try and replicate [his style].
What would you say is the strongest part of your game?
People tell me its my hook shot and my spin move. They’re the best moves, and they’re kind of my go-to moves down at the post.
If you didn’t play for a basketball team, what sport could you see yourself playing?
I actually swam for eight years, up to high school, and I had to choose between swimming or basketball. I ended up choosing basketball. I’m still a huge swimming fan, and I still do it for conditioning. I swim a little bit. That’s definitely right under basketball. When you’ve been through it, you see it’s a lot of hard work, so you can really respect what they go through.
What can we expect to see from the Yellowjackets this semester?
We had a little bit of a lull two weekends ago, and we played really hard this past weekend. But, we’re just taking it week-by-week and weekend-by-weekend. But, I think we’re going to be a postseason contender for, hopefully, the national championship. That’s always been our goal and to keep playing toward that goal.
What would you say is the most rewarding part of playing for the ‘Jackets?
The most rewarding part is just the climate with my teammates and the friends I’ve gotten out of that. That’s the best part. That’s why I play, to be around them. We go through a lot together, so we experience a lot. That really makes for close relationships together.
Nathaniel is a member of the class of 2011.
