Anthony Pacciarelli always had faith that he was talented enough to play at the highest level of college basketball.<\/p>\n
Pacciarelli never wavered when he passed on a Division II opportunity and committed to SUNY Orange last summer.<\/p>\n
SUNY Orange\u2019s coaches were equally invested in Pacciarelli\u2019s talent. The partnership produced one of the best seasons in program history.<\/p>\n
The 6-foot-5 freshman wing earned NJCAA first-team All-American honors Wednesday. He also reached his ultimate goal of playing Division I basketball, committing to Manhattan College of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference last week.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve believed in myself, but coach (Tom Rickard) also believed in me,\u201d said Pacciarelli, who averaged 26.5 points per game and shot 50 percent from the field. \u201cIt balanced each other out. He always believed that I was a Division I player, and he never settled for less from me. That\u2019s why I feel like I\u2019m in the position I am in now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pacciarelli received an unexpected call after scoring 35 points at the national junior college tournament last month. He was surprised to hear from a Manhattan assistant coach. Two Manhattan coaches watched Pacciarelli for two days at the tournament, and he received an offer on the spot.<\/p>\n
Days later, Pacciarelli visited Manhattan\u2019s campus and ultimately committed, becoming SUNY Orange\u2019s first Division I commit under Tom Rickard.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew he was good enough (to play Division I),\u201d Rickard said. \u201cSome kids need two years with me to improve. He improved a lot in his first year, but I knew he had the ability. He\u2019s a great student, too, so I knew he would have opportunities. He kind of bet on himself. He didn\u2019t have to come to us\u2014he could have gone to a prep school.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pacciarelli also received Division I interest from Albany and Tennessee Tech. He also held an offer from Division II Nova Southeastern, which won the national championship in 2024\u201325.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of my friends growing up are in the MAAC,\u201d Pacciarelli said. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely cool to be playing against kids I played against in high school and with in AAU.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always seen myself playing at that level. It\u2019s definitely cool to reach that goal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pacciarelli\u2019s versatility impressed Manhattan\u2019s coaches. He can play shooting guard, small forward, or stretch forward if necessary.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very excited to be a part of this with Manhattan and to win a lot of games this upcoming season,\u201d Pacciarelli said. \u201cMy mindset is that I\u2019m always a winner, so wherever I go, we must win. That\u2019s the goal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
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