February 5, 2008
To Be or Not To Be
Henry David Thoreau is credited with this advice: "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost, there is where they should be. Now put foundations under them." A 150 or so years later, Archbishop Mitty’s Angelo Caloiaro has done just that.
Caloiaro’s rise is a testament to his work ethic
Every so often, something like this occurs.
It’s the feel-good surprise of the 2007-2008 prep basketball season in northern California, a real life happening that matches or tops the most imaginative of fiction.
That being the rise of Mitty’s Angelo Caloiaro from benchwarmer as a junior to Division I prospect 12 months later. Yes, Caloiaro played sparingly last season as a junior backourter for Coach Brian Eagleson’s Monarch squad. Now, he is one of the team mainstays.
He’s achieved this role the old-fashioned way -- hard work. Well, that and a late boost of physical maturation. Caloiaro grew six inches between basketball seasons, a late blooming that assisted the fruition of his dream -- that being playing college basketball.
"Playing college basketball has always been a goal of mine," Caloiaro said. He continued, "But everyone else grew before I did."
Caloiaro was a solid player early on, with his Saratoga third and fourth grade squad winning the National Junior Basketball team’s national championship in 2000. But in high school, he remained at six-feet tall while other members of the team sprouted up. That is until the summer of 2007 when his clothes were no longer fitting -- a good, no make that a real good problem to have in his eyes.
"Angelo was always skilled and he possesses an exceptional basketball IQ," Eagleson said, "but his not playing last season was more a matter of physical stature combined with last season’s team being senior-heavy, along with a group of very good juniors."
According to Eagleson, it was apparent that -- beyond the six inch change in height -- Caloiaro was a different player prior to this season, "It was evident that we would be able to play him as both a three and a four, in different positions all over the court. If we want to go big or go small, he allows us to do that."
With the myriad of injuries Mitty has endured this season -- Drew Gordon’s season-ending broken bones in his left foot, Chris Weber’s stress fracture foot injury, and Collin Chiverton’s knee sprain, the Monarch squad has needed to be resilient. Robert Burns’ observation that the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry has never been so true. But the entire roster has needed to step up and has, Caloiaro certainly among them. But even he has been hit with the injury bug, having suffered a broken toe that he is playing through.
Caloiaro’s emergence has resulted in his getting inquiries and offers from a host of colleges, with the likelihood that he lands somewhere. Contact with him was first made during the summer when a number of the Monarchs played as the Bay Area Tarheels club team. People were confused thinking someone new had transferred to Archbishop Mitty. But no, it was the new and improved Caloiaro, the 2.0 version or rather the 6+ model.
This former baseball player -- he was on the Mitty baseball team as a freshman and a sophomore but plays only hoops now -- has his academics in order and isn’t that particular right now about what institution of higher learning he attends. As Caloiaro puts it about making his dream come true, "I just really want to play."
He’ll be a three or a four in college with his versatility continuing at the next level -- he’s proficient from both long range and inside. He’s working on making his frame bigger and stronger so as to better take the greater pounding at the next level. It’s that potential that truly captures the attention of college recruiters. He’s nowhere near as filled out physically as he will be and his basketball skills also keep ramping up. He’s a keen passer due to his former size and displays excellent court savvy.
Of late, Caloiaro scored 21 points in a 71-50 home court win over Serra, 19 in victories over both Fairfield and St. Francis, 13 when Mitty topped Sacred Heart and 11 points and eight rebounds against powerful Holy Cross of New York City.
Caloiaro’s mother, Maureen, is an assistant coach with both the very successful Mitty girls team and the San Jose Cagers 13-and-under club team, so on-court prosperity runs in the family.
If Hollywood ever decides to do a remake of "It’s A Wonderful Life" then Caloiaro should be in the running to play the lead.
Dreams sometimes do come true.