Nick Chudy adjusting to college hoops life
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. >> Former Saratoga Springs basketball player Nick Chudy likes a challenge and he is ready for the next chapter as he begins his college career.
The former Blue Streak committed to Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pa. last year and is part of the Mules’ men’s basketball roster making his return to the Spa City on Saturday afternoon, visiting the Skidmore College campus for the first regularly scheduled contest for both teams.
“It’s a big skill adjustment, everybody is stronger than you coming into your freshman year, everyone’s equally as quick, if not more quicker and everyone’s athletic,” Nick Chudy said. “It’s different because everybody in college was good on their high school team.
“You’re working your (butt) off as much as you can and it’s a lot more physical in college as opposed to high school.”
The hometown hosts took the opener, 75-69 in a close match-up not creating an opportunity for former Blue Streak player and coach, Matt Hopkins, to call his name as a substitute in the contest.
“I was hoping we would get up and it was enough for me to go in for one or two minutes
utes at least just so I could, you know, do something, make the crowd happy,” the 6-foot 2-inch guard said. “I’m fine with not playing. I’m a very good teammate. I’m just happy if we were producing, if people are producing good minutes. I’m fine with not playing as long as we’re getting the job done.”
There was a bit of mutual admiration between both Chudy and his Muhlenberg Coach Matt Hopkins who took over the program last year after five years as an assistant at Amherst College.
“I saw Nick at a couple of prospect camps but I had already known of him,” Matt Hopkins said. “I try to stay in touch with Coach (Matt) Usher and the high school guys.
“I went over and checked out practice this morning, so I try to keep in contact with those guys and they had told me what a good kid Nick was on and off the court. Then I saw him at camps and then we went from there. Nick came down to visit with his dad and liked the school, liked the program, like what we were doing, so it was a good fit for both of us.”
That may have been the easiest part of the process for Nick Chudy as he graduated from a team that won 19 straight games his senior year and was upset in the Section II Class AA semifinal. Now he was playing at the college level.
“You definitely have to kind of restructure yourself mentally because you know every team is good,” Chudy said. “So you can’t just go in and think we’re going to win by 40, every team is going to be good, every team is working their butt off.
“There is always a better team above you and you’re always striving to be better. You’ve got to beat those better teams. Every night is challenge. There’s no off days for any college sport right now.”
He also continues to be a student-athlete at Muhlenberg.
“My grades are going well too, they could be a tiny bit higher, but I’m fine with my grades right now,” Chudy said. “I’m definitely more working out in the college basketball scene as opposed to high school. “We probably put in four hours of workouts a day, that’s probably the most different things from high school, college, just the amount of work.”
Looking to enter the college scorebook is a challenge and Chudy continues to work on his game, looking to get that call or nod from Matt Hopkins.
“Being more active and talking on defense,” Chudy said. “You always need to be talking to your teammates, let them know where you are.
I’d say also controlling the ball a little bit, not being so crazy and just playing to your strengths, not trying to do everything. You’ve got to just play to your strengths.”
Like many top athlete program, geography, finances and level of play were part of his decisionmaking process. In the end, Division III Muhlenberg won out.
“I’d say I think a lot of D-3 colleges are very good at basketball and I think that no matter where you go throughout the divisions, I’d say like most places they have a pretty good program and have skilled players,” Chudy said. “I think D-3 is a good fit for me. That’s saying when I get more developed as a player I’ll start to play more.”
You can follow Nick Chudy and his men’s basketball team at www. muhlenbergsports.com