As the only senior in the Comet’s starting lineup, guard Nick Donnelly’s basketball journey is almost over.
During the final months of the season, Donnelly said he looks forward to helping guide his younger teammates, balancing academics and basketball and proceeding into life after college basketball.
“[The] start of the season [is] going pretty good,” Donnelly said. “We have a lot of new guys this year… still learning, you know … they still make some mistakes that freshmen make but definitely developing a really good start of the season with the first couple games here.”
He mentioned freshmen such as guards Peyton Dulin and Chris White, big man Bryce Potts and others as players with high potential who are continuing to develop as the season progresses.
Donnelly himself is averaging 10 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists this season, as well as shooting an impressive 40% from behind the three-point arc. He has also led the team in scoring in two out of the four games played so far this season. When asked about his start to his senior year, Donnelly said it’s been all right.
“There’s always room for improvement for myself,” Donnelly said. “Being the only senior in the starting lineup, my role is kind of making sure everyone’s where they’re supposed to be [and] making sure everyone is playing together. Even when people get frustrated with the team, just making sure we’re locked in as a unit out there.”
“Being the only senior in the starting lineup, my role is kind of making sure everyone’s where they’re supposed to be [and] making sure everyone is playing together.” – Donnelly
On July 11, the NCAA approved UTD’s transition into a Division II sports program. Donnelly said his overarching goal for his senior season has been setting the tone for the future of the basketball program.
“We’re supposed to have fun playing [basketball], it’s a blessing to be able to play this game at the highest level,” Donnelly said. “This is the first year where we get to prove ourselves [to] the Lone Star teams that we’re gonna play here in the next couple of weeks, [just] kind of making that statement that UTD is here, we’re coming and we’re about it and they’re gonna know who we are when we come into the league.”
“UTD is here, we’re coming and we’re about it and they’re gonna know who we are when we come into the league.” – Donnelly
Life as a dedicated student athlete can often be difficult; managing classes while being committed to play in every game for your team is challenging, Donnelly said, the balance becomes a struggle when final exams coincide with the middle of the basketball season. The chaos and challenge became integral to Donnelly’s college experience. The dedication he put in made basketball a crucial part of Donnelly’s life — particularly during the past three years, which he has spent on the All-ASC Academic team. Donnelly said that basketball wouldn’t be in his life forever despite his dedication to it.
“That’s why I came to UTD in the first place,” Donnelly said. “It’s a very high academic school and basketball’s gonna end sometime. I’ll be done after this year and [I’m] just looking forward to that next challenge.”
As a finance major, Donnelly is currently pursuing a career in wealth management. This summer, he completed an internship with Morgan Stanley in the wealth management division. With the clock ticking on his senior year, he is looking to continue pursuing excellence not only on the court but in his final academic and professional endeavors before graduation.
“I think that’s why most people come here [to] play basketball [at UTD],” Donnelly said. “To have both that balance of academics and basketball.”