Six winters ago, then-Belmont High School freshman guard Nina Minicozzi became an instant sensation, helping the Marauders to a 6-0 start and later the top seed in the MIAA Division I tournament and a regional final appearance.
The Belmont native played two more years at Belmont and led the Marauders to another tournament berth before transferring to The Rivers School in Weston to finish out her high school career. Now at Division I Dartmouth, the 5-foot-8 guard started all 26 games as a first-year last fall and is coming off the bench as a sophomore thus far, shifting from a point guard to a shooting guard role.
Minicozzi caught up with The Belmont Voice for a Q&A.
How would you describe your connection to Belmont?
I moved to Belmont in third grade, and that was really the start of my basketball career. I started with BYBA with my dad as my coach, and then Chenery basketball, and then, obviously, in high school, I played for coach [Melissa] Hart which was awesome. My freshman year was fantastic. I had such a great group of seniors. That was just such a good experience. I loved Belmont basketball throughout my whole time with it.
Do you have a favorite memory from playing for BHS?
My freshman year when we won the Middlesex League. We beat Woburn that year, which was super fun.
You transferred and reclassified after your junior year. What led to both of those decisions?
That was during COVID, so it was a really unclear time. I just thought it was a great opportunity. We played in the [Independent School League] (ISL), and there were just so many fantastic players in that league. It really did a good job setting me up for success in college.
When did Division I basketball become a reality for you?
It was always a dream for me. I’ve always loved playing basketball and I loved to compete. The idea of being able to compete at the highest level was super exciting. I would say It was really my sophomore or junior year of high school that I felt like it was within my reach.
Why did you choose Dartmouth during your recruiting process?
From the minute I stepped on campus I could tell it was such a community. I met the team. I loved it, and I think the culture is really good. Also, academically, it’s so great. I always really wanted to do both basketball and academics at the highest level and Dartmouth was a great combination of that.
Nearly halfway through your sophomore year, has anything about Dartmouth surprised you since making that decision?
This isn’t specific to Dartmouth, but it surprised me just quite how much talent there is at this level. Within the Ivy League, there’s so much talent and it’s been so much fun to play against and compete with. Being able to play against all these great players has been really exciting.
You started most games as a first-year and come off the bench now. How has that adjustment been?
The adjustment has been good. This year, I’ve been given the role of more of a shooter, whereas last year, I was handling the ball a lot. I think my mentality is to come in and do what I can to help the team win. Every second I’m on the court, I want to compete and set my teammates up for success. It’s been a really successful switch in my role so far.
What are you studying and do you have an intended career path?
I’m planning on majoring in mathematical data science with minors in economics and creative writing. This past summer, I did an internship with a sports analytics company, and that’s sort of what I’m thinking I want to do long term. I love math and I love basketball obviously, so being able to combine those two passions is really exciting for me.
Do you have a favorite road arena you’ve played in?
Our Ivy League rival is Cornell. Last year we split against them and our win against them was really fun. This year, we’re playing Syracuse on Dec. 21 and I’m super excited for that. I think that’s going to be such a fun environment to be in, just being in the [JMA Wireless] Dome.
Is there a most memorable play or game of your college career so far?
I would say last year when we played Navy was a really fun game for me. That was the first game where I fully felt like myself on the court and felt comfortable with my role, just letting myself play aggressively. We got the win, which was really fun.
