Sophomore Coppola a rising star
Will Spencer II

January 6, 2011 - After starting every game last season as a freshman for Central Region quarterfinalist Cosby High School last season and garnering all-academic honors in the Dominion District, Nick Coppola (5-foot 11, 175 pounds) has been even more impressive and taken his game to another level, as a sophomore this season for a Cosby team currently ranked #8 in the state in group AAA by VirginiaPreps.com.

Cosby features top state talents, brothers Matt and Nick Gorski . Coppola though is stepping out of the Gorski brothers shadow and carving out his own reputation, emerging as one of the best in the Central Region and state. Coppola armed with a tight handle, elite quickness, great passing ability and deep shooting range, are some of the attributes that add to his great all-around game. He has a calm demeanor off the court, but warrior mentality once he steps on it.

In the TDIT semifinal game against #2 VirginiaPreps.com state ranked Highland Springs featuring Delaware commit PG Jarvis Threatt, Coppola showed why he is being mentioned as one of the top point guards in the state. He broke Highland Springs vaunted full court press almost with ease. As he almost single-handedly brought Cosby back from a 12-point half time deficit, bringing them within 2 with 35 seconds remaining, before the titans eventually bowed to the ultra-talented Springers by 4, 65-61.

Coppola finished the game with 19 points, but showed the will not to let his team lose and a basketball IQ of a player much older. As an encore two nights later, he scored 23 points against Adejhi Baru-led Steward, including going an eye popping, 12 for 12 from the free throw line in the decisive 4th Quarter when Steward closed the gap on Cosby's lead. His dead-eye marksmanship helped Cosby secure the win and 3rd place in the TDIT.

Sometimes as you watch Nick, you forget that he is only a sophomore because of all the intangibles that he brings to the table, its almost scary how good he will be as a senior. But as his maturation process continues, as with any sophomore or any player for that matter, there are areas for improvement. But, he most certainly will be a highly sought after recruit during his senior year and I predict many Division I schools will be calling on his services. At this point, he has received letters from VMI, JMU, Penn State and Wisconsin . By the way, he also possesses a GPA over 3.5 and is one of the nicest kids, you could ever meet, a humble individual who understands that the classroom is just as important as the basketball court. So if you're ever in Metro-Richmond this winter, check out Cosby High School , because Nick Coppola is definitely worth the price of admission and is a star on the rise.