This past weekend, the Hopkins men’s basketball team closed out their season with a bang as they cruised past Centennial Conference foe, the Washington College Shoremen, by a score of 82-65. With the victory, Hopkins finished their season with an overall mark of 13-12 (10-8 CC), while the Shoremen dropped to 3-22 (1-17 CC) in what has been a very tough campaign. The Jays ended up placing tied for fifth in the final Conference standings, finishing a game behind the fourth-place Gettysburg Bullets in the race for the final playoff spot. The season was certainly not a failure by any means since the Jays were consistently competitive and remained in contention for the playoffs until the final contest of the year. However, the Jays returned with a plethora of seniors from a team that won 25 games last season and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the D-III playoffs. With much of that talent returning, there was a hope that the Jays could once again be a dominating unit. While that did not happen, there is no question that this team faced significant adversity and still managed to be a formidable, albeit rarely dominant Conference challenger capable of beating any team in any given contest.
In an interview with one of the many accomplished seniors on this veteran laden squad, guard Niko Kotoulas discussed some of the struggles the team faced this season, while also highlighting his own athletic and personal journey as a Blue Jay.
“We lost our starting point guard who I believe would have won player of the year in our Conference,” Kotoulas said, referring to senior Austin Vasiliadis, who had broken out to an absolutely torrid start with a torn ACL only six games into the campaign.
But the team still put forth their best.
“There were some close games where for some reason we couldn’t close out. There was never a lack of effort,” he said.
A lack of effort has certainly never been an issue for Kotoulas, who has made the most of every minute he has stepped on the floor as a Blue Jay. While he has dealt with inconsistent playing time for much of his career, Kotoulas has regularly served as a sparkplug and game-altering force when he has received the opportunity to play significant minutes. As a uniquely skilled hybrid guard/forward capable of playing both on the perimeter and in the post, Kotoulas revealed that he initially felt constrained by the rigidness of the Hopkins system, and he dealt with injuries in his inaugural season as a Jay.
“My experience at Hopkins was very unique. I actually ended up having a season-ending injury my freshman year which was a major setback,” Kotoulas said. “The program was much different than I expected. While I was a much more versatile player, our system is more focused on doing one task well. For example you cannot be a guard and a post. I was actually recruited to play point guard at some schools and center at others, so it took a long time to get adjusted to the system.”
In Kotoulas’ sophomore season, he dazzled teammates and coaches with occasional flashes of brilliance, but ultimately suffered through additional illnesses and could never break into the lineup significantly. Early in the campaign, he had perhaps the greatest game of his career in a contest against Washington College, finishing with 16 points, six boards and three assists. For the season, however, he would only average a little over 10 minutes per game, posting 4.7 points and 2.9 boards per game in limited action.
“My sophomore year I started breaking [into] and contributing to the team, but it seemed like I always faced some sort of adversity,” Kotoulas said. “After having a couple huge impact games, I was sidelined with a combo flu and sprained ankle. We proceeded to win the Conference Championship, but I didn’t play in that game — the only game I hadn’t played all season. I had games where I was an impactful force and others [to] which I didn’t contribute as much as I would have liked.”
Despite any frustrations he might have had about his role, Kotoulas remained a consummate team player his entire career as a Hopkins athlete. Nothing embodies this better than a junior campaign which saw the team emerge as a truly dominant and special unit, en route to winning 25 games and making a deep postseason run.
“I had again started off the season well but then was absent from playing in most games... eventually not even playing in some games,” Kotoulas said. “Again a very volatile process, emotional as well; I had games my sophomore year where I had played very well, and now I was not even playing in some games.”
He was backing up an All American standout forward, then senior George Bugarinovic, and playing time was scarce. “A lot of players had to sacrifice that year, as we had a lot of talent on our team. I was happy for our team, but when you don’t really contribute on the court it’s harder to enjoy the success,” Kotoulas said.
While Kotoulas was unable to emerge as a primary starter his senior season, his legacy as a great Hopkins sportsman is secure. He was named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District Tea and graduates as an athlete who has learned vital life lessons during his time as a Blue Jay.
Describing what he learned during his time on the team, Kotoulas said, “I learned to accept exactly what the head Coach wanted: For me to play inside, turn middle when I caught the ball in the post and pass out to open shooters. This was my role and I accepted it. Again another great life lesson, do exactly what your boss wants and specialize in that exact job.”
Kotoulas understood his role, thrived when he was needed and didn’t complain when his playing time dwindled. He will be remembered ultimately for his unselfishness, serving as an outstanding role player who made up the backbone of many great Blue Jay squads.
In addition to basketball, Kotoulas has emerged as a star in other aspects of his life as well, specifically music. He recently DJed at the Mosaic Nightclub at Power Plant Live, an impressive achievement for someone with such a rigorous schedule.
“[I] always loved music, and I was actually inspired to DJ when I went to a concert,” Kotoulas said. “It was in the summer in NYC, Jay Hardway was performing, and I said that this looks fun. So after working at an internship I used majority of my proceeds to buy a whole DJ system, MacBook and software to make music.”
Reflecting on his time at Hopkins Kotoulas told us that “At moments I was the ‘star’ for a lack of better words and other times I didn’t even check into the game. I was always the center of attention for my high school career, so it was rewarding to see it from the benchwarmer’s perspective and truly appreciate everyone’s contribution to a team. I will truly miss the experiences with my teammates and thank them for all of the excellent memories. No one can take away my positive attitude towards life.”
Kotoulas continues to shine in all aspects of life, and as he departs Hopkins, he will surely continue to be a source of energy and inspiration to all who know him.
