W
hen Angelica Velez peered out the plane window, all she saw was grass.
The Bronx, New York, native was en route to The Webb School, a boarding school in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. Velez’s previous high school had closed, so she moved south to further her basketball career. Accustomed to skyscrapers and busy streets, the rural town of 400 people forced immediate adjustments.
Velez struggled at first. She said it was odd not always having things going on around her. But Velez eventually came out of her shell, developing into one of Webb’s best players.
Velez’s experience at Webb helped her develop into a Division-I point guard. After winning two state championships, Velez committed to LSU. Though she only averaged 4.9 minutes per game last year in her lone season with the Tigers.
She then transferred to Syracuse, where the sophomore is projected to fill a starting role following the departure of three of its top four scorers from last season. Now set up for a large usage rate with the Orange, her decision to transfer to Webb has proved pivotal in her growth.
“I just had to get out of the Bronx,” Velez said. “I felt like there was just too much going on, and I needed to get away and really focus on my dreams.”
With her mother, Migdalia Arce, often in and out of the hospital, Velez was primarily raised by her father, Jorge Velez. At Baychester Middle School, Velez tried out for the boys team because there wasn’t a girls squad. With the boys, she developed a toughness that’s still present.
Velez was then introduced to New Heights NYC AAU head coach Dominique Nute, who noticed her skills and recruited her. It was her first time playing against girls, so she learned a different style of basketball. Velez began studying the game by watching film, being described by Nute as a “basketball junkie.”
“She was just a kid that loved to go outside and play in the park,” Nute said. “When I introduced her to AAU basketball, she had to develop her basketball IQ.”
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Velez became a second coach on the floor, positioning her teammates on every play. Velez credited her execution to playing quarterback for her youth football team, the Bronx Steelers. She learned how to be a “general on the field,” easing the transition to New Heights.
In high school, Velez bounced around New Jersey, moving from Manchester Township High School to Trenton Catholic. Both schools shut down while she was there, however, forcing her to look elsewhere. She decided to go to Webb, which just captured the Division II Class A State Championship the year prior.
“Growing up as a kid from New York, she had a lot of independence,” Nute said. “But I think moving to Tennessee, going down and playing at The Webb School, allowed her to grow on the court.”
A few months after Velez expressed interest in Webb, head coach Matt Shewmake saw her play for New Heights in Hampton, Virginia, at the Boo Williams Invitational.
Shewmake was in Hampton coaching his own travel team, and went over to watch Velez in between games. Shewmake was immediately impressed by her communication and how she handled her team.
“She was talking, she had great energy,” Shewmake said. “I was like, ‘Holy sh*t, this kid’s special.’”
In the weeks before move-in, Shewmake remembered Velez calling him in tears. She was scared to leave her father at home. But Velez knew she needed to go for a better chance at playing college basketball.
Though it took time, Velez adjusted, Webb teammate Rhema Collins said.
“Tennessee and New York are completely different environments,” Collins, now a forward at Ole Miss, said. “But Angelica did a great job of adapting and getting used to how people interact with each other.”
In Velez’s junior year, Webb went 31-6, making the state championship again. In the finals, Webb defeated Middle Tennessee Christian 68-48. After the title, Velez was emotional. She knew the sacrifice of leaving her father had paid off. A year later, she helped Webb repeat, this time winning by 30 in the championship.
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Similar to her time at New Heights, Velez was largely a distributor at Webb. In her senior year, she tallied 20 assists in a 107-52 blowout of Arlington, a top public school in Tennessee. Her biggest weakness, though, was her shooting. And she continued to work at it.
Velez woke up at 5 a.m. every day to shoot before her 8 a.m. class. She worked on increasing her efficiency and reaction time. Shewmake gave her his key on weekends when the gymnasium was closed.
Velez faced 11 future college recruits in practice. Shewmake also scheduled games against some of the best teams in the country, including Montverde and IMG Academy. She guarded numerous Power Four recruits, namely current Arizona guard Jada Williams and Duke forward Jadyn Donovan.
“We tried to do things in a manner that prepared them for the next level — adversity that we try to create every day, the competition that we played on the road, the team that we had to compete against every day,” Shewmake said.
Velez ended her illustrious prep career by winning her division’s Miss Tennessee Basketball Player of the Year. Then came her college decision. She gained offers from top-tier programs, including Tennessee and Florida State, but it came down to LSU and Syracuse.
She loved the coaches at SU, yet thought LSU presented a better chance to win a national title. In September 2022, Velez committed to the Tigers. Seven months later, LSU won the 2023 NCAA Championship, cementing her decision.
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But when she got to Louisiana, Velez was buried in the Tigers’ depth chart behind guards Flau’jae Johnson and Hailey Van Lith. She played sparingly, averaging 1.2 points and 0.6 assists.
Velez took it as a learning experience. She still woke up early to shoot, but was surprised to see Van Lith and Johnson already there. Velez also noted their focus on recovery and eating habits and began implementing their tips into her routine.
“Their work ethic was insane,” Velez said of her star teammates. “I felt like I worked really hard, but to see their work ethic at another level just made me want to work so much harder.”
Velez entered the transfer portal after the season, looking to receive more consistent minutes. She circled back to Syracuse. After talking with the coaches over the phone, Velez committed to the Orange on May 5.
For Velez, this season is about regaining a resilience that originated on the courts of New York City. SU freshman Shy Hawkins backed up that sentiment, saying Velez brings an unmatched intensity and aggressiveness every day in practice. Though Velez also wants to enjoy herself, something that was lacking in Baton Rouge.
“I’ve been working on just getting my boogie back, being a tough guard from the Bronx,” Velez said. “When you watch me, you’re like, ‘Oh, that girl is tough.’”
Published on October 24, 2024 at 1:35 am
Contact Noah: njnussba@syr.edu
