ELISHA JOHN | staff writer
At a basketball away game on Tuesday Jan. 6, against long time rival Biola, redshirt sophomore Mike Caffese had a high-scoring game.
Caffese put up an impressive 19 points while playing through tough competition from opposing players and Biola fans.
During the rival game, which the Cougars won 73-61, Caffese reached the free throw line 12 times and sunk 11 of his 12 free throws.
At 5'10, Caffese's deceptive stature has caused problems for many teams who are not aware of his capabilities.
Growing up in the small town of Lodi, Calif., Caffese was surrounded by sports growing up.
Caffese, the second youngest child of six kids, with four brothers and one sister, grew up watching his brothers play basketball.
As a freshman in high school, Caffese was able to play alongside his older brother, Bobby, who was a senior captain on the team.
This opportunity helped mold Caffese’s desire to play college basketball.
Playing at Azusa Pacific was not something that he planned on as a high school senior.
Caffese’s original idea was to be a walk-on at the University of Pacific in Stockton, California, near his hometown of Lodi.
“I thought I was going to play at [University of Pacific] because I knew everyone there and I've been to many of their open gyms,” Caffese said.
In late March 2006 Caffese received a phone call from Azusa Pacific men’s basketball head coach Justin Leslie, who was then the assistant coach, discussing an interest in him and inviting him to play in a showcase tournament.
After the tournament Caffese and Leslie discussed over the phone the possibility of Caffese playing for the Cougars.
When Caffese first arrived at Azusa Pacific, he and Leslie agreed that redshirting his first year would be the best so that he could adjust to college level of play.
After a year of conditioning, Caffese made his debut as a redshirt freshman.
“I have all the confidence in the world, any mistake he does make, he makes it up on defense. Mike is the type of player whose heart is so big that he just wants to win,” junior guard Dominique Johnson said.
Caffese’s aggressive style of play fits very well for the Cougars.
“He’s going to try his hardest every play to get the job done and he’s giving 100 percent every time,” freshman forward Mike Meza said.
Beyond the basketball court, Caffese is currently a business major with high aspirations.
“I have always have wanted to work in the business world of sports because playing sports has allowed me to see the other side of the sports world,” Caffese said.
In the future Caffese would like to be involved in the field of sports management, working at a sports agency that manages athletes for the NBA (National Basketball Association) or any franchise basketball team.
According to Caffese, he is today if it was not for the example his parents set for him.
Caffese’s father, Robert, is a farmer who stressed to him the importance of hard work.
When Caffese is putting in hard work, there is nobody more thankful than his team.
“[Caffese is] the floor general and he tells us what to do. Without him we would not be able to do what we need to do,” Johnson said.
Since Caffese is a point guard on the team, a lot of leadership is expected from him, especially in terms of helping the younger players.
“[Caffese] brings positive reinforcement,” Meza said. “Its easy to get rattled as a freshman, but he talks with you as a teammate and I really appreciate that.”
The men’s basketball team has a 16-8 record after yesterday’s loss to Biola.
The Cougars will next play on Saturday, Feb. 14 at an away game against Point Loma Nazarene.
