Healy Gaining Notice
Nathan Healy, a freshman walk-on from New Bern, is gaining notice in Appalachian State’s preseason basketball camp.
Getting noticed has been Healy’s goal for the last couple of years.
Healy, a 6-7, 210-pound forward, got a few offers from Division II and III programs out of New Bern High School, where he averaged 19.7 points and 12 rebounds a game, but decided to increase his exposure by enrolling in prep school at Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J.
He was also a baseball prospect, as a pitcher, but decided to focus on basketball and hopefully land a scholarship.
“The toughest thing I’m doing is giving up baseball,” Healy said. “But I want to concentrate on this. My goal is to play in the NCAA Tournament, in Division I. That’s what I want.”
Healy averaged 10 points and six rebounds last season at Blair Academy, which won a state title. He gained some interest from Division I programs, and made an official visit to UNC Greensboro, but didn’t get any scholarship offers.
“I had so many things fall through scholarship-wise,” Healy said. “Several Ivy League schools were interested, but it just didn’t work out because they just found other players for those spots.
“There were some schools in the Southern Conference that recruited me, but I kept getting pushed out for the same reason.”
He waited until June and, still with no offer, he considered walking on at Davidson and Elon before deciding to go to ASU.
The Mountaineers’ staff was receptive, and a bit surprised Healy didn’t land a scholarship somewhere. And they’ve been impressed with his performance in the preseason.
“We’re excited about him,” Coach Buzz Peterson said. “He’s about 6-7 and he does all the little things well. He’ll win box outs, he gets off screens well. He’s played well defensively.”
Healy said: “I’ll do whatever it takes. Coming in as a freshman, especially with so many older guys on this team, you just try to get noticed. There’s not going to be many minutes to get but I’m working hard to get what I can.”