Former Cougar becomes walk-on Scarlet Knight

MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The combination of persistence and passion for the game of basketball has led 2012 Columbia High School graduate Alana Ferrugiaro of Maplewood to a walk-on role with the Rutgers University women’s basketball team, where she plays for Hall of Fame coach Vivian Stringer.

But Ferrugiaro’s recent success story started long before she was officially added to the roster of the Scarlet Knights for this season.

Former CHS women’s basketball coach Johanna Wright recalled the pride and joy that she felt when her former student contacted her with the good news that she had made the team, but Wright was not surprised that Ferrugiaro’s goal had finally come to fruition.

“Perseverance is encompassed by a need, not a want, but a need to achieve something despite the obstacles that get in your way,” Wright, a member of the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education, said in a recent email to the News-Record about Ferrugiaro. “The South Orange Maplewood School District is comprised of incredibly gifted and talented student-athletes like Alana Ferrugiaro.”

Wright praised Ferrugiaro’s positive attitude and infallible team work ethic — not only on the court, but also in the classroom.

“Alana worked with the younger players on their skill development, understanding plays and academics as the lead tutor for the girls’ basketball team,” Wright said. “She also worked the summer basketball camps with our little ones while honing her skills and becoming a student of the game.

“I have coached many All-American, All-State and All-County basketball players, and I believe that all would say that Alana is the best at what she does in more ways than one,” she continued. “Everyone has a role to play on a team, and Alana knew and understood hers well. She knew exactly what was expected of her and she delivered time and time again while being patient with developing her game.”

In a recent phone interview with the News-Record, Ferrugiaro, who is in the fourth year of a five-year program, said that the fundamentals of the game and the importance of persevering under pressure are what helped her achieve a place on the women’s basketball team at Rutgers.

“When I came to Rutgers University and knew I wanted to play, I tried out for a walk-on spot, but was told that I had to be a team manager first,” she said. “But there was also a rule about team managers practicing with the team, so I started shooting and working out in my free time.”

Ferrugiaro said that the team gave her a tryout at the end of her freshman year, but was later told that the team had to see about new recruits coming in, so she continued on as a team manager.

In the beginning of November 2015 the team once again held tryouts for interested players, and Ferrugiaro once again showed the team her basketball skills.

On Dec. 5, 2015, she was officially added to the team roster and started Rutgers practices. She suited up for the first time against Iona College on Dec. 9, 2015, and first had some playing time against Savannah State University on Dec. 12, 2015.

Ferrugiaro, a shooting guard, credits the dedicated coaching staff at Columbia High School for giving her the tools she needed to succeed beyond the high school arena.

“Coach Wright and my other coaches really taught me the fundamentals of the game, like different defensive positions, and knowing what to do on offense and where to be at the right time,” she said. “A lot of the drills that I learned from CHS coaches are the ones that I kept working on to refine my skills to make it to the Rutgers team.”

Ferrugiaro also said that she was overwhelmed by the love she received from her hometown after people learned she had made the team.

“Coach Wright and a lot of teammates knew how much I loved basketball and how much I wanted to play at Rutgers, and a lot of people from back home emailed or contacted me to say how happy they were for me,” she said.

So what piece of advice would Ferrugiaro, a dual psychology and elementary education major, give to a younger player who wanted to try out for a walk-on role with a team?

“Never give up and focus on fundamentals,” she said. “You need to be mentally tough.”