Finally, in early June, as rosters were all but full, Vanderbilt called. And then so did Connecticut. Hurley had one scholarship available and was hunting for someone who could shoot and wouldnt play with fear. But he told Calcaterra he wasnt sure if he was good enough to get on the court.

Calcaterra hopped on a plane right away.

I knew I had what it takes to play at this level, and I wanted to see what this was all about, he said. I only spent one night there, but I saw everything I needed to. I sat in on one workout and I saw the intensity no rest, no break time. I knew I would maximize my potential.

He committed the next day.

At one of Calcaterras first summer practices, Hurley christened him with the nickname Joey California, which might conjure an image of a laid-back, sand-between-the-toes, surfer everything Calcaterra is not. The first time, I was probably, like, what did he just call me? Calcaterra said. But he kept saying it and saying it.

Soon, social media did its work, and now there is a Joey California line of hoodies and T-shirts. (Friends and neighbors in Novato, Calif., north of San Francisco, have taken to calling his parents Richie and Wendy California, according to The New Haven Register.)

Hes the exact type of player from a guard standpoint that you want coming off the bench confident, gunslinger, Maverick from Top Gun-type mentality, said Hurley, who added that he encouraged Calcaterra to go somewhere else if he had doubts about whether he could break into the rotation.

When San Diego States coaches delivered scouting reports to the their players on the Huskies, Scholl gave the report on Calcaterra. He informed the Aztecs of Calcaterras deadeye shooting a team-high 44 percent from behind the 3-point arc and also that even though he is a role player, averaging about 14 minutes per game, he is not shy.

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Joey Calcaterra and Sam Scholl, Who Were Together at San Diego ... - The New York Times