The 2019 Rams Reflect is the fourth in a series of annual collections. Senior captains and representatives of Suffolk teams have been invited to contribute viewpoints based on personal experience from both their senior seasons and full varsity careers at Suffolk.
For a complete listing of past and present Rams’ Reflections, click here.
Michael Hagopian | Hometown: Watertown, Mass. | Finance
Growing up, I was always the smallest kid on the court. Since I was a little kid, all my friends just seemed to be bigger and taller than me. I knew if I wanted to get somewhere with basketball, I would have to work twice as hard as everyone else, since they had size and I didn’t.
Coming into high school, I was about 5-2 weighing in just under 100 pounds. I made varsity as a freshman and got better every day. As time went on, I remember playing road games and being a crowd favorite, but not in a good way. They would yell things and say I looked like I was 12, or yell my number and ask if I’ve ever heard of a weight room, and so much more. Looking back on it now, it’s pretty comical and it only made me better.
I came to Suffolk at a pretty messy time, basketball wise. Coach Adam Nelson, who recruited me, had resigned that summer so I had no idea who the new coach was going to be. I was still growing into my body as well, which made me more nervous that whoever the incoming coach was, had never seen me or seen how I played. Coach Juron came in and welcomed me right away. He saw how hard of a worker I was and admired it.
Coach Juron believed in me so much that I was able to start at point guard right away as a freshman. I was thrilled, but knew that this wasn’t going to be easy. It was a difficult transition from high school because I was going from being the main guy on the team to now being a freshman starter playing with all upperclassmen. I was pretty nervous, but accepted the challenge, and I did my best to fit in.
Our first two seasons at Suffolk definitely taught me a lot and helped transform me into the person/player I am today. Having back-to-back losing records was not what I envisioned coming to Suffolk, but I had to tell myself this was all part of the process.
Fast-forwarding to my senior year — it was very emotional to say the least. I had very high hopes for the team coming into my senior season. I truly felt this was the best we’ve been in years, and I was so ready to tackle the season headfirst. This was easily the most memorable season of my life, and something that I’ll hold on to forever.
In our last game, a home playoff game against the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.), things really started to hit me on the court. I remember everything so vividly. We fought hard the entire game and I was so proud of our efforts. With about 30 seconds left, I remember just looking around on the court. Looking at the bench and seeing my teammates, looking in the crowd and seeing friends and family. I really had to hold back tears. With about 10 seconds left, and the game practically over, I was subbed out for my final time as a Suffolk Ram. I tried to hold onto my final moment in this uniform. Reluctantly walking off the court, I knew it was time to let go. I knew I had given this program everything I had for the past four years of my life. I hugged each coach and each teammate down the line, shook hands with the other team, and went back and sat down on the bench. I wanted to soak in every lest second of being on that court with the most amazing teammates. They all came to be with me in this very emotional time. I remember walking off the court and hugging my parents who just kept telling me how proud I made them. Three of my best friends from home along with my cousin were there and congratulated me on everything as well. I felt so loved by everyone. It was truly a special moment.
The season may not have ended as planned, but we made history and none of that would’ve been possible without my teammates and the coaching staff. So I want to quickly thank them for everything. Thank you to the coaching staff for always believing in me, even in my worst moments. Thank you for your continuous trust and support throughout all my four years. To my teammates, I couldn’t have asked for a better group of guys to be on this journey with. Thank you guys for bringing my confidence up when I was down, and for always being there for me when I needed you guys most.
All in all, I am so thankful for my time at Suffolk. I definitely learned a lot through my experiences here. I worked hard for this program to help get it where it is today and I know it’s only getting better. I have created bonds with my teammates that will last a lifetime. They are forever family to me and I cannot wait to watch them, along with this program, continue to grow.