Name: Larissa Ruggiero
Height: 5-10
Position: Shooting Guard
High School: St. John Henry Newman (Stoney Creek, ON)
Graduation Class: 2023
AAU Club: Kia Nurse Elite Regional & Southwest Academy
JUEL Prep: Hamilton Transway
Status: Uncommitted
Larissa Ruggiero is a 5-10 Shooting Guard from Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada. She's a rising senior at St. John Henry Newman Catholic Secondary School, and runs with Kia Nurse Elite and Southwest Academy on the AAU circuit. Ruggiero is also a part of the Hamilton Transway system in the JUEL Prep league.
One thing to point out about Ruggiero, she plays the right way. And, I know that can sound generic, but she's absolutely joy to watch on the court. Within her mechanics of shot selection and positioning herself to score to making winning plays on defense, I believe that she can play at a solid pace for the next level. Even though my time was short with Ruggiero in my busy summer schedule, she's handling her business and out of her will trying to make something out of her career. She has a bright future ahead of her!
I caught up with the international prospect on growing up in Canada, getting back to a full season of basketball and preparation for her last chapter.
Larissa Ruggiero Interview
When did you start playing basketball?
“I started playing basketball at the age of 6, when I played in our local house league Newman Youth. At first, basketball was just something to help develop my social skills, and physical abilities as a little kid. I quickly transferred to playing rep at age 8, playing a year older for Hamilton Transway.
Describe how you are as a player from the skill standpoint?
“I’m a team player, my teammates can always count on me to find the extra pass. On the court, I have strong court vision. I am able to create opportunities for my teammates by finding open players, and being a playmaker. I have a high percentage in shooting, and I am comfortable shooting from the outside. I have a high IQ and knowledge of the game and I like to communicate on the court and be supportive of my team.”
How was life growing up in the Hamilton area?
“Hamilton is Canada’s steel city with many blue collar workers. I feel that basketball in Hamilton relates to this as there are many strong programs within the city. I learned at an early age that travel team tryouts were competitive, and roster spots had to be earned. Both of my parents come from large families, so I have many aunts, uncles and cousins. My family has large get-togethers during the holiday seasons as well as significant religious sacraments. Our gatherings are usually filled with loud conversations and loads of food. Due to our loud conversations, I quickly learned how to communicate and be loud on the court! Hamilton has a large Italian community, and we aren’t quiet about celebrating our culture! For example, last summer Italy won the Euro Soccer Cup and it is tradition to go flagging on James Street which holds significance in the Italian community.”
Editor: So for anybody who didn’t catch that, she is Italian and Hamilton is sort of like Pittsburgh with the characteristics and history of industrial work. For those who had to do a double take *laughs*
How was your junior season at St John Newman?
“My junior season was great! Since I missed my sophomore season due to the COVID shutdown, I was excited for the junior season to begin and knew from the beginning I wanted my team to play in the championship game. Throughout the season, I developed as a leader since I was one of few that played on the Senior team during my freshman season. I knew what it took to excel in our league. Skill wise, my shooting, playmaking and defensive abilities grew. As a team, we achieved our goal and made it to the championship game! We ended the season as finalists, in arguably one of the toughest high school leagues in Ontario, Canada.”
You’re still at a very early stage of your career. What kinds of things are you doing to make yourself the best player you can be?
“During my high school season we practiced daily with games twice a week. I also looked for extra opportunities such as asking for extra gym time to use the shooting machine, and also by training with some members of the Senior boys basketball team twice a week at 6 a.m.! My JUEL season consisted of practices twice a week, and games every second weekend. I make use of my home gym building on my strength and conditioning. I also use my large driveway at home to get shots up, and work on my skills. During the AAU season, I played for Kia Nurse Elite Regional Red, and Southwest Academy. I would have training camp for KNE the weekend before going to our tournaments, and I would practice twice a week in London, Ontario for Southwest. I enjoyed traveling for the AAU season, and playing against great competition. Both teams I played for excelled at the various tournaments we went to. I will also be attending some university camps during the summer, and I am excited to see the campuses and showcase myself!”
Which athlete do you look up to the most?
“On the university level, I look up to Caitlin Clark, from the University of Iowa the most. This past NCAA season, I really enjoyed watching her play. It is evident that she is a hard worker, and works to out hustle her opponents. She has an amazing shooting range, and is able to make opportunities for those around her. I think she is one of the most exciting players to watch, and I am looking forward to following her game. She is a leader on the court and in her community. As I continue to grow my skills, I hope to become a leader to my teammates and model my game after hers.”
Who do you look up to as role models?
“I look up to my family as my role models. They have each individually positively impacted my life, and journey with basketball. My sister was my basketball role model when I was little. I would always go to watch her basketball games, and wanted to be like her. My parents are both hard workers, and push me to be the best version of myself on and off the court. Each person in my family has taught me how to strive for the best, and never settle for less. They are all extremely supportive, and want me to excel in athletics and academics.”
As you’re now at the age where you’re starting to look for college opportunities, what do you ideally look for in a college?
“As I start to explore university and college opportunities, my focus of the school I choose to attend is the strength of the academic program as that will be equally important to me as their basketball program. Attending a school to help me achieve my academic goals is a major priority. As a result of my AAU season, I was able to stop at several universities during drives. I appreciated the athletic village atmosphere that the universities created, which is very different from Canadian campuses. The university or college I hope to attend must promote a family atmosphere amongst the students and athletes.”
I know it is still very early, but what are you looking forward to in your senior season?
“I am super excited to get back in my school gym for my senior season. As a player, I am looking forward to expanding my skills and continuing in the leader role on the team. I hope to improve on my stats, both on the offensive and defensive side. As a team, we know our goal is to get back to the championship game and win! We will have many returning players, who are all great assets to the team and will have new teammates joining our squad. Since we have shorter high school seasons in Canada, we will have to put in the work early to make sure we achieve our goal!”
Thank you for taking the time to talk with me this morning. Do you have any words of encouragement or motivation for people? Any last words?
“Recently, I was told by my AAU coach in a team classroom session that even though you might not think it, there are always eyes watching. Throughout my basketball season, this really impacted my game. The eyes watching want to see energy on the court and on the bench. They want to see hard work on the court. They want to see players making the right decisions, and hyping up their teammates. My advice is to always give 100% whether it’s in a game or in practice, somebody is always watching. Tyreese, thank you so much for the opportunity to share a part of my basketball journey with you and your platform. I appreciate it!”
Larissa Ruggiero Junior Season Highlights (2021-2022)
Larissa Ruggiero Spring 22 AAU Highlights
Twitter @l_ruggiero00
High School Coach Information
John Nardini - SJN
Ashley Randall - JUEL Prep
AAU Coach Information
Dave Picton - Kia Nurse Elite
Rob Angione - Southwest Academy
Contact Tyreese Smith
Instagram: http://instagram.com/rpnfactory
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tyreesesmithh
Email: pwdculturemedia@gmail.com
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