Q&A: NSU standout basketball player Anatoly Bose

Like every other college student, Nicholls State senior Anatoly Bose woke up Thursday morning and got ready for final exams.

With the ink on his test paper not even dry, he was boarding a plane just 24 hours later and heading to Chicago to try to fulfill his dreams.

With Bose’s Nicholls basketball career officially over, the 6-foot-6-inch Australian has been working hard in both Thibodaux and across state lines to fine tune his game and impress NBA scouts.

Despite that hefty academic and athletic schedule, Bose sat down with Tri-Parish Times SportsNet Editor Casey Gisclair this week.

Among the topics he discussed were his career at Nicholls and what it feels like to be among the top players in the country vying for a spot in the NBA:

SportsNet: With school coming to a close and the season long having been completed, what are you doing right now? How are you currently working to polish your game?

Anatoly Bose: Well, last week, I was in Chicago working out for my agency. That’s where my agency is located, so I’d been working out there for a week with some of the guys from around the country. We worked out with some guys from Florida, some guys from Wisconsin and, this week, I’m back here at Nicholls basically just finishing up all of my exams and basically trying to replicate all of my training sessions I’d been having in Chicago so that I can stay sharp and ready when I go back.

SN: What was the feedback you received from people in Chicago about your game?

AB: When I first came into Chicago, they said I could shoot. They knew I could shoot … really well. They said my shooting has been pretty consistent. In terms of what I have to work on, they said I need to improve my handling and I have to work to be able to get my shot up off the dribble.

SN: Likewise, have you heard any feedback in terms of where or if you’ll be selected on draft night?

AB: It all depends on how many workouts I can get in with some of these NBA teams. Basically, after I get into those workouts, it’s all about who can I impress and where do I go from there? If I have a really good workout, then the way the draft works is I only need one team to like me, so I’ll just go on from there.

SN: Step back for a minute and let’s talk about your career at Nicholls. What was the high point of your time in Thibodaux?

AB: I think it would have been over the summers when I’d go back home. I’d just say to myself that I could basically just relax this summer, or I could put in the work for the next season. And I think that’s where my game has changed. I’ve put a lot of hard work into those days where I basically had nothing to do. Those days when I had no school and nothing to worry about, I put a lot of hard work into the gym those days and that’s where I was able to get a lot better.

SN: On the flip-side, what’s the low point of your career at Nicholls?

AB: The low point would be not making the NCAA Tournament in my last year here. I had four years to try and do it and I failed. That’s pretty sad for me, but looking overall at it, the things that we’ve achieved and the things we’ve done together, (not getting to the tournament) that’s the low point, but things have been pretty phenomenal all-around.

SN: You went through your college career at Nicholls. When you got here as a freshman, did you ever expect to be at this point, preparing for a possible spot in the NBA?

AB: I always had hoop dreams just like anyone else growing up. But no, I never really expected to go this far. I always wanted to do something with basketball, but this really all is a dream come true for me. Because I honestly didn’t think I would be able to make it this far with the game.

SN: You’re a guy from Australia. And you land in little-ol’ Thibodaux, La. There had to be a little bit of a culture shock at first, right?

AB: It was definitely a culture shock. I mean, I used to live in New York, but comparing New York to Louisiana, it’s like two different countries. It’s very different when you consider that I’ve lived in New York and I’ve lived in Sidney, which are two very big cities. Coming into little Thibodaux was definitely a culture shock for me. But as time went on, I got used to it and I love it. This is like my second home now.

SN: You were obviously a big part of Nicholls’ successes the past few seasons. With your departure, do you think Nicholls will have a successful team next year?

AB: Yeah, I really do. I think the coaching staff is unbelievable. If the players take the personality of the coaches, they’ll be just fine. They’ve got a lot of hard working fellows. You’ve just got to keep working hard every day and if they do that, they’ll be fine.

SN: You mention Coach Piper and the Nicholls coaching staff. What have they done for you to help you progress in your career from Day 1 until now?

AB: It’s been unbelievable. The coaches, it’s almost like they’re my second family. They all take care of me and they take care of everyone. I guess it’s just in their nature to do that for the players. But for me, it’s been tremendous. I wouldn’t be here without their support.

SN: You’re taking finals this week and are getting set to be a college graduate. Talk about the emphasis you’ve put on education throughout your career and how important getting that degree is to you.

AB: It is important. My first goal obviously coming to college was to graduate. My mom always told me that I have to get a degree. So the first thing I’m going to do is make my mom happy and get this degree. And then from there, I’m going to move onto the other things in my life and pursue basketball.

SN: Getting back to your current plans now. When draft night comes around, what will you feel in your bones if you hear your name called and are officially drafted?

AB: I really don’t know until it happens. It’s kind of one of those things where it’s got to happen for me to know. There’s no way for me to explain that. It will be special. I can tell you that.

SN: Lastly, with these being your final few days in Thibodaux for a while, do you have a lasting memory or a statement you’d like to share with the city?

AB: It’s not any one thing. It’s a lot of different things from Coach Piper to basketball to school work, all the way down to eating crawfish with the fellows for the first time. It’s just the little simple things like that that I’ll cherish. I love this place and like I said, it’s become a second home to me. I’ll never forget my time here.

Nicholls State standout Anatoly Bose (left) poses with coach J.P. Piper during the team’s Senior Day celebrations. Bose said he’s ready for his professional career after a memorable career in Thibodaux. CASEY GISCLAIR