The Penn State Behrend basketball team is shaping up for another successful 2017-2018 campaign. The team has looked great so far in camp and practice, and there is one person I believe has had a large part in the success so far this year as well as the overall success of Behrend basketball the last five years. This man is Kevin Scuilli. When I think about Kevin, I think of one of my favorite success stories that I have ever encountered at Penn State Behrend. His positive and selfless attitude has fueled his success the last five years, and it is easy to appreciate the hard work he has put in both on the court and in the classroom. I had the great opportunity to better learn how Scuilli has gotten to where he is in a personal interview.

​

Kevin is a 2013 graduate from Montour High School, and in high school he was a part of some extremely historic teams. Aside from being a four year letterwinner at Montour, he was a part of two WPIAL Championship teams and two second place teams in the 2011 and 2012 PIAA State Playoffs. Kevin believes that attending Montour High School prepared him not just for collegiate basketball, but also for college classes and life in general. His older brother Adam was also someone who he thinks helped lead him to success. Scuilli said, when asked about his mentors in life, “Adam has always been there for me. I learned a lot from him and he was always there to help me with anything I needed.”

​

Two people that Kevin Scuilli has admired and learned a lot from in his time here at Behrend are Behrend Basketball Head Coach Dave Niland as well as Behrend guard Andy Niland. Regarding this, he stated “Coach Niland has helped me prepare so much for anything from sports to academics and everything in between.” The relationship he has built with Coach Niland has continued as Kevin is now an assistant coach at Behrend after playing four years of basketball under Coach Niland. Kevin also wishes he was more like Behrend guard Andy Niland because of his great competitiveness, knowledge of basketball, and incredible work ethic.

​

There was one event in particular at Behrend that Scuilli has always loved to recollect about his playing days. In the 2013-2014 season, Penn State Behrend made the Division III NCAA Tournament;  they were playing Hope College. Behrend was able to make the six and one-half hour trip to Holland, Michigan and defeated the Flying Dutchmen by a score of 70-66 in overtime. He told me about how tough of a place Hope was to play, and how amazing of an opportunity it was to win an NCAA Tournament game, especially considering Behrend was the underdog in the contest.

​

Kevin will be graduating this fall with a degree in Marketing, and has hopes to obtain his Masters in Business Administration at Behrend as well. In addition, he plans to continue to be an assistant coach at Behrend for the next couple years. He will continue to be a key part of the Penn State Behrend Basketball program for years to come because of his experience, high basketball IQ, and his desire to get the best out of all his teammates and fellow coaches. Kevin’s journey to Behrend and his success at this university has truly been incredible to watch, and the amazing part about his story is that it is just getting started.