Michael Caprise ’24, a junior from Lynchburg, VA., was an essential part of Swarthmore men’s basketball’s upset against No. 7 ranked Johns Hopkins at the Centennial Conference Championship on Sunday, Feb. 26. He shot 60% from the field, scoring fourteen points— ten of which were key points in the second half. Caprise also had three rebounds, two assists, and the most blocks for the team that night. Leading up to the championship, Caprise has started almost every game for the Garnet and has scored 264 points so far this season, averaging 9.8 points per game. Throughout the season, on defense, he has had 29 blocks and sixteen steals. Caprise was recently selected to the All-Centennial Second-Team for his significant contributions on the court. Swarthmore is currently 24-3 and will face SUNY Delhi on Friday, March 3 at 7:10 p.m. at Tarble Pavilion in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Abby Chang: How did it feel to make an amazing comeback and beat No. 7 Johns Hopkins for the champion title on Sunday?
Michael Caprise: It felt really good. That game was a great opportunity to display our team culture and resilience, which are two things we really pride ourselves on. It was so much fun to play and compete with some of my best friends.
AC: How are you and the team preparing for NCAA Championships?
MC: We are preparing by just doing the same stuff we’ve been doing all year. We will watch films and practice hard, just trying to get a little bit better each day.
AC: What have been some of the highlights of the season?
MC: Some highlights for me have been the close games that we have been able to win because of the way we stuck together and played for each other. The hard games are the most fun and rewarding. I would also say [that] senior night was a highlight for me. The senior class has done a lot for our program and are guys that I am very close with. It was great to see them be honored for all the hard work they have put in.
AC: Do you have any pre-game or post-game rituals?
MC: I don’t do anything too special. Just stretch and mentally prepare for the game on the front end. Nothing special afterward.
AC: Why did you choose Swarthmore? What is your area of study?
MC: I chose Swarthmore because I knew it was a place where I could be challenged both academically and athletically. On top of that, when I came to visit, I was instantly drawn to the community aspect that my team has and knew I wanted to be a part of it. I am a biochemistry major and plan on going to med school after college.
AC: What is your favorite class that you’ve taken at Swarthmore?
MC: My favorite class so far is probably Greek Art and Archaeology taught by [Professor of Classics] Kyle Mahoney. It was super interesting to learn about sculpture and architecture since I didn’t know much about those topics.
AC: Favorite Dining Center bar?
MC: My favorite bar is probably [the] ice cream sundae bar.
