UConn’s Joey Calcaterra says it’s ‘crazy’ that he’ll face old rivals SDSU in the National title game

Joey Calcaterra spent most of his college basketball career in a heated rivalry with San Diego State. Now, the UConn transfer guard is getting ready to fight his old foes for a national title.

The Connecticut Huskies and the San Diego State Aztecs are set to tip off in Monday night’s national championship game – as UConn tries to win its fifth title and SDSU attempts to win its first.

Calcaterra – a native of Marin County, California in the northern part of the state – played four years for the University of San Diego Toreros. During that time, SDSU was their biggest rival.

Now, the man UConn fans have lovingly nicknamed ‘Joey California’ will see his college career come to an end against that same rival on a new team with bigger stakes than he had ever faced before.

‘You know, it’s really something special when you stay confident in yourself and you decide to move somewhere else,’ Calcaterra said in response to a question asked by DailyMail.com. ‘[We’re] playing teams in the tournament like St. Mary’s and Gonzaga I never got a chance to beat at San Diego.

Connecticut guard Joey Calcaterra is set to play in the NCAA national championship Monday

Calcaterra played for the University of San Diego – San Diego State’s major cross-city rivals

Now, Calcaterra will be playing against his old hated enemies for a shot at a title this Monday

‘And then ending my career playing San Diego State in the national championship. It’s just… you know, it’s just crazy. Crazy. You can’t really describe that.

‘You know, they’re going to be ready to go and it’s going to be a battle from start to finish. They got a hell of a team, hell of a coaching staff and we’re gonna have to prepare heavy for them.’

Calcaterra was a starter from his sophomore to his senior seasons for the Toreros – averaging 9 points, 1.4 assists, and 2.4 rebounds per game across all four years.

In that time, he was coached by Sam Scholl – who now sits across the bench from Calcaterra on the SDSU bench as an assistant coach.

SDSU is also the team fellow Marin County native Darrion Trammell plays for. Trammell transferred from Seattle University this past season and has arrived at the same stage as Calcaterra.

Across from Calcaterra on SDSU will be his friend and Marin County native Darrion Trammell

‘We’ve been friends all our lives just simply through basketball playing against each other [and] playing with each other in open gyms,’ Calcaterra said. ‘We’ve worked out with the same trainer before. 

‘I’m just really proud of him and happy for what he’s been able to do at this level. You know, he had no scholarship offers coming out of high school. So he had to grind… and ended up at Seattle.

‘And then [he] got the chance to play at a high-major program like San Diego State… so [I’m] happy for him.

‘Happy for all the acknowledgement Marin County is now getting… we’ve got a fair share of football players. [Detroit Lions quarterback] Jared Goff is from Marin Catholic High School.

Calcaterra will be important off the bench for Connecticut head coach Dan Hurley (right)

‘Not a lot of basketball guys who have made it to the peaks college basketball and above.’

At one point on Monday, it’s likely Calcaterra could be guarding Trammell as they play similar positions. But unlike the rec courts they played on before, Houston will demand excellence out of both of them.

‘It’s gonna be a cool experience for us both,’ Calcaterra admits. ‘It’s a very cool experience. To know that the national championship trophy is gonna end up in Marin County no matter what.

‘So one of us is gonna bring it home to our home people and it’s just really cool.’