CINCINNATI — The Xavier Musketeers are on a three-game winning streak and transfer guard Quincy Olivari has been at the heart of any and all of the success the Muskies have had this season. Olivari transferred from Rice University to Xavier for his final year of NCAA eligibility, and quickly won over the fan base.
“It's kind of funny, Coach (Adam) Cohen (Xavier’s Associate Head Coach), when he first came to my house with the staff, he said, like, Xavier fans, they're going to love me," Olivari said. "And I think it was just the emotion that I play with and then I hit a big three or I make a big play and I hear the fans go crazy. It's like I want to feed into it. I want to get you hype. I like to smile. I like to see people happy, and so I think the first time I hit a shot or hit a three and they went crazy, it helped me go crazy and I just kind of got used to feeding into that and I know like as a fan, you come for a show."
Fans come for a show, but Olivari came to Xavier to play for Head Coach Sean Miller, and have a chance to play in the NCAA tournament.
“I love having (Miller) in the huddles and, and during half time after the game before the game, like he believes everything that he says can happen and he speaks life to all his players,” Olivari said.
Anyone who follows Olivari can see that he’s always the man in the room with a smile, trying to share joy. A self-proclaimed “class clown” Olivari credits his mindset of getting the most out of everyday to a traumatic moment a few years ago.
“I was in Hawaii. I was out there with my mom. I was crossing the street on my bike leaving a workout. A car runs a stop sign hits me while I'm on my bike. And yeah, that's, that's very traumatic. You know, it's kind of tough talking about it now a little bit, and what I tell people, the most traumatic part wasn't actually getting hit by the car. It was my hospital experience like that, that experience is the reason I'm scared of needles. It's the reason I'm scared to go to the hospital. You know, it's a very traumatic experience that I wouldn't wish on anybody,” Olivari said.
Getting hit by a car changed Olivari’s life, ultimately for the better.
“It's one of the reasons I'm a lot more grateful for every day. I'm able to move, play the game, play basketball, be around people that I love. You know, it's one of the reasons why I, I attack every day with so much positive energy while I smile, while I try to share it, spread a lot of love and, and make people laugh, you know, because I just know, like my mom tells me every day, that could have went south,” Olivari said.
The accident made Olivari both physically and mentally tough. Even in the lowest of times on the basketball court, Olivari still brings positive energy and a smile to his teammates.
“Having a positive morale around a team, whether you losing, whether you winning or you just down... it can help the team tremendously,” Olivari said.
Olivari has made a major impact in his only year as a Musketeer, however the fan favorite hopes his legacy ends with helping Xavier reach the highest achievement.
“I would like to be a part of a team that can help hang up another band over (the rafters of Cintas Center). You know, that's really the goal, that's honestly, all I genuinely care about is making the tournament and being able to have the chance to compete for a national championship,” Olivari said.
Xavier has never won a national championship. The Musketeers travel to Omaha to play Creighton on Tuesday, January 23.
Watch the video player below to see the full 1-on-1 interview with Olivari.
