Bulldogs standout Giovanni Cordero Novas turns a delayed start, a second chance, and a relentless work ethic into a breakout college basketball career.

Late in the second half of a packed home game, Giovanni “Gio” Cordero Novas drove to the basket with signature speed and determination, finishing a breakout dunk in a high-stakes game the BHCC Bulldogs needed to win. The crowd erupted. For many in the stands, it was another electrifying play from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 21 Player of the Year, a moment that embodied years of perseverance, hours of repetition, and a lifetime of untapped potential being realized. And for Gio, it was proof that a chance taken at the right moment can change everything.

Gio’s basketball journey didn’t follow the typical script. Growing up in Lynn, Massachusetts, basketball was always part of his story, something he loved deeply, but life often demanded more. During high school, family responsibilities and work disrupted his ability to fully commit to basketball and gain consistent exposure.

In his senior year at Lynn English High School, Gio did make the basketball team, but balancing work and the responsibility of helping support his family meant missing practices and games. One of the most difficult moments of his life came on Senior Night. It was the first time his mother had ever come to watch him play, and despite all the effort he had put in, Gio never stepped onto the court.

“That was heartbreaking,” he says. “I was working so hard, and that night just really hurt.” After that, he stepped away from basketball entirely, focusing instead on work and helping his family get by. After graduating in 2018, Gio did what many young people in his position do: he worked. He enrolled at North Shore Community College for a short time, hoping to return to school, but the timing wasn’t right. The pressure of supporting his family meant working long hours, and he ultimately withdrew. College felt out of reach, and basketball remained on hold.

For nearly three years, he didn’t touch a basketball until the COVID-19 pandemic brought an unexpected pause. “Once I started playing again, I fell back in love with the sport that gave me so much,” he says. “Without basketball, my life wasn’t the same. I always felt like something was missing.”

Gio regularly played in pickup runs organized by his pastor and longtime role model, Matt Chewning, where local players would come together. One of those games became a turning point. It was there that he met Chelsea High School head basketball coach Cesar Castro, who asked him a simple question: “Had he ever thought about going back to school?” It was the first time in years someone had put the idea back on the table.

At the same time, Gio maintained an active presence on Instagram and YouTube, where he shared basket- ball videos, workouts, and commentary. Within local basketball circles, his name was circulating, and he’d built a following of more than 25,000 people.

That combination of word-of-mouth and visibility reached BHCC men’s basketball coach Nkrumah Jones. A BHCC alum himself, Jones once navigated a similar path back to school and onto the court, and for more than 15 years has built a reputation for developing both younger recruits and older players restarting their academic and athletic journeys.

“Friends and former players kept telling me about this phenomenal young person who was trying to get back into college,” Jones says. “Then I saw him play. That was it. Gio is very focused on a mission he’s set up for himself. He wants to play basketball, he wants to get a degree, and he’s ready for that now in a way he wasn’t coming out of high school.”

First impressions are everything. Meeting Gio for the first time, BHCC Director of Athletics Tony Price re- members being struck by his maturity. “He wasn’t our typical freshman,” Price says. “He’d been out of school for a few years. We had conversations about his goals and ambitions, and I saw a young man who already had a sense of who he wanted to be. He realized he had a gift for basketball and he wanted to utilize that to get his education.”

That combination of life experience, humility and raw potential laid the foundation for Gio’s second act. Unlike most student-athletes, Gio was a young man who had been working full-time and thinking about what kind of life he wanted to build. “Gio represents what BHCC is all about,” adds Price, reflecting on his own experience attending community college.

“For many, it’s a second chance, and for others it’s a first step. It’s a bridge to the next step, that’s what it was for me.”

The opportunity to play at BHCC was everything to Gio. “Coach Jones liked my game, and I always wanted that college experience,” Gio says. “When I finally got my opportunity, I let it out on the floor, worked hard every day, put in extra hours. The way I see it, if you’re going to sign up for something, you have to go full force.”

In his first season with the Bulldogs, Gio became one of the most dominant players in the region, averag- ing 28.2 points per game, pulling down 283 rebounds, and finishing with 89 steals. He was named NJCAA Region 21 Player of the Year. “He’s an awesome offensive basketball player, probably the best Bunker Hill has ever had,” Coach Jones says. “His shooting, his willingness to take over games... he’s always locked in. He embraces it.”

Leadership emerged just as naturally as his scoring. Even among younger players, Gio’s presence carried weight. Price describes him as “a rare combination, talented enough to lead by example, but also confident enough to use his voice. When he speaks, it’s with wisdom and authority, and people listen.”

Coach Jones echoes that sentiment. “He’s a ‘we, not me’ type of guy,” he says. “And for someone who is the main guy on the court, he never acts like it. He’s still one of the guys. He’s a brother to his teammates.”

What makes his leadership especially powerful is the life he leads off the court. Gio balances work, school, and basketball with a level of discipline that sets him apart. That maturity translates to the court, where teammates rely on him to steady the group and set the tone.

“It’s difficult, I’m not going to lie,” he says. “Time management, taking advantage of any time I have to make it all possible. I do homework when I have an hour, sleep when I can. I’m going from homework to practice to work to school.”

That work ethic came from watching his mother, who he credits as one of his biggest influences. “Seeing how hard my mom works keeps me going,” he adds. “I always think, ‘what would my mom do?’ She taught me what hard work looks like.”

To Coach Jones, this side of Gio is just as impressive as anything that happens on the court. “He’s balanc- ing working 40 hours a week, school, and basketball,” he says. “He never complains. He just shows up and works. On and off the court, he’s dependable.”

Gio entered BHCC with more life experience than most of his teammates, and that perspective shaped his approach to the team. “I’ve been through a lot, seen a lot of life,” he says. “Those experiences make me who I am, but they don’t define me.” He isn’t shy about the challenges he’s faced, often comparing his nontradi- tional route to collegiate basketball to that of a Cinderella story.

That honesty resonates with young people who see him as someone real, someone who came from where they come from. At home in Lynn, he’s a role model to young athletes in his community, emceeing youth basketball events, helping run drills, or sometimes just talking to kids who have questions about life, school, or sports.

“Whenever I can, I try to help kids,” he says. “I see myself in them. And I remember wishing I had someone growing up to give me advice. I want to show them that if I did it, they can too.”

For Coach Jones, this is where Gio’s character shines brightest. “He knows what it feels like to do it alone,” he says. “He makes sure they don’t have to.”

“I love my city and the kids in it,” Gio adds. “I didn’t have a lot of people doing the right thing when I was growing up, so I want to be that for someone else.”

What makes his story all the more impressive is that he’s doing all of this, work, school, basketball, com- munity involvement, while maintaining a 3.67 GPA and earning NJCAA academic honors. “Even when I’m tired, I give it everything,” he says. “Sports isn’t forever, but education is.”

A Sports Management major, Gio has put thought into his future. He plans to open a gym, not just as a business but as a space where young athletes can find support, mentorship and positive guidance. It would be the kind of place he wishes he had access to when he was younger. “I would like to impact youth to show them anything is possible,” Gio says. “Your story doesn’t have to be the same as everyone else’s. I want them to keep working towards their goals, to give them hope.”

Now in his second season with the Bulldogs, Gio’s goals have shifted. “Last year was about me,” he says. “This year is about the team. I want my coaches to get the recognition they deserve. I want my teammates to succeed. I want us to make history.”

Coach Jones believes his star player is capable of leading the team to the national stage. “I hope we make it to the national tournament,” he says. “Gio deserves to play on a big stage. I want him to get that scholarship, DI or DII, as long as it’s free. And I want him to finish his associate degree so he feels proud academically.” Price shares that conviction. “I hope he finishes this year even better than last,” he adds. “If he gets the chance to play at a four-year school, great. But most important is that he walks away knowing who he is and what he can do in this world.”

For Gio, what comes next is built on the same foundation that got him here: work hard, stay humble, and give your best to the people around you. “I want people to remember more than points or awards,” he says. “If I can make someone’s path a little easier than mine was, that’s enough for me.” That’s the legacy he’s building at BHCC and the one he’ll carry wherever he goes next.