MARTIN, Tenn. – Stefano Faloppa, a 6-9, 235-pound junior forward from Monroe College, has signed with the University of Tennessee at Martin men’s basketball program and first-year head coach Jeremy Shulman.
“I’m pumped to welcome Stefano to the Skyhawk family,” Shulman said. “He is one of the most underrated players nationally as a big, long forward with point guard skills. He is an elite passer who fits perfectly with our vision here at UT Martin.”
Faloppa comes to UT Martin after two seasons playing for head coach Jeff Brustad at Monroe College, located in New Rochelle, NY. Faloppa was part of a Mustang run where the program went 52-13 in his two seasons, including a 29-5 record during his freshman campaign in 2022-23. He played in 61 career games, tallying 480 points, 284 rebounds, 115 assists, 59 steals and 21 blocks while knocking down 56.4 percent (197-for-349) of his field goal attempts.
A Portogruaro, Italy native, Faloppa tied for the team lead in games started (30) in 2023-24, averaging 10.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals per contest while shooting 58.6 percent from the field (133-for-257). He chipped in double-digit scoring performances on 18 separate occasions as a sophomore, including a career-best 19 points (on 7-of-10 shooting) to go along with 12 rebounds against Allegany College of Maryland on Nov. 25. He also provided 18 points (on 8-for-10 shooting) against Harcum College on Feb. 17. He grabbed three double-doubles – including a monster performance of 16 points and a career-high 16 rebounds with a career-best 6-of-6 effort from the free throw line against Lackawanna College on Feb. 1 – while hauling in double-digit rebounds in four separate outings. He distributed at least four assists in seven different games, including a pair of contests with a career-best six dimes (against Miami Dade on Dec. 9, against Lackawanna College on Feb. 15). Additionally, he managed eight multi-steal games, including a career-best three swipes against Harcum College on March 2.
Faloppa played in 30 games with seven starts as a freshman, averaging 5.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists while sinking 52.5 percent (64-for-122) of his shot attempts. He scored in double figures four times as a true freshman, including a season-high 12 points in his collegiate debut (6-of-9 shooting against Dutchess Community College on Nov. 3) and again on March 4 (5-for-8 shooting) against Covenant College Prep. He handed out five assists against Shulman and Eastern Florida State College on March 18 and swatted away multiple blocks in four different contests. Five of his six multi-steal performances occurred during an eight-game span down the stretch from Jan. 21 through March 10.
Faloppa graduated from Holy Cross Prep, where his senior season under head coach John Valore was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He scored a season-high 21 points against Doane Academy on March 6, 2021. During his junior campaign, he averaged 11.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.1 steals over 29 games, dialing up NJ.com All-Burlington County Scholastic League accolades. His season-best 22 points came on Dec. 23, 2019 against Camden Academy Charter while he also collected four double-doubles as a junior. He was a presence in the post, grabbing a career-high 16 rebounds against LEAP Academy on Feb. 25, 2020 to go along with a six-block performance against Florence on Jan. 4, 2020.
