By Andrew Smith
Ronnie Silva has been associated with the game of basketball since he was growing up in Nashua, New Hampshire. On Feb. 15, he became the leading scorer and sealed his place in Adelphi’s basketball history.
Silva is currently in his fifth season on the men’s basketball team. His accomplishments date back to his rookie season. As a first year, Silva became the first NE10 major award winner in Adelphi men’s basketball history by winning the league’s Rookie of the Year.
In just 56 career games, Silva scored 1,000 points. At the time, he was only the 38th player in school history to do so. He accomplished this difficult task as a sophomore. Silva concluded his sophomore campaign by earning Northeast-10 First Team All-Conference honors.
The Covid-19 pandemic canceled his junior season. However, Silva was able to respond in a tremendous way in his senior year. He started every game as a senior and scored a career high in points (42) and career high in three pointers made (8) on Jan. 11, 2022 at Stonehill. Silva shot an impressive 38 percent from deep and steller 89 percent at the free throw line. Throughout this season, Silva averaged over 20 points per game.
Silva, a graduate student, is pursuing a master’s in sport management with a focus on athletic administration. He was an undergraduate and earned a bachelor's in sport management in spring 2022. In addition to his achievements on the court as an undergraduate, Silva also earned several academic honors, which included Honor Roll (nine semesters), the D2ADA Academic Achievement Award (three times), and the 2021-2022 NE10 Presidents’ Award for Academic Excellence.
However, in his first season as a graduate student, Silva officially became part of Adelphi sports history. Entering the game against Pace on Feb. 15, Silva needed just seven points to become the leading scorer in school history. Silva came out and dropped two three pointers in the first half, which tied him with Richard Byrd. Byrd, from the class of 2011 held this record for 12 years and led the Panthers to an NE10 Championship during his senior year.
Coming out of halftime, Silva needed just one point to top the record books. “It was an unreal feeling knowing I broke the record and it was just a humbling experience,” he said. “It was confirmation for me that the hard work paid off and I’m appreciative of everyone that helped me get this far.”
Even though Silva was a graduate student, it took just four seasons due to his junior year being canceled due to the pandemic to achieve history. He reflected on the journey and experience he had as a Panther. “My experience has been a true blessing. Being able to play the game I love while pursuing my education is something I will always be grateful for.”
Silva added, “The bonds and memories created here at Adelphi will always be forever to me. That’s what I will always remember here from Adelphi and I am appreciative of my five years here where I continued to evolve as an individual.”
Silva started playing for his local public school at age 10 and then played at Bradford Christian Academy Prep School in Massachusetts during his last two years of high school. In addition, Silva was a member of the DC Blue Devils AAU program in New Hampshire.
His experience played a major role in his development as an athlete, but family always came first. “Family is always first with me and my mother raised me and a single mom and taught me everything,” Silva said. “She taught me how to go about my school and my basketball as a true hard worker with character.”
It has been a remarkable journey for Silva. From Nashua, New Hampshire, to Adelphi legend, Silva will always be remembered as one of the greatest to wear the school colors.