Testa makes most of Menlo career

“I had a few other options. Coach (Kaniela Aiona), he just appealed to me on a very personal level. He was really trustworthy and he had a culture suitable to my liking,” said Testa, 22, a Belmont native, adding it was important to him to stay close to home.

“[The culture was one of] brotherhood and compassion that’s very similar to where I came from at Serra.”

Already having decided to pursue a business degree, the academics at Menlo, along with an opportunity to play basketball, was what Testa was looking for.

And yet he found so much more. He really ended up throwing himself into the complete college experience, which ultimately led him to being elected senior class president this past academic year.

“It was a very difficult decision (to run for office). I could forecast the burden it would bring upon me. What really motivated me was the experience I would derive from it … and the rarity of the experience,” Testa said. “When I made my decision of a school after high school, I really only (intended) to attend college for the basketball and educational opportunity. … I just happened to fall in love (with the campus). I was enamored with all the lovable attributes of it.”

In addition to his embrace of campus life, it certainly didn’t hurt Testa’s election chances that he was a standout on the basketball court. More of a point guard coming out of Serra, Testa transitioned to a shooting guard position and it opened up his scoring opportunities. In four years, he averaged 11.3 points per game, with a high of 12.7 points his sophomore year. He went on to finish in the top-10 in school history in 10 offensive categories — including fourth in career points (1,286), fourth in field goals made (477) and seventh in 3-pointers made (111). All this while playing in 96 of 113 games, including all 85 games and 84 starts the last three seasons.

“I was a player who could drive, shoot and defend,” Testa said. “I [became] a bona fide shooting guard, who defended the opposing team’s best shooter.”

His senior year, Testa was named team captain, helped lead the Oaks to a 19-9 regular-season record and second-place finish in the rugged Golden State Athletic Conference. The Oaks attained a top-20 national ranking and qualified for their first-ever appearance in the NAIA Division I national tournament. He culminated his Menlo career by being honored with the Wall Street Journal Award that goes to “a Menlo College senior who demonstrates outstanding scholarship in the business program.”

It is the national tournament appearance that Testa cherishes the most.

“As I expressed in my senior speech, it’s amazing to go to a powerhouse and win,” Testa said. “It’s truly precious and rare to go to a program and make it a powerhouse. All those years of developing the program … to attain a powerhouse level, means so much to me.”

Testa attributes much of his college success to the foundation Serra helped him build — both in the classroom and on the court.

“I’ll say this — any player who graduates from Coach (Chuck) Rapp’s system has an extensive advantage (playing at the next level) just because of the mentality he ingrains in his players. … It’s just a style of Coach Rapp. It’s just a mentality of full effort. It’s resilience. It’s being hungry every day. It’s something I’ve always thanked Coach Rapp for,” Testa said. “[Serra] prepared me greatly.”

Now that Testa has secured his accounting degree, he has a decision to make: try to make it as a professional player overseas or put his degree to use. Testa’s skill level and work ethic could certainly translate to an opportunity in the professional leagues around the world. But he also has a job waiting for him with Ernst & Young, a “Big Four” accounting firm. He interned for the company last summer, coming on the heels of an internship with Deloitte the previous summer.

“I have a full-time offer in accounting at Ernst & Young,” Testa said. “I haven’t fully eliminated the possibility of (playing) overseas, but I do intend on starting my EY career.”

But even Testa knows that he could be faced with basketball withdrawal in the near future.

“You never know how much you can tolerate (not playing basketball),” Testa said.