Rutgers basketball: Paul Mulcahy 'super locked in' and 'setting the tone' for 2022-23
Paul Mulcahy’s basketball skills suggest he is a point guard. His personality confirms it.
The position requires leadership, intelligence and unselfishness: check, check and check.
Two factors have definitely shaped the 22-year-old Rutgers senior. He was raised in a loving environment with two parents, five siblings and two grandparents. That, and experiencing a fire that leveled his Bayonne home when he was 14.
Last year the 6-foot-7 playmaker led the Big Ten Conference is assists. He can also score, as he put up 30 points in a game against Northwestern. Off the court he has already graduated, having majored in Human Resource Management with a minor in Sports Management. He is pursuing a master’s in Communication and Media with a focus on Leadership.
Coming out of Gill-St. Bernard’s School in Gladstone, Mulcahy wasn’t absolutely sure where he was headed.
“I tried the whole business routine in a summer program to go to Wall Street. But I wasn’t cut out for that. I’m not cut out for sitting down. I’m a people person,” he said. “My goal is to play basketball as long as possible, in the NBA, and after that I want to help people. Those are two things I know for sure. I want to go all-in on my foundation.”
That would be his creation of the Grateful4 Foundation. Its mission is to essentially spread the idea of gratitude and inspire a chain reaction of selfless acts that will uplift people’s mindsets and spirits.
“That’s exactly who Paul is,” senior small forward Caleb McConnell said. “He wants to help anybody he can, and he brings that to the team as well. He brings whatever we need. He’s just a great kid, a great kid to be around.”
Older sister Nyla agrees, saying, “He’s very selfless, always caring about others, especially my siblings. He will go out of his way just to make sure everything is Ok, and everything is taken care of. He’s a good big brother and a good little brother. I love him very much. We are really close and I’m thankful for that.”
“I was very fortunate growing up,” Mulcahy said. “My mom had me really young and she has sacrificed her whole life for me and my siblings. I’m more aware of that now than when I was young. We played every sport and she got us to every practice. I played AAU since I was eight and we didn’t have the funds and she made it work. My dad, he pushed me crazy since I was really little. They put in their time, finances and everything.
“I’m a combination of their competitiveness,” he added. “My mom is one of the best people persons in the world. She’s super-giving, which I guess is where I get that from. My dad was a good football player at Saint Peter’s Prep, my mom a six-foot lefthander, was a really good basketball player at Saint Dominic Academy (Jersey City).”
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His father, Paul Sr., was an elementary school teacher. His mother was at home until Paul Eugene, aka Paul Jr., attended Gill in eighth grade.
“We’re all very close,” Mulcahy said. “And we’re a highly competitive family. Every Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays, turn into a competition. Christmas Eve, my dad, who is 50, and my brother, who just had shoulder surgery, are sprinting up the block like at eight at night in 30-degree weather. Sometimes the competition at home is toxic. Competition on who’s the better breather, who eats better; it just gets weird at points.
“My dad’s grandparents lived with us my whole life. We have a huge extended family. Irish,” he said with a laugh. “They are the heartbeat of our family. My grandmother is the sweetest woman and is big on family. They’ve taught me a lot.”
His mom was a taxi service during her son’s years in Gladstone, starting when he was in eighth grade. They would wake at 5 a.m., be out of the house at 5:30 and get to Penn Station-Newark for the 6 a.m. bus to school. The ride was two hours. He’d return home about 8 p.m., having done some of his homework on the bus.
“It built something in me that is still there,” he said.
So did the fire.
“I think anything we go through has a piece of who we are,” he said. “And I think the fire has a huge part in the Foundation to be honest. I didn’t realize that until I had it started. So many people reached out and helped us during that time.”
This year he wants to help his team by putting more of a footprint on how they play.
McConnell has noticed.
“He’s super locked in, as always,” he said. “But he’s definitely taking his game to the next level. He’s been setting the tone for us since summer, letting everyone know what he wants to accomplish.”
Cheering him on will be his girlfriend Katie Boyle, who grew up within walking distance of his home. They’ve known each other since, he says, they were two months old. “I’m very fortunate for her,” he said.
And basketball.
“I think the way people play the game says a lot about who they are as people. I think there’s a very close transition. I’m loyal,” he said. “This year I’m ready for anything. As long as we’re winning.”
He has faith in his team, and much more.
“It’s something that’s really grown since I got to college,” Mulcahy said. “I grew up Roman Catholic, and since I got here God’s helped me a ton. I’m getting more into the Bible. I mean, faith is a huge part of my game of life, and I’m way more open about it than I’ve ever been.
“My faith is huge and still growing, and I’m excited about that going into this year more than ever.”
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Rutgers basketball: Paul Mulcahy primed for 2022-23 season
