After finishing a high school career in which he had a starring role on his basketball team, Bangor native Matt Nelson faced the challenge not only of adjusting to the rigors of college academics, but also of adjusting to college basketball as well.

Although the transition was indeed a challenge, Nelson, now a senior at St. Joseph’s College in North Windham, has proved himself to be more than equal to it.

Surprisingly, his most difficult transition wasn’t adjusting to the college game so much as it was adjusting to being a role player rather than a star player.

“It’s a lot different when you come into a situation with a lot of good players on a team, where you’re a role player,” said Nelson.

Nelson adjusted to his new role early on in his freshman year when his team went all the way to the NAIA District 5 Championship and lost to Franklin Pierce College of Rindge, N.H.

The following season, Nelson found himself in an unexpected position of leadership as a sophomore captain on a very young team. The team had lost almost all its experience after an unusually high number of seniors graduated the previous year.

“That was a lot of fun,” Nelson said. “I started every gaPAR

But just as soon as he had a taste of starting regularly, he went back to being a reserve his junior year after missing the first half of the season with a broken hand.

With the arrival of a top-flight freshman class this year, head coach Rick Simonds again asked Nelson to play a reserve role as backup point guard, despite being a senior captain.

“This year, the transition wasn’t that hard because, first and foremost, my main concern is for the team’s success,” said Nelson.

“If we were losing, that would have been one thing, but I was happy in whatever role as long as we were winning.”

The senior co-captain averaged just 3.9 points and 1.9 assists per game this season, but shot 85 percent from the free-throw line and made 25 straight free throws, just three short of the school record.

Nelson’s college career finished the same way it began, with a trip to the NAIA District 5 Championship. Unfortunately for Nelson, St. Joseph’s again lost, this time in double overtime to the University of Maine at Machias.

Nelson finished his college career with 550 points and averaged 5.1 points per game. He shot 43 percent from the floor and 73 percent from the line in his four seasons.

Always alert for an open teammate, Nelson dished out a career-high 14 assists in a game last season.

As successful as he has been on the basketball court, the son of Niles and Iona Nelson has also gained honors on the golf course. The all-District 5 golfer helped his team win the district championship last fall.

But with various personal highlights to look back on, Nelson lists St. Joseph’s first win over the University of Southern Maine in four years as one personal highlight along with his election as team captain this season by his teammates.

So what does the future hold in store for the talented communications major?

Well, with a 3.72 grade-point average and a minor in business, Nelson shouldn’t have too much trouble finding employment somewhere. He would like to work in the business sector of the communications field. He is currently training as an intern for MCI Communications.

And if that doesn’t work out, he could always become a golf pro.