For a moment it seemed like Mario Faranda was on top of the world.

In his senior year at St. Stanislaus High School in Bay St. Louis, Miss., Faranda was a star basketball player about to make a decision on where he would attend college. A two-time 8-4A All-District honoree, 4A All-State tournament team selection and member of the Italian Junior National Team, Faranda was looking at offers from some of the top schools in the country.

With offers from Stanford, Penn State, Princeton and more, Faranda, a Peru native and Italian citizen, was living the American Dream.

Then things took an inexplicable turn when he dislocated his knee. One by one colleges dropped off the radar, as they were no longer willing to invest in a hurt player. At the end of the year, not a single college was willing to recruit Faranda.

He decided to move back to Italy to attend college with no intention of coming back to America.

In a phone call to his old high school coach, Faranda learned that there was one school still actively recruiting him: Loyola University New Orleans.

“It was like a last-second opportunity, and I took it,” Faranda said. “I don’t know how they really heard about me, but somehow they called my parents and let them know about it and I accepted.”

Faranda said it was a no-brainer.

“They didn’t even have to ask the question before I accepted.”

In a matter of hours, Faranda had the ball rolling in his favor again and signed his letter of intent to Loyola while in Italy.

Head coach and athletic director Michael Giorlando said he was most impressed with Faranda’s aspiration to do well.

“His innate desire impresses me most; you don’t have to tell him what to do,” Giorlando said.

The newest member of the Wolfpack could not have been happier with his decision.

However, in the ‘Pack’s second practice, Faranda was by himself on a fast break. As he leaped for a layup, his knee buckled, and he snapped his anterior cruciate ligament.

Another injury, another disappointment.

The injury will put Faranda, a 6-foot-6-inch forward, on the sidelines for the season.

“It was really depressing because I had really big expectations in playing for Loyola,” Faranda said.

The injury also hurt the depth of the team.

“It was very disappointing,” Giorlando said. “It’s very saddening for him. He would have been a major contributor to the team.”

But Faranda is not giving up.

Limping, he gets up every morning like the rest of the ‘Pack and goes through rehabilitation in the gym.

Faranda said harder than the recovery is watching the rest of the team prepare for the season, knowing that he will not be able to compete or contribute.

“I still feel bad watching the players play,” he said.

Faranda said he is content with not playing and is just thankful that he is at the university, an accomplishment on its own, given his upbringing.

Because of the economic situation in Peru, Faranda’s parents decided to move the family to Italy, where they also had family ties. Faranda was 8 years old and had only known one sport at the time: soccer. He was decent at the game, but his calling to basketball came in the seventh grade, when one of the coaches noticed his height.

Two years later, Faranda found himself moving once again.

He said that he wanted to play basketball in the United States. While researching Catholic boarding schools, he found St. Stanislaus.

He started playing basketball right away at his new school. In his three years at St. Stanislaus, the basketball team went to the Mississippi state final four each season. In the state championships, he played against many NBA prospects. Faranda capped his senior year by taking the district championship.

Faranda said one of his biggest thrills was when he was given the chance to play for the Italian Junior National Team last year.

“That was a great experience,” Faranda said. “Probably one of the best of my life.”

He traveled to Italy in the spring of 2003 for camp before the team flew to Paris, where it competed against eight other countries. Although Italy did not win, Faranda got some international experience.

“It was a lot of fun,” Faranda said. “I was so proud to represent my country.”

An economics and finance double major, Faranda said he’s enjoying his time at Loyola. He has adapted to the college life and has straight A’s so far this semester.

Despite not playing, he said he’s serious about his commitment to the team.

“I still believe I’m part of the team,” Faranda said, “so I don’t do anything that they wouldn’t.”

Michael Nissman can be reached at [email protected].