Quinnipiac Basketball Standout Amarri Monroe has Unfinished Business

“My GPS on Apple CarPlay, as soon as I get in the car, has this programmed as ‘home,’” Monroe said from his residence hall in mid-August. “I love it here. This is the best place on earth to me.”

After considering lucrative NIL deals from the likes of UConn, Kansas, Miami and other Power 5 suitors, Monroe — who transferred to Quinnipiac in 2023 following a rocky first year at Wofford College in South Carolina — ultimately decided he couldn’t put the Bobcats in his rearview mirror.

Not after rediscovering his joy for basketball and blossoming into a leader in front of friends and family from nearby New York.

“I think he learned a great lesson about how happiness is more important than anything, including a certain amount of money,” Bobcats coach Tom Pecora said. “Some of these coaches promise the world. Then when the player gets there, they're not getting half of what they were promised and they're not getting on the court. These are supposed to be the best four years of your life up to this point.”

Last year left a sour taste. Monroe, a sturdy, 6-foot-7 forward with guard skills, emerged as the premier player on the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference’s best team. The Bobcats won 20 games, but a stumble against Iona in the MAAC semifinals snuffed out the program’s hopes of earning its first NCAA Tournament berth. 

Scoring 13 of his game-high 25 points in the second half to rally the team from a sizable deficit, Monroe poured every ounce of himself into an inspired performance that left his nose bloodied and his heart broken. Questions about his future started to swirl before he could process the loss. But after testing the transfer portal and doing plenty of soul-searching, the answer was clear.

“There’s definitely more I can do here, and that starts with winning a MAAC championship,” Monroe said. “And I just love being part of this community. The coaches, the staff, my teammates — it’s just the best support system I’ve ever had.”  

Monroe’s decision was a relief to young Bobcats fans, many of whom saw a different side of him as “Coach Amarri” at the team’s summer youth clinic. Whether he’s playfully sparring with campers, giving away a pair of game-worn sneakers or obliging an endless stream of postgame autograph-seekers, Monroe has fully embraced his stardom.

“I love giving back and I love seeing smiles on kids’ faces because I was those kids,” said Monroe, an unabashed SpongeBob SquarePants viewer. “I think back to times when I would meet a player and maybe he wasn’t the nicest. I never want to be that.”