Throughout the summer, we'll be checking in with the Brandeis Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2025. The ceremony will be held in conjunction with Homecoming on October 11, 2025. Registration will open later in July, but you can check out the full schedule of events here!
Click here view more Hall of Fame and Alumni Spotlights!
NAME: Steve DeLuca, Class of 2008/M'12
SPORT: Basketball
CURRENT JOB: Senior Manager, DP World
Steve DeLuca, a Merrimack, New Hampshire, native, was one of the driving forces that powered Brandeis men's basketball to success in the first decade of the 21st century. As a first-year and sophomore, he led the Judges to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in 13 years. Then, as a junior, DeLuca guided the team to its first NCAA Division III Tournament in three decades, as they won their opening-round game, a 77-70 overtime thriller over Trinity when DeLuca scored 10 of his 24 points in OT. Despite missing his senior year due to injury, DeLuca came back for a graduate season and averaged 15.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game to become the program's eighth All-American as the Judges made their third-straight NCAA tournament trip, a program first.
DeLuca started 105 games in his career, more than any Brandeis men's basketball player in school history. He finished his career as a three-time All-UAA first-team selection, reaching fifth on the Judges' all-time scoring list with 1,595 points. He also ranked in the top 10 in career rebounds, steals and blocked shots at the time of his graduation. In 2013, he was named to the UAA Silver Anniversary Team. After concluding his career at Brandeis, DeLuca joined the professional ranks. He tried out for the Manchester (N.H.) Mill Rats of the Premier Basketball League after his senior campaign, and ended up playing for four seasons in the PBL and National Basketball League of Canada, after the franchise moved to Saint John, New Brunswick. DeLuca made the league's All-Star game in his final year with the team in 2012-13.
DeLuca received his undergraduate degree in American Studies and his Master's in Project Management in 2012. Since moving to Canada, he has worked in shipping operations with Midland Transport before joining another shipping corporation, DP World, earlier in 2025.
Q: What attracted you to Brandeis in the first place?
The educational reputation of Brandeis is what first attracted me to the school. I knew if I attended, I would be setting myself up well for the future.
From an athletic standpoint, the recruiting class I came in with had so much potential to do amazing things, and I really wanted to be a part of that foundational class. I believe we had nine incoming freshmen.
Q: Describe your overall experience as a student-athlete. What does it mean to you now/what did it mean to you while you were an undergraduate?
My experience was an unbelievable one. I was able to attend a renowned university close to Boston and gain many memories from my time at Brandeis. Playing on the basketball team was something I'll never forget. We were able to win a lot of games, create a winning culture, and make lifelong friendships.
When I was an undergraduate, I was taking it day by day, always trying to improve on the basketball court and in the classroom, and probably didn't cherish it like I do now. Now that I'm many years removed and have a family of my own, I realize how grateful I am to have had that opportunity to be a student-athlete at Brandeis. Those years were some of the best years of my life.
Q: Do you have any advice for current or future Brandeis Student-Athletes?
I would say to make the most of your time at Brandeis. I certainly have lots of memories of playing basketball with all the guys, but I also fondly remember the events off the court. The school and athletics department have lots of activities throughout the year and it's good to get out of the dorm rooms and be a part of the Brandeis community. Supporting the other Brandeis sports teams, going into Boston, going to parties/events. It's all part of the college experience and it goes by so fast so you might as well make the most of it.
Q: Do you keep in touch with any of your former Brandeis teammates? How?
After graduating, we were all in touch very often. As time has gone by and a lot of us have families and have moved all over North America, it's been more spread out. I have some of my teammates' phone numbers or social media and we'll keep in touch from time to time. It will be great to see some of them during the Hall of Fame weekend, since it's been a while.
Q: Looking back on your career at Brandeis, do you have any one or two moments that you look back on and cherish?
I was fortunate enough to play in a lot of big games during my Brandeis career, especially with how good the UAA was at the time. Besides playing in four NCAA Tournament games, I really cherish the win we had against WashU at home during my junior year. They were highly ranked, and we had lost 29 straight to them. We beat them in triple OT in front of a packed crowd, which had been a rare site during my first two years at Brandeis. That win was a turning point for us and really gave us confidence that we were a tournament team and could beat anyone.
I also loved beating Amherst, which didn't happen until my senior year. We crushed them at home during that season and that was amazing, even though I couldn't play that year due to injury. We brought out extra stands for the game and John Saucier '08 was on the mic for the game. It was an amazing atmosphere.
Playing in these big games with so much at stake was one of the main reasons I wanted to come to Brandeis.
Q: Tell me about the atmosphere at Brandeis basketball games during the late 2000s.
It was a slow process to get the arena packed at Brandeis. During my first 2 seasons, we were building something special, but we didn't win a lot of games. This changed for my junior season, there was a lot of hype around the team, and we started beating tough opponents. Once that happened, the school and the community really started to show their support, and it was an amazing place to play. In some games, there were well over 1,000 fans and it really gave us a homecourt advantage. The fans even travelled well to our away games in New York and our NCAA Tournament games in Rhode Island.
Q: How did your opportunity to play professionally in Canada come about? How did you balance it with finishing your Master's at Brandeis?
As my basketball career at Brandeis was nearing the end, I knew I wanted to try and continue playing. After playing in some showcases in Las Vegas and New York and driving all over New England playing in Pro Ams, I was very close to getting signed to play overseas, but it didn't work out. As fall was approaching, I realized my last opportunity would be to try out for the Manchester MillRats in Manchester, New Hampshire. They were in the PBL, which had teams in Canada, US, and Puerto Rico. It was a long shot, but I was able to make the training camp roster and ended up making the team. I started the season as the last guy on the bench, but as the season progressed, I was able to contribute and played great the last several games. After the season, the team said they were moving to Saint John, New Brunswick, in Canada and asked if I wanted to come up a couple months before the season to help promote the team. I was thrilled to make the move, and the rest is history. I played three more seasons in Saint John, met my wife, and started a new life in Canada.
During my time playing pro ball, I was also finishing my master's degree, which I had started during my fifth year at Brandeis. Thankfully online courses were an option, so I was able to slowly complete my degree by the end of 2012. The schedule of a pro basketball player allowed me time to complete my studies, and I was very proud that I was able to complete my degree.
Q: What personal or professional accomplishments are you most proud of since you graduated?
Meeting my wife and starting a family is what I am most proud of in my personal life. I've been married for 12 years to my wife, Melissa, and we have 2 kids, Aiden (10), and Grace (9). Everything I do is for them and we have a great life together.
My proudest professional accomplishment was creating a career in the Transportation industry after my basketball playing days were done. Once my basketball career ended in 2012, I was trying to figure out my next career path while living in Canada. It felt like I was 4 years behind since I hadn't worked in a typical work environment since graduating from Brandeis in 2008. I got my foot in the door at a large trucking company, Midland Transport Ltd., and was able to turn that into a 10-year career progressing to their Director of Operations. Since then, I've moved to marine transportation and am working for DP World at the Port of Saint John.
