This week, the Clarion sat down with basketball player Joe Rosga. 

Q: What are your first memories of basketball?

A: I didn’t start playing basketball until I was in the fourth grade. My team was really bad when we first started playing. We only won one game the whole year.

Q: Where did you go from then with basketball?

A: As I got older, we started to get better. In seventh or eighth grade, my traveling team won the state tournament, which was a pretty big deal for us. Going into my high school years, I made varsity as a freshman and was named a captain my sophomore year. In my junior year, we went to the state tournament.

Q: How did you come to DU?

A: It’s a pretty interesting story. I was originally supposed to go to West Point; I had committed there. Something happened and I couldn’t go there anymore. Then I played in a tournament with some local schools and DU saw me there. Coach Scott also had a good relationship with the coach from West Point, so they called me, I visited and I loved it.

Q: What was your first game like with the team?

A: I was definitely nervous. It was a lot of fun. I had to get used to the different style of play, how much more physical and faster it is than high school.

Q: How do you feel about how this season has been going? Is it what you anticipated?

A: Sort of. I wish we were winning more, obviously. I’m happy with how I’m playing but at the end of the day it’s about how the team is playing. I was named a captain as a freshman, which is a big deal to me. I’ve tried to take on a leadership role and be the best leader I can be. Overall, I’m happy with how the season has been going so far.

Q: What are your individual goals, along with goals for the team?

A: Coach has always said strive to be the best team in the league and the best team we can be. Individually, keep being consistent, keep playing the way I have been playing, keep growing as a leader and growing every day.