Tuesday night, for the first time in what seems like forever, a Colonial put on an NBA uniform and walked onto an American court as a professional basketball player.
This particular player’s name was Shawnta Rogers, and although the 2,500 Albany, N.Y., fans that turned out for the exhibition opener between the New Jersey Nets and the Atlanta Hawks probably didn’t realize the significance, no GW player had so much as suited up in an NBA exhibition game since Mike Brown (`85) and Yinka Dare (drafted 14th by the Nets in 1994) faded from the NBA scene a couple years ago.
Rogers averaged 20.7 points (first in the Atlantic 10), 6.7 assists (first in the A-10) and 3.55 steals (first in the country) on his way to conference player of the year honors last season. He spent his summer in the Nets’ summer league playing on the same team as GW graduates Yegor Mescheriakov (`99) and Alexander Koul (`98). All three players were invited back for the October camp, but Mescheriakov and Koul both opted to take the sure thing in Europe (Mescheriakov in Italy, Koul in Turkey).
Rogers has been playing in the practices and is on the Nets’ 20-man roster. In New Jersey’s 115-102 win Tuesday night, he played three minutes, shooting 1-for-1 with two points. In Wednesday night’s 95-90 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Akron, Ohio, Rogers didn’t play (coach’s decision).
Rogers and the Nets were unavailable for comment, but Don Burke, who covers the Nets for The Newark Star-Ledger, has been following Rogers.
“I don’t think he has a great chance, because they don’t have a need in the backcourt,” he said.
It would appear that the Nets are comfortable in the point-guard area. Although Rogers was one of 10 players who played Sunday in an intrasquad scrimmage (in which the reserves trounced the starters 56-33), Stephon Marbury and Elliot Perry seem to have the point-guard spots locked up.
“They like him,” said Burke. “I know they were impressed with him in the summer, or they wouldn’t have brought him back. They thought enough of him to have him to camp, but I don’t think they’re gonna need him.
“He’s awfully small,” he said. “I would think he’d end up in the (Continental Basketball Association). If there’s an injury, and the Nets need him, they won’t hesitate to call him.”
GW head coach Tom Penders spoke to Rogers on the phone several times since Rogers has been at camp, and he, as always, has high hopes for the man they call “Nut.”
“If I was a pro coach, I’d love to have him on my team,” he said Wednesday night. “Someone who can create on defense and offense – like an Avery Johnson or an Allen Iverson. That kind of speed is a great weapon.”
Basketball Notes:
– Freshman point guard Val Brown (Springfield, Va.) told the Sports Information Department that he will now be going by his given name, SirValiant Brown. Name changes are not unprecedented for the Colonials. When Yegor Mescheriakov first came to GW, his name was reported as Egor Mechtcheriakov. And few knew junior Patrick Ngongba’s name was pronounced Pa-TREEK until the public address announcer began pronouncing it that way last year.
– Thursday at 11:30 a.m., in conjunction with Spirit Week, last season’s ESPN broadcast of the Feb. 27 Xavier game, in which GW clinched its first outright A-10 title, will be shown in its entirety (commercials, halftime, and all) at J Street.
– The First Annual Congressional vs. Lobbyists Charity Basketball Game was held Wednesday night at the Smith Center. The game raised $5,500 for Hill Staffers for the Hungry and Horton’s Kids, several hundred of whom attended the game. For the record, the Lobbyists won 76-68.
