Saturday, March 19, 2005

The Doctor Is In...

The paint...defending, and rebounding for the second-best college basketball program in the state of Washington (which the NCAA has seeded #1 in the western region):

The mid-morning final for "The History of Christianity" was offered in an upstairs conference room at the Huskies' hotel yesterday.

....Earlier in the week, Rollins took a final in biology. Another time of the year it was organic chemistry. The 6-foot-7, 245-pound senior majors in biochemistry.

.... He might be the smartest player on the team, but there is no question he is the strongest.

In fact, he will be integral to Washington's success today in the second round of the tournament against a Pacific team with taller and, for the most part, European-schooled players.

"He is the closest thing we have to an inside defensive presence," said UW coach Lorenzo Romar.

"He's the only guy we have like that. I don't see how we can advance without him doing well."

....Minnesota, Connecticut, Southern Illinois, Washington and Santa Barbara offered him scholarships, this time based on his ability to play basketball. He liked Romar, but he also liked the director of the UW medical school, whom he asked to meet on a recruiting visit.

....Rollins isn't sure what his immediate future beyond this tournament holds. He has options, and that pleases him.

"With options, you don't have too many decisions made for you," said Rollins. "I'm definitely excited about the future."

He said that if he can't shake the basketball bug, he might explore the possibility of taking a few years off from school to play in Europe. The prospect of travel appeals as well.

But his long-term goal is medicine.

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