(Story taken from the Colorado College website)
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Nick Rose has worn many different uniforms during his basketball career. Whether it was playing for Colorado College, Lakewood High School, or any of his other teams along the way, putting on a team’s gear for the first time was always a memorable experience.
But nothing could have prepared him for the sense of pride he would feel during his recent trip to Brazil with the Division III All-Star Team.
“When we got our gear, I took it back to my room and was trying it on,” Rose recalls. “I glanced in the mirror, and I was like ‘wow, I’m wearing a USA Basketball jersey.’
“I’ve been playing basketball my whole life and this is something I never dreamed about doing. It was definitely a special moment.”
As it turned out, Rose experienced a lot of special moments during the team’s tour, both on and off the court.
He scored a game-high 18 points during a 76-56 victory over Jundiai Siemens, then came back with 19 more in a 98-89 overtime win against Sao Caetano do Sul. His three-pointer to begin the extra session triggered a 9-0 run, and Team USA never looked back.
His favorite moment, however, occurred before the opening tip.
“Before our first game, everyone put their hand in and our coach said ‘USA on three,’” Rose said “I was like ‘wow, this is crazy.’”
While in Jundiai, the team visited a local school and talked with student-athletes about the education system in America and how they are expected to excel both in the classroom and on the court. That is dramatically different than in Brazil, where children must decide early whether to focus on academics or athletics.
“One little girl asked me for my autograph,” Rose said. “I felt famous. It was nuts. They were so excited to have us there.”
And when they arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Rose had a birds-eye view of the famous Copacabana Beach from his hotel room. The team also took a cable car to the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain where they had a breath-taking view of the entire area.
“The scenery of Rio takes your breath away,” Rose said. “We went to the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain, which overlooks Copacabana and Ipanema Beach – just green mountains, perfect beaches, blue water everywhere. It was gorgeous.”
Team USA dropped its final game in Jundiai, and then a pair against Brazil’s National Military Team in Rio, which was training for the World Military Basketball Championship.
Despite finishing the tour with a 2-3 record, Rose gained a level of confidence that he now carries into his senior season at Colorado College. He now knows he can play with and against the most talented players in the country.
“This was the first time I had been part of an elite group and felt like I belonged,” Rose said. “I was one of the guys they were looking to for scoring and leadership. After playing with these guys and talking to the coaches, I am more confident that I belong and I think CC will be right there with those teams this season.”
The first thing Rose plans to do at the beginning of the new school year is to get his teammates together, share his experience, and let them know they, too, are capable of competing against any team in the country.
“Not only is this my last shot, it’s a great shot for the younger guys,” Rose said. “You don’t know if you’re going to have a good team in the future. You have to take advantage of every opportunity you have. I really think we can do big things.”
Colorado College was winless during Rose’s first season when he missed 10 games with an injury. During his sophomore season, the Tigers went 5-20. Last year, CC finished 12-13 and came within one game of qualifying for the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament.
Rose is optimistic the Tigers can match that level of improvement and make their first postseason appearance since 2004.
“My goal since I got here was to make the NCAA Tournament, and that remains my goal,” Rose said. “We haven’t even made the conference tournament. It would be cool to be that class that came in and went 0-24 during the first season and then left with a 20-win season and the first tournament appearance since 2004.”
What a memory that would be.
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