Jan. 30, 2009
If A.J. Rompza listened to the cynics, he would never had played varsity basketball for one of the nation's premier high schools. If the naysayers had their way, Rompza would have never gone on to shine on the ultra-competitive Chicago prep scene. Thankfully for UCF fans, the doubters only motivate the freshman point guard.
Luckily for Rompza, skeptics are easy to find. Whether it is opposing players, fans or even media members, it seems like everyone has something to say about Rompza. Listed at 5-foot-9, it could be his size that prompts the questions. Maybe it is his distinctly Chicago swagger on the court.
Regardless of the reasoning, Rompza always plays like he has something to prove. Questions about his stature have always been there.
"I heard it in eighth grade. People thought that I was really good, but (that) I was one of those players who was just good in grammar school," Rompza said. "Me choosing the high school I chose, I don't think anyone thought that I would be able to play. They probably thought that I was going to go there, be on the freshman team and stop playing. My freshman year, I played on varsity and eventually started. People were really amazed because of how small I was."
Rompza attended Whitney Young High School, which annually has one of the best basketball teams not only in the Chicago City League, but in the country. Young was a standout for the Dolphins for four years, playing for the same program that produced Quentin Richardson, who starred at DePaul and now suits up for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association.
Playing for head coach Tyrone Slaughter, Rompza had a great prep career, which he capped by earning all-state second-team honors in 2007-08. He averaged 18.0 points and 7.0 assists as a senior and was named to the All-Public League First Team. Chicago is recognized for producing great point guards. Isiah Thomas, Maurice Cheeks, Doc Rivers, Tim Hardaway and Derrick Rose all honed their games in the Windy City. Rompza describes basketball in Chicago as competitive and fierce.
Would Rompza have developed the skills that have brought him to UCF if he had learned the point guard craft in another city, like Indianapolis, Milwaukee or Toledo? He doubts it.
"I honestly don't think I would be (at UCF). There is a battle between guys in Chicago. In Chicago, it is so much different. It is almost like a fight. You keep going against each other until somebody gives up. That is the mentality that you have to have. I am going to keep going until this guy is done or worn out."
Rompza has displayed that kind of mentality with the Knights.
He clearly knows how to run a team, which is evident by his impressive assist numbers. He dished out seven assists at Ole Miss and also totaled 10, with just one turnover, against Chicago State.
Rompza can score if needed. Versus Florida in Jacksonville, he hit three triples and finished with 11 points. Always the smallest player on the floor, he can hit the glass as well. Rompza grabbed a game-high seven rebounds in UCF's win over Penn.
On the defensive end, Rompza really displays that Chicago tenaciousness. In the win over Chicago State, he helped limit David Holston, who entered the game second nationally at 27.8 points per game, to just 14 points on 4-of-17 shooting from the field.
"I think it's really important that I always play tough," Rompza said. "That is really how Chicago guys are. You play tough; you play hard. You compete and you go against one another as hard as you can. That is really something that I love about playing in Chicago. It is something that I developed throughout my whole life playing there. There is such a competitive feel when you play there. It is something that I have brought over here."
Hailing from Chicago, Rompza is used to playing against the best. He says facing Chicagoland stars like Rose, who attended Memphis and was the first pick of the 2008 NBA Draft by the hometown Bulls, has prepared him to play on the collegiate level.
Many of Rompza's assists this season have come because of his obvious connection with Jermaine Taylor. With his lethal scoring ability, the shooting guard is clearly one of the premier players in the nation. Taylor credits Rompza with pushing the ball and helping him get good looks.
"I believe he does (create open shots)," Taylor. "I think he pushes the ball hard and fast. If I run out, I know I can get maybe 10 points off of that every game."
Taylor hears the doubters talk about Rompza at every game, especially when the Knights are on the road. He says that he has no worries about his ability on the court.
"I think a lot of people underestimate him," Taylor said. "But by the end of the game, they are going to respect him."
The Chicago native would not want it any other way.