![Phoenix gets in position to initiate the beginning of an intense game. “It's coming to the end of the season here, so [our goal] is to just focus on working harder,” senior lineman Ryan Abbondanza said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_0042-1200x800.jpg)
A returning athlete to the Rock Ridge basketball program, sophomore point guard Brayden Coleman has risen to become a key leader on the varsity basketball team. Off the court, Coleman likes to play video games with his friends. In this Q&A, Coleman shares a little about himself while also sharing his goals for his future with the Rock Ridge basketball program.
Coleman and the Phoenix’s next chance to secure a win is a regional game against the Broad Run on Tuesday, Jan. 10. Against the Dominion Titans
Q: What nicknames have you garnered over the course of this year?
A: The nicknames I’ve been called [include] BC [and] Brayden, of course
Q: What brought you into the sport of basketball?
A: The reason I [play] basketball is because my dad used to play, and he just passed it on to me when I was born by bringing me to games at a young age and buying me jerseys, which made me like the sport more.
Q: What’s the reason you chose to wear #0 this year?
A: I wear number 0 because of Gilbert Arenas. He was on the Wizards, which is my favorite team, and his nickname was Agent Zero, and I thought it was cool, so I wear 0 because of him.
Q: What are some goals you hope to accomplish this year?
A: This season, I hope to accomplish having a winning record and making it far in the district playoffs.
Q: Who do you model your game after as you continue to develop?
A: I model my game after Andrew Nemhard because I feel like we have the same play style, and watching him play gives me new moves to try and get better at.
Q: How do you feel about the progression of this team’s squad compared to last year’s?
A: I feel like this year’s team is a lot better than last year’s team because this year we run our plays and work as a team more than we did last year.
Q: Coming off a loss, how have you guys prepared for your next opponents?
A: We know that we can’t win every game, so once we lose one, we just move on to the next and listen to the coaches on how we can be prepared for the next game and what we need to do to win.
Q: How do your seniors motivate you and teach you, especially in your first varsity season?
A: The seniors this year are helpful because they will tell us if we are doing something wrong and explain to us how to fix it, since they are familiar with what plays we run and the varsity level.
