This week’s Athlete of the Week is senior basketball player Lorenz Penn. Penn, a transfer student from the Virgin Islands, has quickly made an impact on the team with his defensive skills and determination. In this Q&A, he shares his experiences adapting to a new school and basketball program, his passion for the sport, and his aspirations for the future.
Q: What position do you play? 

A: I play shooting guard and small forward. 

Q: How do you like Rock Ridge? 

A: I like Rock Ridge because it’s not a huge school and the community seems pretty close. When I came up here, I was able to make friends pretty quickly. Obviously, because of the basketball team, you get to meet your teammates and get acquainted pretty easily. But aside from that, even in my classes, it’s been easy to get along with everybody, and the teachers are nice as well. So it’s been a nice experience.

Q: What about basketball? How do you feel it is different here than in the Virgin Islands? 

A: It is definitely different, including the season and how the schedule goes. We definitely don’t start in November, instead in January. We also don’t do that much weightlifting in the fall. We start in the summer, and then we stop and start practicing until we start practicing up until January when we start. Basically, I’ll just sum it up into the schedule. It’s pretty different. But other than that, there is just a difference in competition because the competition here is better.

 Q: When did you start playing basketball? 

A: Well, when I was seven years old, I really started getting into it because of my brother. My brother played basketball before me. So, naturally I just followed in his footsteps. I got to learn from him, expanding my game very quickly because he went through everything before me. That’s really the reason why I got into the sport. Also, my whole family loves basketball. So it’s just been a thing for us, which pushes me to play. 

Q: As for the Rock Ridge team, how is the connection, the bond, and the chemistry when you play? 

A: I definitely have more of it with a couple of the returning guys from the last year’s team, because those guys have been on the team longer, and they have more of a leadership role on the team, especially with me coming here as a transfer. Most of the starting guys or the guys that returned, I have a pretty good connection with them on and off the court because those guys made an effort to create a bond with me from day one as soon as I arrived. 

Q: How would you describe your relationship with the coach? 

A: Coach Geyer, the head coach of Rock Ridge stayed in touch with me even before I joined the team; he was always checking in on me. He’s always communicating with me. I just think he’s also played a big role in the connection that I have with the team, my teammates, and just the basketball team overall. He’s always been very good at staying connected and in touch.

Q: How do you think you’re playing this season? 

A: I think we, so far more than halfway through the season, I think I’ve played pretty well. 

Q: Is there any room for improvement? 

A: I do think there’s room to improve because we’ve not been winning that many games. But, obviously, since there’s still some more games to go in the season, I think by improving aspects such as execution, we can win more games this season, and I can help my team be better.  

Q: Aside from hustle, what other benefits do you bring to the team? 

A: I feel that I’m talented: I can shoot, I can dribble, I can score at the basket; pretty much anything that you want me to do on the court. But at the current moment, defense and hustle have been my biggest strength that I bring to the court every night.

Q: What are some of the toughest teams you played? 

A: Some of the tougher teams we faced, I would say the biggest issue with facing these tougher teams is their size. Our team is very small, in terms of height, and these other teams have 6-feet-5-inch plus guys. And that obviously puts a strain on our defense, having to guard guys that are taller than us. But I think we’ve adjusted pretty well against some of these taller teams because our team is very connected. We hustle a lot. We bring heart to the court. That’s how we’re able to overcome tougher teams. 

Q: What has been your favorite game so far? 

A: My favorite game of the season is definitely the Capital One game, obviously, because it was at Capital One. But, also because we were able to actually execute and blow out the other team. We were able to keep our foot on the gas and finish strong, closing out that game with a big win.

Q: What do you plan on doing to improve your game? 

A: Personally, whenever I get time away from school or any free time, I try to go to a gym and shoot some extra shots. And when I practice, I just try to give it my all. That’s just the most I can do as a high school student at the moment.

Q: What are your plans in continuing basketball in college? 

A: Definitely. I definitely plan on continuing basketball. I’ll attempt to walk on or do intramurals. I don’t think it’ll just end here. Although I’ll be studying finance at a school, I feel like I’ve put a lot of time into basketball to not continue it. So, if the opportunity comes, I’ll jump on the opportunity.