Nobody ever expects a freshman to take a leadership role on the basketball court - especially not one who was considered to begin his career at the bottom rungs of the depth chart. Perhaps this is why Rob Gogerty has surprised everyone, and thus far, has become the only Retriever to start in every game of the 2001-02 season.

Initially regarded as a player who would come off of the UMBC bench as a shooting guard, the 6'1" rookie from Cedar Grove, New Jersey impressed the coaching staff in pre-season practice and earned a spot in the starting lineup when the season began in October. As the year has progressed, Gogerty continued excellent play, committing only five turnovers in his first 296 minutes, and sporting a 4:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. By the time the Rutgers game rolled around, Head Coach Tom Sullivan moved him to the point guard position. "Coming here, I thought I would play more as an off-guard," says Gogerty. "I was a little shocked, but I really didn't have time to be, so I just stepped up and played to the best of my ability by taking a bit of leadership on the court."

With a lack of seniors in the men's basketball team this year, the UMBC coaching staff had high expectations of each player on the squad. Sullivan says, "The only concern was going to be our leadership issue. The decision to move Gogerty to the lead guard spot came after the coaches noticed how much the rookie valued the ball. Gogerty takes care of the basketball to make sure that we always have it in our possession, and I think that enables the other players do what they can do."

Nonetheless, there is no denying that Gogerty is only a freshman, and definitely appreciates the guidance and support provided by the coaches and his fellow teammates. According to him, the lack of seniors on the team has allowed the juniors to step up and become leaders themselves. With three years of Division I experience, Justin Wilson, Kareem Washington (red-shirt sophomore) and Andre Williams all encourage the others to practice hard everyday, and to play with more enthusiasm when game-time comes.

"With everyone contributing, I don't feel that I have to win games for the team," explains Gogerty. "I don't feel a great deal of pressure because I know I have great players around me to help me get through the season."

But pressure is nothing new to the Retriever guard. As an all-conference shortstop, quarterback, and point guard in Cedar Grove High's baseball, football and basketball teams, respectively, Gogerty knows the pressures of controlling the team and serving as a leader both on the field and on the court. However, he admits that Division I play is on a much higher level, and certainly requires a greater amount of quickness and strength. Mixed in with schoolwork, the demands are sometimes overwhelming to the first-year student.

"Getting the time frames together, it's definitely a full day's work. I didn't expect it to be that much. It's kind of like a job - which it is, but you have to just take the job," says Gogerty.

After a semester of college and basketball, Gogerty seems to be doing the job just fine. On January 2, he was awarded NEC Rookie of the Week honors for his performance during the weeks of December 17-30. In that time span, the Retrievers participated in three contests in which he averaged 8 points and 3 assists, while committing only 2 turnovers in 101 minutes of play. UMBC's only loss in those two weeks was a heartbreaking 59-58 defeat to host Santa Clara in the Cable Car Classic, where Gogerty went 5 of 7 from the floor with a total of 11 points and 4 assists. That, itself, is evidence that the rookie practices unselfish play. "I try to run the system, run the offense, play defense - do a little bit of everything, but I'm not trying to carry it all on my back," says Gogerty.

Instead, he looks for the 'go-to' guys. One of them, of course, is Peter Mulligan, who last season merited the Rookie of the Week award several times. Although he missed a few games this year due to a sprained ankle and a pulled groin muscle, Mulligan remains the Retrievers' leading scorer. In games where he's healthy, the sophomore averages 22 points per game.

An additional option is Allegany Junior College transfer Malik Wallace, who reaggravated a preseason groin strain in the game against Robert Morris. The Retrievers are 8-2 with Wallace in the lineup. Yet another contributor is Andrew Feeley, who recently joined Gogerty as the second freshman in the starting lineup. The 6'10" center, who received Rookie of the Week honors in early December, has recorded two double-doubles this season for scoring and rebounding.

Now, with Mulligan and Wallace healthy and back in the starting lineup, the Retrievers have managed to win four of their last five games and are currently tied for second place in the NEC, a game behind Central Connecticut. Since the young UMBC team possesses so much talent, however, Gogerty has managed to stay optimistic. "I think we're really starting to work together and play to the best of our abilities, making us capable of being one of the top teams in our conference this year as well as the next couple of years," he says. "If we keep playing hard, we will be playing for the championship at the end of the season."