March 4, 2005
By Dayna Johnson
Sports Information Intern
Not so long ago, two college seniors had just recently graduated from high school. They were inexperienced, eager, talented, and excited teenagers looking for a chance to shine, to dominate in college the way they had in high school: wanting to be the best they could be...
For Darrel Owens and RaMell Ross, the years since high school have flown by at Georgetown, yet it's not uncertainty they remember. What remains fresh in their minds is the anticipation of playing their first collegiate game, the excitement of playing in nationally televised games, of being a part of the team that hit the game winning buzzer-beater against Arkansas to make it to the NCAA Regionals. It's the experience of being part of the Georgetown University basketball program that has shaped them into the men they are today.
Two seniors that share the same passion for basketball, two seniors that have been through the wins and the losses, are the same two seniors that are realizing that their time at Georgetown is slowly but surely coming to an end.
Owens and Ross have different stories and different backgrounds yet despite their differences, the commonality of Georgetown basketball will stay with them for life.
"I remember watching Georgetown basketball when I was a kid, watching the great players who came through this program, it's like a dream come true to have this experience... It's a lot different from seeing it and living it in Georgetown." - Darrel Owens
Owens and Ross have formed their own perceptions of Georgetown. "Georgetown to me is staying positive, graduating, commitment, hard work," comments Owens. For these seniors, the dream of Georgetown has become reality, but not without challenges to overcome. Ross, a fifth year senior who's been plagued with injury over his career, states, "Any aspirations you have, you can achieve them. Nobody who's made it this far has had an easy path: if you give it your all, your next challenge will be that much easier."
"Georgetown is the combination of the best of the best from high school...It makes the best come out in you..." - RaMell Ross
With Georgetown's basketball team comprised of some of the country's elite talent, Owens and Ross have both been challenged to become better basketball players and better people by their teammates. The team is close-knit: spending time together at meals, socializing, and time spent at practices and during travel; they understand the "ins and outs" of being student-athletes. The team shares the same goals, the same aspirations, both as a team and individually. They all strive for success and challenge each other on the court as Ross states, "We have a four year family at Georgetown...we want each other to be the best."
"Everyone on the team has a different aspect that they can contribute, we have the pieces of the puzzle, we just have to put it together this year..." - Darrel Owens
For their senior season, it's not a matter of pure strength and capabilities: it's a matter of leading the team and pulling the pieces together. Owens is a quiet leader; his game speaks on the court, while Ross draws on his experience to lead. Both have watched a lot more, practiced a lot more, and have seen the little complicated things that make teams elite. Despite their different leadership styles, these seniors have the same intentions: to make their last year their best.
"Basketball is equivalent to school. It adds to my life" - RaMell Ross
Over the past few years, Owens and Ross have mastered splitting their time between playing basketball, dedication to academics, time for social interactions, as well as time spent with their families. With these obligations, it can be very difficult balancing so many aspects of their lives, especially the academics. "Georgetown is challenging in academics, but you just have to get it done off the court with school work," comments Owens. Ross agrees, "You have to look at it in the future; regardless of what happens with my future in basketball, I'll still have one of the best degrees in the country."
"Since I've been in college I've realized that whatever you do now is going to affect you for the rest of your life." - Darrel Owens
Owens and Ross have learned things about themselves and about others while at Georgetown. For Owens it's taking responsibility for yourself and your actions; "Pay attention to the people you look up to: you don't have to do everything by yourself." For Ross, it's that life's not always fair, "There's nothing you can do but work hard and if what you want doesn't come, then at least you can look yourself in the mirror and say you've done everything you possibly could."
"I don't know what I would do if I didn't have basketball, basketball has been my catalyst for everything."- RaMell Ross
Despite the challenges that Owens and Ross have faced, playing basketball has been a constant element in their lives both as young kids as well as throughout college. As with most college players, both Owens and Ross have the ultimate goal of continuing to play basketball after college, but acknowledge the slim percentage who are given the opportunity to go on to play in the NBA. Regardless of their professional basketball endeavors, these two seniors have made a mark at Georgetown.
"I can't be the same person I was when I came here." - Darrel Owens
Four and five years after making the transition from high school to college, from small town to big city, Washington D.C. has been the environment of their college experience. With Owens growing up in a small town in Louisiana, and Ross in Fairfax, Va., things have changed since their childhood days. Both have enjoyed the D.C. environment: with the ethnic diversity, the historic sites, and the metropolitan atmosphere. Both have had experiences in college that will help to shape them for the rest of their lives.
With their time at Georgetown winding down, they are the leaders of the 2004-2005 Georgetown basketball program; they have one last year to make their dreams come true, to end their college careers with no regrets. Basketball has helped to mold their college experience and they will do everything they can to help make their last season their best, as Owens states "I don't want to be another statistic who came through here and didn't do the right thing, I want to stay on that path of success." Ross agrees, "I couldn't be more excited. It's my last year and we're gonna be great."
