Senior guard named C-USA Player of the Week

A.J. Rompza knows he is running out of time.

It's his senior season, and the energetic point guard is focused on winning and enjoying the time he has left with his teammates on the floor.

So you'll have to excuse him if he's not overly excited about receiving his first-ever Conference USA Player of the Week honors.

"Honestly, it's great for me, but right now in my senior season you guys know I could care less about stuff like that," Rompza said. "Right now, I'm not worried about looking at my stats. Right now, it's my last year and I need everybody on the team to really be at it."

The guard from Chicago had to sit out the first 12 games of his senior season to fulfill a suspension for violating NCAA rules cited in the allegations of last November that also led to the resignations of former-athletic director Keith Tribble and wide receivers coach David Kelly.

Sitting out a large portion of his final year in black and gold was admittedly difficult for Rompza.

"I had good days, and I had bad days," Rompza said. "There were days where I looked at it like I was a victim, but you can't do that. … I knew that my time [would be] limited when I came back."

Those hard times for Rompza were when he says fan support meant more than ever before.

During his suspension, fans made "Free AJ" signs and wore similar shirts at the UCF Arena. On Twitter, "#FreeAJ" became a popular hashtag. Rompza, who is interactive with fans and followers on the social network, said the support he received was invaluable.

"Not too many people can say that they have the support that I do," Rompza said. "The thing I will remember most is just having everybody's support. … I can't thank [the fans] enough for just the support and encouraging words I received daily [saying] not to put my head down."

Rompza may not be overly wrapped up in his recent conference recognition, but it's hard to argue he didn't earn it.

The senior point guard shot 76.9 percent from the field and 85.7 percent from 3-point range in a pair of games against Tulane and East Carolina. In the contest against the Pirates, Rompza had one of the best halves of basketball of his career, totaling 14 points before the break.

His impact goes beyond his stats, though.

"Rompza's really brought a lot of energy, [and] I think it has helped our tempo," said associate head coach Shawn Finney, who had been at the helm during head coach Donnie Jones' university-imposed suspension. "His senior leadership has really shown over the last [few] games he has played in."

Rompza worked out multiple times a day while sitting out, and he said that it's fair to say he's playing in a higher gear than ever before.

"I've always been one to be out of control," Rompza said. "I think I've put more of my energy and my quickness into work but also have controlled it; it's been a plus for us because I'm able to see the passes a lot better. … I think I'm really just putting it all together."

As the Knights continue along their march through their C-USA schedule, with hopes of an at-large tournament bid, it's hard to deny the impact the return of vocal leader has had.

Despite the intense level of focus and commitment to winning in his senior season, Rompza still can't help but admit he's enjoying the ride he has had in Orlando.

"It's been like a dream come true for me since being here my freshman year," Rompza said. "It's something that you really can't tell people; you really just got to live it."