INTRODUCTION: Want to be a wing playing in the UAA? You'll guard both big and small and you need good guard skills. Ask Trent Noordsij because he does it, night in and night out - and still finds time for his mechanical engineering studies.
 

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How did you become involved with basketball in the first place?
 My parents got my brother and I into it early on in our lives. We started playing around 1st grade and I've been playing ever since.
 
What made it attractive?
 I like how fast paced basketball is compared to a lot of other sports and how creative you can be while playing it, there are a lot of unique styles that hoopers have which is interesting part of it to me.
 
You have played in every game in the last two seasons, including 25 last year as a starter. What did you work on after your first-year to get ready for more playing time?
Skill-wise I was focusing on getting more comfortable handling the ball and also worked on getting my shot to be more consistent. I think part of it was also understanding our team's system better and what we were trying to accomplish with each possession on both ends of the floor.
 
Is there a game that sticks out in your mind from last season?
Our second game against Carnegie Mellon was definitely memorable, it was an overtime game that ended with Kailan making a shot at the buzzer to win by one.

It's a challenge to play as a wing in the UAA, isn't it?
 Yeah, I think every position has its challenges in the UAA, I think some challenging aspects specifically for wings is you have to be able to guard both smaller and bigger players, and you need to have either good guard skills or be a knock down shooter.
 
Have you run into any former teammates or high school opponents in your travels around the league?
 I haven't run into anyone on other teams in the UAA, but I played against Rowan's high school team (Rowan Niemela - one of our sophomore guards) in a state semi-final game during my senior year of high school.
 
What was the environment like for your home games in New Hampshire?
They were surprisingly good. My high school didn't have a huge gym, but, especially on Friday nights, a lot of the students and people from around town would fill the place up and it would get pretty loud in there.
 
When you are home, do you work with any youth programs – coaching, counseling, serving as an official or a timer? What do you like about doing that?
I haven't had the time to do much recently, but I use to work at my high school coach's basketball camp in the summer. I went to the camp nearly every year growing up and it was cool to share some of the lessons and experiences that I had as a camper with the kids I coached.
 
What led you to the University of Rochester?
 It seemed like the best fit for me both academically and for basketball. The biggest draw academically was the freedom to take the classes you want with only one or two required courses you have to take outside of what you want to study. In terms of basketball, the UAA seemed like a fun league and I enjoyed my visit and spending time with guys on the team.
 
Why did you choose Mechanical Engineering as your major?
 I knew I wanted to do something engineering related cause I have always been better at math and science than the humanities and social sciences, and Mechanical Engineering is one of the broader disciplines of engineering. I picked it because I thought it would leave the most doors open in terms of things I could do after I'm done with school.
 
What is your senior project for ME this year?
My senior project, along with a few of my peers, is to design a tow tank, which is a device that is often used to test model ships hulls before they're actually made. We haven't officially started yet, but it should be an interesting project.
 
Are you involved in any campus groups tied to your studies?
I'm a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, which has an on-campus group here.