Going into his senior season, men's basketball co-captain and center Luke Rogers set personal goals of scoring 1,000 points and getting 1,000 rebounds. Thirteen games into the season, Rogers has become just the 33rd player in Tufts basketball history to surpass 1,000 points. Due to an injury in the first game of the season that resulted in Rogers’ sitting out for six weeks, the latter half of his goal is now out of reach. However, Rogers still has the chance to lead his team to something that has yet to be achieved: a national championship.
“At the end of the day, I really try to put personal goals aside,” Rogers said. “As a team, we made a list of things that we wanted to do and the number one thing on that list was win the NESCAC championship, win the NCAA championship. What’s unbelievable about basketball, and specifically, the way that Division III basketball and college basketball works, is that no matter what’s happened in the first half of our season, that dream is still alive.”
Rogers hit the 1,000-point mark with a jumper in the first half against Hamilton College on Jan. 14. It was Rogers’ fourth game back after fracturing the head of his fibula within the first minutes of the first game of the season. After a few MRIs, rest and many miles on the Airdyne bike, Rogers returned to the court six weeks later on Dec. 29 when the Jumbos beat Carthage College 81–70 at the Music City Classic tournament in Nashville, Tenn.
Since being back, Rogers and the Jumbos have been unstoppable. He has led the Jumbos on a 5–2 tear compared to their 2–7 start of the season with him on the bench.
“It feels unbelievable to be back," Rogers said. "I took a year off school to come back and have one last shot at playing basketball with my teammates. It’s such a special group that we have.”
“One of the best things about basketball teams is that they’re small enough that you really get to know every single one of your teammates on an individual, personal level and that’s why it’s so much fun to play with these guys, because I really consider them to be my best friends,” Rogers said. “It doesn’t just feel like I’m part of a team, you know, I’m part of a family, and getting to go out there and battle with these guys is an absolutely special feeling.”
Rogers has scored 20 points or more in three games. He scored a season high and tied his career high of 32 points at Bates, and grabbed 15 rebounds in a comeback 71–70 win on Saturday. His 32-point high leads the NESCAC in a single-game scoring total.
“It’s been great," junior guard Theo Henry said. "He’s given us a huge lift the past couple of games. We’ve played a lot better, and he stepped up big time against Bates with 30 plus points. Being able to go down low, [or] play inside out, puts a lot more pressure on other teams. He’s a big presence that teams have to deal with, which opens up the floor for everyone else.”
The accolades Rogers has received align with his stat line. Notably, he was named NESCAC Player of the Week in 2018, and again this season, after his first week back. He was NESCAC Player of the Year in 2020, which was the same year he became Tufts’ first men’s basketball player to be chosen as a D3hoops.com All-American.
After his junior season got cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rogers and many of the other players on the 2019–20 team made the collective decision to take the next year off and come back to have another shot at unfinished business. They were on the bus driving to their Sweet 16 matchup in the NCAA tournament when they received the call that they needed to turn around immediately and that their season was over.
Now, entering the last third of their regular season, their opportunity to do something special is inching closer and closer to becoming a reality. The Jumbos sit at sixth in the NESCAC and with Rogers back in the action, look to improve their positioning for playoffs. After soaking in various leadership tactics by the six seniors he had as a first-year, Rogers has stepped into a leadership role over his years on the team.
“I’ve always thought that there’s a few things you can control in basketball, and you can control the controllables and let the other stuff play out,” Rogers said. “Some of those things are energy and communication. Those are the two things that I try my best to bring, whether I’m sitting on a bench — I want to be the loudest guy out there cheering on my teammates — and when I’m on the court, talking on defense, I want to be the loudest guy possible to make sure that we’re always in our right defensive sets and we’re making the right reads.”
This leadership mentality carried forward even when Rogers was forced to lead from the bench while injured.
“He stayed super engaged," Henry said. "Definitely didn’t let his injury put a damper on things. At practice, he was on the sidelines rehabbing, in every huddle, talking, giving us advice and knowledge … We definitely felt his leadership presence throughout that.”
When reflecting on his years at Tufts, Rogers emphasized the impact his teammates have had on him.
“The stuff that I’m really going to remember are those little times with my teammates, like the bus rides, the talks in the locker room and shooting half-courters," Rogers said. "That’s the stuff that’s special to me, those little moments of joy that you share with your teammates.”
Although his post-graduation plans are still up in the air, Rogers hopes that basketball remains a part of them. For now, he has his eyes set on bringing home the first national championship trophy for Tufts.
