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Rum’s ready to Rumble

Posted on November 12, 2009 by Staff

By John Holt, Correspondent

From Alexandria, Va. to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to Baltimore, Md., Matt Rum has grown and exceled in each spot. A Chapel Hill resident from 1995 to 2005, Rum attended McDougle elementary and middle schools before moving to Baltimore. He now has earned a full scholarship and will play basketball at William & Mary this fall.

Rum never envisioned himself leaving Chapel Hill. “I hated that decision at the time. I didn’t want anything to do with it,” Rum said. “I had to move into an all-boy’s Catholic school … That was a big change. School was a lot tougher there and everything got a little harder.”

Rum began playing basketball when he was 5. The sport, though, began to pick up for him when he moved to Chapel Hill. “I played for the North Carolina Gators [AAU Team],” Rum said. “My dad and I would commute to Greensboro for the practices. We had some good success while I was a part of their team. We won two state championships, and then we moved to Baltimore.”

Rum, who is 6’4, 180 pounds, attended Loyola Blakefield High School in Towson, Md. Loyola is an all-boys’ private Catholic day school.

“Going to Loyola was probably the biggest adjustment for me, and moving from a public school to a private school,” Rum said. “We had a dress code each day. We had to dress in a coat and tie, and that took awhile at first to get used to.”

As soon as he arrived at Loyola, though, he established a name for himself. He played on the varsity team for three years and led his school to a 19-13 record and a runner-up finish in the conference tournament his senior season. Rum was selected to the Baltimore Catholic League and Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association first team, having averaged 18 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2 assists and shot 85 percent from the free-throw line. He concluded his career with 1,191 points and helped Loyola reach the Baltimore Catholic League Championship game for the first time since 1993.

Rum received offers from a number of schools, including Boston University, Radford, Towson, University of Maryland at Baltimore County and Loyola University Maryland, before choosing William & Mary.

Rum didn’t take any official visits to schools (recruits are each allowed five). He took an unofficial visit to William & Mary during his junior year and verbally committed to the Tribe soon thereafter.

“I felt that committing to William & Mary was the best decision,” Rum said. “I loved the campus. I wanted to come down South. I also really felt welcome with the coaching staff. It’s a top-notch school.”

After graduating from Loyola in June, Rum is thrilled at the opportunity awaiting him. The schedule for the 2009-10 season will feature quite a few competitive teams.

“My first college game ever, we play at UConn,” Rum said. “We also play at Wake Forest and at Maryland. Richmond comes to play us at William & Mary. It’s my dream come true.”

Rum doesn’t know how much court time he will see his freshman year, but he hopes for the best. “I’m hoping to play, and I know it’s not going to be right away,” he said. “I have a lot of upperclassmen and good guys ahead of me. I’m going to have to work hard for my time.”

Rum has one major goal while being a part of the William & Mary program: “I want to make the NCAA Tournament. William & Mary has never ever been to the big dance. We have a really good team this coming year. Definitely, making the tournament one of my years there would be amazing.”

If everything goes according to plan, Rum would like to continue to play basketball after his college career concludes in 2013.

“If I have a good enough career at W&M, I want to try to go over to Europe and play for a little bit,” he said. “After that, I’m probably planning to come back and live in North Carolina.”

Rum said he is pleased with the way things worked out. “It was a tough four years [at Loyola], but it was worth it,” Rum said. “It got me ready. Who knows what would have happened if I would have stayed in Chapel Hill. But it definitely worked out for the best.”
William & Mary is not just the perfect fit for Rum, but also for those who have supported him throughout. Williamsburg is only three-and-a-half hours from both Chapel Hill and Baltimore.

“I’m trying to put William & Mary on the map,” Rum said. “Nobody even seems to know it’s a Division I school. We definitely have to win to be recognized.”
Whatever happens, Rum says he won’t lose his memories of Chapel Hill.

“It was so tough to leave my friends in Chapel Hill and the area,” he said. “It all started here in Chapel Hill for me. It’ll always be home.”

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