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Featured Athlete of the Week: Ali Ross, Basketball, DePauw University
Ali Ross, 21, is a senior from Lexington, Ky. and a member of the national champion basketball team. In her free time she enjoys the outdoors, going for hikes hanging out with her parents, her older brother Adam and her dog Dandy. A biology major, her favorite class is microbiology. Though she rarely watches TV, her favorite shows are Criminal Minds and C.S.I. because they encourage her to use problem-solving techniques. Her favorite musically genres are reggae and "old country" like Patsy Cline and George Jones.
Banner Graphic: Why did you come to DePauw?
Ali Ross: Basketball. And I really liked the academic part, too, like the class size and all that.
BG: Why did you choose the number 32?
AR: I did not choose it, actually. I was No. 3 in high school. We don't have single-digit uniforms (at DePauw) and coach (Mary) Smith gave it to me because it had a three in it. I like it now. It's Magic Johnson.
BG: Who is your favorite athlete?
AR: Probably Rajon Rondo, because he plays good defense. I like his style.
BG: Do you like defense better than offense? Why?
AR: Yes, because I think a lot of times people forget that defense is vital to the game. Everyone always wants to score, but I think it's more fun to get a steal or get a stop on defense, because that's hard to do. When you do it, you feel really accomplished.
BG: When did you start playing basketball?
AR: When I was really young, like five or six.
BG: Who introduced you to it?
AR: My dad used to always encourage us to try to play any sport, and he said that when I was little I always wanted to play basketball. Whenever he'd introduce other sports I'd just be like, "No, I want to play basketball."
BG: What do your teammates mean to you?
AR: The world. They're like my best friends and they're so easy to call about anything or if I want to hang out. I can call any of them, too. It's not just a group of them. It's really fun to have that many friends that you're that close to.
BG: What are your plans after college?
AR: I really want to go to physician's assistant school. Medical school is still in my thoughts, but I'm leaning toward P.A. school. I'm definitely applying to the University of Kentucky, but I'll look at other schools, too.