Lathan Sommerville on Becoming UW Leader.

Yeah. So you're at Rutgers with two first round draft picks. Yes, sir. And then you were here last year, had some injury that cost you a third of the season. Yeah. And you're with another first round draft pick. Yes, sir. It's your time a little bit to maybe step up and really have a bigger role than you've had cuz you've been a starter each of the last couple of years. Yeah. But tell me about that. I mean, they took you to Big Ten media day and Danny was talking about you're one of the guys that's really coming on as far as picking up your game. Yes sir, just consistent growth and staying consistent in what I know I can do. Last year, I feel like I had some injury stuff and I also just, when I wasn't injured, playing at the best level that I know I could play. So it's just getting back to being confident and being who I know I am, so. Yeah, do you feel kind of the responsibility since you've been here and you're one of the holdover big guys cuz the others left like Frank and Giannis went and went elsewhere. So there's kind of like a lot of responsibility on you to kind of show these guys the way, I think. Yeah, it is for sure, but it's no pressure. It's just who I am. I'm a natural born leader. So, I mean, just taking that step and just showcasing that every day, being consistent in that role, doing whatever the team needs from me to be done. So it's just, that's how I look at it and that's how I approach it. I forgot, what kind of injury did you have last year? A knee injury. Oh, a knee. Yeah. Was that at Seattle U? No. No, it was in practice. Practice, that's after Seattle U, that's when it happened. Yeah, it was in practice. Yeah, cuz Wesley got hurt in the Seattle U game, and you got hurt right after that. Yup. And that was a costly stretch. Yeah, a bad stretch. And you shouldn't have lost those guys either, so. Yeah. So what are you thinking about this basketball team? There's a lot of turnover, two thirds of the roster. Yeah, we're a really connected group, that's what I noticed early. Off the court, on the court, we're extremely connected. I feel like everybody likes each other and now translating the game. So let's just keep continuously building that chemistry. We'll see where that takes us.