Wildcat senior guard Joey Roppo believes Central’s basketball team could bring home a GNAC championship this season. In fact, that’s what brought Roppo to Central in the first place.

In 2011, Central won the GNAC championship. That was the same year Roppo committed to Central.

“When I was a senior in high school, they were coming off a GNAC championship and there was already a long tradition of winning,” Roppo said.

Roppo was always interested in playing in the GNAC. As a kid, Roppo’s father would bring him to Seattle Pacific University and Central games.

“I wanted to play in this conference, in the GNAC,” Roppo said. “When Central called me and let me come on a visit here, as soon as I got here I knew I wanted to come here.”

Roppo joined the Wildcats during the 2011-12 season and started his career as a redshirt freshman.

Roppo was the only freshman on the team at the time and knew he wouldn’t get much playing time. He was also three inches shorter and 30 pounds lighter at the time. The year gave him time to grow physically and mentally.

“I was cool with that because it gave me a year to get bigger and it helps for school,” Roppo said. “I’m done with my major and now I just have to focus on my minor, and I’m good to go.”

Roppo is majoring in information technology (IT) and administrative management, and minoring in sports business.

Roppo hopes to use his degree with any kind of professional team.

“Working for IT security for Boeing or working in marketing for the Seahawks or Mariners would be really cool,” Roppo said.

Roppo plans to do his internship this summer with Boeing’s business intern program.

Last year, he received a scholarship from Boeing based on his grades. Since he received a scholarship from Boeing, he is one of the first people Boeing will look at to hire for their internship.

“I applied a couple weeks ago, so hopefully I will be hearing back from them in a few weeks,” Roppo said.

Before Roppo’s time at Central, he starred as a high school quarterback and point guard at Monroe High School. Roppo’s first love has always been basketball, but he did have a successful football career.

Roppo still holds Monroe’s single-game passing record of 531 passing yards. However, Roppo didn’t see a future in football.

“My football coach in high school knew I wanted to play basketball, so we didn’t really talk about [recruiting],” Roppo said.

His high school basketball career also turned out to be quite successful. Roppo led Monroe to  its first state playoff bid in 20 years. Unfortunately, their playoff run was cut short in the first round.

According to Roppo, with seconds remaining in the game, Monroe was down by one to Olympia High School when Roppo had the ball at the top of the key.

Roppo said he drove down the lane and went up for the layup, but was hit in the face as he tried to put the ball up and missed in the process. What should have been a foul wasn’t called, and Olympia won the game.

Roppo believes that was a blown call, but understands what it’s like to be a referee, as Roppo works as a referee in intramural basketball games at Central.

“I have a new respect for refs, it’s easy to just sit and watch a game and say that’s a travel,” Roppo said. “When you actually have to blow the whistle and make the call, it’s a lot different.”

For Roppo, it’s just a job, but he enjoys reffing with his teammates.

Off the court, Roppo enjoys playing tennis and golf in his free time. His favorite sport besides basketball is tennis. Roppo plays with his dad in the summer.

“It’s something fun we do in the summer that’s not basketball related,” Roppo said. “It’s something that’s competitive that we just play. We have been playing for the past few summers and have been getting pretty good.”

Roppo also enjoys playing Call of Duty with his teammate, forward Drake Rademacher.

Roppo has aspirations to play basketball overseas after college, but is prepared to complete his internship and begin his career.