Two-time captain of the Colgate University men's basketball team and fifth-year senior Mike Venezia took time from his summer internship to discuss everything from head coach Matt Langel to his leadership role for this upcoming season.

Venezia, who has battled back from a pair of injuries in his Colgate career, led the Raiders in scoring as a sophomore and was named to the Patriot League all-Rookie Team after the 2007-08 season.

On balancing Division I basketball at Colgate ... "Time management and developing relationships with professors is key. There are only so many hours in a day and with the demanding basketball schedule and class work load, organizing your time is crucial. Also, meeting with professors frequently to keep up with the work or to get ahead of schedule makes balancing basketball and academics possible."

On being a captain the last two years ... "I have learned what a challenging, yet rewarding, job leading can be. Great leaders before me, like Kenny Chones and Kyle Roemer taught me a lot about what it takes to set an example on and off the court and understanding different personalities, which has made my job a lot easier. Being a captain has been a great learning experience for me and hopefully I can relay what I have learned to the underclassmen for the future."

On battling back from a season ending injury during the 2009-10 season … "Staying focused and motivated to return stronger and in better shape is what got me back on the court. It would have been easy to feel sorry for myself and although it hurt not being able to play with my teammates everyday, especially Kyle Roemer and Ben Jonson in their last year, looking forward to next year kept me positive."

On meeting head coach Matt Langel for the first time ... "I knew he would be a great fit for our team. He brings a lot of collegiate and professional playing experience and coaching experience under the well-respected Fran Dunphy. He was very successful as a player and a coach so he can bring a winning attitude and culture to our program. Moving forward, Mr. Roach and the athletic department did a great job of bringing in the right piece to this puzzle."

On setting team goals and personal goals for next season ... "Adjusting to a new coaching staff will be our first task. We have eager and receptive guys so I think we will be able to respond and acclimate ourselves quickly. Our focus everyday since the end of last season has been, and will be, winning the Patriot League and earning a spot in the NCAA tournament. We have all the pieces this year to win a lot of games and surprise a lot of people who don't necessarily know a lot about us yet. Individually, leading and performing to the highest level everyday is what I strive to do to reach these goals."