Unfortunately, at some point, the “Breaking Bad” episodes end. Even when another show takes its place, the binge ends the same, with fiction fading and reality returning.
Stuck at his parents’ home in suburban New Jersey, Alex Rosenberg only could watch television for so long before looking at his fractured foot, instantly reminded of the routine play that ended his senior season at Columbia right before it was supposed to begin.
“Like that, I go from being in class every day to not walking and having to keep my foot elevated for 90 percent of the day,” said Rosenberg, the Lions’ leading scorer in 2014. “Those first few weeks, I couldn’t even sleep. I had to keep my foot on four pillows. My mom took care of me and we watched shows all day and that was pretty much it.
“Some of my teammates came by to see me, but it was tough being home for four to five months. I wasn’t able to be a part of the team or at school.”
In the Ivy League, a redshirt season isn’t an option. So, nearly midway through last fall’s semester, Rosenberg withdrew from school and left the 114th Street brownstone where he lived with teammates. It was the only way he could come back to play his final season at Columbia.
Rosenberg returned to campus to watch games, struggling with his crutches to get to his seat, more nervous than he had been while on the Levien Gymnasium floor.
“I had no control,” Rosenberg said. “Not being able to do anything takes its toll.”
He did plenty, though, including daily physical therapy in midtown Manhattan. During an internship at a finance firm — from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. — he often was tasked with fetching coffee and retrieving party supplies, but also sat in on meetings with clients, while learning about the trading markets.
The experience was invaluable, he said, but also one he doesn’t want to repeat anytime soon.
“I really felt like I was in the real world, doing what I might be doing five years from now,” Rosenberg said. “I think it made me hungrier because I was like, ‘I really don’t want to do this right now.’ Hopefully, I won’t have to use that knowledge for a while. I want to keep playing as long as I can.”
For however long he plays, it may never be better than now. It is a final season before decisions become tougher and fun becomes harder to find, a final time to live and play alongside the friends he has had for years, chasing the Ivy League championship that has eluded the school since 1968.
“He didn’t have to come back,” coach Kyle Smith said. “He could have stayed in school and graduated and could have [transferred to] a high major [program], but it was more important for him. You only get four years of college basketball and nothing else is the same. He has friends for life and wants to leave a legacy in this program and help build something and not just be a mercenary and go play someplace else and be all about him. He wants Columbia to be great and he wants to leave his imprint.
“He’s really grown up. He’s a worker. He’s earned everything he’s got and he’s got great talent, too. He’s a leader and he really cares a lot.”
Sometimes, he has cared too much. Smith said Rosenberg wasn’t always easy to coach when he was younger, a stubborn and emotional player who could be hard on teammates and himself. But maturity comes much easier to a 24-year-old, a byproduct of every experience Rosenberg has had since coming to campus, leaving and returning.
With his final season underway, Rosenberg continues physical therapy, even though he feels as good as ever. Nothing is taken for granted.
“Just because I’m feeling good one day, doesn’t mean I’ll feel the good the next day and I owe it to myself and to my team,” Rosenberg said. “It’s hard to put into words how much the school means. It’s a place that changed me. I had unfinished business here and I was coming back to take care of it.
“We’ve built a trust and a family and I wasn’t going to abandon that. If we do what we’re capable of doing, this will last forever.”
Games of the Week
Stony Brook at Western Kentucky (Saturday, 1 p.m.)
Following a 71-point win over a Division III team, the Seawolves elevated their status more during an overtime loss Thursday at No. 17 Vanderbilt. Senior Jameel Warney is on his way to leading the nation in double-doubles for a second straight season, averaging 19 points and 12.5 rebounds.
St. John’s vs. Vanderbilt at Maui Invitational (Monday, 2:30 p.m.)
Any start to the season seemed possible after the Red Storm’s 32-point home loss to Division II St. Thomas Aquinas, but the young team has excelled in close games. However, after facing three underwhelming opponents, St. John’s will see a dramatic step up in competition against the Commodores.
NJIT at Providence (Monday, 6:30 p.m.)
The Highlanders bounced back from a season-opening loss at Kentucky to win two straight, beating Boston University on Thursday behind 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists from Ky Howard. The senior guard now gets a chance to go against one of the nation’s best — Friars guard Kris Dunn.
Local Power Poll
1. Hofstra
Record: 3-0
Up next: Sunday (9 p.m.) vs. South Carolina
2. Stony Brook
Record: 1-1
Up next: Saturday (1 p.m.) at Western Kentucky
3. Iona
Record: 1-2
Up next: Dec. 1 (7 p.m.) vs. Fairfield
4. Columbia
Record: 1-2
Up next: Sunday (4 p.m.) vs. Lehigh
5. Seton Hall
Record: 3-1
Up next: Sunday (3:30 p.m.) vs. Mississippi
6. NJIT
Record: 2-1
Up next: Saturday (4 p.m.) vs. Lafayette
7. Army
Record: 3-0
Up next: Sunday (7:30 p.m.) at George Washington
8. St. John’s
Record: 3-0
Up next: Monday (7 p.m.) vs. Vanderbilt
9. Manhattan
Record: 0-1
Up next: Saturday (7 p.m.) vs. Bucknell
10. Rutgers
Record: 2-1
Up next: Saturday (5 p.m.) vs. Central Arkansas