From Alexandria to Chapel Hill to Baltimore, Matt Rum has grown and been able to excel in each place. Now he's getting ready for the next stage.

A Chapel Hill resident from 1995 to 2005, Rum has earned a full scholarship for college and will be playing basketball at William and Mary this fall. During his time in Chapel Hill, he attended McDougle Elementary and Middle School before moving to Baltimore. Despite that, his allegiance was to a slightly darker blue -- serving as a ball boy for Duke.

Rum never envisioned himself leaving Chapel Hill right at the cusp of high school.

"I hated that decision at the time. I didn't want anything to do with it," Rum said. "I had to move into an all-boys Catholic school, from being raised in a public area and school. Nobody had really heard of a private school here. That was a big change. School was a lot tougher there, and everything got a little harder."

Rum began playing basketball when he was five. The sport really grew on him when he moved to Chapel Hill with his parents, Carol and Steve Rum, and joined the North Carolina Gators AAU basketball team.

"My dad and I would commute to Greensboro for the practices," Rum recalls. "We had some good success while I was a part of their team. We won two state championships, and then we moved to Baltimore."

Rum, 6 feet 4, 180 pounds, attended Loyola Blakefield High School in Towson, Md., a Catholic day school for boys.

"Going to Loyola was probably the biggest adjustment for me and moving from a public school to a private school," Rum said. "We had a dress code each day. We had to dress in a coat and tie, and that took awhile at first to get used to."

As soon as he arrived at Loyola, though, he established a name for himself.

Rum played on the Loyola varsity team for three years and led his school to a 19-13 finish his senior season, along with a runner-up finish in the conference tournament. Rum was selected as a member of the Baltimore Catholic League's all-star first team, as well as earning Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association honors. He also finished with a 43-percent career field-goal percentage.

Rum averaged 18.0 points per game, 4.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and shot 85 percent from the charity stripe during his senior season. He concluded his career with 1, 191 points and helped Loyola reach the BCL Championship game for the first time since 1993. Loyola hadn't won 19 games since 1998.

After having so much success on the court at Loyola early, his recruitment began to pick up. Rum would receive offers from schools such as Boston University, Radford, Towson, UMBC and Loyola Md. before choosing William and Mary.

Surprisingly, Rum didn't take any official visits to schools (recruits are each allowed five). He took an unofficial visit to William and Mary early during his junior year and verbally committed to the Tribe soon thereafter.

"I felt that committing to William and Mary was the best decision," Rum said. "I loved the campus. I wanted to come down south. I also really felt welcome with the coaching staff. It's a top-notch school. I'm definitely going to need some tutors, because I'm not the brightest guy."

Having graduated from Loyola in June, Rum spent the next months contemplating the opportunity awaiting him. The W&M schedule for the 2009-10 season will feature several competitive teams, including NCAA contenders.

"My first college game ever, we play at UConn," Rum said. "We also play at Wake Forest and at Maryland. Richmond comes to play us at William & Mary. It's my dream come true."

The former Chapel Hillian doesn't know how much court time he will see his freshman year, but he's optimistic.

"I'm hoping to play, and I know it's not going to be right away," Rum said. "I have a lot of upperclassmen and good guys ahead of me. I'm going to have to work hard for my time."

Rum, who will wear jersey number 31 with the Tribe, has one major goal while being a part of the William and Mary program: "I want to make the NCAA Tournament."

"William and Mary has never, ever been to the big dance," Rum noted. "We have a really good team this coming year. Definitely making the tournament one of my years there would be amazing."

If everything goes according to plan, Rum would like to continue to play basketball after he graduates in 2013.

"If I have a good enough career at W&M, I want to try to go over to Europe and play for a little bit," said Rum, whose father played professional baseball in Japan. "After that, I'm planning probably to come back and live in North Carolina."

Rum is pleased with the way things worked out in Maryland.

"It was a tough four years, but it was worth it," Rum said. "It got me ready. Who knows what would have happened if I would have stayed in Chapel Hill, but it definitely worked out for the best."

William and Mary is not just the perfect fit for Rum but also for the ones who have supported him throughout his youth. Williamsburg is only three-and-one-half hours away from both Chapel Hill and Baltimore.

"I'm trying to put William and Mary on the map," Rum said. "Nobody even seems to know it's a Division 1 school. We definitely have to win to be recognized."

After everything that's already happened and whatever happens from this point forward, Rum says he won't forget his memories from Chapel Hill.

"It was so tough to leave my friends in Chapel Hill and the area," Rum said. "It all started here in Chapel Hill for me. It'll always be home."