Robertson ended his career as the second leading scorer in De La Salle history
after averaging 17 points his senior season to go along with 6.3 rebounds a
game. Robertson is known a tenacious defender who often shut down their opponents’ best
scorers.
Playing in a structured, team-oriented offense, Robertson stayed under the
recruiting radar, although he did receive over 10 offers in the fall, including
offers from St Mary’s, USF and Santa Clara. However, Robertson has long
been a fan of the Pac-10, particularly Cal, and he hoped that by being patient
that scholarship situations could change and he’d have opportunities
that didn’t present themselves in the fall.
Robertson’s hopes paid off, as long-time favorite Cal found themselves
with the opportunity to offer Robertson the scholarship they would have offered
earlier, had one been available.
“Coach (Ben) Braun and Coach (Louis) Reynaud had been recruiting Theo ever
since his sophomore year,” said Coach Allocco. “He’s a player
they really liked. He has tremendous versatility, from being able to put the
ball on the floor, to drive and handle pressure D, to his excellent shooting
touch (53% his junior year and a solid 39% against stronger defense his senior
year) to his excellent defense. He’s probably the best post defender
I’ve ever coached. A former Bear, Conor Famulener, was probably the
best I’d had defending the post in the past, and Theo’s second
to none.
“The Cal staff was really honest. They told Theo in the fall that even
though they liked him a lot, they just didn’t have a scholarship available,
but if something changed, they’d be in touch with him. As it happened,
things did change, with one of the players transferring. I’ll never forget
the big smile on Theo’s face after they came and offered him. He said, ‘Coach,
I’m gonna be a Bear.’ He was really happy.”
“I’ve always liked Cal,” said Robertson. “I met Conor
Famulener when I came in as a freshman and I’m friends with him and many
other people at Cal and their families. It’s a great situation for me,
especially being able play on the home stage with guys like Leon (Powe) and
Ayinde (Ubaka). I think I can bring a lot to the program with hard work.”
When asked if he felt his ball-handling ability was Pac-10 caliber when he
plays shooting guard, Robertson noted, “I feel like ball-handling is
a strength for me. But I’m going to come in and work really hard on my
handles and on my shooting. The staff didn’t really set any immediate
expectations for me, but they said they envisioned me being a Joe Shipp-type
of player on offense, with the ability to shoot outside but also be able to
get to the hole. I’ll probably play some at both shooting guard and on
the wing, depending on matchups and who’s on the floor for us.”
When asked about whether the similarities between his De La Salle program
and Ben Braun’s system at Cal would make the transition for Robertson
easier, Allocco responded, “Well, we play a very unselfish style at De
La Salle. We spread the ball around a lot and we don’t run up the score.
We play fundamentally sound basketball and I’d say that would prepare
a lot of players well for the next level. Combine that with the consistently
high level of competition we play against and hopefully you’ve got a
situation where the best of our players are ready to make an eventual impact
at the next level. Also, our former conditioning coach at De La Salle is now
the strength and conditioning coach at Cal, so that should help the transition,
too.
“Theo’s a great kid and a really hard worker. In the past season
and off-season, he’s put on 15 pounds of muscle (6-5, 220) with time in the
weight room and he can more than hold his own inside. He’s got a really
natural outside shot, too.”
After two seasons of largely unfulfilled expectations, Cal fans are more than
ready for an injection of excitement to the program. While Robertson’s
not known as a flashy, high-profile player, his performance in a more wide-open
style of offense in the recent Bay Area Safeway Charities All Star Classic
with an eye-opening 32 points leading his West team to victory showed a glimpse
of the athleticism that Robertson possesses.
With an overall shooting percentage of 55% from the field last year, combined
with his long-range ability, his versatility and hard-working style of play,
the Cal faithful can once again find hope that Robertson, along with incoming
recruits Omar and Jordan Wilkes and the return of star forward Leon Powe will
provide the ingredients the program needs to return to post-season play in
2006.
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