Another Running Rebel added to the Gumbo mix!

[RaginEsquire06]

Former UNLV forward Lamar Roberson

"Former UNLV forward Lamar Roberson passed his physical and was cleared to practice with the team on Friday. The 6-foot-8 sophomore, a Baton Rouge native who left the Rebels in January, enrolled at UL this semester as a non-scholarship player, Lee said."

See: http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pb...802090327/1006

"Played as a true freshman in 2005-06 at the University of Houston ... appeared in 18 games, starting six ... averaged 5.1 ppg and 2.2 rpg in 12.2 minutes per contest ... shot 41.2 percent from the field and a team-best 39.5 percent from 3-point range ... Houston recorded a 21-10 overall record and advanced to the second round of the NIT ... scored a career-high 25 points and set a UH freshman record for most 3-pointers made in a game with seven against Florida Tech ... tallied 12 points and grabbed a career-high seven rebounds and four assists off the bench against Rice ... scored nine points against UNLV and Texas A&M Corpus Christi ... scored five points, including the clinching basket on a breakaway slam dunk in Houston's 69-65 upset win over then-No. 13 Arizona ... led the team in scoring once, rebounding three times, assists once and blocked shots four times ... played at Houston with Runnin' Rebel teammate Emmanuel Adeife."

"Attended Mt. Zion Academy in North Carolina where he helped lead his team to a 38-4 mark in 2004-05 ... he was rated as one of the nation's top 35 fifth-year prep players by HoopScoop ... also rated as one of the top 50 high school players by several publications ... named to the All-National Prep School Invitational Team in 2005 ... prior to Mt. Zion, he played one season at Dominguez High School in Long Beach, Calif. ... he averaged 15.9 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 3.5 apg and 3.2 bpg ... named second-team all-state for 2003-04 ... scored a season-high 32 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the CIF Southern Section 11-A Regional Championship game against Inglewood High in a 71-58 victory ... was named the California Division II Section Co-Player of the Year ... ranked fourth among West Coast small forwards by The Insiders.com ... rated among the top 23 players overall and top three forwards at the 2004 Adidas Super All-American summer camp ... was the MVP of the Southern Lab, Class I-A State Championship Game in 2000-01."

See: http://unlvrebels.cstv.com/sports/m-...n_lamar00.html

[Zeebart21]

Thats great! Lon Krueger was jerking the kid around for a while and not signing his release.

Z

[Clutch0364]

Can I say it guys....WE WILL BE LOADED NEXT YEAR :-)

[rhineaux]

Anyone know how much eligibility he'll have, and if he'll be able to start at the end of the fall semester?

[Cajunsmike]

Anyone know how much eligibility he'll have, and if he'll be able to start at the end of the fall semester?

He will have 1 3/4 year of eligibility and will be ready to go when the fall semester ends in Dec. Of course that assumes he handles his academics.

[zephyr]

_ Can I say it guys....WE WILL BE LOADED NEXT YEAR :-) _

I just wish we could redshirt a couple of guys and get Gary, Daigle and Dison their fourth years back!!

[Clutch0364]

_ I just wish we could redshirt a couple of guys and get Gary, Daigle and Dison their fourth years back!! _

Someone I am sure will redshirt next year...we have far to many guys coming in and coming back not to redshirt. If the 3 you mention stay on their grades like I am sure they will, they will get that year back.

[Big Buds]

Trust me, those three will get there last year of eligibility back!

[Pirogue]

Jul. 23, 2006
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Rebels pick up Houston transfer

Roberson must sit out this season, has three years of eligibility left

By MATT YOUMANS
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Lamar Roberson
6-7 forward averaged 5.1 points in 18 games for Houston last season as a freshman

A top recruit has committed to UNLV, but Lamar Roberson was not playing in a summer prep tournament Saturday when he made the announcement.

Roberson, a 6-foot-7-inch forward, is planning to transfer from Houston. He said the Rebels are getting "a real exciting player" who is looking to settle down for a while.

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"I really don't like moving around at all," said Roberson, who attended three high schools in three years and spent one season with the Cougars.

"No matter what goes on, I'm not leaving. It's a great situation at UNLV."

Roberson must sit out this season but will be on scholarship with the Rebels and has three years of eligibility remaining.

UNLV coach Lon Kruger, who was scouting players at the three major prep tournaments in Las Vegas, is not allowed to comment because of NCAA rules.

But Roberson said he met with Kruger and his staff and formed a bond with assistant coach Lew Hill.

"I like Coach Kruger, and Coach Hill is like a father to me," he said.

Roberson's season at Houston was marked by inconsistency. He played in 18 games, starting six, and averaged 5.1 points per game.

He hit seven 3-pointers and scored 25 points in a season-opening 131-62 victory over Florida Tech. But his playing time eventually decreased and he did not play in the Cougars' season-ending loss to Missouri State.

Roberson started and scored nine points in Houston's 83-73 loss to UNLV at the Thomas & Mack Center on Dec. 20.

He denied any rift with Cougars coach Tom Penders.

"I just didn't fit in the system. I wanted to play on the wing, and they wanted me to play inside because we didn't have a lot of big men on the team," he said.

"I just can't even really explain it. I love Coach Penders and he's a real good coach. It's his team and I couldn't disagree. We never had a falling out or nothing."

Roberson, from Baton Rouge, La., spent one year at Dominguez High School in Long Beach, Calif. He committed to Louisville but did not have the required test scores and enrolled at Mt. Zion Christian Academy in Durham, N.C.

Several scouting services ranked Roberson, who has a 7-foot wingspan, among the nation's top 50 prep players before he signed with Houston.

He talked to two current Rebels who went to high school in the Houston area -- senior Michael Umeh and sophomore Wink Adams -- before making his decision.

"Wink said it's a great program and he can't wait until I get there," said Roberson, finishing summer school at Houston before enrolling at UNLV next month.

"I have an all-around game and I just want to be able to show it. I can do everything -- handle the ball, shoot, pass, dunk -- and I feel UNLV is the place where I can get it done."

The Rebels also expected to welcome Marquette transfer Ryan Amoroso, who said July 10 he planned to join the program as a walk-on this season. But Amoroso changed his mind one week later and is instead headed to San Diego State.

Roberson said his decision is final.

"No matter what, I'm going to be at UNLV and we're going to win," he said.

[Pirogue]

Jan. 18, 2007
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

UNLV's Cage, Roberson strive to be impact players in future

By MATT YOUMANS
REVIEW-JOURNAL


UNLV forward Lamar Roberson, taking a breather during practice, is sitting out this season after transferring from Houston.
Photo by Craig L. Moran.



UNLV freshman Troy Cage, shown in practice Wednesday, has bulked up and practiced hard as he redshirts this season.
Photo by Craig L. Moran.

Behind the scenes, Troy Cage and Lamar Roberson are showing up to work every day. But in the middle of a promising UNLV basketball season, they are mostly out of sight, out of mind.

They lift weights five days a week, practice with the rest of the team and challenge each other in one-on-one drills. And then they watch.

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They live Allen Iverson's nightmare -- all practice and no games.

Cage, from Baton Rouge, La., is being redshirted as a freshman. Roberson, a sophomore, is sitting out the year after transferring from Houston.

"There are points in the season when you say, 'Man, why am I doing this?' I get down and up, and it's a roller coaster sometimes," Cage said.

"You see some points in a game when we're down or whatever, and I'm telling myself, 'I wish I could get in and help.' "

That time is coming. They are paying their dues now, but Cage and Roberson are expected to play big roles for the Rebels next season and beyond.

"Those guys are going to be counted on, and they are part of our future that we're building here," UNLV assistant coach Lew Hill said. "This is the time they've got to get better. Sitting out is hard, but they've got to make themselves mentally strong."

Roberson was considered one of the nation's top 50 prep players coming out of Mt. Zion Academy in North Carolina in 2005.

He played in 18 games, and started six, as a freshman at Houston but said he did not fit well in coach Tom Penders' system. After joining the Rebels, he began lifting weights for the first time and has gained 15 pounds to put him at about 215.

"The switch from Houston to here is kind of hard," Roberson said. "It's more freelance at Houston and it's more organized here, so I get yelled at from time to time."

At 6 feet 8 inches, Roberson has a smooth perimeter jumper and is probably best suited as a small forward. But he might be needed as a power forward next season to help replace senior Wendell White, the team's leading scorer and rebounder.

"Coach Hill recently asked me, 'Can you rebound like Wendell? Can you have a low-post game like Wendell?' As of right now, I'm nothing like Wendell at all," Roberson said.

"By next year, I should be able to do the same thing Wendell does, and play on the perimeter, too."

White praised the potential of both players.

"Lamar is basically like me. He can take people off the dribble, and he can shoot the 3 better than I can," White said. "Troy, that guy right there can jump out of the gym. He's going to be a great player, too."

Cage, a 6-5 shooting guard and small forward, also has gained 15 pounds since arriving at UNLV and is up to 190. He said he's similar to Roberson.

"The only way we're different right now is the way we work," Cage said. "I feel that I work a little harder."

Rebels coach Lon Kruger said Roberson has a few things to learn about playing with more effort.

"Sometimes, I don't play as hard as I can," Roberson said. "To separate yourself in college, you have to be mentally strong because everybody can jump and everybody has talent."

Hill said this season is valuable training for Cage, who was mostly a post player in high school, and Cage was receptive when Kruger said he planned to redshirt him.

"Coach (Kruger) is a humble guy," said Cage, also recruited by Miami and Texas A&M. "He came to me like a man and told me what he expected. He never filled my head up about what I was going to come in and play, and I respect that.

"He was telling me to tough it out. I'm doing this for the betterment of my teammates, so we can make the NCAA Tournament this year."

UNLV (15-4) loses five seniors after this season, so opportunities will be available for several young players.

"I plan to come out next year and play a role, whatever the coaches ask me to do," Cage said. "By my junior year, I will do some real big things."

[Pirogue]

A long road to Houston for Baton Rouge's Lamar Roberson
Associated Press

Updated: July 5, 2005, 3:33 PM ET
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BATON ROUGE, La. -- Lamar Roberson is the first to admit that, while he excelled at basketball, he wasn't much of a student in high school.

"I was lazy," said Roberson, 20. "I was undisciplined and I was mischievous. But life has taught me a lesson."

That lesson involved leaving his home town of Baton Rouge and doing a lot of traveling, ending eventually at the University of Houston, where he begins his first semester as a student.

Roberson's mentor through many of the journeys has been a man named Henry Baptiste.

"Basketball is really that boy's life," said Baptiste, who serves as Southern University's football color analyst. "But he's had to learn the hard way that the sport isn't everything. But it's what kept him out of the streets."

Roberson played as an eighth- and ninth-grader at Southern Lab, where he helped the Kittens win the Class A state championship.

In the first semester of his sophomore year, Roberson left Southern Lab because of unsatisfactory grades and what he calls "disciplinary problems."

"That's when I stepped in," Baptiste said. "I had to make him realize that he needed to graduate. And if he wanted to play ball, he had to step up his game in the classroom."

Baptiste said Roberson got his attention after watching just a few games.

Roberson was sent to Mt. Zion Christian Academy, in Durham, N.C.

Tracy McGrady and Amare Stoudamire are among current NBA players who have attended Mt. Zion.

At Mt. Zion, players are not allowed to curse, listen to secular music, wear jewelry, go on dates or miss church. Those rules posed a problem for Roberson, who was uncomfortable being away from home at such a young age.

"He was young and I thought it was better for him, but it didn't work out too well," said Yvonne Roberson, Lamar's mother.

At 16, Roberson came back home, wanting to return to Baton Rouge, but he could not come back to Southern Lab.

"They said that it was because of disciplinary reasons. He was a risk," Baptiste said. "At the time, Principal Brenda Sterling ran the school with an iron-clad fist."

Also, there were eligibility concerns with his age and his grades.

"All I wanted to do is play basketball. I still didn't get the part about the grades," Roberson said.

Baptiste said he made a decision to find help after Roberson realized that straightening up and getting good grades would be the only way he could play.

The next step was to attend the Louisiana New School Academy in Baton Rouge. The school provided Roberson an academic alternative, but it was not great for starting a basketball career.

Roberson said a friend of his encouraged him to go to Compton, Calif., to attend Dominguez High School, the same school Tayshaun Prince of the Detroit Pistons and Tyson Chandler of the Chicago Bulls attended.

"I was older by then, and a bit more mature, so I went for it," Roberson said. "Besides, I knew I had to get my grades together and I couldn't do it here. The people I was hanging with were some of the same ones bringing me down.

"Everyone here said that I wouldn't amount to anything. I had to prove them wrong."

Baptiste, along with Roberson's mother, said they would not let him give up.

"He got the ball-playing part, but he had to go to California to realize that basketball wasn't everything," Yvonne Roberson said.

Baptiste helped Roberson get to Compton to attend Dominguez. The team won the 2004 state championship and he was named most valuable player in the state tournament.

But after the season, Roberson learned that credits from Mt. Zion didn't transfer.

"I didn't have the grades so I left to go to an academy in Alabama and got kicked out," he said.

Roberson was expelled from Central Park Academy in Alabama for cursing and he still did not have a diploma.

From Dominguez High to Central Park, coaches from colleges like Louisville and Wake Forest were working hard to recruit Roberson. Ever since the 10th grade, Roberson said, Mississippi State had been watching him.

He committed to Louisville and Roberson said Cardinals coach Rick Pitino asked him to go to a junior college first to get his GED instead of a high school diploma. Roberson refused.

"That showed us where their heads were," Baptiste said. "We felt all they (Louisville officials) wanted to do was use kids. Lamar needed a diploma. It was time to send him back to Mt. Zion."

At the beginning of the next semester, Roberson said Mt. Zion accepted him, but not on scholarship because of his history. Baptiste helped him financially to live in Durham, while he worked to get his diploma.

"If I could have done it all over again," Roberson said, "I would have just gone straight to Mt. Zion and stayed."

Just before his graduation in May, University of Houston men's basketball associate head coach Marvin Haralson contacted Roberson.

"He did a wonderful job of getting his grades together and doing what he needed to be done to get here," Haralson said. "Now, he's eligible to play. These days, you need a high school diploma. His talent, skill package and appearance on the court are extras."

------

[Pirogue]

Sensational freshman forward Lamar Roberson

By Russell Sollock
CoogFans' Football Moderator
Posted Jul 20, 2005


On Coach Penders:"He runs! He runs! I love his style of getting up and down the court. I have not seen any other coaches in the country do what he does of running and getting shots. It really is the only way you can win. I had heard a lot about Tom Penders, and when I saw them I was really impressed with how they played. He is one of the best coaches in the country to play for." - Lamar Roberson


RS - First of all, tell us where you are from and how you started playing basketball.
LR - I am from Baton Rouge La. and started playing basketball when I was eight or nine with the other kids in the neighborhood. They would rough me up a little but I could still hold my own, I was pretty good. I didn’t play organized basketball until I was 10 or 11.

RS - What is your current height and weight?
LR - I am about 6’7” 208 lbs. I have actually gained eight pounds since I’ve arrived here and working out.

RS - Please explain your experience going through so many high schools to get where you are now.
LR - I look at it now and think if I just would have listened to my mom, I wouldn’t have been in the situation I was in. It was so tough. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to go through, but I stayed with it and never gave up. I know a lot of people who graduated straight out of high school who said I would never be anything, but I have proven all of them wrong.

RS - Do you feel you have learned anything from these experiences?
LR - First of all, I thank God for this. If it were not for him it would all be over now. My mom just kept telling to keep my head and do the right thing. I did that and look where it has gotten me.

RS - Please tell us about your high school team and what your role on that team was.
LR - At Mt. Zion, we had another player who was supposedly an NBA prospect, Brandon Rush. I played everything from the point and when the center got hurt I played some center as well. I was the player who did a little of everything to help the team win.

RS - Have there been any influential people who have helped you develop your game?
LR - Yes, my friend Titus Randal from California. He is the only one who ever took me to the gym to workout and taught me the importance of it. He always tells me to workout and lift weights. I had done it some, but never as much as he had me doing. Now I do it because I have to get bigger and stronger to play at this level.

RS - Do you have any role models who you pattern your game after?
LR - Yes, Gilbert Arenas. He wears number zero on his jersey to signify what everyone told him, he would amount to nothing. Now look where he is at. I Love his game and admire what he has accomplished. He was very similar to me, people in high school would put him down and he has overcome all of that. I really don’t play like him but I do admire what he has accomplished.

RS - What is your most memorable moment as a basketball player?
LR - I actually have two. My first was when I scored 32 points in the CIF championship game in Ca. against Engelwood High School. Though I should have had 41 points if I had hit all my freethrows. Second would be when I played for the state championship as a freshman in La. I started on that team with Marcus Spears (LSU).

RS - What other schools recruited you and why did you decide to attend the University of Houston?
LR - I was recruited by Wake Forest, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Purdue and a lot more. I had originally committed to Louisville. My mom really wanted me to come to the University of Houston, but I never listened to her. She told me what a nice place it was and the program was really on the rise. She told me, you know I would never tell you anything that is wrong for you. I was able to see them a couple times. I came here for the UAB game and saw them on television against Louisville and really liked the way they played. It is strange because Houston had never really seen me play. They eventually did see me play, but it was my friend Gary Dyer who told me about Houston and what a nice place it is. He and my mom are the ones who got me to come see the campus and meet the coaches. I like Penders and then I met Coach Haralson and love him too.

RS - What do you know about Tom Penders’ style of ball and what are your impressions of his system?
LR - He runs! He runs! I love his style of getting up and down the court. I have not seen any other coaches in the country do what he does of running and getting shots. It really is the only way you can win. I had heard a lot about Tom Penders, and when I saw them I was really impressed with how they played. He is one of the best coaches in the country to play for.

RS - Did beating Louisville have anything to do with your decision?
LR - Yeah, it really did. They have a great program, but I would rather go to a program on the rise so I can say I helped build a program and bring them back.

RS - Compare your workouts now with what you were used to in high school?
LR - To be honest, we didn’t workout. I never felt like I needed to much because I was always bigger and better than everyone. Now I am lifting, running and have already gained eight pounds this summer. I am going to be ready.

RS - Now that you have had a chance to meet most of the incoming class along with the rest of the team, what are your thoughts on the talent Coach Penders has assembled?
LR - We are ready and we are going to be real good this year. We are going to shock a lot of people and we are going to the tournament this year.

RS - Is there anyone inparticular who has impressed you with his leadership or abilities?
LR - Everyone! They can all play and are all like big brothers to me. When I get down they just keep pushing me back up. They told me they were close last year, but not like they are now. It is really nice, I love it.

RS - What attributes will you bring to the team and what do you feel like you need to work on the most?
LR - I need to work on my jump shot the most, but I like to get everyone else involved first. I know I can score, but I feel after I get everyone else involved, my points will come. I feel the team should always come first. Some of the guys are telling me I am going to have to change my attitude because Penders likes for us to shoot the ball. So I do feel I need to work on not passing up my shots.

RS - What are your individual goals this season?
LR - I really don’t worry about individual goals right now, that will come later. I don’t care if I start or come off the bench I just want to get to the tournament and have a great year.

RS - What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the University of Houston?
LR - Great city! I think of the past and great history of the University of Houston. They have a great history and were the top dawgs for a while. We are trying to get this program back too where it belongs and it is going to happen.

RS - Are you familiar with Phi Slamma Jamma and the other greats who have played here before you?
LR - Yes, I am, I have seen some tapes and it was just running and dunking every time.

RS - Are you familiar with the role current coach Michael Young played on the team?
LR - Yes, I heard he was the leading scorer and All-American.

RS - What do you plan to study and what are your ambitions following school?
LR - I am going to study Business Administration. My first goal is to make it to the NBA. Even if I do make it I will still come back and get my degree. I promised my mom I would get my degree and I want to be the first one in my family with a college degree.

RS - Do you ever read CoogFans.com?
LR - I have never really been on it, but I will check it out some time.

RS - Are there any last words you would like to say to all the Cougar fans out there?
LR - Houston basketball is back and we are going to have a great season.