Post by buckeye626 on Nov 6, 2006 21:06:04 GMT -5
[glow=blue,2,300]Matt Robertson A Diamond in the Rough?[/glow]
By: RALPH D. RUSSO
-Matt Goes up for a Layup in an High School Game-
Where we left off yesterday I just finished telling him about his days leading up to High School. Matt attended a private school his first year in high school playing on the freshmen team having a mediocre season, he really discovered that he wasn’t the best player anymore and he would really need to find himself in the summer and play a lot better basketball.
Tragedy struck when his dad found a new job and would mean that his family would have to move. Matt was crushed as he was really starting to fit into the system and now it would be harder to find his game again in the summer if he had to move. On July 17th he arrived in Knoxville, Tennessee. He moved into a nice 3 story house about 2 miles away from Bearden High School.
Matt had heard from some friends that Bearden High School had a very well celebrated Basketball program last winning the state title in 2002. Coach Blevins was rated as one of the top coaches in Tennessee having 4 state championships and over 10 district championships. Matt arrived a week later to start with the Summer practices, Matt arrived and got to know some of the people he would be starting with the best back court in East Tennessee with Tony White Jr. and Rande Sib. Matt worked hard that whole summer bulking up and getting into shape. Matt had earned himself the 2nd man of the bench going into the season.
The Team started off great winning the Annual Super 16 hosted at their school. Matt didn’t play much but got some timely baskets when Blevins had to rest Blake. Around Thanksgiving time Matt was in an altercation during school getting into a fight with a kid. Matt was then suspended from the team until February. Matt really decided to turn his life around. He began to understand hard work and stuff and he spent every waking moment of free time working on his skills. During the suspended he developed a really nice drop step that could dominate a game. Also Matt learned how to play some defense he worked with Demonte from the team who was a 6'8 monster and really worked to be able to stop players down in the post.
It was a cold night in February as Bearden took the floor to play their cross town rival Farragut to play in the Battle for West Know. The game started off terrible with about 2 mins left in the 1st quarter Blake Jenkins went down. Matt came on in his first major game He lined up on an out of bounds play. He faked to the left and spun to the right caught a pass and nailed a jumper. After that he began to take the game over. On the next possession he took the ball down excuted his drop step and dunked. By then the game was over all momunited had shifted to the Bearden side and the home town crowd got behind them. Matt finished the game with 32 Points, 14 Rebounds, and 4 blocks, one of them coming with 2 seconds to go to put away the chance of a game winning shot.
Bearden arrived in Murphysboro ready to play in its first state game since 2002. Their match up would be a tough one since they would be playing Raleigh Egypt from Memphis. Bearden being dazed by the stars came out flat and were rocked 77-49. Matt came home unhappy only scoring 7 in the match.
Then the next summer Tragedy struck during a scrimmage with the JV team he went up for a dunk and got uncut badly partly tearing the ACL. Matt was just crushed he had worked hard and was going to be starting. Matt worked the entire season through Rehab trying to time his return with the final games of the season and hopefully for the state tourney. Matt came back in the final season only playing a few mins but scored 4 and could jump okay without filling pain in his left knee. Bearden had gone 11-27 and didn’t qualify for districts.
Senior year rolled around they were high hopes in Bearden as the season started. Bearden won the super 16 once again and Matt gained MVP of the tourney scoring 28 points a game and grabbing 11.3 rebounds. Bearden lost one game leading into their Battle of West Know with Farragut.
and that Farragut game is what put Matt on the Map. Matt exploded out of the gate having 27 points and 11 rebounds in the 1st quarter. He finished the game with an insane 79 points and 31 Rebounds. He led his team to state and a rematch with Raleigh Egypt once again Raleigh had their number beating them by 2.
Matt got a few scholarship offers but didn’t like them much until he got a call from Thad Matta (coach at Ohio State) Matt told me, "Ill never forget what he said, 'How Ya doing Matt, would you like to be a buckeye' and that’s all. and he waited for my answer no begging and pleading just came right out and that’s why I went I respected how he did that" Matt arrived at Ohio State and completely tore it up winning Freshmen of the Year and averaging 17.7 points a game along with 11.3 rebounds a game. After his amazing Freshmen year he entered himself into the PHL draft.
Bulldogs. GRRR
By: RALPH D. RUSSO
-Matt Goes up for a Layup in an High School Game-
Where we left off yesterday I just finished telling him about his days leading up to High School. Matt attended a private school his first year in high school playing on the freshmen team having a mediocre season, he really discovered that he wasn’t the best player anymore and he would really need to find himself in the summer and play a lot better basketball.
Tragedy struck when his dad found a new job and would mean that his family would have to move. Matt was crushed as he was really starting to fit into the system and now it would be harder to find his game again in the summer if he had to move. On July 17th he arrived in Knoxville, Tennessee. He moved into a nice 3 story house about 2 miles away from Bearden High School.
Matt had heard from some friends that Bearden High School had a very well celebrated Basketball program last winning the state title in 2002. Coach Blevins was rated as one of the top coaches in Tennessee having 4 state championships and over 10 district championships. Matt arrived a week later to start with the Summer practices, Matt arrived and got to know some of the people he would be starting with the best back court in East Tennessee with Tony White Jr. and Rande Sib. Matt worked hard that whole summer bulking up and getting into shape. Matt had earned himself the 2nd man of the bench going into the season.
The Team started off great winning the Annual Super 16 hosted at their school. Matt didn’t play much but got some timely baskets when Blevins had to rest Blake. Around Thanksgiving time Matt was in an altercation during school getting into a fight with a kid. Matt was then suspended from the team until February. Matt really decided to turn his life around. He began to understand hard work and stuff and he spent every waking moment of free time working on his skills. During the suspended he developed a really nice drop step that could dominate a game. Also Matt learned how to play some defense he worked with Demonte from the team who was a 6'8 monster and really worked to be able to stop players down in the post.
It was a cold night in February as Bearden took the floor to play their cross town rival Farragut to play in the Battle for West Know. The game started off terrible with about 2 mins left in the 1st quarter Blake Jenkins went down. Matt came on in his first major game He lined up on an out of bounds play. He faked to the left and spun to the right caught a pass and nailed a jumper. After that he began to take the game over. On the next possession he took the ball down excuted his drop step and dunked. By then the game was over all momunited had shifted to the Bearden side and the home town crowd got behind them. Matt finished the game with 32 Points, 14 Rebounds, and 4 blocks, one of them coming with 2 seconds to go to put away the chance of a game winning shot.
Bearden arrived in Murphysboro ready to play in its first state game since 2002. Their match up would be a tough one since they would be playing Raleigh Egypt from Memphis. Bearden being dazed by the stars came out flat and were rocked 77-49. Matt came home unhappy only scoring 7 in the match.
Then the next summer Tragedy struck during a scrimmage with the JV team he went up for a dunk and got uncut badly partly tearing the ACL. Matt was just crushed he had worked hard and was going to be starting. Matt worked the entire season through Rehab trying to time his return with the final games of the season and hopefully for the state tourney. Matt came back in the final season only playing a few mins but scored 4 and could jump okay without filling pain in his left knee. Bearden had gone 11-27 and didn’t qualify for districts.
Senior year rolled around they were high hopes in Bearden as the season started. Bearden won the super 16 once again and Matt gained MVP of the tourney scoring 28 points a game and grabbing 11.3 rebounds. Bearden lost one game leading into their Battle of West Know with Farragut.
and that Farragut game is what put Matt on the Map. Matt exploded out of the gate having 27 points and 11 rebounds in the 1st quarter. He finished the game with an insane 79 points and 31 Rebounds. He led his team to state and a rematch with Raleigh Egypt once again Raleigh had their number beating them by 2.
Matt got a few scholarship offers but didn’t like them much until he got a call from Thad Matta (coach at Ohio State) Matt told me, "Ill never forget what he said, 'How Ya doing Matt, would you like to be a buckeye' and that’s all. and he waited for my answer no begging and pleading just came right out and that’s why I went I respected how he did that" Matt arrived at Ohio State and completely tore it up winning Freshmen of the Year and averaging 17.7 points a game along with 11.3 rebounds a game. After his amazing Freshmen year he entered himself into the PHL draft.
Bulldogs. GRRR
