Atlanta ? Mark Price, Stephon Marbury, Jarrett Jack, Travis Best, Kenny Anderson … and Russell Robinson?
If Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt had his way, Robinson, Kansas University’s senior point guard out of New York’s Rice High School, would have joined those above mentioned greats who starred at Tech – a school known in basketball circles as “Point Guard U.”
“We recruited Russell hard,” Hewitt said. “I’ve watched his career closely. I like the way he’s grown to be a defensive leader.”
“They were one of the first teams to get in my recruitment my sophomore year – Georgia Tech and St. John’s,” Robinson said Monday, a day before tonight’s 6 p.m. tip against Georgia Tech in Alexander Memorial Coliseum.
“I almost went there. It all came down to the visit. I said, ‘Hey, whichever is the best visit.’ Of course, KU beat Missouri here (in football). It was a crazy atmosphere.
“My visit there (to Atlanta) was good, too. It was Black College Weekend, where they brought in bands (from smaller colleges) who battled off. I just liked it at KU the best.”
KU coach Bill Self reflected on Robinson’s recruitment before Monday morning’s practice in Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks headed to Atlanta after the workout.
“I said to the guys yesterday, ‘Isn’t recruiting amazing?’ We recruited three youngsters – A.J. Price, Quentin Thomas and Russell Robinson. We desperately needed a backup point guard because Aaron (Miles) was going to be a senior. Our whole deal was getting one of them. We were fortunate Russell picked us. He’s had an outstanding career.”
Price later signed with UConn and Thomas with North Carolina.
Today, Georgia Tech’s fans will see Robinson up close and personal in their own arena for the first time.
“Coach Hewitt is a good coach. He’ll get them motivated. A win against us could turn things around,” Robinson said, realizing Tech is off to a so-so 4-4 start as it rebuilds following the early NBA departures of Javaris Crittenton and Thaddeus Young.
Normally, Georgia Tech would be ranked in the top 15. Not this year. KU has played just one ranked team in Southern California.
Robinson was asked Monday if he wished a top-10 team was on the nonconference schedule.
“Yeah, just because you see them getting played a lot, especially on Thursday nights,” Robinson said of marquee games. “You like playing those games, especially early.”
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Preparation: Tech has had 13 days to prepare for tonight’s nonconference clash. The Yellow Jackets, who dropped consecutive games at Indiana and Vanderbilt, have been concentrating on final exams as well as basketball since a 72-67 victory over Georgia State on Dec. 5.
“We’ve been worried about ourselves, not Kansas as much,” Hewitt said. “School can be a little challenging. We gave them some time off since we’ve been involved in finals.”
As far as practice time, “We’ve been searching to find the right combinations. I don’t think over our first eight games we played to our potential. I don’t want to use ‘disappointed,’ but we can get better. We have to get better with some of these games coming up,” Hewitt said.
Georgia Tech, which believe it or not has played just one home game – an 83-74 season-opening loss to UNC Greensboro – will host KU, Centenary, Tennessee Tech, Florida State and Presbyterian before venturing to rival Georgia before the start of the meat of ACC play.
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Dickey not back yet: KU coach Self said Monday he figured today would be the return game for Ra’Sean Dickey, a 6-9 senior from Clio, S.C., who was academically ineligible first semester. Dickey, who started 23 games last year, was Tech’s fourth-leading scorer (8.1 points per game) and second leading rebounder (5.3 per game), while tying for the team lead in field-goal percentage (59.6 pct.).
However, a Georgia Tech official on Monday afternoon said there was no update on Dickey’s academic status, and the player would miss the game because of knee problems that have kept him from practicing much.
“They are very athletic and have big wings. They press the whole time. It’ll be different than anybody we’ve played so far,” Self said.
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Big game: No-3 rated KU is the first Top-10 non-ACC team to visit the Coliseum since January 1989, when No. 9 Louisville beat the Jackets, 67-65. The Jayhawks are the highest ranked non-conference opponent to visit Tech since Jan. 26, 1976, when, as a member of the Metro Conference, the Yellow Jackets lost to No. 3 Marquette, 55-44.
“This will be a big game, for our fans especially. One of the things I did hear coming to Georgia Tech was we don’t have enough quality nonconference opponents coming into the Coliseum,” seventh-year Tech coach Hewitt said.
“Bringing Kansas in here ranked in the top two, three is a significant game for our fans. Our players look at it as an opportunity to play more consistent basketball.”