Webster guard hits his shots – and his books
By Thomas Crone
For the St. Louis American
Benny Roberts is the type of basketball player that any coach would enjoy having on his team. Chris Bunch, at a Division III Webster University, is the coach lucky enough to claim him.
Even though the 5’9 point guard hasn’t had the shooting success he’d like during his still-underway sophomore campaign, he leads the team in rebounding average, despite often being the shortest player in the Gorlok lineup. He also brings a heady amount of assists and serves as the team’s floor general, though is minutes have been somewhat limited by injuries. His success as a starter this year carried over directly from his work as a freshman on a senior-loaded team in ’04-’05.
“I was the sixth man,” he says. “We won conference last year. We had a lot of seniors. I played pretty well, I think. I was one of the team leaders, as a freshman. Being so young, it forced me to learn a lot, quickly. This year, I’m not really the captain, but being the point guard, I’m the extension of the coach. I’m vocal, players come to me.” But, “We haven’t had the success of last year, so far.”
With Webster struggling at the start of the year, in last place in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Roberts has been working on his own game, while trying to keep spirits high.
Asked what he’d like to improve on before his time’s done, Roberts says, “I’d have to say shooting and decision-making, at times. When I get tired, I get mental lapses and do things I wouldn’t normally do. Throw the ball away, throw one-handed passes. I think I’m a pretty decent defender and I’m a threat going to the basket, but people kind of ease up on me, because I don’t show jump shots that well. That’s one thing I really want to work on.”
Roberts wasn’t necessarily looking like a Division III talent as he began his prep years. A highly-rated guard from St. Paul Central High School in St. Paul, MN, Roberts was getting multiple teasers from D1 schools, before a knee injury changed his outlook.
“At first, I was never looking at (Webster),” he admits. “I tore my knee up in 11th grade and that made me really think about what I needed to get done in school, to get an education. I cut off those big dreams of playing pro, or playing big-time college ball. And I started looking for a school that was good academically, but where I could play more. I wanted to be out-of-state, but be in the Midwest, still. And I actually found an old letter from the assistant coach here. I dug it up, I called. My dad told me he had a lot of family down here. I visited the school over my spring break and it was a great school.
“It has liberal arts,” he adds. “It had my major: I’m a sociology/education major. It’s the best environment for me. I wanted to work with young in inner cities and this is one of the areas that needs a lot of help, I think. This was it, this was perfect. It had everything, family, school, basketball, everything. It’s probably the best decision I’ve made, yet.”
Not content to just work on the court, and in the classroom, Roberts is heavily involved in student affairs at Webster, saying, “I’m not in student government, but I’m involved with everything else. I’m the vice president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I’m a member-at-large in the Association of African-American Collegians. I’m a Big Brother. I tutor with the Literacy Corps, through the athletic department. I’m a student ambassador. Whenever they need tours, or someone to speak to a student, I’m someone they grab. I’m an orientation leader. I enjoy getting my hands in different places. I enjoy helping out and it’s a good way to meet people. I can make good connections for the future.
“I’m actually taking enough multi-cultural studies classes that I might be able to get another minor,” he says. “I’m just really big on diversity and learning about other cultures and applying it to making a living in this society, making it a better place. There’s a lot of confusion about people the way you see things in the media. With me getting an education in this, it’ll break down certain stereotypes and prejudices that I have and will get me relating to other people, understanding one another.”
Roberts doesn’t come off as cocky in conversation. Instead, he’s got the sort of through confidence that’ll serve him well beyond college. Asked whether the combination of school and basketball helps his ability to balance both, he doesn’t miss a beat.
“It’s my key to success,” he says. “When I have too much time, I get kind of lazy. When I’m busy, I keep myself focused and get done what I need to get done. Last year, I had the highest GPA on the team and this year, I’m probably near the top. The higher you get, the tougher the classes get. But I’ve been fortunate in keeping my grades up and still be able to play a pivotal role on the team.”
After Webster played Maryville on a recent Saturday afternoon, Roberts, still in his uniform a half-hour after game-time, walked through the lobby of the Maryville gym. Players from both teams came to shake his hand. Coaches and parents did the same. Every time he turned around, another quick conversation followed, as if everyone in the place somehow knew him. And all this for a player who didn’t even prep in the St. Louis area.
But after spending even a few minutes with Roberts, you can figure out why people gravitate his way.
“Division III is underrated,” he says, selling his team and their level of play. “Not in the sense of it being not-as-good, but it’s not appreciated like it should be. At first, big schools like Nebraska were recruiting me as a 10th-grader and I though I’d come here and score 1,000 points. But it’s a reality check. It’s really good basketball. It’s got everything: fundamentals, really good athletes. Big men can play guard positions, guards can post-up. Its’ really good basketball and I’m really glad I made the decision to come here and not try to play Division I. I don’t think I’d have learned as much as I have here and I think it’ll help me become a better coach when I do that.”