Another big man surfaces for Falcons

Southeastern Illinois, as it always is, was a popular stop in the month of September for Division One recruiters.

"Not quite as many as you'd think," said head coach Todd Franklin. "Everybody knows that those guys are not doing anything. Georgia and Purdue were in here, those types, Vegas has been here several times on Tyrone Green. But they're not doing anything until spring and everyone knows that."

Takais Brown and Demar Dotson have long been names on the recruiting radar, but now there is a third frontcourt player for the Falcons that will get some looks.

"Rick Robinson had a really good summer and fall and he's getting a little Division One attention. I think he'll get more," Franklin said. "Robinson's a 6-8, 225 pound Jamaican kid. He is real long, real athletic, can really run, has a nice 15 foot jump shot. He has good shot blocking ability, really a lot of talent. He really struggled in his adjustment last year to the American style. He's from the tourist part of Jamaica. They don't play a lot of basketball, and the basketball they do play is not a very physical version."

However, Franklin has seen a vast change in Robinson's game.

"Last spring, we started to see the turn on him," said the coach. "We really didn't know if he'd be as tough, as physical as he'd need to be. Really as he's gotten used to the game, he got a lot more physical. In the fall, he's really done some good things."

Franklin said he expects Robinson to play 20-25 minutes a game spelling Brown and Dotson down low.

"I feel good about that rotation inside," Franklin said. "If you ranked our five best players, he would be one of them. Because of position, he's not going to start, but he is one of our five best players."

The Falcons are set down low, but Franklin does have some concern about the backcourt. Green will run the show, but even he is a converted forward.

"We're rying to get those guards on the same level as the big guys. We're a lot closer than we were a couple weeks ago. I like our guys, think they're good people, working hard, trying to listen, and they've got some talent," Franklin said. "I think at some point in time it's going to click and we're gonna be pretty good. I think any team that tries to get the ball inside as their main deal, it takes a little longer, it's more of a coordinated deal."

Expect the Falcons to be right back where they have been for years: among the top junior college teams in the country.

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