CU star looks to build confidence, seeks return to Big 12 elite
Confidence is something that can make or break a player in college basketball. With it, a player can be a strong leader on the court, pushing his teammates to be better. Without it, a player can struggle in areas where he was once magnificent.
This season has been rough for the CU men’s basketball team. As they now struggle to stay out of the cellar of the Big 12 Conference, junior stand-out guard Richard Roby is looking to get some confidence back in his shooting.
“When I’m on the court, every shot feels like a good shot for me. I just go to knock a few shots down and get my confidence back,” Roby said. “This game is mental, especially at the college level, so I’d say (confidence) is a big part of it.”
Roby is still one of the top 10 scorers in the Big 12 Conference this season, but he is out of the top 10 in terms of shooting percentage.
On just 35.4 percent shooting from the field, Roby is averaging 17.1 points per game this season. Before playing Nebraska last Saturday, when Roby scored a career-low of one point, he was averaging 18.3 points per game. But his shooting percentage has drastically fallen off from where it was his previous two seasons.
In his first two seasons, Roby had well balanced numbers offensively. In the 2004-2005 season, he was averaging 16 points per game on 44.5 percent shooting from the field. He was also draining 37.4 percent of his three point shots. As a sophomore, Roby averaged 17 points per game while shooting 42.2 percent from the field.
With all of the honors and recognition Roby received in his first two years wearing a Buffs’ uniform, defenses have learned to lock down on Roby by guarding him more closely.
“I do know that defenses are certainly geared to guard him a little bit closer,” Head Coach Ricardo Patton said. “I think that I see a difference; he is starting to come around. He is a marked guy on the team and he understands that now.”
Roby was named to the All-Big 12 Conference first team last year and was selected to the Big 12 All-Freshman team in 2004-2005. There is no doubt that opponents’ defensive schemes against the Buffs have tried to limit Roby’s production Patton said Roby’s struggles cannot be tied down by one particular thing, but the extra attention Roby is receiving from defenses is a big part of it.
For Roby though, regaining some lost confidence and learning to stay optimistic are the main things he needs to do. Opponents will be more aware of Roby than any other player on the team, but he is learning to be patient and take the right shots at the right time.
“I got to knock down the good shots that I do get and just keep playing and staying positive,” Roby said.
