After abysmal season, Campus Press sits down with Roby to find out where he’s going from here
This time a year ago, Richard Roby was coming off of a fantastic sophomore season and considering skipping his final two seasons of eligibility in order to enter the NBA Draft.
Oh, how things can change in just a year’s time.
In a junior season where he had trouble meshing with eight freshmen and had to deal with the departure of his coach, Roby struggled to hit his stride. The Campus Press had the opportunity to talk with the Buff athlete about his relationship with former coach Ricardo Patton, the difficulty of this past season and how he plans on rebounding.
The Campus Press: How frustrating was this season for you, not only individually, but as a team as well?
Richard Roby: It was pretty frustrating. I was glad to see how we played towards the end of the year, where I felt like we played a lot better. I think our team got more comfortable as the season went on and we look forward to getting better next year.
CP: Coach Patton said that he announced he wouldn’t seek a contract extension before the year because he felt like that was best for the team. In hindsight, do you think that was the best thing for you guys?
Roby: I don’t know how it would’ve been either way because we still would’ve been hearing in the news about him. We would’ve been hearing stuff like, “Is he going to get an extension? Is he not going to get an extension? Or, are we playing for him to get an extension?” So I think either way it would have been a distraction for us as a team.
CP: How tough were things for you this year individually when considering you were one of only three guys on the court with significant experience (along with Dominique Coleman and Marcus King-Stockton)?
Roby: It was tough. You know, I had my ups and downs. I finished the season strong and I’m just going to have to take that momentum into next year.
CP: How did you feel having that leadership role thrust upon you so suddenly this year, and how do you feel you handled that?
Roby: I think I could’ve done a lot better job just making sure guys were on the same page. I think making sure everybody was focused was also something I could have done more because it was a tough year for everyone with Coach (Patton) leaving and everything.
CP: How much did it hurt when coach Patton indirectly criticized you and a few others for not having a good attitude and not working hard enough? Also, how much did it surprise you?
Roby: It was very surprising but I didn’t let it affect me. As you can see by my numbers after that (Kansas) game, everything went up. So I guess, maybe it helped me a little bit. We knew he still cared about us too. We went out and played hard and got better.
CP: It sounds like you plan on coming back. Where do you think you need to make improvements in your game?
Roby: I need to shoot the ball a lot better than I showed. I think I can get my assists up because I’m a much better passer than what my assists were. My main thing is to get better in all areas, especially in the leadership role. (Next year) is going to be my last year and I know everybody wants to win because that’s the main category that counts.
CP: How strange is it going to be playing for a new coach in your final season?
Roby: I can play for any coach. I can adjust and pick up a new system so all it can do is help me and my game.
CP: How excited is the team to find out who your new coach is going to be?
Roby: We’re very interested. We’re excited that coach (Patton) got a new job because he deserved it, but we’re ready to find out who is going to be coaching us.
Contact Campus Press staff writer Stirling Wade at stirling.wade@thecampuspress.com.
