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Basketball: Cal adds 6-foot-10 walk-on
By Jeff Faraudo
Monday, October 19th, 2009 at 11:27 am in Basketball, Recruiting.
Robert Thurman, a 6-foot-10, 250-pound sophomore who played last season at NCAA Division III Norwich University, has joined the Bears as a walk-on.
Thurman averaged 11.4 points and 6.9 rebounds as a freshman last year, leading the 7-19 Cadets in both categories. He also topped the team with 42 blocked shots. Thurman had 34 points in one game against Suffolk and earned all-Great Northeast Athletic Conference third-team honors.
Thurman will red-shirt this season as a transfer, but will be eligible to practice with the team. Norwich is a military school in Northfield, Vt., founded in 1819.
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October 19th, 2009 at 11:42 am
I like it!! Bring in size. Jeff, do you know if it comes with possibly earning a scholarship? Also, do you know how the transfer came down?
October 19th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
AWESOME!!
October 19th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Does he have to red-shirt? I thought D2 and D3 transfers could play right away.
October 19th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
This is interesting news.
Foreseeing the same issue I’ve been posting about for some time (lack of depth with big men), and not wanting to give up a scholarship on a 2nd or 3rd tier player, Monty has found a guy who will cost him nothing, but can potentially come in and use up some minutes on the inside, which we desperately need.
And if he develops into anything more than that, bonus.
Sounds like a good kid and good student. He’s originally from Edwards, California and was back east on an academic scholarship in engineering. This is actually old news, as he’s been in Berkeley since mid August. His dad left a post elsewhere that he DOES need to sit out this year due to NCAA rules. Nothing wrong with another year of body building to get ready for the big step up from D1 to D3.
My guess, if folks get behind him he could be a fan favorite.
Thanks for bringing it to our attention, JF.
October 19th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
Division I athletes who transfer to D-II or D-III are not required to sit out a year, but you do have to sit if you transfer into a D-I program. The rationale is no doubt to keep athletes from using that as a loophole to move to another D-I without sitting out — go from D-I to D-II and back to D-I without sitting. NCAA has a rule for everything. I’m sure Thurman will be a good practice player; as Dubious suggests, anything beyond that would be a bonus.
October 19th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
You mean to suggest he’s Richard Solomon fodder?
October 19th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Your word, not mine. Let’s wait and see.
October 19th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Oh, I’m liking the kid a lot already. I’ll be pulling for him big time. Anyone who can elevate themselves, work hard and get to Cal the way he did is impressive. No doubt Cal staff went and found him and asked him to transfer and walk on. Great story! Go Robert! Even if his only job is to make the likes of Solomon work hard, get better, and enter his games with confidence after bruising practices, then he’s a Bear thru and thru. Lots of pride in that right there!
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:42 am
Just was wandering through and spotted your postings about Rob.
Thought you might like this…
http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/Sports_p021.shtml
Not just a jock with long legs. Looks like Sports Physiology might be in his future?
I know that his attention from Cal came when he visited us here last Christmas break (word has it his Science Fair partner goes to Cal also). We saw him here at that time. He would come to the gym and play 4-5 hours a day, getting into any pick up that had room. I think someone told Monty and the wheels started turning….. he made this happen and should be proud of his drive… most big guys will just let it happen. Rob seems driven to succeed, who can hate that?
Oh and one more thing, seems the folks at admissions were saying his mother is a retired Marine with some service related handicap and he got in tuition reduced. He is getting a full immersion here too, folks tell us he lives with Boykin just off campus.
Anyone else have anything…