Justin Cobbs named Daily Breeze Player of the Year

[BleedGopher]

Some nice quotes from the article:

"He's up there with the very best I've coached," Mitchell said. "I've never had a player who has made so many big shots. He made so many key plays in big games. He has the ability to rise to the occasion."

Mitchell said Cobbs has a unique set of attributes that helped make him the standout he was.

"He combines speed, quickness and strength - a rare quality for a guard," Mitchell said. "He's fundamentally sound and has good footwork and balance, which serve him well."

"Cobbs has always had the ability to lift his game in big games," Mitchell said. "He consistently did that during his high school career, and this was his best year by far."

"His playmaking ability for others is really his best quality," Mitchell said. "I think you'll see it more with a high level of talent around him on the college level."

http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_12052157

Go Gophers!!

 

[Tater]

Good stuff. Last year we lacked a consistent player with a second gear who could step up and take over a game. Westbrook certainly did that on occasion (@WI in particular) but disappeared just as often too. I hope Cobbs helps us out right away, but I get the feeling he'll need a year or two before he blossoms at the college level.

 

[Plinnius]

I only hope he can be an adequate enough backup to allow Joseph to slide over to SG.

 

[Mikie S]

From the article:
Mitchell said Cobbs ranks with Errick Craven (USC), Derrick Craven (USC) and Fred Washington (Stanford) as the best players to come out of Bishop Montgomery during his 20-year tenure. "He's up there with the very best I've coached" ...

Just a reality check, only Errick Craven among that group ever averaged double digits (13 as a soph, under 7 as a senior). The other two were supporting role-player types.


Justin Cobbs went into his senior season with accolades already under his belt and his college already chosen....
and
Not bad for a player who already had his future in basketball lined up.
and
Cobbs' ability to remain focused his senior year despite a full ride to Minnesota already secured did not surprise Mitchell.

I thought the first quote seemed a bit strange, as most of the top players in the country have schools lined up already (without it affecting their pay), so why repeat it twice more?

 

[leftyslefty]

I really think this guy.........

is the key to our season next season. He has to be ready in case the other guards do not take a step up from where they finished the season.

We'll have depth, defense and rebounding on the front line. The guard play will tell if we get back to the dance.

I hope he's planning on playing summer league here with Royce, Rodney and Trevor. I believe they could put them together because they are all incoming players.

 

[bga1]

This is an interesting guy. At 6-3 -that's good size for a PG. He has shown the ability to score big in a game with a high of 47 points- that's filling it up. Yet his coach says his best ability is to make clutch plays and make plays for others. Whether it's Nolen picking his game up a couple of notches (much improved jumper and making entry passes) or it's Cobbs coming in and surprising as a good second option, our PG play should improve next year. Hopefully, a lot.