March 30, 2013
Sharp going Pilot-ing
When you come out of high school with a solid shooting touch and expand on that plus add other assets to your game while at a community college, scholarship offers befriend you. This describes the path taken by Bobby Sharp and now he's on a journey north.
The former Cardinal Newman High and current Santa Rosa Junior College backcourter enjoyed a remarkable season, one in which he averaged a team-leading 17.3 points per game on 47% overall shooting, 44% from long distance (261 attempts) and 87% at the foul line. The 6-footer was also credited with 47 assists. Such contributions earned him California Community College First Team honors and elevated his profile among four-year coaches.
Eric Reveno, who knows a thing or two about northern California hoops from his days at Stanford, needed to upgrade his Portland squad's shooting and scoring. The Pilots were accurate with 41% of their shot attempts in the recently concluded season, 31% from beyond the three-point line. Even at the foul line, it was a need-to-improve 68%. Plus, 61.0 points per outing won't win all that many contests.
Need met talent and, after a recent official trip to the Rose City, Sharp now has a scholarship to Portland, a member of the West Coast Conference (WCC). That means he will be back in the Bay Area -- at St. Mary's, USF and Santa Clara -- during conference play plus Pacific is now also a WCC member.
So why Portland?
“I really felt comfortable with Coach [Reveno] and they were very straightforward and respectful in explaining what they were looking for,” Sharp said. “I met the guys and it all seemed like a perfect fit.”
Sharp consulted his parents and Santa Rosa Coach Craig McMillan, with all parties offering thumbs up and he then cast his lot with the Pilots.
It's worth noting that Reveno has previously utilized long distance shooting as a significant part of his offensive attack. Departing after the 2010-11 season, 6-foot-2 Jared Stohl finished in the top spot for three-pointers made in the program.
Sharp is looking to major in communications.
He thanked “Coach McMillan, [Cardinal Newman] Coach Tom Bonfigli and [basketball trainer] Ned Averbuck for all the help they provided along the way and to my parents for all their support.”
Sharp won't be the sole northern Californian repping the purple as Bryce (Jesuit High) Pressley and David (Marin Catholic High) Ahern return as sophomores for Portland.
He got the opportunity to play a bit during his stay and reports that the rims in the Chiles Center are “great.”