New York Forward Lists Favorite

James St. Robert, an active and hard-working 6-foot-7 220-pound big forward from Copiague High School in Copiague, New York, is a bit of a sleeper coming out of Long Island in the New York metropolitan area.

St. Robert, who improved his stock markedly at the Eastern Invitational Camp in July and with his play with the New York Elite this summer, recently impressed Rivalshoops.com at the Coaches vs. Cancer charity game at Hofstra University. While charity events can be helter-skelter and not always the greatest venues to evaluate players, St. Robert's hustle and inspired play demonstrated why a number of mid-major type programs are hot after him.

Among the schools recruiting St. Robert are Rider, Canisius, LIU, St. Francis (NY), Central Connecticut State and Stony Brook, all of whom have offered scholarships. Right now, Rider is his top choice.

"Rider is my number one school right now," said St. Robert. "I plan on setting up a visit to the school soon. I also like St. Francis a lot. I know (St. Francis guard) Tristan Smith."

St. Robert is a Dennis Rodman-type of player in the sense that he is an intimidating and aggressive defender who plays hard and exerts a lot of energy at both ends of the floor. He is a player with a good motor who runs the floor well. While his offensive game is still a work in progress, St. Robert has quick feet and improving footwork, more comfortable with his back to the basket than facing up.

St. Robert has a pretty solid frame and decent strength. He averaged 14 points and 14 rebounds last season at Copiague High School.

St. Robert comes from an area in Suffolk County that is sometimes overlooked at bit by recruiters. He was not a known commodity heading into the summer, but changed that with his play.

St. Robert will take the November SAT, his second time taking the test. He is in good shape academically to meet NCAA Division I requirements.