Washington State Lands Recruit

Sometimes one trip is all it takes. This was the case with Robbie Cowgill, a skilled 6-foor-9, 185-pound power forward from Westwood High School in Round Rock, Texas. After an official visit to Washington State this past weekend, Cowgill called to verbally commit to Dick Bennett right after he got back home.

"Going into the trip, I pretty much had my mind made up -- I had thought about it for a long time," said Cowgill. "But I wanted to meet the coaching staff and see the school first. It exceeded all my expectations. I came back, talked to my parents, and called (Coach Bennett) Sunday night."

Cowgill chose Washington State over offers from SMU, South Alabama, Stephen F. Austin, along with Ivy League schools such as Cornell and Yale. The relationship he had with Dick Bennett and his staff made the difference.

"I love their coaches," said Cowgill. "Dick Bennett especially. I had heard of him and his success in building programs. I'm excited abut playing for him. Also, Coach Bennett and his son are strong Christians, and that made a difference for me."

With the commitment, the Cougars gain an extremely skilled player who can score both inside the paint and out on the perimeter. A good athlete, Cowgill combines good post moves with a sweet jumper that he can make from beyond the arc. This summer, he impressed many on the AAU circuit while playing with the Austin Dawgs AAU program.

"He's really skilled for his size," said Westwood head coach Dennis Burton. "He can dribble, pass, shoot the three, and has good post moves inside. People really like his athletic ability at his size to do things like guard and defend."

While Cowgill would like to work on improving his jumping ability and fine-tuning his outside shot, the key with the young forward at the college level is that he will need to put some muscle on his skinny frame.

"He's going to have to get bigger," said Burton. "His older brother is a swimmer at Texas and he got stronger when he got there. So he'll get some physically maturity and get some physical strength."

Because of his need to get stronger, Cowgill was willing to sit out and wait his turn at WSU. But the plan is for him to contribute immediately at both forward spots.

"I had talked to Coach Bennett about redshirting," said Cowgill. "But he told me that I would be counted on as a freshman to play and impact games. And that I would get minutes as a small four or as a big three."

Cowgill isn't quite sure what he will major in at Washington State, but feels he may go with something along the lines of Engineering. A brilliant student, Cowgill has a 4.0 GPA and notched a sizzling 1300 on his SAT.

The commitment from Cowgill is Bennett's second from the Class of 2004 (Hawaii

point guard Derrick Low was the first). It's a tremendous match, according to

Cowgill's high school coach.

"I think the main thing was finding a school that fit his needs," said Burton.

"I'm a big Dick Bennett fan, always have been, and I knew they were really high on him. It couldn't be a better fit for him."

Jed Tai is a senior writer with Hoopville.com