Travis Robinson

12/12: Travis Robinson, who left the Fresno State basketball team after six games last season, stops by as a recruit. It was a normal Monday at the South Gym. Jerry Tarkanian was hollering, Chris Jefferies was dunking and everyone was wondering when the Tito Maddox appeal ruling would arrive. Then, flipping everything topsy-turvy, the door opened and Travis Robinson walked in. At least for a day, the player nicknamed 'Blac' was back. Dressed in hanging shorts and a Fresno State workout jersey, the 6-foot-7 shooting guard with oodles of potential watched his former team practice. He's keeping up with the 4-2 Bulldogs, even as he is waist-deep in Jayhawk Nation cornfields, nestled in at Barton County Junior College in Kansas. "I really miss this place," he said as he watched his former teammates sprint up the court. "If I were here now, man, it would be on. And everyone knows that." He wants to find a path back to Fresno State, indicating the Bulldogs, along with DePaul, are his leading choices. Other options he has in mind include Cincinnati and Michigan. If Robinson does graduate (he said he is 17 credits shy), he can go to any school he likes. But if he doesn't, NCAA rules stipulate he can only return to Fresno State. This was an unofficial visit, which seemed to surprise the daylights out of everyone, including Tarkanian, who appeared happy to see him. Robinson flew from Kansas City and will tour the state during winter break, staying with friends and catching up with NBA players he used to hoop with in high-school AAU camps. He rings the names off with ease: Keyon Dooling and Quentin Richardson of the Los Angeles Clippers, Tracy McGrady of the Orlando Magic. "I should be there," he said. "I can ball with them." On his 10-1 junior-college squad, Robinson -- although playing center a lot -- is averaging 24 points and eight rebounds a game. The Bulldogs have signed one player -- Wabash Valley's (Ill.) Hiram Fuller -- for next season and are looking for another. Numerous permutations exist for next season -- with the eligibility of Terri Miller, Melvin Ely and Shannon Swillis uncertain -- and Fresno State would like some insurance. And a precocious player such as Robinson fits that need. While he would prefer to go to a Division 1 college to better hone his game, June's NBA Draft is still a possibility, as long as it would make him a first-round selection. "I'm leaving all of my options open," said Robinson, who was a top-20 prospect coming out of Mount Zion Academy (N.C.). If he were playing Division 1 now, he said he would be an All-American. Easy. Fans in Fresno, of course, remember Robinson as the player -- so hyped, so talented -- who quit the team six games into last season after being upset about playing time and told by outsiders the NBA was feasible. "I was confused a lot," said Robinson, who also indicated his relationship with Tarkanian remains good. "I wasn't focused like I should have been. I've matured a lot over the past year." Robinson said part of the problem was Courtney Alexander, who dazzled opponents with his offensive arsenal, but alienated some teammates with what was perceived as a me-first philosophy. Alexander graduated and now plays for the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. "We never got along," Robinson said. "When I killed the competition in the Hawaii Thanksgiving Classic 70 points in three games, Courtney was on the bench talking trash. He was part of the reason I left. If I would have stayed, he wouldn't have led the nation in scoring." Pundits predicted Robinson was NBA-bound before he made up his mind, he said. But after he left Fresno State, he did it anyway, throwing his name into the 2000 NBA Draft, only to renege in May. "If I went hard, I may have been able to do it," he said. "I didn't feel I was mentally ready. I decided if I went to junior college and didn't make it, at least I'd have my degree." He'll tell you -- in third person -- this is a new and improved Travis Robinson, although Tarkanian did have to tell him to stop bouncing the ball on the bench a time or two. Smiling, Robinson listened, resting the ball in his hands. At least now, he has plenty of options in his grasp. - Fresno Bee