Curtis Bobb is crowd favorite
When Curtis Bobb suited up the No. 22 this year, the senior was doing more than filling in graduated senior Troy Rolle’s former jersey; he was filling in his position.
With four starters returning from last year’s Big West Conference-championship team, the only question mark for Aggie fans was who would play the small forward position. The USU coaches looked to Bobb; and he has responded.
“He’s made a point of improving,” said assistant coach Randy Rahe. “He made himself a better player.”
Primarily a 3-point bomber last season, Bobb has turned himself into the complete player the Aggies need him to be.
Rebounding and defense are now his priority, Bobb said. “[And scoring] some points, if I have to, here and there.”
That’s a far cry from where Bobb was last season where he was ninth in rebounding for the team and only averaged four points a game. Now he is the No. 2 rebounder on the team and is averaging 10.5 points a game – numbers similar to Rolle’s stats last season.
However, the comparisons to Rolle do get on Bobb’s nerves from time to time.
“He’s a great athlete,” Bobb said. “[But] you really can’t compare.”
Rolle is 6-foot-2, 210 pounds while Bobb is 6-foot-6, 200 pounds. The other obvious difference is one many can spot right away: Bobb’s long arms. Although he has never measured, his wingspan is certainly longer than his height.
“He’s got good size for that position,” Rahe said.
Bobb said his arms certainly come in handy when going for the rebounds. And defens is something the USU coaches have been trying to get more consistent.
“He’s doing everything we could have asked,” Rahe said. And he has surprised the coaches a little bit with his consistency this year.
“We knew he had the potential,” Rahe said.
One of his better defensive games – vs. Weber State University on Dec. 23 – was also Bobb’s best offensive outing of his USU career. He hit four of his seven 3-pointers to score 20 points and had six rebounds to help the Aggies route the Wildcats in the Spectrum.
“As long as he plays with intensity, he plays well,” Rahe said. Defense translates into good offense.
Rahe said Bobb has shared the responsibilities of covering the opposition’s best player with Tony Brown. Bobb said it is his goal to cut the opposing player’s average in half.
Rebounding and defense are the focus of two of his roommates: junior center Jeremy Vague and sophomore forward Toraino Johnson. Both are new to the team, having been introduced to the program by Bobb last year.
Johnson, a defensive specialist, has been learning from Bobb’s offensive skills in exchange for defensive pointers.
“I give him something, he gives me something,” Johnson said.
The three live in a townhouse with two other friends. Each has his own bathroom and bedroom.
“We all get along together, have fun and play games,” Bobb said. “We all got an understanding.”
That understanding gives Bobb a chance to encourage Johnson and Vague as they adjust to life as Division I basketball players.
“He helps me out a lot,” Johnson said. “I’m in the same boat he was last year.”
Last year Bobb transferred from the College of Southern Idaho to USU while Vague and Johnson both came from California JCs.
Bobb said the transition was easy from Twin Falls, Idaho, to Logan – they are both small towns that have a lot of community support.
The criminal justice major, who hopes to be a police officer or FBI Agent after school, is originally from Aurora, Colo. Many of his family still lives there and will be watching Thursday night.
He has three younger brothers, two play football while one plays basketball. One of his brothers is 14 years old and 6-foot-5 – a height Bobb didn’t achieve until his senior year of high school.