Isaiah Roby is making Nebraska basketball proud.
When you take a look at Nebraska basketball over the past couple of seasons, there have not been too many players who have made it professionally. One player is making an impact, and he is a player that I covered during my first year as the editor of Husker Corner.
Isaiah Roby is playing very well for the Oklahoma City Thunder. In 20.7 minutes of play, he has averaged 8.5 points and five rebounds per game. On Tuesday against the Portland Trail Blazers, he recorded 11 points and 10 rebounds. He isn’t necessarily putting up All-Star numbers, but he is contributing in a positive way for Oklahoma City.
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When I watched him at Nebraska, I had a feeling he could make an impact at the next level. He wasn’t the most athletic, and he was not a high-volume scorer. However, he always seemed to take the right shots, and he always seemed to make the smart play. Now, that is translating to the NBA. When I watched him play, he always seemed to be near the basket, and that type of drive and competitiveness is serving him well.
Just for a refresher, Roby averaged 8.1 points and 5.5 rebounds during his time with the Nebraska basketball program. His best season in terms of points came in 2018-19. That year, he started in all 35 games, and averaged 11.8 points per contest. He was a key piece of the hot start that Nebraska basketball had that year.
As I recall, he had a very good mid-range jumper. That allowed him to offer a unique a style for a Nebraska basketball program that had a lot of three-point shooters and players who drove to the lane at that time. He was a good complement for what the rest of the team was trying to do.
Now, it appears that he is a good complement for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He is fitting his role perfectly, and that is allowing him to succeed in the NBA. I can’t wait to see what he can do further, and hopefully he can get his role expanded.
He certainly has the talent to be in the NBA for a long time, and his consistency can serve as a pillar for his success. It’s great to see him be able to perform at a high level. Hopefully, he can parlay his recent success into a long career. That would certainly look good on the Nebraska basketball program.