Tampa subregional

New home where heart is

Gator grew up in Michigan and was close to Tom Izzo but has had a transfusion to Blue and Orange.

By ANTONYA ENGLISH, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published March 20, 2003

GAINESVILLE -- Whatever you do this weekend, don't call Anthony Roberson a Michigan State fan.

Yes, the Florida freshman forward has a Michigan connection. Yes, he grew up a Michigan State fan. But the moment he signed a letter of intent to play for the Gators, the love of Green and White turned to loyalty for the Orange and Blue.

So despite his longtime connection to the Spartans and his deep affection for MSU coach Tom Izzo, you won't catch Roberson secretly rooting for the Spartans when they take on Colorado on Friday.

"Nah, that's over," he said. "I'm a Gator now."

Indeed.

The 6-foot-1 guard from Saginaw, Mich., has been instrumental in the Gators' success. He has played in 31 games, starting 11, and will start when No. 2-seed Florida plays Sam Houston State on Friday night. The SEC freshman of the year (voted on by AP and league coaches) was heavily recruited by Izzo as a McDonald's All-American coming out of Saginaw High School.

The Spartans play before the Gators' game on Friday night, but Roberson said he won't have any mixed emotions.

"Michigan State's home, that's the intrastate school, that's the school I grew up around, a school I grew up (and watched) playing, and a coach that recruited me from day one when I first started playing AAU in eighth grade," Roberson said. "(Izzo's) a coach that watched me from playing JV football in high school to the end of my high school career. It's a lot, a lot of feeling there. I'm a Gator now, but I've seen a lot of Izzo's face during my high school career."

Roberson, 20, is second on the team with six 20-point games, but he has missed a few key shots lately, including the winning attempt against Kentucky and key misses late in a loss to LSU last week, part of Florida's three-game losing streak.

But neither he nor his teammates are concerned. He hit the winning free throws in a 58-57 win against Florida State on Dec. 6, and in January his 3-pointer at the buzzer helped Florida beat Georgia at home.

Roberson can shoot, that's the bottom line. And the Gators are confident he come through in the clutch.

"I love his attitude, the same with the rest of the (freshmen)," senior guard Justin Hamilton said. "Those guys are willing to learn. They listen and they work hard, and that's all you can ask for."

So does Roberson maybe, just maybe, hope to meet the Spartans in Sunday's second round?

Not really, he said.

"I don't care who we play," he said. "I'm happy where we're at and knowing who we play in the first round. Hopefully we can get past (Sam Houston State), then I'll worry about Michigan State then. When the time comes I'm going to be ready to play no matter what."

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