Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut • C4

C4 FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016 THE HARTFORD COURANT SP RTS FORMER UCONN STAR Cliff Robinson Pursues Marijuana Business was a member of the Huskies' All Century Team and finished with 1,664 points at UConn, averaging 15.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks. After UConn he was drafted in the second round of the 1989 NBA draft. Robinson played for five NBA teams with career averages of 14.2 points and 4.6 rebounds. Toward the end of his career he was often among the oldest players in the league, retiring at 40. The marijuana business isn't the first post-basketball exploit that has made headlines for Robinson.

He appeared on television's "Survivor" in 2014 and that year was also part of a group of basketball players assembled by Dennis Rodman to play a "diplomacy game" in North Korea. address at the Cannabis Collaborative Conference on Feb. 4. He's billed as a "cannabis advocate." In 2006, while playing for the New Jersey Nets, Robinson was suspended five games during the NBA playoffs for marijuana use. "I want to go on maybe coach, maybe work in the front office," he told The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.

at the time. "I can't do that by making stupid mistakes like that." He had previously been suspended in 2001 while with the Phoenix Suns after an arrest for marijuana possession and driving under the influence. Robinson, 49, addressed the use of marijuana by NBA players in the interview with the Portland Business Journal. "When you talk about guys playing on a professional level, there's a lot of physical and mental stress that comes with that, and to have something available to you that has health benefits, I don't see the issue with it myself," he said. Robinson's No.

00 was added to the Huskies of Honor in 2007. Robinson, who grew up in Buffalo, Promotes Drug's 'Health Benefits' By RUSSELL BLAIR rblaircourant.com UComi basketball greats have segued their college and professional careers into coaching jobs, broadcasting gigs and now: the marijuana business. Cliff Robinson, who played for the Huskies from 1985-1989 and was part of the 1988 NIT championship team, plans to get into the marijuana growing business in Portland, under the name "Uncle Spliffy," a play on the Uncle Cliffy nickname that fans gave him. "People in Oregon know me as a basketball player Robinson spent eight seasons of his 19-year career with the Portland Trail Blazers but I want to distill the stigma around cannabis, the misperception that athletes and cannabis are incompatible," he told the Portland Business Journal. Robinson will give a keynote CELTIC Ricky Davis, left, faces UConn product Cliff Robinson of the Nets in 2006 in Boston.

Robinson, under the name "Uncle Spliffy," plans to get into the marijuana growing business in Portland, Ore. CHARLES KRUPA I ASSOCIATED PRESS 'You look at Louisville's backcourt, and that's fifth-year guys," Vitale said. "It's like the one-and-done in reverse, but it's one-and-done with experience. If it works out, it's the greatest thing in the world. When it doesn't, people question it." Said Raftery: "It depends on the personality of the individuals.

When a kid has been around as long as Gibbs has, he can handle it. When I saw them, he was having trouble making open shots, and that's what they need him to do. It can be a problem, if somebody's knocking somebody's best friend out of the lineup. But he's been around and played in so many big games, I would think they put their arms around him." Daniel Hamilton has impressed all three. "Hamilton does so many good things for them," Raftery said.

"And Brimah, when's he's out there and can stay out of foul trouble, is a force and Rodney Purvis is such an aggressive kid, getting to the basket. They've got some nice players." Said Vitale: "I saw a lot of good things in them when they played Maryland. They played with emotion. They played hard. They made a run when they got behind.

The No. 1 thing with UConn is inconsistency. They've had some magical moments, and they've had some disappointing moments. You see a lot of potential there, with Purvis, with Sterling Gibbs and his ability to shoot, with Daniel Hamilton, Mr. Versatility.

They have the potential to be explosive. They have the potential to make a run but they've got to do it." Making a run. It has been a season with no dominant team, in which No. 1 teams are falling nearly every week. UConn made unexpected runs to national titles in 2011 and 2014.

"I had Kansas early in the year, and I thought they were the best team," Raftery said. "Then Oklahoma, when they thrashed Villanova, I thought they were the best team. That league is going to bring out the best in them, and who knows what they're going to do in the tournament? Now I think Carolina, overall, is the best team. That's right now. But that's what kind of year it is.

I think Georgetown is a good game for UConn, coming in the middle of conference play." Said Welsh: 'You can do it with balance. It's overtalked about, having a main guy. Shabazz Napier took over in 2014, but he had a lot of help. College is such, if you have one special player and nobody to support him, teams can take that away. I've been a big believer in UConn I think it will all come together, and I really think Kevin pushes the buttons as well as anybody." Said Vitale: "I've labeled this the season of unpredictability.

There's no great team. What we have is a lot of quality teams. That's why March Madness is going to be magnificent. Right seed, right situation, and you can make a big run. But the first thing you have to do is get your resume to where there is no doubt.

You have to get there, and then anything can happen." Trinity Continued from Page CI and just knowing each other from New York City, even though Brooklyn is really big, has definitely helped us get closer." Ogundeko, 6 feet 6 and 235 pounds, is a dominant low post player and has developed a nice jump shot. He averages team highs of 15.1 points and 1L5 rebounds. Ajayi, the same height but 25 pounds lighter, is more of a slasher and key to Trinity's transition offense and defense. He averages 12.3 points, third on the team behind Ogundeko and Jaquan Starks (12.8), a senior guard from Hartford. All the pieces fit nicely for Trinity, which finished first in the NESCAC last season, advanced to the quarterfinals of the Division III NCAA Tournament and returned its core.

The Bantams are deep and versatile, the starting lineup rounded out with senior point guard Andrew Hurd of Windsor and Rick Naylor, a forward guard from Sudbury, Vt. Trinity is 12-4, 3-0 in the NESCAC, and has won five in a row heading into Friday's game at Colby. In conference play, Ogundeko is averaging 20.3 points and 11 rebounds. Ajayi is averaging 15 points, 4.7 rebounds and a conference-best 4.7 steals. "They've been a big part of what we've done the last few seasons," coach James Cosgrove said of Ajayi and Ogundeko.

"Those two and Jaquan a first-team NESCAC player last season are probably our three hardest workers. The best thing now is they're really buying into being great leaders for us, which is important. They're just great kids who would do anything for someone they're friends with, and the type of kids people gravitate toward. Shay is very outgoing gregarious personality. Ed is like that, too, but very reserved until you get to know him" Cosgrove came to know Ajayi first.

Keisha Lewis, a student manager at the University of Hartford during Cosgrove's time there as an assistant coach (1988-92), is the athletic director at Medgar Evers Prep in Brooklyn, which Ajayi attended. She made some exploratory recruiting calls on Ajayi's behalf during his senior season and, through a former UHart player, Paul Spence, was put in touch with Cosgrove. Ajayi found the right basketball and academic fit at Trinity, where he is a double-major in economics and engineering. Cosgrove soon began recruiting Ogundeko, who attended Thomas Jefferson High in Brooklyn and is now a political science major at Trinity. He was also in the high school graduating Class of 2012 but opted for a year at Proctor Academy in New Hampshire, so he arrived at Trinity a year later than Ajayi.

The team is 50-22 since they began playing together in 2013-14, with Ajayi a sophomore and Ogundeko a freshman. Ajayi has played in all 72 games in that span, starting 7L and Ogundeko has appeared in 7L starting 47. Last season, Trinity was 23-7, 9-1 NESCAC, and was upset by Wesleyan in the semifinals of the conference tournament before winning three games in the NCAA Tournament, finally losing at Babson in the Elite Eight. "It's good experience but pressure too," Ogundeko said. "If we exceed that, it's a great year.

If we fall short, it's seen by outside eyes like we took a step back." Said Cosgrove: "Until we get to the Final Four, players are not going to be in a bigger game than they've already been in. I don't think anything will intimidate them, or inhibit them" Ajayi, who spent four years of his childhood living in Lagos, Nigeria, and Ogundeko didn't talk much during Ogundeko's prep year at Proctor. They quickly developed a tight bond when they became teammates at Trinity. Ajayi, 2L has two brothers and a sister. Ogundeko, also 2L has two sisters and a brother.

They both spend summers in Hartford, working on campus with the building and grounds department (Ajayi also had an internship at The Hartford this past summer) and helping run camps for Hartford youth. Ogundeko's mother, Bunmi Ogundeko, is a caterer in Brooklyn and is close with Ajayi. Ajayi's mother, Margaret Ajayi, a nurse who recently moved from Brooklyn to the Baltimore area, is close with Ogundeko. Both players have experienced the death of their fathers Ogundeko in 2014 and Ajayi in 201L "We definitely connected on that," Ajayi said. "I was one of the few people he told that that happened because he knew I had been through it already.

It's something we went through as friends and family." The Bantams come across as an easygoing group, one that embraces the fiery leadership of Cosgrove, always active and colorful on the sideline. It's a big family, of sorts, which is not uncommon with basketball teams. Cosgrove, who grew up in West Hartford, and his wife hosted a handful of players for Thanksgiving at their home in West Hartford, where Ajayi and Ogundeko spent a lot of free time. "They came in as mature people and they've matured as people and really matured as players," Cosgrove said. "They're great lads.

To me, both are like and I don't say this a lot like sons to me. They've really done a great job working toward where they can do some great things in their life." Experts Continued from Page CI keep plugging and good things will happen. Their makeup, to use that old, favorite word we all like to use, is Said Welsh: "I think there are a few pieces you can point a finger at. They lost some tough games to really good teams early Syracuse, Gonzaga and Maryland, probably because there are a lot of new people being put together. When that happens, it takes a little time to make that big, big step.

They just needed a little more time. In crunch time, who is going to take the big shot? Who is going to look for who? Those are the things you have to work on." All agree the Huskies badly need to get Amida Brimah back. Brimah, who hasn't played since Dec. 12, has been out with a broken finger that needs about three more weeks to heal. "People focus a lot on points, but he means a lot to them just with his presence out there," Vitale said.

"He's worth a certain amount of points before the game even starts. He makes guards have to go to the perimeter and shoot." UConn is 7-2 without Brimah, but the losses, to Temple and Tulsa, have their tournament hopes in jeopardy. "They lost a little sparkle when Amida went out," Welsh said. "I don't break the game into offense and defense. It's about a complete team.

Without him, they're not a complete team. You have to defend him. You have to pay attention to him. When you lose a guy like that, it takes time to adjust. "He enjoys playing.

People feed off that, feed off the big guy. He's the heart and soul of that team." Raftery watched UConn practice on Dec. before the Ohio State game, as Kevin Ollie put a challenge to Shonn Miller, who is becoming the Huskies' most consistent player. "Miller, I think, has a lot of upside," Raftery said. "In practice, I saw the way Kevin was trying to get him to believe how good he can be.

He can jump. He can hang in the air a little bit. I think he has a chance to play when he's finished with college." Welsh saw Miller, 6 feet 7, play at Cornell, where he spent a lot of time on the perimeter. Only in recent games has Miller unveiled his three-point shooting ability for UConn. "When you come into a program that's established, you've got to adjust your game," Welsh said.

"It takes a lot to adjust to that. Miller played a lot on perimeter, believe it or not. UConn has asked him to be a four man, and he has been a heck of a four man, really good." Miller and Sterling Gibbs, both fifth-year transfers, have started all 18 games. Meshing experienced newcomers is a challenge, but is now commonplace. Myers UCONN TIGHT END Tommy Myers, whose season was cut short by an injury to his left leg, is eager to get back on the practice field in March.

Besides Bloom and Myers, the Huskies have young tight ends who will have a chance to advance in the spring. One is Northern Iowa transfer Billy Williams. Myers simply wants to get back on the field. "The injury happened so fast and with everything that happened, I think everybody was working hard to make the best of it, and in the end we fell short," Myers said. Any momentum from the Houston game did not carry over the next week when UConn was never in it against Temple, losing 27-3.

QB Bryant Shirreffs also didn't play in the Temple game after being knocked out of the Houston game moments after Myers. The Huskies struggled on offense in the 16-10 loss to Marshall in the St. Petersburg Bowl, finishing 6-7. Myers went to St. Petersburg and was at every practice supporting the team Sometimes he was smiling.

Sometimes he wasn't. 'You want to enjoy the experience of being down there as someone who played a lot in the season," Myers said. 'You have to show you love to be there and you have to be vocal and confident, but you know in the end when Continued from Page CI on the treadmill without any pressure on your leg or whether it's in the pool doing stuff or on a bike. "I'm doing everything with the team and working out as much as possible, but being back for spring practice is the ultimate goal, not rushing anything now." Myers had a left foot injury his freshman year. He didn't appear to have any ill-effects from that last season.

In fact, Myers had a strong start to his sophomore season, going 69 yards for a touchdown in the opening win against Villanova He had 6-yard touchdown against Navy in Week 4. Myers is a physical player, so being in the weight room can only help. The Huskies have pretty much built their offense off the play of tight ends Myers and fellow sophomore Alec Bloom, but Myers is ahead of Bloom in terms of being the total package. BRAD HORRIGAN BHORRIGAN COURANT.COM So there is motivation for this season. 'You really don't understand how much you love the game until you can't play it," Myers said.

you're watching the game on the sideline, you obviously want to be out there participating, wanting to help out. Overall the experience was good. It just sucks that we lost.".