Bishop O'Dowd Wing Marsalis Roberson Nets Cal Offer

With one Bishop O’Dowd Dragon departing from Cal in PG Paris Austin and a new one coming in with SF Monty Bowser’s signing, the Bears looked to enlarge their O’Dowd pipline, extending an offer to 6’5” shooting guard/wing Marsalis Roberson.

“It makes me feel good just knowing my hard work is paying off,” said Roberson of the Bears’ offer.. 

Originally from Berkeley and Oakland, Marsalis eventually moved to Sacramento where he lived with his dad. He made the move back to the Bay Area and Oakland’s Bishop O’Dowd High School after losing his father to a tragic shooting incident during his freshman year of high school.

“O’Dowd’s different than my other school, but it’s been a good transition,” said Roberson of his return to the Bay Area.

Even though Roberson’s offer came this week, the Cal staff has been building a relationship with the versatile Roberson for a while.

“The coaching staff and I have a great relationship,” said Roberson. “They’ve been recruiting me for a while.

“Coach (Mark) Fox is a great conversationalist. He’s funny. Coach Francis, that’s my guy. I like them all.

“They like me at the two and want me to practice scoring in tighter windows because at the next level, it’s going to be necessary because it’s a big jump from high school to college. They’d also like me to work more on my off-hand and develop a tighter handle. 

“I feel like I’ve always had a good perimeter game, like when I went 6-for-7 against St. John Bosco, but it’s always an area where you can improve.”

Nebraska offered just the day before Cal in a busy recruiting weekend for the Bay Area Player of the Year.

“They have a good program,” said Roberson. “I don’t have the type of relationship I have with the Cal staff but that should come along once I get to know the program better.

“I feel like Vanderbilt’s been doing a good job recruiting-wise. Rice -I like Coach Pera a lot. I feel like UC Santa Barbara’s doing a good job.

“Location doesn’t really matter. I’m just looking for an opportunity to play and getting developed. I’d like to play for a family-oriented coaching staff, too. Guys who are real with you. And I’d like to take it to the next level and play in the NBA.”

Though distance may not be a big factor for Roberson, there are two factors that could come into play for the hometown Bears.

One plus is teammate Monty Bowser‍ will be on campus as a freshman in August

“He’s a real good dude and a competitor,” said Roberson. “I don’’t know if you’ve talked to him but he competes hard and he loves to win. He strives every day. He hits practice hard, he hits the weights hard, too.

The other factor?

“My mom works at Cal, too,” said Roberson. “She’s an academic advisor. She’s going to do that here, too, this year. She was jumping after the Cal offer.”

Veteran O’Dowd head coach Lou Richie is bullish on Roberson’s game.

“First, he’s an elite listener and learner,” said Richie. “His work ethic is unparalled. He’s become a really good defender. He does everything he’s asked to do. 

“He just turned 17 and I think he’s got a couple inches to grow, with a great upside. 

“He’ll play all five positions for us next year, depending on the mismatches. The sky’s the limit for him. He can play anywhere on the court.”

Roberson led the team with 16.5 points and 6.3 rebounds, as well as 3 assists per game for the Dragons in their 2019-2020 season.

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