Ex-Gael Roban rises again in Dixie

Spencer Patterson

Thursday, Jan. 14, 1999 | 10:26 a.m.

Big-college goal survives

Montana may have a reputation for being one of the nation's most wide open and unspoiled states, but that didn't prevent Jim Roban from feeling stifled there after just a year-and-a-half.

When the former Bishop Gorman prep basketball star left Las Vegas for the University of Montana in 1996, Roban did so believing he had fulfilled his goal of playing for a Division I program.

Three semesters later, Roban left the Big Sky State, having played in just one game for the Grizzlies and wondering if he would ever play major college ball again.

"I started feeling trapped at Montana," he said. "I decided I didn't want to be up there."

No sooner did Roban return to Las Vegas, however, than he found a new team that made him feel welcome, and a new coach who presented him with the opportunity to play his type of basketball.

And now, as a sophomore at Utah's Dixie Junior College, Roban has a second chance to go through the Division I recruitment process and live out his dream.

Of course, just three years ago, the 6-6, 210-pound forward had no idea he would need a second chance. As an early signee with the Grizzlies, Roban's future in the Big Sky Conference appeared to be set in stone.

But after red-shirting his first season in Missoula, Roban began to realize his days there might be numbered.

"I didn't agree with the coach," Roban said, referring to former Montana coach Blaine Taylor, now an assistant at Stanford. "I didn't enjoy it too much."

Things went from bad to worse in Roban's second year, when a torn ligament in his foot forced him to miss most of the season's first half. By winter break, he decided to return home.

While in town, Roban attended the annual Las Vegas Junior College Invitational, where he took in games involving a pair of Utah two-year schools: Utah Valley State and Dixie.

Although he went into the event leaning toward attending Utah Valley, the Wolverines' slow-down style reminded him of his Montana days. Dixie coach Jeff Kidder's run-and-gun approach, on the other hand, instantly appealed to him.

"The way coach runs things, he lets us be athletes," Roban said. "I don't think I could play somewhere where we had to walk the ball up the floor and set 12 screens before a shot."

Now, Roban's decision to start anew is beginning to pay off. The Rebels are 15-3 and ranked 18th in the nation, and the one-time Gael is a big reason why.

His 14 point and six rebound averages are second on the team, and his 80 percent free throw average is tops among Dixie players.

"For his size, he's very athletic and he can really shoot the ball," Kidder said. "He can step out and shoot the 3, but he's also strong inside. He's starting to round himself into a very good player."

And that hasn't escaped the attention of college coaches, who have started pursuing Roban aggressively again. According to Kidder, several WAC and Big Sky schools have expressed interest in the former Gorman star, who still has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

After making what he admits was a questionable choice last time, however, Roban is keeping his options open.

"It's still up in the air," Roban said. "We've got all-Americans on our team, so we've got coaches coming in to see us."

And when he looks back on his basketball experience, Roban knows things have turned out for the best.

"I never really got a chance to prove myself at the Division I level," Roban said. "But I don't regret my decision. I can kind of create my own destiny now. Now, it's an open field."