Oregon State's inaugural Pac-10 win overshadowed
CHRIS DUFRESNE / ON PAC-10 BASKETBALL
Winless in conference play last season, the Beavers broke through against USC last weekend, but that hardly registers in Coach Craig Robinson's family.
Oregon State's basketball coach said Tuesday he won't be available to answer questions on next Tuesday's Pacific 10 coaches' call.
Reaction: This team went 0-18 in conference last season, finally scrounged up a win this month, and now this first-year coach is big-timing the media?
This had better be really important.
"I'll probably be standing somewhere outside," Craig Robinson joked.
Robinson will go from hosting Washington on Saturday to toasting Washington on Tuesday.
Here's the best part: After checking his Pac-10 pocket schedule, attending Barack Obama's inauguration as 44th president of the United States fits in perfectly!
"After the Washington game, we will probably practice Sunday," Robinson said, "and then I'll head to the inauguration Monday, so I'll spend most of Monday traveling, and then we'll have all the inauguration festivities Tuesday, and then Wednesday I'll be flying straight to Berkeley."
Just in time for Oregon State at California.
Robinson, in case you live in Siberia, or Pullman, Wash., and haven't heard by now, is the brother of Michelle Obama, the soon-to-be first lady.
Robinson apologized for ticking off his travel plans like he was ticking off a grocery list.
"I guess I've been talking about it so much it sounds like it's routine," he said. "I can't tell you how excited I am to be able to be a part of it. I'm just glad it fell during a time where I could make it. It is truly a humbling and honoring experience to be a part of as a citizen of the United States, let alone that the principals are family."
You want crazy? Oregon State is now a team a head coach might rush back to see.
The Beavers are only 6-8, and 1-3 in league play, but before you can get a program to great, you have to get it past "laughingstock," and Robinson has already succeeded.
Oregon State this season snapped a 25-game losing streak with a win over Fresno State, defeated Nebraska and shocked USC last weekend in Corvallis.
So what might have happened if the inauguration had fallen on a game day?
"It's easy for me to say now, my sister probably would have killed me. I can say it now," Robinson said. "I wouldn't have missed a game . . . [but] that would have been a tough one."
Robinson then fudged a bit.
"It probably really depends on what game it would have been," he said.
Dribbles and drabs
