Robbie Heath takes US college basketball by storm in first season
He’s a record-breaking Australian taking college basketball by storm and Melbourne’s Robbie Heath is gaining national exposure in the USA for his scoring exploits with West Chester University.
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Robbie Heath is a record-breaking Aussie carving up US College basketball and earning national recognition.
The 21-year-old prodigy from Whittlesea moved to America to follow his dream while still in high school.
Snubbed by Division I colleges, Heath arrived at Division 11 West Chester University with a chip on his shoulder and has taken the competition by storm.
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“Not being cocky. I just feel like I’ve been overlooked my entire time in the USA,” Heath told the Philadelphia Inquirer recently.
In his first season with the Golden Rams, Heath smashed the school’s season scoring record and is the No.1 freshman in the entire NCAA, averaging 24.6 points a game.
The 6 foot 3 guard dropped 50 points in a game earlier this year and leads the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) in a host of offensive categories.
Freshman Robbie Heath set the West Chester men’s basketball single-season scoring record today! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/OdvvZ5mRGs
— West Chester Golden Rams (@WCUAthletics) February 29, 2020
Heath’s spectacular debut season has drawn interest from top-flight schools for next season.
“It’s so exciting, we couldn’t have predicted how well he’d go,” Heath’s mother Kerri told Leader.
“He contacted a lot of Division 1 schools but they didn’t bite and then West Chester approached him and said ‘we’re really interested in having you’.
“You’ve just got to go with your journey, that’s what I always tell him.”
West Chester’s PSAC tournament came to an end on Thursday (AEDT) as Heath scored 20 points in the 86-74 loss to East Stroudsberg.
The game-high tally took his season tally to 712, ninth most in PSAC history and most ever by a freshman.
However, the Golden Rams remain a chance to compete in the NCAA Division II championships, with the 64-team bracket to be revealed on Monday (AEDT).
In Tuesday’s (AEDT) Round of 16 win over Lock Haven, Heath (33 points) showed his game-winning mentality.
After Lock Haven surged to within six points with seven minutes remaining, Heath knocked down back-to-back three-pointers and dropped 10 points in the next four minutes to put the result to bed.
Heath moved to the US with his American-born father Robert, while his mother and two sisters remained in Whittlesea, watching every game via live stream over the internet.
It was Kerri’s brave decision that put Heath on the path to success.
“We were at Broadmeadows and they were in front, Robbie sat off for the second half and they lost,” she said.
“I thought ‘what’s happening here’, so I suggested to Bob ‘you’ve got to take Robbie over there, he’s not getting anywhere here’.
“Bob’s from Philadelphia, so they went over there and come back every summer – our winter.”
Heath’s story is similar to another Australian success story in Philadelphia, Ben Simmons.
As a youngster Heath trained with Simmons and remains in contact with Cleveland Cavaliers star Dante Exum.
“(Simmons) was so aggressive in every drill and dribble we did,” Heath told the Inquirer.
“Funny enough, my first picture on Instagram is of me and Dante.”
Originally published as Robbie Heath takes US college basketball by storm in first season