Leonard Stokes wasn't about to be late. When Oscar Robertson says to meet at the gym at 2 p.m., well, you make sure you are on time.

        The Big O, the greatest Bearcat of them all, has noticed some flaws in Stokes' game that he wanted to discuss in person. The two met at Shoemaker Center and sat courtside talking for at least a half hour Thursday.

The Big O, circa 1959. (File photo) | ZOOM |

        “I think he has talent he hasn't tapped yet,” Robertson said. “I don't like to interfere. You can only say so much to a guy. They have to learn to play as it comes and learn to grow with it. I just don't think he's aggressive enough yet.”

        Robertson often attends University of Cincinnati games but rarely shows up around practice time. He ended up staying the whole afternoon Thursday.

        “I talk to him on the phone a lot,” Stokes said. “Today he just wanted to come in and show me.

        “It's a blessing, definitely, when you've got a guy like Oscar noticing you. I just try to take in everything that he says. Everybody always talks about him when you think of Cincinnati. If he tells me to clap when I'm on the bench, I'm going to listen.”

        Stokes, a 6-foot-6 junior, said he and Robertson began talking on the phone last season after the Basketball Hall of Famer told him he had some advice to share. Their conversations have increased in frequency this season.

        “He's changed his number a lot,” Robertson said laughing. “I asked him, "What's going on? Every time I call I've got a different number.'”

        The timing for a little mentoring couldn't be better.

        Cincinnati begins Conference USA play Saturday at East Carolina and Stokes has scored in single digits four consecutive games for the first time since January 2001. He is UC's No.2 scorer (11.8 ppg) but is averaging just 8.0 points since the Crosstown Shootout victory over Xavier.

        The Bearcats are 10-1 over the past two seasons when Stokes scores at least 16 points. They are 14-7 when he scores fewer than 10 points.

        Robertson thinks Stokes can improve the position of his arm when he shoots. He talked to Stokes about reading defenses and positioning himself to get better shots, among other things.

        “Over the years, certain guys have asked about certain things,” said Robertson, UC's all-time leading scorer. “If I can just tell him a few things that will help him ... I told him I can't play for you; you've got to play yourself. The game is simple, don't complicate it.

        “I hope he's going to use the (tips) in the next few games coming up. I think he can do a lot of things better. I think he can rebound better. He can go to the basket better. He can go to the foul line more. It's nothing that he's not aware of. I told him to have some fun; don't be so uptight about everything on the court. He said when he makes mistakes he gets upset; I said, "Well, everybody makes mistakes in basketball that I know.' If you don't make mistakes, you're not doing anything.”

Big O helps Stokes to hone stroke Bobbitt commits to Bearcats

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