Oguchi Awarded Robinson Endowed Scholarship

June 18, 2008

NORMAL, Ill. - For guard Chamberlain Oguchi, the last 10 months have been spent preparing for his senior season at Illinois State, which will represent his lone campaign in a Redbird uniform. After transferring to Illinois State from Oregon last August, Oguchi played an instrumental role in the Redbirds' record-setting 2007-08 campaign from the sidelines and in practice. It is his ability to demonstrate leadership, both on-and-off the court, that made Oguchi a natural selection for the 2008 Will Robinson Endowed Scholarship.

The scholarship honors Robinson, the late Redbird basketball coach from 1970-75. He was the first African-American Division I college head basketball coach to serve at a predominantly white university. Robinson served as a high school coach, college coach and NBA administrator prior to his passing in April 2008. A 2003 Missouri Valley Conference Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Robinson worked in the Detroit Pistons' front office for nearly 30 years after leaving Illinois State.

"Chamberlain is a great selection for the Robinson endowment," said Illinois State head coach Tim Jankovich. "While he hasn't taken the floor in an Illinois State uniform, in his 10 months here, I have witnessed his ability to be a great leader, both on-and-off the court. Will Robinson was a courageous man with a strong vision, and Chamberlain reflects many of the ideals that Will represented. His talent and experience will be a welcomed addition to our team next season."

Proceeds from the 1994 Doug Collins Chicago Golf Outing and a special announcement reception established the Will Robinson Scholarship. The scholarship also funds an internship with the Pistons.

Oguchi was one of the Pac-10 Conference's most dangerous three-point threats during his time at Oregon. For his three-year career, Oguchi made 115 three-pointers and shot 31.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Oguchi appeared in 32 games in 2006-07, tallying 10 starts. The Houston native recorded six double-digit scoring efforts, including a season-high 25 points against Cal-Irvine (Nov. 17, 2006). He sprained his left ankle in a 57-50 upset over No. 18 Georgetown (Nov. 29, 2006), forcing him to miss the ensuing five games. Oguchi played in all four of Oregon's 2007 NCAA Tournament games, when the Ducks made a run to the Elite Eight.

In 2005-06, Oguchi ended the season on an offensive tear, netting 40 of his team-best 68 three-pointers in the final month of the season. Oguchi was named to the Pac-10 all-tournament team after hitting a tournament-record 14 three-pointers over a three-game stretch, including a career-high 26 points against Washington State in the tourney opener. He ended the campaign ranked fifth in the league at 2.1 three-pointers per-game.

Coming out of George W. Bush High School in 2004, Oguchi was rated as the nation's 74th-best player by Rivals.com. That service also ranked him as the No. 16 shooting guard. He averaged 20 points and six rebounds per game as a senior, and scored 24.3 points-per-game as a junior, hitting 124 three-pointers.

"It is an honor to receive this award, and to be associated with Coach Will Robinson, who was a pioneer in basketball," said Oguchi. "I understand the importance and significance of his influence. Coach Robinson broke through a lot of barriers, and paved the way for a lot of coaches and players to excel at this game.

"Similar to his situation, there are a lot of question marks around my situation, being that I am only at Illinois State for one year. But I plan on leading this team next season, and I think my teammates respect me in that role. Being a leader is more than just being there for your team on the court. You have to lead by example, something Coach Robinson did on a daily basis."

For more information about supporting the Will Robinson Endowed Scholarship, or any other Illinois State University endowment scholarships, call The Redbird Club office at (309) 438-3803.