JUSTIN DOBBS

6-foot-3, 185 pounds, G, Allderdice

Justin Dobbs has never been one to panic, but the former Allderdice star was starting to wonder whether he would get the opportunity to play Division I basketball.

Duquesne was recruiting him until coach Ron Everhart was fired. After he was hired at Youngstown State, former Dukes assistant Steve Hall continued pursuing Dobbs, but the Penguins had no scholarships to offer.

So Hall sent a tape to his friend, Joseph Price, who was hired in May at Grambling and was scrambling to find a point guard. When Price popped in that tape, he found his man. Sort of.

Dobbs never played point guard at Allderdice, where he scored 1,184 points to lead the Dragons to three consecutive City League championships. He had some experience at the position while playing for the Young Gunz AAU team.

“I have to become a point guard now,” Dobbs said. “It'll be interesting. I can adjust. I'm pretty versatile. It's just, in my high school career, my team needed me to score points. That's what (Price) said, that he's not going to change my game. He doesn't have a problem with the point guard scoring the ball. They said they were going to be patient with me and nurture me.”

Dobbs was debating between going to Division II Clarion or a prep school, but now he will get a chance to play in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The Tigers were 4-24 last season, struggling amid the penalty phase for falling short of NCAA APR standards.

Dobbs won't be counted on to score too much, considering Grambling returns Quincy Roberts of Harrisburg, a St. John's transfer who averaged 23.9 points in 20 games last season.

“They stumbled last year, but I was never one to back away from a challenge,” Dobbs said. “I want to try to help turn it around.”