The Roberson family is made to play college sports.
As Colorado freshman forward Andre Roberson finished off a standout season on the Buffs men’s basketball team, his younger sister Arielle was in the middle of her senior year of high school, trying to decide which university she would call home.
As captain of the women’s basketball team at Wagner High School in Converse, TX, Arielle Roberson, a 6-foot-1 forward, brought her team to the 5A State Tournament. The team ended its season in the semifinals with a 32-7 record.
“I had probably the best senior season I could ask for,” Roberson said. “I was successful at helping my team learn, and it was a major victory for me.”
Arielle Roberson’s father, John Roberson, said her work ethic came through in that journey to state.
“Arielle is a person who wants to get better at everything she does,” John Roberson said. “[She] was very determined to get to state, and she went out and did the thing she needed to do to make that happen.”
During her senior season, Arielle Roberson averaged 18.2 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, bringing her point total over four years at Wagner High to 1,640.
When the time came to choose a college, Arielle Roberson was torn between North Carolina State and Colorado. But her brother’s immediate impact on the CU men’s team and the improvement on the women’s team under Head Coach Linda Lappe gave Arielle Roberson confidence that Colorado would be a good fit for her.
“I saw how much [the women’s team] had improved from the beginning of the season until now,” Arielle Roberson said. “You could tell Coach Lappe and the rest of the coaching staff knew what they were doing.”
On April 15, Lappe announced Arielle Roberson’s signing of a National Letter of Intent to play for CU.
“By coming and seeing some of the things that were happening to Andre and how people were taking care of him… she saw an opportunity to come in and help her team and be an immediate impact,” John Roberson said.
Arielle Roberson is the fourth of seven children in the Roberson family, and she and Andre Roberson are not the only ones with extraordinary athletic talent.
Both Roberson parents played varsity sports at the University of New Mexico. Her father played basketball, and her mother, Lisa Roberson, played volleyball.
“Since day one [Lisa and I] have always been competitive with each other, and that carried over to the kids,” John Roberson said.
Arielle Roberson also has two older sisters who are student-athletes: Ashlee Roberson played basketball for Texas Tech University from 2007-10, and Amber Roberson will be starting her senior season on the University of Texas volleyball team in the fall.
Wagner High School women’s basketball coach Christina Camacho, who coached Ashlee Roberson, said she hates to see the Roberson dynasty at Wagner come to an end.
“The whole family has done great things for Wagner,” Camacho said. “Having four D1 athletes in your family is very respectable.”
Camacho said Arielle Roberson’s strength on the court lies in her agility and quickness around the basket.
“She’s going to fit in well at Colorado because she can pace up to the basket,” Camacho said. “She can bring bigger and slower girls out on her and take them one on one.”
Arielle Roberson brings more to CU than athleticism.
“Out of all my kids, she has one of the best attitudes,” John Roberson said. “She never ever tries to look at anything in a negative way. When she [gets] on my nerves, she always has something positive and smart to say to diffuse the whole situation. Then I have to say, ‘well, I can’t be mad at you anymore.’”
Arielle Roberson’s brother Andre Roberson, who helped the CU men to a school record 24 wins during the 2010-11 season, said she will have to adjust to the harder workouts, longer season and tougher competition she will face at the college level.
“It’s a competitive atmosphere every day at practice,” Andre Roberson said. “I always tell her that she has to keep working hard and stay humble.”
Arielle Roberson said she knows Pac-12 play will be challenging, but she is more excited than nervous about the leap.
“Every freshman worries, will they hit that wall or will they be successful?” Arielle Roberson said. “I always pictured being really successful, but of course it’s a different level when you go to college.”
As a Buff, Arielle Roberson said she has big plans for the women’s team in the upcoming season.
“I have a vision to help try to lead this team back to the NCAA Tournament and win,” Arielle Roberson said. “I’m going to have to find my place, but it’ll be done.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Caryn Maconi at Caryn.maconi@colorado.edu.
