MODESTO, CA — Modesto Christian senior forward Robinson Idehen leads his team in points, rebounds and blocks per game this season.
The 6-foot-10 forward, who can jump out of the gym and whose wingspan is over seven feet, is not one to focus on his numbers after a game.
Instead Idehen goes in with mindset of did he do everything in his power to put his team in a position to win the game.
Modesto Christian (32-1), which entered the NorCal Open Division as the No. 2 seed, defeated No. 6 Sheldon-Sacramento 61-49 on Tuesday to reach the California Interscholastic Federation State Open Division NorCal title. The Crusaders will match up against top-seeded De La Salle on Saturday at 8 p.m. at Sleep Train Arena, home of the Sacramento Kings of the NBA.
Idehen is not changing his approach despite it being Modesto Christian’s biggest game of the year. A win would put them in the CIF State Open Division title game potentially against Chino Hills, the consensus No. 1 ranked team in the country.
“I just provide what the team needs,” Idehen said. “My goal is to get as many rebounds as I can and blocks as well. That’s what my team needs.”
On the season Idehen is averaging 15.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game, but in the Crusaders first two Open Division NorCal playoff games, you could throw his numbers out the window.
Idehen has was held to only six points in each contest against St. Francis and Sheldon but that was with good reason.
“Teams double-, triple-team him, fronting him in the post and pop him the weak side,” Modesto Christian coach Richard Midgley said. “Whatever our team needs Robinson does that for us.”
In Idehen’s case, numbers do lie because when he’s facing constant double-teams and occasional triple-teams, it enables the Crusaders to get the ball and with plenty of space to guys like Darrian Grays, Jay Chen and Christian Ellis, among others.
Grays, Chen and Ellis are more than capable of picking up the scoring slack as teams put a shield on Idehen.
“We have a lot of scorers on our team so that’s not something I feel I have to go out and do,” Idehen said.
In NorCals, Idehen is averaging 6.5 rebounds per game and four blocked shots per game while defending the opposing teams best big man.
Defending the opposing teams best big man is something the 6-10 senior takes most pride in.
“That’s our goal is to stop the teams (best) big,” Idehen said. “Then it’s our game.”
Idehen has yet to decide on where he wants to play next year but there isn’t a question to whether or not he will be playing.
Idehen said he’s simply looking at finishing this season strong and then will sit down with his family to decide what college he’ll play for next year.
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Ryan Silapan can be reached at rsilapan@prep2prep.com and follow him on Twitter @RyanSilapan
