Eagles nab 1st 2009-10 commitment

By Gary McCann - Gary McCann

Robbie Dreher, a 6-3, 180-pound all-state guard from Southside High School in Greenville, is Winthrop's first basketball commitment for the 2009-10 season.

Dreher said he picked the Eagles because of their championship history and "because they've been there from day one."

Winthrop started recruiting him after he attended its summer team camp prior to his junior year.

"They didn't stop," he said. "I went there a couple of times, liked it and I like their style."

Dreher said he had offers from James Madison, Furman, USC Upstate, South Carolina State, Buffalo and Charleston Southern and got some early interest from South Carolina and Auburn.

"(The Winthrop coaches) have been with me from day one. Even when I was playing bad, they'd be telling me 'keep your head up' because they knew I could play," Dreher said.

Dreher has strong family ties to Winthrop. His mother, Valerie, was a cheerleader for the Eagles and two uncles also attended the school.

After he sprained his right ankle in last season's opener and missed nine games, Dreher bounced back to average 21.1 points and 5.1 rebounds in leading the Tigers to a 27-2 record and the Class AA state title. Dreher had a game-high 29 points in the Upper State finals against Keenan High and 15 in the state championship game against Burke.

A combo guard, Dreher was the 2008 Greenville County player of the year and a 2008 Class AA all-state selection by the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association.

"My strength is I know I can score," Dreher said, "but I can also get my teammates open. I need to work on my ball-handling and get stronger."

While he can play either guard, Dreher prefers shooting guard.

With eight players returning from last year's state championship team, Dreher said he had one goal for his senior year.

"Win the state championship," he said.

Oral commitments are non-binding, but Dreher is expected to sign during the early period in November. Under NCAA guidelines, Winthrop coaches are not allowed to talk about recruits until they've signed.

Winthrop loses just one senior next year, and, if all eligible players return, Dreher would be the only scholarship signee in 2009.