No matter what Roberto Colonette does at Manhattan College this coming season, as soon as he pulls on a Jaspers uniform it will be a significant achievement. The Queens native will become the first basketball player from Robert F. Kennedy HS to ever compete at the college level.
“It means a lot,” Colonette said. “It’s really not a school for sports. When I first came there, we started going to the playoffs every year. We started winning.”
The long, 6-foot-6 forward, who spent the last two years at ASA junior college in Brooklyn, has become a cult hero at the Flushing school.
“Everybody knows me,” said Colonette, who also had interest from Fordham and Hofstra. “There’s pictures all over the school of me.”
Competing for the small program, which plays in PSAL Class B, didn’t deter him from achieving his dream of playing Division I basketball. That doesn’t surprise Hayden Brown, who coached Colonette with the AAU Rosedale Trailblazers, a program he continues to compete with in streetball leagues this summer. Brown says his team won 64 straight games on the AAU circuit with Colonette helping lead the way.
“He’s always had potential,” the coach said. “He’s gone up against the best teams and the best players and he’s held his own – and dominated a lot of them. It’s no surprise to me that he’s gotten this far and done this well.”
The ironic thing about Colonette is that though he had no choice but to be the go-to guy offensively at RFK –he averaged 23.6 points per game his senior year – his real strength is his tenacious defense. It’s what will standout right away next season in Riverdale.
“He always makes an impact no matter where he goes,” Brown said. “It’s never a good situation when you have to go against Roberto in the middle. He’s one of the toughest defenders you could go against. His height is not great, but he leaps, his timing is good and he has a very good basketball IQ.”
When asked about teaming with Colonette, Rosedale Trailblazers point guard Haron Hargrave beamed.
“I think he’s better than Manhattan,” said Hargrave, who played at Sacramento State and competed this past season in Romania. “I love his game. He helps me out, blocking shots. I force players his way. I know it’s either a block or he’ll take a charge. He’s a smart player. He doesn’t demand the ball much, but somehow he ends up with 16 [points] and 20 [rebounds], seven blocks. He just does all the little things and he never complains about anything.”
Colonette is working on his offensive game this summer, specifically shooting and facing up to the basket. At 6-foot-6, he’ll have to play much more on the wing at Manhattan than he’s used to in college.
“I have to work a lot harder,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve been slacking. It’s summertime. I’m trying to enjoy myself.”
There’s plenty to enjoy if you’re Colonette. He’s a pioneer for RFK and a serious success story from the PSAL ‘B’ league. The easygoing big man is sheepish about the significance of it all. Brown says that one of his best attributes is that he’s a “really nice kid.”
“He’s a good player, a good teammate and a good friend,” Hargrave said.