Prospect spotlight: Cade Roberts (2017)

TOPEKA, Kan. — A 6'7 2017 forward, Manhattan's <strong>Cade Roberts</strong> is starting to draw interest from several small college programs as he puts together a solid senior season. He is a hard-nosed player that doesn't back down from a challenge, is willing to dive on the floor, take a charge, but skilled enough to step away from the basket and knock down jumpers. "I feel like I am a role player, I try and do the little things to help my team win such as set good screens, box out, take chargers, dive on the floor and try and talk on defense and be a great communicator," Roberts says. "I have a fairly decent inside game and I feel like I have really good touch from 15 feet out." Over the summer, Roberts played with Will Spradling's SSA Elite team and spent the offseason focused on improving his perimeter game. "I tried to focus more on that to make myself a better all around player, it sounds bad but I tried to be a little bit more of a selfish player," he said. "But I still try and look to get good inside out passes to my teammates." Roberts showed those skills off in a loss last week against Highland Park in Topeka in which he knocked down numerous mid-range shots in the middle of Highland Park's zone defense. Manhattan is a senior laden team that features several standouts, including point guard Trevor Hudgins and Luke Saville. "I feel like we have some really good and experienced seniors that help lead the way, we are a good team that works hard and competes day in and day out and that just makes us all closer," Roberts said. "We as a team try to focus more on defense because we know that good defense will lead to success on the offensive side of the court. Our coach try's to get us to learn and understand our roles and accept them and work towards them to the best of our abilities." Roberts says he has developed good chemistry on the court with Hudgins and fellow Manhattan guard Luke Saville this season. "I look forward to playing Trevor, he is a great point guard with great vision," Roberts said. "He knows when I'm open even before I do and we have really good chemistry. Luke Saville is another guard I like playing with, we I felt like we have played together for awhile now and we play together over the summer and we also have really great connections and we can find each other really well." Roberts says his dad has had the biggest influence on his basketball career, coaching his teams since he was young. "He has been there every day since I can remember and has taught me everything I know and he's coached me at a high level ever since I was young and it raised my basketball I.Q," Roberts said. Roberts does not currently have any offers, but has talked to Baker and taken a visit to the campus, as well as Nebraska Wesleyan. He has also heard from Central College and Simpson as well.