McRae Comfortable With Life at AU
January 12, 2006

An ill-fitting pair of shoes can produce painful arches, burning blisters and a pounding headache.

The Ashland University Eagles have given rival Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference basketball teams a dose of those symptoms this season because they’ve found a perfect fit – the union of their uptempo offense and the addition of junior guard Rob McRae (Flint, MI/Mott C.C.)

McRae’s emergence in his first season at AU has put the boot to inconsistent offense. At times he’s blistered opposing defenses with his shooting touch and ability to get out and run. Talk about walking – make that running – in someone else’s shoes, McRae’s presence has rekindled memories of the Eagles from several years ago. Those teams were among the highest scoring in the league and attempted to run teams into oblivion. This year’s team is averaging a GLIAC-best 79.4 ppg.

The Eagles, off to a 12-3 start, 4-1 in league play, have relied on McRae in just about every phase of their game. Asked at the midway point of the season what was the biggest surprise in 2005-06, AU head coach Roger Lyons didn’t hesitate. He pointed to McRae and the energy he’s provided offensively and defensively.

McRae is AU’s starting off-the-ball guard. He’s fourth on the team in scoring (12.5 ppg.) and is this week’s GLIAC South Division player of the week. Last Saturday (Jan. 7) in a 79-68 triumph over Mercyhurst, McRae dropped a career-high 24 points on the Lakers. He also picked up his team-leading 23rd steal and helped push the tempo and open up the floor against a team that prefers a half-court game.

“He runs the floor on the break,” said Lyons, when asked what McRae brings to the Eagles. “That’s why he gets so many opportunities to score.”

Opportunity is something McRae has had since his first day with the Eagles. This is his third stop on the college basketball trail. He started out at another GLIAC school, Saginaw Valley State, where he was a backup for current AU assistant coach Tim Fralick. He left SVSU after one year and transferred to Mott Community College. He averaged 10.0 ppg., 3.6 rpg., and 2.0 apg., last season for a team that was 30-3.

When McRae left Mott, he had several suitors, including GLIAC lodge brother Ferris State, at his door step. Fralick’s presence at AU helped the Flint, MI, native make up his mind and choose the Eagles.

“He was a freshman when I was a senior,” said Fralick, thinking back to his playing days with McRae. “He backed me up the whole year. I got hurt, missed some time and he saw some playing time over the last 10 or 12 games. The staff that was at Saginaw then, Coach (Dean) Lockwood, they thought he could be a 1,000-point scorer if he had stayed at Saginaw.”

McRae is staying, for sure, at AU, and Fralick deserves much of the credit for that. He kept McRae focused during his early days at Ashland.

“At the beginning of the year I was having a little bit of a hard time,” McRae said. “He helped me keep my head up. He helped me with the transition, he was the only guy I knew.

McRae’s scoring touch has made him known throughout the GLIAC. He’s thrived in the open court, but has also been effective in half-court sets. McRae is third on the team in three-point field goals (18).

“I think I can do everything fairly well,” McRae said. “Offensively, I’m not where I want to be. I have a lot to improve upon over the summer. If I can do that, I think I can be one of the top players in the GLIAC.”

Already, McRae is one of the most versatile and adaptable players in the conference. This is the third system he’s been in and he’s thrived in each scheme.

“Sometimes that makes you stronger,” noted Lyons. “You’ve seen every aspect of the game. I think now he’s in a system that suits him – up tempo.”

“It’s made him a better player,” said Fralick of McRae’s life and travels. “It’s probably been a good thing for him. Having to play against the athletes at Mott in practice every day made him better. The biggest difference I see with Rob since his freshman year at Saginaw is he’s a much stronger. He can withstand more pounding, he can drive to the hoop.”

“I like to run and this is a running system,” said McRae. “It fits me well. I don’t feel any pressure, I just go out and play.”

McRae hasn’t just forced the issue on offense, he’s done the same thing on defense. He’s a two guard who’s been asked to defend point guards for much of this season.

“Everything starts with defense,” McRae said. “If I do that well, everything will come. Playing a one, me being a two, that’s a challenge. It’s a challenge I’m willing to accept.”

Acceptance has come easy for McRae. As his background indicates, this isn’t the first time he’s had to mesh with new teammates.

“You have to be optimistic and have an open mind,” McRae said. “You have to be willing to learn. This is the best group of guys I’ve been around. This team has come together better than any team I’ve been around. This coaching staff did a great job of recruiting.”