Spring Break
The Daily OrangeBETTER THAN ADVERTISED: Cornell's Rob Pannell looks to exceed previous expectations with NCAA championship
By Conor Orr
Posted: 5/24/09, 2:45 PM EST Section: Sports
"For a guy who's a freshman," Tambroni said, "playing at the level he's playing at now, it's been pretty impressive to lay witness to what he's been responsible for."
But that's where the Goldstein comparisons end for Pannell. Although he was a hall-of-famer, Goldstein couldn't lead the Big Red past Johns Hopkins in the 1987 finals, or Syracuse in the 1988 championship. Pannell still has the chance.
He'll be facing another team just like Virginia, packed with upperclassmen and stellar athletes. His vision, instincts and management skills will be tested more than they were Saturday, but after writing the e-mail promising Tambroni that Pannell was ready for just this moment, his high school coach isn't worried.
"We always knew great things were going to happen to him," Keenan said. "Rob's a field general, a born leader and knows the game very well. He's just a great student of the game. I'm sure he's studying Syracuse right now to see who's going to be covering him."
After the Virginia game ended, Pannell and Keenan sent text-messages back and forth about the win. Pannell wanted his high school coach to come to Foxborough Monday to see how far he'd came since his days at Smithtown West, to show he plays like Keenan knew he could.
But unfortunately, Keenan will be busy crafting the next Pannell, Rob's younger brother - a ninth grader at Smithtown - during the National Championship game Monday. He told the sibling he could skip practice, but like Rob, he's a field general in the making. So a post-game text will just have to suffice.
"I told him I wanted him and my brother here," Pannell said. "I wanted them here for personal reasons to be here at the final four so I just keep busting his chops to see if he can cancel practice. I'm still trying to get my brother here at least."
ctorr@syr.edu
But that's where the Goldstein comparisons end for Pannell. Although he was a hall-of-famer, Goldstein couldn't lead the Big Red past Johns Hopkins in the 1987 finals, or Syracuse in the 1988 championship. Pannell still has the chance.
He'll be facing another team just like Virginia, packed with upperclassmen and stellar athletes. His vision, instincts and management skills will be tested more than they were Saturday, but after writing the e-mail promising Tambroni that Pannell was ready for just this moment, his high school coach isn't worried.
"We always knew great things were going to happen to him," Keenan said. "Rob's a field general, a born leader and knows the game very well. He's just a great student of the game. I'm sure he's studying Syracuse right now to see who's going to be covering him."
After the Virginia game ended, Pannell and Keenan sent text-messages back and forth about the win. Pannell wanted his high school coach to come to Foxborough Monday to see how far he'd came since his days at Smithtown West, to show he plays like Keenan knew he could.
But unfortunately, Keenan will be busy crafting the next Pannell, Rob's younger brother - a ninth grader at Smithtown - during the National Championship game Monday. He told the sibling he could skip practice, but like Rob, he's a field general in the making. So a post-game text will just have to suffice.
"I told him I wanted him and my brother here," Pannell said. "I wanted them here for personal reasons to be here at the final four so I just keep busting his chops to see if he can cancel practice. I'm still trying to get my brother here at least."
ctorr@syr.edu
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