Hobbs, Gibson provide depth on the bench

Winston-Salem State University's top newcomers for the Rams Basketball team, Dionte Gibson and Brandon Hobbs may not be big-time recruits or blue chip freshmen, but both are positively impacting the team.

In the span of a year, Hobbs has gone from dominating competition in Whittaker Gymnasium to setting up teammates in the Joel Coliseum and Annex.

After spending his first few years playing in the school's intramural leagues, Hobbs decided he wanted to tryout for the Rams basketball team last fall.

The 22-year old played for his high school basketball team at White Oaks High School in Jacksonville, N.C., where he was named an all-area selection his last three seasons.

Hobbs made the team in open tryouts in October and has seen time in the Rams backcourt increase steadily since then.

"Everybody was telling me I should try out, that I shouldn't be playing intramurals," Hobbs said.

"I had limited time at first because I was a walk-on, but when I got in I executed the plays he [head coach Bobby Collins] wanted me to do. We had a tournament in Illinois. He gave me a chance and I produced and ever since then I've been in the rotation like a scholarship player."

Hobbs has started twice since making the team and is averaging 3.2 points per game and 11.4 minutes through 18 games.

"It was tough at first," Hobbs said of the transition from pickup to college basketball.

"In intramurals, you're better than everybody. Coming to college, especially Division I, everybody is good so you can't slack off," he said.

Gibson also took an alternate route to becoming a Ram basketball player.

The 21-year-old guard spent the last two seasons playing for Montgomery Community College in Maryland.

He started in 15 of the team's first 19 games, averaging 7.6 points per game; he is the team's third leading scorer.

The 6'2" guard had arguably his biggest game of the year against North Carolina A&T on Jan. 24, when he scored 17 points in WSSU's 73-60 loss.

"Diante came in and gave us a presence of the bench," Collins said after the game.

Collins said that the depth that the pair provides for the Rams is invaluable.

"They've been able to relieve me," Collins said.

"I need energy from the bench."