Lake Forest Native Ready to put Injuries Behind him, Relish Senior Season at Penn

Forward.

That's the best word to describe the season Lake Forest native Rob Belcore will experience during his last year of college basketball at the University of Pennsylvania.

Belcore, a 2008 Loyola Academy graduate, is listed as a guard on the Quakers' roster but is expected to start at power forward when the team takes the floor for tonight's (Nov. 11) opener at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.

And he's also looking forward to starting the season healthy after battling a number of injuries throughout his college career.

"Last year I was down with migranes that forced me to miss a few games at the start of the year and then I injured my left ankle, which put me out for the last couple," Belcore said in a recent interview. "I would've played on it but the year before, my right ankle was reconstructed and had four screws put in, so I wasn't able to make my right foot my dominant foot with my left one being hurt.

"I'm all ready to go now, feeling great and I'm excited to be totally healthy for the first time in two years."

Take Penn back to NCAA Tourney

What he's ready for exactly why he came to Penn in the first place -- to make a run at the NCAA Tournament. The Quakers had reached the Big Dance after winning the Ivy League championship six of the previous nine seasons before Belcore arrived on campus. But Cornell won three straight seasons before Princeton's 2011 title.

"When I committed here, one of the major things was I knew we would be going to the Tournament every year," Belcore admitted. "I really want to get us back to that tradition. It would mean everything to me. The memories that go with that would last for the rest of your life.

"The goal every year is to win the Ivy League championship and play in the NCAA Tournament. If you don't have that goal, you really shouldn't be playing college basketball."

The Quakers were picked fourth in the league's preseason media poll as coach Jerome Allen will be trying to benefit from strong backcourt players returning. Belcore will see time in an untraditional power forward role for a club that has plenty of players who can shoot from the perimeter.

"Most people think that four position is a guy who is probably 6-7 or taller and Rob is about 6-5. He's closer to 6-4 then 6-6," Allen said. "But the fight he has inside him allows him to play that position for us. He's got overall strength, a good motor and works really hard in the weight room."

Versatility Allows Belcore to Adapt to New Role

It will be a different role, but that isn't anything new for Belcore. His versatility is what makes him a valuable asset.

"Rob has truly serviced this program in a number of facets," Allen says. "In my first year, he played some point guard for us. Last year he was our best perimeter defender so he played where we needed him to play. And this year, he'll probably see time at (small forward), get some time at the two-guard spot and likely play some (power forward). He's a kid who says 'Coach, I'll play where ever you need me.' "

For a team with 12 of its 18 players either sophomores or freshmen, Belcore is one of six seniors asked to lead the way for a relatively young team.  His 4.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game may not rank among the Quakers' top returners, but his team-first attitude has not gone unnoticed by his coach.

"With the effort effort he gives day-in and day-out and the attention to detail he has on the floor, it is great for the young team that we have this year to look up to," Allen says. "These young guys will only do what they know and only follow what they see, and the way he carries himself and the standard he has set in my two-and-a-half years on campus has only helped this program."

Soaking it all in

As a student in the university's prestigious Wharton School of Business, Belcore already is excited for what the future could hold for him off the court. The school's alumni is a who's who of America's top business executives and includes Donald Trump among its most distinguished. But he knows he'll also miss the experience of playing and being a part of a team.

"I used to never understand when a senior would stand up and talk about how they have a different understanding because of all their experience but it makes sense to me now," Belcore said.  "I feel like I have extra push, want it a little bit more because I know it's the last time that I'll represent a school. Even if I play professionally in Europe, it's not the same sort of pride you experience playing in front of your peers."

"I came to Penn to play basketball and the academics were a plus. Now I laugh at how I looked at it that way because you come to Penn for the amazing educational opportunities it gives you for your future. Playing basketball has been the plus. That's something I learned going through the process. I'm in one of the finest institutions in the country, plus I got to play basketball, which I love."