STAC’s Men’s Basketball player Demetre Roberts was recently named “Most Outstanding Player” of the East Coast Conference Tournament, one of numerous honors and awards this dedicated athlete has earned over the last four years. Among his many other achievements are: three ECC First Team All-Conference Selections; an ECC Second Team All-Conference Honor; a D2CCA Second Team All-Region Selection; and two NABC All-East District Accolades. Demetre is also a nominee for All-Met honors.
In March, the senior guard played a key role in leading the STAC Men’s Basketball team to win its sixth ECC Tournament Championship in seven years with a 59-48 victory over Daemen College. Their success led the team to the East Region tourney at Bentley University in Massachusetts. Last year, Demetre also helped lead the Spartans to the ECC Regular Season Championship and postseason tournament crown. In college, he has garnered an impressive 1,528 points, 312 rebounds, 401 assists, and 149 steals in 107 games played, while being a part of two ECC Regular Season Championships, three ECC Tournament titles, and four straight NCAA Division II Tourney appearances.
Demetre says that his interest in basketball started when he was four years old. “My cousin always watched and played, and he introduced me to it,” he says. “It became natural to me, an escape to keep distractions out of my way.”
He grew to love the sport in the early years of his life in the Bronx. At the time, his mother was a New York City detective with a demanding work schedule, so he spent most of his time with his ailing grandmother. “When I look back at it now, I appreciate the experience,” he says. “It forced me to grow beyond my age and, by the time I was in my teens, I knew what to do, and what not to do. It forced me to be the man I am now.”
When he turned 11, Demetre and his mom moved to Mt. Vernon, and throughout high school, he continued developing his skills on the court. He became so good that recruiters took notice and ultimately, he was awarded a full scholarship to attend STAC.
“I love basketball! It got me here,” he says. “I’ve had the best four years of my life here.”
In addition to fulfilling his goal of playing college basketball, Demetre says he developed in many other ways as a student at STAC. He made a lot of new friends, improved his communication skills, and learned about coaching and leadership from respected mentors. He also took advantage of opportunities to share his love of sports with younger students through internships and part-time positions at STAC Men’s Basketball Camps, High School Elite Camps, and Tappan Zee High School. “‘All about the kids’ has been my motto for a long time,” he says. “I love seeing kids happy and succeeding at what they do.”
In his free time, Demetre watches his favorite basketball teams, which include the Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, and the Celtics. He also loves reading and traveling. His favorite destination so far has been South Africa where he visited Nelson Mandela’s childhood home and enjoyed learning about different species of animals. He looks forward to seeing more of the world after he graduates. At that time, Demetre will become the second person in his family to graduate from college, next to his mom who is now a sergeant in the New York City Police Department. Of course, he will also remain focused on working toward his lifelong dream. “I want to take one day at a time to reach my goal which is to become a professional athlete,” he says.