Craig Robinson's phone rang Monday, a day after Oregon State ended a 21-game Pacific 10 Conference losing streak with a 62-58 victory over USC.
On the other end was brother-in-law Barack Obama, the president-elect.
"He calls after all my big games, he has always done that — even before he was a big-time politician,'' Robinson told Paul Buker of the Oregonian.
"I was running some errands, and the phone rings. I know when he calls, because it comes up funny [on his cell phone] ... and he said, 'Congratulations, I heard you won a big game. I didn't see it, but some of the guys saw it. Tell me about it, what happened?' "
Robinson said he was pressed for time, but couldn't get Obama off the phone.
"I talked to him for like 20 minutes,'' Robinson said.
Although the two talk regularly, the first-year coach said he was surprised by Monday's call because Obama is "so busy right now."
The prez-to-be, a former player, likes to talk strategy. The men discussed the end of regulation, when Oregon State's Roeland Schaftenaar made a three-point basket to force overtime.
"He said, 'Were you guys down three?' And I said, 'Yeah, down three, 14 seconds left.' And he said, 'Why didn't they foul you?' Because he knows that's what I normally do. And I said to him, '[USC coach Tim Floyd] was trying to get his guys to foul. They just didn't foul quick enough and we passed it to our open guy and he made the shot.' ... so he knows the game."
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