Getting to know Norfolk State's Rae Corbo

In case you haven't heard, Norfolk State is 4-1 behind a core group of freshmen who have already matched last season's win total. We caught up with 5-6 guard Rae Corbo, one of the Spartans' brightest talents, who has already made one start and is averaging 8.8 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 40 percent from the field.

You chose NSU despite the Spartans' 4-23 mark in 2009-10. Tell us what went into your thinking.

I knew it was new coaches, and when I took my visit, it seemed like they weren't going to let the same thing happen again. I knew that if I came it wasn't going to be the same. I just wanted to come into something different, and I knew we were all going into something new. So we all went into something new together.

Already four wins, and it is only November. Did you expect that?

Yes. I come from a winning program (Paramus Catholic, Englewood, N.J.). I know everyone else they recruited came from a winning program, so I knew we weren't going to sit back and let everyone roll over us. I don't expect to lose games.

You won 2 of 3 games in Kentucky. What did that do for this team?

A lot of confidence. After the second win (over Central Arkansas), we had a lot of confidence because that team was a really good team. Those girls were bigger than us. We showed so much toughness between the end of the game and overtime. We kept fighting.

Obviously it's a brand new life being a freshman in college. What's the hardest adjustment?

I'd say all the free time. When we first got here, we had a lot of free time. I had no idea what I was doing. I was so used to high school....first period, second period, third period. You go to all your periods. Then you practice and go home and do your homework. Here you have a class at 9 o'clock and then a class at 2 o'clock. There's so much freedom. I didn't know what to do with myself.

It's hard. But you know if you don't do your work, you're not going to play. And if you're slipping, they're going to know. There's so many people here who are so protective of the athletes and their work. There's study halls, labs. They're on top of it.


You came in undeclared, but you just chose a major?


Optical engineering. It's like the building of telescopes and microcopes. I was always going to do engineering, but I wanted to be a civil engineer and they didn't have it here. So I went in undecided and then I realized math is the only thing I'm really good at.


You're not practicing, playing or studying. What are you doing?


Sleeping. I'm in the room with my roommate just bugging out. I like to scream.

Scream?


Yes. You know, sporadically. I like to be loud. I like to dance. I sing. I sing anything.


I hit shuffle on your Ipod and what's likely to come up?


Anything. Rock Rap. Pop. A Christmas carol.


You couldn't go home for Thanksgiving. Did you do anything fun?


We had to stay here because we had a game (Saturday).  We went to coach (Debra) Clark's mom's house. She cooked for us. It was wonderful. I took home a plate and ate it that night. The mac and cheese was superb.


Where does your name come from?


My real name is Raeshonn. Everyone calls me Rae. No one calls me that ever. Unless I'm in trouble. My friends call me Rizzy. I was rappin' one day and I said my name is Rizzy so my name is going to be Rizzy for the rest of my life.