If the coming and goings of coach Mike Montgomery and the recent NBA draftees weren't enough, there's yet another reason to postmark the arrival of a new era for the Cal men's basketball team:

The return of Theo Robertson.

After redshirting in what would have been his third year with the Bears, Robertson's return path to basketball for the upcoming season has been as trying as the splinters on the hardwood planks of Pete Newell Court.

After months of rehab following his surgery in April 2007, the soft-spoken forward is finally free of the nagging hip injury that had bothered him for most of his sophomore campaign. Understandably, Robertson has been drowning in anticipation all summer -- or all year, to be exact.

"I don't know what to think right now," says Robertson. "I know when I first get back out there, I'll probably be really anxious. Ever since I was able to get back on the court, limited in practice last year, I just wanted to be out there with the guys."

More than a year has passed since Robertson first felt something in his legs as Cal began its Pac-10 slate in 2007. There was discomfort, but he played through the pain, averaging 9.25 points and 4.25 rebounds in 32.9 minutes against each conference opponent.

Still, there didn't ever seem to be a point where the immediate gains from his production surpassed the potential long-term losses to his career. As soon as the doctors diagnosed a bone spur in his hip, the timetable was set. The following December, the team announced that Robertson would sit out the imminent 2007-08 season.

"Every time my leg would rotate, I'd jump or I'd cut, it would cut a cartilage in my hip socket or joint," says Robertson. "I was kind of in shock. I'd never been hurt before, never had to miss a game or anything like that."

Recognizing the injury was easy; the hard part came next.

Robertson initially received medical treatment from the training staff at Memorial Stadium, laboring to build back the muscle in the surrounding areas of the hip socket, quadriceps and knees included. Sessions included leg lifts, followed by stretches to break up scar tissue, more leg lifts -- you get the picture.

In his second stage of rehab, Robertson returned to Haas Pavilion and trained with strength coach Mike Blasquez for the first time since he had gone under the knife. By the time the team had to decide whether to redshirt one of its most versatile starters in December, Robertson had progressed to the point where his daily workouts would include on-court agility and shooting drills. He would even join the team in pre-practice warm-ups.

In retrospect, though, Robertson agrees that had he returned for the past season, his recovery would've been brought to a premature end.

"I think it was the best decision for me, just seeing how far I've come to this point," says Robertson. "Even in (spring workouts), the jump I've made from the end of the (2007-08) season to that point was pretty dramatic. That let me know I had made the right decision."

The right decision is often hard to make, while the follow-through is rather simple. Robertson, however, wasn't as fortunate. It was tortuous enough deciding to sit out a season, but he also had to face the daunting task of enduring through an entire school year avoiding the rock.

One of the forward's favorite aspects of the game is a strange one -- travel. Included in the lengthy bus rides are his teammates, and matters were frequently made worse in their absence. While he was sidelined, there was minimal travel to begin with, but what might have been worse was the isolation.

"I'm a guy, all I do is watch SportsCenter, all the highlights, so I'm sitting there watching the NBA, all these highlights," says Robertson. "All my friends are playing in college, telling me about their games and stuff like that.

"It just kind of seemed like basketball was everywhere, and I wasn't a part of it."

Today, Robertson knows first hand what it means not to take the game for granted. Although it's likely that he'd never want to experience a similar leave, the rising junior admits the injury may have been beneficial not only for himself, but for the team as well.

In his stead, guard Patrick Christopher enjoyed a breakout year in which he tripled his scoring output. Forward Jamal Boykin was able to get his feet plenty wet in his first season at Cal, posting nearly 20 minutes a night.

Robertson, on his part, maintains that he returns a better athlete than he has ever been. While his identity as a tenacious defender with three-point range is not in any way a secret, the swingman suggested that he might prepare a trick or two to show off his newly acquired legs come November.

No way, one might add, as "flashy" is the last word Bears fans would use to describe the consistent, team-oriented nature of Robertson's game.

"I've been thinking about that all the time actually," says Robertson of his reputation. "My first game back, I wanna maybe do something to let people know I'm back, that I'm here. If I get the opportunity, I'll definitely do something. So be on the lookout for that."

Let it be known, then -- Cal kicks off its season on Nov. 15 with a home opener against Pacific.

Tags: THEO ROBERTSON