It's been almost 17 years since he led St. Charles West past onetime power Vashon for the school's only boys basketball championship.
But to Ryan Robertson, it seems like hardly any time has passed at all.
"It's gone by lightning fast," Robertson said. "I get reminded about that stuff all the time. I run into people around town who are always bringing it up."
Robertson is still among the all-time leading scorers in the state of Missouri with 2,751 points. When his high school playing days were done, Robertson had set a national record for combined points and assists in a career.
During that championship season, Robertson averaged 24.1 points per game and led the Warriors to a 30-2 record. He posted team bests in assists (nine per game), field-goal percentage (58.4) and free-throw percentage (81.4), and hit 51 of 124 3-point attempts (41.1 percent).
In the championship game, with the Warriors trailing by two points, Robertson hit a 3-pointer with 45 seconds remaining to give his team a one-point lead they never lost in a 58-51 victory.
Robertson finished with 24 points, nine of them coming down the stretch.
"He was just doing what he had been doing for four years," then-West coach Terry Hollander said. "He was an unbelievable player who would make sure your team didn't lose. There were very few guys like that, but that's the way Ryan was."
After a successful four years at the University of Kansas, Robertson was selected with the 16th pick of the second round by the Sacramento Kings during the 1999 NBA draft. Getting to the NBA was his dream, but it lasted just one game.
After playing one year in the ABA and five years in Europe, Robertson had a chance to continue playing in Italy. But a feeling in his gut told him it was time to hang up his sneakers.
Robertson graduated with a degree in business administration from KU and was offered a job back in the states by The Hartford. Two years later, he wound up back in St. Charles as a regional director with Goldman Sachs Asset Management.
"I wasn't burned out," he said. "But I was ready to start the next chapter of my life."
Though he doesn't get the same adrenaline rush as he did on the basketball court, Robertson enjoys the job. He and high school sweetheart, Andrea, live in Whitmoor in St. Charles with children Kylie, 5, J.D., 3 and Rex, 1. He also serves on the board of trustees for St. Charles Community College.
"What I do now has a lot of similarities to basketball," Robertson said. "Every day is really competitive, and I have to work on my skills.
"But my body doesn't ache. And if I have a bad day, I still can sleep at night. It's just a healthier lifestyle."
Robertson, 35, will be one of eight inductees into the new St. Charles West Hall of Fame on Friday night. The list includes alumni Don Baldwin and Dan Meers, as well as former West staff member Art Wash. Posthumous inductees include former West staff members Phyllis McKinney, Roscoe Jennings and Bob Spiegelman, and alumnus Drew Weaver.
The ceremony takes place at 6:30 between the St. Charles West and St. Charles girls and boys varsity basketball games.
"I'm really honored and thrilled to be part of it," Robertson said. "There are many, many people who have played a big role in the success we have had at St. Charles West. I'm just a very small part of that."
As revered as he was, Robertson was considered a turncoat by some. Just prior to his senior season, he chose to play at Kansas, which didn't sit well with a large pro-Missouri fan base. He said it was one of the toughest days he's ever had.
"That day was difficult because I hate disappointing people," Robertson said. "And I knew I was going to have to call Missouri and say I'm not coming."
Kansas coach Roy Williams started recruiting Robertson when he was a freshman. Two years later, he got his first letter from Missouri.
"I had two years as an impressionable freshman with Kansas," he said. "I had a strong relationship with the people at Missouri. They were just a little late."
Robertson's glass-encased No. 11 jersey hangs above a stairway near the entrance to the St. Charles West gym.
"It wasn't rocket science when we had to have his jersey retired," joked Hollander, who was involved in the ceremony prior to Robertson's final home game.
Robertson said Hollander, 59, has always been like a second father to him.
"He has affected generations -- he should be going in (to the hall) before me," Robertson said. "It should be named after him. Ask anyone who played for him."
Hollander spent 30 years (1980 to 2009) as the West head coach. He is in his second season as assistant men's basketball coach at Lindenwood University.
"All of us still go on a golf trip together every year," Robertson said of Hollander and the team. "It's the highlight of everyone's summer. A championship season like that one brings people together for the rest of their lives."
Ryan's brother, Troy, another member of the championship squad, never misses the annual outing. A talented basketball player as well who played at Saint Louis University, Troy said having Ryan as an older brother was a blessing.
"When we were in school, he worked harder than anybody I knew, was really smart, and had a ton of God-given talent," Troy said. "I always called him the Golden Boy. On the trip, he is the best golfer. No matter what you're doing, he's probably pretty good at it. He was just cool under fire."
Even the losing coach in the championship game, former Wolverines coach Floyd Irons, said Robertson was a special player.
"He was one of my favorites because I liked the way he played," Irons said. "I liked his tenacity. He reminded me of (Vashon's) Jimmy McKinney. They were both unselfish players."
Robertson said Hollander rarely -- if ever -- got on him, but early in the championship game, the coach did.
"I let someone go right down the middle," Robertson said. "He jumped all over me. It woke me up and I played a much better game."
Robertson said he will never forget how he felt after the title game.
"I remember the sheer exuberance that people in St. Charles County felt," he said. "That is what we felt in our locker room. It always resonated with me. It was a pretty good feeling."
