Robert Franks is in the middle of a spectacular season, despite missing a sizable amount of time due to an injury. The 6’9”, 225-pound senior forward averages 21.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 51 percent from the floor, all of which are career highs.

Franks played 31 minutes off the bench in his return game against Cal, where he scored 24 points and tallied eight rebounds, leading the Cougars in both categories.

Franks returned to the starting lineup in the Cougars next game, where he put up another respectable performance, scoring 12 points and six rebounds in 33 minutes of play.

Robert Franks is a four-year player at WSU but didn’t find his place in the starting lineup until his junior season. Once he did, however, he never let up, starting in all 30 games he played last season.

In the 2017-18 season, Franks averaged a WSU-leading 17.4 points per contest, good for seventh in the conference. Robert’s 6.6 rebounds per game also ranked him among the elite in the conference.

Franks had a fantastic high school career. He played for coach Brian Witherspoon at Evergreen High School in Vancouver, Washington. Robert earned three varsity letters with the team, captaining each of his final three seasons.

Franks was an all-league first-team selection his sophomore year. His junior year added even more accolades, being named to The Seattle Times’ Top-25 Boys Recruits list and an AP All-State Honorable Mention selection.

Rivals.com named him a three-star recruit after his junior year. Franks was also an AP All-State Honorable Mention his senior season and was selected as an All-Region pick by The Columbian.

Robert Franks has been a rare bright spot in a disappointing men’s basketball program at WSU. Franks is a truly great college basketball player, one we should appreciate before he runs out of eligibility after this season.