Morabbi defies Beverly Hills typecasting

Yeah, his zip code was 90210. Sure, he played basketball at Beverly Hills High School. That's right, rapper Lil' Romeo was his teammate and the son of actor Nicolas Cage his classmate.

But Citadel freshman Cosmo Morabbi wants you to know he's no stereotype, and he didn't use to hang with Brandon and Dylan down at the Peach Pit.

"When people find out where I'm from, you get the 'rich kid who has everything' treatment," said Morabbi, a 6-2, 190-pound guard on the Bulldogs' basketball team. "But it's not like that for everyone out there."

Morabbi, a smooth left-hander who has played his way into the rotation as the Bulldogs prepare to face California-Davis tonight at McAlister Field House, has often had to deal with Beverly Hills typecasting.

Even Citadel assistant coaches were hesitant to tell head coach Ed Conroy about the prospect from L.A., even though Morabbi averaged 28 points and eight rebounds as a senior at Beverly Hills High.

"When we set down to meet last April, I could tell there was something they weren't telling me," Conroy said. "They were maybe a little reluctant to bring up the name and where he was from, because I'm constantly talking about finding the right fit for The Citadel.

"They knew he fit from a basketball standpoint, they just weren't sure they wanted to bring forward somebody from Beverly Hills. I guess we have as many perceptions and stereotypes as anybody."

Conroy says he's always up front with prospects about life at The Citadel and how difficult the adjustment can be for freshmen. He was even moreso with Morabbi, going so far as to tell him that even though he was good enough as a player, the military school would probably not recruit him.

"After a long silence," Conroy recalled, "Cosmo said, 'Coach, that would be a big mistake.' "

The comeback convinced Conroy that Morabbi's confidence and determination to play Division I basketball would carry him through at The Citadel, and it certainly has thus far.

Morabbi has played in all nine games and started three of them, the only freshman to start more than one game for the 5-4 Bulldogs. His 17.3 minutes per game rank sixth on the team as he subs for starting guards Cameron Wells and Zach Urbanus. He's yet to find the range from the college 3-point line, shooting just 3 of 19 from long distance.

"That will come," Conroy said. "He shoots it well in practice and he will shoot it well in games. It's an adjustment for any first-year guy who is a long way from home, but Cosmo has handled it well and he will continue to get better, because he cares so much about it."

Morabbi's multicultural background has helped him fit in, at Beverly Hills High and at The Citadel. His father, Ali, is Iranian and his mother, Junko, is Japanese - "She owned an antique shop, and he kept coming in," Morabbi said - and Cosmo has visited his mother's homeland many times.

His older brother, Abe Morabbi, has been called "the best Persian basketball player in the world," and plays pro ball in Japan under the name Ken Tanaka. His older sister sings under the name Roxy Sakura and has a single out called "Happy Now."

That song describes how both Cosmo and The Citadel feel about their unlikely merger.

"Coach Conroy told me this might not be the best place for me," Morabbi said. "But I told him I wanted to play basketball, and I'm glad I'm here. I've learned to like it and I'm starting to understand the importance of it."

Reach Jeff Hartsell at jhartsell@postandcourier.com