During his eight years playing basketball, Robert Warner opened new avenues of opportunity for talented Maine athletes. Under Thornton Academy coach Jeddy Newman, Warner developed into a standout big man, and still holds most school records in scoring and rebounding. In college, Warner wasted little time making a name for himself-- in his first year of varsity play for the University of Maine Black Bears he was named Yankee Conference Rookie of the Year. During his four years at Orono, Warner amassed 1,758 points (second on the school's all-time scoring list) and 1,304 rebounds, a career record that still stands today. Warner also finished with all of Maine's other rebounding records, and was named to many All-Maine, All-Yankee Conference and All-New England teams. In his senior year he won honorable mention All-American honors. Based on Warner's achievements, college coaches from across the country began to recruit Maine athletes. Warner himself went on to coach college basketball for three years at Boston University following a year of professional ball in Europe.

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