Mention Justin Driver to Glenn Robinson, and Franklin & Marshall's men's basketball boss playfully puts his right index finger to his lips.

"Shhh," he laughs. "I'd rather keep him a secret. Justin who? Don't know him."

After scoring a career-high 12 points and jump-starting the Diplomats to victory over Oneonta Friday night in his first NCAA Tournament game, F&M's freshman wing guard may be a secret no longer.

At the very least, it's becoming a bit more difficult these days to keep the Trenton, N.J. product an unknown quantity, even among the Diplomats' more publicized players.

At 6-foot and 165 pounds, Driver doesn't cut an imposing figure physically. Nor does he possess an outsized personality.

Yet as noted by teammate James McNally — a 6-6, 235-pound junior whose size and easy manner are readily apparent — the soft-spoken Driver makes his presence felt where it counts.

On the court.

"He's come in, hit some big shots and played real well," McNally said Tuesday following F&M's film study of Sweet 16 opponent St. Marys College (Md.).

And what does Driver think of this, his first trip to the Division III Big Dance?

"In warmups I was very nervous," he said, smiling at the memory of Friday's game. "Then I calmed down. I knew my teammates were supporting me."

How long did it take to calm down?

"Second play," he said. "James came up to me, said something funny."

McNally, sitting next to Driver in Robinson's office, laughed along with his teammate as the story unfolded.

What was said between the two on the court wasn't for print, but it served its purpose at the time. It loosened up the first-year starter, who went on to record a flurry of key plays — eight quick points, a steal, a rebound — to fuel F&M's early, 10-point lead.

"We want to have intensity," McNally said. "But we also want to have fun."

Driver had both, and by game's end, had contributed 12 points, four boards, three assists and a steal to a 91-77 win.

"He's just a good all-around player," Robinson said. "The way our guys were zipping the ball to him, it was clear they wanted him to shoot."

Not that Driver needs much prompting. At Solebury Prep, he averaged 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists his senior season and earned team MVP honors.

"He's always been able to shoot," Robinson said. "He knows how to get open, how to score."

And there's more.

"He's intelligent, a very heady player, and he carries himself with a veteran's composure," said St. Mary's coach Chris Harney.

"He's a great system guy, he knows how to work within the system and he does the things F&M is known for. He's a great defender and he executes well.

"Yeah, he fits right in."

Driver isn't the first freshman to fit right in for Robinson at tournament time. Nor is he the only current freshman to be contributing to F&M's cause. Forward Hayk Gyokchyan and swingman Brandon Beckford have both been getting minutes.

But it's Driver who's been firmly entrenched as a starter since early February, who's started nine of the last 10 games, the only non-start being Senior Day in the regular-season finale.

All of this, along with having played in 26 of F&M's 29 games this season, makes it difficult to still think of Driver as a freshman.

Even from his standpoint.

"I don't think of myself as a freshman," he said.

What he does think is that F&M, 25-4 and ranked 18th nationally, has a good chance of continuing its postseason run.

"The teams we're playing are getting better every game," he said. "But we're better, too.

"As long as we stay together, we'll keep getting better."

egruver@lnpnews.com