Lucas: Robinson Shooting For Increased Role

By Adam Lucas

When Brandon Robinson was a freshman, assistant coach Steve Robinson would regularly chide him before practice with the same line: "Which Brandon are we going to get today?" The younger version of the player from Douglasville, Ga., was inconsistent, one day looking like a potential superstar and the next like a confused freshman.

Those unpredictable days are over. Robinson and Shea Rush are the last remaining links to the 2017 national championship team, and teammates have cited Robinson, Garrison Brooks and Leaky Black as preseason leaders.

"When I was a freshman, I was trying to process everything and trying not to make a mistake," Robinson says. "As a senior, I can play more freely and just react rather than having to think about it. At this point, I understand everything completely. It's easy for me to go out in practice and help someone when they don't know where to go. I've made that same mistake, and I've seen other people make that mistake. Knowing what to do is second nature to me now."

Knowing what to do is second nature, but pointing others in the right direction is still a learning process. Carolina benefited last season from the multiple leadership styles of Kenny Williams, Luke Maye and Cameron Johnson. With all three of those players gone, the on-court leadership role is still being determined (remember, as long as Roy Williams is on the sidelines, there's never going to be a true leadership void).

Robinson has traditionally been more of a lead by example type. The opening month of preseason practice has required him to make some adjustments.

"I've always felt I'm more of the type of guy who picks his teammates up when something goes wrong," Robinson says. "But from the first practice of the season to now is night and day. The first practice, I was hesitant about saying anything. Coach Rob (Steve Robinson) and Coach (Hubert) Davis got on me and told me that I've been here for four years and I need to be the guy who speaks up when we aren't practicing well or when someone needs to get it going. I'm much more comfortable doing that now than I was a month ago."

For the first time in his Carolina career, the Tar Heels need Robinson's contributions to be more than just intangible. The top five scorers from last year's team are gone, and 88.1 percent of the 312 three-pointers Carolina made during the season have departed. Twenty-three of the three-pointers still on the roster were made by Robinson, but they were mostly a luxury rather than a necessity last season.

What you might not realize is that for all the departed firepower—the senior trio plus Coby White and Nassir Little—no one on the roster who made at least two three-pointers last season made trifectas at a better clip than Robinson's 46.0 accuracy.

One of this season's most important questions is whether he can maintain that percentage while taking substantially more than the 50 he attempted as a junior.

"I think I can get my percentage even higher," he says. "Shooting more shots isn't going to change my mechanics. I don't have to do anything different. If I step outside myself, I'll fail. I want to play within the offense, and the more I'm out there, the more productive I will be."

Robinson, who also says he thinks fans will discover he's a better passer than they might expect, has spent four years learning the right time to hoist those outside shots. He's a dangerous option after dribble penetration, and repeated reminders from Williams mean he knows not to overpenetrate after a teammate's dribble drive (because he would simply be driving into an already collapsed defense).

One of two remaining players with a championship ring says he'll be honest with his teammates about what it will take to earn another one.

"It's a lot of hard work," Robinson says. "Not every game is going to be perfect. College basketball is not really an undefeated sport. You can't win a national championship in November, and you have to continuously get better over the course of the season. It takes a lot of hard work every day to get to that point."

University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

Leaky Black

Garrison Brooks

Cameron Johnson

Nassir Little

Luke Maye

Brandon Robinson

Shea Rush

Coby White

Kenny Williams

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