Stanley Robinson shows his hustle as he dives for a loose ball.

Robinson Slams With 'Brilliance'

By: Zac Boyer

Posted: 1/22/07

HARTFORD - Stanley Robinson caught the pass from Marcus Johnson on the left wing and stared D.J. White in the eye. He thought about shooting, but instead crossed over his dribble and blew past White, sliding along the baseline unguarded and throwing home a strong two-handed dunk.

Robinson, who nearly finished with a double-double at 21 points and 9 rebounds, made it look easy for the Huskies Saturday afternoon despite the loss to Indiana. He was the heartbeat of the team, putting UConn on his back while falling just short of capturing victory.

"I said he's coming in as special, with a different kind of motor, than Rudy [Gay]," said head coach Jim Calhoun. "I said the difference between he and Rudy is that his motor is turned up higher. But we're starting to see some great athleticism, some great touch."

Calhoun had repeatedly said earlier in the season that Robinson, standing 6-foot-9, was the biggest victim of the team's large rotation despite being able to play both forward positions. He showed flashes of brilliance early, scoring 13 points against Central Arkansas in just 15 minutes of action and nearly had a double-double with eight points and nine rebounds against Pepperdine.

But it wasn't until Calhoun made the decision to move Robinson into the starting line-up against St. John's Jan. 13 that he was able to make his presence felt. Robinson exploded for his first double-double of his career against the Red Storm, scoring 13 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in 29 minutes at Madison Square Garden.

The timing of the decision was odd, especially given that Calhoun had just said Robinson was confused after the Marquette game and that he believed he wasn't ready for the role. But the forward buckled down and started giving a strong effort in practice, which he felt was what turned the coaching staff's favor in his direction.

Robinson said intensity and motivation was what propelled him through Saturday's game, especially when he jumped up and grabbed White's shot out of the air with 4:23 remaining in the first half.

"It's not a surprise to us who see him everyday do magical things," Calhoun said. "That's the third block [this season] - and that one actually was the most amazing of all - where he catches the ball."

Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson, who was surprised at Robinson's athleticism, said his ability to get to the rim and rebound the ball makes him such a threat inside.

"There's a lot of 6-foot-9, 6-foot-10 kids that if they were 6-foot-4, they wouldn't be very good," Sampson said. "They're good because they're tall or they have length. If this kid were 6-foot-4, he'd still be good because he can get to the rim."

Robinson's only criticism after the game was in the final seconds, when it was he who allowed Indiana guard Roderick Wilmont to sink a 3-pointer to give the Hoosiers the 71-70 lead. Because of a lack of communication, Robinson, who had been assigned to Wilmont in order to prevent the guard from dribbling, slipped off his man and gave the guard the look he needed to sink the basket.

"I've got to be more focused on the court, to be honest with you," Robinson said. "But I had a good game, so I'm not going to break that. It's pretty good for me, so I'll say I'm doing pretty good right now."