Robinson's Three-Point Success Ties into Senior Urgency to Win
2/15/2018 9:45:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Features
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan coach John Beilein looked at his team in the postgame locker room and told them they did not shoot well in a 74-59 win over Iowa.
"But one guy shot well!" said Beilein.
Moritz Wagner, seated one row in front of Duncan Robinson, who had made 6-of-8 three-point attempts as a one-man zone buster, stretched both arms high over his head and smiled, enacting the referee's signal for made threes.
Robinson's 18 points in 26 minutes off the bench was the difference against the Hawkeyes, who dared the Wolverines to shoot treys by packing their zone in other areas. Then, at the times when Iowa came out to guard along the arc, Robinson still hit shots, some from NBA three-point range.
Beilein looked to his left at Jude Stamper, 12, the official team member sitting in a wheel chair and beaming. He instructed Jude to repeat out loud what he was about to say, and Jude was more than happy to comply:
"Duncan, will you shoot it more!"
Everybody laughed, including Robinson.
Beilein has encouraged Robinson to keep shooting even though his shooting percentage on three-pointers went from .450 as a sophomore and .424 as a junior to .354 as a senior prior to the last two games.
Robinson was 4-for-7 behind the arc with 16 points Sunday (Feb. 11) at Wisconsin, and has now made 10-of-16 (.625) and averaged 17 points in the last two games. It's a small sample set, true, against two Big Ten opponents with losing records. But those factors don't apply as much to Robinson because he has a proven track record.
The 6-foot-8 forward/guard has been one of the most prolific three-point shooters ever at Michigan.
Robinson passed Zack Novak (2009-12) for sixth place on the career list at Michigan against Iowa, pushing his total to 215. He's 18 treys away from tying former teammate Derrick Walton, Jr. (2013-17) and Daniel Horton (2002-06) for fourth place at 233.
Beilein paid Robinson a huge compliment in his postgame talk with the team by comparing an element of his game to Walton, who last year was the driving force in the Wolverines surprisingly winning the Big Ten Tournament and reaching the NCAA Sweet 16.
"I believe there's a magic in February that just happens," said Beilein. "I've seen it with my own eyes. Guys just get into a zone, and they don't stop until you win the national championship or you lose a game. The trick is to get them into that zone and then keep 'em there. I give 'em a lot of confidence while still being demanding.
"The way he's played the last two games, (Robinson's) going to keep it going right until the end of the season. It's Zak (Irvin) and Derrick Walton all over again. He has a great, great attitude.
Robinson, an unlikely success story after transferring from Division III Williams College, greatly appreciated hearing that.
"It was about playing as a senior with a sense of urgency and refusing to lose," said Robinson. "I saw that in full effect with Derrick last year. So, the clock's obviously ticking off on my career here. I want to leave a lasting impression, and I want this team to leave a lasting impression as a leader and a captain of this team. I want to help us in any way I can.
"The statistics and all that are fun. But it's nice to win first and foremost."Â
When Beilein mentioned the memorable run by co-captains Irvin and Walton, he included senior Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman with Robinson. "Rahk" has had a quality season, and matched Robinson's 18 points against the Hawkeyes for the team lead, while also having seven assists and zero turnovers. Five of his assists were on Robinson treys.
"It was our senior connection," said Robinson. "We both had that sense of urgency."
Robinson put the game pretty much out of reach by quelling an Iowa spurt early in the second half. It had cut the lead to nine points, but then Robinson made three treys in a span of 73 seconds to make it a 16-point margin.
"It felt good," said Robinson, who matched his Michigan career high with six treys. "Any time you can bring life to a gym like that, it's fun, and we were able convert it to stops on the other end, which was key."
He was told afterward that he'd surpassed Novak for sixth-place on the three-point list and was just 18 shy of Walton and Horton for fourth.
What does it mean to him to be in their company?
"It means a lot," said Robinson. "It's humbling, quite frankly. This is a big-time program with a lot of big-time players who have come through here. So, for me to put my name into a conversation with them is surreal, quite honestly.
"So, I'm just very thankful and feel very fortunate to be in the position I'm in."
Beilein, when told of Robinson's ranking, said: "Wow! And he's done it in three years."
Beilein insisted Robinson shoot even when the shots were not dropping -- he was 4-for-24 on threes in one four-game stretch -- because he has insisted all along that a shooter who had taken 362 treys in his first two seasons and made them at a .439 clip was going to return to form.
"That means the world to me," said Robinson. "He's always instilled confidence in me, and believed in me. Naturally, you are going to have doubts. But I don't try to doubt myself ever. But some days when they're not falling, you do. But he's always been a constant voice in the back of my head, encouraging me and my teammates as well. I'm real thankful for that."
Robinson, in the last two games alone, has shot his percentage up from .354 to .386. Another game anything like the last two, and Robinson will at long last finally be over .400.
Is there anything he's doing differently?
"I will credit (assistant) Coach (DeAndre) Haynes a little bit," said Robinson. "We've locked into a pre-game ritual. He puts me through some game-like shots and I try to move through them at more game speed.
Out here putting in the work. #GoBlue ?? pic.twitter.com/GCeOqVJE3x
— Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) February 14, 2018
"But more so than that, I'm just trying to commit myself to this final stretch of games and I'm taking a light course load, so I get here every day and put in my work before practice and doing everything I can before I've got to leave."
Everybody ahead of Robinson -- Louis Bullock (339), Dion Harris (268) and Irvin (241) along with Walton and Horton -- played four seasons.
Robinson recently surpassed the three-year player record of Tim Hardaway Jr. (202), and only Bullock (84.8 treys per season) and Nik Stauskas (86.0 over his two seasons) averaged better than the 71.7 Robinson has over three seasons with three regular season games and the postseason remaining.
Any way you slice it, Robinson is one of the most prolific three-point shooters in school history.
He was in that zone against the Hawkeyes.
"It's a ton of fun -- especially at home -- to feel that energy in the building," said Robinson.
Beilein said he's been giving Robinson and Abdur-Rahkman more rest in practice to allow for stronger legs in the stretch run.
"It's their time right now," said Beilein. "I want them to shoot more. I want them to be aggressive. They've worked hard, they've been leading, they've been great captains.
"The job Duncan is doing right now on strong 'four men' (power forwards) is really something. His motor is running. It reminds me of Zak Irvin, when we'd give him a mismatch by weight and he's just outwork the other guy.
"For Robinson to be matched up on (Tyler) Cook most of the night and hold him to 10 points and score 18 himself was a pretty good day."
Three-point shots are his calling card, but Robinson's seen to it that he also became a complete player before calling it a career at Michigan.
