Trusting The Process Key In Robinson's Growth

CHAPEL HILL - After addressing the Smith Center crowd following North Carolina’s 93-83 senior night victory over Wake Forest, Brandon Robinson hugged his head coach and passed him the microphone.

Roy Williams then walked to the center of the court that bears his name, thanking the crowd for supporting the team through a difficult season and his seniors for their commitment to the program. He then looked at Robinson, who finished with 18 points against the Demon Deacons, and referenced a conversation the Douglasville, GA, native referenced just minutes before.

“I remember that time we talked,” Williams said with a smile. “And you did become a big-time player, son.”

The conversation the pair were referring to occurred at the 2017 Final Four in Phoenix. A freshman at the time, Robinson was averaging 7.6 minutes and 1.9 points a game and had seen limited action in just two of the Tar Heels’ tournament games.

His confidence was low because of his lack of playing time, so Williams offered the freshman some words he would never forget.

“I don’t know what made you do it, but you came up to me when I was in my room and you said, ‘Son, keep pushing, keep working, keep getting better. You’re going to be a big-time player here,’” Robinson said. “That meant the world to me.”

Looking at his journey from limited bench player to prominent senior starter and leader, Robinson did exactly what his head coach predicted.

In his first two seasons, Robinson averaged less than nine minutes a game scoring fewer than a bucket a game. It wasn’t easy for the slender shooter.

Senior guard Shea Rush, Robinson’ roommate during their first two years in Chapel Hill, said Robinson’s maturation off the court over time directly correlated with his improvements on it.

“The amount that he’s grown is unbelievable,” Rush said. “He’s turned into a man, that’s the best way I know how to say it. The way he holds himself, the way he speaks. He’s come leaps and bounds.”

After a trip home for the holidays during his junior season, Robinson came back from Christmas break with a newfound confidence and belief in his abilities. This led to some of his best all-around performances in a Carolina uniform at the time, including five games where he put up seven or more points and 12 games where he shot over 50 percent from the floor to close the year.

For Robinson, the personal difficulties he faced during his first three seasons were simply down to his desire to help the team more than he was.

“It was hard at times because I just always wanted to play, I just always wanted to be out there contributing to the team,” Robinson said. “I just had to keep working even though at times I wasn’t playing because, when my number got called, I wanted to be ready.”

With the departure of Carolina’s top five scorers from a year ago and so many new faces on this year’s team, Robinson’s role completely shifted. He was thrust into a leadership position and was relied on to share a scoring load. Both were new experiences. But it was also an opportunity.

Yet, adversity has surrounded Robinson’s entire senior campaign. He’s missed a total of nine games due to injury, predominantly a recurring ankle injury that he first suffered during the Tar Heels’ exhibition win over Gardner-Webb on Nov. 15.

Not only that, but he was hit by a drunk driver while driving in nearby Carboro following UNC’s first ever home loss to Clemson on Jan. 11, a game in which Robinson finished with a then career-high 27 points. He went on to miss just one game due to the accident before reinjuring his ankle late in the Feb. 1 loss to Boston College, causing him to miss four more games.

Despite his continuous battle with adversity, Robinson has remained focused and is having the most prolific season of his career, averaging 12 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 30.6 minutes per game. Not bad considering all he’s been through this season.

“This year has been a year of ups and downs,” Robinson said. “Having to fight through a lot of adversity, going through injuries, going through a car accident, not winning. But all in all, I’m grateful for every moment I’ve had here.

“Winning a national championship, just seeing how I’ve grown over the years, progressing, being able to play more and more and more and produce and I’ve just seen my game grow in the time I’ve been here."

Robinson’s UNC career may be coming to a close, but his legacy is something that should always be remembered. He trusted the process, kept working and, through it all, became the big-time player his coach told him he would be nearly four years ago.