Column: Robinson shows worth in tight situations

INDIANAPOLIS — Stanford Robinson isn’t the first freshman you think of when naming IU’s newest additions.

But he will be.

At point guard, Robinson’s ability to drive the ball kept IU in the game, though it wasn’t enough to prevent a 79-72 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Down eight with fewer than 13 minutes left, IU’s hopes of victory looked bleak.

The Irish zone had been giving the Hoosiers fits. Notre Dame was shooting the lights out. And IU’s normally stout defense was lackluster.

During one offensive set, sophomore forward Austin Etherington, billed as a pure shooter when he came to Bloomington, had an open midrange shot.

The whole IU fan base yelled, “Shoot it,” in an eerie harmony.

Etherington didn’t shoot it, and dribbled around until the ball ended up in the hands of freshman guard Troy Williams, who missed a jump shot.

Graduate student Evan Gordon secured the offensive board, shot and missed.

Freshman center Luke Fischer tipped the ball and missed.

Three shots, three misses.

After a timeout, Robinson came in. I think “Eye of the Tiger” was playing over the loud speaker, or maybe it was just in my head.

I knew Robinson was just what this IU team needed. Robinson does one thing well.
Getting to the basket.

What happened next didn’t disappoint.

Sophomore guard Kevin ‘Yogi’ Ferrell hit a three to cut the Irish lead to five.

Then it was Robinson’s time.

On IU’s next possession, Fischer missed a jump shot. Robinson nabbed the offensive board and got fouled on his way up.

He knocked down the two free throws.

Three-point game.

The IU faithful in the stands got riled up. They were standing, yelling, and Bankers Life Fieldhouse became a pseudo-Assembly Hall.

When Notre Dame guard Jerian Grant brought up the ball on the ensuing Irish possession, Robinson was guarding him. The energy he gained from the crowd was evident.

He was low in his defensive stance, alert and ready to move on a dime. He was grinning, too. A wide grin that kind of seemed crazy.

Notre Dame missed its next jump shot, and Robinson found himself with the ball again on IU’s next possession.

He cut to his right and went up for a lay-up. He jumped straight up and hung in the air, allowing the Irish defender to go barreling past him. The lefty banked in the lay-up.

Boom. One-point game.

The arena, almost entirely filled with IU fans, was the loudest it had been all game.
Going through my notes after the game, I had written “I love him,” when referencing Robinson.

Though I think this was a slight overreaction, the point remains valid.
Robinson kept IU in this game.

He’s a freshman, and he had three turnovers. But after the game, IU Coach Tom Crean said “the lights were too bright,” for some of his younger players.

Robinson wasn’t one of them.

Troy Williams was. He was 0-for-3 from the field in 12 minutes and struggled.

That was why when Williams came in for Robinson with 2:27 left — in just a two-point game — I was shocked.

I love what Williams brings to the table. He is an athletic player who can stay in front of people defensively. But it just wasn’t his night.

Robinson had scored six of IU’s last 14 points. His activity on defense had led to a few Irish turnovers. He could handle the bright lights.

Notre Dame went on a 8-0 run when Robinson came out. The IU offense looked stagnant. They didn’t have that slasher who was confident enough to take the ball right at the Irish zone.

Crean told Robinson to get in the game around the one minute mark of the game, but he couldn’t get in until there was a dead ball.

He didn’t enter the game until there was 27 seconds left, and the game was too far out of reach by then.

During the time Robinson was sent to the bench with two minutes and 27 seconds remaining and came back in with 27 seconds left, IU didn’t score a point in that span.

A late three by Ferrell with eight seconds left wasn’t enough, and the Hoosiers lost.

If Robinson had stayed in the game, there is no guarantee IU would have won. But I think they would have had a better chance.

No other Hoosier was driving to the hoop with any success. With Robinson out, Ferrell had to pick up the slack, but it wasn’t his night either. He couldn’t handle the Irish big men.

Yes, Robinson is young. But this freshman didn’t play like a freshman
Saturday.

Stan was the man.

Was he the man to win the game?

We’ll never know.

­— ehoopfer@indiana.edu
Follow columnist Evan Hoopfer on Twitter @EvanHoopfer