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University of Minnesota Athletics
Larger Than Life; Freshman Guard Aaron Robinson
12/12/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Growing up in Rockford, Ill., AARON was an early adopter of the game of basketball. He started playing mainly because he wanted to keep up with his older brothers, who as one could imagine, may not have been quick to let their little brother in on any games. "I started when I was about in first grade. I was playing with my brothers and they were all older than me, so it got a little tough at times."
However, AARON was not going to let his brothers stand in his way.
He kept working hard and eventually landed a role on the team at Guilford High School where he managed to develop quite an impressive name for himself. He was named conference Player of the Year and a Street & Smith All-American his senior season, posting an average of 15 points and 10 assists per game. Some of his proudest basketball moments took place on the courts of Guilford High School, where as one would easily believe, AARON made a significant impact on the intensity of the game. However, the way he was able to liven up the game was a in a style that is typically commandeered by those vertically gifted individuals earlier mentioned. "My proudest basketball moment would have to be every time I dunked in high school," ROBINSON said.
While in high school his most memorable moments may have been those high-flying dunks, it was his overall talent that made him an attractive prospect for the Golden Gophers. With his hard work, dedication and uncanny speed, he was able to grab the attention of the University of Minnesota coaches, whom he has enjoyed being able to work with in his first year as a Golden Gopher. Head Coach Dan Monson has made AARON's first year quite the learning experience with is ability to get to the point.
"[Dan] Monson is a good coach because if you do something wrong he's going to tell you that you did something wrong. But, when you do something right, he'll tell you that you did it right and that's what I like about him. He won't just make something up and tell it to you," ROBINSON said. "He tells you the truth like `AARON, that was a bad pass and next time maybe you should do this.' He's a great coach and I like playing for him. I've learned a lot from him in a short time."
In his freshman season, AARON has taken the lessons he has learned from Head Coach Dan Monson and coupled them with the lessons he has learned from his teammates. His main goal is to be a dynamic component of the team giving the guys on the court confidence that when they come out of the game there will be an equal level of competitiveness. His addition to the team has brought along a true desire to absorb as much as possible from the environment around him be it from teammates and upperclassmen Dusty Rychart, Kerwin Fleming or Kevin Burleson, or from the coaching staff. He has shown an ambition to develop into a leader of the Golden Gopher team.
"As a freshman, I hope to bring productive minutes to the team. When I get in there I hope to do my job, get spring, get assists, play defense. In years to come, I am looking to be the leader of the team. Right now, I'm just thinking about going in there and doing my job," ROBINSON said. "I look to Dusty and Kerwin and those guys, and really just look and listen. When they get in there, I look to see what they're doing and if they do something wrong, I listen to coach's advice as to how to do it right. I look and listen a lot."
With the cohesiveness that this team shows in teaching newcomers the way of the court at Williams Arena and its ability to bond over the coaching staff's straightforwardness, it's without wonder that outsiders can look at the current Golden Gopher squad and be amazed at the chemistry of the team. AARON ROBINSON is himself amazed at the chemistry of the team on and off the court mainly because their ability to remain trustworthy of each other during a game helps build confidence in the team's productive future.
"The chemistry of this team is great. We are just solid at every position from the people on the bench to the people on the court. This team has a good chemistry because going into practice it is real tough because there is a lot of intensity," ROBINSON commented. "Chemistry is really good because when you come off the court, you know you have someone going into the game that is really going to do something, which really helps our confidence."
Having strong team chemistry helps stabilize a team's on-court emotions especially in front of a home crowd that has been known to intimidate a few opponents. However, if you are AARON ROBINSON, the crowd at Williams Arena will rarely get to you, even in your very first game playing on the raised floor. He considers the crowd at Williams an integral part of being a Golden Gopher.
"My first game in Williams Arena I was thinking just go out there and play your game and don't let the crowd or the other team get to you," ROBINSON said. "Just go out there, play and do your thing. The crowd wasn't really intimidating because in high school, the crowds use to give a lot more to me, so this wasn't really a big deal. I think our crowd is great. They really get you into the game."
The average Golden Gopher basketball fan may watch AARON on the court and see him as a spark plug for the team. He always has the extra ounce of excitement bottled up inside of him just waiting to come out and dazzle the next opponent. Lucky for that fan that deciding to put on the Maroon and Gold was not a difficult decision for ROBINSON, because he saw a future that he felt he could capitalize on in Coach Monson's invitation. "Deciding to play for Minnesota wasn't really something I debated over, it wasn't really a tough decision for me. I liked the program and felt that it was the best fit for me," AARON admitted.
So, he decided to attend the University of Minnesota and as a result, the Golden Gophers have a true point guard that provides a spark off the bench and instills fear in the eyes of their opponents. Let's put it this way, if AARON where an animal he would not be your average cuddly puppy or even a mouse, as teammate Moe Hargrow proclaimed. "I would have to be something that's strong like a tiger. Something that people look at and think `I don't want to go near that,'" ROBINSON explained. Maybe that is what makes him such an integral addition to the team.
If the Golden Gopher basketball team had a yearbook that listed who would most likely become or do something in the future, what would AARON ROBINSON most likely be? Well, according to teammate Moe Hargrow he would be "most likely to not reach six feet." AARON, while he agrees with Moe's prediction, said, "I would be most likely to succeed because I work hard at everything I do."
In reality, they both can consider themselves accurate. As one of the shortest members of the Golden Gopher team he most likely will not hit six feet tall, and, as is evident in his basketball career, he works hard at everything he does. Let's look at it this way, he has managed to present himself as a strong, quick force on a court where the average height probably lands in the range of six-four and six-six, which, as is subliminally represented in this text, makes AARON ROBINSON - larger than life.
Written by Men's Athletics Media Relations Student Assistant Tarcy Thompson
It usually goes that if you are over six feet tall you will be asked the question "Do you play basketball?" at some point in your life. However, it's probably safe to say that most of those individuals do not possess the talent or desire required to be successful in such a demanding sport. Golden Gopher AARON ROBINSON is the opposite of that assumption, standing five feet, nine inches tall and at the same time, holding a unique talent for a game that is dominated by towering figures.
Growing up in Rockford, Ill., AARON was an early adopter of the game of basketball. He started playing mainly because he wanted to keep up with his older brothers, who as one could imagine, may not have been quick to let their little brother in on any games. "I started when I was about in first grade. I was playing with my brothers and they were all older than me, so it got a little tough at times."
However, AARON was not going to let his brothers stand in his way.
He kept working hard and eventually landed a role on the team at Guilford High School where he managed to develop quite an impressive name for himself. He was named conference Player of the Year and a Street & Smith All-American his senior season, posting an average of 15 points and 10 assists per game. Some of his proudest basketball moments took place on the courts of Guilford High School, where as one would easily believe, AARON made a significant impact on the intensity of the game. However, the way he was able to liven up the game was a in a style that is typically commandeered by those vertically gifted individuals earlier mentioned. "My proudest basketball moment would have to be every time I dunked in high school," ROBINSON said.
While in high school his most memorable moments may have been those high-flying dunks, it was his overall talent that made him an attractive prospect for the Golden Gophers. With his hard work, dedication and uncanny speed, he was able to grab the attention of the University of Minnesota coaches, whom he has enjoyed being able to work with in his first year as a Golden Gopher. Head Coach Dan Monson has made AARON's first year quite the learning experience with is ability to get to the point.
"[Dan] Monson is a good coach because if you do something wrong he's going to tell you that you did something wrong. But, when you do something right, he'll tell you that you did it right and that's what I like about him. He won't just make something up and tell it to you," ROBINSON said. "He tells you the truth like `AARON, that was a bad pass and next time maybe you should do this.' He's a great coach and I like playing for him. I've learned a lot from him in a short time."
In his freshman season, AARON has taken the lessons he has learned from Head Coach Dan Monson and coupled them with the lessons he has learned from his teammates. His main goal is to be a dynamic component of the team giving the guys on the court confidence that when they come out of the game there will be an equal level of competitiveness. His addition to the team has brought along a true desire to absorb as much as possible from the environment around him be it from teammates and upperclassmen Dusty Rychart, Kerwin Fleming or Kevin Burleson, or from the coaching staff. He has shown an ambition to develop into a leader of the Golden Gopher team.
"As a freshman, I hope to bring productive minutes to the team. When I get in there I hope to do my job, get spring, get assists, play defense. In years to come, I am looking to be the leader of the team. Right now, I'm just thinking about going in there and doing my job," ROBINSON said. "I look to Dusty and Kerwin and those guys, and really just look and listen. When they get in there, I look to see what they're doing and if they do something wrong, I listen to coach's advice as to how to do it right. I look and listen a lot."
With the cohesiveness that this team shows in teaching newcomers the way of the court at Williams Arena and its ability to bond over the coaching staff's straightforwardness, it's without wonder that outsiders can look at the current Golden Gopher squad and be amazed at the chemistry of the team. AARON ROBINSON is himself amazed at the chemistry of the team on and off the court mainly because their ability to remain trustworthy of each other during a game helps build confidence in the team's productive future.
"The chemistry of this team is great. We are just solid at every position from the people on the bench to the people on the court. This team has a good chemistry because going into practice it is real tough because there is a lot of intensity," ROBINSON commented. "Chemistry is really good because when you come off the court, you know you have someone going into the game that is really going to do something, which really helps our confidence."
Having strong team chemistry helps stabilize a team's on-court emotions especially in front of a home crowd that has been known to intimidate a few opponents. However, if you are AARON ROBINSON, the crowd at Williams Arena will rarely get to you, even in your very first game playing on the raised floor. He considers the crowd at Williams an integral part of being a Golden Gopher.
"My first game in Williams Arena I was thinking just go out there and play your game and don't let the crowd or the other team get to you," ROBINSON said. "Just go out there, play and do your thing. The crowd wasn't really intimidating because in high school, the crowds use to give a lot more to me, so this wasn't really a big deal. I think our crowd is great. They really get you into the game."
The average Golden Gopher basketball fan may watch AARON on the court and see him as a spark plug for the team. He always has the extra ounce of excitement bottled up inside of him just waiting to come out and dazzle the next opponent. Lucky for that fan that deciding to put on the Maroon and Gold was not a difficult decision for ROBINSON, because he saw a future that he felt he could capitalize on in Coach Monson's invitation. "Deciding to play for Minnesota wasn't really something I debated over, it wasn't really a tough decision for me. I liked the program and felt that it was the best fit for me," AARON admitted.
So, he decided to attend the University of Minnesota and as a result, the Golden Gophers have a true point guard that provides a spark off the bench and instills fear in the eyes of their opponents. Let's put it this way, if AARON where an animal he would not be your average cuddly puppy or even a mouse, as teammate Moe Hargrow proclaimed. "I would have to be something that's strong like a tiger. Something that people look at and think `I don't want to go near that,'" ROBINSON explained. Maybe that is what makes him such an integral addition to the team.
If the Golden Gopher basketball team had a yearbook that listed who would most likely become or do something in the future, what would AARON ROBINSON most likely be? Well, according to teammate Moe Hargrow he would be "most likely to not reach six feet." AARON, while he agrees with Moe's prediction, said, "I would be most likely to succeed because I work hard at everything I do."
In reality, they both can consider themselves accurate. As one of the shortest members of the Golden Gopher team he most likely will not hit six feet tall, and, as is evident in his basketball career, he works hard at everything he does. Let's look at it this way, he has managed to present himself as a strong, quick force on a court where the average height probably lands in the range of six-four and six-six, which, as is subliminally represented in this text, makes AARON ROBINSON - larger than life.
Written by Men's Athletics Media Relations Student Assistant Tarcy Thompson
