University of Minnesota Athletics
The Energizer: Senior Guard Aaron Robinson
3/7/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The Gophers found themselves with a completely new dynamic at the beginning of the 2004-2005 season. With many new freshmen and three transfer student-athletes, fans did not know what to expect. After a 12-18 record last year, the Gophers felt they had nothing to lose and set out to prove all of their critics wrong.
Robinson’s unaltered faith in his team has proven true. He knew from the first day the team came together that there was something special about this team that no one outside of their circle would be able to understand until they saw them in action. “We weren’t really worried about what people thought about us,” he said. “We knew as a team and as a family that we had enough talent and enough good players to win games.”
Robinson has been an intrical part of the Gophers over the past four years. Now, as the end of his senior year is approaching the end, he along with the other graduating seniors on the team, Jeff Hagen and Brent Lawson, must leave behind a legacy and years of experience to a fresh new team of Gophers. As part of the group that led the rebuilding effort, Robinson’s leadership and role on the team are vital to the future success of the team. As one of few seniors on the team, Robinson has an important and unique role. With a young, growing program, Robinson has an integral role as a leader, to help the future of the Gopher basketball program continue to grow. Though Robinson is not the loudest or the tallest member of the team, he tends to lead in a different manner. “As for my leadership, I try to serve by example,” stated Robinson. “You can only say so much, but if your actions speak louder than your words, then that’s how other people will really learn.”
Robinson has very deep respect for all of his teammates. “Some of us have been playing together three or four years,” Robinson said. “Some people have only been playing here for five or six months, but as soon as we step on the court, it’s nothing but family. They are all guys that want to do better and do anything to have a team win, so you can’t ask for more than that out of a player. We don’t expect too much and don’t expect too much of other people. We just expect Vincent to be Vincent, and Hagen to be Hagen.”
The immediate closeness of this new team promised a hopeful season. Though some were preparing for their final season while others were just beginning, this team had big goals from the start, and a Big Ten title along with a visit to the NCAA Tournament would be Robinson’s ideal end to his career as a Gopher.
The Gophers have had an impressive season thus far and with the exception of a couple tight losses, the Gophers seem to have found their rhythm and were able to mesh very quickly for such a new team of players. “We have a team with players that just want to win and work hard,” Robinson said. “The coaches are willing to adjust and listen to the players and everything is just falling in to place right now.”
The Gophers refuse to get careless with their excellent record and have remained focused and serious with a relentless Big Ten schedule. The Gophers have some big games coming up against Ohio State, Iowa, Purdue, and Penn State, and despite the fact that they managed wins against most of the teams earlier in the season, the Big Ten is very volatile and difficult to predict. “In the Big Ten you can get beat by anybody at any given time,” Robinson said. “So you have to take it one game at a time, you can’t really look to far ahead.”
Growing up in Rockford, Ill., Robinson became well-known for being a very talented basketball player. At Guilford High School, Robinson was decorated with honors. He was named all-conference, all-city, and all-area, and was honorable mention All-American his junior year. As if these honors weren’t enough, Robinson was named the conference player of the year his senior season. Robinson also played for the Illinois Warrior AAU team and lead his team to second place in the national AAU tournament. It became evident enough that Robinson was ready for big things in his basketball career. While the initial decision of where to continue his basketball career after high school may have been overwhelming, once Robinson visited the University of Minnesota, the search was over. He was taken back by the University and was won over by more than one aspect. “I felt like I was home when I was on my visit,” Robinson remembered. Ironically, although the University is not close to his hometown, Robinson has made the University feel like home, and is able to visit his family while on the road.
Robinson’s family is very supportive and his parents are more than willing to travel to see him play, despite the long trips. “They watch mostly every game,” he said with a smile.
Having his family be able to see him play has always been very important to Robinson. Whether looking up to see his parents in the crowd when playing home games at Williams Arena, or other family members he has in Michigan, Robinson can always count on someone being there to support him. Having to balance a hectic school schedule with practice and traveling for basketball can be rough on many student-athletes. Robinson has definitely worked out the kinks and knows how to manage his time. Taking morning and evening classes with practice in the afternoon has been the way Robinson has made it through to graduate in four years.
Though next year for the Gophers is guaranteed to be exciting, Robinson is undecided and uneasy about his own next year. Not looking forward to giving up his place on the Gopher squad, Robinson is still living in the present and will decide about his future when the season ends. But as for now, Robinson has his sights set on a visit to the NCAA Tournament. Having never been to an NCAA Tournament before, he feels it would be a great way to go out. When asked to name the highlight of playing for the Gophers, Robinson could not settle for just one answer, “It’s the arena, the fans, the players, the coaches…everything,” Robinson explained. The comfortable atmosphere and the history of Williams Arena have truly left a lasting impression on Robinson and he feels it is a time he will never forget.
Whether this year’s team accomplishes its goals this season or not, the Gopher basketball program has released a breath of fresh air. Playing as a whole unit, each player covering a different role, there is more of a unity that will last for many years to come. “Once again you have a team,” Robinson said. “There’s no one superstar player, it’s a team, it’s the University of Minnesota basketball team, that’s the difference.”
story by Raya Jewell, athletic communications student assistant Racing down the court at 5’10”, a good two inches shorter than his next shortest teammate, senior point guard Aaron Robinson has found a way to use his height and experience to lead this year’s energetic and close-knit Gopher basketball team. This year’s team has a new energy and excitement that seems to be working very much in its favor. A team that many expected had low expectations for is showing everyone that energy and determination, two of Robinson’s finest traits, are most important.
The Gophers found themselves with a completely new dynamic at the beginning of the 2004-2005 season. With many new freshmen and three transfer student-athletes, fans did not know what to expect. After a 12-18 record last year, the Gophers felt they had nothing to lose and set out to prove all of their critics wrong.
Robinson’s unaltered faith in his team has proven true. He knew from the first day the team came together that there was something special about this team that no one outside of their circle would be able to understand until they saw them in action. “We weren’t really worried about what people thought about us,” he said. “We knew as a team and as a family that we had enough talent and enough good players to win games.”
Robinson has been an intrical part of the Gophers over the past four years. Now, as the end of his senior year is approaching the end, he along with the other graduating seniors on the team, Jeff Hagen and Brent Lawson, must leave behind a legacy and years of experience to a fresh new team of Gophers. As part of the group that led the rebuilding effort, Robinson’s leadership and role on the team are vital to the future success of the team. As one of few seniors on the team, Robinson has an important and unique role. With a young, growing program, Robinson has an integral role as a leader, to help the future of the Gopher basketball program continue to grow. Though Robinson is not the loudest or the tallest member of the team, he tends to lead in a different manner. “As for my leadership, I try to serve by example,” stated Robinson. “You can only say so much, but if your actions speak louder than your words, then that’s how other people will really learn.”
Robinson has very deep respect for all of his teammates. “Some of us have been playing together three or four years,” Robinson said. “Some people have only been playing here for five or six months, but as soon as we step on the court, it’s nothing but family. They are all guys that want to do better and do anything to have a team win, so you can’t ask for more than that out of a player. We don’t expect too much and don’t expect too much of other people. We just expect Vincent to be Vincent, and Hagen to be Hagen.”
The immediate closeness of this new team promised a hopeful season. Though some were preparing for their final season while others were just beginning, this team had big goals from the start, and a Big Ten title along with a visit to the NCAA Tournament would be Robinson’s ideal end to his career as a Gopher.
The Gophers have had an impressive season thus far and with the exception of a couple tight losses, the Gophers seem to have found their rhythm and were able to mesh very quickly for such a new team of players. “We have a team with players that just want to win and work hard,” Robinson said. “The coaches are willing to adjust and listen to the players and everything is just falling in to place right now.”
The Gophers refuse to get careless with their excellent record and have remained focused and serious with a relentless Big Ten schedule. The Gophers have some big games coming up against Ohio State, Iowa, Purdue, and Penn State, and despite the fact that they managed wins against most of the teams earlier in the season, the Big Ten is very volatile and difficult to predict. “In the Big Ten you can get beat by anybody at any given time,” Robinson said. “So you have to take it one game at a time, you can’t really look to far ahead.”
Growing up in Rockford, Ill., Robinson became well-known for being a very talented basketball player. At Guilford High School, Robinson was decorated with honors. He was named all-conference, all-city, and all-area, and was honorable mention All-American his junior year. As if these honors weren’t enough, Robinson was named the conference player of the year his senior season. Robinson also played for the Illinois Warrior AAU team and lead his team to second place in the national AAU tournament. It became evident enough that Robinson was ready for big things in his basketball career. While the initial decision of where to continue his basketball career after high school may have been overwhelming, once Robinson visited the University of Minnesota, the search was over. He was taken back by the University and was won over by more than one aspect. “I felt like I was home when I was on my visit,” Robinson remembered. Ironically, although the University is not close to his hometown, Robinson has made the University feel like home, and is able to visit his family while on the road.
Robinson’s family is very supportive and his parents are more than willing to travel to see him play, despite the long trips. “They watch mostly every game,” he said with a smile.
Having his family be able to see him play has always been very important to Robinson. Whether looking up to see his parents in the crowd when playing home games at Williams Arena, or other family members he has in Michigan, Robinson can always count on someone being there to support him. Having to balance a hectic school schedule with practice and traveling for basketball can be rough on many student-athletes. Robinson has definitely worked out the kinks and knows how to manage his time. Taking morning and evening classes with practice in the afternoon has been the way Robinson has made it through to graduate in four years.
Though next year for the Gophers is guaranteed to be exciting, Robinson is undecided and uneasy about his own next year. Not looking forward to giving up his place on the Gopher squad, Robinson is still living in the present and will decide about his future when the season ends. But as for now, Robinson has his sights set on a visit to the NCAA Tournament. Having never been to an NCAA Tournament before, he feels it would be a great way to go out. When asked to name the highlight of playing for the Gophers, Robinson could not settle for just one answer, “It’s the arena, the fans, the players, the coaches…everything,” Robinson explained. The comfortable atmosphere and the history of Williams Arena have truly left a lasting impression on Robinson and he feels it is a time he will never forget.
Whether this year’s team accomplishes its goals this season or not, the Gopher basketball program has released a breath of fresh air. Playing as a whole unit, each player covering a different role, there is more of a unity that will last for many years to come. “Once again you have a team,” Robinson said. “There’s no one superstar player, it’s a team, it’s the University of Minnesota basketball team, that’s the difference.”
story by Raya Jewell, athletic communications student assistant
