Why Brandon Robinson was so motivated that he had a career night against Miami
It was about an hour after North Carolina’s two-point loss to Virginia Tech on Wednesday when Justin Pierce finally checked his phone.
There was a text from senior Brandon Robinson waiting for him and his teammates in the team’s group chat, “4L,” which stands for “Brothers for Life.”
Robinson, who had missed the trip because he was experiencing neck pain from the whiplash he suffered from a car accident two weeks ago, was apologetic in the text. Robinson felt he had let his teammates down.
When UNC announced that Robinson was out for that game, Robinson said he checked the comments under its Instagram post and noticed some fans thought he was faking, while others called him “soft.” He said it bothered him.
So on Saturday, in UNC’s game against Miami (10-9, 2-7 ACC), Robinson said he used that as motivation to be sharp.
“It just added fuel to my fire,” Robinson said after the game.
Against Miami, Robinson was more than sharp.
He had the best game of his career, scoring a career-high 29 points, and was 11 of 16 from the floor. He was also 6 of 10 from behind the 3-point line, and helped lead the Tar Heels to a 94-71 blowout victory. It was the Tar Heels’ first win in 24 days, and it snapped a five-game losing streak dating back to Jan. 4.
The Tar Heels shot 58 percent from the floor overall, and 43 percent from behind the 3-point line. A large part of that was because Robinson was so efficient.
“I knew he had fire, had something to prove,” UNC guard Christian Keeling said. “So I wasn’t surprised he had the performance he had.”
Robinson wasn’t interested in talking about his accomplishment as much as he was about the Tar Heels finally getting a win, and how fortunate he was to be on the court.
Because it could have been worse.
“I’m just happy to be able to play,” Robinson said.
‘Thankful that he’s here’
The wreck happened only a few hours after UNC’s overtime loss to Clemson on Jan. 11.
Robinson was out driving around midnight. He had two passengers in his car.
According to an accident report, Robinson was traveling southeast on North Greensboro Street in Carrboro, while a woman in her early 50s, the driver of the other car, was traveling northwest on the same street. As the two cars got closer, the woman’s vehicle crossed the left of center line and struck Robinson’s vehicle head on.
After an investigation, police arrested the woman and charged her with a DUI.
The wreck did not cause much damage to either car, but left Robinson sore from whiplash. Pierce said he was shocked when he heard what happened, but relieved that his teammate was OK.
“God was looking out for him,” Pierce said. “It could have been a lot worse. We’re just thankful that he’s here and let alone able to play basketball.”
Robinson played in UNC’s game against Pitt on Jan. 18, but was uncomfortable.
On Tuesday, the pain was still there, and UNC’s trainers did not believe it was wise for him to make the three-hour bus trip to Blacksburg and back.
The following day after the news was announced, Robinson said he saw the comments from unhappy fans.
Proving his doubters wrong
When the Tar Heels lose, the two players that show the most emotion after the game are Garrison Brooks and Robinson. They have the most experience in UNC coach Roy Williams’ system. Both are invested in the program because of their longevity.
Robinson said he did everything he could to get back on the court, working with trainers. He practiced on Friday, despite feeling some discomfort from the accident. But he felt good enough to go.
Plus, he wanted to prove his doubters wrong.
He hit his first jumpshot at the 15-minute mark, and a little more than five minutes later hit another one. He hit five more shots in the first half, including four 3-pointers. His fourth 3-pointer gave the Tar Heels a 47-23 lead with 1:17 left in the first half.
But it didn’t stop there. In the second half, he was just as good. He hit two more 3’s, and 14 more points, to finish with career highs in points (29) and 3-pointers (six).
“I was happy for B-Rob to get back out there, needless to say, we needed shooting ability and his leadership,” said UNC coach Roy Williams, who passed Dean Smith for fourth-place on the all-time wins list in NCAA history. “And he even got an offense rebound for a basket too. It was a good day for us.”
The win will instill confidence in a team that was lacking it for the better part of a month. Now that they’ve won, the pressure of snapping their losing streak will no longer be there.
UNC plays N.C. State on the road on Monday.
Junior guard Andrew Platek, who has played with Robinson for the past three years, said he’s happy his teammate is OK.
“I’m glad we had him back today, because he’s a very, very important part of our team,” Platek said. “So we’re all glad he’s OK, and he’s going to continue to get better and be this leader, and that dog that we need on the court.”
This story was originally published January 26, 2020 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Why Brandon Robinson was so motivated that he had a career night against Miami."
