Friday, June 18, 2004
the little guy who makes a big impact
Washington point guard Nate Robinson yesterday withdrew from the NBA Draft and will return for his junior season.Nate's return catapults Washington into the PAC-10's -- and the country's -- elite. It was Robinson's leadership that transformed the Huskies from conference also-ran to the country's hottest team in February and March. Although only 5'7", Robinson, a first-team All-Pac-10 selection, led Washington in scoring and was among the conference leaders in steals (53), 3-point percentage (35.4%) and free throw accuracy (85.3%). Using his competitiveness to inspire his teammates and his quickness to frustrate his opponents, Robinson and his 40-plus-inch vertical changed the dynamics of many a game.
The Seattle Times' Steve Kelley has a hard time containing enthusiasm:
This date and this player will be remembered.
Nate Robinson's announcement yesterday that he is staying at Washington for one more season means the university officially is a basketball school.
His return assures us of a March worth anticipating and a tournament trip that should last beyond the first bracket. With Robinson at point guard, the Huskies are almost certainly a Top 25 team, potentially a Top 10. With Robinson, coach Lorenzo Romar can continue his recruiting successes.
Robinson is a building block, the way Luke Ridnour and Fred Jones were at Oregon and the way Sean Elliott and Steve Kerr were at Arizona.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Columnist Art Thiel is equally as elated, though the one sentence about Robinson that stands out in Thiel's column makes you go hmmm.
He's what Courtney Love should be if she were cool instead of stupid.
Uhhh...right. To hear directly from Nate Robinson and Coach Lorenzo Romar on yesterday's decision, read quotes from the press conference. Although Jameer Nelson's experience wasn't enough to keep Delonte West in school, Nelson's conversation with Robinson played a large role in Nate's decision.
