Thursday, February 26, 1998
Mr. Robinson at home
in his neighborhood
The Rainbows' senior foward
By Cindy Luis
has been a force inside in
recent games
Star-BulletinSAN JOSE, Calif. -- The motivation has always been there.
Mike Robinson just has had difficulty putting it into motion.
The forward for the University of Hawaii is focused on his long-range plans: playing professionally and buying his mother a house with a swimming pool. It's the short-range plans -- like playing well every night for the Rainbows -- that have been out of focus.
"My career's been up and down and that's mainly because of the lack of concentration on my behalf," said Robinson, who is expected to start in today's 5:30 p.m. Western Athletic Conference game against San Jose State. "I should have been picking it up and I wasn't.
"I really don't know what it's been, but I've felt really good about my game lately. It's time for me to step my game up and show what I'm capable of doing."
Star-Bulletin file photo
Hawaii forward Mike Robinson eyes the basket
during a game earlier this season.
It's been show time at the Stan Sheriff Center the past two games, with Robinson combining for 43 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocked shots in critical wins over Rice and Tulsa. Extra time in practice with associate head coach Bob Nash has payed off."Mike has all the tools," Hawaii coach Riley Wallace said. "About the only thing he doesn't have that would make him the complete player is the turnaround baseline jumper. But he's been working very hard at his shot and his concentration.
"Like some of our guys, if he gets off to a good start offensively, the rest of his game follows."
Against Rice and Tulsa, Robinson scored Hawaii's first two baskets. And against the Golden Hurricane on Saturday, his defense and anticipation were superb as he had season highs in steals and blocks (four of each).
Robinson lost his starting spot to junior Erin Galloway after the WAC season-opening loss at San Diego State. He came off the bench the next five games, started two, then was back on the bench at Texas Christian.
After forward Eric Ambrozich reinjured his shoulder at TCU, Robinson and the 6-8 Galloway have anchored the Rainbows' imposing front line. The post combination has Hawaii on a three-game roll entering tonight's game with the Spartans.
"When I didn't start, it motivated me a lot to get out there and work harder to do my job," Robinson said. "I liked playing on the White (scout) team, but I love playing on the Green (starting) team. To be on the Green team, to be part of the starting elite, is special."
Robinson was a special player in high school, where as a Street & Smith prep All-American honorable mention pick, he led Franklin Learning Center to the Philadelphia city championship as a senior. He ended up at Mississippi Delta Community College in Moorhead, Miss., but didn't play, returning home to be with his mother, Cassandra, who had been diagnosed with cancer.
"I stayed home to be with my mom," said Robinson, the oldest of six children. "We decided that going back to school would be the best thing for me, even though I'd be away from home. I was being recruited by teams like UMass and Villanova, but I felt I needed to get away so I could mature and be in the real world on my own."
How many Western Athletic Conference teams are likely to get to the NCAA Tournament? UH still has shot at NCAAs
By Andy Katz, Fresno BeeUniversity of New Mexico athletic director Rudy Davalos, a selection committee member, wouldn't commit to a specific number but did say that "Wyoming, Colorado State, Fresno State and Hawaii all had their day in the sun and have the ability to get there. It depends on how they play. Rest assured, they all aren't going to get in."
Davalos confirmed that Utah, New Mexico and TCU are essentially locks from the WAC, which has never had more than three teams in the field.
"We have a good opportunity to get more than we have (had)," Davalos said. "Hawaii was one of those leading candidates to get in in the month of December but they had a midseason slump. Now they're playing well again."
SENIOR DAY? It won't be much of one at Fresno State or UNLV. With Daymond Forney quitting the team, Fresno State is down to Avondre Jones and walk-on Rico Laurie for Saturday's finale against the Rainbows. It's just as grim at UNLV. The school announced yesterday that Keon Clark won't be back with the Runnin' Rebels. That leaves the Rebels with seniors Tyrone Nesby and walk-on Tyrell Jamerson. Senior Corky Ausborne quit the team three weeks ago.
Clark served an 11-game suspension to start the year for taking gifts from an agent last March. He was suspended again two weeks ago for five games for "breaking team rules."
Robinson wound up at Lassen College in Susanville, Calif., where he averaged 14.4 points and 10.6 rounds and helped his team to the semifinals of the California Community College Conference tournament. He turned down visits to New Orleans and Michigan State to play with the Rainbows.
"I have no regrets about coming here," Robinson said. "I adapt pretty well to different environments. Like I didn't like the rice here at first, but I put ketchup on it now.
"As long as there are good people around, I'm fine. I found another family here."
Big brother might be back for the Rainbows next season. Hawaii is in the process of petitioning the NCAA to give Robinson another year of eligibility, making up for the year he didn't play in Mississippi.
Robinson is torn. He said it would be fun to continue at Hawaii, but more fun to earn a paycheck.
"I love my mom a lot and my brothers and sisters," Robinson said. "It was hard for her, me being this far, but she understands this was something I had to do to make things better for us and our future. Somebody's got to get out and make the gravy.
"I want to make the doughnuts and the gravy so I can afford to buy her a nice home with a swimming pool. That's the first thing I'll do with any kind of money I get because she deserves it."
Growing up in a large family in the inner city, Robinson is used to noise. His focus now is for the Rainbows to make plenty of it in the next two weeks.
"The whole idea is to get to the postseason and keep on playing," Robinson said. "I've been asking myself why it's been so hard to concentrate and I don't actually know. But I'm feeling replenished and feeling relaxed, more confident. It's time for us to get going with what we've been wanting to do."
1997-98 stats
Games: 24 (18 starts)
1997-98 Rainbow Men's Basketball Schedule
http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu
