UNC Basketball: Brandon Robinson 2018-19 season in review

Brandon Robinson showed flashes this year of what could be to come in his final season as a Tar Heel. We break down his season here, and what could be next.

Nassir Little | Rechon Black | Sterling Manley | Garrison Brooks | Coby White | Luke Maye | Cameron Johnson | Seventh Woods | Andrew Platek

In what has been a slow and steady rise in production, Brandon Robinson proved to be one of the most important players to the UNC basketball rotation this past season.

Still a lanky wing, not putting on much muscle, it was his confidence that, in turn, grew.

Always trying to find what his niche on this team would be, and struggling through the first two seasons at times, Robinson’s role finally fell into place.

One of the most important pieces to next year’s success for North Carolina, Brandon Robinson turns the page on a disappointing end to his junior season, and flips to a new page that most fans think will end with a terrific year from the Georgia native.

Here is how Robinson did this past year and what to expect next year for the soon-to-be senior guard.

The Good

It finally fell into place for Brandon Robinson. He finally found his role on the team and performed great in it.

With a lot of talent in the starting lineup, as well as Nassir Little coming off the bench, there weren’t many extra shots to go around, but Robinson found them.

Known for his shooting ability in high school, his three-point shooting was shaky in his first two seasons but it finally clicked this year, shooting 46 percent from deep.

Granted, he only took 50 threes last season, because again, there weren’t many opportunities.

Not only did he make the most of his attempts, he also did it with confidence, often in big moments in the game.

With an offensive rating of 129.2, good for second on the team, he also had a plus/minus rating of 8.1, which ranked third on the team, showing out with his hustle plays.

If he wasn’t making an impact on the offensive end, he found it on the defensive end.

Learning from Kenny Williams, and seemingly taking the reins now, Robinson was always in the right spots, whether it be on-ball defense or in help side, mainly taking charges.

The Bad

Though Robinson had a very good year, he did struggle at times.

Still long and lanky, he struggles to stay out of foul trouble, often times finding himself overpowered on the defensive end.

Ranking fifth on the team in fouls per 100 possessions (6.1), that is an alarming rate since he only averaged 11.2 minutes per game.

With an increased role next season, that is something he will need to cut down on if he wants to stay on the floor.

Best Game

Though it wasn’t his highest scoring output of the season, his season-high being 11, his best game was against Auburn in the Sweet 16.

Scoring nine points in 16 minutes, he also collected four rebounds and dished out three assists and zero turnovers.

In a game that was always seemingly in striking distance if they could get a couple of stops, his production when Nassir Little was struggling with illness was crucial at a critical time for the Tar Heels.

He went 3-for-6 on the night, including 2-of-4 from three-point range, and took the fourth-most shots on the team, showing his confidence on the offensive end.

Robinson also ranked first in that game in assist percentage (36.6) by a landslide, first in offensive rebound percentage (18.8), and second in overall rebound percentage (13.5), all while having the fifth-highest usage rate (19.4).

What the future holds…

As touched on earlier, Robinson will be a vital part to the team’s success next year. Now a senior, it’s his last ride.

With a lot of departures on the wing from this past year, and while they are still in the running for a couple of new pieces, Robinson may indeed be starting next season.

While his stats haven’t shown it in terms of eye-popping numbers, he has been very effective in limited minutes.

Granted, he still has to improve on his overall offensive game and ability to shoot, but making plays for others, and continuing to hustle will keep him on the floor.

Assuming he does take on that starting role and the Heels end up with just Cole Anthony and Christian Keeling, I think Robinson averages close to 10 points per game.