Keeping It Heel
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UNC Basketball: Best Tar Heel Role Players of the Decade

By Nick Delahanty

GLENDALE, AZ - APRIL 03: TV personality Jim Nantz speaks to head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels and his team after defeating the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four National Championship game at University of Phoenix Stadium on April 3, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Tar Heels defeated the Bulldogs 71-65. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - APRIL 03: TV personality Jim Nantz speaks to head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels and his team after defeating the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four National Championship game at University of Phoenix Stadium on April 3, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Tar Heels defeated the Bulldogs 71-65. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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UNC Basketball
NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 08: Brandon Robinson #4 of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks down the court in the first half against the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes during the quarterfinals of the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament at Barclays Center on March 8, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

The best North Carolina basketball role players since 2010: Brandon Robinson

Brandon Robinson is a player who definitely earned his playing time over his four-year career.

Coming in as a freshman, the Tar Heels were loaded with a roster that was poised to compete for a National Championship. The Tar Heels went on to win the title that season, and as expected, Robinson saw minimum playing time.

That didn’t change much over the next two seasons, as Robinson saw a little increase in play time as both a sophomore and junior. The Tar Heels still featured a lot of talent, which kind of blocked opportunities for the 6-foot-5 guard.

However, Robinson kept working to the point where he ultimately earned his time to shine.

As a senior, Robinson was inserted into the starting rotation. Although injuries caused him to miss 9 games, the veteran guard became a vital part of the Tar Heels rotation.

His minutes increased almost 20 minutes per game, and his role on the team drastically changed as well. Robinson went from a guy who was called upon to play minimum minutes to a guy who was arguably too valuable to take off the floor.

Robinson rose to the challenge, and became a leader that the Tar Heels definitely needed. Although his three-point shooting percentage dropped (partially due to more attempts), Robinson still shot the ball well. Along with adding an offensive presence, Robinson did the little things that don’t necessarily show up in the box score.

After not having much playing time for most of his career, Robinson could have easily looked to transfer to find a better opportunity. However, he stuck to his commitment and worked hard to gain his expanded playing time during his final season in Chapel Hill.

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