Boston College Athletics
Robinson Looking To Break and Make History in Brooklyn
June 21, 2018 | Men's Basketball, #ForBoston Files
The BC junior is vying to become the first BC first rounder since 2011.
Over the past four decades, the gold standard of Boston College men's basketball in the NBA Draft has always been John Bagley. The Cleveland Cavaliers drafted him No. 12 overall in 1982, and in the years since, Bagley became something of a standard bearer symbol for the Eagles' success at obtaining the next level even as other players heard their names called in the first round.
It's been 36 years since Bagley went to Cleveland, but when the NBA Draft hits Brooklyn's Barclays Center on Thursday, the torch could be passed to the next generation when a team makes its call to Jerome Robinson. A junior out of Boston College, Robinson is one of the brightest shooting stars in a draft class considered one of the deepest in years.
Reaching this height came as no surprise to most keen observers of Boston College men's basketball. He started all 32 games as a sophomore and earned All-ACC honorable mention status after averaging 18.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. He was one of the top two-way threats in the nation's best basketball conference and ranked among the league's elite in both scoring and steals.
It set the stage for a national breakout this past season. The Eagles' run to the National Invitational Tournament cemented Robinson's legacy in the program's rebuild as he led the league in scoring with a 20.7 points per game average. He finished as the ACC Player of the Year runner up and earned Associated Press All-America honors.
He played over 1,200 minutes with a .485 shooting percentage, including .409 on three-pointers and .830 on free throws. He poured in 46 points against Notre Dame, adding 30-plus point performances against Miami and Virginia Tech. And, perhaps most importantly, he finished pouring the foundation for the program's future success, leading the Eagles through two wins in the conference tournament and NCAA Tournament bubble watch status.
It was both natural and inevitable for Robinson to test the NBA waters after the season, and he declared with Ky Bowman in April. Still, the national media often overlooked him, and he remained invisible to many draft boards. His name occasionally peeked into the late first round, but it wasn't until after the NBA Draft Combine that he began a surge leading to this week.
Now Robinson stands as both "the next one" and "the first one." He will likely become the 10th first round pick from Boston College and first since Oklahoma City selected Reggie Jackson in 2011. Jackson was the third straight draft pick chosen in the first round, and he represents something of a continuation from a golden era.
He came on the heels of two first round picks in 2007, including Jared Dudley, who in turn came after Troy Bell in 2003. But no Eagle has been chosen in the years since, save for the 2015 second round selection of Olivier Hanlan, and nobody, save for Bell and Dana Barros (both chosen No. 16 overall in 2003 and 1989, respectively), has come closer to Bagley.
That could change on Thursday night. Robinson is one of the sharpest and smartest shooters in a draft loaded with talent, and ESPN's most recent position ratings had him within the 10 best guards. There are flashier picks that spring to the forefront, but there's a polish, tenacity and maturity sitting in Boston College's versatile junior.
The NBA Draft, after all, has usually been an exercise in raw ability. The one-and-done era allows players with measurable talents to play a single season of college basketball before jumping to the pros. They often need refinement from there, with high risk accompanying high ceilings. It's easy to forget that Robinson and Ky Bowman combined for 54 points against No. 1 Duke back in December, with Robinson shooting 8-11 from the field - far outpacing the several aforementioned flashier draft prospects for the Blue Devils.
For many of the draft picks, walking across the stage is a lifelong dream come true. But the team that picks Jerome Robinson will find a player who was part of a resurgence of a team playing in the best basketball conference in the nation. The ACC produced 60 first round picks in the last ten years and 98 draft picks overall. It had 10 first round picks last year alone, and it's tied with the Big Ten for number of No. 1 overall selections by a conference.
The NBA Draft serves as a celebration of sorts for the league's newest crop of stars and tonight, Robinson will find himself in select company with some of the best young players in the world. And if all goes to plan, it will cement his legacy as one of the best players in Boston College history. Soon, we'll see him as one of the faces in Power Gym, eternalized by the statement that binds everyone together:
Once an Eagle, always an Eagle.
It's been 36 years since Bagley went to Cleveland, but when the NBA Draft hits Brooklyn's Barclays Center on Thursday, the torch could be passed to the next generation when a team makes its call to Jerome Robinson. A junior out of Boston College, Robinson is one of the brightest shooting stars in a draft class considered one of the deepest in years.
Reaching this height came as no surprise to most keen observers of Boston College men's basketball. He started all 32 games as a sophomore and earned All-ACC honorable mention status after averaging 18.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. He was one of the top two-way threats in the nation's best basketball conference and ranked among the league's elite in both scoring and steals.
It set the stage for a national breakout this past season. The Eagles' run to the National Invitational Tournament cemented Robinson's legacy in the program's rebuild as he led the league in scoring with a 20.7 points per game average. He finished as the ACC Player of the Year runner up and earned Associated Press All-America honors.
He played over 1,200 minutes with a .485 shooting percentage, including .409 on three-pointers and .830 on free throws. He poured in 46 points against Notre Dame, adding 30-plus point performances against Miami and Virginia Tech. And, perhaps most importantly, he finished pouring the foundation for the program's future success, leading the Eagles through two wins in the conference tournament and NCAA Tournament bubble watch status.
It was both natural and inevitable for Robinson to test the NBA waters after the season, and he declared with Ky Bowman in April. Still, the national media often overlooked him, and he remained invisible to many draft boards. His name occasionally peeked into the late first round, but it wasn't until after the NBA Draft Combine that he began a surge leading to this week.
Now Robinson stands as both "the next one" and "the first one." He will likely become the 10th first round pick from Boston College and first since Oklahoma City selected Reggie Jackson in 2011. Jackson was the third straight draft pick chosen in the first round, and he represents something of a continuation from a golden era.
He came on the heels of two first round picks in 2007, including Jared Dudley, who in turn came after Troy Bell in 2003. But no Eagle has been chosen in the years since, save for the 2015 second round selection of Olivier Hanlan, and nobody, save for Bell and Dana Barros (both chosen No. 16 overall in 2003 and 1989, respectively), has come closer to Bagley.
That could change on Thursday night. Robinson is one of the sharpest and smartest shooters in a draft loaded with talent, and ESPN's most recent position ratings had him within the 10 best guards. There are flashier picks that spring to the forefront, but there's a polish, tenacity and maturity sitting in Boston College's versatile junior.
The NBA Draft, after all, has usually been an exercise in raw ability. The one-and-done era allows players with measurable talents to play a single season of college basketball before jumping to the pros. They often need refinement from there, with high risk accompanying high ceilings. It's easy to forget that Robinson and Ky Bowman combined for 54 points against No. 1 Duke back in December, with Robinson shooting 8-11 from the field - far outpacing the several aforementioned flashier draft prospects for the Blue Devils.
For many of the draft picks, walking across the stage is a lifelong dream come true. But the team that picks Jerome Robinson will find a player who was part of a resurgence of a team playing in the best basketball conference in the nation. The ACC produced 60 first round picks in the last ten years and 98 draft picks overall. It had 10 first round picks last year alone, and it's tied with the Big Ten for number of No. 1 overall selections by a conference.
The NBA Draft serves as a celebration of sorts for the league's newest crop of stars and tonight, Robinson will find himself in select company with some of the best young players in the world. And if all goes to plan, it will cement his legacy as one of the best players in Boston College history. Soon, we'll see him as one of the faces in Power Gym, eternalized by the statement that binds everyone together:
Once an Eagle, always an Eagle.
Players Mentioned
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