Robinsons unselfishness leads to award

Lynn Wloszek

Head Coach Jay Smith had asked him to step out of his starting role and bring his defensive minded style of play from the bench as the team’s sixth man.

“Whitney wanted to do whatever was best for the team,” said Smith, the MAC Coach of the Year. “He will do whatever he has to do for the team to win and he accepted his role as the sixth man.”

It was quite an adjustment for Robinson. Not only was he no longer a starter, but he also switched positions.

“It was new — playing the two guard — but whatever the team needed, I was going to do,” Robinson said. “You have to take whatever life throws at you and run with it.”

Robinson, averaging 17.9 minutes a game was named MAC’s first Sixth Man of the Year.

“He’s the best sixth man in the league at both ends of the floor,” Smith said. “He took a role that he might not have liked, laced it up and took it for the team.”

Senior guard J.R. Wallace agreed

“It is great to know Whitney will come in and there will be no let off,” Wallace said. “I know he can keep up the level of play and most the time he does it better than I do.”

With 28 steals on the season, Robinson said he loves to play defense.

“I love the defensive end of the game,” he said. “I start the game on the bench, so I get to see who's hot. I love getting it going on defense. Everyone likes to hit the big shot, and I prefer to make a big steal.”

Robinson is shooting 35.5 percent from the field and averages 7.3 points a game.

Wallace said he did not know how Robinson would take his new role.

“We had to see it in game time,” Wallace said. “He embraced his role and has been a real example for the other guys on the team. He understands that he has to come off the bench and contribute.”

After the first game, Wallace said Robinson fell into his role.

“It was a quick adjustment for him and he learned how to be supportive,” Wallace said. “Whitney evaluated his situation and by talking and bringing energy off the bench, it is evident by the award that he is everything a sixth man should be.”

Robinson said he won the award because his team was so successful.

“It is a definite honor and I am very priviliged and blessed,” Robinson said. “I credit this award to the team’s success and I am thankful for that.”