Robinson keying KU on defense
Published Wednesday, February 8,
2006
LINCOLN, Neb. -- The first option Oklahoma wanted with a second remaining against Kansas was a look underneath from one of its big men. The second alternative, however, was quite tolerable.
"Anytime Michael Neal is open we get him the ball because when he shoots the ball, we feel like it's going in," said OU forward Kevin Bookout. Problem was, Neal wasn't open. The 3-point sharpshooter was blanketed by KU sophomore Russell Robinson and the game's final shot had no chance as the Jayhawks eked out a one-point win.
That pushed KU to 15-6 overall and 6-2 in the Big 12 entering a 6:30 p.m. game tonight against Nebraska (15-6, 5-3) in the Devaney Center. While these are the two hottest teams in the conference -- KU is riding a five-game winning streak and Nebraska is on a three-game tear -- the intensity for the Jayhawks isn't delivered exclusively on the offensive end.
Robinson, one of the most improved players in the Big 12, if not the country, anchors the KU defense. The Jayhawks are holding opponents to .358 shooting, the nation's top mark. Often, it's Robinson who covers opponents' top scorers. He doesn't always shut them down, as illustrated by the point totals of Texas Tech's Jarrius Jackson (17), Iowa State's Curtis Stinson (24) and Texas A&M's Acie Law (17). But the 6-foot-1 Robinson did fluster that trio into 21-of-56 (.375) shooting.
"He hasn't become the lockdown we would hope, or that he would hope," said KU coach Bill Self, "but when you look at it, those guys (Jackson, Stinson and Law) still got some numbers. He's always been a good defender and he's become more sound, but we still think Russell can take another step to become the premier defender we think he can be."
While the defensive intensity Robinson often must exert guarding opponents' top perimeter threats allows him not to worry about his offense, the total focus involves winning. "Whatever the team needs -- guarding, handling the ball, attacking the paint -- he's focusing on things," Self said, "you can do every day that doesn't involve skill level. Like shooting involves skill level."
Robinson isn't horrible with that facet, ranking fourth on the team with an 8.8-point average, and joining freshman Brandon Rush as the only Jayhawks to start every game. But the defensive end is where Robinson gets into a flow.
"My game's built from my defense," he said, "and it's something I look forward to every game. I'm not going to hold anybody to zero points. ... They can score points, but the big thing I carry with my job is to not them control the game. "That keeps me more aggressive. One way I look at guarding people is to make them guard me and try to wear them down."