Q&A with UNC men's basketball recruit Brandon Robinson

Brandon Robinson became the second recruit from the Class of 2016 to commit to the North Carolina men’s basketball team when he chose the Tar Heels over Florida State, Louisville, Georgia Tech and Georgia on Sept. 28.

Ranked by 247Sports as the No. 9 shooting guard and No. 55 overall player in the Class of 2016, Robinson and fellow four-star recruits Tony Bradley and Seventh Woods give UNC the No. 7 recruiting class in the country.

Entering Wednesday’s game, Robinson was averaging 25.1 points per game for Douglas County High School in Douglasville, Ga.

Assistant Sports Editor Jeremy Vernon spoke with Robinson about his decision to commit to North Carolina, his playing style and his relationships with current UNC players and coaches.

The Daily Tar Heel: Why did you commit to North Carolina?

Brandon Robinson: I just felt like that was the best school that fit my style of play, and they have a coaching staff that can help me, with Coach (Roy) Williams and Coach (Hubert) Davis. They coached many guards that have played in the league. And then Coach Davis, he played the same position as me and played it for a long time in the league and had one of the highest 3-point percentages in the league, so I looked at that and put that into consideration when I made my decision.

DTH: What do you think you can bring to the men’s basketball team?

BR: I think I can bring scoring, a lot of defensive intensity and me being locked in and crashing lanes and trying to get a couple of weak-side blocks. And then, I think one part of my game that is very underrated is that I can pass the ball. So I think I can bring all those things to North Carolina next year and I’ll be an immediate impact.

DTH: What was your first impression of Roy Williams when you first met him?

BR: He’s a great guy. He cares about his players and he’d do anything for them, and they all still have great relationships with him, even when they’re done playing for him. That was big for me and my family, just looking at relationships after basketball with the coaches. And players still stay connected with the program and they come back, and it’s very evident that all of them still do that.

DTH: If you were to look at any player in the NBA today, is there anyone that you have modeled your game after or someone who plays in a similar style?

BR: I think a person that I look up to right now is Kevin Durant, just because we kinda have the same body frame. He scores the ball and he can also make plays for his teammates, so that’s the one player that I look at and try to watch.

DTH: How much did you know about the North Carolina program when you first started getting recruited?

BR: I knew a lot. My dad is a big North Carolina basketball fan, so he always liked North Carolina basketball. So just then being recruited by them was exciting for me. I just fell in love with the program from day one when I went on my visit and when they played against Duke.

DTH: Do you know any of the guys on the team now? How do you think the chemistry will be with them once you get to campus?

BR: When I went on my visit, I got connected with all of them pretty good. And they’re all great guys. I’ll talk to Justin Jackson sometimes. I think there is going to be great chemistry. I think I can fit in great with them. When I went on my visit and played pickup with them, I just played great with those guys .They were motivating me to score, because at first I came out very passive, and they were just telling me to score the ball and just to play my game.

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