UNC vs. NC State - Player of the Game: Brandon Robinson

If for whatever reason you missed the game, you may take a look at a box score and wonder why Brandon Robinson got the player of the game nod.

That’s probably fair considering that Garrison Brooks quite literally scored a third of UNC’s points, and also finished with a double double thanks to his rebound total. However in watching the game, it’s really hard to not give Robinson all the props in the world.

The senior may have just finished with 11 points on 2-5 shooting with six rebounds, but that only tells part of the story. Robinson went back to the locker room with injuries on two different occasions, and was seen going into the x-ray room after the game presumably to get all that happened in the game looked at. None of that takes into account that just last week he missed time due to the after effects of a car crash. Yet, somehow Robinson managed to get through all of that and keep coming back into the game as UNC took down NC State 75-65.

Arguably his biggest contribution came towards the very end of the game. With the Tar Heels trying to put away the game, UNC players continually missed the front end of one and ones. State wasn’t really doing much on the other end to capitalize, but you would be hard pressed to find a Carolina fan not having flashbacks to the Clemson game. The Tar Heels then started to get the ball in the hands of Robinson, who scored the team’s final four points, all at the free throw line, to finally put the game away. In total, he went a perfect 7-7 from the line.

As mentioned, Brooks would also be a perfectly acceptable winner for this, finishing with 25 points and 11 rebounds. Andrew Platek also is worthy of mention after having probably his best game of the season.

The heart and effort that the Tar Heels have shown in the last three games has never been more evident than in what Robinson has done: hurt, but not giving up yet.