Jack Robison, a 6-foot-6 sophomore wing from Lakeville (MN) North, has already received scholarship offers from St. Thomas, Wisconsin and Minnesota and is one of the state’s top shooters.
Robison averaged 16.8 points per game this season with a season-high 33 points against Burnsville. He scored in double figures in 25 of 27 games with nine games of 20 or more points. The Panthers finished 19-9 this season, losing to Owatonna 83-66 in the Section 1AAAA semifinals.
Robison averaged 4.1 points per game off the bench as a freshman on a senior-ladened team with a season-high nine points against Apple Valley. The Panthers finished 13-7, losing to Rosemount 59-49 in the Section 3AAAA semifinals.
Gopher Hole caught up with Robison at the Howard Pulley AAU program tryouts Sunday to learn the latest on his recruitment and upcoming AAU season.
Gopher Hole: You are getting ready for another AAU season. What are you hoping to show the college coaches this spring and summer?
Jack Robison: We’re just looking forward to getting out there as a team. Building off of what we built up last summer. We are just trying to prove to people as a team that we are real and we are going to go out there and compete with anyone in the country.
Gopher Hole: I always feel that people undervalue winning, even in AAU. I always feel that if you win as a group, you are going to look better to a coach than someone who does a lot but never wins.
Jack Robison: I totally agree. You could see it last year. The more we won down there in
Georgia, the more coaches came to games. We win. That’s what we do, so we are looking forward to keeping that going.
Gopher Hole: How about this season? What was the feeling about Lakeville North’s season this year?
Jack Robison: Disappointing end to it, but overall, we had a good season. We had some good wins. We didn’t quite get to where we wanted to go, but we’ve got a lot of guys coming back next year and we’re going to build on what we have. At Lakeville North, there’s a culture and we are going to build on what we did last year. We’ve got all those pieces coming back. Staying positive.
Gopher Hole: At Lakeville North, you are used to getting to the state tournament and haven’t made the last two years. Is that a motivating factor that you guys have talked about already?
Jack Robison: Yes. It doesn’t sit well, because we grew up seeing all those teams. J.P. Macura, Nathan Reuvers, Tyler Wahl. They were all in the state tournament and we got stopped the past three years since I’ve been on the team. It just doesn’t sit well, but it motivates us. We are going to get this summer morning workouts. We are going to work hard.
Gopher Hole: You had only four seniors on your 19-player roster, so you have you, Nolan Winter, Hudson Vaith and J.T. Thornton back. Is that something you can learn from this experience and build together?
Jack Robison: Yes. I definitely think that experience was one of struggling points, I guess. There was a lot of times where big games sometimes that kind of got to us, but having a year under our belt, two years under our belts for a lot of the guys now, it helps. This season, we had three returning players from the year before. Having six, seven guys back this year, is really going to help us.
Gopher Hole: What things are you really going to work on this spring and summer to continue to improve yourself as a player?
Jack Robison: For myself, just getting stronger. That is my biggest thing. I think that will just open up a lot of things in my game and that’s the team, too. We know that a lot of teams that was their strategy. They were just going to bully Lakeville North around. Good skilled athletes, but weak. It won’t be like that next year.
Gopher Hole: What was the highlight for you, personally and team-wise this year?
Jack Robison: Our team was super close, just as a group. I don’t think I can point out one thing, but team meals. Going to practice. Being in the locker room with your team. This was a really fun season and everyone on the team loved each other and that’s what makes it fun. We didn’t get to the state tournament, where we wanted to go, but every single day, there was never a day where it was “Dang, I have to go to practice.” You wanted to be there with your friends and your teammates.
Gopher Hole: How about individually? I know that you had a couple big scoring games. You had a couple of halfcourt buzzer-beater shots. What was individually was a highlight to you?
Jack Robison: Beating Lakeville South twice. That’s fun for me. For me, a dunk that I had at Lakeville South. In the game, the whole city is there. Standing room only and I had a big dunk in the second half, a breakaway and that was probably for me, my highlight, individually.
Gopher Hole: What is the latest on your recruitment? You have three offers from Minnesota, Wisconsin and St. Thomas. What other schools are you hearing from the most besides those three?
Jack Robison: Iowa, Iowa State, Xavier, Stanford, Utah and Creighton.
Gopher Hole: To be honest, that number is probably going to grow with this spring and summer?
Jack Robison: We’ll see.
Gopher Hole: I know that you were at quite a few Gopher games. Did you get a chance to go to any other college games?
Jack Robison: I tried to get out to some games. I went to one at Wisconsin and one at Iowa State and a couple at St. Thomas.
Gopher Hole: You are only a sophomore. Do you think that gives you a little bit of an advantage recruiting-wise, because you have gotten the chance to see some schools and build these relationships so early?
Jack Robison: Definitely. I’ve formed a lot of really good relationships. It has been almost a year. I’ve gotten to know the coaches at Wisconsin and other place, so I’ve building those relationships for awhile now is pretty cool.
Gopher Hole: Have you even thought about when you might even try to decide on a school? Would you decide before your senior year or have you even thought that far yet?
Jack Robison: I haven’t really thought that far. I think that when I make up my mind, totally, which I haven’t yet, not even close, but whenever that is that is probably when I’m going to make it. It’s not like “I’m going to commit on this day or anything like that,” but we’ll see.
Gopher Hole: What are going to be the main factors that are going to make you pick School A over School B or C?
Jack Robison: Probably just the relationship with the coaching staff and the feel. The culture that is at a school. The locker room feel and where I can fit in as a player, too.
Gopher Hole: Have you been watching the NCAA Tournament a lot?
Jack Robison: Yeah. I watch every game. I’m a big fan.
Gopher Hole: What would it mean to play in the NCAA Tournament?
Jack Robison: I mean, that’s the goal. It would mean everything. I’m obsessed with watching basketball and to be able to play that one day, would be amazing.