BUFFALO, N.Y. — History says today’s where the road ends. In 128 tries, no 16-seed has never upended a top-seed in the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament. So after a reporter hinted that Thursday is the end for Mount St. Mary’s upon facing No. 1 Villanova, Junior Robinson leaned back in his chair while flashing a smirk. He answered unhesitatingly.
“Records are meant to be broken,” he said. “We have that confidence going into this game. If we take care of things the way we’re supposed to and handle ourselves in the manner that we can, why not [us]?”
Beneath the response was a lighthearted snicker. Not out of arrogance, but more out of expectation that the question was bound to arise. Robinson, standing at 5-foot-5 — officially the shortest player in Division I college basketball — has faced this kind of doubt his entire life.
It’s nothing new to the junior guard of Mebane, N.C. If anything, the more skepticism that surfaces, the larger the motivation. Robinson is averaging 14.3 points and 2.9 assists this season, but in the Northeast Conference championship game, he dropped 22 points and followed that with 23 points on a sparkling 9-for-14 shooting performance in the First Four matchup with New Orleans.
“I’ve embraced it,” Robinson said. “It’s a chip on my shoulder, to prove people wrong. That height doesn’t matter. It’s the heart you have and the passion you play the game with. I mean, every game, I’m going to be the shortest player on the court. I just have to come out and play with the heart I have.”
NCAA March Madness on Twitter: “He might only be 5’5″ but Junior Robinson’s game is big. #FirstFour #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/8XZ9Tu9llm / Twitter”
He might only be 5’5″ but Junior Robinson’s game is big. #FirstFour #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/8XZ9Tu9llm
His recent play has caught the attention of well-known Baltimore native Muggsy Bogues, a former 5-foot-3 point guard himself who played 14 years in the NBA. The 2017 NBA hall-of-fame nominee said he’s “proud” of Robinson having the “confidence to play at that level.”
“It’ll be exciting to watch [Junior] get another shot to put his team on his shoulders and get another upset,” Bogues said. “It don’t just go with size. By him having that skill set and mindset and knowing he change the outcome of the game, he knows he can carry his team. … I’m proud of him that he has that confidence to play at that level, to get a Division I scholarship and play for Mount St. Mary’s, a program that always had the ability to pull an upset.”
“It’s a magnet, when you hear about a small guy out there, pursuing his dream and showcasing his talent and letting folks know he’s capable of playing at any level. It’s just unbelievable. It’ll be exciting to watch [Junior] get another shot to put his team on his shoulders and get another upset. … I’m proud of him that he has that confidence to play at that level, to get a Division I scholarship and play for Mount St. Mary’s, a program that always had the ability to pull an upset. Especially with how the game is being played today, I’m loving the things that he’s doing.” — Muggsy Bogues, a 2017 NBA hall-of-fame nominee
Mount St. Mary’s (20-15) has practically everything under the sun up against them in their 7:10 pm tilt with defending national champions Villanova at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y. To give themselves the best chance at competing, they’re going to have to follow Robinson’s M.O. affirmed by Bogues: “Just have to come out and play with heart.”
ESPN on Twitter: “Rise up, Junior Robinson! The shortest player in D-I (5-5) scored 23 to lead Mount St. Mary’s to a First Four NCAA tournament win. pic.twitter.com/Di6MNh2Af6 / Twitter”
Rise up, Junior Robinson! The shortest player in D-I (5-5) scored 23 to lead Mount St. Mary’s to a First Four NCAA tournament win. pic.twitter.com/Di6MNh2Af6
“I don’t think anyone would’ve guessed we played Villanova,” said Mount St. Mary’s sophomore guard Elijah Long, the team’s leading scorer at 15.1 points a game. He’s also averaging 5.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 39.5 percent from deep. “But it is March Madness. It’s a humbling experience, but then again, they’re just human beings, just like us, you know what I mean? We’re going to out there and play.”
ESPN’s basketball power index gives the Mount a 1 percent chance of prevailing. Villanova deploys a pair of starters from their national team a year ago in Josh Hart (Silver Spring, Md., native) and Kris Jenkins (Upper Marlboro, Md., native). But all of that goes out of the window once they step into the ring a few minutes past the 7 o’clock hour, and whatever happens between the lines for 40 minutes is all that matters.
“We have to go out and be us, play our game,” Mount St. Mary’s coach Jamion Christian said. “It’s five guys on the floor. When the ball jumps up, the team who plays the best on any given day has the opportunity to win.”
Prepping for the defending champions doesn’t seem to faze anyone on the Mount, probably because they trekked the ninth toughest non-conference schedule in the country according to KenPom. They played six NCAA tournament teams — West Virginia, Iowa State, Minnesota, Michigan, Arkansas and Bucknell — going 0-6 in the those games and losing by an average of 19 points.
The Mount put up respectable fights in all six of those games. They hung with ranked Michigan for most of the first half before a 17-2 run sank them for good. They outscored Iowa State in the second half and were within single-digits of Arkansas for majority of the contest.
Since starting 1-11, the Mountaineers are 19-4 and riding a five-game winning streak.
“I have such a great belief in the guys we have on our roster,” Christian said. “We’ve challenged ourselves to the highest levels we could this season; playing six NCAA tournament teams, playing on the road against some of the very best. You have to believe at some point your preparation has you ready for the moment.”
Robinson added on the brutal non-conference schedule: “It was hectic. Fun, too. Now we get to play another game tomorrow night.”
While Mount St. Mary’s is one of the worst rebounding teams in the country, they deploy a top-100 defense in terms of points allowed. Capping the well-oiled Villanova offense to under 40 percent shooting seems like an ideal step number one in order to pull off the upset, but don’t bet on it. To counter, Christian set a benchmark of 15 3-pointers.
If that mark isn’t reached, Robinson, Long and company are going to have to find another way.
“It’s going to be a really hard fought game,” Robinson said. “We’re going to make it a grind-it-out game. We have to come out and try compete with them at the highest level we can compete at.”
CBS Sports Network on Twitter: “Looks like @MountAthletics has no fear heading into a showdown with Villanova. pic.twitter.com/bZaEpqYzQp / Twitter”
Looks like @MountAthletics has no fear heading into a showdown with Villanova. pic.twitter.com/bZaEpqYzQp
It’s no secret: Villanova is a powerhouse, a heavyweight that wears down oppositions before doling the knockout blow. The small, historic Frederick County institution has made it this far. Can they withstand 40 more minutes with one of college basketball’s blue bloods?
“I don’t think they ever take a possession off, defensively or offensively,” Long said. “We have to match that intensity. And then, you never know what can happen at the end.”
