Advertisement
Kansas forwards Thomas Robinson (0), Markieff Morris (21) and the Kansas bench celebrate a blocked dunk by teammate Marcus Morris against Oklahoma State during the first half on Monday, Feb. 21, 2011 at Allen Fieldhouse.
Advertisement
Videos
Bill Self weekly press conference, Feb. 24, 2011
Kansas head coach Bill Self addressed the media at his weekly press conference Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011 at Allen Fieldhouse.
Donations
To contribute to the Lisa Robinson Scholarship Fund, send donations to c/o SNR Denton, 1301 K Street NW, Suite 600, East Tower, Washington, DC 20005-3364.
No matter how busy he is on a given day, Kansas University sophomore power forward Thomas Robinson makes time for the most special person in his life — his 7-year-old sister, Jayla Paris.
“I talk to her every day,” Robinson said Thursday. “She is my biggest fan right now.”
Happy and healthy, Jayla has been living with her dad in Washington, D.C., since the death of Lisa Robinson, Jayla and Thomas’ mom, on Jan. 21.
“I’ll get to see her when the season is over,” D.C. native Thomas Robinson said, breaking into a wide smile before relating a cute story about a recent cell-phone call to his sis.
“She told me she had a Valentine. I don’t know if I like that,” ever-protective big brother Thomas said.
Who’s his Valentine?
“I don’t have one,” he said.
He does have plenty of friends who have supported him the past several weeks.
Robinson’s mailbox at the KU basketball office overflows with letters and postcards every day.
He’s also received posters from schools and businesses — full of personal messages from fans designed to boost Thomas’ spirits.
Perhaps most importantly, fans of KU and other schools have been generous in supporting the Lisa Robinson Scholarship Fund — one that will pay for Jayla’s education.
No figures are yet available, but sources close to the situation have told the Journal-World the fund — which has the NCAA’s blessing — is off to a great start.
“It makes me feel great. The people care so much for me and my family. It’s beyond words,” Robinson said.
The 6-foot-9, 237-pounder is happy to report he’s doing well both mentally and physically.
Recent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee had him out just 10 days total. He missed three games in that span, returning to score six points and grab six boards while playing 10 minutes Monday against Oklahoma State.
“It’s ‘Cheddar,’ all ‘Cheddar’,” Robinson said, crediting trainer Bill “Cheddar” Cowgill. “He got me back quick with rehab every day. What he told me to do ... it worked. I didn’t want to sit out too long. That probably had a lot to do with it, too.”
KU coach Bill Self has been thrilled at Robinson’s quick recovery.
“He’s doing great. He’s an amazing guy,” Self said. “Mentally he’s close to 100 percent believing he’s healthy. Knee-wise, he’s 90 percent. There’s another week he can go through some things where he’ll feel he has the same explosion as before.”
Self has referred to Robinson as “a stud” and “the best kid” — all sorts of superlatives — since mom’s death.
“I always want him (Self) to feel that way about me. It’s a good thing,” said Robinson, who has also emerged as a media favorite with some quick, colorful one-liners of late.
“You cannot break me, man,” he said, practicing just eight days after surgery.
“Most of them are music quotes,” Robinson explained. “I record them and remember them.”
Asked for another favorite saying, he responded: “Minor setback for a major comeback.”
Finally, the Morris twins’ adopted team motto, “Family Over Everything.”
“We’re family here, just like brothers,” Robinson said.
Robinson, at 3 p.m. Saturday in Norman, Okla., will play against somebody who is almost as close as a blood brother — Oklahoma’s Andrew Fitzgerald, who was a teammate of Robinson’s at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H.
“He’s one of my closest friends,” Robinson said of the 6-8 sophomore from Baltimore who averages a team-leading 13.3 points for OU (12-15 overall, 4-9 Big 12).
“He’s on a young team that’s hanging in there, still trying to get used to each other as a team. I tell him to keep playing hard and things will fall into place.”
Fitzgerald, who speaks to Robinson regularly, is just as supportive of his buddy.
“I try to be really positive with him,” Fitzgerald said Thursday. “He is a great kid. I told my mother (about Thomas’ mom), and she was heartbroken. My mother actually will be at the game Saturday. I’m going to try to make sure she says hi to Thomas.”
The two players form a mutual-admiration society.
“He’s so athletic and versatile. In high school, I saw him dunk on 7-footers,” Fitzgerald said. “He’s always adding things to his game.”
“He’s a very good mid-range shooter, one of the best at it,” Robinson added of Fitzgerald. “He has a great work ethic. Of course I’d like to get bragging rights, but it’s not a personal thing.”
Noted Fitzgerald: “It’s not personal at all. We’ll both play as hard as we can in the game.”
Behind the Lens: Game Over April 19, 2012
Jeff Withey says he considered leaving early April 9, 2012
Final thoughts following KU's run to national championship game April 3, 2012
Elijah Johnson and Tyshawn Taylor post-game interviews April 3, 2012
Tyshawn Taylor and Thomas Robinson: Linked through their KU careers April 2, 2012
Comments
kureader (anonymous) says…
Very nice article. Thanks, Gary.
JJHawq (anonymous) says…
F.O.E. is on their tweets all the time. The other thing the twins always say - "no days off"
I love the personality of this team. Great stuff.
lhohman3 (anonymous) says…
This T-Rob photo is similar to Davinci's drawing of vitruvian man, except with appx. 80 more lbs. of muscle.
RockCaCO3 (anonymous) says…
“Minor setback for a major comeback.”
I like it.
FairgroveJayhawk (anonymous) says…
There's no other player I wish the greatest health and success.
txrockchalk (anonymous) says…
I love the pic above too. One more masterpiece by Nick Krug.
TRob reminds me of another great person the KU family rallied around a few years ago, DBlock.
RockChalkGuy (anonymous) replies…
I was thinking the same thing about Nick. Both the EJ article and this one have great pictures paired up with them. Kudos to him. Too often the photographers who produce these incredible images are left unmentioned.
lighthawk (anonymous) replies…
ditto DBlock.
mikehawk (anonymous) says…
The 2010-11 edition of the KU basketball team is a bonafide reality show. And I say that with the deepest of affection. For those of us out here with a more mundane existense, we will find a big hole in our lives some time in March. Hopefully, very late in March. Wow! What a cast of characters, unfortunate circumstances, and self inflicted events. Entertainment of the first order. I'll be in Norman tomorrow to witness the next edition of The Show. FOE!
honk_for_hawks (anonymous) replies…
I think you mean April
addlime (anonymous) replies…
+1000000000000000
txrockchalk (anonymous) replies…
Here is a good article today talking about those very points:
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketba...
kesmithstl1 (anonymous) replies…
Here's some reality for you!
http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/phoggy-...
oldalum (anonymous) replies…
The "Kansas media sources" referenced in this article are probably speculations read on this board.
kesmithstl1 (anonymous) replies…
I know, I just found it humorous!
RockCaCO3 (anonymous) replies…
Ok, if he was playing some "1 on 1" in AFH, then I'm not as dissapointed in him. As a matter of fact, I might even have a little admiration for the guy.
Seriously though, if that is the case, then its way better than some of the alternatives (drugs, fights, etc).
manunitedjayhawk (anonymous) says…
“You cannot break me, man,” he said, practicing just eight days after surgery.
Sounds so cliche, but Thomas totally walks the walk. His play also does most of the talking as well. He has a motor like Shady Arhtur and the toughness of Darnell Jackson, I love how he pursues the basketball. With him and Mario Little coming off the bench we might have the two of the best rebounders in the Big 12, and they do not even start. Most of all I love the kid's smile, he continues to smile even with all he has gone through. Watching him and Darnell smile with all they went through gives me chills, all the pain but the young man just won't give up. The best part of all this is that he loves his teammates and they obviously love him.
benshawks08 (anonymous) replies…
I would say his motor is way better than Shady's. Especially early on, Arthur had a tendency to seem lackadaisical even if he wasn't. Part of that came from how smooth he was but I don't think anyone has ever watched a second of Trob and thought "meh, he's not really trying."
100 (anonymous) replies…
12 steps:
Question re Bramalage:
I'm losing my memory. Have you beaten us in your arena 25 times since opening the aluminum sardine can 27 years ago? Or is it the other way around?
jsatt3 (anonymous) says…
we will win the national championship, you heard it hear 1st.
lewstinks (anonymous) says…
Please vote for Tyrel everyday!!
http://www.seniorclassaward.com/vote/...
PikesPeakSmitty (anonymous) says…
This team has the skills and closeness to be awesome in the tourney, but we will need some great individual performances. I think our PG 'situation' is hopefully fixed. I watched the '08 season highlight video last night (Must have if you haven't bought one yet). Wow did people step up come Big 12 and national tourney time. I forgot how Brandon went off at the Sprint Arena.
dannyboy4hawks (anonymous) says…
This team is mentally tough....With T-Rob almost back, EJ getting his confidence and play tighten-up, a renewed TT and Josh healthy, this team has a solid 10 player rotation where there isn't much of a drop off in production if there is at all....Hell, our second five of EJ, T-Rob, Little, Josh, Releford are pretty amazing and they come off the bench... I see final four for this team this year
100 (anonymous) replies…
12steps:
What "step" program is Curtis Kelly using right now?
brooksmd (anonymous) replies…
Be kind to "12step". Must be tough when the only highlight of your basketball season is if you beat KU and then hoping your mommy and daddy buy you the dvd for Christmas.
KUGuyInTarheelLand (anonymous) replies…
12 steps to KSU basketball improvement
1. Start paying players so they don't leave
2. Change the school mascot to a ball of hair collected after each time Pullen shaves
3. Remodel the arena to have 10 sides and name it the "decagon of doom"
4. Get Martin on prescriptions of Xanex and any blood pressure medication
5. Forget #3 and just build a new arena and hope for a better yearly showing there against KU
6. Have everyone on the team take on Pullen's attitude of "NCAAs or bust!" because you guys are so much more deserving in name only than an NIT bid
7. If #6 fails, start your own tournament instead if accepting an NIT bid
8. Invest in a new weight room, or, since your bigs can't guard, convince the NCAAs to increase the foul limit, for your team only, to 8
9. Petition the PAC-10 to take your school in since you obviously can't handle the Big-12
10. If #9 fails, go independent
11. Have Pullen's beard start playing on it's own offset of Pullen in the backcourt
12. Have every KSU fan spend at least one game in AFH to learn how true fans, of truly good teams, act. (never rush the court, ever; no pictures of beards in the crowd, and we win all but 1 out of 70 instead of twice in 25 years)
KUGuyInTarheelLand (anonymous) replies…
Just out of curiosity 12steps, answer me a few things.
How many titles does KSU have?
How many final fours does KSU have?
How many tournament victories does KSU have?
How many big 12/8/6 titles does KSU have?
How many total wins does KSU have?
How many 25 win seasons does KSU have?
I could go on but I won't. One more thing though...I think you meant mighty not might. That gives you away that you studied at KSU if anywhere.
steamboat (anonymous) replies…
K-stater's are selling dvd's and pieces of the net from the KU win.
How frickin' pathetic!!! This definitely shows they aren't used to the big stage but why would they be? They have an idiot coach with ADD, thug players and fair-weather fans.
The troll on this site must be "grasping" for success. KS bb really showed what they can do when the bullseye is on there back.
Rock Chalk
741hawk (anonymous) says…
Votin' everyday you remind me with a link. thanks.
fansincewilt (anonymous) says…
Family Over Everything - Wow! This team is getting something real going in these last few weeks. This is not something that anyone can coach. It is something special that is happening. The KState thing seems to have also inspired these guys. This is really sounding good.
OakvilleJHawk (anonymous) says…
Depending on what happens after this season and, especially if the twins leave early, T-Rob could be the dominant focus, the beating heart and the firey soul of the 2011-2012 squad.
Teams tend to follow their leaders in attitude and toughness. We may need every ounce of it next season. The again, we could be monsters next season.
Best case scenario:
Front Court - The Morrii, T-Rob, The Big "W"
Swing - Travis, Double D
Back Court - The Prophet, Josh, TT, Nadiir, Ben-Mac, Royce [red shirt?]
KGphoto (anonymous) replies…
What exactly IS the deal with Ben? He freakin' got kicked out of school?!?
KU_FanSince75 (anonymous) says…
I will be there on Saturday in Norman, rooting my Hawks on to victory!!!!
Love to start the chant early before the game ends.
12 steps---that's okay----shoot your mouth off. I always been taught that what comes around, goes around. See you at the Sprint Center, and btw, you better pray and hope to God that there isn't another rematch between the Hawks and Wild Kitties. Could get ugly, bubba!
ralster (anonymous) replies…
Dont worry about the PurplePussy from Manlesshattan. They rush the court for just a conference game, and didnt even have any streamers ready in the ceiling of the Sherrontagon-o-gloom-->obviously not expecting to win. They are selling DVDs and Tshirts of this single conference win. They were surprised to win. We are surprised to lose a game...always the fundamental difference between KSuck fans and KU fans.
---------------------
Also, most KU fans can root for our brother school against some outside opponent. But most KStaters simply cannot root for KU even against some 3rd opponent. See the mental limitations of hate. Even for our bitter rival Mizzoo--who many KU people detest...we still can acknowledge that there is nothing personal vs. Mike Anderson. Its vs. their classless fans and the irrepairable history. The Mizzoo fans 83-0 signs have no place in civilized sports.
ralster (anonymous) says…
Watch what happens if we play KSU or TX again in the conf. tourney...Im not worried. And Im sure WildBill and his Boyz are itching a another chance at either. Cant tell me they arent.
memhawk (anonymous) says…
12steps -
Welcome to the KUSports.com family. Your passion and wonderful sense of sportsmanship are so much what this site is all about.We only wish we knew more about you. Please give us some background information. Feel free to include your sponsors name, etc. so we may let him/her know that you may be in trouble again. We try not to judge here, just want to make sure all of our fellow posters have access to the support that they need. Denial is just part of the program. We understand. You'll look back later and thank us. I believe you are just reaching out for help and came to the right place where even trolls can seek shelter.
memhawk (anonymous) says…
Geez, I was just trying to help! I wonder what he could have said?
OakvilleJHawk (anonymous) says…
My guess would be one of George Carlin's "No-No" words. I recently got beeped for posting the word a--h--e [in code so I don't get beeped again!!]
Coincidently, I think it was a response regarding 12steps.