On the playgrounds of New York City, it’s win or give up the court. That’s why the city’s playground legends through the generations have been guys who take it to the rack. With so much at stake, they didn’t want to let the wind or anything else come into play by firing many shots from the perimeter.
Guards from New York generally are known for their ability to handle the ball, drive and dish, more than for their shooting touches.
It shouldn’t be too surprising then that the last thing to fall into place for Kansas University senior point guard Russell Robinson has been his 3-point shot.
Two games into the season, Robinson has been hot from the outside, hitting five of 10 3-pointers. Robinson made two of four long ones in Sunday night’s 85-62 victory against Missouri-Kansas City in Allen Fieldhouse.
“We’ve got too many weapons, and my job is to move the ball to get people shots and knock down the open shots,” said Robinson, who said he isn’t looking to score more. “We’ve got a whole bunch of scorers. Everybody is going to get theirs.”
Robinson attributed his improved shooting to “just putting up a lot of shots, making a conscious effort to shoot the same way each and every time. … I finished the season off shooting pretty well, and I just wanted to get better. It’s falling for me, and I’ve just got to stay confident and keep it going.”
Dating back to last season, Robinson in his last 10 games has made 15 of 30 3-point attempts.
As a freshman, Robinson shot .286 from 3-point range, .322 as sophomore and .346 as a junior.
“I’m confident, and part of it is my team is doing a good job of moving the ball and getting me open shots,” Robinson said. “Confidence is a big part of it, and I just have to continue to do a good job of hitting the open shots.”
Robinson has plenty of company in that area. So far, Kansas (2-0) is shooting .457 on 3-pointers.