Big Red Must Continue Season Without Guard Robinson

A week after losing its Ivy League opener, the Columbia men’s basketball team will have a second chance against a Cornell squad that will be missing one of its top players. The unexpected departure of junior Collin Robinson was confirmed by team spokesman Jeremy Hartigan late last Friday, less than 24 hours before the Big Red was set to host the Lions in the first conference game of the season.

The 20-year-old guard will not return this season for what Cornell head coach Steve Donahue described as “personal reasons.” According to Donahue, Robinson’s leave was not based on academic or disciplinary reasons, as the student-athlete was in good standing with both the team and the university. In addition, there has been no report of family issues that would have caused him to leave the team. Robinson has yet to clarify with both fans and teammates his exact reasons for his sudden decision, which has led to much speculation on Cornell fan sites and various media outlets.

Robinson is leaving after only three semesters in Ithaca, having transferred from USC his sophomore year, after a freshman campaign that saw limited playing time and even less scoring. Due to NCAA regulations regarding transfer students, he was forced to sit out the 2006-2007 season. The Cornell staff that had actively pursued Robinson since his tenure at Diamond Bar High School in California had to wait another year to see his effects on the court. Robinson, however, maintained an active role in Big Red athletics by doing play-by-play commentary for the women’s basketball team and dedicating himself to practice and training in preparation for his junior season.

This year, Robinson was an integral part of the Cornell offense, serving significant sixth man duties on a team that was the preseason favorite to win the Ivy League championship. His last appearance on the court was last Tuesday in Cornell’s 64-33 victory over New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, N.J. Despite the absence of its third-leading scorer, the Big Red pulled out a 70-64 victory over the Light Blue behind an expanded effort by sophomore Jeff Foote.

Cornell found itself in a 14-4 hole within the starting minutes of the game. Earlier in the season, Robinson’s contributions off the bench catalyzed several Big Red comebacks. Without his 10.6 points and 4.4 assists per game, however, the team rallied behind 12 points from Foote and 18 from starter Louis Dale to make a 10-0 run that resulted in a tied score at the half. The victory was an all-around team effort, with four players scoring in double figures.

Now, the Lions have a tall task ahead of them if they want to stay in contention for an Ivy title. Saturday’s rematch against Cornell is as close to a must-win as one can have just a game into conference play. The Lions’ inability to maintain a lead against an abbreviated Big Red roster is a testament to their lack of depth and mismatch in bench talent, obstacles that must be overcome if Columbia is to take advantage of Robinson’s absence.