For as long as Jack Robison has played next to Nolan Winter, the philosophy of him and his teammates has been in lock stop. Whenever there was a rebound that needed to be got, a shot that needed to be hit, or a play that needed to be made, they believed they should get the ball to Winter and he’d get the job done.
Now that Winter is contributing as a freshman in Wisconsin’s rotation, that role has filtered down to Robison, which is somewhat weird for him.
“I’ve had to take on a different role than I have had in the past,” Robison said. “Normally I’m someone guarding the other team’s best player and looking to make plays for Nolan and others. I still am this year, but just looking for my shot this year would be the main difference.”
“It was a challenge at the beginning, but I think we became a lot better adjusting without him. We move the ball really well as a team. We run good offense and we’re deep. We’ve got a lot of guys who can play. I wouldn’t say we’re a one-dimensional team at all.”
Being one of only three returning starters on varsity hasn’t prevented Robison – a University of Wisconsin signed commit - from expanding his skill set. Leading his team with 25.8 points per game, Robison is shooting 51.1 percent from the field, 38.6 percent from the three-point line, and 87.2 percent from the foul line.
In a November game in Verona, Robison scored a game-high 25 points, including 19 in the first half, while adding four rebounds, two steals, and two assists.
“We’ve talked about the adjustment he’s gone through of changing contrasting styles with who they have now on his team,” said head coach Greg Gard, who attended that game with assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft. “He’s now more of a marked man. He’s going to get the best team’s defenders, but he’s been very productive. He’s scored a lot of points.”
Lakeville North has become an unofficial Triple-A affiliate for Gard and the Badgers over the years. Wisconsin has successfully recruited forwards Nathan Reuvers, Tyler Wahl, Winter, and now Robison from the high school, seeing them all pick UW over a scholarship from Minnesota.
It’s not a new trend for Wisconsin, as the Badgers have plucked All-Big Ten standouts Jon Leuer, Jordan Taylor, Jared Berggren, Kammron Taylor, and Brad Davison away from the Gophers. Not only did Robison turn down the Gophers, but fellow 2024 UW commit Daniel Freitag (four-star point guard from Bloomington) said no to Minnesota’s scholarships in football and basketball.
It’s considered in-state recruiting in a way for No.13 Wisconsin (14-4, 6-1 Big Ten), which adds a little extra spice into tonight’s matchup against Minnesota (12-6,3-4) at Williams Arena. It’s a series recently dominated by the Badgers, who have won 15 of the last 17.
“I didn’t choose Wisconsin because Nathan, Tyler, and Nolan went there,” said Robison, who also had a Big Ten offer from Nebraska. “I chose it because I thought it was the best for me, but you definitely look at those successes that those guys have had. They came from the same program in high school and then had success there. Why can’t I do that too? It’s a reassuring thing. I get to go to Wisconsin, and I want to go there because I know it’s a place I can do well at.”
Robison saw that during his third annual trip down to the Kohl Center earlier this month during Wisconsin’s 16-point win over Nebraska. Not only was Robison introduced on the jumbotron to a rousing ovation, he watched Wahl lead the Badgers in points (17) and rebounds (eight) while Winter played nine minutes off the bench and contributed five points and a rebound.
“This one was the coolest experience knowing this is where I’m going next year,” Robison said. “The jumbotron thing was pretty cool, too. I had a blast there. They played really well. To be a part of it in the locker room after was pretty cool.”
Both Wahl and Winter have been a support line for Robison. They attended his November game with Gard and Krabbenhoft, while Winter and Robison talk constantly about college and practices.
Asked to compare his game with his Lakeville North alumnus, Robison said Winter is about four inches taller and Wahl is considerably stronger but sees him as a combination of the two with his ability to play with his back to the basket and be a perimeter shooter.
Most importantly, Robison said their traits of giving maximum effort and playing fundamentally sound and disciplined have carried on to him, a benefit of playing at a high school that has won 10 sectional titles and a state championship since 2012.
“You’ll get the best out of us every time on the floor,” Robison said. “That’s the only way we know.”
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