Courtesy of MonmouthHawks.com
HOUSTON, TX – Monmouth junior guard Justin Robinson (Lake Katrine, NY/Kingston) has been named as a finalist for two postseason awards as he was listed for the Lute Olson National Player of the Year and the Lou Henson Mid-Major National Player of the Year. The point guard was one of just four players nationally to be named a finalist for both awards.
The Lute Olson Award is presented annually to the nation’s top Division I player who has played at least two seasons. Robinson joins Oakland’s Kay Felder, Gonzaga’s Domantas Sabonis and Wichita State’s Fred Van Vleet as the only four players to appear on both lists. The Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award, which is presented annually to the top mid-major player in Division I college basketball, honors the former Illinois and New Mexico State head coach who won 775 games in 41 seasons. Everyone listed as a finalist for the Lute Olson Award is named to the Lute Olson All-America team.
Robinson has earned numerous postseason awards, including being named an AP Honorable Mention All-American. He helped Monmouth to a program record 28 wins, an outright MAAC regular season title, and the top seed in the conference tournament. He was the 2016 MAAC Player of the Year and First Team All-MAAC in addition to an NABC and USBWA All-District selection. Robinson earned a spot on the MAAC All-Tournament team and was named to the ECAC First Team. He was a three-time MAAC Player of the Week, tied for the most in the league, a two-time Lou Henson National Mid-Major Player of the Week, and named to Lou Henson Award Watch List as well as a three-time ECAC Player of the Week.
Robinson led Monmouth in scoring, assists and steals, finishing third in MAAC in scoring and leading the conference in steals while finishing third in free throw percentage. Robinson became the seventh Hawk in program history to top the 1,000 point mark as a junior and is currently ninth all-time in scoring. He was named MVP of the AdvoCare Invitational after scoring 77 points to top Michael Beasley’s tournament scoring record. He scored a program record 693 points on the year, topping former Los Angeles Laker Alex Blackwell’s 25-year old mark of 663. Robinson averaged 19.3 points per game, shot 43.9% from the field and 39.4% from three as well as 84.5% from the foul line. He totaled 136 rebounds as a guard, third on the team as well as leading MU with 132 assists and 79 steals. Robinson finished the season ranked eighth in total steals nationally with 79, and 13th in steals per game with 2.19. He was 23rd in free throws made with 185, and his 693 points listed him 19th nationally in total points.
Overall, he currently ranks eighth all time in scoring with 1,334 career points. His 19.3 points per game are fourth most ever in a single season for a Hawk, while his 36 points at Siena are the seventh most ever in a game at Monmouth. He made 214 field goals in 2015-16, the fourth most in program history in one year, as well as hitting 185 free throws, second most in a single season. His 80 three pointers are second in a single campaign in program history, while 132 assists lists 10th. The junior came just two steals shy of the single season program steals record of 81. Robinson scored 20+ points 20 times and went into double-figures in 33 of 36 games on the year.
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