Senior Day Special: Coach K on Justin Robinson

Duke coach thinks senior would make a good coach

Justin Robinson plays his last home game Saturday, when Duke hosts North Carolina in the ACC regular season finale. Robinson will be honored in Senior Day ceremonies, along with fellow senior captains Jack White and Javin DeLaurier.

Robinson came to Duke as a preferred walk-on and eventually earned a scholarship. Only recently, as his senior year winds down, has he seen significant playing time in games.

He’s had a big impact in practice, however. Vernon Carey Jr. credited working with Robinson for helping him to develop so quickly as a post player.

“J Rob has done that for everybody,” coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “He’s the ultimate team guy.”

According to Coach K, when Robinson’s senior season ends, sometime in the next month, we may not have seen the last of him on the Duke sideline.

“He’s in a graduate school now,” Krzyzewski said, “and after he finishes up, he’s a kid … he’s not a kid, he’s a young man that I’d like to see stay around here in coaching in some way. I know if any of my guys got jobs or whatever, J Rob’s a guy that really understands the game, and in addition to understanding the game, he understands people. Every time J Rob talks in a practice, individually or collectively, people listen to him. He’s runs our scout team, so that’s every game you’re putting in a new offense, he knows everything. He’s really very, very smart and he’s been a great upperclassman for Vernon and everybody really.”