Stanley Robinson, who was a key member of the UConn men’s basketball team from 2006 to 2010, was found dead in his home in Birmingham, Alabama, on Tuesday.
Robinson was 32 years old. No cause of death has been released at this time.
After winning Alabama Mr. Basketball in 2006 for a great career at Huffman High School, he arrived in Storrs, where he would become a major contributor in his four seasons. He was a starting forward on the 2009 team that made it all the way to the Final Four.
Robinson, known by his nickname “Sticks,” was lauded for his great athleticism during his time at UConn. His coach, Hall of Famer Jim Calhoun, called him “easily one of the best athletes I ever coached,” according to a statement from UConn Athletics.
He was responsible for countless highlight reel dunks, perhaps none more memorable than his alley-oop finish against Texas in 2010 that almost literally brought Gampel Pavilion down.
Robinson’s best performance as a Husky came in the 2009 Big East Tournament against Syracuse, better known as the Six-Overtime Game. In one of the most storied games in college basketball history, Robinson put up 28 points and 14 rebounds in 47 minutes of game time.
For his UConn career, Robinson averaged 9.8 points and 6.2 rebounds in 126 games. After he graduated, he was drafted by the Orlando Magic with the 59th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.
Robinson never appeared in the NBA, but he spent time in its developmental G-League (then called the D-League) for a couple of teams, winning the D-League Championship in 2011 with the Iowa Energy. He went on to play professionally in countries all over the world, such as Canada, the Dominican Republic, Iceland and, most recently, Chile. However, multiple injuries, including a ruptured Achilles, limited him from reaching his full basketball potential.
Robinson is survived by three daughters, according to UConn Athletics.
“I am truly heartbroken,” Calhoun said in the UConn’s statement. “Stanley was such a beautiful person, caring and giving. He was a gentle soul, too gentle for this world. He was not only loved by his teammates, but everybody who met Sticks liked him. He will always be a Husky.”
Danny Barletta is the sports editor for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at daniel.barletta@uconn.edu. He tweets @dbars_12.
