8A - Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Sports
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
SprsTeMciaAaiyLmciadiyo
_
After speculation, Stauskas,
Robinson declare for Draft
Sophomor
eligibility
chance it
By SIMON KAI
NEAL ROTH
Daily Sports P
Daily Sports
It was expected
official.
Tuesday afte
Stauskas and Glen
announced atla pr
that they would bt
final two years of,
declare for the NB
The announcem
a week of specula
separate reportsc
stated that the tw
had already made
to go pro.
Both players su
names to NBA D
Board but
declined to
comment on
the feedback
they received
fromtheboard.
Stauskas said
he reached his
final decision
late last week
upon hearing
the board's
advice, but
Robinson said
he didn't come
to his decisiont
night.
"It's tough just]
amount of success
our two years at R
at the same time,i
kind of success we
we all decided to c
third year," Staust
can't help but thi
es forgo time, this is a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity. I've been dreaming
to take about this since I was seven or
eight years old."
a NBA With the announcement, the
Michigan men's basketball team
UFMAN and has now lost four players from
SCHILD its Elite Eight squad. Redshirt
riter and junior forward Jon Horford
Editor elected to transfer, and forward
Jordan Morgan has exhausted
I, but now it's his collegiate eligibility.
Stauskas led the Wolverines
rnoon, Nik in scoring this year, averaging
n Robinson III 17.5 points per game. He shot
ess conference 47 percent from the field and
th forgo their 44 percent beyond the arc,
eligibility and while also boasting a team-
A Draft. best 118 assists. The stats were
ent concluded good enough for a spot on the
tion in which National Association Basketball
came out that Coaches All-American First
o sophomores Team and Big Ten Player of the
the decision Year honors.
Robinson - who many pegged
ibmitted their ahead of Stauskas to carry the
raft Advisory Wolverines this year - was
Michigan's
second-
leading scorer,
"It's tough averaging
13.1 points
just because of along with
4.4 rebounds
the amount of per game.
Though he had
success we'Ve a propensity
to disappear
ha ."in the
Wolverines'
offense at
times -
until Monday scoring in single digits nine
times - he was assertive late
because of the in the season and became a
we've had in feared scorer with his dead-eye
Michigan, and midrange jump shot.
imagining the A year ago, Robinson skipped
could have if out on the draft and decided to
ame back for a return for his sophomore year
kas said. "You with the prospect of playing
nk what that his natural '3' position. But
ut at the same with sophomore forward Mitch
McGary injured, Robinson was
relegated to his less-preferred
'4' spot for most of the year. He
even admitted during the NCAA
Tournament that he had second
thoughts about his decision to
come back to Ann Arbor, only
to follow by noting he gained
comfort as the season went on.
Both players received advice
from their family, coaches and
teammates, as well as former
Wolverines Trey Burke and Tim
Hardaway Jr., who are each
finishing their rookie seasons in
the NBA.
"'Don't have any regrets,
don't look back once you decide
either way,' " Robinson said of
the advice Hardaway gave him.
"I heard from Trey - he kind
of just discussed with me the
things he'd gone through in the
league being a rookie and how
many ups and downs it is."
The announcement leaves
McGary as the only other
candidate who may bolt for
the NBA. His departure would
leave the Wolverines' frontcourt
depleted and lacking experience
next fall. McGary remains
the last of five starters from
Michigan's 2013 championship
runner-up team.
Beilein said McGary is
still getting information
and weighing his options
regarding declaring, but noted
that the sophomore has been
participating in workouts and
has made great progress.
Experts have Stauskas slotted
as a mid-first round pick on the
cusp of the lottery and Robinson
going anywhere from late in
the first round to early in the
second.
CBS Sports' Gary Parrish
tabbed Stauskas going as the
15th pick to the Atlanta Hawks
and Robinson as the 39th to the
Detroit Pistons.
Michigan coach John Beilein has now lost four of his five starters from last year's Final Four run and will have no seniors
and just fourjuniors on next year's roster if sophomore forward Mitch McGary chooses to stay in Ann Arbor.
Two different paths to
decision for sophomores
Y
Ha
B
As
the 1
Cent'
Robir
sat d
what
minu
Th
they
years
paper
2014
took
Tues
Foi
came
Robir
Desp
to m
go pr
their
Mich
have
feet o
An
ultim
multi
team
facto
Th
the N
coach
coach
help
evalu
from
in, a
- 20
Trey
Jr. -
"91
Vith help from advice (from Hardaway) was
to be two feet in and have no
Burke and regrets for the decision I was
going to make," Stauskas said.
irdawayJr., duo Besides having no regrets
about the decision, another
makes jump point that Burke stressed to
Robinson was that this was
y DANIEL FELDMAN a job now. Yes, the decision
Daily Sports Writer meant a different lifestyle in
-- terms of fame and fortune, but
their teammates stood to it would also mean a different
eft of them in the Crisler lifestyle in terms of preparing
er media room, Glenn as well.
nson III and Nik Stauskas Though hearing from NBA
own at a table to confirm rookies who were in the same
a press release stated shoes that Robinson and
tes earlier. Stauskas were in this year
e sophomores announced helped alleviate some pressure
would forgo their final two from their decision, some self-
of eligibility and submit reflection did as well.
rwork to declare for the For Stauskas, the decision
NBA Draft, but each made him think back to the
a separate path to get to moment le first committed
day's announcement. to Michigan. When he was 17
r Stauskas, the decision years old, Stauskas questioned
a week ago, and for if Michigan
nson, only Monday night. was the right
ite the difference in time decision.
ake their final decision to Would it "You
ro, the same mantra held allow him
respective choices to leave to be as have to
igan early: "You either successful as
to be two feet in or two he could be feet in
rut." in college?
d to formulate that Would it feet,
rate ruling to be in or out, allow him
ple people - coaches, to achieve
mates and classmates - his dream of
r in. playing in the NBA?
ough it's been known that "Looking back on it now, I
Michigan men's basketball don't think I could have made
hing staff, led by Michigan a better decision than coming
John Beilein, wanted to here," he said. "These coaches
the sophomores take in, have done wonders for me on
rate and produce a decision and off the court. I've made
all the information coming unbelievable relationships with
pair of former Wolverines my teammates and students at
13 NBA first-round picks this school. I've got a first-class
Burke and Tim Hardaway education here.
assisted as well. "My two years couldn't have
think the best piece of gone more smoothly than they
went."
When Stauskas spoke to his
parents Monday night with
his decision already made, he
realized this moment, sitting
in front a throng of media,
teammates and coaches,
was one he had been looking
forward to his whole life.
And while Stauskas and
Robinson would have loved
to bring home a national
championship for the
Wolverines, they each know
this decision marks the next
chapter in their lives - one that
represents their dream.
For Beilein, he would love for
a more stable system to be put
in place for college basketball,
but at the same time he knows
as long as his players believe in
themselves and are committed
to their decision, he has no
quarrels.
"The perfect scenario is to
win a national
championship
in April,
either graduate in
May and get
be two drafted in
the NBA in
or two June,"he said.
"Regardless,
out. this is all part
of the process.
- ' You got to
this decision
because all you did was
play hard and work hard for
Michigan.
"We want that same type of
commitment coming back or
if you don't come back, have
that same type of commitment
going forward."
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