UW Men's Basketball
Nate Robinson seeks entry into NBA draft

By Bob Sherwin
Seattle Times staff reporter

	Nate Robinson
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Nate Robinson, who created excitement in Washington's basketball program over the past two seasons, has decided to see if he's good enough to make it in the NBA.

Robinson, Washington's 5-foot-9 sophomore shooting guard, will ask for early entry into the June 24 NBA draft. This doesn't mean he's definitely leaving the Huskies' program, but just testing the professional waters.

"He totally has left his options open. He has not picked an agent," said Jacque Robinson, Nate's father. "This is something underclassmen can do. He has seen guys and talked to guys and has told me, 'They're no better than I am. I'm better than those guys in a lot of ways.' "

NCAA rules allow a college player a one-time opportunity to declare for the draft and change his mind. As long as the player is not drafted and does not hire an agent he can maintain his college eligibility if he decides to return to college. This is something that former Huskies Mark Sanford and Doug Wrenn did. Neither hired an agent and both decided to return for one more year. They both left school the next season.

"He wants to get to the next level," said Jacque Robinson, the former UW football star and NFL running back. "That's his goal."

UW coach Lorenzo Romar, reached in Los Angeles, said, "There was some talk about that, but he hasn't told me anything about it."

Robinson, 19, is a former three-sport star at Rainier Beach who came to UW on a football scholarship. He played in all 13 games as a freshman defensive back for the Huskies, highlighted by a critical interception in the Apple Cup.

He also turned out for basketball, playing in five nonconference games while still practicing with the football team. He then played in 18 Pac-10 games, starting the final 10. He averaged 13 points and was named to the Pac-10 all-freshman team.

Entering his sophomore year, Robinson decided to give up football and devote his full attention to basketball. He was the Huskies' leading scorer at 13.2 points per game. He was instrumental in engineering a turnaround of the Huskies' season — and perhaps program — when he hit a last-second three-pointer Jan. 17 to tie Oregon State. The Huskies, 0-5 in the conference at that point, won the game in overtime and finished by winning 14 of their final 18 games.

That surge helped lift the Huskies into the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1999. They lost in the first round to Alabama-Birmingham, 102-100, and Robinson scored a game-high 27 points.

Robinson also averaged 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists, and had a team-high 53 steals. But what fans appreciated most was his above-the-rim theatrics. During his two seasons, he sliced among 7-footers for sensational tip dunks and alley-oop jams.

Robinson was one of five underclassmen — four sophomores and a junior — who started most of the season. All are expected to return, except perhaps Robinson.

Jacque Robinson insisted that "anything could happen," including possibly playing football for the Huskies.

"We've left all our options open," Jacque said.

Because of his small stature, unusual for an NBA player, Nate Robinson would likely need to play point guard because he'd have a constant matchup problem covering much taller shooting guards. Some have questioned whether Robinson is a good enough ball-handler to play in the NBA.

The next step for Robinson is attending the NBA predraft camp in Chicago this June. At that point he will receive the feedback he'll need to make his decision.

Bob Sherwin: 206-464-8286 or bsherwin@seattletimes.com

Nate at UW
Nate Robinson's numbers in two seasons at Washington:
Season	Min.	Stl.	FG%	Ast.	Pts.
2002-03	25.0	1.1	.462	2.3	13.0
2003-04	26.9	1.7	.447	2.7	13.2
Note: Robinson was named to the all-Pac-10 team in 2003-04 and to the Pac-10 all-freshman team in 2002-03.

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