Former UConn standout Stanley Robinson died Tuesday in Birmingham, Alabama, the school announced. He was 32 years old.
The forward, known as "Sticks" to friends, averaged 9.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game throughout a four-year career with the Huskies. During the program's 31-5 season in 2008-09, which concluded with an 82-73 loss to Michigan State in the Final Four, Robinson connected on 55.6 percent of his shots inside the arc, per KenPom.com.
He was the 59th pick in the 2010 NBA draft, going to the Orlando Magic. Although he never latched on to an NBA team, he spent the next decade of his life playing in the G League and with professional organizations throughout the world, including Chile, Uruguay, Iceland and the Dominican Republic.
The UConn Basketball family grieves the loss of a great player and an even greater person, Stanley "Sticks" Robinson. Our thoughts and prayers are with Stanley's family at this difficult time 🙏
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) July 22, 2020
Rest In Peace, Sticks. pic.twitter.com/ihm5z0h1OK
Suspended for the first semester of the 2008-09 season by coach Jim Calhoun, Robinson worked at a factory to prove that he had matured.
"I'm much different," he told ESPN after that experience. "I'm more mature now. I'm a man. This made me a man."
That season, he played in 28 games for a Final Four team.
He was a 6-foot-9 forward who could soar over defenders. He has a collection of SportsCenter-worthy highlights on YouTube. On one play, Robinson flies into the frame on a putback dunk during his team's matchup against Michigan State in the 2009 Final Four.
He's also known for a windmill dunk during his team's six-overtime loss to Syracuse in the 2009 Big East Tournament.
"Today is a sad day," Calhoun said in a statement. "I've lost one of my guys. Stanley was not only an exceptional player for me, but one of the most genuine guys to be around. He was a tremendous, tremendous athlete, but what I loved about him the most was his personality and childlike smile. He has left us far too early, but he will never be forgotten."
Robinson was reportedly found by his mother at his home in Birmingham on Tuesday.