Indiana Announces Stanford Robinson Will Transfer

On Wednesday morning, news broke that Indiana sophomore Stanford Robinson would be transferring from the program heading into next year.  It was a bit of a surprise, but a move that likely made sense for many fans of the team over this season.

Robinson entered the program during the 2013-14 season and was rated as a 4-star prospect and as one of the top guards in the nation.  However, his contributions were limited during his freshman season as he played just 42% of the team's minutes and struggled to make a consistent offensive impact.  He did play at least 10 minutes in every Big Ten game during the 2013-14 season, but he was still never a major contributor on a team that missed the NIT.

This season, his minutes and numbers actually dropped even further thanks to the arrival of James Blackmon, Jr. and Robert Johnson.  The two freshmen guards dominated most of the minutes at the shooting guard and small forward positions and, as a result, Robinson saw his percentage of the team's minutes this season drop from 42% to just 26.8% this year.  It was clear that Robinson had been passed on the depth chart going forward.

There is no doubt that Robinson has the potential to make an impact elsewhere, but his time in Bloomington is now over and Indiana fans will certainly wish him the best going forward.

Here is the full release:

Bloomington, Indiana -- Indiana University men's basketball coach Tom Crean has announced that sophomore guard Stanford Robinson has requested a release from his athletic scholarship to transfer to an institution closer to his home where he can earn more playing time.  He will continue to have use of the team's facilities and academic support during his remaining time at IU.

"I respect Stan's desire to contribute more on the court and understand that the opportunity to play closer to your family is something he would like to have happen," said IU Coach Tom Crean.  "I think he has grown a great deal and matured in the two years he has been a part of the program and I hope he takes his experiences at Indiana University to remind him of what he can accomplish not only as a basketball player, but as a human being."

Robinson, a 6-4 guard from Landover, Maryland, played two seasons at IU and averaged 4.7 points in his career.  He saw his playing time go from 16.9 minutes per game as a freshman to 11.4 per game this past season.

"I am grateful to Coach Crean, the assistant coaches and staff and my teammates for helping me become a better man," said Robinson.  "I hope to find something that is closer to family and where I can have more of an impact on the court.  I've loved everything about being at IU and am thankful for the support of Hoosier Nation."

With Robinson's departure, Indiana is now just one scholarship over the limit heading into next season.  It will be interesting to see how this impacts Indiana's recruiting and depth chart for next season.