Children of Big Ten Legends Look To Cut Their Own Path

15 Sep 2010

Glenn Robinson III will continue the family legacy in the Big Ten, only this time at Michigan.

Robinson III, the son of Purdue star and 1994 national player of the year Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson, verbally committed to the Wolverines Tuesday. A member of the class of 2012,Robinson can’t officially sign with John Beilein’s team until the fall signing period in 2011.

Robinson is a three-star recruit according to Scout.com, but could improve his ranking over his junior year and key summer AAU and evaluation period.

At 6-foot-5 and 175 pound, Robinson is smaller than his father, who played at 6-foot-7 and more than 200 pounds at Purdue, and was known for his speed and strength. The elder Robinson averaged 30.3 points per game and 10.1 rebounds as a junior in his final season as a Boilermaker. He led Purdue to the Elite Eight in 1994 and beat out Duke‘s Grant Hill for the Wooden and Naismith player of the year honors, before becoming the No. 1 pick in that year’sNBA draft.

The younger Robinson said he’s eager to cut his own path.

“I’m just proving all the people wrong who said I wouldn’t make it, that I wouldn’t play Big Ten basketball,” Robinson told the Detroit Free Press. “They didn’t think I was good enough. Just growing up how people compared me to what my dad was. I want to prove those people wrong.”

Robinson is the latest son of a former Big Ten legend to commit to a conference school other than the one his father played for. Traevon Jackson, the son of former Ohio State star Jim Jackson, verbally committed to Wisconsin and will be on campus next season.