BRYANT -- Khalen Robinson earned state tournament MVP honors two years ago when he helped Episcopal Collegiate capture the Class 3A title.
What he did not earn, however, was a proper amount of respect.
"I heard a lot of people say 'It's 3A. There's not as much talent,' " Robinson said. "So now I'm trying to quiet them a little bit. I'm playing at the highest level now."
Robinson is back in a state title game with a different team but the same desire. This time he's trying to win a championship trophy with the Bryant Hornets, who play Fort Smith Northside for the Class 6A state title at Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs today at 4:15 p.m.
"He's had a good year because he's a really good player," Bryant Coach Mike Abrahamson said of Robinson. "He works at it. He listens, he's coachable and he's a great teammate. He's worked for everything he's earned."
Robinson averaged 17.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Hornets (24-4), who are in a state championship game for the first time since 1981.
"I like the competition," Robinson said. "You have to play at a high level every night. I love Bryant and Coach A is a wonderful coach. He's competitive and is passionate for the game."
Episcopal capped the 2017 state tournament with a 28-7 record and a 61-47 victory over Tuckerman. Robinson, who was then a freshman, scored 18 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and handed out 4 assists. He was selected as the tournament's MVP.
But at the end of the 2017 season, Robinson was looking to transfer. Bryant was his closest option and he now considers it to be his best option.
"It was a little tough getting used to," Robinson said. "At Episcopal, I knew everybody and everybody knew each other. At Bryant, I still don't know half of the people here. It's so big and I'm still trying to get used to it."
Bryant went 16-12 last season and lost in the first round of the Class 7A state tournament. The Hornets lost their final four games, scoring no more than 30 points in three of those losses. Robinson took the losses hard.
"It was a humbling experience," Robinson said. "The day after we lost, I was in the gym the next morning for three hours."
"He did not like the way it ended," Abrahamson said. "And he has been a leader trying to fix that, but he's not the only one."
Both the coach and player admitted Robinson has not been the only one to emerge as a leader.
"We have a lot of leaders on this team," Robinson said. "Rodney Lambert, our only senior, pushes us every day. We're all so competitive. We want to win every game and we want to dominate in every way possible."
"They're good teammates to each other and they want to be on the same page," Abrahamson said. "They're not jealous of each other. They celebrate each other's successes and they can hold each other accountable without getting each other's feelings hurt."
Abrahamson says he has been impressed with Robinson's control and maturity.
"He has poise in environments that normally rattle people," Abrahamson said. "The game a lot times is slow for him when it's really fast for others. It's a special gift he has."
"He's so quick, he can shoot, he can drive the ball and he defends well," Northside Coach Eric Burnett said. "He's someone we're going to have to prepare for."
Robinson missed two games with an injury to his right ankle. He suffered the injury in the finals of the Fort Smith Coke Classic while stepping on another's players leg during a steal attempt. The first game he missed -- the 6A-Central Conference opener against Northside -- the Hornets lost.
"It was a game-time decision," Abrahamson said. "We had gone through our shoot-around and I was preparing to go to him and tell him we were not going to play him. Before I got to him, he came to me and said 'I don't think I should play.' I was really proud of his maturity to say that."
Robinson missed two conference games and struggled through two more before Abrahamson thought his player was back at full strength.
Robinson has been going strong ever since. He scored a season-high 34 points in the Hornets' 71-49 victory over Bentonville in the state semifinals.
Saying he wants to play basketball at the highest level, Robinson has a solid back-up plan -- he plans to major in engineering.
"I'm strong at math, so that's what I'd like to do," Robinson said.
Abrahamson said Robinson is "quiet, a good student and never in a hurry."
"He's not one to seek a lot of attention," Abrahamson said. "He just wants to be a good basketball player. He wants to be a great basketball player. That's what he's after."
Sports on 03/08/2019