Liam Robbins

Liam Robbins (born July 12, 1999) is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Drake Bulldogs, Minnesota Golden Gophers and Vanderbilt Commodores.

High school career
Robbins played sparingly in his first three years at Assumption High School in Davenport, Iowa. He entered the starting lineup as a senior, averaging 9.2 points per game. Robbins had no NCAA Division I scholarship offers out of high school and reclassified to attend Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas. He weighed about 300 lbs (136 kg) when he arrived at Sunrise but reached a weight of 235 lbs (107 kg) after four months by fasting and working out. On April 17, 2018, he committed to play college basketball for Drake.

Drake
As a freshman at Drake, Robbins served as a backup to Nick McGlynn, whom he took advice from. He averaged 4.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. On January 7, 2020, Robbins recorded 20 points, nine rebounds and a career-high seven blocks in a 65–62 win over Loyola–Chicago, despite having the stomach flu. He tied the program single-game record for blocks. On February 5, Robbins posted a career-high 29 points, seven rebounds and three blocks in a 73–60 victory over Bradley. As a sophomore, he averaged 14.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game, which ranked fifth in the nation, while recording a school-record 99 blocks. He was named to the Second Team All-Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) and earned All-Defensive Team, Most Improved Team and All-Tournament Team honors.

Minnesota
For his junior season, Robbins transferred to Minnesota where his uncle Ed Conroy was an assistant coach. He was granted immediate eligibility by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Robbins helped replace Daniel Oturu, who left for a professional career. On January 3, 2021, he recorded 27 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks in a 77–60 win over Ohio State. Robbins was subsequently named Big Ten Player of the Week and Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week. He missed the final six games of the season with a sprained ankle. As a junior, he averaged 11.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and a Big Ten-leading 2.7 blocks per game. Minnesota Head Coach Richard Pitino was fired after the season.

Vanderbilt
Robbins transferred to Vanderbilt for his senior season alongside his uncle Ed Conroy, who became an assistant coach for the Commodores. He missed the first several months of the season and averaged 6.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. He came back for his fifth season of eligibility and averaged 15 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game. On March 2, 2023, Robbins suffered a leg injury early in a game against Kentucky, forcing him to miss the rest of the season. Despite this injury, Robbins was named the 2022-23 SEC Defensive Player of the Year.

Professional career
After going undrafted in the 2023 NBA draft, Robbins signed with the New Orleans Pelicans on September 30, 2023, but was waived on October 12. On October 29, he signed with the Birmingham Squadron, but suffered a season-ending injury in January 12, 2024.

Personal life
Robbins' uncle, Ed Conroy, is head basketball coach at the Citadel in South Carolina. He was previously an assistant basketball coach for Vanderbilt and an assistant coach at Minnesota when he recruited Robbins to transfer from Drake to Minnesota. When Conroy left for Vanderbilt, Robbins followed his uncle there. His cousin and Conroy's son, Hunt, played basketball for Minnesota as a point guard.