For two years, virtually all of the conversation about Glenn Robinson III has revolved around his imminent departure from Ann Arbor to the NBA.

Should he have left after his freshman year? Will he be a first-round pick? Is there any chance he stays for year number three?

For whatever reason, the focus never really seems to be on what Robinson is accomplishing in the here and now.

You don’t hear people pondering Robinson’s ability to lead Michigan back to the Final Four. Or his potential matchup with Duke’s standout freshman Jabari Parker in the Sweet 16.

It’s always about his future. What will he do next?

The irony is that it’s not necessarily Little Glenn’s supreme production or performance at Michigan that has brought about such high expectations and premature conclusions. In fact, his output has been fairly pedestrian. Scored 11 a game last year. Bumped it to 13 as a sophomore.

It has to do almost entirely with his name: Glenn Robinson. The same as the 11-year NBA veteran and former #1 overall pick. “Big Dog” was an all-world player at Purdue and a scoring dynamo in the pros. His son the Wolverine might one day reach such heights, but at the moment, he’s not in the same solar system.

If this talented, but still-developing Wolverines forward was instead named something forgettable, like “Larry Glass” or “Walt Collins,” the NBA speculation would be minimal, if not completely absent.

But when famous athletes have athletic children, we naturally want to connect the dots as soon as possible. No waiting around for three or four years while the offspring develops a jump shot. No patience for “honorable mention” to become “All-American.” So whether it’s fair or not, when Michigan opens its tournament run tomorrow night against Wofford, the onus will be on Glenn Robinson to play like a future NBA star.

Is it possible? Sure.

Is it likely? Maybe not so much.

So Goes Robinson, So Goes U of M

Robinson came on strong late in the year, posting a slew of double-digit efforts in addition to a circus-shot buzzer beater to slip by Purdue.

But there are also those games when the guy wearing jersey #1 plays more like the 4th or 5th best player on the team. That’s when Michigan goes from a Final Four contender to a team that could get bounced unceremoniously in round one.

John Beilein’s boys played their worst game of the season on the road at Iowa about a month back. Their defense was utterly lacking and they let the crowd gradually take over the game. It’s no coincidence that this also marked Robinson’s most invisible effort of the campaign.

The afternoon started with a thunderous Glenn dunk. And....that was it for his production on the day. He finished with those two points. Turned it over four times. Watched as the Hawkeyes dominated on the offensive glass.

Never was it more apparent how much this team relied on the production and strength for the man known quite unoriginally as “GR3.”

Needs To Play Big

Beilein is notorious for almost always playing just one big man at all times. It used to be DeShawn Sims or Zack Gibson. Then Mitch McGary or Jordan Morgan. Now, Jordan Morgan or Jon Horford.

Would it make more sense to pair the bigs on occasion instead of always assuming the underdog role? Of course.

There have been a number of games over the years in which the Wolverines got worked on the boards and suffered on the scoreboard as a result. Look no further than last year’s national title game when Louisville flexed their muscle to the tune of 15 offensive rebounds to Michigan’s seven.

This built-in Beilein strategy emphasizes just how critical Robinson’s performance will be in this tournament. At a muscular 6’6”, 220 pounds, he is the team’s second most physical player on the court at any given time.

In the Big Ten championship game, Glenn Jr. collected a scant three rebounds in 31 minutes. MSU’s Gavin Schilling hopped off the bench to grab four -- in five minutes of court time. Michigan State rolled to victory.

That can’t happen. Well, it can; it just won’t lead to nets being cut down anytime soon.

Channeling Pops

Make no mistake. The Wolverines will rely on all of their players to come even close to accomplishing what they did last March.

They will need Nik Stauskas and Caris LeVert to shoot often and shoot well. They will need Morgan to play with the tenacity he did on Senior Night against Indiana. They will need Spike Albrecht or Zak Irvin to provide scoring punch off the pine.

But most of all, they need Glenn Robinson III to play like Glenn Robinson II.

The calls for the Junior edition to enter the NBA have been constant for some time now. And in all likelihood, he will do just that after this tourney and begin his professional journey.

But he can begin that process in one of two ways:

As an unproven commodity trusting that his athleticism and genetic history will carry the day.

Or as a collegiate champion who proved himself over a grueling three-week stretch against the country's best.

Recent history suggests the truth is somewhere in the middle.

If Michigan hopes to conquer that final step they stumbled over last year, the middle won’t be good enough. Robinson will need to be great.

Even if he never really has been before.