Former UConn standout Stanley Robinson dead at 32

Former UConn standout Stanley Robinson died suddenly at his home in Birmingham, Ala., on Tuesday. He was 32.

A 6-foot-9 forward affectionately known as “Sticks,” Robinson started on UConn’s 2009 Final Four team. He appeared in 126 games over the course of his four-year career (2006-10) under Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun.

The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office said Robinson was found unresponsive inside a bedroom at his family residence around 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, according to multiple reports. He was pronounced dead a short time later.

An autopsy was performed Wednesday, and the cause of death is pending toxicology results and microscopic studies, according to Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates. Yates said there has been “no evidence found to suggest trauma or foul play.”

An Alabama native and high school All-American, Robinson recorded 1,231 points in a UConn uniform, good for 30th on the school’s all-time list, and 776 rebounds. He averaged career-highs of 14.5 points and a team-best 7.6 rebounds as a senior in 2009-10.

“I’m truly heartbroken,” Calhoun, who had kept in close contact with Robinson, said in a statement on Wednesday. “Stanley was such a beautiful person, caring and giving. He was a gentle soul, too gentle for this world.

“He was not only loved by his teammates, but everybody who met Sticks liked him. He will always be a Husky.”

Robinson was selected by the Orlando Magic in the second round of the 2010 NBA Draft (59th overall), but never appeared in a game. He played in the D-League, where he won a championship with the Iowa Energy in 2011, and professionally in Canada, Chile and Iceland. But injuries curtailed his career.

“Sticks just couldn’t ever get the break he needed. But no matter what happened, he always had a smile on his face,” said Calhoun, who called Robinson one of the best athletes he ever coached.

Robinson’s former school shared their heartbreak on Twitter about his death.

“The UConn Basketball family grieves the loss of a great player and an even greater person, Stanley “Sticks” Robinson. Our thoughts and prayers are with Stanley’s family at this difficult time.

“Rest in Peace, Sticks,” they wrote.

Jim McIsaac / Getty Images UConn’s Stanley Robinson smiles from the bench during a second-round NCAA tournament win over Texas A&M on March 21, 2009, in Philadelphia. Robinson was found dead on Tuesday night. He was 32.