Anthony II and Amare Robinson still remember the moments they watched Florida State basketball as kids in the bleachers of the Donald L. Tucker Center.
The brothers sat in the stands watching the likes of Dwayne Bacon, Terrance Mann and CJ Walker light up the Tuck for Leonard Hamilton’s Seminoles, inspiring basketball dreams of their own.
They may have even rushed the court on a few occasions.
“Dwayne Bacon and that group were one of my favorite groups, coming to all the games,” Anthony II, better known as Ant, said after a practice.
“I remember rushing the court a couple of times with my brother… To be able to be on that court and look into the stands and see where I was sitting, it will be a crazy opportunity.”
Ant and Amaree won’t need an upset win to grant them access to the court now, with both members of the Seminoles program. The days of watching in the stands as wide-eyed youngsters are gone, but the impact that had on the Robinsons, who now join the rare company of being Tallahassee-born players representing FSU, remains.
“I walk in every day, and I say I’m living the dream,” Ant said. “I’m coming here living the dream. I’m very excited to be here, and I just soak it in every day.”
“We’re in the same position as we were in high school; Ant’s a senior and I’m a sophomore. It’s different because we’re older, but it’s definitely exciting because we both never thought it would be possible again,” Amare told the Tallahassee Democrat.
“But now we are here.”
The opportunity for the “pinch me” moment came when Ant entered the transfer portal after three seasons at Missouri. He was one of the most highly coveted transfer guards, averaging 7.4 points, 2.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game during his time in Columbia.
After a handful of visits and conversations with interested parties, an opportunity arose for not only Ant to come home, but also his brother to join him.
Anthony Robinson, Ant and Amare’s dad and current athletic director at Florida High, remembers a Zoom call with head coach Luke Loucks that put a plan in motion for his sons to play together again. The Seminoles pushed hard for Ant’s commitment, and while they were conducting their research on him, they also had Amare, who spent his freshman year at Tallahassee State College, tabbed for a scholarship.
“We had three schools that offered that opportunity,” Anthony told the Tallahassee Democrat about his sons playing together. “I will say Florida State was the first, and they didn’t even tell Ant about it. We were on a Zoom Call; Coach Loucks and Amare were on there, and that’s where he offered Amare a full scholarship… That was a pretty neat time for our family. Just a surreal moment.”
From driveway 1-on-1s to Florida State
Anthony can still remember the competitiveness between his sons, with everything being a competition between Ant and Amare to one-up the other.
“There was almost a brawl every day,” Anthony joked about his sons’ competitiveness. The physical nature of competition, with the added bonus of a sibling rivalry, helped both Ant and Amare develop as players.
Both are strong defenders, and that foundation was set during their early competition, as neither wanted the other to score. While Amare developed a reputation as a stout defender, Ant was a high-flying scorer in high school.
When he got to Missouri, he found himself channeling his younger brother, which eventually landed him a spot on the All-SEC Defensive Team in his sophomore season and 159 steals and 24 blocks in his 96 games with the Tigers.
“When Ant got to college, he saw himself as an offensive guy. He ended up channeling the “Amare effect” by being known as a defender, which is now his calling card,” Anthony said. “They both were so good for each other.”
Amare’s toughness and defensive prowess translated for him during his lone year at No. 6 nationally ranked JUCO TSC. He recorded 20 steals in 30 games, including a season-high four against Indian River State – a game he finished with nine points, four assists, and two rebounds.
He credits the “races to the car” and video game showdowns against Ant for helping him develop the edge he plays with.
“It really did make me who I am today. That competitive edge, I think that’s one thing a lot of people don’t have. You can have the skill, but that competitive edge is going to get you over the top,” Amare said. “Everything we’ve done in life has been a competition, whether it’s video games or playing outside. It’s just been us, so for us to have that again, it’s special.”
Ant agrees, and he feels that the same competition will help the pair push each other during the season with FSU.
“He’s my brother. I know what he does, he knows what I do, and we feed off of each other,” Ant said. “Having him in practice every day, pushing me to my limits and in the game, it’s going to help me. And I’ll help him.”
Teaming up at FSU a “beautiful story” for Ant, Amare Robinson
Ant will be a key figure for the Seminoles next season and is expected to be the starting point guard to replace Robert McCray V.
He was one of five transfers for the program in the offseason as Loucks looks to build off a promising first season for the Seminoles, which ended on a narrowly missed buzzer-beating three against Duke in the ACC tournament quarterfinals.
“Last year was fast and fun, and I wanted to be a part of that,” Ant said. “Coming here and having Coach Luke and his staff, it’s just a great atmosphere every day, a fun atmosphere. We are just trying to build something here.”
Loucks said Ant’s experience at Missouri and in the SEC will help him translate easily into his NBA-style system and with FSU in the ACC.
He acknowledged the hometown pressure and anxiety that both Ant and Amaree will have when representing the Seminoles, but Loucks isn’t worried about that impacting their play in a negative fashion.
He credited Anthony, a former FAMU baseball player and assistant coach, and their mother Anicia, a former sprinter at Cal State Northridge, for setting a solid foundation for their children.
“What I’m most excited about for both of them is the way they lead. The way they carry themselves, the way they communicate, they couldn’t be better if I asked them to be better. In terms of their preparation, the way they walk into the gym, there is a presence to them. You can’t have enough of those guys on your roster.”
Here’s a look at Amare Robinson, younger brother of Ant Robinson, Martay Barnes and Shon Abaev.
Seminoles are high on Abaev, and he shows off his range here. pic.twitter.com/ZRRgPbOZje
— Liam Rooney (@__liamrooney) June 22, 2026
Anthony said having both Ant and Amare close to home again is a blessing, and he’s excited to see the impact they can have on the Seminoles program. While it wasn’t always easy raising the competitive duo, and he had to separate his fair share of arguments, Anthony labeled the upcoming season a “fairy tale.”
“That’s just a beautiful thing as a parent to have your kids to be so close. We know how siblings can be. It can be so competitive. I used to threaten, ‘I’m gonna send this one over with my parents, and I’m gonna send the other one to Texas with the other grandparents, just to go to that corner,” Anthony said.
“It definitely worked out, and it makes a beautiful story to have those two playing together at Florida State.”
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Meet the Robinsons: Ant, Amare set to represent hometown FSU basketball
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