Todd Peretz recently had a conversation with some Mitchell College students about the NBA Eastern Conference finals between the Celtics and Heat.

He stunned them by detailing his personal connection to Miami's Duncan Robinson.

"I actually coached against Duncan Robinson," Peretz told the students. "They said, 'No way.' "

An improbable story, for sure.

Afterall, how could Peretz, who's in charge of the Division III Mitchell College basketball program, ever get a chance to coach against a future NBA player?

Well, he did.

Flash back to 2014 when Mitchell, appearing in its first NCAA Division III tournament game, visited ninth-ranked Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. Robinson, one of the top freshmen in the country, played for the powerhouse Ephs.

The Mariners limited Robinson to 11 points in an 81-66 loss.

Williams went on to play in the Division III national championship game.

Robinson's incredible story was just beginning.

After one season at Williams, Robinson made the unlikely leap to Division I, transferring to Michigan where he eventually earned the Big Ten sixth man of the year award and played in the 2018 national championship game.

An undrafted free agent, Robinson signed with Miami in 2018. Now he's in his second year with the Heat and considered one of the top 3-point shooters in the NBA. He tied the Heat franchise record for 3-point field goals made in a game by hitting 10 against Atlanta in December.

"His transformation from the time he left Williams to where he is now is amazing," Peretz said.

Peretz remembers preparing to face a talented Williams back in 2014. The Mariners had just earned the program's first New England Collegiate Conference tournament title and first NCAA tournament berth.

Mitchell had one of its best ever teams, with two-time NECC player of the year Joshua Ford and Parris Hill both averaging double figures in points and rebounds.

While studying up on Williams, Peretz quickly realized that Robinson was blessed with nearly unlimited shooting range.

"I remember seeing some video, it might have been in the NESCAC championship against Amherst," Peretz said. "As someone who is an offensive coach, just watching him shoot the ball, his form was picture perfect. He could really shoot it. I told our guys that he was probably the best freshman in the country."

Mitchell was no match for Williams, which boasted a considerable size and talent advantage. The 6-foot-7 Robinson, the NESCAC rookie of the year, formed a formidable duo with 6-9, 240-pound center Michael Mayer. Robinson averaged 17.1 points and 6.5 rebounds and converted 45 percent from three-point range.

The Mariners stayed close for a while, trailing by six at the half. Mayer eventually wore down the Mariners inside, contributing 25 points and 15 rebounds. Robinson made just 4 of 11 from the field, including one of four 3-point attempts, and grabbed nine rebounds. Hill (31 points, 14 rebounds) and Ford (18 points, 15 rebounds) led the Mariners.

"Selfishly, I'd love to think we had something to do with it," Peretz said. "But they also were well-coached and well-drilled enough to know that they had a significant size advantage and they were going to pound the ball inside."

Peretz, more of a college basketball than NBA fan, has tuned into the Eastern Conference finals to watch Robinson play.

In Miami's Game 2 victory, Robinson torched the Celtics for 18 points. He drained six 3-pointers in 12 attempts.

"You know what the crazy part is?" Peretz said. "Duncan Robinson probably had more in the first quarter the other night against the Celtics than he had against us. ... Everybody knows what he's going to do and he still gets it done. You have to make him uncomfortable. Even back then the scouting report was to get into him and make him put it to the floor, which is what everybody in the NBA is trying to do is run him off the line right now."

As far as Peretz's conversation with the Mitchell students, Peretz backed up his story by showing the students some photos on the Mitchell College basketball website from that NCAA game.

The photos, including one of Parris Hill driving past Robinson, convinced the Mitchell students that Peretz did indeed coach against Robinson.

Peretz still marvels about Robinson's surprising rise from the Division III ranks to the NBA.

"Unbelievable," Peretz said.

g.keefe@theday.com