The Rise of Devin Robinson

Just six months ago on an early Sunday morning in the Pittsburgh suburbs, Devin Robinson and five-star small forward Dwayne Morgan went head to head in a small auxiliary gym at the Pitt Jam Fest. Assistant coaches from VCU, Virginia Tech, Drexel, Boston University and many other mid-major schools were in attendance. What they witnessed was the beginning of the Devin Robinson rise which today included a commitment to Billy Donovan and the University of Florida.

Devin Robinson

Back in the Pitt Jam Fest, Devin Robinson was a fringe top 100 prospect that had just led his Christchurch School from Richmond, VA to the Virginia Independent School Division II championship. VCU and Virginia Tech were the primary schools in his recruitment but all that changed during the first live recruiting weekend of the year. Playing with the Adidas sponsored Richmond Squires AAU team; the 6’8” small forward began his ascension up the recruiting rankings. Playing in the main gym against Trayvon Reed and the Atlanta Xpress, Robinson scored 18 points with a few three pointers mixed with various drives to the basket and pull-up jumpers. The next morning, Robinson outplayed the higher ranked Morgan despite having a significant strength disadvantage. Leading his team to victory, Robinson scored 19 points on 8-11 shooting. He showed off his three point shot from outside the top of the key going 3-5 from the three point line and scored on drives and even a floater. Robinson used this tournament as a spring board for an impressive spring and summer.

Strong AAU and camp vaulted Robinson up to the number 24 player in the country and provided Robinson with a lot more college options than just VCU and Virginia Tech. After many new suitors joined the race, Robinson eventually narrowed his wish list down to Florida, Indiana, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma State. After taking official visits, which included an official visit to Florida on October 12^th, Robinson made the decision this afternoon to spend the next part of his basketball journey in Gainesville. When he arrives he will join forces with shooting guard Michael Frazier and small-forward Dorian Finney-Smith on the wing to go along with point guard Kasey Hill and power forward Chris Walker (if they aren’t in the NBA). 

While Robinson has moved his way up from a fringe top 100 prospect, he still has a long ways to go in order to reach his full potential. At 6’8”, Robinson possesses a great shot with solid mechanics and plenty of rotation. He can also put the ball on the floor when driving to the basket and can score down low with contact. While he is already a strong offensive player, he is lacking physical strength. In April it looked as though Robinson was just becoming comfortable with his body which should improve with time and a college strength program. Six months after his rise began; Robinson is set to continue his journey in Gainesville where he has the potential to become one of the top wings from the class of 2014.