Robinson is Currently the Hottest in DC/B’More
Ron Bailey, Publisher
May 29, 2008 – Being widely regarded as one of the best high school hoops regions in America, college recruiters flock to the DC/Baltimore corridor in search of talented young men to play post-secondary basketball at all levels. Resultantly, many of these student-athletes are household names by the time they enter high school or finish their freshman year.
But then, there are those who through hard work become well known by recruiters and recruitniks alike later. Thomas Robinson is just such a guy.
A junior forward standing around 6’8” and weighing 205 pounds, the long yet strong Robinson started to turn heads at Riverdale Baptist School (MD), where he averaged 17 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks a game, production produced despite not having many sets run for him; Thomas, as the saying goes, got much of his work ‘off the glass’, via rebounds and hard work.
In terms of his future college home, Robinson values playing style; his favorite is "to get up and down the floor".
It is with his longtime AAU/travel team, Squash All Beefs, that Robinson has not only built upon a solid junior season but has taken it to another level. Just ask Squash All Beef’s founder and coach, Dwight Redd, a man who started the organization close to seven years ago, and has coached Thomas for four.
“Schools are really starting to become interested in Thomas” shared Redd yesterday via telephone, of Robinson’s recruitment. According to him scholarship offers have been tendered by Georgia, George Washington, Virginia, Marquette, Oklahoma and Virginia Tech. Expressing strong interest have been North Carolina State, Boston College, Minnesota, UMASS, Drexel, Robert Morris and George Mason.
Wow…that’s a load of colleges becoming interested in Robinson in the span of several months. What are they saying?
Robinson, (rear in blue), with his Squash All Beefs mates after Triple Treat Tripls S action.
“The coaches are saying when they see Thomas, they see a kid who works hard, is aggressive, and has a mean streak” relayed Redd of his open recruiting period conversations regarding Robinson with college coaches.
Robinson, a laid back guy is taking the attention in stride, as he simply laughed before saying “It’s good” when asked of being recognized for his play and abilities. Thomas also opined “I guess some of the guys everybody thinks of as top players I played well against”.
That work includes averaging 17 points and 12 rebounds for Squash All Beefs, who has competed in the Triple Threat Triple S, Pittsburgh Jam Fest, King James, and Southern Invitational tournaments- winning the Silver Bracket of the Southern Invitational, and making the King James Gold Bracket’s Final Four in addition to the Triple Threat’s Triple S’s playoff round. So far in 2008, Squash All Beef is 15-5, and Robinson has made all-tourney teams in the Triple Threat and Southern Invitational.