After a visit on Monday #88 ranked Rivals recruit for the 2013 class Stanford Robinson is our most recent recruit to watch. Robinson, an incoming senior hailing from of Fairfax, Virginia (renowned basketball school, Paul VI High School), is just another example of Crean’s increased national recruiting strategy. Stanford plays on AAU Team Takeover with fellow IU target BeeJay Anya. Robinson and Anya are probably the two remaining targets of what looks to be another 5 man class for 2013. If Tom Crean can land one of them he will continue the trend of a DC area kid coming to Indiana to play basketball.
The lefty has a decent stroke from range, but the biggest strength to his game is competitiveness. He’s a 6’4" combo guard that probably trends more to a SG at the college level. I actually see a lot of Victor Oladipo in him, in that his shot is good when he takes his time but his biggest strength is using his speed to slash into the lane. Add in Robinson’s length and he has the potential to truly wreak on the defensive end much like Oladipo. Stanford has great athleticism that could make him an all-conference defender.
When it comes to weaknesses Robinson hides them pretty well. In fact, the biggest weakness to his game is probably being a little too unselfish. He needs to take a step forward in aggression according to several reports from scouting agencies. He has a large body and he’s good at using it to get into the lane, he just needs to do it more frequently. I think this lack of aggression is why you see such a variance on his national ranking. He’s 88 according to Rivals, 46 from ESPN and 52 for Scout. His ceiling is high, I just believe that Rivals is wanting to see more.
When it comes to his recruitment, Eric Bossi of Rivals has reported that he’s looking to make a decision in the next 2-3 weeks. I think that puts Indiana in a very solid position to potentially land Mr. Robinson. After Robinson’s visit on Monday, BeeJay Anya tweeted out this little gem.
"@Showmelovestan (Stanford Robinson) just told me how much fun he had at Indiana lol sounded like he was in love".
That sounds like a very good sign for where Indiana stands. Add in the fact that newly hired assistant coach Kenny Johnson originally hails from the region and Indiana fans should feel pretty good about their prospects.
As for now, it is just a waiting game to see where Robinson comes out in the next few weeks. Indiana’s biggest competitors seem to be Villanova and NC State. We’re just going to have to sit back and wait to see where Robinson elects to play his college career. He’d be a very big addition to the squad if he does choose Indiana. The Hoosiers could use an heir apparent to Oladipo's play. Especially if he finds his jump shot over the summer, there's a pretty good chance that Vic has the option to step to the League a year early. If that is going to happen then landing a player like Robinson is a near must to transition from depth to depth and not have a lull in years.