By Chris Dokish

Maybe the fastest rising prospect in the country this summer has been 6’7” 220 pound combo forward THOMAS ROBINSON. Currently playing for the interestingly named Squash All Beefs AAU team, Robinson is transferring this year from Riverdale Baptist High School in Upper Marlboro, MD to Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, NH. And unless he commits to somebody before the summer is over, it looks like his senior season will be followed by dozens of college basketball coaches across the country.

When the summer began, Robinson was considered a borderline Top 100 player, but after tearing it up this summer, he is now considered a Top 50 prospect.

“He came to me at the beginning of the summer,” says his AAU coach Dwight Redd, “and he said that he thought he was better than a lot of the bigger name guys. He asked me how to get better recognition. I told him we have a lot of big events this summer and he will have the chance to prove himself.”

Mission accomplished. 

Robinson’s aggressive, no-holds-barred approach to basketball has endeared himself to coaches around the country – and Redd’s phone is taking a beating because of it.

“I’m going to have to get a new phone plan,” jokes Redd. “I need unlimited minutes. I probably get 15 calls a day now from coaches asking me what Thomas is thinking. Pittsburgh calls a lot, Virginia, Providence, Virginia Tech, Maryland. Gary Williams was at all three of our morning games the other day so he’s really interested. Providence calls so much it’s crazy. Every time I get a text message, I assume it’s Providence. Memphis offered last Friday. Louisville offered. California just offered this weekend. Boston College just turned up the heat. It just goes on and on.”

Unlike a lot of prospects, Robinson also knows a lot about where he stands with each team.

“Bob Huggins called yesterday,” says Redd, “and he was telling Thomas that their was an opening for him, but Thomas asked him about (incoming freshman) Roscoe Davis. Thomas knows who everybody has.”

That may impact one of the perceived favorites for Robinson, Pitt.

“He came off the floor after the game the other day and I told him that Dante (Taylor) signed with Pittsburgh and he said ‘Well, that’s a done deal with them then,’” says Redd. “But I told him to wait and let me see what’s going on. So Jamie Dixon called this morning and I mentioned Taylor, and Dixon said that they want to play both together, with Thomas at the three, but I don’t know. It’s something Thomas will have to sit down and think about it.”

Redd says that a decision could come at the end of the summer. 

“That’s the plan right now,” he says. “In August, he will sit down, take a deep breath, and see who everybody has and what kind of style they play. Then he will pick three or four schools to visit.”

Redd says that when his star player finally commits, it will be a great relief. 

“All of the attention is really getting to him,” he says. “As soon as he comes off the court, people ask him where he’s going to go. It’s been getting crazier and crazier”

Robinson has the ability to play on the perimeter or battle in the paint, but it’s hardcore attitude on the court that gets most of the attention.

“He’s relentless,” marvels his coach. “The first game down at the West Virginia event, he scored 27 points, 20 rebounds, and had seven blocks. I thought he had to be tired because I was tired and I was just watching him.”

That work ethic carries over off the court, too.  To participate in this interview, Redd had to get off the other line with Robinson.

“He wants to go practice again,” laughs Redd. “He’s just the hardest working kid I ever had. At the Rbk U, he didn’t have a good night at the free throw line in the last game. So we get home Friday night at 8 o’clock and he asks me if I’d go to the gym with him, which opened at 8:30. So we went and he practiced free throw shooting until the gym closed at 10:30. And we had a game at 8 o’clock the next morning.”

NOTES: Pitt forward Austin Wallace is going through the paperwork for a medical hardship because of a serious knee injury he suffered last December practicing before Pitt’s game against Washington. The move will free up a scholarship for Pitt, yet allow Wallace to retain a scholarship to attend the school.