By Steve DiMiceli
Jordan Robinson was the only player whose game film I watched prior to seeing him in the Pro-Am. In high school, I thought he was a wide bodied big man with soft hands and a good nose for rebounds. He seemed to make the smart plays and never forced anything. His performance this summer has done nothing to change my mind. He's going to create space for his teammates on the glass, and punish teams when they don't pay enough attention to him on offense all while not doing much to hurt the team.
Athleticism/Physical Makeup
I wouldn't call him explosive at either end. He gets by on positioning. He's slimmer than he was in the high school video I watched where he seemed a bit overweight. He's built like a man now and will only get stronger
Tendencies
Robinson is a pure post player. He doesn't even flirt with the idea of carrying the ball up court or shooting a three. He has a baseline jumper that was effective at times. He seems to prefer to play with his back to the basket, and has some decent post moves. He doesn't take a high volume of shots, but he has been one of the better finishers this summer.
Effort to Output
Robinson battled and really seemed like he was giving 110% at all times.
Decision Making
Advanced for a freshman at the Pro-Am, he took what the defense gave him and rarely forced a shot. He preferred to kick it back to the outside when things didn't work out for him in the post. He knows his game and stays within himself. Very mature.
Player Comparison
Remember how every offseason for the past ten years, Xavier would lose a power forward or center and we would think X was going to fall off because they had no one to replace him? Sure enough, the next guy would step in and do just as well as the one who left. When it was time for the replacement to graduate, we suspected they wouldn't have anyone to replace him either. Guess what? We were wrong again. Jordan Robinson is Justin Cage, Derrick Brown, Jason Love, Jamel McLean, and Travis Taylor. His game doesn't compare perfectly, but he is a work horse type forward that doesn't have a ton of flash to his game. He probably won't be the star on the team, but he will make life easier for everyone else on the floor. If you can't matchup with him, he's going to hurt you just like the tradition of X forwards.
First Year Outlook
Robinson should compete with Isaiah Watkins and Dominique McKoy for minutes as the second post player to complement Ovie Soko. If he were at X or we had a little more depth, I think he could benefit from a red shirt to get stronger and focus on his footwork. For me a Jordan Robinson redshirt would be more of a luxory than a necessity since he should be able to contribute valuable minutes from day one.
