More praise for freshman point guard James Robinson

Thursday, 08 November 2012 07:38

Written by Ray Fittipaldo

Freshman point guard James Robinson continues impress as tomorrow night’s opener against Mount St. Mary’s nears.

Coach Jamie Dixon said Robinson might have already established himself as the team’s top defender among guards.

“James could be our best perimeter defender,” Dixon said. “He’s strong. He has good size, good quickness. He has good understanding.”

Dixon was asked if that is uncommon for a freshman.

“James has some tools,” he said. “He’s a better athlete than people anticipated. He has a good feel for the game. He’s been well-coached. We thought he’d be pretty good. He’s probably better than we thought. His strength is not something you expect from a freshman.”

Senior guard Tray Woodall also heaped praise upon Robinson, who will be in the starting lineup tomorrow night alongside Woodall.

“He’s a smart kid off the court,” Woodall said. “He definitely has a basketball IQ. It’s great to talk to someone who has the same basketball knowledge you have. He sees a lot of the things you see. If he sees a play that I see, and he doesn’t make the play, he’ll know right away that I saw it.”

Woodall said it has been refreshing to witness a freshman playing like a veteran.

“He’s a confident player as far as knowing what he can do,” Woodall said. “He’s playing his type of basketball. He’s comfortable playing the point guard position and making sure things are settled. He can talk a little more, but I think he got the [starting] spot because he’s confident and he wants to do everything right.”

The senior-freshman dynamic in the backcourt has a good vibe, too, Woodall said. Woodall was mentored by Levance Fields and Brandin Knight when he arrived at Pitt, and he is happy to serve as a mentor for Robinson.

“I actually like playing a big brother role right now,” he said. “I remember Levance and Brandin doing that for me.”