Mitchell Robinson is back at Western Kentucky and that’s a good thing
On Monday, five-star freshman Mitchell Robinson returned to Western Kentucky and enrolled at the school, per Scout, in what seems to be the most logical conclusion to college basketball’s most drawn out summer saga.
To recap: Robinson committed to play for Rick Stansbury and the Hilltoppers last summer shortly after the head coach added Shammond Williams, Robinson’s godfather to the coaching staff. Everything was going smoothly until earlier this summer when Williams abruptly left the staff, raising concerns that Robinson might never enroll at Western Kentucky. However, he did so, showing up this summer to work out with the team.
Then, things went south. Robinson cleaned out his dorm room and left campus without notice, was suspended indefinitely by Stansbury and ultimately granted his release by the school. He flirted with other suitors, taking visits to LSU, Kansas and the University of New Orleans before reportedly deciding to pass on college basketball all together.
Finally, as classes began to start across the country, Robinson decided to return to Western Kentucky, enrolling at the school on Monday.
Time is a flat circle or something.
In reality, this was Robinson’s best move. The 7-footer has plenty of earning potential ahead of him given that he is currently projected as a top 20 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Playing with the Hilltoppers will give him a chance to show of his skill set and potentially improve his draft position.
Robinson should be the most dominate big man in Conference USA this season simply due to his size and talent. He could average a double-double and lead the Hilltoppers to the NCAA Tournament alongside established college players, including graduate transfers Dwight Coleby and Darius Thompson. Once there, they’ll even likely have the chance to upset a high major program.
The 5-star prospect did have other options, to be sure. He could have played overseas, for example, but nearly every high school recruit who has done that in recent memory — Emmanuel Mudiay and Terrance Ferguson, specifically — has harmed his draft stock, usually by understandably under-performing against grown professionals.
He also could have simply spent the season training for the draft and while that option may not have hurt his draft position too much, there’s virtually zero chance that it would improve it.
That leaves playing college basketball and the only way for Mitchell Robinson to play college basketball this season was to return to Western Kentucky.
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Because he enrolled over the summer, he would have required a waiver from the NCAA in order to play anywhere else this season. Otherwise, he would be subject to the transfer rules that require players to sit out a season before they’re eligible. Basically no evidence suggests a waiver was likely.
Realistically, Robinson only had one good option and it’s nice to see that he finally followed through with it by enrolling at Western Kentucky.