Why Christ School center Anthony Robinson committed to USF

One of Christ School coach Joshua Coley’s favorite memories of senior center Anthony Robinson is when he first became a Greenie. 

Coley set up a drill for Robinson to practice backside lobs. 

Robinson caught the ball but came back down with it instead of slamming it through the rim on his first attempt. The second time he jumped up, grabbing the rim but didn’t catch the ball. 

Coley said he let go of the rim and gave the coaches a puzzled look. 

What am I supposed to do? 

After a year of hard work, Robinson can perform alley-oops like clockwork.

“Now we don’t have enough rims on campus right here to keep him off of them,” Coley said. “He’s trying to tear down every rim we got.” 

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Robinson will be catching lobs and slamming them home at the next level, too. He announced his commitment to the University of South Florida over Boston University and Coastal Carolina last Friday on Twitter. 

The 6-foot-10-inch, 232-pound big man averaged nine points, nine rebounds and almost two blocks per game while shooting 60% from the floor last season. His best game came against the South Charlotte Thunder when he scored 21 points, grabbed 13 boards and swatted away three shots.

He said he committed to the Bulls because of the love the coaching staff and the administration showed him, and their incredible facilities. 

Robinson wants to major in accounting and pointed out that USF’s business school received a $25 million donation in 2014. 

He said he always dreamed of playing college basketball since he was 3 years old. 

One of Robinson’s favorite memories of playing was when he was 12 and scored a layup playing overseas in Dubai against much older competition. 

Robinson said his recruitment heated up this spring and summer. He received his first scholarship offer from Radford. He couldn’t contain his excitement when his coaches gave him the good news. 

“I ran to the bathroom and started jumping in circles,” Robinson said. “I was excited.”

Coley believes Robinson’s toughness will allow him to excel with the Bulls. 

“If things don’t go his way, he’ll still fight,” he said. “You can foul him, and he won’t complain. He’s not going to whine. He’s not going to get emotional.”

He also said Robinson is in world-class shape. Robinson finishes first in every sprint or when they run the mile. 

However, at USF, everyone on the team will be just like Robinson. They will all be elite athletes who were the best player at their school. 

Coley said that in order for Robinson to succeed at the next level he must compete and be a sponge who is tirelessly driven to soak up any new information. 

Before he heads to Tampa, Florida, Robinson is focused on winning a state championship for the Greenies.