Post by aahhbigboy on Jun 11, 2009 21:50:43 GMT -5
VCU ASSISTANT ROBINSON IS A QUICK STUDY IN BASKETBALL
By Chris Kowalczyk
The early parts of Tarrell Robinson’s basketball career were a lot more style than substance.
“For some reason, from watching T.V., I would always try to do Michael Jordan moves, go baseline, double-pump, and go to the other side of the rim. If I got that move, I was good,” Robinson recalls with a laugh.
Although the flash subsided, Robinson did manage to get better. In fact, although he got a late start in basketball, Robinson proved to be such a quick study, that the game took the 31-year-old farther than he ever imagined.
“Basketball kind of saved me,” said Robinson, recently named an assistant coach on the VCU Women’s Basketball staff.
Robinson spent much of his childhood living with his father, Earnest Lee Smith, in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, a neighborhood that had fallen on hard times. Drugs and violence were common themes.
“I saw sports as my way out,” Robinson said. “I was one of the kids who could differentiate right from wrong. I didn’t want to get money the easy way.”
When he was nine, Robinson moved in with his mother, Lupe Wright, in Fayetteville, N.C., where he concentrated on football and baseball. But in the ninth grade, Spring Lake Junior High School Coach Randy Holmes noticed the athletic Robinson and convinced him to give basketball a shot. He hasn’t looked back since.
“I was very raw, just tall and athletic,” Robinson said. “I like to consider myself a jack of all trades. Basketball came kind of naturally to me. I was one of the bigger kids around, about 6-2 at the time.”
Despite having never played the game on an organized level, Robinson quit football and baseball and immersed himself in basketball. In the meantime, he also found a mentor in Holmes, who Robinson said was ‘like a father to me.’ Robinson found himself spending most of his weekends at Holmes’ house, playing basketball with the coach and his five sons.
“It was something new to me and I enjoyed it,” the 6-6 Robinson said. “My love for the game also meant working on the game. Playing in the back yard, the blacktop, wherever there was a rim, and my game took off. But it took work and dedication.”
By his sophomore year at Pine Forest High School, he was starting. Recruiting letters eventually followed.
“Once the letters started coming, I realized that I might have an opportunity to go to college for free, and I knew that would be a big help to my mom,” Robinson said.
Robinson later transferred to E.E. Smith High School, where he starred for two seasons. He was drawing interest from a number of schools, but admits his academics weren’t completely in order.
He spent a postgraduate year at Bonner Academy in Raleigh, N.C., where he eventually met NCAA qualifying standards. By that time, some of his recruiting offers had dried up, but North Carolina A&T and then-Head Coach Roy Thomas were undeterred.
“North Carolina A&T was there with me from the jump, so I felt an obligation towards them,” Robinson said.
Despite Robinson’s enthusiasm, success at the college level was daunting. No longer could he rely solely on his athletic gifts. His first two seasons were a picture of frustration.
“Being a Division I basketball player is more than just being athletic,” Robinson said. “It took me two years to grasp that, and it affected my playing time. As I matured I got smarter.”
In 1999, Curtis Hunter took over the A&T program, about the same time Robinson was coming into his own on the court. In his final two seasons Robinson averaged 11.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game and served as a team captain.
CHANGING GEARS
Robinson graduated from North Carolina A&T with a degree in psychology in 2001. He had originally hoped to play basketball professionally, but shelved the idea because of a troublesome back, which prevented him from practicing for the majority of his senior season.
Hunter suggested Robinson give coaching a try and offered him a spot as a graduate assistant on his staff. The following season, he accepted a position as an assistant Saudia Roundtree’s women’s staff at North Carolina A&T.
From 2003-05 Robinson worked as an assistant boys coach and special education teacher at High Point Andrews High School, where he helped the team to a 42-13 record.
But in 2005, while working a National Youth Sports Program (NYSP) at North Carolina A&T, he caught the attention of Aggies’ Assistant Tennille Adams. New North Carolina A&T Head Coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs just happened to be in the market for another assistant coach.
Eventually, with Robinson working the recruiting trails, North Carolina A&T began building a powerhouse. The Aggies won just nine games in Robinson’s first season in 2005-06. However, by the 2008-09 campaign, Robinson, who had since been promoted to associate head coach, watched as North Carolina A&T went 26-6 and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 15 years.
One of the main reasons for the Aggies’ turnaround was due to the influx of talented recruits Robinson was able to sign, many of which picked North Carolina A&T over more recognizable schools.
“We try to explain to kids that we look at them as an investment,” Robinson said. “We’re going to invest in making them the best player they can be. Plus, they were going to get a chance to play and have an impact.”
Now, Robinson hopes to make a similar impact with the Rams, who are also coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance.
“I’m really excited,” Robinson said. “VCU was a program I’ve respected from afar the last few years. I definitely saw this as an opportunity to broaden my horizons in this profession. Everybody wants to be with a winner.”
Comments or questions? E-mail Around The Horns at aroundthehorns@yahoo.com look us up on Facebook.
By Chris Kowalczyk
The early parts of Tarrell Robinson’s basketball career were a lot more style than substance.
“For some reason, from watching T.V., I would always try to do Michael Jordan moves, go baseline, double-pump, and go to the other side of the rim. If I got that move, I was good,” Robinson recalls with a laugh.
Although the flash subsided, Robinson did manage to get better. In fact, although he got a late start in basketball, Robinson proved to be such a quick study, that the game took the 31-year-old farther than he ever imagined.
“Basketball kind of saved me,” said Robinson, recently named an assistant coach on the VCU Women’s Basketball staff.
Robinson spent much of his childhood living with his father, Earnest Lee Smith, in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, a neighborhood that had fallen on hard times. Drugs and violence were common themes.
“I saw sports as my way out,” Robinson said. “I was one of the kids who could differentiate right from wrong. I didn’t want to get money the easy way.”
When he was nine, Robinson moved in with his mother, Lupe Wright, in Fayetteville, N.C., where he concentrated on football and baseball. But in the ninth grade, Spring Lake Junior High School Coach Randy Holmes noticed the athletic Robinson and convinced him to give basketball a shot. He hasn’t looked back since.
“I was very raw, just tall and athletic,” Robinson said. “I like to consider myself a jack of all trades. Basketball came kind of naturally to me. I was one of the bigger kids around, about 6-2 at the time.”
Despite having never played the game on an organized level, Robinson quit football and baseball and immersed himself in basketball. In the meantime, he also found a mentor in Holmes, who Robinson said was ‘like a father to me.’ Robinson found himself spending most of his weekends at Holmes’ house, playing basketball with the coach and his five sons.
“It was something new to me and I enjoyed it,” the 6-6 Robinson said. “My love for the game also meant working on the game. Playing in the back yard, the blacktop, wherever there was a rim, and my game took off. But it took work and dedication.”
By his sophomore year at Pine Forest High School, he was starting. Recruiting letters eventually followed.
“Once the letters started coming, I realized that I might have an opportunity to go to college for free, and I knew that would be a big help to my mom,” Robinson said.
Robinson later transferred to E.E. Smith High School, where he starred for two seasons. He was drawing interest from a number of schools, but admits his academics weren’t completely in order.
He spent a postgraduate year at Bonner Academy in Raleigh, N.C., where he eventually met NCAA qualifying standards. By that time, some of his recruiting offers had dried up, but North Carolina A&T and then-Head Coach Roy Thomas were undeterred.
“North Carolina A&T was there with me from the jump, so I felt an obligation towards them,” Robinson said.
Despite Robinson’s enthusiasm, success at the college level was daunting. No longer could he rely solely on his athletic gifts. His first two seasons were a picture of frustration.
“Being a Division I basketball player is more than just being athletic,” Robinson said. “It took me two years to grasp that, and it affected my playing time. As I matured I got smarter.”
In 1999, Curtis Hunter took over the A&T program, about the same time Robinson was coming into his own on the court. In his final two seasons Robinson averaged 11.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game and served as a team captain.
CHANGING GEARS
Robinson graduated from North Carolina A&T with a degree in psychology in 2001. He had originally hoped to play basketball professionally, but shelved the idea because of a troublesome back, which prevented him from practicing for the majority of his senior season.
Hunter suggested Robinson give coaching a try and offered him a spot as a graduate assistant on his staff. The following season, he accepted a position as an assistant Saudia Roundtree’s women’s staff at North Carolina A&T.
From 2003-05 Robinson worked as an assistant boys coach and special education teacher at High Point Andrews High School, where he helped the team to a 42-13 record.
But in 2005, while working a National Youth Sports Program (NYSP) at North Carolina A&T, he caught the attention of Aggies’ Assistant Tennille Adams. New North Carolina A&T Head Coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs just happened to be in the market for another assistant coach.
Eventually, with Robinson working the recruiting trails, North Carolina A&T began building a powerhouse. The Aggies won just nine games in Robinson’s first season in 2005-06. However, by the 2008-09 campaign, Robinson, who had since been promoted to associate head coach, watched as North Carolina A&T went 26-6 and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 15 years.
One of the main reasons for the Aggies’ turnaround was due to the influx of talented recruits Robinson was able to sign, many of which picked North Carolina A&T over more recognizable schools.
“We try to explain to kids that we look at them as an investment,” Robinson said. “We’re going to invest in making them the best player they can be. Plus, they were going to get a chance to play and have an impact.”
Now, Robinson hopes to make a similar impact with the Rams, who are also coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance.
“I’m really excited,” Robinson said. “VCU was a program I’ve respected from afar the last few years. I definitely saw this as an opportunity to broaden my horizons in this profession. Everybody wants to be with a winner.”
Comments or questions? E-mail Around The Horns at aroundthehorns@yahoo.com look us up on Facebook.