Busting Brackets
Fansided

Villanova Basketball: Potential impact of Jeremiah Robinson-Earl for 2019-20

By Cody Larson

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 02: A general view of the Villanova Wildcats basketball rack prior to the game against the Butler Bulldogs at the Wells Fargo Center on March 2, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 02: A general view of the Villanova Wildcats basketball rack prior to the game against the Butler Bulldogs at the Wells Fargo Center on March 2, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
ATLANTA, GA – MARCH 27: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl #10, Armando Bacot, Jr. #1, and Josh Green #0 of IMG Academy in Florida pose for a photograph after the 2019 McDonald’s High School Boys All-American Game on March 27, 2019 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – MARCH 27: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl #10, Armando Bacot, Jr. #1, and Josh Green #0 of IMG Academy in Florida pose for a photograph after the 2019 McDonald’s High School Boys All-American Game on March 27, 2019 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /

Jack of all trades

Evan Daniels (of 247Sports) sat down with Robinson-Earl during the FIBA u19 World Cup back in July. During their Q-and-A session Daniels asked JRE how he saw his role playing out for Villanova Basketball as a freshman. His response:

"“I would say I feel like I can go out there and just play really hard, defensively first, and offensively rebound, just be a little bit of everything, like a jack of all trades instead [of being] really good at just shooting, just doing a lot of things out there.”"

The key phrase he used was “jack of all trades,” which is precisely what Robinson-Earl is as a player. He described himself as being a player who plays hard, plays defense first and grabs offensive boards. That being said, his analysis of his own skillset does not tell the whole story. He definitely excels at all those things, but he can impact the game in many other ways.

A significant reason as to why Robinson-Earl thrives on defense and grabbing boards is his frame and athleticism. He has a very stable base and always seems in control no matter where he is on the floor. Also, JRE gets an incredible rise off the jump (for those not convinced, see his game-winning slam during the 2019 GEICO Nationals Semis vs. Montverde Academy).

2019-20 season preview for the Wildcats. light. Related Story

He does not solely rely on his athleticism to put the ball in the basket though. Robinson-Earl can score at all three levels of the basketball court with a clean looking 3-point stroke off of the catch (although his percentages could certainly improve), a solid post game from the low and high block and smart put-back finishing ability.

To make matters even greater for Robinson-Earl; his transition finishing game is a trademark talent for his game. All of these aspects effectively illustrate his game. It’s hard not to obnoxiously ramble on when talking about him because there isn’t a single aspect of basketball that he doesn’t touch. JRE truly is a jack of all trades, and he will have an easy time finding an effective role for the Wildcats because of that.