Recruiting Report: Cole Robinson (2016)

Nick Kosmider

October 27, 2015 @ 10:00 PM

The whirlwind recruiting trip through the Midwest last week was about motivation for Cole Robinson.While visiting Doane College, Coe College, Morningside and Nebraska Wesleyan on the road trip, Robinson, a 6-foot-2 senior guard at Thompson Valley, felt growing anticipation for his impending college experience, yes. But it was more than that, too. It was about remembering how excited he was to get back to basketball, something that hasn’t always been easy to do the past five months. “To see those guys who were all playing hard and getting after that, it was that motivation I needed to keep grinding,” Robinson said. Grinding has been a way of life for Robinson since the end of June, when he suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during a practice with his Colorado Titans club team. There was shearing pain – “like a bullet shooting through your knee,” Robinson said. “I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy” – and frustration for a player whose sophomore season was largely wiped out by two broken wrists. Robinson, after extensive research and consultation with his family, opted for a knee repair as opposed to a reconstruction, quickening the timetable for a return to the court. But regardless of the procedure used, the physical rehab for an injured player is rarely the most difficult part. “These kids have a huge mental portion that they have to go through,” said Robinson’s father at coach at Thompson Valley, Josh Robinson. “Getting your brain to trust yourself again, it’s a huge hurdle.” Robinson, who averaged 15 points per game as a junior for an Eagles team that went 14-10 and lost in the first round of the Class 4A state tournament, has a stress test scheduled on his knee in early November. If that goes well, he could be back by the start of the season or soon thereafter. “It’s going to be a wait-and-see kind of thing,” Josh Robinson said. “I think I have a pretty good feel where he’s at, and I definitely don’t want to rush him back.” Robinson, a knockdown shooter who has worked hard to expand his overall game, said he got a lot out of his recent trip to the mostly Division-III high academic programs. “I really enjoyed it,” he said. “I enjoyed touring the campuses, getting to see all the facilities and meeting the players. It was great to see what college is like.” So what stood out? “Mostly, just the way those dudes can shoot it,” he said. “That’s what I’m most excited for when it comes to college. In high school, you get those guys who are just out there to play basketball just because. But in college, everybody wants to be there and everyone wants to work hard and that’s their thing. That stuck out to me, just how hard everyone was willing to work at basketball.” Robinson’s injuries have taught him to appreciate each moment in the game, but for a player who scored a 27 on the ACT, has a 3.95 career GPA and wants to be an engineer, there’s a focus that extends far beyond the basketball court. “D-III is more academically driven, and that interests me a lot,” he said. Not that Robinson is shutting any doors to opportunities to play Division II or Division I basketball, levels he said he would “love” to play at. He's also a highly cerebral player and student who is confident he'll make the most out the next step, wherever it leads. Regardless of where he plays, though, the future is bright for a talented player who will bring a mile-long list of great qualities to the program he chooses. For now, Robinson is riding the motivation a weekend around college basketball provided, eager to return to the court for his senior season. “I’m really excited,” he said. “I think we’re going to have a great team this year. We have a lot of young talent. I’m very excited. I haven’t played in five months, so the anticipation is getting at me.”