The coaches at George Mason were persistent and that’s exactly what Karin Robinson liked about them.
“They called every week, e-mailed,” the Mary Louis rising senior said. “They were one of the few schools that did that. I liked the fact that they actually stayed on top of me, kept interest in me.”
That’s one of the reasons why Robinson recently verbally committed to the Colonial Athletic Association school. The powerful, 5-foot-6 point guard, who was a New York Post All-City second team selection, spurned interest from schools like Memphis, West Virginia, Cincinnati and Seton Hall in favor of George Mason.
“They put a lot of interest in her,” said Joann Arbitello, her AAU coach with Positive Direction. “They came in early in the whole recruiting process.”
Early was actually an apt word. Most players commit with schools after the July AAU evaluation period. But Robinson had other plans. She wants to go to summer school, get her grades up and not focus as much on basketball. She missed the first few games of this past season on academic suspension brought down by coach Joe Lewinger and is committed to getting better in that aspect.
“I thought it was a perfect time,” Robinson said.
After an official visit on May 2, it was hard for Robinson to resist committing to Mason. She loved the campus and the coaches. Arbitello said the family atmosphere down at the Fairfax, Va., school reminded her of the Positive Direction program, which is known for being tight-knit. Robinson said she also liked the location – not too far, but not too close – and the academics.
George Mason went 10-20 and only 3-15 in the CAA this past winter. Arbitello thinks Robinson, one of the most dynamic guards in New York City, has the opportunity to come in and play right away.
“I think she’ll make a very big impact,” the coach said. “I think she has an opportunity to play valuable minutes as a freshman.”
Robinson is relieved that the recruiting process is over – another reason why she didn’t mind committing early.
“I think it’s good that it’s all out of the way,” she said. … “It was a hassle.”
Now she can focus on academics and, when the time comes, Mary Louis basketball. Robinson had 30 points and 20 rebounds in a regular-season game against Archbishop Molloy last season and almost led TMLA to an inspiring comeback in the fourth quarter of the CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens final against Christ the King. She will be just the second Mary Louis basketball player to earn a Division I scholarship since Mary Ellen Esch-Warne went to Manhattan College in 1980. Former teammate Amanda Burakoski currently plays at St. John’s.
“I’m very proud of Karin for all the hard work she’s been putting in,” Mary Louis coach Joe Lewinger said. “I think she’s going to be excellent in the Colonial. She’s helped bring a level of athleticism, helped continue the notoriety of the program. One player (Burakoski) handed the program over to the next. We’ll see who Karin is going to hand it over to next year.”
Robinson is innately confident about next year and thinks the Hilltoppers can shock the city.
“I feel like we should be able to take the whole thing,” she said. “Beat Christ the King this year, go upstate. You gotta think like that.”