Why Micah Robinson could be a game changer for TCU basketball
The last half decade has seen TCU’s basketball program take a major step forward.
From making three straight NCAA Tournaments to defeating teams like Kansas and Houston in back-to-back seasons, the signs of progress are evident. One of those signs is a 6-foot-7 true freshman that is beginning to turn heads during summer workouts and his name is Micah Robinson.
Robinson was a historic recruiting win for Jamie Dixon and the coaching staff as he’s the third-highest rated recruit to ever sign with the program. He was a top-100 prospect and a star at basketball powerhouse Oak Hill Academy, the type of recruit that had spurned the Horned Frogs until recently.
In fact when Robinson was asked how much he knew about TCU growing up, he said most of his memories involved the football team.
“My dad grew up in Fort Worth, my grandparents house is literally five minutes from campus,” Robinson said. “So when I was younger we would always come to visit, but the main thing I remember about TCU is the football days whenever Trevone Boykin was here. That’s when I would play him on the old NCAA football video games.”
Robinson’s memories are probably similar to many other star athletes throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex when it comes to TCU basketball. The Horned Frogs made one trip to the NCAA Tournament up until Robinson entered his sophomore year of high school.
Now with the program having so much momentum, Robinson believes the program can take the next step and he knows he’ll be a big part of it. When one elite recruit has success somewhere else, others take notice.
And as for being one of the most decorated players to ever sign with the program, Robinson isn’t shying away from expectations.
“It means a lot to know I have a chance to make a pretty big impact on the program,” Robinson said. “I feel like me and the rest of the young core, I feel like we can do some special things in the upcoming years and take the program to heights that it hasn’t been to.
“We’ve been to three straight tournaments so the program is going up, but I feel like we can take it to the next step to get us to the top of the top.”
To understand how Robinson can help the Horned Frogs break through their ceiling you have to go back to Oak Hill, where Robinson put his dreams before his comfort.
Business decision
After moving to the area from Kansas City, Robinson spent his first two high school seasons starring at Frisco High and Greenhill in Addison his freshman and sophomore seasons. Heading into his junior year, Robinson had a major decision to make.
Would he stay in D-FW where he was comfortable or would he make the cross country trek to Virginia to try and grow his game to the next level? For Robinson the choice wasn’t easy, but there was always an understanding of what needed to be done.
“At first it was kind of hard, it was my first time being away from my mom and my family,” Robinson said. “I feel like it turned into a business decision once I realized how much it was going to benefit me. So the first few weeks it was hard, but then I got acclimated.”
When Robinson arrived at Oak Hill he met Yerrick Stoneman. Stoneman was tabbed by Oak Hill to take over for legendary coach Steve Smith in 2022. It was Smith who made Oak Hill a basketball powerhouse with legends like Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant wearing red and yellow.
It was telling that Robinson was one of the players Stoneman wanted to bring to help usher in a new era at Oak Hill. In terms of adjustments Stoneman was impressed with how quickly Robinson got acclimated to Oak Hill’s culture.
“For most young people it’s going to be an adjustment,” Stoneman said. “There’s no Chick-Fil-A, no Chipotle just around the corner for them. We do have structure and discipline that some schools don’t have. I truly didn’t see Micah struggle at all with the structure or discipline.
“I think he adjusted really well because of the upbringing of his mom and dad and how they raised him. He can adjust to anything.”
While D-FW has some of the best high school hoops in the country, the schedule Robinson and Oak Hill faced was a different caliber.
On any given night Robinson could be matched up with a four or five-star forward just like himself. The competition and environment at Oak Hill helped Robinson expand his game.
“It helped me mentally, because I got used to being away from my family,” Robinson said. “I’m able to do things for myself and basketball wise it really shaped me into the player I am today because of the competitive nature up there. Every practice I’m going up against guys that are playing at a high level.
“That really shaped me into who I am and I feel like it really prepared me to be at this level.”
Stoneman has coached for decades and has seen hundreds of talented players to reach their potential because of work ethic or distractions. From Stoneman’s perspective Robinson was one of the few that had a work ethic and hunger that matched his talent.
“Most high school kids don’t have the vision he has, he knows what he wants to accomplish with basketball,” Stoneman said. “Even at Oak Hill as a junior he was practicing like a pro. He was trying to be a pro, most high school kids aren’t able to do that at a high level like Micah.
“Some things that made us want him at Oak Hill were his athleticism, his ability to defend multiple positions. Those were some things that drew our eyes to him, but over time his shot making ability drastically to improve. His ability to handle the ball in the half court improved, at 6’7 he can run the offense for you. His ability to defend and want to defend is pretty special.”
Stoneman said most nights Robinson was assigned to guard the other team’s best player and also that by the time he left Oak Hill, he was a 40% percent shooter from 3.
It’s clear that Robinson maximized his time at Oak Hill which helped him become one of the best players in the country.
Man child
As TCU began its summer workouts, multiple people around the program used one special term to describe how Robinson has looked since stepping on campus.
“The thing about Micah is he’s a man child,” point guard Frankie Collins said. “He’s in the gym everyday, he works and doesn’t say much but he’s there and he listens. He’s going to be huge for us.”
During the practice Robinson’s high motor is evident no matter if the Horned Frogs are doing a shooting drill or working on their defense.
Robinson approaches every rep like it’s a game rep, something he learned from Oak Hill and brought with him to Fort Worth. That mentality has been crucial as the Horned Frogs will need some instant help on the wing with Emanuel Miller and Micah Peavy no longer on the roster.
While their departures open up shots and minutes, Robinson is more concerned about just finding the right role he can contribute in.
“I want to bring a lot of different things to the program,” Robinson said. “Toughness, competitiveness, excitement. I can really bring whatever the coaches need me to do, so whatever Coach Dixon needs me to do I’m going to bring it to the best of my abilities.”
Robinson’s abilities should be one of the top storylines for the upcoming season with the Horned Frogs having a brand new rotation.
With him on the roster TCU potentially has an elite two-way forward that is more concerned about team success than individual numbers. These are the type of players the Horned Frogs weren’t able to land without recent success.
If Robinson has his way, he’ll be the first of many top-100 hoopers signing up to play in Fort Worth.
