Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is a freshman forward for Villanova. He was one of the main pieces of the Wildcats recruiting class and played a big role in the team’s success this year. He has decided to test the NBA draft waters. Ultimately, it seems like there is a better chance he returns to school than keeps his name in the draft.
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl 2020 NBA Draft Profile
College Career
Robinson-Earl is a 6’9 forward from Kansas that left the confines of Kansas, to the dismay of the Jayhawks. He was thrown into the role that Omari Spellman and Eric Paschall filled for the last few seasons. Robinson-Earl took some time to adjust, but once he felt comfortable he was outstanding. He averaged 10.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. In Villanova losses, Robinson-Earl often struggled, scoring in single digits, so his importance was clear.
Robinson-Earl was named to the Big East All-Freshman team, in addition to being named the Big East Rookie of the Year. There is no doubt he went through some rough patches, but Jay Wright’s system is historically difficult for freshmen to handle, especially in major minutes.
Strengths
Robinson-Earl is very athletic and agile. He has great footwork for his size and is very smooth. This helps him on both ends of the floor. Robinson-Earl is a great help defender, which is the main reason he played so many minutes for Coach Wright. On the offensive end, it means he can put the ball on the floor and beat people off the dribble. Along those lines, he has shown some guard skills, making him a true modern-day big.
Robinson-Earl is also a good rebounder. He uses his energy and his athleticism to compete on the glass. On multiple occasions, he came down with a great rebound that seemed almost impossible to get. This will help earn him playing time at the next level.
At Villanova, Robinson-Earl shot 33 percent from three on about two attempts per game. While these are not great numbers, he at least demonstrated the ability to shoot. Along with that, he has a very solid face up and midrange game. He can consistently knock down 18 footers which mean defenses must respect him all over the court.
Weaknesses
There was one clear area of difficulty for Robinson-Earl and it was what caused him to struggle throughout his season. He tends to turn the ball over too often. He had a usage rating of about 18 percent and turned the ball over about 18 percent of the time. That is poor at best which led to him averaging more than two turnovers per game. Robinson-Earl tends to rush on the offense end and the result is poor decisions or careless turnovers. That has to stop.
As a freshman, he also tended to be invisible for stretches on the offensive end. Villanova was much more guard-oriented this year and played through the perimeter, but Robinson-Earl could have had a bigger impact. Part of the issue is he cannot create for himself very easily so he is reliant on other guards to make plays.
NBA Player Comparison
Taj Gibson. Both players are very active and create chaos on the glass. It is the energy that makes the difference for both guys. Additionally, both have shown the ability to step out and hit mid-range jumpers or put the ball on the floor. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl takes and makes a few more threes than Gibson which is the main difference.
NBA Draft Projection
Early second round. Likely to go back to school.
Main Photo
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