By Reid Maus
He wasn’t always a basketball star.
In fact before middle school, Big Blue senior Trey Robinson, preferred football over the hardwood. Though he started playing basketball at a very young age, it wasn’t until recently that he started getting a knack for it.
“I was bad. I was very bad,” said Robinson on his abilities as young hoopster. “Eighth grade was when I really started to get better. That’s when I realized I wanted to play basketball over football.”
It was a decision that has paid dividends, as Robinson recently signed to play basketball just across the Ohio River at Northern Kentucky University.
When you ask Robinson what finally clicked, and was the reason for his rapid ascent into becoming one of the top players in the GMC, he isn’t exactly sure– but he work ethic is definitely a contributing factor.
“I definitely was working. Me and my brother would workout all the time,” said the NKU commit of when he started to come into his own on the hardwood. “I was always the player that would be on the floor just because you needed an extra body. I started really knowing who I was (as a basketball player) sophomore summer.”
This winter will be the first time that Trey gets to shine. For the past few years he was playing with his older brother, Jaylen. The older of the Robinson duo averaged over 17 points a game as a junior, and 14 as a senior. Now that he is the only Robinson balling in the Big Blue uniform he is excited, but also a slight bit timid that he high school career is coming to an end.
“It kind of sucks, because it just went by too fast,” said Robinson. “I’m excited though. We have a really good group, and we have a lot of team goals.”
Those goals include winning the mighty Greater Miami Conference, and making a deep run in the postseason. While those are lofty, they aren’t unobtainable.
“We are going to have to play great defense,” said Trey. “We gotta play as a team, and we are going to have to work hard in practice every day.”
Those aren’t the only aspirations. Trey is aiming to be the best player in the GMC, while shooting to be on the All-Ohio list at year’s end.
How has he been preparing to make those aspirations reality? Getting in the gym and shooting 600 shots a day. 600.
Honestly, go try and be so committed to anything that you do the same repetition 600 times everyday. It’s borderline impossible– unless you’re passionate about it.
“Last year I couldn’t shoot,” Robinson said honestly. “My shot just wasn’t there. Coach Higgins told me that if I wanted to be able to play D1 then I have to be able to shoot. So that’s what we focused on.”
In June, Robinson would come in the gym and shoot hundreds of shots. By July his shot was back.
“I could shoot again,” Robinson said with a smile. “That’s when everything changed. I had the height, I could always dribble but my shot shot was what I needed to fix, and that’s what I did.”
Just like a fortune teller, Coach Higgins prediction was right. Once Robinson could fill it, the D1 offers came pouring in.
“I wanted to play D1 basketball so bad that I had the mentality of ‘the first offer I get, I’m going to take it,” said the Big Blue senior, not realizing all the offers that would come. “Then I started getting offers, and I realized that I had a lot of opportunities.”
What was the difference between NKU and the other schools?
“Definitely the coaches,” Robinson said. “I went on my official visit and met all the players, and I’m cool with all of them. So that really sold it.”
In November he officially signed to be a Norseman, but before he can play in the Horizon League, Trey is going to light up scoreboards around the GMC.
The 6’6 Robinson averaged 11.6 points per game last winter. You can almost guarantee those numbers numbers are going to jump, because how can they not when you shoot over 600 shots everyday.