Does Robinson-Earl plan to return to KU for an official visit in the fall?
It was a battle until the very end, but KC Run GMC, led by five-star forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, pulled away late from Team Rush in the opening round of the Jayhawk Summer Finale.
On the opening night of the Jayhawk Summer Finale, which runs from Thursday to Sunday at Drive5 in Overland Park, Kan., KC Run GMC and Team Rush battled for 32 minutes on the main court. With the stands behind the court packed, along with fans, coaches and media members lined up along both baselines, both programs gave those in attendance a memorable opening night performance.
In the end, KC Run GMC outlasted Team Rush, 75-67. After a slow start to the game, Robinson-Earl, the 6-foot-9, 235-pound forward from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., finished with 12 points.
Minutes after the game, JayhawkSlant.com caught up with Robinson-Earl, the No. 9 ranked player in the 2019 class.
“Its been a lot of fun,” said Robinson-Earl when asked about his final run on the AAU circuit with KC Run GMC. “It’s the last run with the guys, so I’m just making the most of it. We’re trying to be the best that we can and go out there and have fun and win some games.
“Just trying to step my game to the next level,” he added when asked what’s been most enjoyable about this current run. “Because it’s almost there, where I can go to college and play at the next level, so it's really just stepping up my game.”
With the final evaluation period of July currently underway, Robinson-Earl has clearly established himself as one of the top prospects in the 2019 class. Kansas, Arizona, Creighton, Iowa, Kansas, Louisville, North Carolina, Oklahoma, UCLA, Virginia, Wake Forest, Washington, Kentucky, LSU, Villanova and Clemson are just a few of the programs that have expressed a serious interest in the five-star prospect.
With Kansas assistant Norm Roberts sitting courtside, Robinson-Earl clearly wasn’t at his beset against Team Rush.
“I’ve been sick for a week,” said Robinson-Earl. “So, I’ve just been relaxing and laying back, so I was just kind of getting back into things. But they were double-teaming me, so I was dishing it off more to my guys.”
Clearly, Robinson-Earl is no stranger to the University of Kansas or its men’s basketball program. The son of former Jayhawk Lester Earl, Robinson-Earl has made countless trips to Lawrence throughout his prep career.
Most recently, he spent an extended period of time with Kansas head coach Bill Self, who guided Team USA to a gold medal. Robinson-Earl, on Thursday night, talked about that experience.
“It was a lot of fun seeing his coach side instead of his recruiter side, so I got to see his real self,” he said.
Leaving for IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., in early August, the next step in his recruitment is deciding which schools to visit in the fall. Robinson-Earl has the option to take as many as five official visits.
Having already visited Kansas quite a few times in the past, does the elite forward plan to return for an official visit?
“I think that I will,” he said. “I’m kind of waiting until after this tournament (to decide what schools I want to officially visit) and then I’ll probably make a list and then decided here in the next couple of weeks.
“It’s a little stressful, but I’m just enjoying it,” he added. “The coaches are fun to talk to, so its not that bad.”