The defending Big East regular season champions landed their second verbal commitment in the 2012 class Sunday.
Following a weekend trip to campus,
James Robinson of
DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) and Team Takeover delivered a pledge to Pittsburgh, a perfect union according to club coach Keith Stevens of Team Takeover.
"The way you describe the University of Pittsburgh basketball program is exactly the way you describe James Robinson," Stevens said. "Not flashy, gets the job done and just wins. Those are the components that make it a great fit."
James Robinson
Photo by Larry Lawson
Robinson, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound point guard, is rated No. 67 in MaxPreps.com's Class of 2012 Top 100. According to Stevens, Tuesday was the original timeline for Robinson's decision, but it became clear during the campus visit that all the pieces fit for both parties.
"First and foremost, he is a special person," Stevens said. "He's the type of guy that other guys in the program will follow behind. He's a first-class leader and a first-class ballplayer."
Robinson has helped DeMatha win 90 games over the past three seasons, capturing the highly-competitive Washington Catholic Athletic Conference twice. The 2011 Stags were victorious in the prestigious Alhambra Catholic Invitational, a postseason event pitting the nation's top Catholic programs against each other in an eight-team tournament.
The Panther pledge also has a distinguished resume on the summer circuit, helping Team Takeover win Nike's inaugural Elite Youth Basketball League title in 2010. Takeover stormed to a 17-0 record this summer in EYBL play and reached the quarterfinals.
Pittsburgh also has a commitment from highly-touted center Steven Adams, a 6-11 native of New Zealand who will play at
Notre Dame Prep (Fitchburg, Mass.) this year.
