WSOU

2020 Pirate Player Preview: Danielle Robinson

Date: August 3, 2020

By: Justin Morris

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Seton Hall Athletics

Brace yourselves Lady Pirate fans, for 2020 marks the year that Walsh Gymnasium finally bears welcome to, and makes culminating preparations to finally “Meet the Robinson.”

“Robinson” in this case, refers to rising junior guard Danielle Robinson (not to be relationally confused with current Las Vegas Aces guard of the same name), whom, long a consistent staple near the front of the Pirate bench, will trade her brandished Under Armour warmup digs for a freshly christened uniform – and replace her usual sideline encouragement role with a huge focally-centered on-court one as a fully healthy upperclassman this upcoming season.

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John Jones/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

While her voice could be heard throughout the gym’s rafters as she assumed cheerleader form throughout the majority of her first two years under head coach Tony Bozzella’s regime, the Pirates will need her electric energy and enthused excitement to take on a much different outlook this upcoming season.

After losing a significant amount of their scoring and presence in the form of graduated seniors, the 5-foot-11-inch lanky guard will assume an integral leadership position as they look to regain some of their lost glory.

But Robinson’s 2019-20 campaign wasn’t spent on the pine as a result of her own lack of production. She was rendered physically incapable to play after succumbing to a devasting ACL injury prior to the start of the season, and what was projected to be a break-out sophomore campaign for the skilled combo wing was virtually dwindled down to complete nothingness. But she didn’t treat it as such.

Robinson responded to the setback by remaining an absolute stalwart in the gym, and when she wasn’t spending hours, days, and weeks undergoing rigorous rehabbing sessions, she was a film session junkie, compensating for what she wasn’t able to provide her team physically with a vast expanding of her eye for the game and IQ at the Division 1 level.

A level which, mind you, she’s only seen action in limited spurts at: her 18 total college appearances during her freshman year averaged out at just below six minutes-per-game (5.4).

Despite the lack of substantial playing time, though, when Robinson did receive opportunities, she ran with them, putting together some of her most crafty masterpieces when the stakes were highest, including a 10-point, two 3-pointer shooting display in limited action against the No.1 ranked UCONN Huskies.

And coach Bozzella will need that big-game shot-making prowess, as well as the preserved remnants of the mental fortitude that carried her throughout an injury-riddled sophomore slump if his Pirates are going to a make a push towards the Big East crown they so desperately crave.

Neither of those attributes have newly befallen upon Robinson, and she’s been a bonafide force to be reckoned with on the hardwood ever since her youth. Interestingly enough, while South Orange will prepare to meet Robinson for the first time should play resume this year, she’s no stranger to the North Jersey-area as she spent her high school years handing out free headaches to opponents right down the street in neighboring Newark – spending the first half of her career at Malcolm X. Shabazz before transferring to University High to finish out her tenure.

She was a four-year varsity starter throughout, pioneering Shabazz’s basketball ship en voyage to a Newark Public Schools Tournament title, all the while being tabbed as the tourney’s MVP as she hovered around 10 points-per-game. She then went on to receive a Third Team All-State selection and First Team All-County billing after leading University to a Group 1 Championship as a senior, posting a ridiculously complete stat line in the process: 14.8 points-per-game to complement 6.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 3.3 steals-per-game.

While Robinson’s Seton Hall sample size has been immeasurably small, her high school resumé boasts enough bragging power to speak for itself – and to conjure up a feasible anticipatory buzz amongst hopeful Pirate fans.

She’s tall, she’s aggressive, and she’s tough, both in mind and in body. She’s the quintessential three-level scorer coach Bozzella dreams of: seasoned from the mid-range area on the floor, not afraid to bang and get physical inside, and can seamlessly stretch the floor with a pure stroke from deep range.

She’s an effortless ball-handler, and while playmaking duties will undoubtedly be apportioned to sophomore guards Lauren Park-Lane and Mya Jackson, she has no problem divvying up shots to her fellow teammates. But perhaps the best attribute she’ll bring to the squad this year is her lockdown on-ball defense, which will be essential in slowing down some of the talented guards the newly revamped Big East has to offer.

Look for Robinson to play a crucial role in what the Pirates try to do on both offense and defense this year, and sneak her way into a starting spot pending performance.

So, here’s to you Miss Robinson. Seton Hall will love you more than you know.

Justin Morris is an Assistant Sports Director for WSOU Sports, and can be reached at justin.morris@student.shu.edu.

Posted in: Sports, Women's Basketball, WSOU

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