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The distance between Bishop Gorman Catholic High School in Las Vegas, Nevada and James A. Rhodes Arena is a little over 2,100 miles, but that didn't deter Noah Robotham from making his decision on where to play college basketball. The Bishop Gorman point guard picked Akron over Boston College and San Jose State (reportedly) among others as the school where he would continue his academic and basketball career.
Robotham announced his commitment this afternoon on his Twitter account:
I've decided to attend the University of Akron! Thanks to all who supported me..can't wait to get out to Ohio & start a new chapter #GoZips
— Noah Robotham (@NoahRobotham14) May 9, 2014
Robotham led his high school to three straight Nevada state championships and averaged sixteen points and seven assists this year. He was rewarded for his efforts with the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Nevada, a pretty impressive achievement. Bishop Gorman is known for putting players in Division I schools and Robotham was able to play with a consensus top ten recruit in Stephen Zimmerman.
As you can see from the videos Robotham has great touch on his passes. He excels getting the ball into the post and is fantastic on the fast break. His jump shot is pretty good too, as he can hit the short ones in the corner or step back and nail the three-pointer. Being active on defense also shows up in Robotham's tapes. His quick hands help create loose balls and easy steals which he converts into fast break points most of the time. He's the definition of a true point guard.
Something coaches will love about Robotham is his attitude towards the game. He's not a selfish point guard and is quick to credit teammates when asked about personal accolades. The most telling quote may be this, from an article in the Las Vegas Review Journal: "I've never been a 'me' or 'I' kind of guy. I just want to win."
When looking at what's written about Robotham, one word keeps coming up: leadership. Gorman coach Greg Rice had glowing things to say about the newest Zip in this article, including being the "ultimate leader" of the team. That's what you want in a point guard, and Robotham seems to have embraced the team leader role.
Another thing to consider about Robotham is the level of competition he has already played against. With Gorman playing a national schedule, he had the chance to go up against some of the best competition the country has to offer. If he was able to play well against the best high school teams in the nation, imagine what he could do in the MAC.
With the Akron point guard situation in a bit of a flux, Robotham has the chance to come in and start right away. That probably won't happen with the more experienced Carmelo Betancourt still on the roster, but he'll likely compete for the backup job with Nyles Evans. From watching the highlight videos you can see he excels in transition, which is something that Keith Dambrot seems to want to do more and more often. Although he's the last member of the class, he might end up being one of the most important contributors to this Akron team next season.