Shakia Robinson’s smile lit up the room.
The senior star, one of seven North Penn athletes honored at a press conference last week, recently inked her signature on a letter of intent to accept a basketball scholarship to the University of Massachusetts.
“It’s just a great feeling to know I don’t have to be in a situation like a lot of people who aren’t as fortunate as me to be go to school basically for free,” Robinson said. “When I get out of college, I won’t have any debt to pay. I’ll get straight out of college and do my own thing and lead my own life.
“Barack Obama just finished paying off his college debts. I’m very fortunate.”
Robinson chose UMass for its academics as much as its basketball. The Maiden senior will major in computer engineering
“I chose the University of Massachusetts for the academics, and the (school) is known for its basketball,” she said. “I think I will fit in well. They made me feel like family when I was there.”
It’s quite an ending to a standout high school career for a young athlete who did not begin playing basketball competitively until she was in seventh grade. Back then, playing in college wasn’t even an afterthought.
“I was like, ‘College, what’s that?’” Robinson said. “I didn’t know too much about it. Once I learned all the background information I knew I had to go for something. I needed a vehicle, and basketball was it.”
Robinson narrowed her list of 40 potential schools down to just two – Eastern Michigan and UMass.
“The recruiting process wasn’t that stressful – maybe a little overwhelming with excitement for how many schools that really wanted me to attend,” she said. “This summer my dad brought a whole case of letters that I had to go through – a lot them I had no idea where they were, so I had a lot of research to do. That part was a little overwhelming.”
Robinson averaged 17.2 points and 11 rebounds a game in her first season as a Maiden last year. She was the MVP of the SOL National Conference.
“She’s very diversified,” Maiden coach Maggie deMarteleire said. “Honestly, she could probably run on North Penn’s track team because she’s very fast, and she’s very strong.”
The talented senior can post up her defender, lead the break or bury the jump shot.
Last year, Robinson singlehandedly carried the Maidens to a post-season berth, contributing 78 points, 44 rebounds and 17 steals in the final three regular season games – all wins, and deMarteleire won’t be surprised if Robinson, a transfer from Abington Friends last year, has an even bigger season this time around.
“Shakia is so gifted that her potential is really unlimited,” deMarteleire said. “She worked hard in the offseason. She played a lot of AAU, and she’s been to the open gyms.
“I’m excited for her and my whole team because we are so much further advanced this year. I have known her since she was in eighth grade, and she really has improved a different part of her game every year. This year our goal is her ball handling and the conditioning part.”
Robinson credits deMarteleire for her growth as a player.
“North Penn has helped me develop my game to where it is today because of my coach,” Robinson said. “I wouldn’t be able to attend UMass if it wasn’t for her because she’s pushed me harder than I ever was before.”
With her college choice behind her, Robinson is expected to not only help the Maidens improve on last year’s 10-15 record but vie for a Continental Conference crown.
“Shakia as quite the personality and is very exciting to watch,” deMarteleire said. “I think she’s going to be huge this year for us in helping us get to the next level.
“I’m excited for her. I think she will do very well in college. Some kids are as good as they’re going to get when they’re seniors in high school. I think she will get even better this year, and I think she will get better as she advances in college.”
All of this is good news for the Maidens and not such good news for their opponents.
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