The Scout: Radford - Ja'Corey Robinson
Breaking down the game of Radford's new wing Ja'Corey Robinson
The sixth installment of The Scout is here, this time breaking down Radford’s new, Austin Peay transfer wing, Ja’Corey Robinson.
Without further ado, let’s get right into the breakdown.
Player Bio:
Before transferring to Radford, Ja’Corey Robinson spent one season at Austin Peay after being a 3-star with offers from Missouri State and Murray State.
2025-26 (Freshman Season):
During his true freshman season at Austin Peay, Robinson averaged 6.6 PPG, 2.9 RPG, and 2 APG across 30 games.
Finished 2nd on the team in Blocks.
6th in Minutes Per Game on the ASun Regular Season Champions.
Pre-College:
Ranked #6 Prospect in KS on 247Sports Consensus, 459th overall recruit.
Won 2023-24 Kansas MaxPreps Player of the Year.
Film Review:
Film from Arman Jovic/PDT Scouting on X:
Defensive Prowess:
The first thing that stands out on film for Ja’Corey Robinson is his defensive ability. Ja’Corey Robinson’s size makes him an anomaly when combined with his athleticism, and that is evident on defense. Last season, 14 total freshmen had a Defensive Rebounding Percentage of 10%+, a Steal and Block Percentage of 2%+, and a DBPM of 1+. Of those 14 freshmen, 4 are listed as “Wing Guard” by BartTorvik: Darryn Peterson, Braylen Mullins, Ace Flagg, and Ja’Corey Robinson.
Last season, Radford was not a good defensive team, ranking 42nd percentile in Defensive Rating. That defensive rating would have been worse if it were not for Tyson Brown and Dennis Parker Jr. When Dennis Parker Jr is on the floor, Radford has a defensive rating in the 49th percentile; with Parker off the floor, that rating drops to the 23rd percentile. Furthermore, when Tyson Brown is on the floor, Radford’s defensive rating moves to the 59th percentile, but drops to the 13th percentile when he is off the floor.
Sadly for Radford, Parker went to Kansas via the transfer portal, and Tyson Brown graduated, leaving Radford with no positive analytical defenders. Zach Chu immediately targeted that by getting Ja’Corey Robinson, an analytically better defender than any Radford Highlander last season. I don’t think Robinson will maintain that same level of defending, but I believe him, along with all the other additions, will be an improvement defensively over last year’s team.
Rim Threat:
Last season against D1 opponents, Ja’Corey Robinson took a total of 135 shot attempts. Of those 135 attempts, a total of 18 shots were not “In the Paint” or “At the Rim” with Robinson going 2-9 from mid ranges and 3-9 from 3 in the other 18 attempts. Robinson ranked in the 82nd percentile for Rim Attempts/40 and in the 96th percentile for Paint Attempts/40 with nearly 10 attempts per 40 minutes across the two zones.
The ultimate reason Robinson takes so many shots at the rim and in the paint is his ability to make those shots. Last season, Robinson shot 52.4% from 2PT, placing him in the 72nd percentile while also ranking in the 71st percentile for True Shooting, with a 56.7%. Another reason Robinson takes so many shots inside the paint is his ability on the fast break. Robinson ranked in the 90th percentile for Percentage of Points from Fast Break and 87th percentile for Fast Break Points/40.
Robinson will be an almost seamless fit into Radford’s offensive scheme. Last season, the Highlanders ranked in the 90th percentile for Rim Attacks plays, with their 2nd-most-common play, Transition, in the 87th percentile there. Robinson’s ability to consistently finish those shots should provide a pleasant boost to their sub-50 % PPP on both plays, given his above-average rim and Paint shooting.
Playmaking:
The most underrated aspect of Ja’Corey Robinson’s game is his ability to create for his teammates at 6’6. Last season, 5 freshmen between the heights of 6’5” and 6’7” had an Assist Percentage of 20%+, a Usage of 20%, and an Assist/TOV Ratio of 1.5 or more. Those freshmen were: Keaton Wagler (Illinois), Mikel Brown Jr (Louisville), Jordan Watford (Queens, NC), Connor Igoe (Columbia), and Ja’Corey Robinson (Austin Peay). All 5 players were a part of some kind of success, with all but Ja’Corey Robinson earning All-Rookie or Rookie of the Year honors in their league.
Last season in the Big South, 14 players had an Assist Percentage of 18-22%. Of those 14 players, only 2 were above 6’3”: Kameron Taylor from UNC Asheville and Brycen Blaine of Charleston Southern. Both players were viewed as among the best playmaking non-PGs in the Big South, leading to moves up in competition: Blaine to ECU and Taylor to Florida State.
The even more promising fact for Radford about Ja’Corey is that, analytically, he is a better playmaker than both Blaine and Taylor, and the difference is a pretty wide margin. Ja’Corey had a 20.6% Assist Percentage compared to 19.0% by Taylor and 19.6% by Blaine. Ja’Corey also bested Blaine and Taylor in Assist Ratio, with Robinson at 21.5%, with Taylor and Blaine both around 12%, and in Assist/TOV, where Robinson had a 1.4, with Taylor having 1.12, and Blaine having a 0.82.
Non Shooter:
The biggest flaw in Ja’Corey Robinson’s game comes from his being a complete non-shooter during his time at Austin Peay. In the “Rim Threat” section, I mentioned that Robinson only took 18 shots against D1 teams from outside of the paint. What I didn’t mention is that besides not taking those shots, he also isn’t exceptionally good at shooting them, only going 5-18, with Robinson only shooting above D1 average in one spot, that being “Above the Break 3’s,” where Robinson shot 2-5 on the season.
The thing that gives me hope is that Robinson has shot more volume in the past, and that players have been able to develop that ability over the course of their careers. Robinson hit 22 three pointers en route to his many accolades, which isn’t a ton, but compared to .3 3PA Per Game last season, even at 100% shooting, would be nearly double his .3. In recent seasons, we have seen Yaxel Lendeborg, Ali Dibba, and Cameron Hildreth all become higher volume shooters on decent figures. Will that happen for Robinson? Only time can tell.
Final Thoughts:
I have gone back and forth on Robinson a ton since this addition was on my radar, but ultimately, I do like the addition. Ultimately, what gives me hesitation about the addition is Robinson’s ability to play on an island. His lack of ability to space so far in his D1 career, I think, has limited his game, and without that ability, it limits when he can be played and how he is used, but I believe Coach Chu and his staff can at least alleviate some of those spacing concerns with finding Robinson open and their lineup construction.
Robinson reminds me a ton of Dennis Parker Jr in a way, both came from successful programs with clear defensive ability and offensive promise. Parker was more of a shooter than Robinson, but what Robinson lacks in shooting, he makes up for with better playmaking, defense, and athleticism. With Radford taking a dip in their supporting cast, I do see a performance drop compared to Parker, but overall, both should have similar profiles. In the end, I think Robinson will end up on the All-Conference Honorable Mention list at season’s end.