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Stop me if you've heard this before: a five-star center has committed to play college basketball in the Bluegrass State.
Now here's the catch: top-ranked 2017 center Mitchell Robinson won't attend Kentucky or Louisville. Instead, he will be a HIlltopper next season.
BREAKING: Five-Star 2017 big man Mitchell Robinson told @CBSSports that he has committed to Western Kentucky. Huge get for Rick Stansbury.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) June 29, 2016
Robinson, ranked No. 15 overall in his class by ESPN, has been rising up the recruiting rankings over the summer, and is a massive get for a program of Western Kentucky's size. He's athletic for a seven-footer and can run the floor for easy finishes in transition. He's also able to use his size to be a force on the glass and to control the paint. He's still a bit raw offensively, but most players his size develop their offensive games in college.
Robinson was originally committed to play at Texas A&M, but rescinded that commitment in April. His recruiting quickly picked up, and new coach Rick Stansbury and WKU were considered the frontrunners early on. Just a few weeks ago, Stansbury made his interest known by hiring Shammond Williams, Robinson's godfather, as an assistant coach.
Shammond Williams joining staff at Western Kentucky. Important to note that he's the Godfather of five-star center Mitchell Robinson.
— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) June 13, 2016
Hiring a family member or close family friend is starting to become a common move to try to get the upper hand in recruiting. Johnny Jones hired Ben Simmons' godfather David Patrick at LSU, and Washington's Lorenzo Romar hired Michael Porter Sr., whose son Michael Porter Jr. is a top 2017 recruit. Robinson's commitment will surely raise eyebrows across the college basketball world, and could potentially lead more coaches to going this route to get the upper hand in recruiting.
It's also important to note that top-100 2017 recruit Galen Alexander just narrowed his list to seven schools and the Hilltoppers have made the cut there. 247sports' Crystal Ball predicts he will ultimately choose Western Kentucky.