Mitchell Robinson is headed to the New York Knicks with the 36th overall pick

Mitchell Robinson will be back playing competitive basketball next season, and it will be for the New York Knicks’ organization.

The Knicks selected the former Western Kentucky commit with the 36th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft on Thursday, bringing one of college basketball’s more bizarre stories in recent memory back into the limelight.

Robinson was committed to Western Kentucky, then he wasn’t. Then he was again, and then he left to spend the 2017-18 season honing his craft in private. His departure from the public eye means he dropped from a possible lottery pick all the way to the second round, but the potential is still there. Robinson is a rim protector who can rebound and block shots. His 7’4 wingspan and natural athleticism give him a chance to succeed in the NBA, no matter how much his past decision making may have hurt him.

Keep an eye on Robinson as he inevitably heads toward Summer League in a couple weeks. It’ll be the first chance we have to see him play against real competition in over a year and it will be our first real look at how his game has changed.