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Devin Robinson went to Italy for Eurocamp and got a wake-up call

2013 NBA Players Assocation Top 100

Kelly Kline/Under Armour

Kelly Kline/Under Armour

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Richmond, VA, native Devin Robinson has made quite a name for himself in recruiting circles.

An athletic, 6-foot-8 wing with range out to the college three-point line and the kind of lanky build that will make him a playmaker on the defensive end of the floor, Robinson’s play has done the talking for him. He’s currently ranked 106th by Rivals in the Class of 2014, but that number will jump the next time that those rankings are updated.

That’s how well Robinson has played this spring.

But Robinson got a bit of a wake-up call when he traveled with a team of high schoolers out to Treviso, Italy, last week for the Adidas Eurocamp.

“Everybody was stronger and faster and really helped me notice how I gotta pick up on my game,” Robinson told NBCSports.com at the NBPA Top 100 Camp on Thursday. “It was just a great experience. I didn’t really think that overseas players were like that, they’re actually pretty good.”

Robinson’s pretty good as well, as he put together a strong enough performance to get noticed by Pro Basketball Talk’s reporter on site, as well as Draft Express. If anything, traveling to Eurocamp was important in that it was a bit of a wake-up call for Robinson. As of now, he’s a guy that succeeds largely due to his physical and athletic gifts. He’s tall and he’s got long arms and he’s coordinated and athletic. Combine that with a jumper and enough anticipation to jump a passing lane or rotate to block a shot, and Robinson has all he needs to succeed at the high school and AAU level.

But to be a big-time player at the college level, and to one day have a shot at being a pro, Robinson needs to develop the rest of his game. He needs to improve his ball-handling, become a more consistent shooter and, most importantly, add a bit of strength to his very slender frame. Going up against older and more talented players at Eurocamp was proof of this.

“I learned that you have to play hard every possession,” Robinson said of his time in Treviso. “There are people overseas that are better than you. You’ve gotta work hard every day. I have to get in the weight room and hit it harder than I am now. Get stronger, faster so I can play with more intensity.”

Robinson is still saying that VCU, the local school, is recruiting him the hardest, but he added that Miami and Providence are the two latest schools to offer him a scholarship. That list, according to Rivals, is now approaching 20.

You can find Rob on twitter @RobDauster.