Louisville commit TJ Robinson hard at work – on the court and recruiting key AAU teammate

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — TJ Robinson needed to meditate.

The lone current Louisville men's basketball commit in the 2024 recruiting cycle kicked off the Nike EYBL Peach Jam with a couple of games to forget. He scored a combined 20 points on 6-for-22 shooting (2 for 10 from 3-point range), turned the ball over seven times and tallied just three assists in 37 minutes of run during the NJ Scholars' 1-1 start to the marquee AAU tournament.

So Robinson found solitude at the Scholars' hotel before heading to the bustling Riverview Park Activities Center for Game 3 against Team Thad and its loaded backcourt of Labaron Philon (2024) and Jasper Johnson (2025). He prayed, then reflected on what he needed to do to help his teammates.

"You can't sulk after you have one bad game, because you've got another tough game coming up," said Robinson, a three-star recruit who ranks among the top 20 point guards in his class on the 247Sports Composite. "If you keep sulking, it's going to carry on to the other game — it's going to show. I just try to keep a short-term memory about what happens."

His renewed peace of mind didn't result in a win, but Robinson had a return to form: 21 points and seven rebounds with an assist, a block and a steal in 20 minutes.

"I just came out the gate with a lot of energy, attacking from the start, not waiting for it — getting the game going early, being aggressive," the lefty out of New Jersey's Immaculate Conception School said. "I think that helped me lean into the second half. I just got hot, and my teammates kept finding me."

Having verbally pledged to play for head coach Kenny Payne at U of L last October, Robinson said he can now focus entirely on honing his craft — and doing a bit of recruiting — before making the jump to the college ranks next summer.

The 6-foot-4 guard started this year's EYBL circuit by scoring 19 points or more in six of his first eight games but cooled off considerably with only four double-digit performances over the next nine contests. He entered Peach Jam averaging 13.4 points on 33.2% shooting (29.1% from 3), with 37 assists against 34 turnovers.

"I'm getting stronger," Robinson said of his progression. "(I'm) able to shoot a little bit better, being more aggressive, attacking and getting downhill."

Robinson told The Courier Journal he is in weekly communication with the Cardinals' coaches, who stopped by the Scholars' games at Peach Jam during a live evaluation period last week. He's also trying to visit campus for a third time soon with a sought-after AAU teammate who has skyrocketed 106 spots up the 247Sports Composite in less than a year.

That would be Camden High School's Billy Richmond III, a 6-5 guard who now ranks among the top 40 players in the 2024 cycle. Pairing Robinson and Richmond would be a boon for Payne as Louisville looks to sign a second consecutive top-10 recruiting class after his first year leading his alma mater went down as the worst season in modern program history.

"(Payne's) a great guy," said Richmond, who has spoken with both the Cardinals' head coach and assistant Nolan Smith. "They've got a great coaching staff and great players coming in."

Kentucky's John Calipari and Memphis' Penny Hardaway are also hot on the trail, because Richmond's father, chicken wing mogul Billy Richmond Jr., played two seasons for the Wildcats' head coach during his stint leading the Tigers from 2000-09. Programs such as Alabama, 2023 national champion Connecticut and Kansas have offered scholarships as well.

Robinson isn't letting any of that dissuade him from selling Louisville. He walked up to Richmond during an interview at Peach Jam, wrapped an arm around his teammate's shoulder and shouted "Ls up!"

"We talk about it all the time. (Playing together at Louisville) would definitely be a great thing, to be AAU teammates and college teammates," Robinson said. "He's a great player, so that'd be fun."

It's easy to understand why the competition is stiff for Richmond's pledge after watching the guard go for 20 points on 9-for-12 shooting with five rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks in 27 minutes of the Scholars' Game 1 win at Peach Jam. Entering the tournament, he ranked among the top 15 players on the EYBL circuit in scoring (18 points per game) by converting 58% of his 2-point attempts and 25% of his shots from deep.

"His athleticism, quick first step, getting downhill, getting to the rim, finishing," Robinson said when asked what makes Richmond's game special. "He's got a good mid-range pull-up; (he's) able to block shots, rim protect, defend. He's got a long wingspan."

With the Scholars' 2-3 trip to Peach Jam ending Richmond's time on the EYBL circuit, he told reporters he plans to schedule visits with U of L, UK, Memphis, Kansas and "a couple more schools" in the coming weeks. He said he hasn't yet decided whether he wants to commit around the start of senior-year classes in September or wait until his last go-around with Camden gets closer to tip-off.

The ideal destination, he said, is "somewhere that feels like home." That's admittedly a fluid concept for someone who, after two seasons at Memphis' East High School, transferred more than 1,000 miles away to embrace a bigger stage with the likes of 2023 Kentucky signees Aaron Bradshaw and DJ Wagner.

"(Somewhere there's) great people around, somewhere I know that I can trust myself to be around — and they can trust me to be around," Richmond said. "Somewhere I feel comfortable and a good education, too."

Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @brooksHolton.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball: TJ Robinson recruiting teammate Billy Richmond