The road to success is not straight.
Raheim Robinson's basketball odyssey might soon be proof of that. At 6-feet-1 and a knack for scoring in clusters when he catches the hot hand, the acrobatic CT-bred guard is known for his spurt-ability.
Bolstered by the strength to sustain a quick personal surge, the kid they call "Radio Raheim" has the potential to emerge into an unheralded scoring threat.
Robinson has bounced around at the rate of a pinball. His campus to campus journey included stops on North Carolina's Prep circuit and Finger Lakes Community in upstate New York.
Now, at 20, Robinson is left with a reality most young men in a similar situation are faced with: Should the Hartford native continue to pursue the NCAA route, go NAIA, or follow the long green paper trail overseas?
‘While education is a significant focus of his, Robinson said escaping Hartford for good has become priority No.1.
"There's a lot of violence, there's a lot of murder," said Robinson, who lost his brother to gun violence.>> "Losing people to senseless violence, it's not an easy process. I'm my mother's only son now. I want to make it out. It's my motivation to get out and build a better life for myself.
The shootings, the uptick in gang violence each summer, and the drug-addled residents and pan-handlers has made Robinson realize just how much he needs to get out.
" Don't get me wrong, I love where I'm from," Robinson said. "Guys like Marcus Camby and Kuran Iverson have shown what's there for you if you make it out of here, so it's become my motivation to get out and get out for good. I want to build a better life for my mother and myself and make it so that I really don't have to look back no more."
Robinson rattled off Delaware State, Montana State, St. Peter's, and Quinnipiac as programs currently expressing interest in him. As a high scoring guard stoked with confidence and 'sneaky bounce,' Robinson is fueled by a desire to prove himself and quit waiting in the wings.
If the prospect of going overseas does present itself, however, Robinson said he'd have to weigh his options. While it would be tough to acclimatize to a new country, a new language, and also take care of his nephew, Robinson acknowledged that money plays a powerful role in the process.
If the right opportunity comes across, he could take an increasingly popular route and forgo the NCAA process for a professional career.
If the right opportunity comes across, he could take an increasingly popular route and forgo the NCAA process for a professional career.
"It really all depends on the opportunity," said Robinson, who erupted for 44 points against Rockville and turned in a 54-point scoring spree while at Stillwater Christian (NC).
"He's just a natural scorer," said Tim Spikes, a longtime opponent from Meriden, Conn. who played against Robinson in high school and on the prep circuit.
"He's just a guy that goes out and gets buckets. He averaged 25 per game while he was at Buckley High (Hartford) and he's just taken that scoring mentality with him where he has been ever since."
As an under the radar prospect who took a longer road, he has the attributes to etch a name for himself when least expected. Over the years, Robinson said he's invested the most focus into his playmaking.
"Creating for myself and others has really been my sole focus, like the primary part of my game which I identify with.”