Pitt's James Robinson And Team USA Cruise To Under-18 Basketball Gold Medal

While most incoming freshmen are gearing up to play at their new schools, Pitt recruit James Robinson participated on Team USA's Under-18 men's basketball team. The experience was a positive one, and Robinson will be rewarded with a gold medal after Team USA defeated Brazil on Wednesday night, 81-56, in the final of the FIBA Americas tournament. The U.S. actually faced Brazil twice in the event.

Team USA had little trouble in the tournament, winning by an average margin of nearly 40 points a game. The team's biggest threat came against Brazil in their first game against the team in a preliminary round contest. In that matchup, the U.S. won by 'only' 19.

Pitt's James Robinson had modest numbers in the tournament. Over the five games, Robinson did get his share of time, though, playing nearly 16 minutes a contest. For the tournament, he averaged 4.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. Despite the low totals, though, Pitt fans should remember that he was playing on a team of all-stars and that opportunities to shine were somewhat limited.

Two extremely encouraging things were the way Robinson played at both ends of the floor. On offense, while he didn't take a large amount of shots, Robinson was extremely efficient. The guard made eight of his 17 shots, shooting 47 percent from the field. On the defensive end, Robinson also racked up seven steals, averaging more than one per game.

Also, playing in the tournament was great experience for him. Robinson held his own against some of the best players his own age around the world. In addition, between the training camp and the actual games he played, he'll come onto Pitt's campus with a significant amount of experience.

For more on Robinson and Pitt basketball, check out SB Nation's Pitt blog, Cardiac Hill.