PITTSBURGH — Andy Toole and Robert Morris scored a significant recruiting haul Monday when Plymouth, N.H., small forward Philmon Gebrewhit gave his verbal commitment to the Colonials.
Gebrewhit, a three-star recruit according to 247 Sports and Rivals, chose Robert Morris over Creighton, Rhode Island, Duquesne, Saint Bonaventure, and Canisius among others. He is the fourth member of Colonials’ 2018-19 recruiting class, joining incoming freshmen Elijah Kiah El (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Cameron Wilbon (Merrillville, Ind.) and JUCO transfer Sayveon McEwen (Shawnee Community College).
Despite being pursued by several Atlantic 10 schools, Gebrewhit said the decision to choose Robert Morris came easy.
“As soon as I got on campus at Robert Morris I just fell in love with it,” Gebrewhit said Tuesday in an interview with Pittsburgh Sports Now. “It’s not too big, not too small. I really like the coaching staff, and I really felt at home as soon as I got there. I really liked the family environment.”
Grebrewhit also cited his instant connection with Toole as another reason for finally pulling the trigger.
“Coach Toole definitely made it feel like home once I got on campus,” Grebewhit said. “I just felt a connection. I don’t know how to describe it. You know when you feel that vibe with someone? It felt so normal. I didn’t feel like I was talking to a coach.”
With leading scorer Dachon Burke set to transfer, the Colonials needed to add another scorer. The 6-foot-6 Gebrewhit is a rangy shooter who can step outside the arc but is also capable of attacking the basket.
“I feel like I’m a jack-of-all-trades. I can shoot it, pass it, defend, and I can come in and help my team get the win,” Gebrewhit said. “I’ll do whatever it takes to win.”
One northeast high school basketball talent evaluator had this to say about Grebewhit’s game:
“I’ve seen Philmon’s game improve over the years to say the least. At the high school level, he was a bucket getter when he played with confidence. He didn’t have that much help at Holderness so he kind of had to carry the load and hopefully he gained some leadership. If Robert Morris gets him to add some muscle, 10-15 pounds, gets him to know the system, and they’ve got themselves a player.”
According to our conversation with Gebrewhit, Toole anticipates a significant role for his newest commit.
“Pittsburgh is a basketball city, and getting to know Coach Toole, he let me know I can come in and be the guy,” Gebrewhit said. “I can make an impact from day one.”
“I can’t wait to get back on campus. When I get on campus, it’s right back to work. I’m ready to get there and prepare for the season with my teammates.”
