Daniel Hughes (@hooplove215) &

Ari Rosenfeld (@realA_rosenfeld)

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All it took for Nick Robinson to fall in love with the city of Philadelphia was a trip to Reading Terminal Market.

The sights and scents of the famous market on 12th Street has enticed countless customers since 1892, and Robinson was no exception.

“I had lobster macaroni and 4th Street Cookies,” Robinson said. “It was just amazing."

It was more than just an authentic Philly dining experience that led the 6-foot-5, 190-pound wing out of Kenwood Academy (Ill.) to ultimately choose to come to Saint Joseph’s, as he committed to become a Hawk on Wednesday afternoon.

But it certainly didn’t hurt.

A key factor in Robinson’s decision was his relationship with Hawks head coach Phil Martelli, which he says has grown very strong throughout his recruitment.

“(Martelli) kept it 100 percent honest with me during the whole process,” Robinson said. “If I ever ask a question he’ll answer it.”

And Robinson had lots of questions about St. Joe’s.

“I didn’t know anything about St. Joe’s, I had to do my research,” Robinson said, “I knew about Jameer Nelson, but that’s it.”

However, after watching the schools' run through the Atlantic 10 championship, and their NCAA tournament games against Cincinnati and Oregon, Robinson decided that his style of play would be a perfect fit for the Hawks.

“The best part of my offense is slashing, getting to the cup,” Robinson said. “Also I stretch the floor.”

Playing-style is important to Robinson, who originally committed to Indiana State, then de-committed midway through his high school season after foreseeing a not-so-perfect fit with the Sycamores.

“I didn’t feel like the style of play of Indiana State was really gonna fit with me,” Robinson said, “I felt like I rushed into my decision.”

Saint Joseph’s quickly took up an interest in Robinson, and several assistant coaches went to Illinois to watch him play for Kenwood Academy.

Martelli finally made the trek out for the Chicago City Championship, when Kenwood played Simeon for the city title. According to Robinson, he received a scholarship offer afterwards.

Robinson was also sold on Martelli’s long track record with St. Joe’s, and the stability he brought to the program.

“I found out he had been there for 21 years,” Robinson said. “That’s really important because i know he’s gonna be there while I’m there.”

The trip downtown to Reading Terminal also reminded Robinson of his native Chicago.

“I feel like Philadelphia is similar to Chicago in some ways,” he said. “It’s not like I can’t deal with harsh winters either, so it’ll be an easy transition.”

Robinson should bring a nice blend of size and athleticism to the perimeter, especially alongside fellow 2016 commit and former George Washington (Pa.) star Charlie Brown.

That perimeter duo joins power forward Gerald Blount to comprise head coach Phil Martelli's current recruiting class. The Hawks have two scholarships remaining for next season, and are currently known to be targeting another Illinois prospect, forward Lorenzo Edwards, as well as Scotland Performance Institute (Pa.) center Chieckna Dembele.

Together they will try to help fill the hole left by former Hawks standout DeAndre' Bembry.

Bembry recently announced his decision to skip his senior year on City Ave and enter the NBA draft. However, his outstanding progression on the court during his time at St. Joe’s has not gone unnoticed by Robinson.

“I feel that they develop players great because DeAndre Bembry’s rank in college was like 250, now he’s predicted to be a first round draft pick,” Robinson said. “That shows a lot.”

Meanwhile this summer Robinson will be hard at work developing his game before arriving on Campus in the fall.

“I’m working on everything, from handling the ball, to defense, to being more conditioned,” Robinson said. “I’m really just working on everything trying to be a well-rounded player at the next level.”

For Robinson, how much court-time he sees will be under his control.

“As far as playing time, that’s all up to me,” he said. “That depends on the amount of work that I put in.”