By Robert Wilson
Madison Central’s Karley Robinson is only a freshman, but she plays like a junior or senior, and last week she continued to excel despite her age.
The 5-foot-6 point guard averaged 16.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 3 steals in three games.
For her outstanding week of play, Robinson has been named the Junction Deli/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Girls Basketball Player of the Week.
Robinson had 20 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds and 5 steals in a 67-33 victory over Florence Saturday and 19 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in a 47-46 victory over Brandon Friday in the BASSA Christmas Invitational at Mississippi College in Clinton. She also had 10 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals in a 61-45 loss to undefeated and defending MHSAA Class 7A state champion Tupelo Tuesday at Tupelo.
Robinson – a member of the Tatum and Wade/Mississippi Scoreboard Preseason Metro Jackson Elite 11 Team and a three-year starter – is averaging 16.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 3.9 steals for the 8-8 Lady Jaguars entering this week. She scored a career-high 27 points against defending MHSAA Class 3A state champion Belmont in the Biggersville tournament earlier this season.
“Karley is a special player,” said first-year Madison Central coach Jalessa Taylor, who came to Madison Central after four seasons at Northwest Rankin. “She has a knack for the game. Karley always makes the right basketball play. We’ve emphasized having to find a balance of scoring and facilitating. She can score on all three levels. Karley locked in on that this week and it made all the difference for our team. We’re seeing her game mature in this area. We’re seeing Karley mature as a leader and as a teammate. Her growth now will elevate her game, career at Madison Central, and prepare her for the next level. When Karley is playing like this, we will win championships now and in the future. She makes her coaches’ job easy.”
Robinson averaged 12.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3.0 steals and helped Madison Central to 19-15 record and a MHSAA Class 7A quarterfinals finish and was a second team selection on the All-Metro Jackson team last season as an eighth grader.
She had a triple double (12 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds) against 2024 MHSAA Class 7A state runner-up Germantown and had a season-high 24 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 6 steals and 1 blocked shot in a 54-38 victory over 2024 MHSAA Class 5A state runner-up Canton to stop their 11-game winning streak in the Madison County Invitational at Canton last season.
“Karley’s basketball IQ is well beyond her years,” Taylor said. “She sees the floor, makes the right basketball play, and elevates those around her. Karley can score at any level and is solid as a ball defender. She refuses to lose.”
Robinson averaged 10 points. 3.9 rebounds, 3.4 steals, and 3.0 assists, and helped Madison Central to a 18-13 record and the MHSAA Class 6A second round two years ago as a seventh grader. She was the only seventh grader in MHSAA Class 6A in Mississippi to start last year.
Robinson has offers from Southern Miss, Alcorn State, Jackson State, Alabama A&M, Tennessee-Martin, and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Robinson is the daughter of Kalvin and Tori Robinson. Kalvin graduated from Jim Hill and Alcorn State. He was an All-SWAC in football at Alcorn State. Kalvin is a member of the Alcorn Football Hall of Fame and Hall of Honors. He is a retired coach and now assistant superintendent with Madison County Schools. Tori graduated from Port Gibson High and Alcorn State. She played high school basketball for her father, Harold Liggins, and won two state championships in the early 1990s. Tori was a Golden Girl in the Alcorn band. Robinson’s brother, Korey, is a senior at Madison Central and plays football. Her grandfather, Harold Liggins, won several girls basketball state titles at Port Gibson and is a member of the Mississippi Association of Coaches Hall of Fame. Liggins also was an assistant coach with legendary Ole Miss coach Van Chancellor with the Houston Comets of the WNBA and helped Chancellor win three championships.
Mississippi Scoreboard selects a girls basketball player from Hinds, Madison, or Rankin counties each week. Coaches can nominate a player by text or call to Robert Wilson at 601.506.2276.
