In this special edition of the Nova Notebook, we caught up with Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, the former BIG EAST Player of the Year who is now a four year National Basketball Association veteran.
 
It's been a bit less than six years since Jeremiah Robinson-Earl first moved into a dormitory at Villanova, a McDonald's All-American from Kansas City, Kan., with an advanced set of skills as a 6-9 forward.
 
If it seems like a lot longer than that, well, there is good reason for that. In two years wearing the Blue and White, Robinson-Earl's considerable accomplishments took place in the shadow of an international pandemic. One day after he was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year in March 2020 at Madison Square Garden, the BIG EAST Tournament and NCAA Tournament were cancelled as COVID-19 shutdowns took hold.
 
As a sophomore, he helped the Wildcats advance to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 even after teammate Collin Gillespie suffered a season ending knee injury. Yet he prospered in a COVID season when fans were largely watching from home instead of packed inside Finneran Pavilion of the Wells Fargo Center.
 
"His Villanova career played out in COVID," said retired Wildcats head coach Jay Wright. "He had an NCAA Tournament cancelled and played his second season with no fans in the stands. It's not the same experience most of the guys here have had. I think that's why today is so rewarding for Jeremiah, his family, and all of us who saw how he handled those challenges that were beyond any of our control with a great attitude."
 
Indeed, May 16, 2025, represented a full circle moment for Robinson-Earl and his family. Now in his fourth season in the National Basketball Association playing for the New Orleans Pelicans, he received his diploma as part of Villanova's 2025 Commencement ceremony on a humid afternoon at Villanova Stadium.
 
"When we were recruiting Jeremiah," stated Wright, "everyone in basketball believed he would be a one and done. From the beginning, though, it was important to Jeremiah, and his mom Katie (Robinson), that there was a plan in place for him to earn his degree."
 
"Academics are important to me and my family," added Robinson-Earl a few hours ahead of the ceremony Friday, seated in the Davis Center cinema in a dress shirt and tie. "I knew I wanted to have the opportunity to get my degree and to finish school while still being able to chase my dream of playing in the NBA."
 
After focusing on basketball as a rookie with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2021-22, Robinson-Earl began his quest to complete what he had started from 2019-21 as a Wildcat student-athlete. Those online studies were completed this spring. Along the way his work impressed decisionmakers in Villanova's School of Professional Studies that he was offered the opportunity to be considered to represent the students as a speaker at the 2025 University Commencement ceremony.
 
"The (athletics) academic group that helped us while we were here did a great job with this, helping me to feel like I was still part of my classes," stated the forward who was the shared the 2020-21 BIG EAST Player of the Year award with Gillespie and Seton Hall's Sandro Mamukelashvili.
 
"We have a busy schedule in the NBA, but there's enough time to do what we want to do away from the court. This was an opportunity to take the bull by the horns and finish my degree. I couldn't have done it without my mother and my family. I'm grateful to them for being there for me through this."
 
Robinson-Earl was contacted via email to see if he would have interest in being considered for the role as a commencement speaker. He consulted with his mother and also received some advice from a Pelicans teammate, C.J. McCollum, who once had a similar opportunity to address the commencement of his alma mater, Lehigh University.
 
"C.J. is one of the more studious guys in my locker room," said Robinson-Earl. "I brought it up to him and he told me 'you have to do it.' I was excited to do something that's not in my comfort zone. I spoke at my high school graduation, but this is a little bit different."
 
Robinson-Earl drafted his speech and then presented it via Zoom to those in the Dean's office charged with making the call.
 
"I was very competitive," he stated with a smile, "and wanted to win that honor."
 
Mostly, though, Robinson-Earl feels gratitude for this opportunity.
 
"It's a really important thing to me to give this commencement speech," he said.
 
The remarks had a central theme.
 
"It's about shaping the world," he said. "Whoever you are, whatever field you are in, it doesn't matter your voice can make a difference in the world."
 
Despite the unusual elements of his time at Villanova, Robinson-Earl recalls his experience fondly.
 
"My circumstances were definitely different with COVID," he stated. "Nobody had ever experienced anything like that before. Those were crazy times. But I felt like I got everything out of Villanova. I'm grateful for the coaching staff, my teammates, and everybody that was a part of the program at that time. They helped us handle those circumstances with a great attitude. That's what we talked about every day. Being able to control the things you can control.
 
"I love Villanova. I'm grateful to be able to graduate from here and give the speech at Commencement."