(Phillip Robles II; photo: Bernardo Malone)

A bold, black and white cross wrapped in ribbon is tattooed on the right side of Phillip Robles II’s chest. It’s impossible to miss. On the top half of the cross, the name “Tata'' is scrawled in cursive lettering. On the bottom half of the cross, the bible verse “Joshua 9:1” rests prominently.

To most, Robles’ tattoo might not look like much more than an ode to his religious faith. But to Robles, the tattoo is his motivation. It’s his reason for waking up at 5 a.m. every morning in the offseason to shoot 500 jump shots. It’s his cue to always get back up even when his shots aren’t falling. And, most importantly, it’s his reminder that his grandmother -- nicknamed “Tata” -- is always with him no matter where he is.

“Every time I go workout or I’m getting ready to prepare for a game, I just look at my chest and say a little prayer,” Robles said. “She was with me through everything. I play for her and through her.”

Tata passed away during Robles’ freshman year, never getting the opportunity to watch her grandson chase his dreams in high school and beyond. Three years since her passing, though, there’s no doubt she would be proud of the person and basketball player that Robles has become.

As the second-leading scorer on a South Bend Riley team that oozes experience and talent, Robles, a senior guard, has steadily made a name for himself. Though, with Notre Dame commit and backcourt mate Blake Wesley commanding much of the attention, it’s the lesser-heralded contributions of Robles and others that have helped the Wildcats (13-5, 7-2) be so successful this season.

“He’s a kid that just kept coming,” Riley head coach Alex Daniel said. “He struggled a little bit at the start of the season, but he just kept on practicing, kept putting in the work, kept doing what he needed to do in order to help this team.”

For the fourth time in four years under four different head coaches, Robles had to familiarize himself with an entirely new system this season, and the learning curve was a bit steep initially. In the Wildcats’ first nine games of the season Robles scored in double figures just twice. Fortunately for Riley, Wesley took over as a one-man wrecking crew while Robles worked to fight through his struggles.

Then, as the calendar turned to 2021, Robles seemingly regained his mojo, his confidence and his shooting stroke. Since January 8, Robles has scored in double figures in all nine of Riley’s games, including four 20-point outbursts. 

A sense of togetherness, Robles said, has largely contributed to his and the Wildcats recent success -- which included a six-game win streak before losing to Glenn last Tuesday.

“I feel this year we’ve come together more as a team, whereas last year we were kind of separated a little bit,” Robles said. “It’s more of a brotherhood this year.”

That brotherhood has set the Wildcats up for a potentially deep IHSAA tournament run in March. But until then, Robles knows he has so much more to offer and improve.

Standing at 5-foot-11 with a lean and wiry frame, opposing teams don’t often give Robles the same amount of attention or hard-nosed, smash-mouth defense that Wesley faces on a nightly basis. Usually that works in Robles’ favor, however, as his strong perimeter shooting and spot-up abilities have turned him into one of Class 4A’s best kept secrets. 

The role of “sidekick,” as he likes to call himself, is hardly anything new, though. The list of star-studded teammates dating back to middle school that Robles has played with is extensive: JR Konieczny, Jaden Ivey, Blake Wesley, Demarcus Vaughn, Javon Small, just to name a few. 

For Robles, scoring the most points or taking the most shots isn’t what matters to him, if it did he wouldn't have chosen to team up with the state’s best players year after year. Instead, the allure of learning from and playing alongside top players was simply too good to pass up. And so far, his competitiveness is starting to pay dividends.

“That’s one of the things that stuck out to me (when I first got to South Bend Riley), just his work ethic and his ability to get through tough times,” Daniel said.

Long-term, that work ethic will inevitably be crucial, especially given the ambitious future Robles has set forth for himself. Next season he’ll likely take a post-graduate year and try to parlay a successful fifth season into scholarship offers. Beyond basketball, Robles is thinking big, too. Medical school and studying to become a neurosurgeon is a potential dream of his.

No matter where his basketball career or education takes him, Robles knows Tata is watching over. In fact, to commemorate Tata even more, Robles is planning to add to the tattoo on his chest. Symbols of Puerto Rico where his family’s roots dig deep, Robles said, is next on the docket.

So when the going gets tough or his shots aren’t falling, Robles can look at his chest. First to the cross that gives him strength and power, then to “Tata” who gives him motivation and encouragement, and finally to “Joshua 9:1” which in the bible reads, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”