The Big 12’s Sixth Man of the Year will officially accompany Mark Pope to Lexington.
New Kentucky head coach Mark Pope’s highest scorer from last season at BYU is joining him to Lexington.
BYU Transfer Jaxson Robinson has withdrew from the NBA draft and signed with Kentucky.
“Jaxson Robinson has been one of the most improved players in the country for two straight years and is barely scratching the surface of his potential,” Pope stated in a press release. “His growth trajectory is phenomenal. He is an excellent shooter, is becoming more dangerous off the dribble and at the rim, and has the potential to be a major playmaker. Jaxson guards with length and balance, and he knows the importance of developing great relationships with his teammates. On a personal level, I’m thrilled to be able to end his college career alongside him in quest of Kentucky’s eighth national championship.”
Robinson, a 6-foot-7 guard and the 2023-24 Big 12 sixth man of the year, has one year of NCAA eligibility left.
Robinson, a native of Ada, Oklahoma, signed with Texas A&M as a four-star prospect in the 2020 class. He appeared in 14 games and four starts for the Aggies, averaging 2.1 points and 1.1 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per game.
Before the 2021-22 season, Robinson entered the transfer portal and joined Eric Musselman at Arkansas. In his one season with the Razorbacks, he appeared in 16 games and started four, averaging 10.2 minutes per game. He averaged 3.4 points and 1.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 38.0 percent from the field and 32.6 percent from three.
After one season with the Hogs, he re-entered the portal and joined Pope at BYU.
Robinson appeared in all 33 games, starting 30 of them, and averaged 28.1 minutes per game in his Cougars debut season in 2022-23. He averaged 8.5 points per game, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, shooting 38.6 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from three.
The previous season was his best ever.
Robinson was named Big 12 sixth-man of the year after starting only six games and averaging 26.4 minutes of playing time. He led the team in scoring with 14.2 points per game, shooting 42.6 percent from the field, 35.4 percent from three, and 90.8 percent from the free throw line. He averaged 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.
The 6-foot-7 guard scored a season-high 28 points in a win over Denver, 25 points on 5-for-11 shooting in the Cougars’ NCAA Tournament loss to Duquesne, and 18 points on 4-for-9 from three in the team’s surprise road win against then-ranked No. 7 Kansas.
He is the 36th best player on the transfer platform, according to 247sports’ transfer rankings, and the eighth best small forward.
Robinson is Kentucky’s ninth transfer portal addition of the offseason, joining Amari Williams (Drexel), Lamont Butler (San Diego State), Otega Oweh (Oklahoma), Andrew Carr (Wake Forest), Brandon Garrison (Oklahoma State), Koby Brea (Dayton), Kerr Kriisa (West Virginia), and Ansley Almonor (Fairleigh Dickinson), and the team has also signed three incoming freshmen in Travis Perry, Collin Chandler, and Trent Noah.
The UK has only one open scholarship seat left.
