BYU wing Jaxson Robinson will remove his name from the NBA Draft and rejoin old coach Mark Pope at Kentucky. Robinson, a projected second-round pick in the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft, will pull his name out of the draft and transfer to Kentucky.
BYU Star Set To Transfer to Kentucky
Robinson previously spent his junior and senior years with BYU and will spend his fifth year of eligibility with Kentucky. Robinson reportedly pushed his draft decision to Wednesday’s midnight deadline. However, he took feedback from scouts and weighed in that he was not a lock to get selected. Therefore, Robinson decided to take his chances and use his final year of eligibility to prove himself at Rupp Arena.
A big factor in Robinson’s near-instant decision to switch from BYU to Kentucky was Kentucky’s hiring of head coach Mark Pope. Robinson transformed his game under Pope. Robinson’s shooting splits and scoring ability skyrocketed last season. He came off the bench and provided a perimeter threat with a unique combination of size. The six-foot-seven wing saw more usage than ever under Pope and won Big 12’s Sixth Man of the Year Award.
Robinson Can Impact Kentucky Heavily
Robinson’s breakout season took scouts by surprise. He was a top-100 recruit coming out of Ada (Ada, OK), but struggled for both game time and touches at Texas A&M. It took Robinson a while to get his footing, but Robinson saw a lot more game time with BYU after two transfers in two years.
He’s a six-foot-seven wiry wing with immense shooting potential. He shot 53/35/90 shooting splits, and his three-point shooting continues to improve every year. The creative freedom and usage Pope gave him in his senior year allowed him to become a high-volume shooter and wreak havoc on offense. His 25-point explosion coming off the bench in their tournament match against Duquesne and the eight threes he scored en route to a 28-point performance against Denver come to mind.
Robinson has a seven-foot-two wingspan and a max vertical leap of 34 inches. His weight — roughly 193 pounds — could present some troubles against physical bigs, but it also allows him to squeeze through crowded lanes for tough buckets.
Robinson is a significant scoring option for Kentucky. We will likely see Robinson slot in at the shooting guard position for Kentucky, taking the place of Antonio Reeves. He will partner with San Diego State transfer Lamont Butler, who will likely play as a point guard. Robinson is well acquainted with Pope’s coaching style — fast-paced offense and a lot of shots from range. We will likely see Robinson put up big numbers with BYU ahead of the upcoming 2024-25 season.
With the highly-awaited addition of Robinson, Kentucky has one of the best shooting corps in the nation. Dayton transfer Koby Brea shot 49.8% from three last season, while transfers Otega Oweh (Oklahoma), Andrew Carr (Wake Forest), and Kerr Kriisa (West Virginia), and Ansley Almonor (FDU) all shoot over 37% from three. Their ability to space the floor and consistently make shots from range will give teams headaches.
