Jaxson Robinson injury update: Mark Pope reveals status of Kentucky guard vs. Tennessee

Jaxson Robinson is expected to miss No. 15 Kentucky‘s matchup against No. 5 Tennessee on Tuesday night, head coach Mark Pope revealed.

Robinson was injured during Friday’s practice ahead of the win against South Carolina. He was a game-time decision for the Wildcats, but ultimately played. Before the 80-57 win, Pope said that Robinson had a “brutal collision” and may force him out of Tuesday’s matchup.

He finished Saturday’s game with six points on 2 of 8 shooting while also dishing out four assists and hauling in five rebounds during the matchup. His scoring total was well below his season average of 13.3.

This continues a trend for the Wildcats during Pope’s first season at the helm of the Kentucky program. He lost fellow guard Kerr Kriisa hasn’t played in over two months since injuring his foot against Gonzaga on Dec. 7. He was an ever-present spark off the bench of the Wildcats during the first month of the season, and will be missing him again on Tuesday when they take on Tennessee.

On Saturday, Kentucky saw the return of guard Lamont Butler, who had previously missed multiple games games with injury. UK’s starting point guard played 23 minutes while scoring eight points and three assists during the winning effort. Despite falling under his season average in both categories, Kentucky head coach Mark Pope believes his veteran point guard played a pivotal role during the win.

“It very much helped us having [Butler] back,” Pope told the media after the win. “Just his presence — we just taped him up and rolled him out there. His presence really helped us, for sure.”

Pope’s description leads to the belief that Butler still may not be 100% at this point. However, with Robinson expected to be out of the picture, Kentucky may need to call on Butler to step up in his absence against Tennessee on Tuesday night.

It’s worth noting that UK big man Andrew Carr has seen his minutes stay limited as he deals with his back issues. That means Kentucky’s two true freshmen guards Travis Perry and Trent Noah could also see extended playing time vs. the Vols as well.

Tip-off between the Volunteers and Wildcats is set for 7 p.m. ET live from inside Rupp Arena. The game will air live on ESPN.

Kentucky defeated Tennessee 78-73 in their first matchup of the season last month in Knoxville.