Mark Pope gives statement on adding Jaxson Robinson to Kentucky roster

On Thursday, former BYU guard Jaxson Robinson committed to Kentucky, via the NCAA Transfer Portal. Now, the move is official. On Friday, Kentucky officially announced Robinson’s signing, supplemented with comments from head coach Mark Pope.

“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 said. “His growth trajectory is incredible. He is an elite level shooter, is increasingly dangerous off the bounce and at the rim and has the potential to become a big-time playmaker.

“Jaxson guards with length and balance and understands how important it is to build strong relationships with his teammates. On a personal level, I’m so excited I get to finish his college journey with him in pursuit of Kentucky’s ninth national championship.”

In the 2023-24 season, Robinson averaged a team-high 14.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. Further, the 6-foot-7 senior shot 42.6% from the field, 35.4% from deep (6.9 attempts per game) and 90.8% from the free throw line.

For his efforts, Robinson was named the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year. In BYU’s season-ending loss to Duquesne in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Robinson exploded for a game-high 25 points while shooting 5-11 from beyond the arc.

Robinson’s decision to commit to Kentucky was delayed by the 2024 NBA Draft. Robinson went through the draft process, receiving several projections to be a late second round pick. Nonetheless, Robinson ultimately decided to return to college for another season and further build his NBA draft stock.

Robinson is the ninth player Kentucky has added via the NCAA Transfer Portal. He is joined by 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).

Robinson began his career at Texas A&M, where he played in 14 games and made four starts for the Aggies. Ahead of his sophomore season, Robinson transferred to Arkansas, where he averaged 3.4 points per game in 16 appearances.

He joined Pope and BYU ahead of the 2022-23 season. Now, he will reunite with Pope in Lexington, Kentucky, as the pair embark on a new journey. The 2024-25 season will be Jackson’s fifth and final at the collegiate level.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. 

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.