Jaxson Robinson says he has nothing to say about Eric Musselman
How does the old saying go? If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say it at all? Jaxson Robinson is living out those words (or lack thereof) when sharing his feelings toward former Arkansas coach Eric Musselman.
The fifth-year senior started his career at Texas A&M as a 17-year-old reclassified freshman before entering the transfer portal and making the move to Fayetteville for his sophomore campaign. Looking for a bigger opportunity to prove himself, his minutes per game jumped from 9.7 to 10.2 with the same number of starts (four) and just two more games played (14 to 16).
His first year was a planned redshirt season in College Station — “Mom, dad, Jax, everybody was on board with that, and then by the time he gets to campus, it’s the pandemic, and then eventually the NCAA says that the year doesn’t count,” A&M coach Buzz Williams said of Robinson at SEC Media Day.
What was the excuse for year two in Fayetteville? The Kentucky guard didn’t make it sound like there was one. When asked what it was like playing for Musselman and if he learned anything from the experience, Robinson made it clear he had no interest in taking that trip down memory lane.
“Nah, I don’t really have anything to say about Coach Muss, to be honest,” he said.
His approach aligns with the comments he made at UK Media Day where he said he didn’t feel he was able to prove what he was capable of at either of his prior stops.
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“Experience, getting on the floor,” Robinson said of what worked under Mark Pope at BYU compared to his time at A&M and Arkansas. “… Just letting me go through the growing pains, honestly. That’s what has helped me the most. … My first two years were tough for me, not being able to see the floor and still figuring out college. … And then Coach Pope took a chance on me at BYU.”
Kentucky’s got both of his former schools on the schedule, the Wildcats taking on the Aggies on January 14, followed by John Calipari and the Razorbacks on February 1 — both inside Rupp Arena.
He didn’t say which, but he made it clear he’s got his eyes on one matchup.
“I’ve got one game definitely circled on my calendar, for sure,” Robinson told KSR last week.
Fast forward to SEC Media Day, the fifth-year senior was asked about the A&M game in particular and what he learned from his time there. Not as hostile as the Muss Bus question, but’s still got a chip on his shoulder taking on the Aggies.
“What I learned? I learned a lot. I was young, I was 17 when I got into college,” he said. “There are a lot of lessons that I learned, but I’m just excited to go out and play them. I’m looking forward to that game.”
Why not win both? That’s certainly Robinson’s plan.
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