Former BYU guard Jaxson Robinson is transferring to Kentucky for his final season of eligibility after also exploring the NBA's pre-draft process, CBS Sports' Matt Norlander confirmed Thursday. UK will be the fourth stop in Robinson's winding collegiate journey after he began his career at Texas A&M in 2020-21 before playing one season at Arkansas and two for the Cougars.
The former four-star prospect from the Class of 2020 finally blossomed at BYU under coach Mark Pope, who is entering his first season at Kentucky. Robinson earned Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year in the 2023-24 campaign while leading the Cougars with 14.2 points per game in 26.4 minutes.
Landing Robinson gives Pope yet another veteran transfer on a roster that is nearing completion. The lanky 6-foot-7 will add a needed dose of offensive punch to UK's rotation as he reached double-digits in 25 games last season.
There isn't a single player returning from the Wildcats' 2023-24 team that was coached by John Calipari, and none of UK's current commitments played together last season. Yet, Pope should still be positioned to field a competitive team because of the combination of experience and talent UK has plucked from the portal. Robinson is the ninth inbound transfer and sixth who has already played four seasons of college basketball.
He joins Kerr Kriisa (West Virginia, Arizona), Lamont Butler (San Diego State), Koby Brea (Dayton), Andrew Carr (Wake Forest, Delaware) and Amari Williams (Drexel) in the contingent of players who will be using the extra season of eligibility provided amid the COVID-19 pandemic to suit up at UK for a fifth year.
