These kinds of statements are common in the current college basketball news cycle, especially with June and the NBA Draft approaching. A recent choice was made by Jackson Robinson, who declared his intention to transfer to Kentucky in addition to opting out of the NBA Draft process.
The 6’7 forward from Oklahoma started his career in the SEC, having attended Texas A&M and Arkansas for a year each despite not playing a major part in either program. Robinson was formerly ranked as a Top 100 recruit. He would become well-known after moving to BYU in 2022 and playing for Mark Pope.
Robinson, who showed potential as a junior, has finished his most successful college basketball season to date. For the Cougars, he only averaged 14.2 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, shooting 35% on average, and emerging as a key playmaker in the program’s debut Big 12 season. He became a regular starter off the bench and won the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year award as a consequence.
Robinson not only rose to the top of the BYU scoring chart, but he also played a key role in the team’s comeback campaign. The Cougars’ previous season saw them finish below.500 in their last WCC season, but they would surpass expectations in the Big 12. Robinson, who was drafted somewhere near the bottom of the league, helped lead BYU to 23 victories, a fifth-place league result, and a trip back to the NCAA Tournament.
Before posting a season-high 28 points against Denver in mid-December, Robinson was on fire early in the season, scoring 24 in a victory against NC State. He would end his career with the Cougars on a positive note, having played well in the Big 12 and scored 25 points in BYU’s shocking Big Dance defeat to Duquesne.
Every season brought about a change in Robinson’s circumstances, and the fifth will be no different. Although he was openly considering the NBA Draft, Robinson has declared that he will play one more season in college and rejoin his most recent head coach at Kentucky.
This time around, Robinson is expected to play a much larger role in the SEC and maybe play a key role for the Wildcats. With the use of the Transfer Portal, Pope was able to rebuild this team, and Robinson now plays with players like Lamont Butler, Kerr Kriisa, Amari Williams, and others.
How will he perform in a third season directed by Pope? Based on their offseason effort, Kentucky’s roster appears to be a Top 25 club, and Robinson adds another veteran presence to the mix. It remains to be seen how things develop in Lexington, but we can anticipate strong performance from Robinson with these Wildcats.
