Kentucky needed a player like Jaxson Robinson this offseason -- and to be clear, he was the only option at the position throughout the portal process that Mark Pope and the Wildcats were targeting in a major way.
Robinson, who declared for the NBA Draft and went through the process, was one of the final additions for the Kentucky Wildcats this offseason -- but, clearly a critical addition.
Robinson played two years at BYU for Pope, averaging 11.4 points per game across 66 games. He was BYU's leading scorer last season at 14.2 points per game off of the bench.
Kentucky not only needed a player like Robinson in its backcourt, it also needed someone with a veteran presence who had the experience playing for Pope. Check and check.
Robinson was the Big 12's Sixth Man of the Year this season.
In BYU's biggest wins, Robinson was a factor. He had 23 points agianst NC State, 17 points against Texas and 18 points against Kansas.
He had 25 of BYU's 67 points in its 2024 NCAA Tournament loss to Duquesne.
Despite all of that, Robinson still feels a need to prove himself.
"Yeah, 100 percent. I feel like I have a lot to prove, not only to people in the outside world but to myself. Knowing that I'm coming back to SEC for a third time," Robinson told reporters on Tuesday. "There are a lot of games I've got circled on my calendar, so I'm excited to get out there."
Robinson has also been the connecting voice for a Kentucky roster that has not only had no single player play for Mark Pope previously, but also a group that has never played together previously.
And thus far, he's playing the role of a second coach for the rest of the team.
“It’s a gift. I bumble around, saying what I’m saying and Jaxson says,' alright guys, this is what he means'. He’s a great interpreter," Pope said of Robinson. "He’s not just an interpreter of words and concepts on the court, but he will also double down and say, hey guys, this is really important. What we just heard, you’re going to hear this every day the rest of the season. He’s a really vital piece and it doesn’t hurt that he’s an NBA-caliber player.”
"It's a new area for me, being a vocal leader," Robinson said. " ... I think it's great. Especially for me, just being an introverted kid, someone who is super quiet, just being able to talk to my teammates and voice my opinion and what I see out there is really good for me and I think it keeps me locked in."
It's clear Robinson will play a critical role all throughout the 2024-25 season for Kentucky. Whether it's on the floor, in the locker room or in practice.
And as Robinson wraps up his career, was there ever another choice for Robinson when it came to returning to college ... not really, it was always Kentucky at the end of the day.
"I don't think it was a pitch," Robinson said. "I kind of already knew what I had in mind once I figured out that wasn't gonna stay in the draft anymore. I think it was a pretty easy choice for me."