We’re getting closer and closer to basketball season in Lexington, with Mark Pope entering his first season as the new head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats. Pope didn’t have too much time to build his first roster, as he essentially built it from scratch in over a month’s time. The roster as a whole looks really promising, but one of the biggest additions to the Wildcats’ roster this season is Jaxson Robinson, who Mark Pope coached for two years during his time at BYU.
As arguably BYU’s best player, Robinson could be a major star for the Wildcats this season, and he’s someone that Pope knows really well and fits the system that the head coach has. Last season at BYU, the 6-foot-7 guard averaged 14.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game, shooting 42.6% overall and 35.4% from three-point range. A great playmaker and shot-creator, Robinson will have plenty of weapons around him to boost his numbers this season.
Robinson will need to be a huge part of this Kentucky team, and will be in determining just how good the Wildcats are this season. With the spacing of the offense, fast-pace, and the shooters that he will be surrounded with, Robinson will have a great opportunity to be a star in Lexington. With that, what could his stats per game look like this season?
Robinson will be surrounded with a lot of shooters, but he will need to be one of Kentucky’s top scorers this season, and this stat will be key for the Wildcats to be successful, especially long term, this season. He can really fill it up in a hurry, and could be a go-to player in the final minutes to get a bucket in the clutch moments.
Robinson averaged just 1.3 assists per game at BYU, but he’ll have a great opportunity at Kentucky with thinking of who he will have around him on the floor, especially with the excitement of the offensive system for Mark Pope and considering how many threes they are looking to take each game this season. The Wildcats have a lot of makers, not just shooters, so it’s no question to think Robinson’s assists numbers will take a big jump.
Robinson shouldn’t be expected to get a ton of rebounds this season, considering the height of the big men at the 4 and 5 spots. But, with his height, at 6-foot-7, his length will allow him to get a couple each game. This shouldn’t be seen as an important stat for Robinson this season, but it’s always good to contribute in every stat category.
With Robinson being a skilled playmaker and has the incredible ability to create his own shots, he’ll be a big part of Kentucky’s offense, and you should look for his stats to take a leap from last season at BYU.
