NBA green or a new shade of blue? BYU’s Jaxson Robinson finally announces his decision

He waited until the final hour, but Jaxson Robison made his decision.

The sixth man of the year in the Big 12 is leaving BYU and heading to Kentucky.

Robinson put his name in the NBA draft process but decided to go back to college, making his decision known Thursday morning.

Robinson will follow former BYU head coach Mark Pope and assistant Cody Fueger to Lexington. Both Fueger and Pope helped Robinson become an NBA prospect when they recruited him to Provo in 2022.

Two years ago, Robinson was looking for his third school after stops at Arkansas and Texas A&M did not work out. Pope was changing offensive systems — to a five-out, 3-point heavy focus — and saw Robinson as a long, 3-point shooter who could create his own shot.

His first year in Provo, Robinson averaged over eight points a game and shot 38% from the field. By year two, Robinson was BYU’s best player, scoring almost 15 points off the bench. He led BYU to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in three years.

By the end of last season, it was largely expected that Robinson would not return to BYU. He would either enter the draft or look to transfer. Robinson went through the NBA draft combine earlier this month.

As of now, Robinson is the second BYU player to follow Pope to Kentucky. Prized recruit Collin Chandler also flipped his commitment from BYU to the Wildcats. Chandler never played in a game at BYU and will start his college career after a two-year Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints mission this summer.

Pope recruited two other BYU players but did not get them to sign. Aly Khalifa ended up going to Louisville. Richie Saunders ended up staying in Provo.

Now that Robinson is out, new BYU coach Kevin Young will still have a few scholarships to work with to fill out his 2024 roster. The biggest need at the moment is more front court depth to go along with Keba Keita and Fousseyni Traore.