Mark Pope had to start again in his first offseason as head coach of Kentucky after…
With all 13 scholarship players from the roster from the previous season gone due to graduation, transfers, or the NBA Draft, Mark Pope had to start over in his first offseason as head coach of Kentucky.
On April 12, Pope was formally announced as John Calipari’s replacement, and he had to race against the clock to assemble a full squad and staff.
Not only did Pope assemble the first-ever portal class that included eight transfers and ranked among the top 5 nationally according to 247Sports, but he also signed two of the best in-state prospects the Commonwealth has ever produced and one of BYU’s highest-rated recruits ever. In just seven short weeks, Pope accomplished just that. He also added Cody Fueger (BYU), Jason Hart (G League Ignite), and Alvin Brooks III to his staff.
Even with Pope’s excellent first offseason, there was still something missing from the 2024–25 roster. A big name that would guarantee the Wildcats a spot in the playoffs the next year.
Let’s introduce Jaxson Robinson.
The 2024 NBA Draft and the transfer portal were opened on April 23 and April 27, respectively, for the BYU guard and Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year. However, Robinson did not make any noise before the draft deadline of May 29 arrived.
Then, all of a sudden, Robinson announced on Thursday that he was going to Kentucky with Pope in addition to withdrawing from the NBA Draft before the deadline.
Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 commented, “Kentucky getting Jaxson Robinson is EXACTLY what Mark Pope needed.” “The ‘Cats now have a player who can go get a bucket and make a play. They are definitely a Top 25 preseason squad currently, possibly even a Top 15 squad.”
Robinson was named Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year after averaging a team-high 14.2 points as a senior this season while shooting 35.4% from 3-point range and 90.8% from the free throw line. Robinson played for Pope for the Cougars the previous two seasons. The 6-foot-7 guard scored a career-high 28 points in a victory over Denver; in the Cougars’ NCAA Tournament loss to Duquesne, he scored 25 points on five made three-pointers; and in an unexpected victory against No. 7 Kansas, he scored 18 points.
