Jaxson Robinson Named to Pair of Preseason Watch Lists
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky graduate student Jaxson Robinson collected a pair of preseason recognitions on Wednesday as the UK guard was named to the watch list for both the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Men’s College Basketball Player of the Year and the Naismith Julius Erving Award.
Presented annually to the men’s college basketball player who achieves great success on the court, the Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year is in its 57th year and has been won previously by Kentucky stars Oscar Tshiebwe (2022) and Anthony Davis (2012). The preseason watch list for the honor includes 50 players from around the country, with Robinson as one of 10 Southeastern Conference candidates.
The Julius Erving Award, named after the Naismith Hall of Famer and ABA and NBA icon, is in its 11th year and recognizes the top small forwards in Division I men’s college basketball. A total of 20 players nabbed spots on the preseason watch list, including four from the SEC.
A standout for Brigham Young University, Robinson comes to Kentucky as the 2023-24 Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year after leading Mark Pope’s Cougars in scoring at 14.2 points per game. Robinson was the first bench player in BYU program history to pace the team in scoring and did so while shooting 42.6% from the field and 35.4% from beyond the 3-point arc, all career-bests.
Robinson reached double-digit scoring in 25 of 33 games played last season, connecting on 81 3-pointers and burying at least one triple in each of the team’s final 21 games. He had a standout performance in BYU’s NCAA Tournament games against Duquesne, tallying 25 points on 8-of-15 shooting to lead all scorers.
The Ada, Oklahoma native was tabbed a third-team All-Southeastern Conference preseason pick earlier this month by the league’s media. The 6-foot-6 wing averaged 21.5 points per game during UK’s two exhibition contests following a 24-point performance against Minnesota State last night.
The Naismith Award club board will release a midseason list of 30 candidates for its Player of the Year honor, before four finalists are eventually voted on by a committee of coaches, administrators and journalists. The winner, based on player performances throughout the season, will be named in early April.
The Julius Erving Award list will narrow down to 10 players in early February, with the final five being announced in March. The award winner will be revealed at the Final Four in San Antonio.
The Wildcats will open their season on Nov. 4 inside Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. UK will play host to Wright State with the game tipping off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s basketball team, follow @KentuckyMBB on X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and on the web at UKathletics.com.
