Kentucky’s Jaxson Robinson on Watch List for Julius Erving Award
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has named Kentucky’s Jaxson Robinson to the 2025 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year watch list, per release on Wednesday. Robinson is one of 10 players across the nation on the watch list for the honor given to the top small forward in the country.
A grad transfer who followed head coach Mark Pope from BYU to Kentucky, Robinson has taken on a substantial role for the Wildcats this season. The Ada, Oklahoma native has started all 22 games for UK and is averaging 13.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game while shooting career-best percentages from both the floor (.438) and from 3-point range (.381).
Robinson has scored 20 or more points four times this season, including a season-high 27 in a road win at No. 14/13 Mississippi State. He has upped his production in league play, scoring a team-best 16.1 points per game in Southeastern Conference games, while shooting 47.9 percent from distance. Robinson has made at least three 3s in each of the last seven games and is averaging 4.4 made triples per game during that stretch. His 34 made 3s in conference play ranks first in the SEC.
The 6-foot-6 wing reached 1,000 career points for his collegiate career on Jan. 4 as Kentucky defeated previously undefeated No. 6/5 Florida, 106-100.
Fans will have the opportunity to cast their vote for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year beginning on Friday, Feb. 7 on hoophallawards.com. The top player selections from the fan vote will get an additional vote toward making the next round. In March, the Top 10 list will be narrowed to five players, before the eventual winner is chosen by the Hall of Fame’s selection committee composed of media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
Robinson has helped lead Kentucky to a 15-7 record this season, including a 6-1 mark against Associated Press Top 15 ranked opponents. The six wins against top-15 foes ties the 2002-03 Kentucky team for the most regular-season victories against top-15 opponents in school history. UK also boasts seven Quad 1 wins on the year, tied for the third most in the nation.
2025 Julius Erving Award Candidates
- Chad Baker-Mazara: Auburn
- Cooper Flagg: Duke
- Payton Sandfort: Iowa
- Jaxson Robinson: Kentucky
- Ian Jackson: North Carolina
- Jalon Moore: Oklahoma
- Ace Bailey: Rutgers
- Miles Byrd: San Diego State
- RJ Luis Jr.: St. John’s
- Liam McNeeley: UConn
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.
