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Mark Pope on Jaxson Robinson’s Breakthrough Against Mississippi State, “It’s The Best Part of Coaching”

Coach Mark Pope credited Robinson with a thrilling resilience following his big game against the Bulldogs on the road.

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Jaxson Robinson and Mark Pope celebrate after a win at Rupp Arena.
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While Kentucky’s road win over their 14th-ranked conference counterpart Mississippi State hoisted a number of good signs for the team going forward, the biggest standout without a doubt was the breakout performance from Jaxson Robinson.

Robinson, who went into the game averaging 11 points per, led the charge against the Bulldogs with a career-high 27 points on a scorching hot 7/10 mark from long range. Every time the Wildcats needed an answer they looked his way, and time and time again, they got one.

From early triples that held off Bulldog runs to a late pull-up jumper that helped push Kentucky’s lead out of the question, he unquestionably became “the guy” in a crucial SEC road game following the tough loss to Georgia.

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Just Go Compete

In the press conference following the win, Mark Pope had a lot to say about his small forward, who transferred from BYU last season to follow his coach to Kentucky, “It’s the best part of coaching.”

“You just see guys grow, and do things that they didn’t know if they could do in times when they didn’t know if they could do them,” he said.

“He told me this morning, he’s like, ‘I’ve been worried about making shots, missing shots, worried about my future, worried about all the things,’ and he’s like, ‘I know I just want to go compete…’ When you get a guy, a young guy, who can get himself to that place, then you see performances like tonight.”

Just two games ago, after the Florida win in Rupp Arena, Robinson stayed well after the buzzer sounded to put up some extra shots in what was then an empty building. Eventually, Pope joined him on the floor. The two shared a moment, and then a hug.

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A Special Squad

Some things are bigger than basketball; all the best players, and coaches, understand that. Kentucky’s resilience off the floor is just as impressive as their exhibition of that quality on it. Whether it be Robinson, Pope, or any one of the members of this Kentucky staff and team, you’ve got singular personalities and unstoppable hearts across the board.

And if Robinson, Brea, Almonor and others are on the brink of a breakthrough every night like they’ve each been as of late, Kentucky will be an unstoppable basketball team, too.

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Men's Basketball

Otega Oweh Declares for NBA Draft, Maintains College Eligibility

Arguably the centerpiece of last year’s team, Otega Oweh has declared for the NBA Draft… but that doesn’t mean he’s officially gone.

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Otega Oweh declares for the NBA Draft whilst maintaining his college eligibility.
Chet White | UK Athletics

Few players have taken the Big Blue Nation by storm like Otega Oweh did with his arrival this past season. A lot was new in Lexington last year, but #00 stuck out for a number of reasons; namely, his infectious energy on the court and the high odds that he was going to put an opponent on a poster on any given night.

Now, Oweh has declared for the NBA Draft. He made the announcement on social media, calling Kentucky fans the “best fans in the world.”

While this may seem dire for folks keeping tabs on next year’s roster, that last line in Oweh’s announcement is crucial: “…while maintaining my NCAA eligibility.” Essentially, Otega’s time in Lexington is far from over, at least for the time being.

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Whether or not “Tegatron” returns to Rupp will likely depend on what he hears during the draft process, and where exactly he wants to land. In the modern college basketball landscape, it’s become common practice for players to “test the waters” in the draft, just to get an idea as to where they stand with the league, before returning to college for another year of development.

Take, for example, Jaxson Robinson just last season. Before his eventual transfer to Kentucky, Robinson declared for the draft out of BYU, maintaining his eligibility, before pulling from the process in order to spend his senior year at Kentucky. It happens all the time.

While that doesn’t necessarily set Oweh’s return in stone, it at least gives the Big Blue Nation to take a breather and keep calm, as his departure is far from official. Either way, #00 is a Lexington legend whose first go-around in Kentucky blue was as memorable as anyone’s could be. The “Oweh, Oweh, Oweh” chants will go on regardless.

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Men's Basketball

Four Star Forward Visiting Kentucky Amidst Recruitment Rumors

Mark Pope is looking to close out a strong sophomore effort in the transfer portal, and this freshman guard may be the final piece.

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Four star guard Braydon Hawthorne is on a visit to Kentucky.
Braydon Hawthorne | WVU Athletics

As the transfer portal trucks on (and the NCAA races to find ways to regulate it), Mark Pope is looking to tie a bow on his already highly-ranked 2025-26′ roster. The latest potential addition becomes in the form of a freshman who, after pulling his commitment from West Virginia, will be on an official visit to Kentucky today, Wednesday, April 16.

Braydon Hawthorne, the 6’8″ forward at hand, is a lengthy, scoring wing with high upside on the offensive end. His 7’3″ wingspan opens opportunities for development on the defensive end, too – he’s an investment opportunity of the highest order. On3 currently has him at 48th on their ranking of 2025 recruits.

In addition to Kentucky and West Virginia (where Hawthorne is from), schools such as Virginia Tech, Arizona State, Marquette, Dayton, Old Dominion, Mount St. Mary’s, and more have thrown their hats into the ring, although the general consensus seems to be that Kentucky has the strongest pull/interest in the prospect for the time being.

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Whether or not that actually means he’ll be in blue and white is unfortunately unsure – as that’s how the transfer portal operates – but an in-person visit is a good indicator of mutual interest. Plus, with Kentucky “losing out” on Lamar Wilkerson, who committed to Indiana, a scoring spot in the back court remains open… and Hawthorne is a compelling candidate to fill it.

While Wildcats fans wait patiently for a potential commitment, all eyes are on Coach Cody Fueger’s X account for a trademark “boom” post.

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Men's Basketball

Brandon Garrison Announces Return To Kentucky For The 2025-26 Season

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Chet White | UK Athletics

Brandon Garrison isn’t going anywhere. 

The 6-foot-10 forward will be returning to the Kentucky Wildcats for his junior season in the 2025-26 campaign. 

Garrison took to social media first, posting a story on his personal Instagram that showed a simple graphic reading the words “I’m back.”

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Speculation and rumors have swirled around the Oklahoma native all offseason, and with the addition of Andrija Jelavic, Big Blue Nation worried that Garrison would be hitting the portal sooner than later. 

Now, with his returning announcement public, Garrison will look to assert himself in the offseason as a dominant force that deserves the starting role.

Last season, he backed up Amari Williams, coming off of the bench and averaging 5.9 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game in just 17.3 minutes a night. 

It’s unclear if he’s guaranteed anything in regards to a starting spot. However, having played a year already in Mark Pope’s system, Garrison may get a nod for the role over one of the transfer pickups. 

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Pope and the coaching staff have been publicly confident in the development of “BG” and see him as a vocal leader on and off the court. 

With a full offseason ahead where he’ll be harnessing his skill set and bettering his game in any way possible, Kentucky fans will be glad that Garrison chose to stick around another year. 

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