Eric Musselman on Jaxson Robinson’s Commitment to Kentucky: ‘He’ll be an NBA Player’
Jaxson Robinson took a long road to Kentucky. Coming from Ada, Oklahoma, Robinson made stops at Texas A&M, Arkansas, and most recently BYU before his recent commitment to UK.
USC head coach Eric Musselman coached Robinson at Arkansas during the 2021-22 season. Musselman talked with KSR+ after Robinson’s commitment to Kentucky about what Big Blue Nation can expect from the 6-foot-7 wing.
“He’ll be an NBA player,” Musselman said. “He’s got an NBA skill level right now as a shooter.”
It also helps that Robinson comes from a basketball family. His mother, Brandi Robinson-McWilliams, was an All-American at Southeastern Oklahoma State, while his aunt, Crystal Robinson, is considered by many to be the best women’s basketball player to ever come out of the state of Oklahoma.
“He’s an elite shooter and elite person with a great work ethic,” Musselman said. “He has all the ingredients and that’s why he’s gotten better each year. [Robinson] has got a work ethic, a great family foundation, comes from a basketball family, and that’s why he’s a special player. He’s grown as a player, will continue to grow, and has a bright future.”
Building His Confidence
Eric Musselman recruited Jaxson Robinson out of high school, but Robinson eventually committed to Texas A&M. By the time he transferred to Arkansas as a sophomore ahead of the 2021-22 season, Musselman was very familiar with his game.
Fast forward to this year. Musselman has seen Robinson’s confidence skyrocket. He went from being a player who played 10 minutes per game as a freshman and sophomore to the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year.
“He’s confident, and has real game experience playing for Coach [Mark] Pope, and I think that really helped him too,” Musselman said. “He’s always had a really great basketball IQ. Getting game experience, your confidence builds.”
Robinson posted a career-high 14.2 points per game during the 2023-24 season. Although he eventually decided to withdraw from the NBA Draft, Musselman believes Robinson has pro potential.
“He’s got NBA length, NBA reach, the intangibles, work ethic, basketball IQ, and all those things,” Musselman said.
‘They’re Just Getting an Exciting Player’
Kentucky has a completely new roster in 2024-25. Jaxson Robinson is expected to be a key piece to that.
“They’re just getting an exciting player,” Musselman said. “He’s a guy who can shoot with deep range and is going to really space the floor out for the other four players.”
Robinson shot a career-high 42.6 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from three last season. He’s transformed from a player who attempted 2.7 threes per game at Arkansas to 6.9 per game at BYU last season.
“He turns the game into a four-on-four game because of his ability to shoot,” Musselman said. “You can never leave him, so it takes away an extra help side defender for guys who are good dribble-drive players.”
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