The Kentucky Wildcats’ chances of making a deep run in the postseason took a significant hit on Saturday, as head coach Mark Pope confirmed that star guard Jaxson Robinson will undergo season-ending surgery on his wrist injury.
Robinson, the team’s second-leading scorer, had missed time due to the injury but returned to the court briefly on February 26 against Oklahoma. However, he was not available for the Wildcats’ 94-78 loss to No. 1 Auburn on Saturday.
According to Pope, the final decision on Robinson’s season came on Friday night, and the head coach revealed that Robinson will undergo surgery on his wrist on Wednesday.
“We came to the final conclusion last night. Jaxson Robinson is going to get surgery. He’s going to get it on Wednesday,” Pope said.
The loss of Robinson is a devastating blow to the Wildcats, who are now .500 in the SEC at 8-8 overall. Robinson started 24 games for the Wildcats this season, averaging 13 points per game and shooting 37.6% from beyond the arc.
Kentucky will now have to find a way to replace Robinson’s production, which will be no easy task. The Wildcats still have the SEC Tournament and a potential spot in the NCAA Tournament to look forward to, but the loss of Robinson’s scoring and shooting ability will be deeply felt.
As the Wildcats look to regroup and refocus, they will have to rely on other players to step up and fill the void left by Robinson’s injury. It remains to be seen how the team will respond to this significant setback.
