Kentucky Wildcats coach Mark Pope shared details about senior Kentucky guard Jaxson Robinson’s season-ending wrist injury. Pope recounted the emotional scene in the locker room during his late-night UK HealthCare radio show on Monday.
“Man, it’s just one of the worst parts of basketball,” Mark Pope said. “Jax has worked so hard, and he’s been such a huge part of this team and was playing so well. “You only recognize how hard that was for him because we went back in the locker room, everybody’s celebrating like crazy. The celebration breaks, and then Jax just bursts into tears — inconsolable tears.
“What’s really special about him and about this team is that Jax, in his heart of hearts, knew the second he went down. He tried to go back into the game but just couldn’t really move his wrist, couldn’t catch a ball, and couldn’t do anything. The pain was pretty excruciating, so he knew before halftime.”
Robinson’s injury occurred during the game against Oklahoma. He had 7 points on 3-of-7 shooting in the first 18 minutes before the injury occurred. Mark Pope mentioned that Robinson was excited to play against the Sooners, as he was recovering well from the wrist injury sustained during practice on Feb. 10.
After a win in the final home game of the season against LSU and a senior day ceremony that celebrated the careers of departing Kentucky players, including Jaxson Robinson, coach Mark Pope reflected on the emotional toll his players endured due to Robinson’s injury.
“I think the guys are devastated for him and really sad for us because he’s such a massive part of this team,” Pope said postgame. “These guys love Jax so much. Jax loves these guys so much. It’s just hard to make sense of why he doesn’t get a chance to finish this with these guys. It’s really brutal.”
