In NCAA Tournament loss, BYU's Robinson caught fire; now he has a tough decision to make

OMAHA, Neb. — Jaxson Robinson left the locker room and caught himself on the side of the wall at the CHI Health Center, visibly frustrated before he headed to the postgame press area with teammate Spencer Johnson and head coach Mark Pope.

The 6-foot-7 senior from Ada, Oklahoma, had just dropped 25 points, including five 3-pointers, in the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, the Cougars' first trip in three years.

But the effort came in a 71-67 loss to Duquesne, as the 11th-seeded Dukes held BYU to just 38.6% shooting and 33.3% from 3-point range.

BYU has plenty of regrets from its upset loss to the A-10 champions who won a ninth consecutive game: poor overall shooting or a 3-of-10 second-half shooting percentage from the perimeter.

But one stat stands out: Robinson didn't touch the ball for the final 5 minutes, 9 seconds, when he cut the Cougars' deficit to one, 55-54 with his fifth trey. Even then, he didn't blame his teammates.

In fact, the one who sat next to him Thursday afternoon — whose senior season really is his last after a meandering collegiate career that included stops at Weber State, Utah Valley and Salt Lake Community College — was the subject of his praises.

"Speaking specifically for this dude right here, I mean, he's my brother," Robinson said of Johnson. "He's the ultimate leader. He's led this team the whole season. And we wouldn't want anybody else to do it. I can speak for everybody in the locker room when I say that.

"Coach Pope has been a great coach. He's helped me so much, mentored me. I couldn't be here without him. He took a chance on me, and I'm forever in debt for that."

If Thursday's physical, frustrating and gut-wrenching loss in the first round for the Cougars' third time in 10 years was Robinson's final game in a BYU uniform, then what a way to go out.

The two-time transfer from Texas A&M and Arkansas shot 8-of-15 from the field, 5-of-11 from deep and added four free throws with a pair of rebounds, an assist in 34 minutes off the bench to help BYU overcome double-digit deficits twice in an attempted rally against the Dukes (25-11).

"He can shoot it," BYU point guard Dallin Hall said. "When he's aggressive and attacking, no one can stop it."

But the only thing that mattered to Robinson, as well as his teammates who sat stunned and shaking in a solemn locker room, was the result.

"This loss sucks," Robinson said after the Dukes' first NCAA Tournament win since 1969. "Like coach Pope said, want to be back here next year. I'm already thinking about it. But …"

Robinson paused here, not knowing what to say. He's a senior, having played four seasons at three schools, and he's set to graduate with a degree in communications in April.

He also went through the Cougars' senior night activities, receiving a blanket and being honored with his family alongside teammates Johnson and Tredyn Christensen. But Pope has always said if Robinson, who has one year of eligibility remaining due to the COVID-19 pandemic, wants to return, he'll welcome him back with open arms.

So Pope reached over and placed his arm on Robinson, an attempt to console but also (in some ways, perhaps) counsel: "We can make that happen right now," he said.

Either way, Robinson has a huge decision to make. The senior has seen his draft stock soar as he's led the Cougars with 14.2 points per game off the bench, earning Big 12 sixth man of the year honors while shooting 42.6% from the field and 35.4% from the perimeter en route to a 23-11 season, a spot in the Associated Press Top 25 for much of the year, and an NCAA Tournament appearance for just the third time in a decade.

As recently as the day before the NCAA Tournament tipoff, Robinson was rated the No. 37 prospect in this summer's NBA draft by ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

So if Thursday was his final game at BYU, his teammates will understand. And if he chooses to return, they'll be thrilled.

"Jaxson's a really good player. That's my guy," said Noah Waterman, who received a waiver from the NCAA to return for the 2024-25 season, if he chooses. "He came out and kind of took over the game. He brought us back into the game, hitting some tough shots and playing tough on the offensive end. He really got us going. That's what he does.

"I think he's an NBA guy," he added. "That's my guy; I'm supporting him, no matter where he goes. If he decides to come back here and run it back again, that would be dope. But if he decides to go to the NBA, I'll support him regardless."

Either way, Robinson has left his mark on his third program. Thursday's loss included the most points by a BYU player since Tyler Haws had 33 against Ole Miss in 2015, and his five treys are tied for the third-most in an NCAA Tournament game in program history.

He's only the eighth player in BYU history with 80 or more 3-pointers in a single season, a special player who helped a team picked to finish 13th in its first season in the Big 12 to a top-five finish and NCAA berth.

"Jax is my guy. That's my brother," Hall said. "Whatever he decides to do, I'm going to support him wholeheartedly. He's a big-time player, and an NBA guy. There are a lot of different opinions, but I know that dude can play in the league. He's got a very dynamic skillset and the ultimate competitor. He's a big-time player, and I wish him the best; hopefully things work out for him going forward. But we're always happy to have him back."

Related topics