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SALT LAKE CITY — With 5:06 remaining against Fresno State, BYU wing Jaxson Robinson finished off a possession from Richie Saunders and Trevin Knell by knocking down his sixth 3-pointer from the right elbow to give the Cougars a 79-48 lead — the sixth time in seven games that BYU has led by at least 30 points against an opponent.
Starting is nice, but making plays like that can be even better for the former Arkansas transfer now in his second season at BYU.
The 6-foot-7 senior from Ada, Oklahoma, has reset his career high in back-to-back games — including 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting in 25 minutes to go along with two rebounds, two assists and three steals against the Bulldogs. Most around the program agree that Noah Waterman has been the breakout MVP for No. 19 BYU during its 7-0 start, but Robinson is averaging a team-high 16.6 points per game to lead one of the top reserve units in college basketball.
Plenty of basketball players want to start, but for Robinson, winning is the ultimate prize.
"I'm just focusing on what I can control," Robinson said earlier this week before departing for Salt Lake City for BYU's 23rd win at the Delta Center in 28 visits. "My minutes are something I can only partially control, but for the most part, it's up to the coaches. So I'm just making sure when I get into the game, I'm utilizing the time that I have, make winning plays, and make sure that we are winning."
Led by Robinson and Saunders' 9.9 points per game from the second unit, the Cougars rank second nationally in bench points per game at 40.0 points per game. That's in addition to the top scoring margin (+31), No. 2 rebounding margin (+16) and most 3-point makes per game (12.7) while maintaining a top-10 scoring offense for the team ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time in over two years.
Just as impressive has been BYU's commitment to defense, where KenPom's No. 6 overall team ranks No. 13 in adjusted defensive efficiency. Robinson plays a key role there, too, using his 6-foot-7 length to tip passes and disrupt passing lanes.
"I don't know if we're ever where we want to be, but (assistant coach Kahil) Fennell is helping the defensive side do something we haven't done in our four years here, and that's to throw a bunch of changing defenses in there," BYU coach Mark Pope said after the team's win over Fresno State. "I thought he did a masterful job tonight and that our guys did a masterful job of responding to the changes. We threw three different full-court presses out there tonight and a zone out there for a few possessions, and it was really effective. Our team could not have responded to changes in real time last year. These guys have come so far, and the best thing we have going right now is our guys' elite communication."
Despite not being part of the starting five, Robinson has finished in double figures six times in seven games, his only single-digit outing coming in BYU's 77-49 rout of Arizona State in Las Vegas when the wing guard had 8 points in 19 minutes.
But that's part of the depth of this BYU team, which boasts five players averaging double-figure scoring after Spencer Johnson's career-high 22 against Fresno, and two more in Saunders and Dallin Hall averaging more than 9 points per game.
There are simply too many scoring threats to track, and Robinson has benefitted as much as anyone.
"This team is super deep," he said. "We have so many different options, offensively and defensively. We have a lot of different schemes that we can throw. This group is well connected, so I think that's what really makes a big difference from last year's team, and we're seeing that out on the court."
A year ago, Robinson was a newcomer to Provo trying to find his place in Pope's system, as well as in a new locale and the unique university owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Those adjustments may partially help explain the Cougars' 19-15 overall record, including a 7-9 mark in the program's final season in the West Coast Conference. But Robinson grew up in a big way down the stretch, including dropping 13 points and eight rebounds in a 73-63 WCC Tournament win over Loyola Marymount before scoring just 2 points on 1-of-4 shooting in a 76-69 season-ending loss to Saint Mary's.
Robinson, who was listed as a sophomore when he transferred to BYU after spending time at Texas A&M (2020-21) and Arkansas (2021-22), started 30 of 33 games in his first year with the Cougars and made a team-high 61 3-pointers.
But a full offseason and a summer trip to Croatia and Italy has taught Robinson more about playing within this team, when the Cougars' overseas adventure require leaving wives and girlfriends at home, and (sometimes) turning off the cellphone.
"Trust came from playing with each other for a year, and getting experience with each other," Robinson said. "That's something this summer that was super big for us as a team, getting to really connect; it's showing. Everybody wants to see everybody win, and it's working out."
