Mark Pope makes his feelings known on 22-year-old Jaxson Robinson's breakout 27-point game vs Mississippi State

Kentucky coach Mark Pope lauded fifth-year guard Jaxson Robinson following his breakout 27-point outing against Mississippi State on Saturday night at the Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Mississippi.

The 22-year-old BYU transfer dropped a season-high 27 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field (7-of-10 from the 3-point line), three rebounds and two assists, leading the No. 6-ranked Wildcats to a 95-90 win over the No. 14-ranked Bulldogs in an SEC regular-season game.

During a sit-down interview with Kentucky Sports Radio's Jack Pilgrim right after the matchup, Pope spoke exclusively of Robinson's big game. He emphasized that the young guard scored this big despite having a tough week on and off the court.

"Jax (Jaxson Robinson) is unbelievable," Pope said (2:08). "He had a really tough week. He had a lot of frustration a lot of things that he was concerned about and a lot of stress in his life from basketball off the court."

Robinson scored 16 in the first half—on four 3-pointers, a layup and two free throws—to help the Wildcats build a 49-44 advantage. He continued his torrid shooting in the second half, burying three more triples.

But the guard's most important contribution came with 1:05 remaining in the game. With Kentucky leading 91-90, he knocked down a jumper, increasing the advantage to three.

Lamont Butler then sealed the deal for the Wildcats (13-3, 2-1 in SEC) with another jumper. It was a bounce-back game for Mark Pope's men, who lost 82-69 to Georgia in their previous outing.

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Kentucky coach Mark Pope thrilled to see Jaxson Robinson pull off a breakout game against an AP Top 25 team

Kentucky coach Mark Pope expressed excitement upon seeing Jaxson Robinson bury jump shot after jump shot in the game against Mississippi State.

The veteran bench tactician said the guard disclosed what was bothering him during that tough stretch. He pledged he'd go out on the court and play his game.

"He told me this morning he's like, 'Man, I've been worried about making shots, missing shots, worried about my future, worried about all the things. I just want to go compete and go play and let all that stuff take care of itself,'" Pope said (2:40).

Mark Pope also pointed out how significant the game was for Robinson and the team. The Wildcats' victory against a ranked team on the road is a testament to Robinson's determination to put in his whole effort without worrying much about the outside distractions.

Kentucky goes back into action against No. 10 Texas A&M (13-3, 2-1 in SEC) on Tuesday in another clash of AP Top 25 teams. The Aggies are coming off a 94-88 loss to No. 5 Alabama on Saturday.