Kentucky basketball rumors: Rob Wight’s BYU decision may have cost Wildcats 2 transfer portal stars

A pair of missed opportunities in the transfer portal has left the Kentucky Wildcats and head coach Mark Pope without two potential point guard additions.

Kentucky prioritized Robert Wright III as its primary point guard target. However, the BYU guard ultimately chose to return to the Cougars, ending a recruitment in which the Wildcats had invested heavily, including a campus visit that reportedly did not meet expectations.

While Kentucky couldn’t secure Wright, they also lost a potential impact scorer in Georgia transfer Jeremiah Wilkinson, Field of 68 insider Jeff Goodman reported Wednesday. As the Wildcats were waiting on Wright, Wilkinson instead chose to stay in the SEC and commit to Arkansas, resulting in Kentucky losing two priority targets in the same window.

Despite the setbacks, the Wildcats rebounded by securing a commitment from Washington transfer Zoom Diallo on Wednesday. The 6-foot-4 sophomore guard brings strong production, averaging 15.7 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.9 rebounds across 33 games (29 starts) this past season while playing 29.6 minutes per game. He shot 48.9% from the field and 31.5% from three-point range, ranking among the Big Ten’s top 10 in both assists per game and field goal percentage. He also led the Huskies in assists and ranked second in scoring.

Over two seasons at Washington, Diallo appeared in 64 games (51 starts), averaging 13.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. He was ranked as high as No. 26 in the transfer portal by 247Sports and No. 37 by On3, and entered college as the No. 42 overall recruit and a McDonald’s All-American.

As Kentucky continues to assess its backcourt needs, Colgate transfer Jalen Cox has surfaced as a potential target who will soon take a visit. The 6’3 point guard averaged 17.9 points, 5.3 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game, shooting 52.1% from the field and 36.5% from long range.

Cox offers a well-rounded skill set, contributing on both offense and defense. His two-way ability could make him an ideal backup to Diallo, giving Kentucky stability and depth at point guard.

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