BYU sophomore Robert Wright III, the best point guard in the transfer portal, plans to return to the Cougars next season, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.
Wright visited Kentucky earlier this week but has opted to head back to Provo instead of transfer.
A third-team All-Big 12 selection, Wright was one of the most electric point guards in the country this past season. He averaged 18.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists, shooting 41% from 3-point range.
Wright had five games of at least 25 points in Big 12 play, including back-to-back games in February against Baylor (30 points) and Colorado (39 points). He also hit the game-winning shot against Clemson in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden in December, making a 3-pointer at the buzzer to complete a 22-point comeback win.
A Delaware native, Wright averaged 11.5 points and 4.2 assists as a freshman at Baylor.
His return is a massive boost for BYU coach Kevin Young, who is expected to lose AJ Dybantsa, the nation’s leading scorer and potential No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, and Richie Saunders, an All-Big 12 pick and one of the all-time greats in program history.
The Cougars are replacing the outgoing stars with top-10 recruit Bruce Branch III and Kentucky transfer Collin Chandler, who once committed to BYU out of high school before following coach Mark Pope to Lexington. Chandler is considered a top-50 transfer in ESPN’s transfer rankings. They also landed Syracuse transfer Tyler Betsey, who averaged 6.7 points this past season.
