Rob Wright III certainly knows how to make a dramatic decision in the transfer portal. After announcing he would enter the portal to potentially leave the Cougars, Wright has now pulled a complete 180 after a visit to Lexington and is deciding to stay in Provo for another season, according to CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein.
After a botched visit to Lexington, BYU fans can probably hear Kentucky fans crying all the way in Utah as Wright was one player Wildcats head coach Mark Pope was seriously pursuing in the portal. Instead, BYU fans get the last laugh at Pope, who ditched the Cougars a year ago for the Kentucky job, and get to watch Wright ball out in a Cougar uniform for another season.
Sources: Rob Wright is returning to BYU next season.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 15, 2026
Rob Wright bigs BYU fans a scare in the transfer portal, but returns home
When Wright entered the transfer portal, he immediately became the No. 1 point guard available, and while many teams showed interest, it quickly came down to either heading across the country to Kentucky or sticking with the Cougars for another season.
Give Mark Pope credit, he certainly went all in on Wright, first with a visit to Atlanta, and then welcoming him to Lexington. It seemed like it was a done deal for Kentucky to land the coveted BYU point guard, but something shifted after Wright left the visit on Tuesday, and less than 24 hours later, he has made the decision to stay in Provo.
Wright, in his first season with BYU, averaged a stellar 18.1 points per game this season, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists. The talented guard handled the ball extremely well for the Cougars this season, working on getting the ball in the hands of elite scorers like AJ Dybantsa, but also being able to finish his shots as well.
With Dybantsa heading to the NBA, having Wright back on the court is huge for the Cougars' building for next season. Sorry, Mark Pope, but Wright is staying put in Provo, maybe something he should have done a year ago.
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