The Rob Wright saga takes a turn, point guard favoring a return to BYU basketball

If everything went according to plan with Robert Wright III's official visit to the University of Kentucky, reports suggested that he would commit as soon as, well, now. The silence from Wright's camp and growing concern from UK fans suggest that BYU basketball could be officially back in the driver's seat to recapture last season's point guard.

Rob Wright snatched the soul of BYU basketball after early NIL negotiations went south, forcing the junior point guard to look elsewhere through the transfer portal.

That was a tough look, considering just weeks ago, Wright announced his intention to return to BYU, assuming the NBA didn't come calling. As a 6'1" score-first point guard, Wright's professional career may arrive sooner than later, but in the meantime, he'd be insane not to take advantage of the plentiful NIL stores from across the nation's biggest and baddest, thanks to their comparatively deep pockets.

We don't fault Rob Wright for seeking a pay raise -- any one of us would do the exact same thing if a competing company offered a heftier stack of green -- it's the way he promised to stick around in the face of such NIL opportunity before ultimately jumping ship that rubbed BYU fans the right way.

But the Cougars' point guard has yet to officially break his postseason promise, and with every passing day, the odds shift a little more in Kevin Young's favor.

In the past week, Mark Pope's team was building incredible momentum to snatch the All-Big 12 guard through the portal. With a 100% crystal ball projection to land in Lexington, Wright's destination was practically a foregone conclusion.

I suppose that would've been the scales of karma paying the debt BYU owed Kentucky for coming away with Collin Chandler.

Recent buzz suggests that Wright's Monday visit wasn't the gentle stroll through the park many had projected it to be, with several outlets reporting that Kentucky has lost the lead, and a return to Provo may be the most likely outcome after all.

This is all too reminiscent of Richie Saunders' trip to Lexington after his sophomore season in Provo. Saunders' crystal ball likewise turned 100% Kentucky as Pope lured the Cougars' glue guard from the Beehive State to feel the bluegrass out east, but we all know how that story ended, two All-Big 12 teams and NCAA Tournament appearances later.

Is Wright Provo-bound? It's too soon to say, but retaining Wright is retaining one of the best -- if not the best -- point guards in the transfer portal, and would be a massive recruiting win for Kevin Young and his BYU program desperate for a little continuity.

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