We are just 24 hours away from the 2024 NBA Draft withdrawal deadline, scheduled for Wednesday, May 29 at 11:59 pm ET. It’s a crucial day for players still deciding whether to take their names and return to college or keep them and pursue their professional dreams forever.
Kentucky, as you know, is in the midst of some crucial decisions about whether to stay or go, and the Wildcats are counting the clock like the rest of us. Mark Pope and his coaching staff have banked on some talent capable of moving the needle in a postseason round or two, adding to a core group that is already seen as a contender in the SEC.
What do you need to know before that crucial deadline? Let’s delve into the 4-point game tonight.
There is no more important decision for Pope and the Wildcats than their former BYU star, who is choosing between keeping his name in the draft as a potential second-round pick or returning to school for a fifth and final season of college basketball. Kentucky and Kansas are seen as the top contenders to land his commitment in that scenario, with another run in Provo under new head coach Kevin Young also potentially on the table. It’s a two-step process that must be done in order: His career decision will come first before Wednesday’s midnight deadline, followed by a school selection if it gets to that point.
How do we see ourselves in the first part? Keynote USA has him listed as the 66th available draft pick this cycle, eight spots outside the second round. David Cobb of Keynote USA Sports lists Robinson as the fourth-best player in the draft with a stay/go decision to be made, now third following JT Toppin’s commitment to Texas Tech and his subsequent retirement. He ranks 74th overall on that Big Board. Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman ranks the BYU transfer highest among reputable intelligence-based mock drafts, ranking him 49th overall.
The second half of the second round, without being selected in the draft, seems to be the consensus heading into the final day of workouts and interviews: There will not be a jump at the end of the first or the beginning of the second as expected.
However, all it takes is one promise, especially for a graduating senior who will turn 22 in December. It is weighing that possibility against a lucrative NIL payout with a larger platform capable of boosting its stock in a late run. The schools involved don’t know anything about the lottery decision that will be made official Wednesday.
Other names to monitor
Where will Kentucky turn if Robinson keeps his name in the draft or opts to play elsewhere during his fifth season (the first scenario is considered more likely than the second)? Wildcats remain in contact with Miami standout Poplar Wooga and a visit is in the works, his father tells KSR, adding that Oregon and Arkansas will also receive trips should he retire, as expected. This comes after a visit to Villanova on May 16.
If Wildcats fail at both, 2025 five-star wing Will Riley is a player Pope would take when he’s ready to come, the Ontario native is considering a possible reclassification through 2024. Kentucky joins Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas and the NBL as finalists in his recruiting.
Other portal names remain available in case they withdraw their names from the draft before midnight Wednesday, such as Minnesota. christian camWashington State Jaylen WellsEastern Washington Cedric Coward and Arkansas’ Trevon Brazil. The international possibilities are essentially endless too, with a series of reclassification moves emerging every summer.
Robinson, Poplar and Riley are the core trio, but it’s hard to imagine a scenario where Pope comes up empty-handed in his search for a top-scoring threat with so many other options available.
Trio of Wildcats officially retire
It wasn’t a surprise, but peace of mind is always appreciated: Three different Kentucky signees withdrew from the 2024 NBA Draft and returned to school to suit up for the Wildcats in 2024-25.
drexel transfer Amari Williams was the first off the board, while San Diego State Lamont butler and Wake Forest andres carr going consecutively from there. All three are valuable additions for Pope in Lexington; the first duo is considered one of the best defenders the portal had to offer this cycle, while the second is a versatile sniper in the position four.
Pope had this to say about the three after their respective signings:
- Williams: “He is bringing a great presence to the game and will serve as a rim protector and rebounder. “Amari is a talented defensive player who can switch to any position, from one to five, which will add security to how everyone else on the court feels.”
- Butler: “(He) is the definition of a winner. He might be the best perimeter defensive player in all of college basketball.”
- Carr: “(He) is the prototype of a college and NBA power forward. He is incredibly skilled and makes decisions at an elite level.”
Koby Brea is the only one who resists
Down three, one remaining among Wildcats signed for the 2024-25 season who tested the draft waters. Williams, Butler and Carr made their decisions known Tuesday as the Dayton sharpshooter Koby Brea He has not yet made any announcements about his plans.
The expectation is that Brea will withdraw from the draft and suit up in blue and white this year, but you never know until you know. He is still allowed to participate in workouts and interviews until midnight Wednesday, exploring the pro route thoroughly leaving no stone unturned, at least to learn what he needs to work on before his final season of college basketball. .
Among the things you don’t need to improve on? Shot, coming off a season in which he hit 49.8% of his three-point attempts with 100 hits.
“By the numbers, Koby Brea is the most efficient mid-to-senior big man in college basketball in the last decade,” Pope said. “He is the best returning shooter in college basketball next year. “Koby is a very, very dangerous man.”
It’s mostly a formality and Big Blue Nation should expect to see the human flamethrower in Lexington next season. He just has to make it official on Wednesday.
Keynote USA
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