Robert Wright III Spurns Kentucky and Returns to BYU After Strange Recruitment

The highly sought after point guard opted to remain with the Cougars after entering the portal

Mar 10, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; BYU Cougars guard Robert Wright III (1) brings the ball up court during the first half against the Kansas State Wildcats at T-Mobile Center. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

After all that, Robert Wright III is going nowhere.

The BYU point guard announced on Wednesday that he will be remaining with the Cougars after a recruitment that most notably included Kentucky but also had St. John’s involved at one point.

Wright III, after transferring from Baylor, averaged 18.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game last season – all of which were career highs – and shot 46.7-percent from the field and 41.0-percent from 3-point range.

The Red Storm were never really in the running to get his commitment as Kentucky head coach Mark Pope tried to pry him away from his former school but was unsuccessful.

“Rob is the best point guard in college basketball,” BYU head coach Kevin Young said in a statement released by the team.

“He is poised to lead our team as the floor general and help be an extension of our staff. I’m looking forward to continuing to coach Rob and help him develop his game.”

Pope had visions that Rob Wright III would be the player to flip the fortunes of his program after the Wildcats’ season was derailed by injuries and inconsistencies. At certain points during Wright III’s recruitment Kentucky was viewed as the favorite but that slowly changed after he didn’t commit on his visit to Lexington and the Cougars took center stage once again.

Now, Robert Wright III will be the focal point of a BYU team that struggled mightily down the stretch of the season and will have to find a way to replace the production of star AJ Dybantsa, who will be headed to the NBA Draft.

There is still a lot of work to be done filling out the remainder of the roster for Young and the Cougars but getting Wright back is a step in the right director for the program’s success.