Kentucky is no longer seen as contenders for Allen Graves, Tounde Yessoufou

Both Graves and Yessoufou have been trending elsewhere as the NBA Draft Combine rolls on.

Mar 19, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope speaks during an interview at the practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

Kentucky has its clear top priority in Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic, who is currently testing the NBA Draft process and looking to boost his stock. But two others in particular have been on Kentucky's radar for weeks now, but there never has been any serious buzz between the Wildcats and either of them. Now, with information coming out from the NBA Draft Combine, that sentiment is becoming clearer.

As for Allen Graves, Kentucky was rumored to be involved with him even before the season ended and were expected to pursue him hard. But as days went by in the transfer portal, the Wildcats were never seen as a top contender, as LSU has been linked to him for weeks. According to ESPN's Jeff Borzello, Kentucky is in fact not a top option for Graves if he does decide to return to college. Schools such as Duke and LSU are widely seen as having the best chances to land his services. Right now, Graves is currently within the range of 20-25 in many mock drafts, so the likelihood of him even returning is beginning to shrink.

Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Santa Clara Broncos forward Allen Graves (22) reacts after making a basket against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Then, there is Yessoufou, who Kentucky was linked with the moment he hit the transfer portal this offseason. But, word began to spread that Yessoufou was likely to remain in the draft. Well, on Wednesday, he told CBS Sports' Isaac Trotter that he is not planning on returning to college. If he does end up changing his mind, UCLA is considered the school to watch and have been seen as such for weeks.

Mar 7, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears guard Tounde Yessoufou (24) shoots a free throw during the second half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Now, the good thing for Kentucky here is that the situation with Milan Momcilovic is much different. The 6-8 wing is not as high in mock drafts as Graves or Yessoufou, as his stock is now somewhere in the mid-2nd round territory and on Wednesday, he told Trotter if he slides into being projected late in the 2nd round, he would 'probably' return to college. "If it’s later in the second round, those are usually two-way contracts, then I’d probably go back (to college). We'll see."

Kentucky is clearly going all-in on Momcilovic and we'll see if it pays off. He would certainly be the certified star get that this team is looking for, but they'll have to fend off other top suitors for him.

Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and YouTube for the latest news.