Rob Wright III is the point guard Kentucky's Mark Pope needs to go all in for

Mark Pope needs to go all in for Rob Wright III in the transfer portal.

Nov 21, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; BYU Cougars guard Robert Wright III (1) brings the ball up the court against the Wisconsin Badgers during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Mark Pope has been hitting the point guard position hard in the transfer portal, and this is because he will need two this cycle. Big Blue Nation is aware of the issues Kentucky has faced at the point guard position during the Pope tenure, so knocking this position out of the park is a must to have a good season.

Yesterday, the point guards that Pope and Kentucky scheduled calls with were Dedan Thomas Jr. from LSU and Zoom Diallo from Washington. Both of these guys are really good players, but fans felt that the top option for Kentucky might not be in the portal yet.

It seems that player is now in the portal, as BYU point guard Rob Wright III just announced he is hitting the portal, and Kentucky is expected to be involved in the recruitment. The 6’1 183-pound point guard averaged 18.1 points, 4.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game this season for the Cougars while shooting 46.7% from the field and 41% from three.

ROB WRIGHT III vs Kansas State

18 PTS | 4 REB | 5 AST pic.twitter.com/gUnrFrWn8H

— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) January 5, 2026

Analytically, his offensive rating was a 5.77, which is incredible, and his defensive rating was a 1.35, which for a 6’1 point guard is pretty good. This means that Wright III is a dominant offensive player who isn’t a liability on defense, which is what Pope is looking for. Coach Pope is looking for creators, who are players who offensively can create good looks for themselves and teammates. Wright III is an elite creator, so it is clear this is why Pope is interested in the sophomore guard.

Wright III will be highly coveted in the portal, and Pope will be trying to prove in this portal cycle that he can land the top dogs. Landing Wright III would be a great step in the right direction for Coach Pope to prove this to the college basketball world.

Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; BYU Cougars guard Robert Wright III (1) shoots against Texas Longhorns guard Tramon Mark (12) in the first half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

It is exciting that Wright III is only a sophomore because this means that if he picks Kentucky and has a great 2026-27 season in Lexington, he could come back for his senior season and be one of the best players in the nation. Mark Pope needs to get two-point guards out of the portal, and Wright III would be the perfect player to be the starter for the Wildcats next season.

This will be a name to watch over the next few weeks as Coach Pope tries to get this roster put together. The goal right now will be to get Wright III on campus for a visit, so hopefully, this staff can lock him down. Mo Williams should be a big presence in this recruitment.