Recap of the biggest stay/go decisions in college basketball from a Kentucky perspective

Now that the deadline has passed for guys to decide whether to stay in the NBA Draft or return to college, we have some impactful moves to discuss regarding the Kentucky Wildcats and several of their opponents next season.

There will be many familiar names returning to the sport and appearing on Kentucky’s 2026-27 basketball schedule, as well as a really important and noteworthy name that Kentucky will have a chance to land.

So, let’s recap how deadline day went down.

Amari Allen makes surprise return to Alabama

The 6-foot-8 forward, who had a very promising year in Tuscaloosa, officially announced his return to the school after many thought he’d stay in the draft, as he was widely projected as a late first-round pick. He was a super impactful player right away as a freshman, in many different ways.

Allen wasn’t necessarily the type of player you think of when you think of Nate Oats’ guys. He wasn’t a run-up-and-down-the-floor-and-shoot-3s type of guy; he was much more. He brought energy, tough plays, good rebounding, could still knock down threes when needed, and much more to the Crimson Tide in his freshman campaign.

This is super significant for Oats and the Alabama program, as they needed a player in his position to come be a star for them next year. With uncertainty about their backcourt, getting Allen back is a big announcement for everyone involved in Alabama, and it likely will keep them in the top 25 of preseason rankings.

It also means Kentucky will have a tougher time getting its first win over Nate Oats in the Mark Pope era. The Tide won’t be favored to win the league with Florida and Tennessee sporting so much talent, but Allen gives them a chance to finish in the top four of the standings.

Tyler Tanner sticks with Vanderbilt

One of the most dynamic guards that Kentucky faced off against last year will be headed back to play at Vanderbilt. A Nashville native, Tanner will be a Vanderbilt Commodore for a third year. His freshman season wasn’t what he had hoped for, but his sophomore season was incredible, as he finished off the year as a First-Team All-SEC member.

Many people around the NBA believe he is too small, standing at about 5-foot-11, and that was a big reason his draft projection didn’t match his impact on the game coming off a year where he averaged 19.5 ppg. He will look to take another step forward and help the Dores build off of the heartbreaking finish they had in the Round of 32 against Nebraska.

Last season, Tanner scored 19 points in both games vs. the Cats as the two teams split the season series. Tanner’s return ensures the Dores will once again be a dangerous team for Kentucky to face twice in regular-season play.

Billy Richmond pulls a changeup in return to Arkansas

One of the most bizarre announcements I can remember happened on Wednesday when Richmond decided whether to forgo his remaining eligibility or come back and play for John Calipari. At first, Jon Rothstein reported the news that shocked many: Richmond would be staying in the NBA Draft.

Then, 23 minutes later, Rothstein reports that he will actually be headed back to Fayetteville.

An odd way to round off his process of testing NBA waters, but it’s a big announcement for Calipari and his Razorbacks at the end of the day. Richmond brings a level of energy that not many in the country can even come close to. Whether it’s jamming a dunk to be the cherry on top of a big run or bringing some elite defensive plays to a game, Hogs fans will definitely enjoy Richmond for another year.

Richmond’s return likely ensures the Hogs will be a preseason top-25 team and challenge Kentucky for one of those top-four spots in the standings that earn a double-bye in the SEC Tournament, something Pope has yet to get in two years leading the Cats.

This was also a decision that could have broken the Hogs had he stayed in the draft after they already lost a potential star in the making…

Meleek Thomas spurns Arkansas after deadline

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: John Calipari is sending a 5-star player off to the NBA after one season. This time last year, not many knew what Thomas or fellow 5-star recruit Darius Acuff would become at Arkansas.

Well, we all know how that went, as Acuff went on to become arguably the best scorer in college hoops, while Thomas struggled to start the season but eventually got going and, by the end of the year, looked like someone who could be a lottery pick in the 2027 draft.

A 6-foot-5 guard who can shoot and averaged 15.6 ppg, that will work just fine in the NBA, and that’s what Thomas ended up doing in his one year under Calipari. As of right now, Thomas is projected to go late first round, and he went through the process longer than anyone.

The official announcement of what he would end up deciding didn’t come until Thursday morning, that he’s off to the NBA, and the assumption is he will be drafted on Day 1.

Had Thomas returned, Arkansas would have been right there with Tennessee competing to be the second-best team in the league behind likely preseason No. 1 overall Florida. Now, the Hogs will have a tough time just being among the top four teams in the final standings.

Matt Able stays with North Carolina

After playing his freshman season at NC State under Will Wade, Able entered the transfer portal and went to the other school in the Triangle known as Tobacco Road, committing to North Carolina to play for new head coach Michael Malone. This was seen as a good pickup right away for Coach Malone, for many reasons.

However, the draft buzz started to circulate, and people began to think there was a world where Able would stay in the NBA Draft. That would’ve left a hole in the Tar Heels’ roster, and it would’ve been too late to pivot to another target.

A big sigh of relief came in the last days as Able announced he would be coming back to school and playing for the Tar Heels. This is big, as he will be an extensive offensive game, including good shooting and really high upside across the board.

Kentucky will face off against Able and the Tar Heels in Madison Square Garden on December 19, 2026.

Koa Peat leaves Arizona hanging

In the final weeks of Koa Peat’s decision-making, Tommy Lloyd and Arizona felt less and less confident that Mr. Arizona would be returning for the Wildcats. To many, Peat was seen as an intriguing player but not a sure-fire NBA player right away. He was projected to get taken in the first round, but not seen as lottery or anywhere close to it. Some projections even had him going in early Round 2.

Peat is a strong, athletic forward who can’t shoot consistently right now and would be undersized in professional basketball at only 6-foot-8. Not sure if that’s the recipe for jumping forward right away and betting on yourself. This is important news for Kentucky fans, though, because his former school enters the conversation for one of the most prized names remaining in the transfer portal.

As reported on May 26 by Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman, Arizona is trying to “gain some ground” when it comes to the recruitment of Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic. Many believe that Arizona was gathering money to prepare to pay Peat as a top-10 player in the sport, so they now have the money to offer Momcilovic.

Tounde Yessoufou shocks everyone with commitment to St. John’s

The biggest news of the deadline was the announcement that Tounde Yessoufou will be headed to New York to play for St. John’s and Rick Pitino. For weeks now, everyone has assumed Yessoufou would keep his name in the NBA Draft and bet on himself.

However, Jeff Goodman reported on Wednesday evening, as the deadline approached, that Yessoufou was leaning toward withdrawing his name from the draft and returning to college. The rumors were that UCLA was prepared to spend a ton to land the highly sought-after transfer and California native.

Then, after midnight, the news broke from ESPN’s Shams Charania that Yessoufou would be pulling his name out and going to play for St. John’s

His style of play fits Pitino and fits the Big East, that’s for sure. Physical, athletic, playing with a motor, and can score on all three levels, will also sit down and guard someone’s best player. He also rounds out a St. John’s roster that will likely enter next season as a top-15 team in the country.

This was a big-time pickup for the Red Storm that takes them out of the running for Milan Momcilovic, which is great news for Kentucky. Some believed the Johnnies were the biggest threat to keep Momcilovic from the Cats.

The Wildcats were rumored to be in the mix for Yessoufou had he pulled out of the draft, but it’s now Momcilovic or bust…

Milan Momcilovic withdraws from draft without making commitment

Last, but certainly not least, the best shooter in the entire country announced he will be returning to college, and the battle has officially begun for schools looking to gain his commitment. Momcilovic was reportedly not in contact with any schools while he went through the process, but his agents were. He had hoped to make his dreams come true of becoming an NBA player this year, but those will now be put on hold.

Kentucky is firmly in the mix, alongside Louisville and Arizona. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 16.9 ppg last year on these numbers: 50.6% FG, 48.7% 3PT, and 87.8% FT, all of which are towards the top of the country, and all were not low volume by any means.

If you were to try to create the perfect player for Mark Pope to coach, you would create either Koby Brea or Milan Momcilovic. Brea played at Kentucky and went from not being on draft boards to becoming the 41st pick in the 2025 draft.

It sounds like this is the exact pitch the staff is giving to Momcilovic and his people: They took the best shooter in the sport, got him drafted, and hit a ton of shots and won a lot of games while doing it. Whether it’s Kentucky or one of the other schools involved, he will be a ceiling-raiser for any program.

For Kentucky, he takes this team from where most believe is a Sweet 16 team at best and shifts that outlook for next season. Maybe it’s not national title contention, but that dream is no longer out of the question. Momcilovic solves a lot of problems for Kentucky or whoever he plays for next season.

“My prediction right now is that Milan Momcilovic will go to Kentucky,” is what CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander shared on the Eye on College Basketball podcast Thursday morning.

Additionally, On3’s Joe Tipton shared that he and Pete Nakos believe Kentucky has emerged as the current leader for Momcilovic. Tipton also shared that he wouldn’t rule out Louisville yet, so the Cats aren’t out of the woods yet.

Financially, Momcilovic will likely be paid the most in the sport, but many have said it’s not about that for him. The offers from every school will be a pretty penny, but he also wants to go to the place that’s the best fit for him.

Will that be Kentucky? The expectation is that a decision will happen by the end of this weekend.

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