Bio Blast: BYU point guard Rob Wright III

The transfer portal is officially alive, and well over 1,000 names have already jumped in since the window opened on Tuesday. Kentucky head coach Mark Pope is parsing through all of his options as we speak, scheduling calls and meetings with some of the portal’s top talents. Things should begin to move quickly, especially once the dead period ends on Friday.

A name that has surfaced with connections to the Wildcats is what you would consider a “Big Fish”. BYU’s Rob Wright III went into the portal on Wednesday morning, and KSR immediately broke news of Kentucky’s interest. A 6-foot-1 point guard, Wright will have two years of eligibility remaining at his next stop.

Wright is already considered one of the top players in the portal so far. On3 ranks him 9th overall and the fourth-best point guard. Let’s get to know more about him in KSR’s latest Bio Blast.

[Intel: Kentucky Expected to Be Involved with Coveted Big 12 Transfer Guard]

One-year stops at Baylor and BYU

A native of Wilmington, Delaware, and the oldest of 10 siblings, Wright started his high school career at Neumann-Goretti in Pennsylvania (winning the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year award as a junior) before spending his senior season at the well-known Montverde Academy (FL). He was teammates with future number one overall pick Cooper Flagg while at Montverde, which went on to go 33-0 and win the Chipotle Nationals Title during the 2023-24 season. Wright was considered a top 30 recruit from the class of 2024.

He ended up choosing Baylor for his freshman college season, teaming up with eventual lottery pick VJ Edgecombe. At the time, the Bears’ coaching staff included Alvin Brooks III, who spent the last two seasons as an assistant at Kentucky. Wright made an impact from the jump, averaging 11.5 points, 4.2 assists, 2.1 rebounds, and one steal in 29.4 minutes per game for Baylor in 2024-25. He turned into a full-time starter early in Big 12 play, shooting 43.5 percent on two-pointers, 35.2 percent from deep, and 79.6 percent from the free-throw line for the season. Wright was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team, scoring 19 points against Mississippi State in Baylor’s first-round NCAA Tournament win.

Wright hopped into the portal last offseason, choosing to team up with another lottery pick in AJ Dybansta at BYU for his sophomore campaign. Injuries throughout the season made life difficult on the Cougars, but Wright thrived anyway. He started all 35 games, posting per-game averages of 18.1 points, 4.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 34.8 minutes. His shooting numbers went up across the board, too: 49 percent on twos, 41 percent on threes, and 82.1 percent from the stripe.

Some of his season highlights included a game-winning three-pointer against Clemson in Madison Square Garden, a career-high 39 points in an overtime win against Colorado on Valentine’s Day, and a 30-point showing against his old team on the road. Wright scored in double-figures in 32 of his 35 games played, landing himself a spot on the All-Big 12 Third Team.

What the advanced stats like about his game

Spoiler: a lot.

The analytics are big fans of what Wright brings to the floor as a point guard who can do a little bit of everything offensively. He’s a high-usage floor general who can carry the burden of a heavy ball-handling role in extended minutes. His usage rate (25.2 percent) and assist rate (24.2 percent) from last season both ranked among the 86th percentile or better, per CBB Analytics. He also maintained a below-average turnover rate.

With quick-twitch movement, Wright grades out well as someone who can score in the paint (98th percentile) and in transition (88th percentile). He has no problem getting to the free-throw line, either. He doesn’t take a huge amount of three-pointers, but has proven over the course of two college seasons that he can knock them down at a high clip. The all-in-one stats (RAPM, Win Shares, and PER) from last season all have him in the 92nd percentile or better. He impacts winning.

While far from being considered an elite overall defender, he can generate steals and is big enough to put up a fight against other talented point guards. There is a lot to like about Wright’s game, and it’s no wonder why he’ll be among the most sought-after players in the portal this offseason.

It’s Transfer Portal SZN on KSR+

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