Last year, heading into Mark Pope’s second season, Kentucky spared no expense in the Transfer Portal. The Wildcats ponied up for a $22 million roster, and it netted the program a 22-win campaign.
This time around, Pope and his staff are being a bit more intentional about their spending, and they may be part of the reason they lost Robert Wright III. After a visit to Lexington, Wright opted to return to BYU.
With just one high school recruit on board and no incoming transfers to replace the seven heading out the door, and more players leaving for graduation or the NBA, whiffing on Wright looks disastrous. And it might be, but it isn’t–at least not yet.
Kentucky can pivot to Zoom Diallo as a cost-effective PG alternative
Wright isn’t the only transfer point guard Pope has hosted for a visit in Lexington. Washington transfer Zoom Diallo came and went without a commitment, but now he would seemingly be the portal backcourt priority. While his numbers may not be quite as eye-popping as Wright's, who demanded a $3 million deal to go from Baylor to BYU last offseason and likely got something similar to return, he’s a strikingly similar player for, presumably, a more economical deal.
The transfer portal and NIL era isn’t always about who spends the most, which Kentucky knows firsthand. It’s about who spends the best. At times, that does mean taking the huge swing on the big ticket item. Other times, it means finding a comparable talent for less, and deploying the savings elsewhere, perhaps in the Tyran Stokes sweepstakes.
Kentucky is more than just one player away, and while Diallo doesn’t shoot it from three nearly as well as Wright, his statistical profile is strikingly similar.
Kentucky PG targets | Robert Wright III | Zoom Diallo |
|---|---|---|
Usage rate | 25.2% (86th) | 27.9% (94th) |
pts/40 min | 20.7 (92nd) | 21.2 (93rd) |
eFG | 52.6% (71st) | 51.7% (66th) |
Assist rate | 24.2% (87th) | 30.4% (96th) |
Turnover rate | 12.4% (61st) | 15.5% (36th) |
3pt FG% | 41.0% (91st) | 31.5% (41st) |
3pt attempt rate | 28.5% (17th) | 18.2% (7th) |
Diallo has a slightly concerning shot diet, taking over 20 percent of his field goal attempts from the mid-range, but he has a smooth pull-up jumper, often getting to it out of pick-and-roll or off a step-back. At 51.2 percent, it’s an undeniably efficient shot for him, especially compared to Wright, who shoots 40 percent from beyond the arc, but only attempts about 28 percent of his shots from distance (per CBBanalytics.com)
Inside, Diallo is a better athlete with real strength and body control to finish around the rim. He has an impressive array of floaters along with a diverse layup package. While he’s not elevating to finish above the rim, he decelerates to create space and has the balance to do it reliably in tight areas.
That control is a big reason he shot 11 percent better than Wright at the rim, and four percent better in the paint.
Diallo has a bit higher turnover rate, so for a high-usage on-ball player, that’s a red flag. However, he presumably won’t have the same playmaking responsibility on his shoulders at Kentucky as he did at Washington. Off the ball, he’s not an elite catch-and-shoot player, but he can move off screens and credibly space the floor.
He’s not Jaland Lowe, but Diallo will still need shooters around him. But, after missing on Wright, Pope should have the money to get them, along with likely keeping Malachi Moreno to go along with Kam Williams and Trent Perry.
What happens if Kentucky misses on Diallo, too?
The issue is, Pope has to land Diallo, and that’s not a guarantee. If he doesn’t sign, then BBN has every reason to crank up the panic meter to 11. Kentucky wouldn’t be entirely out of point guard options, but with Stokes seemingly waiting to see what both Kentucky and Kansas’ rosters look like post-portal, no Diallo may mean no Stokes. In that case, the savings Kentucky will have by going with Diallo instead of Wright will become something of a moot point.
Pope has to get this offseason right. So far, he hasn’t, but he still has every opportunity to turn it around. Wright going back to BYU isn’t a disaster for Kentucky, but it could, potentially, be the start of one.
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