The Kentucky Wildcats basketball team has a lot of potential incoming transfers visiting over the coming days. One player who visited, and was expected to join Mark Pope in Lexington was Richie Saunders.
Saunders visited the Wildcats last weekend, and most people thought he would follow Pope to Kentucky. However, on Thursday, the reserve guard decided to return to BYU.
Last year, as a Sophomore, Saunders averaged over 9 points and 4 rebounds a game off the bench. He was also a solid shooter from deep, hitting 36% of the three-point attempts.
Saunders fits very well in Mark Pope’s offense, and would have been a valuable addition to the Kentucky roster. Instead, he’ll return to the school he started his college career with, and potentially be a starter.
Pope and Kentucky will pivot now to some of the other players on their radar. They are in contact with, and are getting visits from several guards. The search for a 2024 roster continues, and Big Blue Nations waits to see who’s next.