Big-time draft withdrawals are rolling out – including former Kentucky targets

Just one day before the NBA draft withdrawal deadline — Wednesday, May 28 at 11:59 p.m. ET — the sport of college basketball has drastically improved going into 2025-26 thanks to some big-time return announcements. Among them? A few former Kentucky targets, interestingly enough, beyond the major updates that came during and immediately following the combine.

Those included Boogie Fland’s withdrawal and transfer to Florida, Cedric Coward’s decision to keep his name in the draft, leading to Dame Sarr’s commitment to Duke, and Darrion Williams’ move from Texas Tech to NC State after pulling out, among others.

What are the latest updates ahead of the deadline? They’re coming in hot, so keep your head on a swivel.

Yaxel Lendeborg will play at Michigan

Maybe the biggest surprise of the draft cycle, the UAB transfer and Michigan signee was seen as a likely first-round pick with his eyes on the top 20 — and could have gotten there after a strong combine. Instead, Lendeborg announced Tuesday he would be pulling his name out of the draft to suit up for the Wolverines in Ann Arbor. He gives Dusty May a preseason First Team All-American with Michigan seen as a likely top-five program with one of the deepest and most talented frontcourts in college basketball alongside Morez Johnson Jr. from Illinois and Aday Mara from UCLA.

To open the portal cycle, Lendeborg was seen as Kentucky’s top frontcourt target with Auburn also under serious consideration. Combining his projected NIL value and serious draft interest, it was a high-risk, high-reward possibility for any program pushing for his signature. May gave him what he was looking for and his investment paid off.

Instead, Mark Pope and the Wildcats landed the likes of Jayden Quaintance, Mo Dioubate and Andrija Jelavic while bringing back Brandon Garrison and adding Malachi Moreno from the high school ranks.

Karter Knox returns to Arkansas

Once a Kentucky pledge, the younger brother of former Wildcat Kevin Knox decommitted to follow John Calipari to Arkansas for his freshman campaign. There, he shined — especially to close out the season — averaging 8.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 24.0 minutes per contest on 46/35/80 splits.

Knox joins the likes of DJ Wagner, Trevon Brazile, Billy Richmond, Darius Acuff and Meleek Thomas in Fayetteville.

Alex Condon looks for a Florida repeat

After winning a national championship as a sophomore, the Australian big who flirted with first-round status this cycle announced his return to Gainesville on Tuesday. He was ranked No. 38 in ESPN’s draft projections, and now, Condon will be picking up where he left off with Florida once again seen as a contender to win the whole thing in 2025-26.

“It’s a really good situation waiting for me there,” Condon told ESPN. “A great coach with Todd Golden. Teammates I won a national championship with. I have great chemistry with those boys. We have a good transfer class coming in. I expect guys to make a leap.”

He was an All-SEC honoree after averaging 10.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 blocks in 24.9 minutes per game.

Milos Uzan gives Houston potential preseason No. 1 ranking

Lendeborg was the biggest surprise, but Uzan isn’t too far behind — thought to be keeping his name in the draft before ultimately withdrawing ahead of the deadline to return to Houston. There, he’ll be joining returning starters Emanuel Sharp and Joseph Tugler to go with blue-chip recruits Chris Cenac, Isiah Harwell and Kingston Flemings.

Uzan, an All-Big 12 Second Team member, helped lead the Cougars to conference regular season and tournament titles to go with a run to the national championship game. He was thought to be a likely draft candidate, leading to Houston’s decision to add Creighton transfer Pop Isaacs as his replacement. Instead, Isaacs flipped his commitment to Texas A&M as Uzan announced his return to Houston.

Mackenzie Mgbako is ready for Bucky Ball in College Station

Starting as a Duke signee, the former five-star backed away from his pledge to play at Indiana where he spent his first two years in college basketball. Mgbako averaged 12.2 points and 4.3 rebounds in 26 minute per contest across 65 games in Bloomington. With Mike Woodson out, the former McDonald’s All-American hit the portal and took an official visit to Kentucky as Pope explored his forward options this offseason.

It wasn’t a fit in Lexington, Mgbako instead finding one in College Station under first-year coach Bucky McMillan. He was one of the top performers at the G League Elite Camp and earned an invite to the NBA draft combine.

A potential second-round pick, he’s now set to join the SEC at Texas A&M in hopes of becoming a first-rounder in 2026.

ESPN previews Otega Oweh’s decision

The other college stars are pulling their names out of the draft, so what does that mean for Kentucky’s biggest star still waiting on a decision? ESPN still believes Oweh will return to Lexington, despite a strong showing at the combine.

We’ve been under the impression that Oweh ultimately would return to Lexington, but he scored in double figures in each of the combine scrimmages and said he was “going through the process as if I’m all-in.” With that said, he still isn’t projected to be picked despite the solid showing in Chicago.

Mark Pope and Kentucky have added 10 new players this offseason, but bringing back a second-team All-SEC performer such as Oweh potentially would push the Wildcats into the preseason top 10. Without him, Pope will have to rely more heavily on newcomers in five-star freshman Jasper Johnson and transfers Denzel Aberdeen (Florida) and Kam Williams (Tulane).

Oweh has until Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. ET to make a decision on his future. Will he run it back as a Wildcat?