The final results of the draft withdrawal deadline are here

It was, in fact, another draft withdrawal deadline that extended into the early hours of the morning for the college basketball world. Many programs — including Kentucky — were monitoring key decisions until midnight, as some saw their Final Four dreams live on while others watched them die in real time. Fortunately for the Wildcats, it was a good draft process, with nothing but good news as things stand today, starting with Malachi Moreno‘s decision to return to Lexington, followed by Milan Momcilovic pulling out and officially entering free agency.

One backup option did officially come off the board, however, putting Mark Pope in desperation mode for UK’s 6-foot-8, coin-flip-shooting golden goose. But you’d rather be in this spot than scrambling following a deadline surprise. Their guy is available; now it’s about getting it done.

How did the rest of the withdrawal process unfold elsewhere in the sport? KSR runs through the final results with the dust now officially settled.

Staying in the NBA Draft

The biggest deadline decisions that swung the wrong direction for their former schools were Koa Peat (Arizona) and Meleek Thomas (Arkansas) — two players who are seen as fringe first-rounders with massive NIL bags calling their names.

Instead, they both chose to keep their names in, with Ebuka Okorie (Stanford) and Christian Anderson (Texas Tech) among those expected to go but left the door slightly cracked on college before ultimately slamming it shut.

• Nate Ament (Tennessee)
• Christian Anderson (Texas Tech)
• Brayden Burries (Arizona)
• Cameron Carr (Baylor)
• Isaiah Evans (Duke)
• Allen Graves (Santa Clara)
• Morez Johnson (Michigan)
• Aday Mara (Michigan)
• Ebuka Okorie (Stanford)
• Koa Peat (Arizona)
• Dailyn Swain (Texas)
• Meleek Thomas (Arkansas)
• Henri Veesaar (North Carolina)

Withdrawing and returning to college

Moreno was the game-changing decision for Kentucky, obviously, weighing late-first-round interest in the draft before ultimately choosing to return to Lexington. That was one the Wildcats couldn’t afford to lose and, fortunately, that’s a reality no one will have to face.

Elsewhere, it was all about UK’s competition in the SEC, with league competitors having massive deadlines themselves. Vanderbilt getting Tyler Tanner back was most notable, as was Alabama getting Amari Allen back. They could’ve snuck in at the end of the first. Arkansas also got lucky with Billy Richmond III, who seriously considered keeping his name in — with some reports he actually planned to before changing his mind at the last second. He’ll run it back with Coach Cal, though. Don’t forget about Rueben Chinyelu’s withdrawal last week, setting up a massive final year of the big three in Gainesville next to Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon.

Outside the SEC, Andrej Stojakovic’s return to Illinois also puts the Illini right back in the Final Four conversation while Jeremy Fears Jr. gives Tom Izzo his All-American point guard back in East Lansing.

• Amari Allen (Alabama)
• Alijah Arenas (USC)
• Rueben Chinyelu (Florida)
• Jacob Cofie (USC)
• Jeremy Fears Jr. (Michigan State)
• Malachi Moreno (Kentucky)
• Billy Richmond III (Arkansas)
• Andrej Stojakovic (Illinois)
• Tyler Tanner (Vanderbilt)

Withdrawing and transferring

This is the category that separates Kentucky from good to great with Momcilovic on the table and trending toward the Wildcats. Pope has to find a way to close the deal there.

Tounde Yessoufou’s midnight stunner stole all of the headlines, though, leaving UCLA empty-handed and instead taking a massive bag of cash to play for Rick Pitino at St. John’s. He wanted to keep his name in the draft, but money talks.

• Matt Able (North Carolina)
• Flory Bidunga (Louisville)
• John Blackwell (Duke)
• Juke Harris (Tennessee)
• Acaden Lewis (Miami)
• Milan Momcilovic (Undecided)
• Tounde Yessoufou (St. John’s)

The final offseason milestone has been cleared for college basketball fans, starting with the portal opening and closing and followed by the withdrawal deadline.

Kentucky was among the winners, thanks to Moreno — and could prove to be the ultimate winner with Momcilovic.

Up next? Summer practice in June.