On Friday, hours after Mark Pope was named the new University of Kentucky men's basketball head coach, BYU announced that two key players, center Ali Khalifa and guard Darin Hall, have entered the NCAA transfer portal. It has been reported.
Two days later, one of those players reportedly remains open to the option of returning to the Cougars.
According to On3's Joe Tipton Sunday, Khalifa has narrowed his choices down to Kentucky, Louisville and a return to BYU.
Tipton said Khalifa entered the transfer portal with a “no contact” tag, meaning the school cannot contact the players unless they initiate communications.
Khalifa, who is 6-foot-11, joined the Cougars' program last season after playing two seasons in Charlotte. He has one year of eligibility left.
Khalifa played in 29 games and started 26 for BYU in the 2023-24 season. Known for his pitching skills, the “Egyptian Wizard” averaged 5.7 points, 4.0 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game for the Cougars.
He ranked seventh nationally with a 3.59 assist-to-turnover ratio, but his field goal percentage dropped to 38.6 percent and his 3-point shooting percentage dropped to 31.5 percent.
Khalifa's interest in Kentucky will center on retaining Pope, the former Kentucky center who coached the Cougars the past five seasons and recruited Khalifa to BYU. At Kentucky, Pope will replace John Calipari, who left to coach at the University of Arkansas.
Louisville also has a new head coach, with Pat Kelce replacing Kenny Payne.Khalifa is scheduled to travel to Louisville on Thursday. This was reported by college basketball official Jeff Goodman.giving an indication of when a decision will be taken from the Khalifa.
BYU has not yet announced Pope's replacement.