In the hours after Mark Pope was named Kentucky’s new head men’s basketball coach on Friday, BYU saw two key players, center Aly Khalifa and guard Dallin Hall, reportedly enter the NCAA transfer portal.
Two days later, one of those players is reportedly keeping the option open to return to the Cougars.
Khalifa has narrowed down his choice to Kentucky, Louisville and a return to BYU, according to On3′s Joe Tipton Sunday.
Khalifa entered the transfer portal with a “do not contact” tag, Tipton reported, meaning that schools are unable to reach out to players unless they initiate the communication.
The 6-foot-11 Khalifa joined the Cougars program this past season after playing two seasons at Charlotte. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
Khalifa played in 29 games and started 26 for BYU during the 2023-24 season. The “Egyptian Magician,” known for his distribution skills, 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, though he saw his shooting averages dip to 38.6% from the field and 31.5% from 3-point range.
Khalifa’s interest in Kentucky would center around staying with Pope, the former Kentucky center who coached the Cougars the past five seasons and recruited Khalifa to BYU. At Kentucky, Pope is taking over John Calipari, who left to coach Arkansas.
Louisville also has a new head coach, with Pat Kelsey replacing Kenny Payne. Khalifa is scheduled to Louisville on Thursday, college basketball insider Jeff Goodman reported, giving an indication into when a decision may come from Khalifa.
BYU has yet to announce Pope’s successor.