Donnie Freeman has become a household name among the BBN at this point in the week as we all await his commitment, but the vibe in recent days has shifted away from Kentucky Basketball being the favorite.

Well, the bad news kept trickling in on Monday night, as one recruiting insider has picked the talented forward to end up in NYC.

Travis Branham of 247 Sports just logged a Crystal Ball prediction for Freeman to pick St. John’s and Rick Pitino with a confidence level of 6.

There is no way around it: This is a tough look for the UK staff when it comes to closing the deal once again.

Will this theme continue as we go throughout the remainder of the portal? Let’s sure hope not, or the roster next season could be rather bleak.

The staff needs to get some positive momentum, and quickly.

Elsewhere, former Kentucky forward Mo Dioubate has found his next home, committing to the LSU Tigers late Monday night, he announced on Twitter. So if you were hoping Kentucky would see if Dioubate was interested in staying in Lexington, that ship has already sailed.

Right before the commitment came, Dioubate posted a thank you to the BBN on Twitter.

Dear BBN Nation,I would like to thank CoachPope, the rest of the coaching staff, all the supporting staff and the University of Kentucky as a whole for extending me the opportunity to be a part and take on the journey we embarked throughout the season.. Thanks to everyone that…

— Mouhamed Dioubate ® (Mo D) (@MoDioubate) April 20, 2026

St. John’s was viewed as the favorite for Dioubate after he visited last week, but a commitment never came. It’ll be interesting to hear if the Johnnies passed on Dioubate to pursue Freeman, or if Dioubate passed on their offer and caused them to pivot to Freeman instead.

Either way, Kentucky is left with a massive void at the 4 spot that they’ll now try to fill with James Madison forward Justin McBride.