Somto Cyril was UK basketball’s first class of 2024 commit. Now, he’s heading to Georgia.

Somto Cyril was the first player in the 2024 recruiting class to commit to Kentucky basketball when he did so last June.

Now, the first piece in what was a six-player recruiting group for the Wildcats has announced his new college plans.

Cyril, a 6-foot-10, 252-pound center, announced his commitment to Georgia on Monday night. Cyril was the third of five players from UK’s 2024 recruiting class to decommit from the Wildcats after it became clear former head coach John Calipari would be leaving the UK program after 15 seasons.

In addition to committing to the Bulldogs, Cyril also declared for the 2024 NBA draft with the goal of getting feedback from NBA teams.

“These past few weeks have been a whirlwind, and I can now say that it’s over. It is with great pleasure to let you know that I’m committed to the “G”!!” Cyril said in a statement released by the Atlanta-based Overtime Elite (OTE) program, where he played his prep basketball.

Cyril announced his decommitment from UK shortly after Calipari was introduced as the new head coach at Arkansas, and several days before UK introduced Mark Pope as the new head coach in Lexington.

When Cyril announced his decommitment, he said he would still consider Kentucky as part of his reopened recruitment.

“Since Coach Cal left I had a discussion with my family and we came up with a decision that I will officially decommit from Kentucky and wait for them to find a new head coach, with them still being an option for me,” Cyril said in a video posted on social media.

Cyril — who said Calipari spoke to him about his decision to leave UK for Arkansas before that news became official — played several seasons at OTE. Cyril was teammates at OTE last season with small forward Karter Knox, another former 2024 UK commit who backed off that pledge when Calipari left.

Cyril was one of four UK recruits in the 2024 class who signed a national letter of intent to come to Kentucky. The school released Cyril, guard Boogie Fland and center Jayden Quaintance from that paperwork.

In-state guard Travis Perry, the all-time leading scorer in Kentucky high school boys basketball history, also signed a national letter of intent with Kentucky when Calipari was the head coach. Perry will remain a Wildcat as the Mark Pope era begins.

Three of Kentucky’s six original class of 2024 recruits — Fland, Knox and Billy Richmond — are following Calipari to Arkansas.

Quaintance committed to Arizona State on Monday night.

Originally from Nigeria, Cyril was set to become the 21st international-born player to play for Kentucky.

Considered a throwback center who moves around the rim with brute force, Cyril’s high school tape is filled with powerful dunks and strong rebounds. He was OTE’s defensive player of the year for the 2022-23 season after averaging more than six rebounds and three blocks per game.

But Cyril, who is ranked as a four-star recruit and the No. 41 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class by the 247Sports Composite, is also a project big man. His game still lacks offensive polish, and foul trouble has been an issue for him despite OTE’s lax rules when it comes to fouling out of games.

Cyril missed extended time last season at OTE because of a left hand injury. During his initial recruitment, Cyril also had scholarship offers from the likes of Cincinnati, Florida, Indiana, Kansas and Tennessee, among other schools.

MARK POPE BUILDS HIS FIRST KENTUCKY BASKETBALL ROSTER

Pope, who previously was the head coach at BYU and Utah Valley and was a key member of Kentucky’s 1996 NCAA championship team, has a blank slate to work with as he constructs his first UK basketball roster for the 2024-25 season.

Aaron Bradshaw (Ohio State), Joey Hart (Ball State) and Zvonimir Ivisic (Arkansas) are players from the 2023-24 Kentucky squad that will transfer to new schools. Additionally, Jordan Burks, Ugonna Onyenso, Adou Thiero and D.J. Wagner are still in the NCAA transfer portal.

Thiero has a return to Kentucky among his final five options. The other schools on his list are Arkansas (where he’d rejoin Calipari), Indiana, North Carolina and Pittsburgh.

Also from last season’s team, Rob Dillingham, Justin Edwards and Reed Sheppard have declared for the 2024 NBA draft. Tre Mitchell and Antonio Reeves have exhausted their college eligibility.

So far, Pope has six players lined up to come to Lexington next season. These players are Collin Chandler (a combo guard and former BYU signee), Travis Perry (an in-state guard who committed to and signed with UK last fall), Otega Oweh (a guard who previously played two seasons at Oklahoma), Lamont Butler (a guard who previously played four seasons at San Diego State), Amari Williams (a former four-year forward at Drexel who committed to UK out of the transfer portal) and Andrew Carr (who previously played two seasons each at Delaware and Wake Forest).

Pope has also filled four of his five allotted assistant coach spots.

College basketball players (including graduate transfers) have until May 1 to enter the transfer portal. The early-entry deadline for the 2024 NBA draft was April 27, and players who enter the draft with remaining NCAA eligibility will have until May 29 to remove their names from consideration and return to school.

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