LSU transfer target Allen Graves spoke publicly about his college recruitment for the first time since entering the portal on April 10.
The former Santa Clara forward told ESPN’s Jeff Borzello that the only two schools he’s discussed transferring to are LSU and Duke. Graves also said that Kentucky has reached out to his agents, but Duke and LSU are his top two choices, Borzello reported.
The 6-foot-9, 225-pound Graves announced his intentions to enter the 2026 NBA Draft on April 7 and is currently participating in the draft combine. While he has until May 27 to withdraw and return to college basketball, Graves told Borzello that he would prefer to remain in the NBA draft if he’s a first-round pick.
On ESPN’s latest mock draft, Graves is projected to be the No. 22 pick by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Graves is rated as the No. 4 player in the transfer portal on 247Sports, No. 6 at The Athletic and No. 16 on On3. The Ponchatoula native was one of the best freshmen and most all-around mid-major players in the country last season.
As a redshirt freshman, he averaged 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.9 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. He also shot 51.2% from the field, 41.3% from 3 and 75% from the free throw line. Graves helped lead Santa Clara to a 26-9 record and the Broncos' first NCAA Tournament berth since the 1995-96 season.
He was named the 2023-24 Gatorade Louisiana Boys Basketball Player of the Year as a senior at Ponchatoula High School. That season, he led his team to a 30-4 record and a second-straight Non-Select Division I state championship. He averaged 20.9 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.6 blocks and 1.6 steals.
Graves is the younger brother of former LSU guard Marshall Graves, who played for coach Johnny Jones during the 2016-17 season and for Will Wade from 2017-20. Both Wade and Jones are back with the program as the head coach and assistant head coach, respectively.
“This journey has been nothing but a blessing, and I give all the glory to God for every opportunity and every challenge that has shaped me,” Graves said in his statement on entering the draft. “I’m beyond thankful for my family that has supported me every step of the way. I’m grateful to Bronco Nation for believing in me. This path is not one that I have walked alone. With that faith and foundation, I’ll be declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft.”
LSU currently has four players on its roster for next season: Kentucky transfer forward Mo Dioubate, Brazilian pro center Marcio Santos, Michigan State transfer guard Divine Ugochukwu and Kansas State transfer guard Abdi Bashir.