When Smith first entered the transfer portal, Kentucky was quick to make contact and set up a visit, and the buzz grew that Smith was Kentucky’s to lose. However, things fell through, and Smith is no longer considering Mark Pope’s bunch.

According to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, Smith has set a final three of St. John’s, Washington, and West Virginia.

Now, there’s actually some good news in this.

First, there was growing buzz that Louisville was pushing for Smith. I think we can all agree that having Smith fall through Kentucky’s fingers and into the waiting arms of the Cards would be a brutal gut punch, so that appears off the table.

But the real news here is that St. John’s is a finalist.

If you recall, the Johnnies are also in the running for Seton Hall transfer Kadary Richmond, who is largely regarded as a top-10 transfer this cycle. When Richmond initially began portaling, St. John’s was seen as the favorite.

The fact that Rick Pitino’s team is actively looking for another point guard means that Richmond, whom Kentucky has contacted, is not a done thing for the Johnnies.

I also don’t think West Virginia is the best option, considering they are suddenly heavy favorites to land Oklahoma State’s Javon Small, according to Travis Branham’s projection. That might make this a Washington-St. John’s struggle for Smith, so root for Pitino there if you want to see Richmond.

Kentucky is set to sign West Virginia guard Kerr Kriisa, although he will most likely serve as a bench player rather than a full-time point guard like Richmond. And I don’t believe Kriisa’s probable committment would prohibit Richmond from coming to Kentucky.

Of course, this is all predicated on Kentucky being a legitimate threat to land Richmond, which is unclear at this moment. Mark Pope and his staff have done an excellent job of keeping information quiet until the transaction is completed, so we’re still waiting to see who Kentucky’s No. 1 point guard will be next season.