Marcio Santos commits to LSU over Kentucky
The Cats miss out on the Brazilian center.
BELGRADE, SERBIA - MARCH 24: Marcio Santos, #3 of Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv and John Dibartolomeo during the EuroLeague Regular Season Round 33 match between Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall on March 24, 2026 in Belgrade, Serbia. (Photo by Pedja Milosavljevic/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images) Kentucky Basketball head coach Mark Pope was hoping to make another international addition in Maccabi Tel Aviv center Marcio Santos following a recent recruiting trip overseas. However, that trip ultimately proved unsuccessful, as Santos has opted instead to pick LSU over Kentucky, according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.
Pope traveled to Israel on Wednesday last week to meet with Santos, a 6-foot-8, 254-pound Brazilian big man with extensive professional experience, while LSU and BYU also stayed in pursuit. According to Pro Basketball Reference , Santos averaged 7. 9 points (52.
7% shooting and 12. 1% on 1. 9 3-point attempts per game), 4.
0 rebounds, 1. 0 assists, and 0. 7 blocks across 17.