Men's Basketball

Early Prediction of Who is Staying and Leaving

Published

5 years ago

March 16, 2020

The 2019-2020 college basketball season came to an abrupt end yesterday. No conference tournaments and no NCAA Tournament, something that hit us Kentucky fans very hard. After that, just about every other major sport announced that its events would be cancelled or postponed, basically putting sports on a halt until mid-April.

As I Tweeted yesterday, this was undoubtedly one of the most weird and wide-open college basketball seasons in recent memory. Now, we will never know how it would’ve ended. The worst thing is we won’t see another college game played for another eight months.

Even though I hate the circumstances and wish things were different, I agree 100% with these decisions.

Now, we get to do something we usually don’t do for another month or so. Think about who stays and who leaves for the NBA.

While I would think Kentucky has a good chance to get most of the roster back, I always lean toward guys leaving, because you know, this is Kentucky.

Here are my predictions for who stays and leaves.

Stays

Ashton Hagans: Kentucky’s point guard this year was all over the place and didn’t end the season well. We all know what happened, and he’s lucky the Cats came back to beat Florida, otherwise my feelings about him would be totally different. I hate the fact that he didn’t get a chance to redeem himself in Nashville, but it might be for the best. He also commented on Nick Richards Instagram post yesterday, saying, “Love you brudda, we will miss you.”

He has a chance to redeem himself next year and I think he will take it.

Immanuel Quickley: No one knows right now and I have the feeling no one will know until he decides. Quickley is very religious and his father wants him to finish college. The SEC POY will come back and lead the Cats in a big for their ninth national title.

E.J. Montgomery: We all thought Montgomery was going to have a breakout year. Instead it was Nick Richards. Montgomery was a disappointment this year, and according to what Calipari said, may have not been in shape until January. He had the winning tip in against Florida and will come back next year and repeat what Nick Richards did this year.

Keion Brooks: After having a somewhat disappointing freshman year, Brooks shined in Gainesville and was a big piece to the Cats’ comeback in Gainesville, showing his skills, and what he will do next year.

Johnny Juzang: Unless he transfers, and I don’t know why he would, Juzang will be back for his sophomore year.

Leaving

Nick Richards: No one thought Nick Richards would have the season he had. Richards averaged 14 PPG, 8 RPG, and 2 BPG. Drastic improvements compared to last year. I thought we would get Richards for four years and we sadly won’t. I want him to do well so bad in the NBA. After what he’s done here, he deserves it.

Tyrese Maxey: The only one-and-done this year for Kentucky? Maxey was probably Kentucky’s best player this year and is projected in the top ten of most NBA Mock Drafts. He gone.

Summary

It won’t play out this way, but if it does, Kentucky will get five players back and only lose two. And, they will probably be the favorites to win the national title next year with the recruiting class they have coming in.

This team was one of my favorites. From losing to Evansville at home as the No. 1 team in the country to winning the SEC Regular Season title. They improved so much. Even though they didn’t get a chance to make a run in March, which they would’ve done, I still love this team and will miss them.

Go Cats.

Men's Basketball

CBS Sports: Kentucky Has “ended pursuits” in Transfer Portal Following Aberdeen Commitment

In the wake of yet another addition to Kentucky’s incoming roster, CBS Sports reports that Coach Pope and staff may have closed the portal.

Published

3 days ago

April 23, 2025

Lane Mills

Mark Pope and staff may have everything they need from the transfer portal.

Chet White | UK Athletics

Following another flurry of transfer portal additions in his second year at the helm, it appears that Mark Pope and staff are satisfied with their sophomore haul. The portal in Lexington may be officially closed for the 2025-26′ season.

Right after Kentucky received the surprising commitment of Denzel Aberdeen, Matt Norlander, an analyst for CBS Sports, posted the following on X (Twitter):

“Barring any portal defections, Kentucky has ended its pursuits of all other portal targets, sources told CBS Sports. Getting Aberdeen today [April 21] meant they’ve moved off Andrej Stojakovic, Rylan Griffen, etc. Otega Oweh going through pre-draft process-but I expect him back in Lex”.

With the addition of Aberdeen, the Wildcats’ roster ballooned to near-max capacity for next season. Seeing two of the team’s walk-on players, Grant Darbyshire and Walker Horn, enter the transfer portal seemed to all but confirm this suspicion, too.

Losing One of Our Own

That is, until last night. With less than two hours remaining for players to do so, Travis Perry shocked much of the Big Blue Nation by throwing his name into the hat. This came just weeks after a string of comments from the Kentucky-native point guard seemed to confirm his return for a sophomore season.

Though all the same, given Kentucky’s bulk of back-court additions this offseason, his departure makes sense for the sake of playing time alone. The Lyon King will be sorely missed.

So while the Kentucky staff may still be very much content with their current roster, with hundreds of players remaining in the portal and an unexpected spot on the roster coming open, another grab is far from out of the question.

Who Coach Pope and company would go after is entirely unclear, as that potential player would likely have to accept a minimized role off the bench for a stretch of his time in Lexington. If anything, the logical replacement would be a direct fill-in at the PG2/PG3 spot in Perry’s absence.

Either way, the ‘Cats are set to come into next season as one of the most exciting teams in college basketball with a ceiling far out of view. Mark Pope continues to prove his prowess in the transfer market, too, easing the worries of Wildcats fans and closing the door on many supposed “insiders” who’ve spent the last month suggesting otherwise.

Men's Basketball

REPORT: Travis Perry Enters Transfer Portal

Published

4 days ago

April 22, 2025

Tristan Pharis

Kentucky basketball Travis Perry talks about growing more comfortable on the court.

Jordan Prather | IMAGN

The transfer portal has been kind to Kentucky in the Mark Pope era. Last season, the staff was able to build a Sweet Sixteen roster almost exclusively from the portal, and this offseason have put together a top-five portal class.

While the portal giveth, it also taketh. Just hours before the deadline to enter, Kentucky native and fan favorite Travis Perry has entered the transfer portal, per multiple reports.

Coming to Kentucky as the state’s all-time high-school scoring record holder, fans were excited to see how his career would unfold in Lexington.

Not expecting to play much freshman, he was called upon due to injuries and played some key minutes for the Wildcats into the postseason. He averaged 2.7 PPG and .6 APG on 32% shooting from three.

Looking at the depth chart, it was difficult to see where Perry would get much playing time next season, leading to his decision to enter the portal.

Perry has yet to release an official statement, but all the best to him in his future.

Men's Basketball

Top Transfer Guard Denzel Aberdeen Commits to Kentucky

Former Florida guard Denzel Aberdeen commits to Kentucky, likely closing the transfer portal for next year’s roster.

Published

4 days ago

April 22, 2025

Lane Mills

UF Athletics

Another day, another “boom.” Denzel Aberdeen has officially committed to Kentucky for the 2025-26’ season.

A soon-to-be senior guard fresh off his championship win with Florida, Aberdeen spent his first three years of eligibility in Gainesville. Now, following an apparent conflict in the Gators’ rotation, he’s swapped teams in the southeast.

At 6 ‘5”, 190, Aberdeen spent much of this past season beating defenders off the dribble and making them pay at the rim. His speed and size made him a nightmare off the bench for opposing teams, and for the short stretch of play that he started during the year, Florida didn’t miss a beat.

In 19 minutes, Aberdeen averaged 8 points, two rebounds and one assist per game. His consistent contribution to the Gators’ title run made him one of the most coveted transfers in the cycle this season, and given his big blue commitment just days after entering the portal, Mark Pope clearly wasted no time in Kentucky’s pursuit.

Aberdeen slots in as yet another addition to what was already one of the strongest portal classes going into next season. His SEC experience and combo-guard intangibles make Aberdeen one of the most exciting portal players to come through Lexington in a long while, reinforcing Kentucky’s back court to what may be the final degree.

Whether or not Mark Pope is officially done for next season, nobody is sure, but this commitment only further cements the fact that he knows exactly what he’s doing. Just like the fanbase behind him, Coach Pope seems to never sleep.