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Good and Bad from Kentucky’s 78-64 win over Vandy

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It would’ve made sense if this was a trap game, but it wasn’t because Kentucky plays Ole Miss Saturday. The Cats came out flat and were down double digits for most of the first half. But came back and won 78-64.

The first half didn’t go Kentucky’s way, and as I said above, the Cats came out flat with no energy. I turned on the game about ten minutes in and was dumbfounded when they were down 25-15. The Commodores were hitting shots from everywhere and were playing some physical defense and the Cats simply couldn’t get anything going. But, they cut the deficit to nine going to halftime and had a little momentum.

In the second half, Kentucky came to life. They cut the deficit to six just a few minutes in and we were tied with just over ten minutes left. The Cats extended the lead to eleven and it was time to close them out but not so fast. Kentucky got really sloppy and Vandy cut the lead to five with just under five minutes left. The Cats woke up again and closed Vandy out, 78-64.

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Here are some good and bad things from the game.

Tyrese Maxey

Kentucky’s guards are just freakin studs and Tyrese Maxey is the best of them all. Maxey had 25 points, four rebounds, three 3’s, and was an efficient 10/17 from the field.

Nick Richards might be Kentucky’s most important player, but Tyrese Maxey is their best player. It is vital for him to play well in March if Kentucky wants to make a title run.

Three’s

Yeah, Kentucky was 6-9 from behind-the-arc, but that’s not the point. Kentucky allowed eleven three’s in the game and eight in the first half and got really lucky because Vandy missed several open three’s in the second half.

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Three point defense has been an issue at times this season and it was tonight. If Vandy stayed hot in the second half, this was a loss.

Nick Richards

No double-double tonight, but still a good game from the Jamaican stud. Richards had 12 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks.

Nick Richards has easily been Kentucky’s most consistent player this year, which is something I never thought I would say. If it wasn’t for him, where would we be?

Refs

It’ll go unnoticed, but the refs tonight were once again terrible. Bad calls both ways and Kentucky got called for four fouls in eight seconds at one in the second half. Read that a few times. That’s ridiculous.

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There was never a consistent flow in the game and they called a lot of touchy crap in the second half.

Ashton Hagans

Tonight, Ashton Hagans was two assists away from a triple-double. He had 11 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists.

Kentucky’s only had three triple doubles in its history. Take a couple guesses at who they are.

It’s a win

After the way the game started, this win was big for Kentucky. I know it’s Vandy, but Kentucky was down by 14 at one point and won by 14.

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Coming back from double-digits and winning by double-digits on the road is impressive.

What now?

Kentucky’s win tonight moves them to 19-5 on the year and 9-2 in the SEC. It’s big because LSU is down at halftime against Missouri. If the Tigers lose and Auburn wins tomorrow, The Cats and Tigers will be tied for first place in the SEC.

But, the Cats have to handle business Saturday. Kentucky plays their first Saturday home game in six years against Ole Miss, tipoff set for 2 p.m. EST. Breein Tyree dropped 40 points against Mississippi State tonight, so we’ll see if the Cats can handle business.

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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.

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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”.

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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.

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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.

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REPORT: Travis Perry Enters Transfer Portal

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Denzel Aberdeen commits to Kentucky.
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. 

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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.

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