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Info On Kentucky’s Closed Scrimmage with Transylvania

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Due to COVID-19, Kentucky’s game against South Carolina last night was canceled. Kentucky tried to schedule multiple games, but all plans fell through. John Calipari instead chose to scrimmage Transylvania at Rupp Arena.

I spoke to a source last night close to the scrimmage and this is what they said.

Kentucky won by 20-25

The source that I spoke to said that Kentucky and Transy scrimmaged for 40 minutes and then did “situational stuff.” From what I was told, Kentucky won by 20-25 in a “weird format with lots of stoppages in play.”

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However, Transy was missing their two best players.

Dontaie Allen hit 7-8 three’s but was a liability on defense

Fans, including myself, have been begging for Dontaie Allen to get playing time. Cal said last Monday night on his call-in-show that he had talked to Dontaie and told him he was going to get his chance. Last night he did, and the source told me that Allen “hit 7-8 three’s.”

But, the source also told me that Allen “is a major liability on defense and that’s why he doesn’t play.”

Kentucky doesn’t have a leader and isn’t very coachable

A great team needs a great leader and the source I spoke to said “Kentucky doesn’t have a real leader.” According to the source, “They played for four hours and no one was leading the team. Cal has to say something five times before they get it and there was a lot of screwing around. They don’t have a true leader and aren’t really coachable.”

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Terrence Clarke didn’t play

It was reported by Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio earlier last week that Terrence Clarke had been in a walking boot and had missed practice for most of the week. However, Cal did try to play him against Louisville, but admitted that “it was a mistake” in his postgame presser.

The source that I spoke to said that Clarke did not play and was in a walking boot the whole time.

Cam’Ron Fletcher

Something happened after the UNC loss and whatever it was, it wasn’t good. The whole ordeal ended in Cam’Ron Fletcher going home and then Cal taking a shot at him in his Louisville postgame presser.

According to the source, “Fletcher played, but didn’t play much” and had an “okay” attitude.

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BJ Boston is close

The most disappointing thing about this season so far is the lack of production from BJ Boston. A superstar coming into the year hasn’t performed close to the level Kentucky needs him to. According to the source, “Boston played good and is getting close. He was money from mid-range.”

This is uncharted territory for John Calipari

The source that I spoke with said that they talked to Calipari for around 10-15 minutes and it was obvious he wasn’t sure what to do.

“Cal has never been 1-6 before” the source said. “This is uncharted territory for Cal and it seemed like he wasn’t sure what to do.”

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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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Men's Basketball

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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