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John Calipari Says This Kentucky Team Is the Hardest Working Team He Has Ever Coached

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John Calipari says this Kentucky team is playing with "supreme confidence" and he has never had this many players "live in the gym".
Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

When Kentucky battled then No. 1 Kansas in the Champions Classic back at the beginning of the season, taking them to the wire, most came away from that game with the thought “Kentucky is back”. Despite the loss, the Wildcats displayed a star power and exciting style of play that had been absent in recent seasons under John Calipari.

This doesn’t just happen overnight, this happens because of the hard work and repetitions put in over time, building self-confidence, and collectively a team confidence, to be able to run with anyone as young as they are according to Calipari.

“You have to have so much supreme confidence that no one can take it away,” Calipari said after Kentucky’s win over Arkansas. “The only way you get that way is if you live in the gym.”

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There is no better example of that than Justin Edwards.

Back in early January, Edwards was visibly in a low. Hitting the side of the backboard on a wide-open three against Missouri, Edwards was subbed out and put his head down on the bench. The support system was there from the staff and teammates and he was putting in the work in the gym, but things didn’t immediately get better. Over the next five games, Edwards averaged just 3.6 points on 35 percent shooting. Against Arkansas, he played just nine minutes.

Then a gradual improvement took place. First, it was grabbing four rebounds in a physical Tennessee game. Then it was putting up a career-high against Vanderbilt. Then playing some of his best defense in a loss against Gonzaga.

Now Edwards is playing with supreme self-confidence. Over the month of February, Edwwards averaged 10.9 points and 2.9 rebounds on 58.5 percent shooting from the field and 47.6 percent shooting from beyond the arc. This past Saturday against Arkansas, he was big down the stretch, recording three steals and hitting two straight baskets in just over 90 seconds to seal the win.

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It’s not just Edwards, it’s the whole team.

“I’ve had players live in the gym. I’ve not had this many that live in the gym,” Calipari said.

Over the last few weeks, there have been breakout performances from multiple players (i.e. Edwards, Bradshaw, Burks, Ivisic) and that does not come without hard work. The bottom line is the guys on this team get it, from the star-studded freshman class to the elite veteran transfers. This team puts the work in, and hopefully, that will pay off in a big run in March.

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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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