Men's Basketball
John Calipari Is Still “Appreciative” of the Opportunity to Coach at Kentucky
Published
2 years agoon

The head coach of the Kentucky men’s basketball team is one of the most stressful positions in all of sports. If things are going well, you will be praised as an in-state celebrity, but if you fall short of the high expectations, you are open to the criticism of millions.
Both have happened to current head coach John Calipari. During the first six years of his tenure, Calipari had one of the most successful runs in college basketball history that featured: five Elite Eights, four Final Fours, and a National Championship. At that time, Calipari could do no wrong.
However, the last two seasons have consisted of the worst record in program history (9-16) and the worst postseason loss in program history (Saint Peter’s). Combining these results with a home loss to a bad South Carolina team in January, the low point of the Calipari era had arrived.
Following the loss, Calipari was one of the first to say it was “unacceptable”, but that did not ease the fanbase. Fans were rightfully upset and Calipari received some deserved criticism. Some responded by calling for Cal to be fired or encouraging him to leave, including this fan who brought a “Please Go to Texas” sign to that same game. Fan escorted out of Rupp after holding up a “Please go to Texas” sign during the South Carolina game… pic.twitter.com/llCn4A3WJn— Sophie Meadors (@SophieMeadors) January 11, 2023
Whereas others, even at the lowest point, were trying to bring encouragement to Calipari and the Wildcats, writing handwritten letters to the staff and the players. Since then, the Wildcats have turned around their season and are one of the hottest teams in the country heading into March.
Now in his fourteenth season as the head coach of Kentucky, Calipari has seen the highest of highs and lowest of lows. Yet, he still looks at Kentucky as an “opportunity”.
“I am so appreciative that I am coaching here (Kentucky) and have this opportunity,” Calipari said on his postgame show this past weekend.
Even given his faults, Calipari understands what it means to be the head coach of Kentucky. While that means success on the court first and foremost, it also means giving back to the community and giving the state a team of young men to be proud of.
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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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Published
3 days agoon
April 23, 2025Following 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.
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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.
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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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Published
4 days agoon
April 22, 2025Another 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.
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