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John Calipari to Emphasize Defense the Rest of the Season, “It Will Be 70% of What We Work On”

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Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari reacts during the first half against the Marshall Thundering Herd at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center.
© Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky has struggled mightily on defense this season. After having a rough two-week stretch losing to South Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee, the main focus is now improving defensively. That is something that John Calipari said will be the focus from here on out.

“The emphasis for the rest of the year…. 70% of it will be defense,” Calipari said on Tuesday night after Kentucky’s win at Vanderbilt. On his weekly radio show on Wednesday, Calipari stressed that focus even more. “If you’re hurting us defensively, you can’t be in,” adding that players have been holding each other accountable.

A big issue on the defensive end has been defending the perimeter, as the Wildcats have given up ten or more three-pointers in four of their last five games, which include three losses. “We gotta guard the three-ball better,” Calipari said. “We shoot it so well, that should be our advantage. We can’t be even.”

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Kentucky being the top three-point shooting team in the country, shooting better than 41 percent on the season, they should have a significant advantage in that area for most games. With a little more discipline on defense, they can.

Another focus of Calipari’s will be winning the 50/50 balls. “If you’re not diving on that floor, I’m taking you out,” he said to his team before the Vanderbilt game. Of their six losses, the Wildcats have led or were within one score at the end of the game. While it’s easy to blame poor late-game execution, you could also point to lost possessions. Extra possessions can certainly win or lose close games, and as good as Kentucky is on offense, they can capitalize on extra possessions as well as anyone in the country.

Given Kentucky’s defensive struggles, Calipari’s acknowledgment and comments are promising to hear. With an elite offense, ranked 5th in KenPom efficiency, the defense doesn’t have to be at that level, but it has to be much better than 104th. As Calipari said it’s about getting “8-10% better every and going from there.

If Kentucky can figure the defense out, it could even improve their already great offense. A big part of why Rob Dillingham has played really well of late is his defense. “The biggest thing that’s helped him, is he’s defending better. He’s taken on pride of defending,” Calipari said. As much as this team likes to get out in transition, getting stops and rebounding, can create even more of those opportunities.

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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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