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Kellan Grady Says Fans Are Naive to Think Team Got Magically Worse, “You Don’t by Accident Beat the [Expletive] Out of Tennessee, Kansas, Carolina”

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Photos by Chet White | UK Athletics

When watching the national championship, Kellen Grady was just like the rest of Big Blue Nation, as he admitted in an interview with The Athletic’s Kyle Tucker, “I just kept thinking to myself, ‘We beat these two teams by (47 points) combined.’”

Before the now infamous loss to Saint Peter’s, there was a time when Kentucky looked to be the best team in the country.

Kellan Grady suggests that the team thought they were that good as well, saying, “I don’t think there was anyone better than us for two or three months.” When you look at the stats, it’s hard to argue against that view.

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From the North Carolina game on December 18th to the Florida game on February 12th, Kentucky was second in Power Rating. Putting them only behind Gonzaga, who played a less than average opponent of 157.3 during these dates, compared to Kentucky’s 73.5. (Source)

With that said, there is a belief amongst some fans that Kentucky might have “peaked” too early and simply regressed.

In response to that thinking, Kellan Grady says, “You’d be naive to say we just magically became a worse team at the end of the year. You don’t by accident beat the shit out of Tennessee, beat the shit out of Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse, beat the shit out of Carolina.”

So what does Grady contribute to the disappointing end of the season? As we have heard from others in the program, injuries. However, this time from a player’s perspective.

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“We were that team, but then a lot of adversity hit us, roles changed, and we just never could get back to where we were. Cal said it after we lost to Saint Peter’s: He was trying to coach a team we had a month before, but we just never were that team again.”

When the adversity hit, things changed for the worst and Kentucky never returned to form.

“I think people underestimate the toll that losing two starters takes. Having to learn to play without them, then get reacclimated when they come back, first change the way we play and then revert back to old roles, we just never really meshed again.”

Collectively, Kentucky’s most import backcourt pieces all had injuries towards the end of the season: Sahvir Wheeler, TyTy Washington, and Kellan Grady.

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There are thousands of what-ifs in sports and many in Kentucky sports history. Add this season to that list. Without injuries, Kentucky dominated the two teams competing for the title. What if the team stayed healthy?

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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