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Brandon Garrison Responds to Oklahoma’s Trash Talk with a Career Performance, “They Tried to Get Up Under My Skin”

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Kentucky Wildcats forward Brandon Garrison (10) smiles after scoring against the Oklahoma Sooners.
Alonzo Adams | Imagn

Four minutes into the game, Kentucky’s Amari Williams went down, holding his ankle in pain. While Williams attempted to walk it off near the end of the bench, the Wildcats turned to backup Brandon Garrison in their matchup against the Oklahoma Sooners. 

Garrison, an Oklahoma City native, checked into the game, making an impact defensively and laying up a shot just minutes into his appearance.

By halftime, the forward had picked up eight points and two rebounds, along with a steal. He started off the second half with a monstrous block, getting a layup to go just six seconds after. 

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Although he would only score one more basket, Garrison would go on to assert himself as a defensive workhorse during Otega Oweh’s personal run, where the former Sooner would score 18 straight for Kentucky. He finished the game with three steals and three blocks. 

Oweh would get a body-turning layup to go with six seconds left, giving the Wildcats an 83-82 lead. One of Garrison’s blocks would come with a single second left, where he catapulted himself to block Jeremiah Fears’ last effort shot. Koby Brea rebounded the ball, and the Wildcats successfully pulled off a comeback win. 

As soon as the clock hit triple zeroes, Garrison would bump chests with Fears and say some choice words, having to be pulled away and held back by Williams. 

When asked about the play, Garrison admitted to his intense attitude. 

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“My emotions got a little high when I got the block and realized we got the win,” said Garrison. “I forgot what I said but, yeah, I’m glad I just got the block,” he said with a laugh. 

Ultimately, as Garrison and the Cats were leaving the court and exiting through the tunnel, an Oklahoma fan would soar a beer can at the team, nearly hitting Garrison in the head.

Once again, he had to be held back by team managers. 

As tensions cooled down and Garrison celebrated with his team, he would bring along his son Karii to the podium alongside Head Coach Mark Pope and Oweh. 

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His toddler would attempt to comment on his father’s performance, causing Pope and the media to laugh. 

“Karii will take any questions that you have,” said Pope.

When asked about his chippy play and being from Oklahoma, Garrison stated that it was just basketball at the end of the day. 

“Yeah, you know, just me being back home they tried to get up under my skin from right when I got into the game,” said Garrison. “Things got a little chippy at the end, but you know its just basketball, nothing more, nothing less and its just part of it.” 

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Next, Garrison will look to carry his intensity back to Rupp Arena, where the No. 17 Kentucky Wildcats host No. 1 Auburn on March 1. The game is set to tip-off at 1 p.m. and will air live on ABC/ESPN+. 

Men's Basketball

Florida Transfer Denzel Aberdeen Commits to Kentucky

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Florida Gators

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 backcourt 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 his fanbase, Coach Pope seems to never sleep.

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Men's Basketball

Otega Oweh Declares for NBA Draft, Maintains College Eligibility

Arguably the centerpiece of last year’s team, Otega Oweh has declared for the NBA Draft… but that doesn’t mean he’s officially gone.

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Otega Oweh declares for the NBA Draft whilst maintaining his college eligibility.
Chet White | UK Athletics

Few players have taken the Big Blue Nation by storm like Otega Oweh did with his arrival this past season. A lot was new in Lexington last year, but #00 stuck out for a number of reasons; namely, his infectious energy on the court and the high odds that he was going to put an opponent on a poster on any given night.

Now, Oweh has declared for the NBA Draft. He made the announcement on social media, calling Kentucky fans the “best fans in the world.”

While this may seem dire for folks keeping tabs on next year’s roster, that last line in Oweh’s announcement is crucial: “…while maintaining my NCAA eligibility.” Essentially, Otega’s time in Lexington is far from over, at least for the time being.

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Whether or not “Tegatron” returns to Rupp will likely depend on what he hears during the draft process, and where exactly he wants to land. In the modern college basketball landscape, it’s become common practice for players to “test the waters” in the draft, just to get an idea as to where they stand with the league, before returning to college for another year of development.

Take, for example, Jaxson Robinson just last season. Before his eventual transfer to Kentucky, Robinson declared for the draft out of BYU, maintaining his eligibility, before pulling from the process in order to spend his senior year at Kentucky. It happens all the time.

While that doesn’t necessarily set Oweh’s return in stone, it at least gives the Big Blue Nation to take a breather and keep calm, as his departure is far from official. Either way, #00 is a Lexington legend whose first go-around in Kentucky blue was as memorable as anyone’s could be. The “Oweh, Oweh, Oweh” chants will go on regardless.

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Men's Basketball

Four Star Forward Visiting Kentucky Amidst Recruitment Rumors

Mark Pope is looking to close out a strong sophomore effort in the transfer portal, and this freshman guard may be the final piece.

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Four star guard Braydon Hawthorne is on a visit to Kentucky.
Braydon Hawthorne | WVU Athletics

As the transfer portal trucks on (and the NCAA races to find ways to regulate it), Mark Pope is looking to tie a bow on his already highly-ranked 2025-26′ roster. The latest potential addition becomes in the form of a freshman who, after pulling his commitment from West Virginia, will be on an official visit to Kentucky today, Wednesday, April 16.

Braydon Hawthorne, the 6’8″ forward at hand, is a lengthy, scoring wing with high upside on the offensive end. His 7’3″ wingspan opens opportunities for development on the defensive end, too – he’s an investment opportunity of the highest order. On3 currently has him at 48th on their ranking of 2025 recruits.

In addition to Kentucky and West Virginia (where Hawthorne is from), schools such as Virginia Tech, Arizona State, Marquette, Dayton, Old Dominion, Mount St. Mary’s, and more have thrown their hats into the ring, although the general consensus seems to be that Kentucky has the strongest pull/interest in the prospect for the time being.

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Whether or not that actually means he’ll be in blue and white is unfortunately unsure – as that’s how the transfer portal operates – but an in-person visit is a good indicator of mutual interest. Plus, with Kentucky “losing out” on Lamar Wilkerson, who committed to Indiana, a scoring spot in the back court remains open… and Hawthorne is a compelling candidate to fill it.

While Wildcats fans wait patiently for a potential commitment, all eyes are on Coach Cody Fueger’s X account for a trademark “boom” post.

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