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Kentucky Picked as An Early Title Favorite, but Unpredictable In “Way Too Early” Rankings

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© Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

We are less than 24 hours since the end of the college basketball season, meaning it is time for the annual tradition of ‘Way Too Early’ rankings. This is where analysts and media outlets provide their guesses – sometimes uneducated – on who will ve the best teams in the country next season.

Currently, only two Wildcats have made their decisions – Jacob Toppin and Cason Wallace – leaving a lot of uncertainty about next season’s roster. Due to this, many analysts are not sure where to project Kentucky, ranging from the Top 5 to out of the Top 25.

While the Wildcats do have a talented No. 1 freshman class coming in, they are unproven. Given the changing landscape of college basketball, it has become harder to win with youth, and Kentucky will have to look at the portal to add that experience and fill in roster deficiencies.

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Despite the uncertainty, let’s take a look at where Kentucky stands in the ‘way too early’ rankings.

247Sports

Ranking: Outside Top 25, 15 More to Watch

Overview: The Wildcats should get Antonio Reeves and CJ Fredrick back, but lose a number of key pieces. The good news is Kentucky brings in 247Sports’ top-ranked recruiting class. But Kentucky will need to land some haymakers in the portal for more proven players.

ESPN

Ranking: #4

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Overview: John Calipari is back with the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, and a potential starting lineup with at least three or four of those freshmen penciled in from day one. D.J. Wagner and Robert Dillingham should form one of the most dynamic backcourts in the sport, while Justin Edwards is the No. 1 recruit. The biggest question is what Oscar Tshiebwe opts to do. Will he come back for another year?

Fox Sports

Ranking: #17

Overview: Many will have the Wildcats in the top 10. Justin Edwards, DJ Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw are three of the top-five recruits in the country, as UK brings in the best freshman class in the nation. But the current college hoops climate only makes it harder for youth to win. That’s why I have John Calipari’s team at No. 17 for now. I’m making them earn that top-10 slot. 

Sporting News

Ranking: #6

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Overview: UK almost always is among the most difficult teams to project in advance of the season, because so much of the team’s potential is in the hands of high school prospects who have yet to compete in the college game. And that’s become more complicated by the presence of “super seniors” in so many places who exacerbate the differential between the youngest and most experienced players in the college game.

The Wildcats might have some of that experience themselves, however, depending on who among the team’s veterans chooses to remain for next season. And the freshmen represent Kentucky’s best on-paper class since, at least, their 2011 class included the top two prospects in Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. This time, it’s three of the top four players and four of the top 10.


While media outlets don’t have a ton of confidence in Kentucky, Vegas does. While much of that confidence is likely due to trusting they will effectively complete the roster, Kentucky has top five odds in early every sportsbook.

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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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