Men's Basketball

Kentucky vs. Georgia: Postgame Recap and Game MVP

Published

2 years ago

January 18, 2023

UK Athletics

Following their marquee win over Tennessee, the Kentucky Wildcats returned to Rupp Arena in a matchup against Georgia, and to prove they are turning the corner.

Despite having good looks, Kentucky started the game off slow once again, trailing 7-2 to begin the game. As the half went on, those shots began to fall, however, the main problem for the first half for the Cats’ was their defense. The Georgia offense was clearing out and driving on the Wildcats at will, or getting clear cuts to the basket. The Bulldogs’ guards combined to score 27 out of the 42 points for Georgia in the first half. Kentucky trailed 42-34 against Georgia at halftime.

The second half was a totally different story. Oscar Tshiebwe came out of the gates swinging, scoring eight straight points, which was capitalized by a three from CJ Fredrick, giving Kentucky a 46-45 lead. Georgia kept it close until the 8-minute mark, but Kentucky was able to pull away. The Wildcats outscored Georgia by 22 points in the half, led by a video game like performance from Tshiebwe, going on to win 85-71.

Let’s take a closer look at the game.

Tale of Two Halves Defensively

After limiting Tennessee to a season-low in points (56), this team proved they are much better on defense than what they had shown. However, to start the game against Georgia, they reverted to old habits.

Unable to stay in front of the ball, Kentucky gave up way too many straight-line drives and cuts to the basket, which allowed Georgia to tie their season-high for points in a half (42). On the half, the Bulldogs were scoring an unreal 1.24 points per possession and shooting over 55 percent from the floor.

In the second half, the Wildcats tightened up defensively and increased their intensity. Their activeness is shown most with the 5 blocks and 6 steals in the second half alone. The improved defensive execution is what allowed to Kentucky to pull away, allowing just three made field goals in the last ten minutes.

Going forward, the Wildcats cannot afford to continue to dig themselves into early deficits due to poor defense, as it will result in them dropping more games.

“The Lineup”

Against Tennesee, there was one lineup where Kentucky found the most success and that was with Wallace-Reeves-Fredrick-Toppin-Tshiebwe. Was it fool’s gold? No.

After not starting the game, Sahvir Wheeler entered the game and quickly had a steal and a pair of assists. However, he followed that up with two out-of-control drives and his size was being taken advantage of by the bigger and more physical guards that Georgia had.

In the second half, Wheeler played just one possession, as Cason Wallace took over point guard duties with the lineup referred to above. The result? The Wildcats scored 51 points and outscored Georgia by 22 points.

Looking at the final box score, Wheeler had a -9 plus/minus – by far the lowest of the team -and played just 11 minutes. After two games, it is no longer a coincidence. Wheeler is one of the best playmakers in the country and can provide some good off the bench, but Kentucky has found their best five to help them succeed.

Game MVP: Oscar Tshiebwe, is he back?

Without a doubt, Oscar Tshiebwe was the MVP for Tuesday night’s game against the Georgia Bulldogs. Tshiebwe had a career-high 37 points and 24 rebounds during the game, with 23 points and 15 rebounds coming in the second half alone.

Unlike many teams, Georgia refused to double-team Tshiebwe in the post. This led to his explosion in points, primarily coming from post drives and putbacks. With Tshiebwe looking fully healthy following his knee surgery, and Calipari praising how Tshiebwe has gotten back in the gym, Kentucky fans could see Oscar continue to put up a dominant second half of the season.

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.

Published

20 hours ago

April 23, 2025

Lane Mills

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”.

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.

Men's Basketball

REPORT: Travis Perry Enters Transfer Portal

Published

2 days ago

April 22, 2025

Tristan Pharis

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.

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.

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.

Published

2 days ago

April 22, 2025

Lane Mills

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.

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.