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Belief Never Wavered That Justin Edwards’ Breakthrough Would Come, “I stayed in the gym, and I believe in God”

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After a dominant win over Alabama, the Kentucky Wildcats will take on Mississippi State on the road.
© Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Co-authored by: Wyatt Huff

What a journey it has been for Justin Edwards.

The top recruit in Kentucky’s heralded 2023 No. 1 recruiting class, many, including myself, believed that Edwards held the highest star potential of the group. At 6-8, 203 pounds, Edwards was one of the most versatile players in high school basketball, which led many outlets to project him as a Top 5 pick in the 2024 Draft, and in some cases even the No. 1 draft pick.

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In his first action for Kentucky, during the Wildcats’ summer trip to Canada for GLOBL JAM, Edwards looked the part, averaging 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds over four games. However, when the regular season started, Edwards met “true adversity” for the first time in his basketball career.

While his talent and athleticism helped him put up good numbers against lower competition, he struggled in big games against Kansas and North Carolina. In the process, his struggles on the court became more visible, as did his lack of confidence.

From early December to the end of January, Edwards did not score in double-figures one time over an eight-game stretch. That culminated in a game against Arkansas where he went scoreless and recorded just nine minutes of action, both season lows, and was followed by a DNP against Florida due to a hip injury.

When things looked their bleakest, feeling “the weight of the world” as John Calipari has referred to it in the past, something changed for Edwards.

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Part of that is that the Kentucky staff and his teammates never gave up on him, calling their shots on his breakout.

  • Dec. 11th, John Calipari: “I really think there’s going to be a game where Justin goes for 30.”
  • Dec. 13th, Chuck Martin: “Everyone’s journey is different. He’s an extremely hard-working kid, in the gym every day. He’s super versatile. It’s just a matter of time before he breaks out.”
  • Jan. 9th, John Calipari: “In a month from now, you will all say, ‘Wow, this is what they were talking about.’”

During that time, Reed Sheppard took the initiative to help his teammate by introducing Edwards to his mental health coach.”Everyone struggles mentally,” Sheppard told KY Insider. “It’s a hard thing not to struggle with. I just wanted to help him and get him to think positively, instead of negatively.”

Instilling confidence and aiding Edwards in getting into a better mental space was just part of the solution, he still had to put the work in. “We don’t have anyone working harder right now,” Calipari said in mid-January amidst Edwards’ struggles.

While it would have been easy to revert and put in less work, when the on-court performance wasn’t improving, he didn’t, trusting the process. His improvement has been gradual, with demonstrated performances allowing his confidence to grow. It started with a 7-point, 4-rebound performance against Tennessee, then setting a career-high at Vanderbilt. Then came Saturday.

Against a top 15 team, on CBS, in Rupp Arena, Edwards had his best game as a Kentucky Wildcat and in historic fashion. Putting up a career-high and team-high of 28 points, Edwards didn’t miss a single shot, shooting a perfect 10-10 from the field and 4-4 from three-point range. Edwards became just the third player in Kentucky basketball history to go perfect from the field with at least ten field goal attempts, joining Kenny “Sky” Walker and Rodney Dent, and the first to do so with at least one three-point attempt.

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After his big performance on Saturday, Calipari doubled down in his belief in Edwards. “I kept saying you’re going to break through, I believe in you,” Calipari said. “He said coach, I believe in you. And I said you just got to stay the course. What I said to the team today – he has lived in the gym. He made every shot.”

The joy of Edwards’ breakthrough carried over to his teammates. “I’ve been lucky enough to have this guy,” Reed Sheppard said. “He’s been able to help me be positive, no matter what… I’m really glad he’s finally turning the page and I’m super proud of him.”

Edwards, himself, also got the chance to speak with the media after the game, where he opened up about what that performance meant to him and the mental struggles he has had to overcome.

“It felt good. I had been struggling mentally the whole season so to go out there and to play how I did felt good,” Edwards said. He said Coach Calipari has been a constant source of encouragement throughout the season. “Me and Coach Cal always talk about it, and he tells me he believes in me, and I tell him I believe in him. I stay in the gym, and I just believe in God.”

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His message to those going through tough times:

“It’s not going to rain forever. Stay the course and believe in God.”

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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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