Men's Basketball

Kentucky vs Kentucky State: TV/Streaming Info and Things to Watch

Published

1 year ago

October 31, 2023

Kentucky Wildcats guard Rob Dillingham (0) celebrates a basket during the second half against the Georgetown Tigers at Rupp Arena.

After beating Georgetown College 92-69 last week, the Kentucky Wildcats will have one more exhibition to prepare for the regular season, which is less than a week away. On Thursday, the Wildcats will take on the Kentucky State Thoroughbreds, a Division II, historically black college from Frankfort. This will be the fourth preseason exhibition played between the two teams, all taking place since 2015.

Unlike, another D1 program in this state (cough… cough… Louisville), don’t expect Kentucky to lose on Thursday, but it is an opportunity to get better and get more on-court experience and chemistry.

Let’s take a look.

First Game Jitters Gone

Coming out of the gate against Georgetown, Kentucky’s freshmen looked to have excitement, but lacked aggression, which resulted in a poor shooting night for some of them and some first-half struggles. Between Justin Edwards, Reed Sheppard, and DJ Wagner, the trio combined for 7-25 (28%) from the field. That said, each player still did something good. Edwards showed his versatility. Sheppard showed how he can impact the game without scoring. Wagner showed his ability to get downhill and get into the lane. The one exception was Rob Dillingham, who played well all around and continues to impress.

With their first game at Rupp Arena now behind them, I would expect a much better performance this time out. Given their mentality and competitiveness, they don’t want to put up two straight so-so performances. This is also a great confidence-boosting opportunity ahead of the season.

Shot Selection

Part of Kentucky’s struggles in the first half was due to poor shot selection. As Adam Stratton of Kentucky Sports Radio pointed out, the Wildcats reverted to a bad habit, shooting the mid-range shot.

Last season, Kentucky shot 24.6 percent of their two-point shots beyond 10 feet. In the first half against Georgetown, the Wildcats shot nine (making just two) of their 37 field goal attempts from midrange, making up 24.3 percent of their shots, a very similar percentage to last season. Now, in the second half, that number decreased to 10.8 percent.

On Thursday, it will be interesting to see if Kentucky reverts back to those shots, which the defense is intentionally giving up, or continues to make the push toward modern basketball with more efficient shots and better spacing.

Run, Run, Run

Still early in the season, there are not a lot of details in Kentucky’s offense thus far. In last week’s exhibition, there were some basic dribble-drive principles, with excellent spacing given the smaller lineups being played. That said, it’s hard to invest too much into an offensive philosophy when the team is going to look different when three seven-footers are brought into the lineup.

That said, one area where this team can really shine is in transition. With guards that can get downhill (Wagner and Dillingham), shooting threats (Reeves, Sheppard, and even Mitchell), and lob/cut threats like Edwards and Bradshaw (when he returns), Kentucky has a plethora of options to play with. It starts with turnovers, rebounds, and 50/50 balls. So look for the Wildcats to get into passing lanes, crash the boards, and get on the floor.

Kentucky Basketball vs. Kentucky State

Time/Date: 7:00 pm ET on Thursday, November 2nd, 2023
Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
TV Channel: Not available, streaming only
Online Stream : WatchESPN, ESPN+, SEC Network+ or ESPN app
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the UK radio network call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | KSU

Also published A Sea of Blue.

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

2 days 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

3 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

3 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.