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Men's Basketball

Kentucky vs Michigan in London Game Recap; Things to Know and Game MVP

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UK Athletics

On Sunday, the Kentucky Wildcats and Michigan Wolverines traveled across the pond to play in London for the first of a three-game series between the two teams.

Coming in, both teams needed a statement win and both teams played like it.

To start the game, both teams had good starts with Kentucky holding a 11-8 head at the under-16 media timeout. Michigan responded with a 9-0 run, to take a 17-11 lead, which they carried for much of the first half. However, thanks to a 7-0 run from Antonio Reeves and Oscar Tshiebwe Kentucky entered the half up 37-36.

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Kentucky retained that lead for all but 1 minute for the rest of the game as they briefly fell behind 50-49, but they could never quite push the lead out of reach. With five minutes to go, Kentucky held a 66-58 lead, but it quickly evaporated to just two with less than two minutes to go.

That is when Cason Wallace answered the bell, hitting a three late in the shot clock to make it a two possession game. This gave Kentucky some breathing room through to the end as they got their best win thus far in this young season, 73-69.

In a game that featured some good and bad, let’s take a closer look.

Reeves Stepped up on the Big Stage, Fredrick Did Not

Antonio Reeves came into Sunday’s game as Kentucky’s leading scorer with 14.9 points per game, while shooting 47 percent from three. Yet, his biggest criticism has been in his performance in big games and for good reason.

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Against Michigan State and Gonzaga, Reeves averaged just 7.5 points on 25 percent shooting from the field and 33 percent from three. He finally started to reverse that narrative against Michigan, scoring 11 points on 3-4 shooting from three.

With that said, CJ Fredrick, who averaged 9 points and shot over 47 percent from three at Iowa, continued his struggles in big games, scoring just three points. Coming in touted as one of the best shooters in the country, Fredrick is averaging just 3.7 points per game against top 50 KenPom teams.

For Kentucky to have a successful season, both Reeves and Fredrick have to be threats.

Balanced Offense

Looking at the box score, it was a balanced scoring effort as Kentucky had five players score in double figures. This is just the second time this has occurred this season, and the first since South Carolina State.

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What is even more encouraging is that 17 of the 27 made field goals came off assists (63% assist percentage). This means the offense was generating opportunities and players were making the right passes.

The biggest criticism for the Wildcats’ offense on Sunday was their poor free throw shooting, going 10-20 (50%). If they had shot a better percentage, the margin of victory might have been greater than 4.

Despite that, the performance was promising for an offense that has struggled early this season.

Rebounding Dominance

A staple of a good John Calipari team is good rebounding, as he has had a top 50 rebounding team in all but one season at Kentucky (2019-20). Despite some early season concerns, this season’s Kentucky team is no different, currently ranked 10th in the country in rebounding.

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Against Michigan, the Wildcats asserted their dominance on the boards , winning the rebounding battle 46-33. Of course, Oscar Tshiebwe – a generational rebounder – had a team-high 14 rebounds, but it was good to see the rest of the team step up as well. That includes Cason Wallace who had 4 offensive rebounds, more than Tshiebwe (2).

Game MVP: Cason Wallace

Cason Wallace may be the most talented freshman Kentucky has had since Tyrese Maxey and he put that on display on both ends of the court against Michigan.

Finishing with an impressive stat line: 14 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal; Wallace was the most impactful player of the game and he stepped up with it mattered. In fact much of his production came in the second half alone:

  • 11 points
  • 4-4 FG (3-3 3P)
  • 4 rebounds
  • 2 assists
  • 1 block

Not to mention, this clutch three pointer to all but seal the game.

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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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