The Field of 68 Podcast has been releasing their off-season grades for numerous teams, and most recently, it was Kentucky’s turn to be graded. Analyzing the team, prior to the addition of Ivisic, were Jeff Goodman and Greg Waddell, who both gave similar grades.
According to Goodman, Kentucky’s offseason would have been a “trainwreck” if not for some luck with adding Tre Mitchell and bringing Antonio Reeves back. So it’s safe to say he isn’t buying into Kentucky’s youth.
“There are a lot of questions with this team, and I think it starts with youth,” Goodman said. “You added some experienced guys, thankfully, with Reeves coming back and Tre Mitchell.”
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The critical comments didn’t stop there, as Goodman went to explain his grade. “They don’t have a ton of ‘dudes,’” Goodman said. Kentucky doesn’t have the depth, saying Reeves might not get to rest much. He also isn’t a believer in Kentucky’s guard play, specifically DJ Wagner and Rob Dillingham together: “Those guards scare me.”
Despite those “scary” guards, Goodman cites point guard play as Kentucky’s X-factor this season, but that there are too many guys who will want the ball in their hands. This led to another shocking quote. “It would be better for Louisville and Kentucky if DJ Wagner had gone to Louisville. …I just think he needs the ball in his hands. …from his perspective, I just don’t understand why he didn’t go to Louisville because he could’ve been the guy.”
Chances that Kentucky can win a National Championship this season? “Zero”, says Goodman. “There’s a world, but I don’t see it happening. I’d be shocked… Get to the second weekend and then call me.”
So, how did Goodman think Kentucky’s off-season went? He gives it a C-.
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“I think he (Calipari) did a horrible job this off-season, and didn’t even pull a rabbit out of his ass. Again, he got lucky. Even if you get Reeves back and not Mitchell right now you’re screwed, with the injuries to the bigs (Bradshaw and Onyenso).”
Greg Waddell wasn’t far off as he gave Kentucky a D+ grade.
“I struggle with this because I never really know whether or not I should include the entire recruiting class as part of this”, Waddell said. “When we’re grading like ‘what did this coaching staff go out to do this off-season?’, they already knew most of these guys were gonna be on campus, they didn’t know who else would be, and they didn’t really answer anything else.”
While it is true that the Wildcats’ top five freshmen were already signed to the roster prior to the offseason, that affected the guys that the coaching staff went after and were even deciding factors in Kentucky’s targets (i.e. Hunter Dickinson).
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Waddell says Kentucky “lucked into Tre Mitchell, and to an extent they lucked into Antonio Reeves staying. …I’m struggling with why Kentucky can’t find a happy medium between the freshman talent and winning in the portal.”
For what it is worth, Waddell says he would adjust that grade to a B with the addition of Ivisic on Tuesday.
That was a lot of stuff to unpack, with some wild takes on Kentucky’s off-season from The Field of 68. Take a listen yourself below.
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.
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.
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.