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National Analyst Says Kentucky Basketball May Struggle Next Season, “There Are Major, Major Jumps at Hand”

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National college basketball media is worried about Kentucky basketball this season, citing a lack of continuity and high-major experience.
Chet White | UK Athletics

Thanks to Mark Pope, there is a new energy around Kentucky basketball. However, there is also a lot of uncertainty after bringing in twelve new players, consisting of nine transfers and three freshmen. That is giving some in the national media pause on this Wildcat squad, one of which is CBS analyst Jon Rothstein.

Starting the week on Monday, Rothstein released his SEC Offseason Breakdown and ranked Kentucky as the 9th-best team in the conference.

9. Kentucky
Projected Starting 5:

Kerr Kriisa
Koby Brea
G Jaxson Robinson
Andrew Carr
C Amari Williams
Projected Bench: Brandon Garrison, Collin Chandler, Lamont Butler, Travis Perry, Trent Noah, Ansley Almonor, Otega Oweh
Key Newcomers: Travis Perry, Collin Chandler, Lamont Butler (San Diego State), Otega Oweh (Oklahoma), Amari Williams (Drexel), Andrew Carr (Wake Forest), Brandon Garrison (Oklahoma State), Koby Brea (Dayton), Jaxson Robinson (BYU), Kerr Kriisa (West Virginia), Trent Noah, Ansley Almonor (FDU)
Key Losses: Rob Dillingham, Reed Sheppard, Antonio Reeves, Tre Mitchell, Adou Thiero, Justin Edwards, Aaron Bradshaw, Zvonimir Ivisic, DJ Wagner

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Why the worry? Lack of high-major experience Rothstein cites, and not just with the players.

“It’s a brand-new team in Lexington in year one for Mark Pope at his alma mater,” Rothstein said on the College Hoops Today Podcast. “All of those players are stepping up a different weight class and Mark Pope is stepping up a different weight class, as well.”

“People automatically think that just because a team wears Kentucky across its chest, it’s going to be really, really good. I want to remind people this: there are major, major jumps at hand for many of Kentucky’s players who have transferred to Lexington.”

For example, look at Arkansas last season with Eric Musselman. They brought in seven transfers and two freshmen, in addition to multiple key returnees. Despite being ranked 15th in the preseason polls and looked at as a favorite to win the SEC, they struggled all season, finishing with a losing record and third to last in the SEC.

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That’s not to say that will be the case for Kentucky, but when bringing in so many new pieces, not knowing how they will gel together in a tough SEC, Rothstein does have a fair point.

That said, the players have talked multiple times this offseason about having something to prove, not just as individuals but as a team and for Coach Pope. Understanding the assignment has been the offseason motto, if they show that on the court, they are capable of exceeding expectations.

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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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