Men's Basketball

Mark Pope “Devastated” After Transfer Of Travis Perry

Published

3 weeks ago

May 26, 2025

Chet White | UK Athletics

As Kentucky’s roster has began to take shape for next season, there is one key piece missing from last season. On April 22, Travis Perry made his decision to enter the transfer portal, a decision that was very tough for head coach Mark Pope to hear.

“I think he was on his way to becoming a legend here at Kentucky,” said Pope during his first offseason press conference.

Pope, however, had nothing but good things to say about coaching Perry. “He’s a big-time basketball player and he’s gonna have a big-time career,” said Pope. “He’s gonna be a terrific player and he’s such a joy to coach. He took in information and just wanted to get better and he’s got this seriousness about him that’s pretty unflappable.”

Pope made it a point to let fans know he played no part in the decision for Perry to enter the transfer portal. “I couldn’t have disagreed with him more on that, but at the end of the day, we’re all just making our best guess,” said Pope.

This news wasn’t easy for Kentucky fans to hear either, regardless of how Pope felt. It is never easy to lose one of the states’ own which is what Perry was the embodiment of. His love for the state of Kentucky and the rich history that is Kentucky basketball was clear as day. With all the good things said about Perry, it’s very easy to see why losing him would be a tough pill to swallow.

Originally, Perry was supposed to use his freshman season as more of a learning season playing behind Lamont Butler and Kerr Kriisa, serving as more of a depth piece. Unfortunately, due to Kentucky’s injuries, he was shoved into a much larger role than Pope had initially planned.

In his freshman season, Perry finished averaging 2.7 points per game while shooting 31% from the field. However, his biggest game of the season came against Alabama, where he logged 28 minutes, adding 12 points and four steals, widely seen as an unexpected and impressive showing.

With that being said, he indeed had moments where he struggled with strength and the pace of the collegiate game, but there were glimpses shown of a bright future ahead.

After all, you don’t luck into scoring nearly 5,500 points at the high-school level. It was very clear to see that there was a plan for Perry to contribute in the future.

On May 4, Perry committed to play for the Ole Miss Rebels and head coach Chris Beard. Ole Miss made Perry’s final recruitment list out of high school and was very involved in his initial recruitment.

When his name appeared in the portal, Beard quickly made his recruitment a priority.

When asked about Perry, Beard had nothing but high praise for him both on and off the court. “Yeah, I love Travis,” said Beard. “He’s one of those guys that’s addicted to basketball, loves it. Basketball guy. So I enjoyed recruiting him, getting a relationship with his family.”

Losing Perry was clearly devastating for Pope and the staff, as well as Big Blue Nation, however, Perry will start a new chapter with a new SEC team, one’s game that Kentucky fans will definitely mark on the schedule.

Men's Basketball

Archie Goodwin and Kahlil Whitney Set to Join La Familia This Summer

La Familia continues to add more firepower to the 2025 roster.

Published

40 minutes ago

June 19, 2025

Kai McClelland

James Crisp (Left), Adam Hunger (Right) | Associated Press

As the start of the 2025 TBT Tournament inches closer, La Familia has been slowly but surely adding star Wildcats to the roster.

Usually, we see announcements for new additions to the squad roll out on social media in some form, whether it be a post from La Familia’s official accounts or in form of Ansley Almonor’s announcement, which took place on BBN Tonight.

However, this time, Archie Goodwin and Kahlil “The Dragon” Whitney were added to the roster on the TBT website without any announcement, surprising Big Blue Nation as the news leaked and began to circulate.

They were removed from the website afterwards, but as of Thursday, June 19, appear on the website as listed members of the roster.

Goodwin has been an active member for years, highlighted by his semifinals appearance last year where he averaged 13.8 points per game en route.

Whitney is a name that may cause some to shed a tear, with so much potential surrounding the former five-star leading up to his debut. Ultimately, he left the program after appearing in just 18 games for Kentucky.

La Familia is competitive as all get out, shown by chippy play with guys who have nothing to lose but everything to win for the place they call home. Goodwin and Whitney, now added to that list of guys, will look to redeem themselves with one goal in mind. Win.

The official La Familia roster as of June 19:

– Willie Cauley-Stein (2012-15)

– Doron Lamb (2010-12)

– DeAndre Liggins (2008-11)

– Aaron Harrison (2013-15)

– Andrew Harrison (2013-15)

– Ansley Almonor (2024-25)

– Archie Goodwin (2012-13)

– Kahlil Whitney (2019-20)

Men's Basketball

Former Kentucky Star, 10-year NBA Veteran Eric Bledsoe Arrested and Charged with Felony Domestic Violence

Published

6 hours ago

June 19, 2025

Tristan Pharis

Former Kentucky guard Eric Bledsoe has been arrested and charged with felony domestic violence.

Scott Utterback | Courier Journal

Eric Bledsoe, a key part of the 2009-10 Kentucky team that reinvigorated the Big Blue Nation following the Billy Gillispie era, was arrested on Wednesday morning.

According to reports, the California Highway Patrol investigated a report of domestic violence. The investigators were led to a gas station on a Los Angeles-area freeway where they discovered Bledsoe with a woman who was suffering from “bruising and swelling” to her face, and who said that Bledsoe allegedly hit her. Bledsoe was booked on a felony domestic violence charge and held on $55,000 bail.

Bledsoe was previously arrested on a similar charge back in 2022, but that case was later dropped when prosecutors said the alleged victim gave “inconsistent statements about whether there was a physical altercation.”

Bledsoe was part of Kentucky’s La Familia team last year in the TBT, and was announced to return again this season.

Men's Basketball

Zach Tow Returns For Second Season As Kentucky Walk-On

Madisonville native Zach Tow reappears in team photos as UK begins summer workouts

Published

22 hours ago

June 18, 2025

Ali Cetinok

Elliott Hess | UK Athletics

Zach Tow, a walk-on from last season’s team, appeared to have his status for this year confirmed after being spotted in UK Athletics’ photos from the first day of summer workouts.

The clock has started 🕰️ pic.twitter.com/Mx2UlixakY— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) June 17, 2025

The Madisonville native (No. 20 in blue pictured above) returns to the program for his second season under head coach Mark Pope, having joined the Wildcats following on-campus tryouts last year. The 6-foot-5 senior was an All-District and All-Region selection at Madisonville North Hopkins, where he averaged 12.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game as a senior during the 2021-22 season. As a junior, he averaged 11 points and 11 rebounds. He helped lead the team to the Sweet 16 in 2019.

Tow saw playing time in a blowout win during the regular-season home finale against LSU and again in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Troy–Pope’s first NCAA Tournament win as a head coach.

He is the second walk-on from last season’s roster to return, following Walker Horn. Both Horn and Grant Darbyshire entered the transfer portal after the season; Horn would go on to decide to come back, while Darbyshire transferred to his hometown team of Cincinnati.