Kentucky didn’t miss PJ Washington too much on Thursday, as they beat up on the Abilene Christian Wildcats and won 79-44, and will take on the Wofford Terriers in the Round of 32 after the Terriers went on 17-0 in the final four minutes to close out Seton Hall.
The Terriers are riding the longest active winning streak in the country at 21 wins and are in the middle of the best season in their 24 season history and will give Kentucky their best shot on Saturday.
Lets take a look at the sharpshooting Terriers and what Kentucky needs to do be successful.
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Defend the Three and Fletcher Magee (I am aware it rhymes)
If you have watched the slightest bit of college basketball this season, this should be a given.
Wofford is the second best three-point shooting team in the country, ranking second in three-pointers made (377) and three-point percentage (41.8% 3P). The three-point shot is the only
The star of the Terriers, Fletcher Magee will come into Saturday as the NCAA Division 1 all time leader in three pointers made with (505). This season, 74% of Magee’s shots have come from the perimeter and he is shooting more accurate than Steph Curry’s senior season with more attempts.
Steph Curry 2008-09: 38.7% 3P, 130-336
Fletcher Magee 2018-19: 43.3% 3P, 158-365
Kentucky will have to guard the perimeter more than any other game this season and that is something they have struggled with at times this season, especially early. However, the Cat’s have improve their perimeter defense from the start of SEC play.
The Cats will have to go against Cal’s philosophy to double team on the drive in order to prevent open outside looks. It’s simple math, giving up a layup is better than a wide open three.
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Take Advantage of Offensive Opportunities
Kentucky is bigger, stronger, faster, and overall more superior at absolutely every position on the court. While Wofford is an elite shooting, they are not so hot on the defensive end.
The Terriers have played five games against NCAA tournament teams this season, and have allowed 70 or more points in all of them.
With Kentucky’s superiority, we should see the frontcourt have one of their biggest games of the season. With that mindset, it would be a big help if the Cats are able to draw fouls on the Wofford starters. Simply, there should be no excuse to settle for outside shots.
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However, if Wofford shoots 40% or higher from three Kentucky will have to answer. With only three players shooting over 35% from three (Herro, Johnson, Quickley), that could be an issue.
John Calipari has told us all that this is the best shooting team he has had at Kentucky. While that may appear to be true on paper, it hasn’t been proven to be true on the court. Saturday would be a great day to show it, and a big opportunity for Jemarl Baker.
Stay out of Foul Trouble
There are usually two main factors in an NCAA tournament upset, great shooting and opponent foul trouble.
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The Terriers are going to pump fake and drive it inside to draw fouls any chance they get, in an effort to try to put Kentucky’s starters on the bench and try to “level out” the playing field. Kentucky has broken the “don’t foul a jumpshooter” amendment so many times this season, and they will have to show discipline on Saturday.
Scott Padgett on if Kentucky should be Worried
Scott Padgett, a key player of the 1998 Kentucky championship
team, is now the head coach of Samford. As a member of the Southern Conference,
Samford has faced off against Wofford Twice this season, giving Padgett some firsthand
insight.
Rick Bozich of WDRB, asked Padgett if the Cats should be worried
of the Terriers and had this to say:
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“Yes”
“Now, let me say that if Kentucky comes out and respects Wofford as a team, takes it seriously and doesn’t look at their name and think they’re some mid-major they’re just going to roll, Kentucky should win the game. If they treat it the way the way coach (John) Calipari will tell them to treat it, they’ll be fine.
“But if they just show up, this isn’t some team they’re just going to roll. They’ve prepared and scheduled for this opportunity for several years. Wofford is a damn good team.”
Prediction
The Terriers only hope this weekend is to catch fire from three, but they are more than capable of doing that and showed it in the first round hitting 46.4% of their 28 attempts against Seton Hall. All four of the Terriers’ losses are considered be quadrant 1 losses, three of them coming against teams Kentucky has beaten: North Carolina, Mississippi St., and Kansas.
Even without PJ Washington, the Wildcats have the talent and tools necessary to win. It will be harder but but I expect that Cats to win with their talent and athleticism.
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.