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Former Wildcat, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Connects With Kentucky Child, Sharing Their Experiences With Stuttering

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UK Athletics/Facebook

Former Kentucky Wildcat Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is well known for being a big piece of the 2012 National Championship team and the No. 2 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.

However, something that is not as well-known is that Kidd-Gilchrist has battled stuttering – a communication disorder that affects roughly 1% of the population – for much of his life, recognizing it at the age of “10-11 years old”.

Fast forward to the final year of his NBA career, in 2020 – also known as the year of the COVID-19 pandemic – Kidd-Gilchrist had plenty of time to evaluate things while in the NBA bubble. During that time, he started to think about more than basketball.

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As a result, Kidd-Gilchrist decided to use his platform and personal journey through stuttering to help others and started his “Change & Impact” foundation. With the foundation, he has been able to share his own unique perspective with speech therapists and to also advocate for better insurance coverage for speech therapy and aid for stuttering.

On Wednesday, Kidd-Gilchrist took it a step further from his usual speeches and reached out to one of Kentucky’s own, Isaiah Long, a young boy from Lawrenceburg, Kentucky who also suffers from stuttering.

Before his youth basketball practice on Wednesday, Long received a call from the former NCAA champion, explaining that he has gone through some of the same things and that he can still be successful.

Isaiah’s father, Justin Long, told KY Insider that Kidd-Gilchrist is “one of the nicest people I’ve ever met,” and that wants to keep in touch to help Isaiah and even plans to meet him and his family on his next visit to Lexington.

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These types of things are what make the Big Blue Nation’s connection to the program so special, and display another great example of the high-character players that Calipari recruits to the program.

If you would like to learn more and/or donate to the Change & Impact foundation, please follow this link.

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Men's Basketball

Denzel Aberdeen And Otega Oweh Could Form Dynamic Backcourt Duo For Kentucky

Former Florida guard joins Oweh to give Kentucky one of the nation’s most dynamic pairings.

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Eddie Justice | UK Athletics


It’s rare for a team to poach a key player from within its own conference — and even more unlikely to lure one away from the reigning national champions. So when Mark Pope and Kentucky landed senior guard Denzel Aberdeen after three seasons at Florida, his former SEC foe turned teammate Otega Oweh — along with Big Blue Nation — was buzzing with excitement over the possibilities ahead.

While most projections have Aberdeen slotted into the two-guard spot in Kentucky’s starting lineup, Oweh believes his versatility could make an even greater impact, particularly at point guard.

“He’s fresh off of a ring. He’s a solid PG,” Oweh said. “You know he’s going to bring that calmness to our group.”

The 6-foot-5, 190-pound Aberdeen steadily improved each year of his college career, raising his scoring average from 1.6 points per game in 2022-23 to 3.3 in 2023-24, and finishing last season with 7.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. He shot 41.8% from the field and 35% from beyond the arc while helping Florida win a national championship.

When a player transfers out of a program, the reaction from that school’s fan base can speak volumes. In Aberdeen’s case, many Florida fans were visibly upset about losing him — especially to a conference rival like Kentucky.

They knew just how dangerous he could be when paired with a certain wing returning to the Wildcats. Regardless of where Aberdeen lines up in the backcourt next season, his combination with Oweh has the potential to become one of the most explosive duos in the country.

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Men's Basketball

Otega Oweh On Leading Kentucky’s New Roster: “If we win, everyone wins”

Otega Oweh, following his decision to return to Kentucky for a final season, is prepared to take on a leadership role.

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Otega Oweh is ready to take on a leadership role.
Chet White | UK Athletics

With his triumphant, last-second return to Lexington for a second and final season in the blue and white, last year’s breakout star Otega Oweh essentially tied a bow on the army knife that is Kentucky’s incoming roster. 

And while the talent coming in from all sides is full of athletes weathered in their own ways, Oweh, having already played under the big blue lights, looks to step into a leadership role.

“I’m definitely going to have to be one of the leaders, for sure,” he said. “…I’m going to do it in my own way. Being vocal, but also a little intense. I feel like that’s kind of my thing.”

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Oweh became a fan favorite Wildcat this year for a multitude of reasons, the least of which weren’t his game-winning buckets and highlight slams that seemed to occur on a regular basis.

But beyond the stuff that made it on SportsCenter, Oweh carried much of the team’s energy when he was on the floor. The game seemed to move through him on both ends; a ball of momentum that, at times, made or broke the result of a match.

While last year’s magical run came up short, Oweh, like his head coach, has his sights set on a banner this fall.

“We have a lot of guys who could get big accolades this year… so I feel like, with that, comes a national championship. If we win the natty, everyone is going to get what they want. If we win, everyone wins.”

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As Kentucky’s star returner, and a potential early favorite for SEC Player of the Year, Otega Oweh carries the weight of Rupp Arena on his shoulders.

But not only is he up for the challenge, he seems to embrace it. Coming back as the presumed best guy on the floor means not only meeting expectations, but exceeding them.

The most passionate fanbase in college basketball looks on as #00 leads the charge towards one of the most promising, exciting seasons Lexington has seen in years.

“It really felt like we had unfinished business,” said Oweh. A long awaited ninth banner hangs in the balance as Mark Pope, Otega Oweh, and the Kentucky Wildcats gear up for the 2025-26 season.

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Men's Basketball

Travis Perry Clears The Air On Kentucky Exit

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Matthew Mueller | Kentucky Kernel

Before his decision to transfer to Ole Miss, Travis Perry had long been considered one of Kentucky’s most iconic high school basketball players.

“I was devastated when Travis left,” Mark Pope told reporters. “I think he was on his way to becoming a legend here at Kentucky.”

As a junior at Lyon County High School in Eddyville, Kentucky, Perry broke the state’s all-time scoring record, eventually reaching 5,481 career points, a milestone that was just the beginning of his growing legacy.

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He capped his historic high school résumé in 2024 by leading Lyon County to a state championship, earning Sweet 16 MVP honors, being named Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball and claiming his second Gatorade Kentucky Player of the Year award, solidifying his place among the greats to come out of the Bluegrass State.

As a freshman for the Wildcats, Perry took on a limited role, primarily serving as a shooter off the bench. Eventually, he decided he wanted something for his game that Kentucky wasn’t offering.

“Whenever I got in the portal, I felt that Coach Beard’s vision for me was exactly what I was looking for,” Perry said in his first media appearance as a Rebel.

Perry emphasized that one of the main reasons for choosing Oxford was the opportunity to grow beyond the label of a pure shooter, something he felt had limited him at Kentucky.

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In his lone season as a Wildcat, Perry averaged 2.7 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 9.8 minutes per game, and despite shooting efficiently, he rarely had plays run for him.

“Travis and I share a vision for his game that he’s much more than a shooter. He’s a guy who can play multiple positions,” Rebels head coach Chris Beard said.

For one of Kentucky’s most accomplished high school players, the move to Oxford is less about leaving home and more about finding the right fit to unlock his full potential.

With a fresh opportunity under Coach Beard, he’s focused on expanding his game, helping the team win and proving he’s more than just a shooter off the bench.

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