Men's Basketball

Morning After: Kentucky vs. Arkansas

Published

6 years ago

February 27, 2019

Kentucky is playing like one of the best teams in the country, but Tuesday night was a different story. In a game where Kentucky grabbed more defensive rebounds than the opponent had rebounds, one wouldn’t expect for the game to be particularly close. However, with a 9 P.M. ET tipoff, the Cats came out very sluggish and sloppy and Kentucky got down as much as 15 early in the second half. The Wildcats were able to fight back with the help of the Big Blue Nation at Rupp Arena and win a game they probably didn’t deserve to win.

This team wanted this game and fought back and won with heart and toughness. A gritty win is still a win, let’s take a closer look at how the Cats clawed back and completed their biggest comeback of the season.

Herro of the Night

Tyler Herro may have played one of the most offensively efficient games in
Kentucky basketball history against Arkansas. Herro finished the game with 29 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. Herro singlehandedly kept Kentucky in the game after an atrocious first half and was a primary reason that they won.

With PJ the focus of the Arkansas defense, Herro was able to provide all of
his offensive production and more. Herro didn’t play great defense for the
first 25 min of the game but you can’t really complain when he is shooting 90%from the field and providing 42% of the team’s points.

Herro definitely didn’t lack confidence on Tuesday night, telling the world “I’m a bucket” as he sealed the game with two free throws.

https://twitter.com/barstooltweetss/status/1100613174355734528

Turnovers. Turnovers. Turnovers.

The story of the first half was the sloppy play of the Cats and their turnovers. Kentucky looked like they had never played against a zone before Tuesday. At the end of the first half, Kentucky had 12 turnovers, while Arkansas had just 1, which resulted in an 11-point deficit. In my game preview, I noted that Arkansas is one of the best teams in the country in getting steals but most of Kentucky’s turnovers were just from poor decision
making.

The first half was a wake-up call to the Cats as they only turned the ball over 3 times and forced six Razorback turnovers in the second half. Kentucky’s second-half execution allowed for a much more efficient offense, as the Cats were able to outscore Arkansas 42-27 while shooting 54.6% from the field.

Second Half Defense

Kentucky played a very lackluster first half on the defensive end, giving up 37 points to a not-so-good Arkansas team. However, in the second half, it was clear that Kentucky came out and took pride in their defense.

In the second half, the Cats held Arkansas to just 29 points in the second half and at one point only gave up 14 points in 13 minutes. Kentucky’s cranked u intensity and pressure forced the Razorbacks into two shot clock violations and a 31% clip from the field.

Arkansas guard Isaiah Joe, was defended by Tyler Herro and lit it up in the first half with 16 points, including 3 threes. In the second half, the UK coaching staff made an adjustment and put Ashton Hagans on Joe and was held to just three points (a late three-pointer). At one point, Hagans even refusing to come out for a breather. It seems like ELITE perimeter defender Ashton Hagans is back and is a very promising sign going forward.

When locked in, this Kentucky team is just special to watch on defense and is something they really take pride in.

Big Nick Energy

With Reid Travis out it is no secret that the Cats need Nick Richards and EJ Montgomery to embrace the opportunity and contribute as much as they can. While EJ struggled, Nick provided a lot in the second half.

Nick Richards was BIG on Tuesday night, with 7 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Richards had the toughest match-up of the night dealing with Arkansas big and All-SEC talent, Daniel Gafford. Outside of a few plays, Richards was able to keep Gafford in check and really challenge him, as he finished with 14 points and 8 rebounds both below his season
averages.

Calipari sees Nick Richards’ potential, and he has something that you can’t teach, size. Although Richards still has his moments, he is starting to put it together and is capable of offering things Reid Travis can’t. Richards still needs to improve on his hands made of rock, but he is showing promise of what he can be next year.

The game definitely didn’t go expected and showed room for improvement, but it also showed some bright spots. This team is special and is capable of winning in a variety of ways with different guys. On Saturday we will see what this team really is without Reid Travis in a physical game against Tennessee in Knoxville.

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.

Published

2 days ago

April 23, 2025

Lane Mills

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”.

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.

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.

Men's Basketball

REPORT: Travis Perry Enters Transfer Portal

Published

3 days ago

April 22, 2025

Tristan Pharis

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.

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.

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.

Published

3 days ago

April 22, 2025

Lane Mills

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.

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.