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Oscar Tshiebwe Addresses Transfer Rumors, Says “Kentucky is My Home”

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Oscar Thsiebwe celebrating with Kentucky basketball fans at Rupp Arena.
© Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

It is mid-May and Kentucky’s basketball roster has yet to be finalized. One reason for that is the wait for Chris Livingston and Oscar Tshiebwe to make their final decisions, as they are currently participating in the NBA Draft combine and awaiting final feedback from teams.

For Livingston, the transfer portal deadline has passed. Therefore, it is either a return to Kentucky or remain in the NBA Draft for him, with the consensus being that he will remain in the draft despite concerns from NBA scouts.

For Tshiebwe, he too has the option to return to Kentucky or remain in the NBA Draft. However, after graduating from Kentucky in early May, Tshiebwe also has the option to transfer as a graduate transfer if he wishes. While the transfer portal closed back on May 11th for undergrad students, graduates can transfer at any time and that has been rumored to be a possibility for Tshiebwe should he decide to return to college.

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Ben Roberts of the Lexington Herald-Leader asked Tshiebwe about the possibility, to which he answered, “That is not an option.”

“I will never transfer. Kentucky’s my home. If there’s a chance to go professional, I’ll go pro. If there’s a chance to not go professional, I will go back to Kentucky. I’ve never even thought about going (another) place. Kentucky is my home. It’s a dream place. I can’t leave my home. That’s my place, forever.”

Prior to this week’s NBA Draft combine, Tshiewbe was pretty clearly on the outside looking in, with no outlet projecting him to be selected in their mock drafts. To add, only ESPN had him ranked on their big board, ranking 64th overall.

With that said, Tshiebwe has definitely helped himself at the combine.

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On Monday, Tshiebwe was measured and participated in some drills. While his agility circuit numbers weren’t great, which has been a concern, he did impress in one area, three-point shooting. Having shot 0-2 from three for his entire colligate career, it was a pleasant surprise as he shot 12-25 on threes, and then followed it up with an impressive shooting display during his Pro Day on Wednesday.

Also on Wednesday, Tshiebwe opted to play in the 5-on-5 scrimmages and came away as one of the biggest winners. Unsurprisingly, he finished with a 10-point, 16-rebound double-double, and had the most rebounds of any player in the last five Draft Combine scrimmages.

While he helped his stock, there is one reason for optimism of a return, he did not show much outside of what he showed at Kentucky, at least in terms of the scrimmage. While Tshiebwe is an elite rebounder, which does translate to the NBA, he still had some defensive lapses and has not yet showcased any perimeter skills in a game setting. Then again, all it takes is one team to like what they see.

He will have a second scrimmage on Thursday afternoon.

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The wait for a decision will not take too much longer as the NBA Draft withdrawal deadline is May 31st. If we have seen the last of Oscar Tshiebwe in a Kentucky uniform, he is grateful for his time in Lexington and what he calls the best time of his life.

“It has meant a lot. I’ve had a great, great time — probably the best time in my life — at Kentucky,” he said. “The people have been great to me. I’ve been good with the fans. I’m just so appreciative for everything the people have done for us. And everything I have accomplished for Kentucky — I’m very grateful for that.”

“And I will continue to be a part of the Big Blue Nation forever.”

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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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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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