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PJ Washington Injury Update, Just “Relax”

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This a scene of the Big Blue Nation since news broke last week that PJ “Pistol” Washington had sprained his left foot and was put into a walking boot.

The Wildcats have since made it to the Sweet Sixteen but there is still no timetable for the star’s return. PJ was put into a hard cast on Wednesday and was “scootering” around all weekend in Jacksonville. PJ went on to tell CBS sideline reporter, Jamie Erdahl, his pain was a “10” out of 10. While there is no doubt there is pain, he seemed pretty mobile on the sidelines and cheering on his teammates, which is a good sign to me.

With the current state of frenzy in the BBN there has been no shortage of speculation and rumors. PJ Washington’s father, Paul Washington Sr. has one thing to say and wants “people to just relax. PJ will play when his body says he can play”.

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During his weekly call-in show on Monday, Calipari was asked if he had any update on PJ’s status and he responded with “No”. Calipari went on to add that the plan is for the cast to come off Tuesday and for PJ to be reevaluated, so we should get a clearer picture soon enough.

Over the weekend, Brandon Hall M.D., a sports injury specialist, gave his thoughts on Washington’s injury saying, “Washington either has a sprain of one of the lesser ligaments in the foot or he has a Lisfranc injury from my best estimates”.

On the hard cast:

“In my opinion, there really is no difference between the boot or the cast. With the knowledge that we do have, I can only guess they wanted to try everything possible, but in reality, the fact that he has a cast likely will have no ultimate effect on his return.”

On when he expects PJ to return:

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“He would be 2.5 weeks out for Sweet 16/ Elite 8 and 3.5 weeks out for the Final Four. If he has a typical foot sprain it is very well possible, he is ready for next week’s games and highly probable for Final Four. If it is the Lisfranc ligament I would say it is unlikely that he is ready for Sweet 16 or Elite 8 but definitely possible for Final Four.”

Read the rest of the article here: https://www.theinjurysource.com/single-post/PJWashington

PJ’s father, Cal, and his teammates have all repeatedly said that PJ desperately wants to be playing in the NCAA tournament. There are two options, either he plays or he doesn’t play, and at this point it’s anyone guess. Let’s all take a moment breath and say a prayer to the man upstairs until we hear something after the cast comes off.

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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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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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