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Recap And Takeaways From Kentucky’s Loss To Kansas In Champions Classic

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The Kentucky Wildcats fall to the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks in the Champions Classic.
Tristan Pharis/KY Insider

Kentucky got their first big test on Tuesday night, facing the No. 1 team in the country, Kansas. Kentucky showed a lot of fight and impressed by playing a close game until the final seconds, falling 89-84 in a high scoring game. Kentucky was up by as much as 14, but Kansas went on a run, and stuck around from then on.

Kentucky had four players in double-figures: Antonio Reeves (24 points), Rob Dillingham (18) points), Adou Thiero (16 points), and Reed Sheppard (13 points). Outside of those four, the contributions didn’t jump off the stat sheet. DJ Wagner and Justin Edwards had a rough night, struggling to get into rhythm.

Let’s dive in to the takeaways after the close loss. There is a lot of positive takeaways, though.

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Adou Thiero Helps Fill Front Court Void

With Kentucky’s three bigs currently out, Tre Mitchell needed his teammates to step up and help him out down low. Adou Thiero was up for that challenge, the ultimate glue guy. He finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 1 assist.

His double-double on Tuesday night made him the first Kentucky player this season to have a double-double, while also notching a career-high in points and rebounds.

Solid Bench Contribution Again

One player who was one of the best on the floor for Kentucky on Tuesday night, Rob Dillingham showed what he’s made of on a big stage. Making big plays after big plays, he was on fire during the first half, scoring 16 points in the half.

Dillingham only played 6 minutes in the second half, leading many to question the decision to limit him in the half. Nonetheless, he finished with 18 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists, fouling out in the final few minutes of the game.

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Another player who had a solid game off the bench was once again Reed Sheppard, who is emerging as an instant impact player. He can come in and give you energy on defense and give you a spark when needed, but tonight he provided much needed buckets on offense too. Sheppard finished with 13 points and 1 assist.

Justin Edwards And DJ Wagner Struggle

Despite other players having solid nights, DJ Wagner and Justin Edwards could not find their rhythm. Wagner finished with 4 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist, while going 1-12 from the field. Edwards had 1 point, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists, shooting 0-6 from the field.

Both had very rough nights, but their teammates stepped up and took Kansas to the wire, and as a pair of Kentucky’s top freshman, their performances are not worrisome.

There is a lot to like about this Kentucky team after a great performance against the best team in the country, but they just weren’t able to finish the game strong.

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Kentucky returns to action at Rupp Arena on Friday night against Stonehill.

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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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Men's Basketball

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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