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The Horrendous Officiating that has Hurt College Basketball Continued Last Night

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The biggest stage in College basketball, the Final Four, has had some pretty controversial/wild finishes in its history. Chris Webber calling a timeout Michigan didn’t have against North Carolina, Mario Chalmers hitting a buzzer-beater to tie the game against Memphis, and Aaron Harrison’s 3-pointer to beat Wisconsin are some of the dramatic moments that come to mind. But, last night was dramatic in a different way.

Virginia’s Ty Jerome hit a three with 5:20 left in the 2nd half, giving the Cavaliers a 10-point advantage and it looked like they would cruise to victory from there. That didn’t happen. Back-to-back threes from Bryce Brown cut the Virginia lead to just three points with 3:20 left. Danjel Purifoy drove to the basket for a layup, then Brown hit another clutch three-pointer to give the Tigers a 59-57 lead.

Then Chaos ensued. Anfernee McLemore hit two free throws, giving Auburn a four-point lead with 17 seconds left. Then, Kyle Guy hit a corner three-ball with 6.8 seconds left, cutting the Auburn lead to 1. Jared Harper was fouled, hit 1/2 free throws, and Virginia had a chance to tie or take the lead.

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Coming down the court, Virginia’s Ty Jerome dribbled the ball off his foot, picked the ball back up, and dribbled again. An obvious double-dribble that the referees missed. But, before this, there is a jersey pull by Bryce Brown, which was not called either. Looking back at the replay, the jersey pull didn’t effect Jerome’s dribble and it wasn’t really even a foul. Good no call.

Look at the replay and see for yourself:

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The Tigers had fouls to give, so Virginia didn’t go to the line for two free throws, which maybe would’ve been a better result for Auburn fans than what would happen next.

Virginia calls a timeout and Tony Bennett sets up a play. The ball comes to Kyle Guy in the corner, he shoots a three for the win that misses, but a whistle is blown right as the ball hits the rim, “did I hear a whistle?” Jim Nantz says. A foul on a 3-point shot by Samir Doughty. Yikes.

Looking back at the play, as much as I hate to see a game end that way, it was the right call. Doughty came into Guys air-space and bumped him. Guy, who openly struggles with anxiety and after the game admitted to being terrified at the line, clutched up and sank three huge free throws. Auburn, with .6 seconds left, needed a miracle. It didn’t happen and Virginia won the game.

Here’s the call that gave Virginia the win:

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This has to be one of the most heartbreaking losses in college basketball, especially for Auburn with it being their first Final Four in program history.

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I have no problem with the call. I do have a problem with the missed double-dribble though. You cannot miss that. Virginia shouldn’t have even had the ball and Auburn should’ve been in the title game.

This blown call continues what has been a horrible season for college basketball officiating. It has been bad for a while, but nothing compared to this year. I know the NCAA won’t do anything, but it has to be embarrassed at the job it’s officials have done this year.

Tomorrow, two teams who have never played in a national championship game will square with a championship at stake. Be prepared for nervous basketball and a very low scoring game.

Let me know who wins because I will not be watching.

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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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