Connect with us

Men's Basketball

Three Things To Watch For and TV Info for Kentucky’s Season Opener vs. Howard

Published

on

UK Athletics

College basketball is just a few days away, and the Kentucky Wildcats are set to kick off their season against the Howard Bison on Monday night.

Howard is an HBCU located in Washington D.C. and plays in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Bison are coming off a 16-13 record last season, the program’s first winning record since 2001-02.

Coached by Kenneth Blakeney, the Bison are taking steps in the right direction. Just two years ago, the university received a commitment from Makur Maker, a five-star recruit out of Arizona and cousin of NBA players Thon and Matur Maker. It was the first successful recruitment of a major NBA prospect to an HBCU in the modern era.

Advertisement

Now let’s take a look at what to look for in the season opener.

Who will play?

Contrary to last season, the Wildcats have gotten the injury bug early this season and it has taken out their two biggest returning players, Oscar Tshiebwe and Sahvir Wheeler. To add, Damion Collins is also out as he and his family continue to grieve the loss of his father.

Nothing has been said, about the status of Collins or Wheeler for Monday, but John Calipari did give an update on Tshiebwe.

Following Kentucky’s exhibition win on Thursday night, John Calipari said he would be “stunned” if Tshiebwe played on Monday, and would be “somewhat surprised” if he played Friday.

Advertisement

It is not expected for any of these absences to be long-term, but it is not ideal to have just eight scholarship players available for the first regular season game of the season.

Could we see Adou Thiero and Ugonna Onyenso get some run?

Which offense will be seen?

In two preseason exhibition games, there have been two very different offensive performances from Kentucky.

John Calipari prefaced the first exhibition, by saying that the team was being judged by their defense, rebounding, and sprinting and it was proven by their play. While the Wildcats performed well in those areas, they scored a measly 56 points and just never looked in rhythm.

Advertisement

Against Kentucky State, it was just the opposite. Despite being without Collins, Tshiebwe, and Wheeler, the team nearly doubled the scoring output of their first exhibition (111) and had six players score in double figures. Not to mention, the Wildcats hit 12 of their 26 three-point attempts

If you consider the team’s performance in the Bahamas, the Wildcats scored at least 98 points in all four games. Then again, that was with a full roster.

Atmosphere

Following Thursday’s exhibition, Calipari went on the post-game show to talk about wanting to improve the atmosphere at Rupp after seeing the crowds at the Phillies games, saying, “We’ve gotta get Rupp Arena…This is kind of like a sacred place, Rupp Arena.”

Calipari mentioned he’s working on some ideas centering around students and cited that his major was marketing.

Advertisement

Given the optimism for this season, will we see a mostly full Rupp Arena or will the disappointment from the past two seasons carry over?

Kentucky Wildcats vs. Howard Bison

Time/Date: 6:30 pm ET on Monday November 7th, 2022
Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
TV Channel: SEC Network
Online Stream: WatchESPNESPN+, SEC Network+, or the ESPN app
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens will have the UK radio network call on WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1, and the UK Sports Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | HU
Live Stats

Also published on A Sea of Blue.

Advertisement

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

on

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”.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Men's Basketball

REPORT: Travis Perry Enters Transfer Portal

Published

on

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

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

on

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. 

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending