We aren’t even a week removed from the National Championship, but Virginia won, so if we are being honest, who really cares?
The national media outlets are starting to release their “way-too-early” rankings for 2020. With decisions yet to be made, let’s see where Kentucky stands compared to the rest of the country for next season.
ESPN
3. Kentucky Wildcats
There are a lot of moving parts for Kentucky right now, but let’s say the Wildcats lose PJ Washington, Keldon Johnson, and Tyler Herro, in addition to graduating senior Reid Travis. They still bring back Ashton Hagans and should have Nick Richards and EJ Montgomery up front. They also add one of the elite guard recruits in the country in Tyrese Maxey and a five-star two-way player in Kahlil Whitney, along with top-50 prospect Keion Brooks. Bucknell grad transfer Nate Sestina should help, and John Calipari could still add to the roster.
2018-19 record and finish: 30-7, Elite Eight Key players: PG Ashton Hagans, C Nick Richards, PF EJ Montgomery, PG Immanuel Quickley, SG Jemarl Baker Top-100 recruits: SF Kahlil Whitney (247Sports No. 7), CG Tyrese Maxey (247Sports No. 9), SF Keion Brooks (247Sports No. 23), PF Nate Sestina (grad transfer, Bucknell) Key decisions: SG Tyler Herro is projected No. 26 pick by Chris Stone; he can do better with another year.
2. Kentucky (30-7). The Wildcats will have a roster overhaul, but that’s nothing new. Keldon Johnson, PJ Washington, and Ashton Hagans likely will head to the NBA, but there’s a chance second-leading scorer Tyler Herro will stay. Calipari welcomes another five-star class headed by top-10 freshmen Kahlil Whitney and Tyrese Maxey. But the real veteran boost comes with grad transfer Nate Sestina (15.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg at Bucknell).
The issue of heavy roster turnover is nothing new for the Wildcats, who are likely to lose PJ Washington, Keldon Johnson and Tyler Herro to the draft and will graduate Reid Travis. The good news: Kentucky brings in readymade backcourt scorer Tyrese Maxey, athletic wing Kahlil Whitney and versatile forward Keion Brooks to replace them. Ashton Hagans should end up coming back to run the point. It’s impossible to know exactly what this team will look like in November, but Kentucky may not fall off much, if at all. The addition of grad transfer Nate Sestina adds crucial depth in the frontcourt.
Even with the unpredictability surrounding next year’s roster, the national media is confident that the Wildcats will once again be one of the best teams in the country and will be in contention for a national title.
I am confident in that belief too. However, I also believe that this team is one piece away from being the favorite heading into the season.
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Either way, it will be interesting to see what we will learn over the course of the next 6 months and how these players will develop. Until then we sit patiently, but as always GO C-A-T-S!
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.
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.
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.