Kentucky guard Denzel Aberdeen has entered the NCAA transfer portal. According to reports, Aberdeen is on the move after just one season in Lexington, having previously won a national championship with the Florida Gators. He is now looking for a third school for a fifth season.
Aberdeen’s Journey to Kentucky
Aberdeen, originally from Orlando, FL, initially committed to the Florida Gators. He spent three seasons there, seeing his role increase over time. By his third season, he was a regular part of the rotation, averaging 7.7 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists over 39 games. He only started in five of those games.
His decision to enter the transfer portal was met with controversy, particularly when he chose to join SEC rival Kentucky. Mark Pope welcomed the guard, assembling a roster that many believed could replicate Aberdeen’s prior success at Florida.
Pope spoke highly of Aberdeen early in the season. He praised Aberdeen’s mental fortitude.
“Denzel is awesome, man,” Pope said. “He is. He’s pretty good about not carrying emotional weight around with him because you can during the course of a game. You can just start to pile on emotional weight, good and bad and sideways and all the things. He’s pretty good about not carrying a bunch of emotional weight.”
Pope added: “He’s got a pretty special competitor’s heart where he just is — he’s a good model for our guys in the sense of he’s just on to the next thing. He’s not carrying a ton of baggage with him, and I think that’s one of the reasons why he functioned at a pretty high level in this game on the road. He’s pretty used to just moving on to the next play, next play, next play. That’s something our team will get really good at, but we’re not great at yet in a tough environment.”
Eligibility Questions Loom
It appears Aberdeen will not be returning to Kentucky for a second year. Having played four seasons of college basketball, questions about his eligibility are expected to surface. For now, Aberdeen is in the transfer portal, aiming to find a third school for his fifth season.