Kentucky lands one other massive piece in Florida switch guard

[ad_1] Mark Pope has been busy constructing the Kentucky Wildcats into one of the best model they are often for the 2025-26 season.

He is now introduced in 5 incoming gamers, every with a quite intriguing ability set that they will carry to the desk. The most recent is former Florida guard Denzel Aberdeen, who received the Nationwide Championship with the Gators after which determined to enter the switch portal.

"These previous three years on the College of Florida have been nothing wanting superb. I am really grateful to have worn the orange and blue and to symbolize Gator Nation with delight," Aberdeen wrote on social media. "To my brothers — my teammates — I really like y'all. We made historical past collectively, and people reminiscences will stick with me endlessly. I am honored to have been part of one thing so particular."

Aberdeen was Florida's backup level guard this previous season, and he performed a big position within the Gators' March Insanity run. He was seemingly trying ahead to a beginning position in 2025, however then Florida added Princeton level guard Xaivian Lee from the portal.

Aberdeen is now poised to be an enormous a part of Pope's puzzle at Kentucky.

He averaged 7.7 factors, 1.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 19.7 minutes per sport as Florida's sixth man. Throughout March Insanity, he scored 12 factors on 5-of-7 taking pictures from the sector in Florida's Candy 16 win in opposition to Maryland. Within the Nationwide Championship sport, he notched seven factors and two rebounds as a backup.

It is going to be fascinating to see if Aberdeen's talents switch to a much bigger position, which he'll undoubtedly be searching for at Tennessee. Nonetheless, he is a veteran guard with championship expertise. That might be extraordinarily invaluable for Kentucky in 2025.

From Orlando, Florida, Aberdeen was the No. 22 combo guard within the 2022 class.

Different notable switch gamers Pope has introduced in embody former ASU freshman Jayden Quaintance, who was named to the Large 12 Convention All-Freshman and All-Defensive groups, and former Pitt star Jaland Lowe.