Mar 29, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; Florida Gators guard Denzel Aberdeen (11) shoots a three point basket during the first half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the West Regional final of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Kentucky transfer listed as a potential breakout star in college basketball

Originally posted on Kentucky Wildcats on SI
By Andrew Stefaniak | Last updated Aug 5, 2025 8:51 AM ET

One player on this 2025-26 Kentucky basketball team who could be the biggest surprise is Florida transfer Denzel Aberdeen. Last season with the National Champion Florida Gators, Aberdeen was a great piece off the bench who averaged 7.7 points per game.

Aberdeen was playing behind the best backcourt in college basketball, so minutes were tough to come by, but his defense was able to keep the 6'5 guard on the floor.

Now, Aberdeen has made the move over to Lexington, where he will stay in the SEC, but this season play for Mark Pope's Kentucky Wildcats. The reason Kentucky fans are such big believers in Aberdeen is because Florida fans were devastated to see him leave, as they felt he was going to put up big numbers this season in a larger role in Gainesville.

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Sports Grid lists Denzel Aberdeen as a breakout player to watch in college basketball

An article this morning from David Connelly of Sports Grid listed ten potential breakout players in college basketball, and Aberdeen was one of the names on this list.

Here is what Connelly had to say about Aberdeen and why he could break out: "Last season, Kentucky head coach Mark Pope referred to former Florida guard Denzel Aberdeen as 'terrifying'. He went out of his way to limit him whenever he came off the bench for the Gators, and now he has him on his side in Lexington. Aberdeen will surely go from sixth man to starting five for the Wildcats this season, and Pope's respect for Aberdeen's game likely means more playing time for the rising senior. If he can maintain his scoring punch with a slightly higher workload in 2025-26, he'll be one to watch in the SEC."

Aberdeen proved that in only 19.7 points per game, he is more than capable of making a large impact for an elite basketball team on both ends of the floor. This season, Aberdeen will more than likely be starting for the Wildcats and will have more of a chance to show off his ability to score.

So far in summer practice, it sounds like Aberdeen is shooting the ball well, which would be a huge boost for a team that wants to shoot the three ball a lot.

Aberdeen is going to be a player that does the gritty work on defense for this team but will also be capable of having some explosive games on offense. The 6'5 guard is set to break out for the Kentucky Wildcats.

This article first appeared on Kentucky Wildcats on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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