Feb 22, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Florida Gators guard Denzel Aberdeen (11) brings the ball up court against the LSU Tigers during the second half at Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Two Kentucky Wildcats listed as breakout stars for the 2025-26 college basketball season

Originally posted on Kentucky Wildcats on SI
By Andrew Stefaniak | Last updated Aug 21, 2025 12:00 PM ET

When Coach Mark Pope built his 2025-26 Kentucky basketball roster, he made a "team" and didn't just add as many star players as he could, like some programs do. Coach Pope has been praised for this in the media, and it is going to pay off with a lot of wins this season.

Part of building a roster this way is that the Wildcats have a lot of players who are considered breakout players to watch. An article came out from Sports Grid today that listed the top 20 potential breakout stars in college basketball, and two Kentucky Wildcats made the list.

The two Wildcats listed in this article were Denzel Aberdeen and Jaland Lowe. Aberdeen is the perfect example of a breakout star because he put up solid numbers as a depth piece for the national champion Florida Gators last season.

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Aberdeen was one of those players that fans watched and thought to themselves, "Man, this kid could be special if he is given a larger role." Well, he is going to be given that larger role this season at Kentucky, and he is expected to shine.

Lowe is the other player on this list, and he is a potential breakout star in a different capacity. He led Pitt in scoring last season, averaging 16.8 points per game, but the issue was he didn't do it in a very efficient way.

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The reason he is set to breakout is because in the Pope system at Kentucky, he will be getting a lot better looks trying to score the basketball. He should average around 15 points per game this season, but it will be much more efficient than what he did last season in the ACC.

Many predict both of these two players to start for the Wildcats this season, and they will play a pivotal role in Kentucky having one of the better backcourts in the SEC.

Guard play wins basketball games in March, and both Lowe and Aberdeen are going to be a massive part of the run this team goes on in the NCAA Tournament. Both Lowe and Aberdeen could be All-SEC performers this season.

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

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