Mark Pope of Kentucky Says of the Newcomer: “He’s Special, Special, Special”
Kentucky head coach details how a Florida bench spark turned into a key piece for the Wildcats
Going into Mark Pope’s second season at Kentucky, he knew he had to make changes to his roster after his first season at Kentucky and what helped him was six seniors graduated. Amid a wave of portal movement and high-profile recruiting, one name that quietly emerged as a key building block was Florida transfer Denzel Aberdeen and it turns out Pope had his eye on him well before he ever entered the portal.
In an interview with CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein, Pope opened up about how he first discovered Aberdeen, and it wasn’t through traditional scouting or recruiting. It came from game prep
There was no evaluation,” Pope says when speaking to Rothstein during an interview. “So my evaluation came in the two weeks that we were trying to do background prep and then prep for our game against Florida, which was, it was the first game of the SEC season, and so I had some familiarity with their team, but as I dug more and more to the film, I’m like, this cat coming off the bench is terrifying to me. And he certainly proved it throughout the course of the season.”
Aberdeen, a 6-foot-4 guard who averaged just under eight points per game in limited minutes, made a lasting impression with his energy, aggressiveness, and fearlessness all traits Pope is clearly looking for as he molds his new-look Wildcats. But beyond what the coach saw on the court, it was who Aberdeen is off the court that sealed the deal.
“The fun part of the research for us was actually getting to know him as a person,” Pope added. “He’s special, special, special. He’s got a great joy about him. He’s got a passion and commitment. He is determined to continue his journey towards becoming a great basketball player. He’s proven with what he did in this four-guard rotation at Florida that he was a team-first guy
Pope believes Aberdeen is primed for a breakout season in Lexington a rare feat considering Florida just came off a national championship run. But in a system that promises pace, freedom, and opportunity, the Kentucky head coach sees something bigger brewing.
“It’s hard to have a breakout season after you just won a national championship, but he’s gonna have a big-time breakout season,” Pope said.
Aberdeen isn’t just a depth piece he’s a centerpiece in Pope’s foundation
