Big Blue Preview: Kentucky at Florida
Last season, Kentucky saw Otega Oweh return to face his former team when the Cats visited Oklahoma. Earlier this season, it was Mo Dioubate, who returned to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama.
On Saturday, it will be Denzel Aberdeen making a return to his former school when No. 25 Kentucky visits 14th-ranked Florida in Gainesville. Aberdeen played three seasons for the Gators, including last year when Florida won the national championship.
Kentucky head coach Mark Pope discussed Aberdeen’s return to Gainesville during his Thursday press conference. The UK head man is not concerned about how Aberdeen will be affected.
“I think D.A. is pretty steady right now,” Pope said. “His play over the last month has been phenomenal. He’s had huge number games. He went on a four or five-game tear where his numbers were just outrageous.”
Over the last nine games, Aberdeen has been a steady part of the UK attack. He’s averaging 14.3 points per game during the current streak, including a season-high 22-point effort at Tennessee in January. Aberdeen also leads the team in assists (29) over the last nine games. The senior’s play has contributed to Kentucky winning eight of the nine games during this span.
“You can see him making the transition from doing his job to playing the game,” Pope said. “From doing the game to playing the game. We’ve seen that happen in real time over the last month where, in practice too now, you see him feeling so comfortable with what we’re doing.”
As for returning to Florida on Saturday, Pope does not worry about how Aberdeen will respond.
“He’s just a solid dude. He’s a competitor, competitor, competitor,” Pope said. “The brighter the lights, the more excited he gets and he functions well there. So, I expect him, as the season progresses, to just get better.”
Kentucky and Florida are set for a 3 p.m. ET tipoff and the game can be seen on ABC.
Know Your Opponent: Florida
Kentucky visits Florida for the first of two regular-season matchups with first place in the SEC on the line:
• Kentucky leads the all-time series, 111-42, and is 41-26 in Gainesville
• Dan Issel has the UK scoring record in the series, twice scoring 37 points against the Gators during the 1970 season
• The two sides played an epic contest last season in Lexington with the Wildcats winning, 106-100, in what was the conference opener for both squads. Koby Brea led the Cats with 23 points on seven made 3s
• The Gators rank tops in the nation in both rebounds per game (46.04) and offensive rebounds per game at (16.33). Rueben Chinyelu leads the way with a league-best 11.8 boards per contest
• Thomas Haugh is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 17.5 points per game
• Boogie Fland is averaging 2.3 steals per game in league play, the top mark in the conference
Last Time Out
Kentucky continued its comeback ways, overcoming a 14-point halftime deficit to upend Tennessee, 74-71, for UK’s eighth win in the last nine games
• The 14-point halftime deficit was the largest overcome by Kentucky in Rupp Arena history
• In its two wins over Tennessee this season, Kentucky erased halftime deficits of 11 points and 14 points
• It marked the first time Kentucky has won three games in a season when trailing by at least 11 points at halftime
• It was the fifth double-digit comeback by Kentucky this season
• Coach Mark Pope becomes the first head coach in program history to have four wins when trailing by at least 11 points at halftime in his career
• Kentucky allowed 24 points in the second half, the fewest against Tennessee in the second half of a game at Rupp since Jan. 12, 1999 (22)
• The win was the 12th over an AP Top-25 opponent under Coach Pope and the fourth this season
• Otega Oweh led Kentucky with 21 points, his fifth game in a row with at least 20 points. He is the first player to achieve the feat since Antonio Reeves in 2024
• Collin Chandler made three triples, including the go-ahead long ball with 32 seconds to play
