What’s up, hoop fans? Let’s talk about this major shuffle in the SEC—a move that everybody and their dog is buzzing about. Florida’s all-star sixth man, Denzel Aberdeen, has taken his talents to Kentucky, leaving the sunshine of the Gators’ home court for the bluegrass and cold of the Wildcats’ hardwood. That’s like moving from roller coasters to horse races overnight!
So, here’s the backstory: Denzel was this spark off the bench for Florida during their epic 2024-25 title run. Now, he’s hooked up with Kentucky, swapping out the Gator blue for Wildcat blue. According to the gossip mill over at 247Sports, the shift lines up with a larger pattern of Kentucky switching gears from the old Calipari playbook to a more Todd Golden-esque style. Basically, we’re talking about a whole new vibe on the UK squad, and Denzel wants in on it.
Now, here’s where it gets juicy. Rumor has it Denzel was sniffing around for roughly $2 million in NIL cash to stay in the swamp, but whether or not Kentucky’s handing him that cash pile is still a mystery. But hey, it isn’t exactly abnormal for athletes to chase those NIL dreams these days, huh?
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Back at Florida, Aberdeen was a dependable backup PG. Sure, his shooting wasn’t exactly the dreamy free-throw percentage everyone hoped for, but the dude made the minutes count. We’re talking every game, average 13.5 minutes, with nearly 8 points per game on decent shooting splits. And hey, those five starts? He showed up big time when injuries hit Clayton and Martin.
Florida’s sitting in a bit of a jam with their guard lineup. Losing Denzel’s a punch, but they’ve got Xaivian Lee—another hot prospect from the transfer portal—joining the squad. Florida’s guard race is tightening up, and there’s talk that they’re eyeing Ohio’s AJ Brown, too.
Seems like head coach Todd Golden and his bench still have some tricks up their sleeves with guys like Isaiah Brown and Alex Lloyd. So, what’s the vibe in Gainesville? Flux, baby. Straight-up flux.
And if you’re all about the backroom stuff, Florida’s also added coaching vet Dave Klatsky from NYU as an assistant. Everything’s in motion, folks. You know the drill, though—follow the drama, hit up @GatorsWire on X (I know, it’ll always be Twitter in our hearts), Bluesky, whatever. You never know who’s jumping ship next or who’s snagging which spotlight.
Anyway, grab your popcorn—the only constant is change, and with these college hoops moves, it just gets wilder every day.
