It was supposed to be just another day of summer workouts — high energy, sharp reps, and a chance for Kentucky’s returning core to lead. But one player flipped the script.
And now, no one’s talking about “potential” anymore. They’re talking about readiness.
Denzel Aberdeen isn’t technically new to college basketball, but he’s new to Kentucky. And if you walked into practice without a roster sheet, you might’ve mistaken him for the guy everyone came to see.
Because from the first whistle, Aberdeen played like someone who belonged.
He ran the offense with control, attacked with confidence, and defended like every possession mattered. There was no adjustment period. No hesitance. Just a steady stream of plays that kept raising eyebrows on the sideline.
Midway through a scrimmage, he picked off a pass near half court and turned it into an and-one the other way. Then, just minutes later, he calmly drilled a deep three off a high screen — no hesitation, no celebration, just a quiet jog back on defense.
But the moment that had everyone asking “Is this guy for real?” came when he took over the final two minutes of a competitive drill. With the game tied, he called for a switch, blew by his defender, and kicked to the corner for the go-ahead assist. On the next trip down, he took the shot himself — and buried it.
Veterans like Otega Oweh and Brandon Garrison were doing their thing. But Aberdeen? He looked like the missing piece.
The coaching staff didn’t say much after. They didn’t have to. Their body language said it all — this guy just complicated the rotation in the best way possible.
So yes, it’s summer. Yes, it’s early.
But if Denzel Aberdeen keeps this up… November might get very interesting.