Following a 0-2 start to SEC play for the first time since the 2005-06 season, Kentucky men’s basketball (12-6, 3-2 SEC) has struck a three-game winning streak.
The Cats kick-started their streak by blowing out Mississippi State by 24 points at home on Jan. 10, before taking down LSU and No. 24 Tennessee on the road, both significant comebacks that counted as quad-one victories.
In Knoxville, heading into a sea of orange, the Cats only had themselves, targeted by 21,000-plus fans that were there to see them lose, and funneled by grit along with the will to win, they were able to come out victorious, good for their second-ranked win of the season thus far.
This Kentucky team has strung together a few all-around team performances, but more often than not, there is one player that ends up being the deciding factor, and against the Volunteers and the Tigers, it was Denzel Aberdeen.
Against the Vols, the Cats went into halftime trailing by 11 points, shooting 43% from the field and 36% from deep, not terrible, but not enough to keep the game within single digits through the first 20 minutes of play.
At the break, Aberdeen only had four points, all from the free-throw line, and he was 0-1 from the field with only one rebound to give.
In the second half, it was not only a completely different team showing, but a completely different individual showing from Aberdeen, as he scored 18 points while shooting 7-10 from the field and 3-5 from downtown, undoubtedly serving as the deciding factor in what could’ve been UK’s third SEC loss.
“I thought Denzel Aberdeen, his (play) was ridiculous tonight,” head coach Mark Pope said. “He was so good, really it came down to just putting the ball in his hands and saying, ‘hey, let’s just extend this thing out and let’s try and you go attack space.’ And he made every right decision, his ball protection, the ball was in his hands, it must’ve been his hands for six minutes in the second half, which is crazy, right?”
With Aberdeen’s offensive explosion in the last 20 minutes, Otega Oweh accompanied him as the closest scorer with 10 points, which was most certainly helpful. However, if Aberdeen hadn’t shot the lights out and sparked an offensive rampage, UK would’ve been on the wrong side of the result.
The game prior, in Kentucky’s 17-point comeback win over LSU, Aberdeen scored 17 points, while leading the team with four rebounds, shooting 5-8 from the field, 2-3 from beyond the 3-point arch and 5-5 from the charity stripe.
Aberdeen wasn’t Kentucky’s all-around leading scorer. However, he did, once again, lead the team in second-half points with 17, showing a near-identical effort to what transpired in Knoxville.
Kentucky’s first-half and second-half showings have been completely different – but if it still leads to wins, who cares? Right?
Aberdeen has been a crucial factor in UK’s positive results, and heading further into SEC play and eventually postseason play, one can hope and assume that he will continue to be important, I mean, that it was he was brought to the bluegrass to do.
Looking back to the preseason, Aberdeen was expected to come to UK after winning the national championship with Florida, and provide what he is providing now, experience and the understanding of what separates wins and losses.
Aberdeen and the Cats will look to turn their momentum into a four-game win streak on Tuesday, Jan. 20, when they welcome the Texas Longhorns (11-7, 2-3 SEC) into Rupp Arena for a 7 p.m. ET showdown. That contest can be viewed on SEC Network.
