Denzel Aberdeen played another great game as PG1: 'People don't understand how hard that is.'

Denzel Aberdeen continues to impress in Kentucky’s backcourt. We’re nearing the point where he’s no longer a combo guard turned point guard — he’s simply a point guard. Point blank period.

Aberdeen was terrific once again for the Wildcats in the second round of the SEC Tournament. In Kentucky’s 78-72 win over Missouri in Nashville, the 6-foot-5 primary ball handler did a great job of balancing his role as a scorer and distributor. Aberdeen posted 16 points in 34 minutes of action, drawing six fouls on his way to a 7-8 mark from the free-throw line. He also dished out seven assists, matching that with only a single turnover. For good measure, he tacked on a couple of steals and a rebound.

This performance was just another impressive one in a string of positive showings from Jaland Lowe‘s replacement as Kentucky’s starting point guard. Dating back to the Wildcats’ road win over Arkansas, Aberdeen now has at least three assists in every game. In his last 12 games, he’s up to 53 assists to only 11 turnovers. There are guys in the SEC who have been playing point guard their entire lives without those numbers.

“I want to say this: I think that might be the hardest thing to do,” Lowe said of Aberdeen’s positional change. “I give Denzel the most credit out of everybody, because he’s a person that has never really played the point guard position, and for him to be a combo guard and now have to take that lead role is amazing to see, and people don’t understand how hard that is.

“We tease him all the time just because, you know, see basket, go to basket. That’s kind of a thing with a scorer’s mind, and that’s what he’s been his whole career. But now for him to be able to do more than that and try to figure it out on the go as the season’s going along, I give him the utmost credit. I love him for that.”

Jaland Lowe has been impressed with how Denzel Aberdeen has run point this year for Kentucky. pic.twitter.com/yY8scrVp9z

— KSR (@KSRonX) March 12, 2026

Aberdeen has clearly exceeded expectations with his playmaking skills, especially as of late. Against Missouri, he got his lone turnover out of the way early before being flawless the rest of the way. His seven dimes led directly to 16 Kentucky points. But when he needed to put his head down and get buckets, he timed his attack perfectly.

With under 30 seconds to go in regulation and the ‘Cats clinging to a three-point lead, it was Aberdeen who hit a clutch floater (one that could have easily been an and-one) to make it a five-point advantage, locking up the win in the process. He scored six of Kentucky’s final nine points after Missouri came back from down 16 points to take the lead.

There’s no secret sauce to Aberdeen’s recipe for success, either. He’s just a smart, seasoned veteran, one with over 100 college games and a national championship under his belt. When he needs to score, he’ll pick his spots. When he needs to step back, he’ll put his teammates in position to score. Through two games in the SEC Tournament, his combined 10 assists to two turnovers have resulted in a pair of Kentucky wins.

“Keeping it simple right now is what he needs to do,” Lowe said. “And that’s been working all year long for him, and it’ll continue to work for him.”

The next challenge against his former school might just be the toughest yet, though. Kentucky went 0-2 against Florida in the regular season. Aberdeen didn’t exactly have his best games in those, either. But he can change that narrative by doing what he’s been doing for months now: keeping it simple.

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