Denzel Aberdeen receives shoutout from Donald Trump, refuses to Gator Chomp at White House

Aberdeen Trump — Photos via UK Athletics, The White House

Denzel Aberdeen has been in a tough spot, balancing Florida’s championship celebration and trophy tour with his transfer to Kentucky, set to officially make the move to Lexington over the next couple of weeks. Are you Gator or a Wildcat at this point? He was put to the test when the title team was invited to Washington, D.C. to explore the U.S. Capitol and White House on Wednesday — and he passed.

Aberdeen made the trip to celebrate his status as a national champion, but refused to join in on the Gator Chomp with his former teammates and coaches. He could appreciate their accomplishments together without crossing the line as a current Kentucky signee and SEC rival.

Perfect execution.

right over left 🐊 pic.twitter.com/9Np04cr50F
— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) May 21, 2025

The future Wildcat also got a shoutout from President Donald Trump during their trip to the White House, Aberdeen singled out for one of his many clutch plays in the championship game and March Madness as a whole.

“Houston fouled junior guard Denzel Aberdeen, who expanded Florida’s lead again,” Trump said. “That’s great, where’s Denzel? I love that name, Denzel Aberdeen. I have a place in Aberdeen, Scotland. I like that name, Aberdeen. He’s a good player, Coach?”

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“Very good player,” Todd Golden responded with a smile, despite losing the prized guard to Kentucky.

“I’d like to hear him say, ‘No, not that good.’ You look like a good player,” Trump said, shaking Aberdeen’s hand.

The senior guard out of Orlando spent his first three years at Florida, averaging 7.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 39 games during the title season while shooting 41.8 percent overall and 35.0 percent from deep. He averaged 8.0 points during the SEC Tournament and 6.0 points during the NCAA Tournament. In five starts as a Gator this past year, Aberdeen averaged 14.4 points while shooting 41.4 percent from three.

“This Denzel Aberdeen — I mean, he’s coming here wearing a big, fat, giant (championship) ring,” Pope said of the addition. “And there’s no way to replace that type of experience. And he’s a beautiful kid, man, like spending time with his parents was really special. Comes from a military family background, and he cares about people, and he’s an incredibly talented basketball player.”