Florida players excited to face Denzel Aberdeen, who was 'key part of the national championship'

Denzel Aberdeen rounded what was the most talented backcourt in all of college basketball last season.

As the first guard off the bench for Todd Golden‘s Florida Gators, Aberdeen provided a jolt of athleticism in his 19.8 minutes per game off the bench. The energy and production he brought to the hardwood allowed Florida to maintain the status quo, which led the Gators all the way to a national championship.

“He brought an edge to our team,” Florida’s Thomas Haugh, who also came off the bench with Aberdeen last season, told KSR about his former teammate at SEC Media Days this week. “Me and him both last year were able to go in there, and our goal every game was just to help change the game. Whether that was keep it going with what the starters had or bring it up.”

Florida nearly all of its guard play from last season. Out went Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard, and Alijah Martin to the pros, with Aberdeen opting for an SEC rival. Golden reloaded with plenty of talent in Boogie Fland (Arkansas) and Xavian Lee (Princeton), but neither has the championship pedigree of the four just mentioned. It’s tough to replace experience like that — even if Florida is still projected to win the SEC.

“It’s a loss for sure,” Florida forward Alex Condon, a starter last season, said of Aberdeen’s departure. “He was a pretty key part of the national championship, when Alijah went down midway through the season especially. He stepped up big time for us and he hit some big shots for us in many games.”

Now at Kentucky, Aberdeen’s role is going to change. He’s likely (although not officially confirmed) to take over a starting spot next to Jaland Lowe and Otega Oweh in the Wildcats’ backcourt. Unlike last season, Aberdeen will be the one helping set the tone for his teammates entering the game off the pine.

As Condon alluded to, we have a small sample size of what Aberdeen looks like in that starting spot. He started five games for Florida during the middle of SEC play last season, posting per-game averages of 14.4 points, 2.6 assists, and 2.4 rebounds in 29.8 minutes while shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from deep. He dropped 20 points on the road against Mississippi State, which he followed up with 22 more at home against South Carolina.

Aberdeen won’t be expected to score 14 points per game for the Wildcats this season, but there is at least some evidence that he can in a pinch. And that’s part of why he came to Kentucky in the first place: to show off his overall game a bit more. He wants to continue improving his offensive consistency, grab more rebounds, create transition opportunities, and attack the rim more efficiently, among other things.

“I know Zel is gonna put his best foot forward and try to prove himself a little bit, too,” Condon added. “It’s gonna be super exciting.”

Both Haugh and Condon, along with Florida center Rueben Chinyelu, had nothing but good things to say about Aberdeen at SEC Media Days. Haugh still plays Xbox with him, and the two FaceTime regularly. “We all enjoyed his presence, enjoyed his contributions,” Chinyelu said. While Condon admitted it “was a shock” to learn of Aberdeen’s decision, they all understood and supported him.

After going to war alongside each other last season for 40 games, Aberdeen and his former Florida teammates will go head-to-head at least twice in 2025-26. The first matchup between UK and UF in Gainesville is set for Valentine’s Day on ABC, the second in Lexington as the regular season finale on ESPN.

Condon isn’t quite sure what the fan reception from Florida supporters will look like for Aberdeen, but he’s excited for whatever happens.

“It’s going to be really fun.”

Join KSR Plus! With a KSR Plus membership, you get access to bonus content and KSBoard, KSR’s message board, to chat with fellow Cats fans and get exclusive scoop.