Last season, Kentucky saw Otega Oweh return to face his former team when the Cats visited Oklahoma. Earlier this season, it was Mo Dioubate, who returned to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama.
On Saturday, it will be Denzel Aberdeen making a return to his former school when No. 25 Kentucky visits 14th-ranked Florida in Gainesville. Aberdeen played three seasons for the Gators, including last year when Florida won the national championship.
Kentucky head coach Mark Pope discussed Aberdeen’s return to Gainesville during his Thursday press conference. The UK head man is not concerned about how Aberdeen will be affected.
“I think D.A. is pretty steady right now,” Pope said. “His play over the last month has been phenomenal. He’s had huge number games. He went on a four or five-game tear where his numbers were just outrageous.”
Over the last nine games, Aberdeen has been a steady part of the UK attack. He’s averaging 14.3 points per game during the current streak, including a season-high 22-point effort at Tennessee in January. Aberdeen also leads the team in assists (29) over the last nine games. The senior’s play has contributed to Kentucky winning eight of the nine games during this span.
“You can see him making the transition from doing his job to playing the game,” Pope said. “From doing the game to playing the game. We’ve seen that happen in real time over the last month where, in practice too now, you see him feeling so comfortable with what we’re doing.”
As for returning to Florida on Saturday, Pope does not worry about how Aberdeen will respond.
“He’s just a solid dude. He’s a competitor, competitor, competitor,” Pope said. “The brighter the lights, the more excited he gets and he functions well there. So, I expect him, as the season progresses, to just get better.”
Kentucky and Florida are set for a 3 p.m. ET tipoff and the game can be seen on ABC.