Good morning, BBN!

Well, that was not the news we were expecting before the portal closed last night.

Travis Perry pulled a near buzzer-beater, putting his name into the transfer portal around 10:00, just two hours before the portal closed.

While it hurts BBN to see, you can’t blame Perry for this decision. He was likely to ride the bench next year after the additions of Jaland Lowe, Kam Williams, and Denzel Aberdeen, along with Jasper Johnson’s arrival, making the competition for playing time at guard very intense.

Additionally, it was somewhat unusual that Perry never tweeted an “I’m back” message, unlike Collin Chandler and Trent Noah. Now we know why.

I hope nothing but the best for Perry. While he can still find his way back to the UK, it’s unlikely. WKU would be a cool spot to see him go and shine.

Now that we know about Perry, there’s even more uncertainty regarding the final spots for UK’s roster, particularly in light of the proposed House settlement that could cap rosters at 15 total players, including walk-ons.​

Currently, Kentucky has 11 scholarship players. If Otega Oweh, who declared for the NBA Draft while maintaining College eligibility, returns as anticipated, that number would rise to 12.

The lone remaining walk-on is Junior forward Zach Tow, following the recent departures of walk-ons Grant Darbyshire and Walker Horn via the transfer portal. ​Tow would bring the roster to 13 total players if he remains with the program.

The Wildcats may have room for two or three additional players. These spots could be filled by another walk-on or a late addition, depending on how the situation evolves.

With that being said, Mark Pope has assembled an extremely impressive roster to this point, which will likely be among the top five preseason teams.

As the offseason progresses, Kentucky’s coaching staff will continue to monitor the roster dynamics, ensuring compliance with any new regulations while striving to assemble a team poised for a championship in the 2025-26 season.

Let us know what you think this team’s record will be next year in the comments!

Tweet of the Day:

An absolute beatdown of Louisville last night for Kentucky Baseball!

Headlines:

Guard Denzel Aberdeen Commits to Kentucky for 2025-26 – UK Athletics

Get to know Kentucky’s newest guard.

Kentucky Men’s Golf Eyes Crucial SEC Championship – UK Athletics

Good luck to Men’s Golf!

Celtics’ Payton Pritchard named NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year – ESPN

I thought Malik Beasley would’ve snuck in there, but Pritchard deserved it.

Arkansas puts departed QB Madden Iamaleava in its crosshairs by encouraging NIL collective to recoup buyout – CBS Sports

This is a very interesting story, and could be a huge turn for NIL.

Celtics’ Jayson Tatum doubtful for Wednesday’s Game 2 vs. Magic with bone bruise in right wrist – Yahoo Sports

Hope Tatum gets better, but they don’t need him to beat the Magic.

Sean McVay: You’d never rule out the possibility of reuniting with Jalen Ramsey – NBC Sports

This could be fun.

Jerry Jones says Cowboys working on ‘pretty substantive trades’ – ESPN

Is he, though?…

Kirk Cousins landing spots: Where could Falcons quarterback end up during NFL Draft? – CBS Sports

As a backup… right?

New Pelicans executive Joe Dumars denies he has a mandate from ownership to trade Zion Williamson – Yahoo Sports

Finally, they have someone who knows ball.

Anthony Edwards fined $50,000 for ‘inappropriate language’ while trash talking Lakers fans – NBC Sports

Was it inappropriate? Yes. Was it hilarious? Yes. Did he deserve a $50,000 fine? Ehh.