Denzel Aberdeen will have unique role in Lexington this season under Mark Pope, as he may have played himself into a starting role over the off-season. The 6-5 guard is very versatile, as he is able to play both the one and the two spots. His role is expected to be bigger than his one last season on the National title Florida team.
Last season, Aberdeen averaged 7.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists, while shooting 41.8 percent overall and 35 percent from three in 19.7 minutes per game off the bench. Aberdeen played good minutes off the bench, but if the comments about him out of practice over the summer are true, he’ll need significantly more minutes in the rotation this season.
The 6-5 guard doesn’t just bring the quality SEC experience, he also checks numerous boxes, and is why he was the important final addition to Kentuck’s roster this summer. Aberdeen has the athleticism, defense, and can also really shoot the ball. His best shooting performance last season came against South Carolina, where he went 5-7 from deep on his way to 22 points on 8-12 shooting overall. He’s very efficient, and volume matters for his shooting numbers. He put up 20-plus points multiple times last season, and Kentucky fans should be prepared for his production to increase this season.
What could Aberdeen’s stats look like this season? Let’s make a prediction.
Kentucky is going to lean on Aberdeen as one of their scoring threats in the backcourt, especially with his ability to shoot the ball. He, Kam Williams, and Trent Noah are entering the season as Kentucky’s best shooters while Otega Oweh and Jaland Lowe work to become more efficient there, so Aberdeen is going to be one of Kentucky’s go-to shooters, especially once they get into SEC play with his valuable experience within the conference as well as helping Florida win the title with last season. He averaged 7.7 points on 6.6 shot attempts per game last season, making them at a 42 percent clip, but expect his volume to increase this season. He’ll really get the oportunity to showcase his shooting, which was overlooked during SEC play last season, especially in the five games he started.
Aberdeen is expected to start in the backcourt with Jaland Lowe and Otega Oweh heading into the season, but if he does play quality minutes at the point guard spot, expect his assist numbers to climb. Last season, the 6-5 guard averaged just 1.4 assists per game, but in the five conference games he got the starting spot in for the Gators last season, he did really well facilitating the ball. He had assist splits of 3-2-2-3-3 through the five games, playing very quality minutes. With how he will be used this season playing some minutes at the one and not just the two, his assist numbers should certainly increase.
The 6-5 guard shouldn’t see much of an increase with his rebounding numbers this season after averaging 1.7 per game with Florida last season. Kentucky will have plenty of rebounding threats, including the big men down low that are already seen as really good rebounders. Aberdeen shouldn’t have much of an impact grabbing boards this season, because Kentucky will already have plenty of help in that department. Aberdeen’s role will inrease, so his rebounds should still see some sort of increase.
Aberdeen’s experience is going to be very valuable for the Wildcats this season, especially as the season goes along, and he’ll get the chance to make a good impact in his increased role.