Mark Pope says Denzel Aberdeen 'bailed us out' against South Carolina

Denzel Aberdeen scored a game high 19 points along with zero turnovers in a game where his team had 15 miscues.

Feb 24, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Denzel Aberdeen (1) celebrates a three point basket against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

The Kentucky Wildcats started to get some steady play from point guard Denzel Aberdeen here lately in SEC play. Following the season-ending injury to Jaland Lowe, it was Aberdeen's time to shine as the full-time point guard. It has taken him time to adjust, but his efficiency has gotten a lot better. That was especially evident in Kentucky's win over South Carolina on Tuesday, which he played a big role in.

The win over South Carolina was an ugly one that included a season-high tying 15 turnovers, but one of the few overall bright spots aside from the defense was Aberdeen's consistent play, which led him to a game-high 19 points. He was a huge part in Kentucky's important first half success, the point in the game where Kentucky held the lead from then on. Aberdeen had a big three that put the Wildcats up 16-15 with 8:20 left in the first half, plus another soon after to put them up by four. He helped Kentucky go on a 13-0 run early, the first big swing in the game.

But it wasn't just his scoring, it was his effiency as well. Aberdeen finished with not only 19 points on four threes three of which in the first half, but also zero turnovers on five assists. Incredibly efficient play from Kentucky's point guard helped result in a big response late in the game when they really needed it, too.

Feb 24, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Denzel Aberdeen (1) celebrates a three point basket against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Following the 72-63 win, Mark Pope praised Aberdeen's performance, saying he was 'due' for a game like this after having 14 points against Georgia and 15 against Auburn on not as efficient shooting. On Tuesday, he was on-target more often than not.

"We kind of felt as a staff that (Denzel Aberdeen) was due. He was just due for a game. He's just been a little quieter, and he actually bailed us out (against South Carolina). He was terrific shot-making. He was really, really solid defensively for the whole night. He had a terrific game. Zero turnovers for Zel in a game with a lot of turnovers. He's been--it's like clockwork. For him to be a five-zero (assist-to-turnovers) in a little bit of a messy game, a little bit of a different energy game, like I said, it was important. His line is just really, really impressive, and he continues to grow into this point guard role. We're proud of him. We need him."

Kentucky certainly will need more of that efficient play out of Aberdeen, especially with their SEC seeding hopes on the line with three games to play and their desire to make some noise in March despite their up-and-down season. Aberdeen is going to have to hope to get more efficient play out of his teammates in terms of taking care of the ball. Without his efficiency, things could have been a lot worse.