Florida was able to limit Denzel Aberdeen: 'We know his game pretty well.'

Coming into his Senior Day, Denzel Aberdeen had been playing high-level basketball as Kentucky’s point guard. But his former team knew exactly how to handle him.

Aberdeen still managed to post 15 points in the Wildcats’ 84-77 loss to No. 5 Florida on Saturday, but it came on 4-13 shooting, six of those points coming down the stretch when the game was effectively out of reach. He finished with a 1-6 mark from three-point range.

“With Zel, we know his game pretty well,” Florida head coach Todd Golden said postgame. “We know where he wants to go and what spots he wants to get to. And obviously a very good player, but I thought we did a really good job bothering and making him uncomfortable, and he got some late but not super-efficient today.”

Before transferring to Kentucky, Aberdeen spent the previous three seasons at Florida, helping the Gators win a national championship last spring. He didn’t play much in his first two years, but was the first guard off the bench last season. A native of the Sunshine State, Aberdeen appeared in 83 games for the Gators — if anyone knows his game, it would be Golden.

Kentucky didn’t lose to Florida because of Aberdeen’s play, though. Despite his poor shooting performance, he still went 6-7 from the free-throw line while grabbing five rebounds. His playmaking was not an issue, either — four assists to one turnover in 35 minutes. He now has 66 assists to just 21 turnovers in SEC play. For someone who isn’t known as a floor general, he’s filled that role about as well as anyone could have asked.

But his old team has had his number. Golden hasn’t exactly been quiet about his feelings over Aberdeen’s decision to transfer, either. While Aberdeen did score 19 points in the first matchup down in Gainesville last month, he needed 21 shots to get there. Two of his five highest field goal attempt games this season have come against the Gators.

And even though he went 0-2 against his old school this season, Aberdeen still produced a great regular season for Kentucky, easily the best of his college career.

Despite the loss, Denzel Aberdeen stays out and signs autographs for the kids pic.twitter.com/voWfCZ1jPZ

— Dylan Ballard (@DylanBallard_UK) March 8, 2026