Former Kentucky Basketball guard and in-state star Travis Perry returned to Rupp Arena on Saturday, but the homecoming was anything but friendly as the Wildcats took on Ole Miss.
Perry, who spent his freshman season at Kentucky before transferring to Ole Miss, finished with zero points on 0-for-3 shooting in 10 minutes of action. He recorded a plus-minus of -9, struggling to find rhythm against his former team as Kentucky’s defense stayed locked in throughout his time on the floor.
And in a game that
was 62-60 in the final minutes, the Wildcats needed every bit of Perry’s struggles to come away with the victory. After all, this was just the second time in his last nine games that Perry failed to score a point. He scored 14 points in a road win over a top-25 Georgia team and was shooting 50% in SEC play prior to Saturday.
Before arriving in Lexington, Perry was a legend at Lyon County High School. He helped lead the Lyons to a Kentucky high school state championship and ended his prep career as the state’s all-time leading scorer with 5,481 points, which is a total that ranks seventh nationally in high school basketball history, according to the MaxPreps National High School Basketball Record Book. His dominance at the high school level made him one of the most celebrated in-state recruits in recent memory.
During his freshman season at Kentucky, Perry was thrust into an expanded role due to injuries. He started at point guard at times while Lamont Butler battled a shoulder injury and Kerr Kriisa missed most of the season with a broken foot, giving Perry valuable experience for the future.
Saturday’s return, however, came with a different atmosphere. Perry was booed loudly during player introductions when he was announced as a starter, and the crowd continued to let him hear it every time he touched the ball, even air-balling his first shot attempt. The hostile environment clearly added to the challenge.
