Kentucky Basketball fans already knew that the team would be without Jaland Lowe, Kam Williams, and Jayden Quaintance. But on Friday night, there was a new concern, as guard Denzel Aberdeen appeared on the SEC Injury Report as probable.
The reason? Illness.
Aberdeen decided to suit up for Kentucky on Saturday night, and he delivered a gutsy performance in a crushing 75-74 loss to Auburn.
“Denzel hasn’t practiced in two days and was sick as could be and just was courageous out there,” head coach Mark
Pope told Tom Leach on postgame radio. “Giving us the best he could.”
Aberdeen played 38 minutes, where he tied his career high, finishing with 15 points, three assists, and the primary assignment of defending Auburn’s Tahaad Pettiford, who was held to nine points on 2-9 shooting. Aberdeen only shot 5-14 from the field, but he kept Kentucky alive late by hitting a three with 3:14 left and sinking two clutch free throws to give UK a brief three-point lead.
It was the third game this season in which a Kentucky player decided to play sick. Otega Oweh fought the flu at LSU and helped spark a comeback win. Next game, Collin Chandler, also sick, delivered the game-sealing steal at Tennessee. Aberdeen became the latest to battle through illness, though this time it didn’t produce a victory.
Kentucky is now 2-1 this season when players compete while sick, but now Kentucky hopes to get a healthier roster and to get a win against Georgia to snap a three-game losing streak.
