Transfer portal season kicked off with a surprising announcement that Kentucky Basketball guard Denzel Aberdeen is in the portal as he seeks a fifth season of college eligibility.
Now, we’ve got the announcement from Aberdeen himself, who says he’s open to all future opportunities, so perhaps a return to Lexington is on the table if he gets his waiver.
“Being a part of Kentucky Men’s Basketball has been a meaningful chapter in my journey, and I am so grateful that I got an opportunity to play for such
a historic program,” he said in his announcement.
Aberdeen will have two arguments for being eligible to play next season. First is the recent executive order that could grant all athletes five years to play five seasons. However, doubt remains as to whether or not this actually leads to anything of substance.
The other option Aberdeen has is to claim he should get an additional season after appearing in just 12 games across 3.4 minutes per contest as a true freshman. We saw a similar move from former Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler last year when he sued the NCAA to get a fifth playing season in what would have been his fifth year of college basketball, but that was ultimately shot down in court.
If Aberdeen is intent on making a serious push to play next year, look for his waiver to eventually be denied by the NCAA, with a lawsuit to follow that will see the courts decide whether he plays again.
