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There’s no question that there is irony for Denzel Aberdeen to return to Gainesville and battle his former team.
It was one of the top storylines for Florida basketball in the preseason as Aberdeen left the program for SEC rival Kentucky.
Naturally, Aberdeen’s Kentucky Wildcats and the No. 14 Gators are at the top of the SEC standings and will clash on national television on Saturday, Feb. 14 (3 p.m., ABC).
"You know me well enough to know we are treating this game like any other game,” Florida coach Todd Golden told reporters on Feb. 13. “Happy he's doing really well. Obviously, he's helped their team quite a bit, gotten them right these last couple of months, and put them in a position where they're competing. For us, as I said, just another game tomorrow, and I don't anticipate (Denzel's return) being an issue or distraction for us."
The additions of Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland served as the replacements for Aberdeen.
Every person, whether it be a coach or a player, has different things that are important to them when making decisions. Unfortunately, it didn't align. We would have loved to have him back.
This season, Aberdeen has averaged 12.3 points, 3.2 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game, which is second-best on Kentucky’s team.
“I'm expecting him to probably try and get off here,” said Lee, who averages 11 points per game . “If I were him, I would be doing the same thing. I didn't play with him, obviously, but like I've gotten to know him through a bunch of the guys here. And, I'm excited for him. It's a cool opportunity for him, but I think for us, it's also equally cool for us. So I think it will be a great atmosphere to play a game in."
However, in Kentucky’s last three games, Aberdeen has recorded 18 points per game.
"Solid," Lee said. "He's like a strong guard, so I think he uses his body well,” Lee said. “Yeah, when he's in attack mode. Should be fun. Yeah, do my best guarding him. See how it goes."
Aberdeen’s departure boiled down to money.
Aberdeen could have been a key guard for the Gators, as they looked to defend their national title.
“We really want to stay here at Florida," Aberdeen’s father, Ian Aberdeen, told KSR+ back in April. “But negotiations went south a little bit.”
Primarily off the bench for the Gators, Aberdeen averaged 7.7 points and 1.4 assists per game.
“He was a guy that came with us right when we got the job,” said Golden during SEC Media Day back on Oct. 15. “The reality is we would have loved to have Denzel back. There were other things that were more important to him than what we had to offer at this point.
“That's the opportunity and the right that every student-athlete has, to be able to dictate and determine what's important to them. He had played well enough to put him in a position where he was desired by a lot of programs.”
Reach Florida Gators writer Andrew Abadie at [email protected] or on X (formerly Twitter) at @AndrewAbadie. You can also find him on Facebook at Andrew Abadie Sports Reporter or on Instagram @andrewabadie_sports.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: What Florida coach Todd Golden said about facing Denzel Aberdeen
Continue reading...
It was one of the top storylines for Florida basketball in the preseason as Aberdeen left the program for SEC rival Kentucky.
Naturally, Aberdeen’s Kentucky Wildcats and the No. 14 Gators are at the top of the SEC standings and will clash on national television on Saturday, Feb. 14 (3 p.m., ABC).
"You know me well enough to know we are treating this game like any other game,” Florida coach Todd Golden told reporters on Feb. 13. “Happy he's doing really well. Obviously, he's helped their team quite a bit, gotten them right these last couple of months, and put them in a position where they're competing. For us, as I said, just another game tomorrow, and I don't anticipate (Denzel's return) being an issue or distraction for us."
Facing Aberdeen
The additions of Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland served as the replacements for Aberdeen.
Every person, whether it be a coach or a player, has different things that are important to them when making decisions. Unfortunately, it didn't align. We would have loved to have him back.
This season, Aberdeen has averaged 12.3 points, 3.2 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game, which is second-best on Kentucky’s team.
“I'm expecting him to probably try and get off here,” said Lee, who averages 11 points per game . “If I were him, I would be doing the same thing. I didn't play with him, obviously, but like I've gotten to know him through a bunch of the guys here. And, I'm excited for him. It's a cool opportunity for him, but I think for us, it's also equally cool for us. So I think it will be a great atmosphere to play a game in."
However, in Kentucky’s last three games, Aberdeen has recorded 18 points per game.
"Solid," Lee said. "He's like a strong guard, so I think he uses his body well,” Lee said. “Yeah, when he's in attack mode. Should be fun. Yeah, do my best guarding him. See how it goes."
Why did Aberdeen leave Florida?
Aberdeen’s departure boiled down to money.
Aberdeen could have been a key guard for the Gators, as they looked to defend their national title.
“We really want to stay here at Florida," Aberdeen’s father, Ian Aberdeen, told KSR+ back in April. “But negotiations went south a little bit.”
Primarily off the bench for the Gators, Aberdeen averaged 7.7 points and 1.4 assists per game.
“He was a guy that came with us right when we got the job,” said Golden during SEC Media Day back on Oct. 15. “The reality is we would have loved to have Denzel back. There were other things that were more important to him than what we had to offer at this point.
“That's the opportunity and the right that every student-athlete has, to be able to dictate and determine what's important to them. He had played well enough to put him in a position where he was desired by a lot of programs.”
Reach Florida Gators writer Andrew Abadie at [email protected] or on X (formerly Twitter) at @AndrewAbadie. You can also find him on Facebook at Andrew Abadie Sports Reporter or on Instagram @andrewabadie_sports.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: What Florida coach Todd Golden said about facing Denzel Aberdeen
Continue reading...
