Kahlil Whitney on his time at Kentucky: "I probably just needed a hug"

Sometimes, just a few words can yank out a handful of fibers in your heart. That was the case for me after seeing former forward Kahlil Whitney‘s first TikTok post. It featured a picture of him during his time as a Wildcat with the text, “I probably just needed a hug…” The next photo of him was a recent mirror selfie that finished the sentence, “But instead I fell off mentally and had to gain it all back!!”

He captioned the post, “All I can say is enjoy your journey! Enjoy the ups and down!! Staying on top of your mental health is key. #MentalHealth #RealLife #BlackAthletes #Chicago”

Kahlil Whitney posted a picture of himself during his Kentucky days on TikTok with the words, “I probably just needed a hug, but instead I fell off mentally and had to gain it all back.”

He captioned it “All I can say is enjoy your journey. Enjoy the ups and down!! Staying on… pic.twitter.com/4qmd09xv2S

— Adam Stratton (@AdamStrattonKSR) May 23, 2025

Whitney was a 5-star recruit in the 2019 class, but played just 18 games before announcing his early departure from the team in January 2020. Although he started eight games, he averaged just 3.3 points per contest. Whitney did not play for another school, instead choosing the pro route. He spent a couple of different stints in the G-League, most recently in 2023, but otherwise bounced around international leagues. He last played for the Mexican team, Frayles de Guasave, in the spring of 2025.

During Whitney’s time at Kentucky, there was a lot of frustration from all parties. As a top-15 talent out of high school, everyone had high hopes for Whitney in Lexington, but he never lived up to that potential. Now we see there may have been a lot more going on than anyone realized.

Whitney feels BBN’s support

The outpouring of support in the comment section of the post, specifically from Big Blue Nation, might have restored my faith in humanity a bit. One commenter wrote, “Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat! Sending you the biggest virtual hug!” Another said, “As a huge Kentucky bball fan, I always thought about you man after you was gone.” And another, “Forever the dragon…start streaming or something man, BBN will have your back.”

Whitney was quick to appreciate the support. He responded, “Appreciate all the love man, [for real]. Definitely motivated me to put content out for you guys. #GETBACK.” He followed his TikTok post with an Instagram story indicating that he will give more details about his struggles in the weeks and months to come.

I will admit, Whitney didn’t leave the best impression on me. Quitting the team midyear did not exactly garner respect in my mind. Now, five years later, I can’t help but wonder what might have happened if someone had given him a hug instead of a horde of high expectations.

If nothing else, this is a good reminder to hold off on making assumptions about people when you have no idea what they might be going through. I, for one, will be following Kahlil as he, as he puts it, “Addresses a lot,” in upcoming posts.

It is also probably a good time to check in on someone else. Anyone else. After all, it is Mental Health Awareness Week. Bless up, BBN.