KSR Today: A Surprising Late Kentucky Transfer Portal Departure

The transfer portal brought a month of chaos to the world of college basketball. Just a few hours before it closed to new entries, a Kentucky Wildcat made a surprising decision.

Travis Perry entered the transfer portal just after 10 PM ET on Tuesday evening. The portal officially closed at 11:59. The decision is equally parts shocking and not surprising.

Mark Pope’s second Kentucky basketball roster was complete. The puzzle pieces fit together and the hay was in the barn. Big Blue Nation was ready to move on to a quieter, calmer version of the offseason. On the other hand, while the addition of Denzel Aberdeen solidified the roster, it also created a backcourt crunch, one I’m sure Perry felt.

In his one season at Kentucky, he contributed more than most probably expected. After a rash of injuries, the true freshman guard was forced to start in four SEC games. He averaged just shy of 12 minutes per game and made 36.6% of his threes against conference foes. It was a solid start, but it’s reasonable to expect that he wanted more in his second college basketball season.

King Kelly Coleman’s high school scoring record stood for 67 years. The player who finally broke it took his small-town team to a Sweet 16 Title before signing with Kentucky. It was a storybook career that many hoped would have a happy ending in Lexington. But this is the transfer portal era and things change quickly.

The Transfer Portal is Closed, Kinda

The transfer portal is closed to new entries with a few exceptions. Schools are giving a little leeway to submit paperwork, which is why you will still see new names over the next 48 hours, like Louisville’s James Scott. Grad transfers have the green light to move whenever. If there is a coaching change, players have a 30-day window to find a new school. There’s one more important thing to note.

The transfer portal is only closed for departures. Schools can continue to recruit new arrivals. Even though we thought Mark Pope was finished adding players, Perry’s departure at the 11th hour gives Kentucky a chance to add another player, maybe more. There were also two walk-ons who left the program, Grant Darbyshire and Walker Horn. We will keep our heads on a swivel if the Cats start hunting for more additions.

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Take a Kentucky Football Portal Target Off the Board

While things are slowing down on the basketball front, the football transfer portal remains open until Friday. There is less movement in the short spring window, but you better believe there will still be a few surprising late additions.

Kentucky was in the mix for SEMO DL Jaylon Stone. He planned on taking a visit to Lexington this weekend. Those plans changed when Vanderbilt made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

There are still a few transfer portal targets on the board. Pete Nakos reports that former BYU wide receiver Keelan Marion is considering a visit to Kentucky, but the competition is stout for the All-American kick returner, who has four visits lined up elsewhere.

Kentucky Baseball Wins Big vs. Louisville

Two weeks ago, the Bat Cats fell at Louisville after taking a lead in extra innings. They didn’t need any extra innings in this rivalry rematch.

Kentucky took down the Cards 17-5 in seven innings. The Bat Cats lit up the box score with 11 hits and two home runs. Patrick Herrera nearly hit for the cycle, blasting a Big Blue Bomb, a bases-clearing triple, and an RBI-single. Carson Hansen’s two-run homer left Louisville in the dust as Kentucky showed off in front of a 6,415 members of Big Blue Nation, the most fans in the stands for a game at Kentucky Proud Park this season.

POV: You’re in the Kentucky dugout and @Carson34Hansen loses a baseball in the night sky. pic.twitter.com/LmnBNSKYdi

— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) April 23, 2025

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One Day till the NFL Draft

Lives will be changed tomorrow in Green Bay. If my math is correct, Maxwell Hairston will become just the fourth former Kentucky Wildcat in attendance for the first round of the NFL Draft. The stage is set for the largest green room ever built for prospective first round draft prospects. Hopefully we hear the former Cat’s name called early as he looks to become the first former Kentucky defensive back taken in the first round.

A live look at a small portion of the massive prospects green room at #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/KnHBMKavsh

— Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy) April 22, 2025

Another Former Cat Throws a First Pitch

For the second time in three days, a former Kentucky Wildcat was on the mound to get a Major League Baseball game started. Hairston got to exhibit his baseball skills in his hometown of Detroit. Georgia Amoore joined her fellow Washington Mystics rookies to toss out the first pitch of Tuesday night’s Nationals game.

Georgia Amoore threw out the first pitch tonight at the Washington Nationals game. ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/3mxqiIs3Y0

— Phoenix Stevens (@PStevensKSR) April 23, 2025

10 Days till Kentucky Derby 151

If you need to catch the Derby fever, I have a recommendation. Race for the Crown debuted on Netflix, giving a behind-the-scenes look at last year’s Triple Crown. It’s not meant for just horse racing junkies like myself. The docuseries is a great way for the casual fan to understand the ins and outs of the lucrative, competitive thoroughbred industry.