Mark Pope 'devastated' by Travis Perry's departure: "He was on his way to becoming a legend here."

It was a shock to all of Big Blue Nation when Bluegrass native Travis Perry announced he was transferring out of his dream school after just one season.

Perry, a product of Lyon County and lifelong Wildcat fan, played an important role off the bench during Mark Pope‘s first season coaching Kentucky men’s basketball. Injuries to players ahead of Perry in the rotation carved out an unexpected role, particularly during the middle of the SEC season. It wasn’t a flawless freshman campaign from the 6-foot-2 point guard, but one where he gained valuable experience and looked to be a key piece to the future in Lexington.

But that’s not how this story is going to play out. Perry went into the transfer portal on April 22 and committed to Ole Miss — one of the schools that recruited him hardest in high school — on May 4. Not only was that tough news to swallow for the BBN, but the same can be said about Coach Pope’s reaction.

“I was devastated when Travis left,” Pope admitted during his offseason press conference on Tuesday. “Mostly because I think he’s such a terrific young man. I think he’s a really, really special person. I think he’s got an old soul and he’s full of wisdom and he just is everything you want in a young man and a player.

“And then he’s a big-time basketball player. He’s a great talent. It was certainly devastating to me personally because I enjoyed coaching him so much and I think he’s got a brilliant upside. I think he was on his way to becoming a legend here at Kentucky.“

Perry likely saw some of the writing on the wall after the 2024-25 season ended. Kentucky was quickly reloading its roster through the portal after several players ran out of eligibility. Pope brought in a handful of talented ball handlers through the portal, returned some key backcourt pieces from last season (including Otega Oweh, who is still going through the NBA Draft process), and signed a highly ranked high school guard in Jasper Johnson.

There was a very real chance Perry’s role as a sophomore was going to be similar, if not smaller, than it was as a freshman. He played in 31 games and started four of them, but only averaged 9.7 minutes per game for the season. The new era of NIL and the transfer portal allowed Perry to entertain other options. The Rebels made a better pitch than the Wildcats could/wanted to offer.

That doesn’t mean his departure is any easier to accept, though.

“(Perry’s decision to transfer) made me sad,” Pope added. “But he’s going to find a path that works for him and it’s gonna be positive. But that was a tough one for us.”

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