Travis Perry did not mention transferring following Kentucky’s season-ending loss to Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament.
The former Kentucky Mr. Basketball, who led Lyon County to a state championship in 2024 to conclude a stellar record-breaking prep career, seemed happy and content as he prepared for his sophomore campaign.
“We felt the honor to wear this jersey, to wear the blue and white every day, and proud of that fight that we had all year from top to bottom,” he said in the locker room at Lucas Oil Stadium in March.
Even Kentucky coach Mark Pope had high hopes for Perry next season and beyond. Throughout the season, Pope was consistent in his confidence in Perry from the start of the season, and he never wavered.
“Travis Perry is really special, man,” he said. “What an unbelievable young man. He is going to carry this Kentucky banner. He’s pretty extraordinary.”
Following his first season as coach of the Wildcats, Pope and his staff started to rebuild the roster with new additions through the transfer portal, and Perry began exploring his future options. At the 11th hour before the transfer portal closed, the name on the back of the No. 11 Kentucky jersey entered the transfer portal.
The unexpected decision by Perry was a shock to many, and I’m sure it surprised Pope and the rest of the coaching staff at the time. While Big Blue Nation was left scratching their heads following the decision, college teams were lining up to claim Perry from the portal. Many felt Perry would be a better fit at Western Kentucky or Murray State, but Perry leaned on his experiences at Kentucky to help carry him through a short season of decision.
From the beginning of the process, Ole Miss was a front-runner, considering the Rebels recruited Perry while he was at Lyon County. The recruiting connection between Ole Miss coach Chris Beard and Perry remained intact despite Perry’s decision to be part of Pope’s first squad at Kentucky last season.
Several college programs sought Perry, including Louisville and Arkansas, before Perry ultimately chose to relocate from Lexington to Oxford. More than likely, Perry didn’t want to repeat last year’s cycle of starting over and playing behind experienced players. Although he had knowledge of Pope’s system and had one season under his belt, Perry likely wanted assurances of more playing time without having to prove himself all over again.
Perhaps Perry wanted to take advantage of the NIL market and seek more compensation for his talents. If you look at Denzel Aberdeen’s case, the former Florida guard played on a national championship team last season. It wasn’t enough to keep him in Gainesville, and he transferred to Kentucky, where he will fulfill a dream of playing for the Wildcats.
Although many in Big Blue Nation would prefer Perry keep the name on the front of the jersey the same, Perry is still a Kentuckian, a high school legend that will be the all-time scoring king for years to come.
I’m pulling for him to enjoy a successful career in Oxford. You should, too.
Keith Taylor is sports editor for Kentucky Today, where this column originally appeared.