Denzel Aberdeen is looking to return to where it all started. After one season at Lexington, Kentucky, with Mark Pope’s Wildcats, Aberdeen has recommitted to the Florida Gators of Todd Golden. The guard spent his first three seasons of college basketball at Gainesville, and he’s now expecting to be given an NCAA waiver that allows him to play a fifth season of college basketball at the Swamp.
He played the Gators this past season, when Kentucky visited Gainesville on February 14. At the time, Golden had this to say about the player:
“You know me well enough to know we are treating this game like any other game. Happy he’s doing really well. Obviously, he’s helped their team quite a bit, get right these last couple of months, and put them in a position where they’re competing. For us, like I said, just another game tomorrow, and I don’t anticipate (Denzel’s return) being an issue or distraction for us.”
His decision to return to Florida comes even though his $2 million NIL deal with Kentucky made him one of the highest-paid college basketball players. Aberdeen was a member of Florida’s 2025 national championship-winning team.
His last season with Kentucky was by far the best of his career, as he came into his own as an established starter in comparison to his role as a substitute with Florida. He averaged 13.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists during the 2025-26 season at Lexington.
Todd Golden’s job is secure at Florida
Despite winning the SEC regular-season title, the 2025-26 season was a bit of a disappointment for Florida with early exits in the SEC Tournament and March Madness. However, if there was any doubt about the University of Florida’s trust in Todd Golden, it was put to rest in late May when the school started the push to extend his deal.
Athletic director Scott Stricklin said this in late May about the school’s views on Golden’s current deal:
“When we have talented, successful coaches, we’re going to do everything we can to make sure they know that they are appreciated at the University of Florida. We’ve given Todd new contracts each of the last two years. He’s a priority for the University of Florida, and we’re going to treat him as such.”
Golden has gotten two raises in his cycle with Florida already, first to $4.1 million annually in 2024 and to $6.75 million in 2025. The extension would also allow Golden to keep its buyout at $16 million, as it drops to $11 million after April 16. This would stave off other schools looking to hire him.
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