Travis Perry has learned about defense from teammates Lamont Butler and Kerr Kriisa. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Travis Perry might be the all-time leading scorer in Kentucky high school basketball who won a state high school championship in 2024 along with being named Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball.
He’s made it clear all season that he’s not had an easy time getting comfortable playing for UK and coach Mark Pope in part because of the terrific practice competition he has to face.
“It’s kind of hard when you come in, just kind of figuring out what your role is, getting comfortable in a new environment, but I think from the practices I’ve had, getting to go against Lamont (Butler) every day, getting to learn from him and Kerr (Kriisa), I feel like I’m getting really comfortable just knowing what I need to produce in my role,” Perry, who hit two 3-pointers in the win over Texas A&M, said.
“The mindset shifted to just going out there and playing, playing free, not really worrying about anything, and being aggressive. I think it kind of came just whenever I figured out my role on the team and knew what I needed to do and that I had to be consistent every night.”
With Kriisa out with a broken foot, Pope has leaned on Perry to provide short bursts of rest for Butler. While his minutes have been limited, Perry has taken care of the ball and given Pope a chance to rest Butler occasionally.
Perry has also worked to make himself a better defender knowing teams are going to attack him when Butler, one of the nation’s premier defenders, leaves the court.
“I didn’t know there were fundamentals of defense. I thought you just kind of go out there and play hard a little bit,” Perry said recently. “Learning from Lamont and Kerr the fundamentals of defense, the ins and outs of it, just like offense has, it has helped a lot.”
Butler has shown he can be one of the nation’s top point guards. He’s been a consistent scorer and is always a relentless defender.
“Going up against Lamont every day has made all the difference in the world for me,” Perry said. “He’s the best defender I’ll face all year, so to go against him in practice every day, it makes the game feel a lot easier.”
Perry has also benefited from watching Kriisa’s energy and leadership.
“The energy plays he has, that’s not really been in my DNA in the past, but he’s working on it with me. There are many things he did great, especially on the defensive side of the ball that he’s really helped me with. He’s been a great resource,” Perry said about Kriisa.
“Just talking through all of the little things, kind of the mindset he had when he played the minutes I’m playing now, the mindset you have to have when you go in. One of the things he’s trying to get me to be big on is energy.”
Perry accepts his limited role and wants to do the best he can when he’s in the game.
“That’s something that’s really important. I feel like I’ve had some good tests so far — some good road tests, some good games at home to kind of get comfortable in the SEC,” Perry said. “To go out there and play, play free and not really worry about anything, be aggressive.”
Making a few shots definitely has helped his confidence but it is not always about the makes.
“Seeing a shot fall is really important. But also just watching the tape and seeing the little things I was doing wrong early on that I’m kind of correcting now, getting so many more reps in practice to go guard Lamont or guard our scout team on the scout we’re doing,” Perry said.
