Travis Perry could not hide his feelings after UK's season-ending loss to Tennessee. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Travis Perry didn’t take his first season at Kentucky for granted.
“We approached each day, like it was our last,” said Perry, who led Lyon County to the state high school championship last season. “We really, really 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.”
Perry was thrust into the lineup and received valuable playing time, especially at the point-guard position. His playing time increased after Jaxson Robinson suffered a wrist injury late in the season. Perry, who averaged 2.7 points per game, filled in for point guard Lamont Butler down the stretch as the graduate senior dealt with a lingering shoulder injury. He scored a career-high 11 points in a loss to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference Tournament.
Perry added that next season will be of a “different mindset,” considering the experience he gained as a freshman. He’s looking forward to becoming more of a leader.
“We had such great leaders this year and they’ve shown us everything we need to know about how to lead, how to approach the game the right way,” Perry said. “It’s even hard to think about coming in, putting on the jersey without them beside us. It’s impossible to think about not having them out there, but we also understand the obligation that we’ve got to represent Big Blue Nation to the best of our ability. I think they’ve really, really started a great foundation for us.”
Perry learned from Butler and Andrew Carr in his first tour of duty with the Wildcats and appreciated the approach all the upperclassmen took throughout the season.
“(They did a great job) of just leading us all throughout the year, having that resiliency, that every day could be your last day to come out there and play, play like that, practice like that, do whatever you’re doing like that,” Perry said.
“I think that’s something that we’ll take on, and just that pride to play for Big Blue Nation is something that this team really understood and we have to keep going forward.”
Butler, Perry said, displayed leadership on and off the court even during times of adversity.
‘Lamont is a warrior,” Perry said. “He’s the best competitor I’ve ever been around. Just his mindset every single day, just how he approaches the game. He’s just one of those guys you want on your team at all times.
“I’m so proud to call him a teammate, but he’s just just a guy that you know, we never doubted he would be back out there with us no matter what he was going through. And we appreciate him, Big Blue Nation appreciates him, but the pain he was going through has been going through for the majority of the season, and to be able to play through that is just remarkable.”
Kentucky coach Mark Pope praised Perry for his ability to adapt, especially in terms of adversity throughout his freshman campaign.
“Travis Perry is really special, man,” Pope said. “What an unbelievable young man. He is going to carry this Kentucky banner,” he said. “He’s pretty extraordinary.”
32 Responses
Carrying the BBN banner is admirable. Becoming a twitchy 6’5” defender isn’t likely to happen.
Paul, his defense improved as the season came along. I think he will continue to work on it get even better.
Travis Perry will be another Travis Ford with leadership, accurate long range shooting, timely assists motivating player movement.
Within the next 3 seasons, Perry & Noah will inject the love for UK into every new player and along with Chandler will bring home at least one National Championship!
LB…..I was told that you had sobered up…did something change? National Champs….hope you are correct there.
Keep dreaming. With all of those guards he’ll be lucky to even crack a starting lineup even if he stays for 4 seasons. 💯
Agree 100%
Loved the way he handled himself. A further leader. Go BBN
In fact – proud of all of our team. The way they came together, and helped each other.
LB – I pray you’re right !
Travis Perry, Lyon County’s favorite UK player.
Jessamine County’s too.
Perry never had to play defense in high school; he was the designated shooter. It didn’t matter if his man scored 25 points as long as he scored 30. Now, he has yet to reach double figures in a game yet the man he guards consistently scores in double figures. Playing defense is a state of mind that requires a lot of "want to". It also involves a lot of technique, effort, and physical prowess. Perry came to Kentucky with his defensive tank about 10% full. Now being in college has resulted in his offensive tank lower than that. Perry will need to bulk up some and get in the best physical shape he has ever been in. It’s too bad Reed Shepard can’t come back this Summer and coach him up some. I hope I am wrong, but I don’t see his tanks getting more than 20 to 25% full even if he stays 4 years; although that would be a huge improvement. He is the all-time leading scorer in Kentucky high school basketball; the King of that sport. What does that say for the quality of high school basketball players in Kentucky? A king’s psyche can only take so much bashing. My guess is he will struggle through one more year at Kentucky and then hit the portal due to his playing time being reduced significantly. The Rah Rahs will squeal bloody murder about this post, but sadly, often times the truth hurts. Perry is a good kid, but he is in over his head here at Kentucky.
Barry, I am going to have to agree with you. I actually said it from the beginning. Perry is not a high major player. Too short, too slow, and no leaping ability. The thing is, Pope knows all that. Pope will not have the same guts as Brooks and tell him he should transfer. He will waste a scholarship on a player that will sit the bench because he’s a Ky kid. Perry would have only played mop-up this year if it hadn’t been for Kriisa and Butler getting hurt. He will get mop-up time next year. Some on here would say I’m lieing, but I have Bled Blue for over 60 years. When I was younger I have fought foes that had the audacity to put down Big Blue. That being said, this is a different time in college basketball. Most players fall in love with Ky after playing here. However, I don’t think Pope should lead with "it should be a honor for you to play with Kentucky across chest" when recruiting a top 15 five star recruit. That just doesn’t work for kids anymore. Even a home grown, bluest of blue legacy player, (Reed Sheppard) was sporting a Arkansas jersey after Cal beat the Cats in Rupp. As Barry would say, the Rah Rahs can think what they want, but kids today are all about me, just like the "fans" are. That’s just my two-cents worth.
I remember you saying this last year Jimmy. You had it pegged from the get go.
If he stayed 4 years I could see a Patrick Sparks type of senior year 10 ppg living at the 3 point line but I doubt he waits that long to crack the rotation.
Excellent analogy. 2025 is not the way College basketball was, it’s how much NIL $$ they can get. Sad but true.
I agree 100%. With Lowe and Lewis in the fold the odd man out at the point is Perry. He could still be a hometown hero and play for Western Kentucky or Eastern or Murray??!! He just doesn’t have the size length or speed to play great defense. He definitely needs to add a ton of muscle to maybe bang his way around a little more. I think Noah and Chandler will be ok. They are 6’5" and way better defensively.
Don’t give up yet Terry
Larry, I think a lot of people forgot he was just a freshman and not given Perry a chance to show what he can do .
I agree with You Larry. Perry was playing with a guard that played in the final four, against fifth year older players and against the best guards in the best league in the country. I think we will see a better Sophomore year out of Perry and the other two freshmen. Go Big Blue!
He would be better as a shooting guard.
It’s a tough job for him being responsible for bringing the ball up and getting the offense going.
You’re an idiot..
Barry..
Perry had 11 points against Alabama. Maybe you should pay closer attention, before you go on a rant for what reason again???
We have 7 guys on this team that are 6’5" or smaller and Williams who is 6’8" prefers to play the guard position so that makes 8 guards and 2 centers. We need a couple stretch power forwards and our roster will be conplete. Maybe add a international player with the final position later in the transfer process. I would love to get the guy from Spain he has a great offensive Arsenal. We finally got our starting point guard in Lowe but what worries me is that he shot 28% from 3. He’s a outstanding free throw shooter and facilities very well. It also took him almost 36 minutes a game to get his averages which he will probably play close to 30 mpg here at Kentucky I’m guessing about 28-29 mpg. With Lewis receiving most of the backup minutes. So you have Lowe/Lewis/Perry Oweh/Chandler/Johnson Williams/Johnson/Noah Moreno Garrison. I don’t know how the minutes are going to workout but that’s a pretty good example. I know Johnson and Lewis will not like the playing time they will receive they came here to play alot. Maybe Johnson starts over Williams but he has to work very hard to start over someone with experience in college basketball especially with Williams size and versatility. Nevertheless its going to be a great season. Fingers crossed Oweh and Garrison stay in the fold which I ultimately think they do. They had to much fun playing here to not run it back at least one more season. Like I said the Spaniard and a monster on defense and shot blocking would be nice. I think Moreno will be a better rebounder than Garrison. I think they are neck in neck at protecting the paint at this point which is great for a true freshman to already be on that level. Moreno is a winner and a very hard worker and a team first player is what I love about him. He could have averaged over 30 ppg but shared the ball when the whole defense would collapse on him. Next year one of the 3 freshman from last year will take a giant step forward. My money is on Chandler or Noah who both have SEC bodies. I think Perry is a year away from hitting his ceiling but can improve a ton. I don’t know how you can improve anymore from hitting 85 3 pointers in a row in practice and 100 free throws but one thing I know is that it doesn’t translate to the game. I do believe this year he is much better during his playing time and shows he’s a threat from deep. I can imagine him having a career similar to Patrick Sparks. A smaller guard who will make you pay if you give him even a little space but lacks the defense because of his size and speed. Noah has the body and the defense to actually be a great guy for us for the next 3 years. I think he gets more and more minutes every year before starting as a senior. Chandler has the most upside because he is the most athletic of the 3 and also has the best looking 3 pointer of the 3. He was very bad at the beginning of the season knocking the rust off which led to his bad shooting percentage. The last 12 games of the year he shot 44% from 3. I expect him to be a 42-45% 3 point shooter this year with a couple of poster style dunks on people. He was considered a incredible dunker in high school and I think he gets back into that form this coming year.
I hope Perry can have a dynamite year next year, but based on what we saw this year, I just don’t see it. But Houston beat Duke tonight, so I guess that anything is possible.
Hope Perry and Noah stick around for 4 years, they can improve each year and help us by their junior and senior years, calipari would have already chased them off before they would have got good enough to help us
So do I James
Time to become great again it’s in your heart,mind and soul basketball. Caitlin Clark is a ball handling, passing team player I’ve ever seen, and without a doubt the purest three point shooter on the planet. Watch a girl if I was you do as she does
Practice. If you can do just half of what she does you will become the greatest basketball player ever in University of Kentucky history.
Travis Perry stepped up for us when we needed him. We had injuries and was forced to play more. He wasn’t ready to play those kinds of minutes in the SEC, but he did with honor. I totally respect Travis. I’m not sure if he has enough raw talent to be a SEC all second team point guard by his senior year, but the guy has grit and pride to be a Wildcat.
Totally with you Derin
Perry will for sure have to put in the work which I think he will to become an all around player. He will never be a all star or even a all sec player but with pope coaching him and lots of hard work in the gym I can see him being a major piece of a final four team in next couple years. He will probably never start unless like this year with injuries but I can for sure see him coming off bench playing meaningful minutes to help win. It’s more about heart with this kid.
Never seen a lock down 6 ft freshman known for his defense prowlness ever at Ky or anywhere else. He will in time be able to hang around the 3 pt line and give you 3 or 4 baskets a game and I am fine with that and let someone else do the lockdown defense.. Some of you guys already have him on the next train out of town(what the hell).
Kentucky fans, are head and shoulders above others. We can be tuff, but when we see, what happened in the 2024/2025 season we have to be proud. If you are in the transfer potential. If you want to win. – take a look at Kentucky.
Winningest Basketball program in (the World).