Two seasons ago, junior guard Denzel Aberdeen headed to the free-throw line with under 20 seconds left in the national championship game. On the line: Florida’s first national title since 2007.
Walter Clayton Jr. threw a long pass to Aberdeen, who got fouled on the catch on the right wing of the three-point line. In the bonus, Aberdeen had to make free throws to extend the Gators’ lead – he made one, which was enough for Florida to win.
Despite the pressure of the moment, he felt more nervous in the Alachua County Courthouse on Tuesday.
“I was all over the place during the hearing,” Aberdeen said. “It wasn’t until he [the judge] said it [the decision] that I was like, ‘Thank God.’”
The Kentucky transfer has been fighting for his fifth year of eligibility since April, and on Tuesday, Judge George Wright ruled in his favor.
Coach Todd Golden and some of his Gators teammates, like Rueben Chinyelu, joined Aberdeen in the courtroom when the decision was announced.
Since hearing the news, Golden has been adamant about how deserving Aberdeen is of being eligible for a fifth year. He and the team administration made it a goal to get Aberdeen back to playing, even ensuring he took summer classes to get him on track to graduate on time.
The biggest testament to Aberdeen’s return to college play, for Golden, is when he withdrew from going pro. Instead of playing in the NBA Summer League or working out with NBA teams, he chose to fight for a chance to be eligible for one more year.
That attitude, along with the facts of the case, is why Golden believes the hearing went in Aberdeen’s favor.
“He passed all that up to remain a student-athlete,” Golden said. “When somebody does that, you’re like, ‘Alright, this guy actually cares about this.’”
Since April, despite his nerves about what could happen, Golden and Thomas Haugh credited Aberdeen for his composure. He continued to practice, asked questions on how to improve and built a bond with his teammates amid uncertainty.
Golden and Haugh explained that Aberdeen seemed unfazed, stating many times that if the team did not already know about his situation, they would not know he was in a legal battle.
“He had the right mindset going into it,” Haugh said. “We’ve never seen a shift or seen him not do something because he wasn’t [on the team].”
Aberdeen’s dad was the first person who put into his mind to stay another year in college. After a conversation with him over the phone about his stats throughout his career, his dad felt they could redshirt his freshman year.
Aberdeen only played 41 minutes during his first year at Florida, and that argument anchored Aberdeen’s case to grant him another year of eligibility.
On top of the eligibility rule, family played a major factor in Aberdeen’s choice to return. After this season, he will be the first in his family to graduate from college. Returning to Florida allows his family, who live in Orlando, to easily come to home games.
“That was the main important thing for me,” he said about graduating. “No one in my family did it, so I’ll be the first.”
With his position on the roster confirmed, likely so is his spot in the starting lineup. Along with the Big 3 frontcourt in Thomas Haugh, Chinyelu and Alex Condon, Aberdeen will join the backcourt with Boogie Fland.
Golden explained that Fland will operate as the lead guard, with Aberdeen as the secondary playmaker and tasked to score when he can.
Already, both players feel their chemistry is seamless, with Fland calling it “deadly” and Aberdeen adding on “amazing.” Aberdeen mentioned they feed off each other’s energy, specifically on the defensive end.
“It’s going to be a crazy thing this year,” Aberdeen said about him and Fland’s duo on the court.
Despite the legal win, the NCAA can still appeal the decision, but Aberdeen’s attorney Jesse Panuccio is ready to take it to the Appeals court if necessary.
For now, a weight can be lifted off Aberdeen’s shoulders as he and the rest of the Gators can set their eyes on the season opener against Miami on Nov. 2.r.
“I really love this place,” Aberdeen said. “It’s like home to me, very close to home.”
