Just a few hours before the Florida Gators and the Kentucky Wildcats tipped off, head coach Todd Golden told fans not to hold back as former Florida guard Denzel Aberdeen returned to Gainesville after transferring to Kentucky in the offseason.
"I'm confident that people are going to let [Aberdeen] hear about it a little bit," Golden said when Jay Williams asked what he thought about the former Gator's return. "I imagine every time he touches the ball, they let him have it a little bit."
Well, before Aberdeen even played a second in the game, Florida fans were ripping into him, welcoming the former Gator with a chorus of boos during team introductions.
Florida fans made their feelings about Denzel Aberdeen clear
Aberdeen did try to play the peace-keeper, walking up to Golden to embrace his former coach before the game tipped off.
Then, during the game itself, fans followed Golden's words of advice, booing every single time Aberdeen put his hands on the ball.
Denzel Aberdeen receives loud boos before embracing Todd Golden during introductions. pic.twitter.com/gp5QmJtXpV
— Graham Hall (@GrahamHall) February 14, 2026
Just halfway through the first half, the Gators had already built a 32-17 lead over the Wildcats, and Florida had held Aberdeen to just two points and one assist, also forcing two personal fouls and a turnover by their former teammate.
Meanwhile, Florida's current stars Thomas Haugh and Xaivian Lee had combined for 25 points as the Gators dominated the start of the game.
"I appreciate everything he did for our program over the last three years," Golden said on ESPN's College GameDay before encouraging fans to rip into Aberdeen. "He's a great kid. Obviously made a decision that he thought was best for him."
Well, the appreciation may have been more of a thing of the past for the home crowd as they undeniably made sure that Aberdeen knew how they felt about him transferring to another program, much less another team in the SEC.