Was Travis Perry the Victim of His own Hardearned Success

[tug1543]

Was Travis Perry an Unjust Victim of His Own Hardearned Success?

I am 82 years old and I have followed the cats since the 1951 Big Bill Spivey and Shelby Linville NCAA Championship team. I have experienced all the highs(championship seasons) and the lows (point shaving scandal, 1952-53 suspension, and 89-90 probation ) during the past 75 years. I have also suffered the disappointment of the unexpected loss of some of my favorite players whether through injury, suspension or transfer. Donnis Butcher, Linville Puckett, Sam Bowie, Dwight Anderson and Mickey Gibson are a few of the great players we lost for a season or permanently due to the aforementioned reasons. But the hardest loss for me personally has been the transfer of Travis Perry. Travis is the epitome of what 90% of Ky High School basketball is all about. He was not blessed with many of the physical gifts such as height, quickness, leaping ability which most of the 4 and 5 star high school recruits posess. Despite these shortcomings he scored more points than any Ky basketball player in history and also led a small rural highschool to the Ky State Championship. These outstanding attainments were the direct result of Travis committing to be all he could be and devoting years of practice and hardwork to realizing the goals he set for himself. As a consequence of these acheivements he became the Jimmy Chitwood(Hoosiers Movie) of Ky and his little Lyon county team became the Hickory(Hoosiers and real life Milan, Ind ) state champions.

There are two reasons I have taken his transfer so hard:
First- I started following Travis and Lyon county two years ago when Travis scored over 40 points to beat Reed Sheppard's North Laurel Team. I followed him on UTUBE during the 23 and 24 seasons and saw him play twice in person when Lyon Co won the small high school bracket during the 2023 Palm City classic which is held near my home in Ft Myers. During the games I sat in the Lyon county section and had the priviledge of talking at length with several of the player's families to include Travis's paternal grandmother. They are some of the nicest, most down to earth people I have ever met. During the two games I watched I was struck by the teamwork and superb conditioning of the Lyon Co team. From their fans I learned that the 3 Division 1 players on the team- Travis. Brady Shoulders(Mercer Univ) and Redick(Fla Gulf Coast Univ) had played team basketball together since early grammar school and could anticipate where the other players would be on the court at all times. Lyon Co was the slickest passing team and had the best teamwork I saw in the tournament. I also learned that a retired U.S. army Special Forces(green beret) NCO was responsible for their top notch conditioning. Being an old retired soldier ,I approached the "old Sarge" and he explained to me that he trained them like he would a special forces A team with emphasis on running, endurance and strength training. Lyon county reminded me of the "fiddling five" 1958 NCAA championship team.

Second- Because Travis is a small town native Kentuckian coupled with his unparelled accomplishments as the alltime leading scorer , Mr Basketball and State Tournament Champion he became the Rupp Arena fan favorite. Every time he entered the game in Rupp or scored a point the crowd erupted with cheers louder for Travis than any other UK player. It is my personal opinion, not based on any inside information. that the favortisim shown for Travis by the Ky fans wrankled some of his more talented teamates. I think that some of this resentment spilled over onto the floor and resulted in some of his teammates ignoring Travis when he was open for a shot and instead passing to someone else or driving to the basket often times when there was not an opening. Whether this was a deliberate or subconscise act by his teammates is not clear to me. But it is what I observed as did some other fans with whom i have discussed it. I also believe the teamwork on the 24-25 cats was some of the poorest I have ever seen.
I believe this may have been a factor in his decision to transfer. At Ole Miss he will be just another player not the overwhelming fan favorite that may trigger the envy of his teammates.

 

[Padsfs07]

He can come back in year 4 when he is more seasoned. I think he just wants to play and he's going to get more time there than here just like Krissa at Cincinnati.

 

[noncomposmentis]

I mean I guess? As you say, or at least imply, there’s nothing super special about Travis (and I love his story). The 6’1 marginally athletic white kid who scores a ton isn’t exactly a rare thing in Kentucky high school basketball history. He developed early (first time I saw him he was in 6th grade, and was physically very mature - so naturally everyone was saying he was 15 or some nonsense like folks do) and he played for his dad. So beginning in 7th grade he started and had the ultimate green light, which is how you get to 5000 points. But I strongly suspected he couldn’t really compete at UK’s level, especially on the defensive end. Another odd thing that hurt him was the success of Reed Sheppard. People thought, well, short white guys, if Reed can do it Travis can too. They are nothing alike. Sheppard is a unicorn, and would’ve been among the best players in UK history had he stayed 4 years. Unfair comparison.

 

[chroix]

Sounds to me like you weren’t looking at him objectively. Kid did not look up to the task. Doesn’t mean he won’t some day but point to one time where he looked like he could play against top tier talent and lead a team to victory.

 

[WeWant9]

Players come, players go. He always seemed like a guy who might contribute by his jr year. He got plenty of run last year and most of the time looked a couple steps behind the competition. Every SEC coach ran their offense right at him when he was in, and most of the time he struggled against the athletes of the SEC. Honestly, Ole Miss seems like a terrible spot for him but I guess time will tell.

I think UK will be just fine with the other KY boys onboard.

 

[littlecreek]

I was very surprised that he transferred. He actually got to play much more than I ever thought he would his freshman year. I thought Pope was very fair to him and allowed him to play through mistakes. The OP mentioned jealousy as maybe a factor for him transferring and he may be right. But I think it might be jealousy from Perry or his folks. There didn't seem to be any negative reactions toward him from teammates that I saw, they were really cheering for him whenever he would score it appeared. When someone plays for their dad throughout middle school or high school they are usually set up to be the star by their coach (dad) so they might not actually be quite as good as their stats show them to be. When they end up playing for someone else who isn't dad then reality sets in. I have no idea if this is how it is with the Perry situation but it is something that came across my mind. Surely Perry and his folks didn't think that he should've played more than he did. He should've been happy to play as much as he did. You can't expect the coach to stop bringing in good players even if they happen to be better than you.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

Was Travis Perry an Unjust Victim of His Own Hardearned Success?

I am 82 years old and I have followed the cats since the 1951 Big Bill Spivey and Shelby Linville NCAA Championship team. I have experienced all the highs(championship seasons) and the lows (point shaving scandal, 1952-53 suspension, and 89-90 probation ) during the past 75 years. I have also suffered the disappointment of the unexpected loss of some of my favorite players whether through injury, suspension or transfer. Donnis Butcher, Linville Puckett, Sam Bowie, Dwight Anderson and Mickey Gibson are a few of the great players we lost for a season or permanently due to the aforementioned reasons. But the hardest loss for me personally has been the transfer of Travis Perry. Travis is the epitome of what 90% of Ky High School basketball is all about. He was not blessed with many of the physical gifts such as height, quickness, leaping ability which most of the 4 and 5 star high school recruits posess. Despite these shortcomings he scored more points than any Ky basketball player in history and also led a small rural highschool to the Ky State Championship. These outstanding attainments were the direct result of Travis committing to be all he could be and devoting years of practice and hardwork to realizing the goals he set for himself. As a consequence of these acheivements he became the Jimmy Chitwood(Hoosiers Movie) of Ky and his little Lyon county team became the Hickory(Hoosiers and real life Milan, Ind ) state champions.

There are two reasons I have taken his transfer so hard:
First- I started following Travis and Lyon county two years ago when Travis scored over 40 points to beat Reed Sheppard's North Laurel Team. I followed him on UTUBE during the 23 and 24 seasons and saw him play twice in person when Lyon Co won the small high school bracket during the 2023 Palm City classic which is held near my home in Ft Myers. During the games I sat in the Lyon county section and had the priviledge of talking at length with several of the player's families to include Travis's paternal grandmother. They are some of the nicest, most down to earth people I have ever met. During the two games I watched I was struck by the teamwork and superb conditioning of the Lyon Co team. From their fans I learned that the 3 Division 1 players on the team- Travis. Brady Shoulders(Mercer Univ) and Redick(Fla Gulf Coast Univ) had played team basketball together since early grammar school and could anticipate where the other players would be on the court at all times. Lyon Co was the slickest passing team and had the best teamwork I saw in the tournament. I also learned that a retired U.S. army Special Forces(green beret) NCO was responsible for their top notch conditioning. Being an old retired soldier ,I approached the "old Sarge" and he explained to me that he trained them like he would a special forces A team with emphasis on running, endurance and strength training. Lyon county reminded me of the "fiddling five" 1958 NCAA championship team.

Second- Because Travis is a small town native Kentuckian coupled with his unparelled accomplishments as the alltime leading scorer , Mr Basketball and State Tournament Champion he became the Rupp Arena fan favorite. Every time he entered the game in Rupp or scored a point the crowd erupted with cheers louder for Travis than any other UK player. It is my personal opinion, not based on any inside information. that the favortisim shown for Travis by the Ky fans wrankled some of his more talented teamates. I think that some of this resentment spilled over onto the floor and resulted in some of his teammates ignoring Travis when he was open for a shot and instead passing to someone else or driving to the basket often times when there was not an opening. Whether this was a deliberate or subconscise act by his teammates is not clear to me. But it is what I observed as did some other fans with whom i have discussed it. I also believe the teamwork on the 24-25 cats was some of the poorest I have ever seen.
I believe this may have been a factor in his decision to transfer. At Ole Miss he will be just another player not the overwhelming fan favorite that may trigger the envy of his teammates.

I appreciate your service and passion. Imo he just had an opinion of himself that exceeded his current talent state. He felt he should be higher than 12 or 13 down the line, so he left.

 

[UK90]

I also believe the teamwork on the 24-25 cats was some of the poorest I have ever seen.

This is an absurd statement. This year’s team overachieved above pre-season expectations in significant part because of good teamwork. There was no problem with Perry’s teammates finding him when he was open …at least that I saw. If he wanted it to happen more often then perhaps he should’ve shot a better percentage.

You’re letting your favoritism toward one player cloud your judgment.

 

[Cats192]

I'm sure you're a great guy. I mean no disrespect by this post. But this reads like someone who is seeing what they want to see.

Travis Perry played varsity basketball for what, 6 years? After being held back a year. He was a very good high school basketball player. But the extra years helped him set the scoring record. I don't want to "break him down." But if we're using the state scoring record as proof of how good he is--I think we need the full context.

Travis Perry was NEVER expected to play year 1. He wound up playing significant minutes. He even started games.

I think fans root for Perry extra because he's a Kentucky kid. But I don't even buy the idea that Perry as the favorite player on the team. People loved Robinson, Oweh, Brea, Williams. Those guys frequently talked about how great the fan base was. I've watched every minute of every game. It never once crossed my mind that someone was singling out Perry because the fans liked him too much.

Why didn't they single out Oweh for the fans liking him too much? Why didn't they single out Williams? Was it only this team that did it? Reed Sheppard was a beloved KY boy. He was the best player on the team. He got the ball plenty. He just...had a nicer team?

Did they slight Trent Noah? Or did the KY fans just not like Noah as much as Perry?

Let's say you can show statistical proof Perry didn't get every pass when he was open. He shot 31% from THE FLOOR. Not from 3. He was a 31% shooter overall. Sometimes poor shooters don't get the ball when they're open. They're open for a reason.

In regards to the team work--I thought this was the best "team" we've seen since the PJ Washington/Tyler Herro team. I thought this was the closest thing we've seen to a Pitino team or early Tubby Smith team where the whole was greater than the sum of the parts.

You like Perry. That's great. I liked the kid too. But you're creating false narratives to defend a kid that doesn't need defending. He wasn't good enough to play this past season. In spite of that, he played significant minutes. He started games even. You're telling me THAT kid is a victim? Come on.

 

[MegaBlue05]

I know many of us love the undersized white kids from Kentucky because some of us see ourselves in them, but I kind of feel like we fawn over them so much we set them up for failure. If PG3 from Maine transferred out after shooting 31% from the floor, nobody would care and many would be glad. But because the player is from Kentucky it’s suddenly a big deal.

Another issue I have is so many people think KHSAA success will translate into UK success. I hate to he this person, but Kentucky is a bottom third state for producing high end basketball talent. I don’t want to diminish Perry’s accomplishments, but nobody ever mentions that’s a 6 year scoring total, not a 4 year total. A lot of those points were scored on teams with a 6’1 white center who is also the right guard on the football team. Night in and night out, especially in rural regions, the competition is NAIA level at absolute best.

I know we all have a soft spot for the early Pitino teams, especially the Unforgettables, and want our future teams to resemble that one, but everyone seems to forget a sophomore Mashburn led that team in scoring at 21 ppg. Without him, that was an 11 seed type team. My point being, Kentucky boys are nice and all but you need studs. If we were depending on Travis Perry to be a key contributor, we’re probably not adhering to the standards this fanbase has for this program.

I wish Perry the best except when he is playing UK. I just saw him as more of a Jon Hood than Reed Sheppard in terms of college career trajectory, so his departure wasn’t surprising or disappointing for me.

 

[chroix]

This is an absurd statement. This year’s team overachieved above pre-season expectations in significant part because of good teamwork. There was no problem with Perry’s teammates finding him when he was open …at least that I saw. If he wanted it to happen more often then perhaps he should’ve shot a better percentage.

You’re letting your favoritism toward one player cloud your judgment.

Sub idiotic for absurd. WTF?!

 

[BluPappi81]

Was Travis Perry an Unjust Victim of His Own Hardearned Success?

I am 82 years old and I have followed the cats since the 1951 Big Bill Spivey and Shelby Linville NCAA Championship team. I have experienced all the highs(championship seasons) and the lows (point shaving scandal, 1952-53 suspension, and 89-90 probation ) during the past 75 years. I have also suffered the disappointment of the unexpected loss of some of my favorite players whether through injury, suspension or transfer. Donnis Butcher, Linville Puckett, Sam Bowie, Dwight Anderson and Mickey Gibson are a few of the great players we lost for a season or permanently due to the aforementioned reasons. But the hardest loss for me personally has been the transfer of Travis Perry. Travis is the epitome of what 90% of Ky High School basketball is all about. He was not blessed with many of the physical gifts such as height, quickness, leaping ability which most of the 4 and 5 star high school recruits posess. Despite these shortcomings he scored more points than any Ky basketball player in history and also led a small rural highschool to the Ky State Championship. These outstanding attainments were the direct result of Travis committing to be all he could be and devoting years of practice and hardwork to realizing the goals he set for himself. As a consequence of these acheivements he became the Jimmy Chitwood(Hoosiers Movie) of Ky and his little Lyon county team became the Hickory(Hoosiers and real life Milan, Ind ) state champions.

There are two reasons I have taken his transfer so hard:
First- I started following Travis and Lyon county two years ago when Travis scored over 40 points to beat Reed Sheppard's North Laurel Team. I followed him on UTUBE during the 23 and 24 seasons and saw him play twice in person when Lyon Co won the small high school bracket during the 2023 Palm City classic which is held near my home in Ft Myers. During the games I sat in the Lyon county section and had the priviledge of talking at length with several of the player's families to include Travis's paternal grandmother. They are some of the nicest, most down to earth people I have ever met. During the two games I watched I was struck by the teamwork and superb conditioning of the Lyon Co team. From their fans I learned that the 3 Division 1 players on the team- Travis. Brady Shoulders(Mercer Univ) and Redick(Fla Gulf Coast Univ) had played team basketball together since early grammar school and could anticipate where the other players would be on the court at all times. Lyon Co was the slickest passing team and had the best teamwork I saw in the tournament. I also learned that a retired U.S. army Special Forces(green beret) NCO was responsible for their top notch conditioning. Being an old retired soldier ,I approached the "old Sarge" and he explained to me that he trained them like he would a special forces A team with emphasis on running, endurance and strength training. Lyon county reminded me of the "fiddling five" 1958 NCAA championship team.

Second- Because Travis is a small town native Kentuckian coupled with his unparelled accomplishments as the alltime leading scorer , Mr Basketball and State Tournament Champion he became the Rupp Arena fan favorite. Every time he entered the game in Rupp or scored a point the crowd erupted with cheers louder for Travis than any other UK player. It is my personal opinion, not based on any inside information. that the favortisim shown for Travis by the Ky fans wrankled some of his more talented teamates. I think that some of this resentment spilled over onto the floor and resulted in some of his teammates ignoring Travis when he was open for a shot and instead passing to someone else or driving to the basket often times when there was not an opening. Whether this was a deliberate or subconscise act by his teammates is not clear to me. But it is what I observed as did some other fans with whom i have discussed it. I also believe the teamwork on the 24-25 cats was some of the poorest I have ever seen.
I believe this may have been a factor in his decision to transfer. At Ole Miss he will be just another player not the overwhelming fan favorite that may trigger the envy of his teammates.

Can you give me an executive summary?

 

[Cats192]

If Travis Perry was a victim of anything, it was Mark Sears.

 

[Fox2monk]

Was Travis Perry an Unjust Victim of His Own Hardearned Success?

I am 82 years old and I have followed the cats since the 1951 Big Bill Spivey and Shelby Linville NCAA Championship team. I have experienced all the highs(championship seasons) and the lows (point shaving scandal, 1952-53 suspension, and 89-90 probation ) during the past 75 years. I have also suffered the disappointment of the unexpected loss of some of my favorite players whether through injury, suspension or transfer. Donnis Butcher, Linville Puckett, Sam Bowie, Dwight Anderson and Mickey Gibson are a few of the great players we lost for a season or permanently due to the aforementioned reasons. But the hardest loss for me personally has been the transfer of Travis Perry. Travis is the epitome of what 90% of Ky High School basketball is all about. He was not blessed with many of the physical gifts such as height, quickness, leaping ability which most of the 4 and 5 star high school recruits posess. Despite these shortcomings he scored more points than any Ky basketball player in history and also led a small rural highschool to the Ky State Championship. These outstanding attainments were the direct result of Travis committing to be all he could be and devoting years of practice and hardwork to realizing the goals he set for himself. As a consequence of these acheivements he became the Jimmy Chitwood(Hoosiers Movie) of Ky and his little Lyon county team became the Hickory(Hoosiers and real life Milan, Ind ) state champions.

There are two reasons I have taken his transfer so hard:
First- I started following Travis and Lyon county two years ago when Travis scored over 40 points to beat Reed Sheppard's North Laurel Team. I followed him on UTUBE during the 23 and 24 seasons and saw him play twice in person when Lyon Co won the small high school bracket during the 2023 Palm City classic which is held near my home in Ft Myers. During the games I sat in the Lyon county section and had the priviledge of talking at length with several of the player's families to include Travis's paternal grandmother. They are some of the nicest, most down to earth people I have ever met. During the two games I watched I was struck by the teamwork and superb conditioning of the Lyon Co team. From their fans I learned that the 3 Division 1 players on the team- Travis. Brady Shoulders(Mercer Univ) and Redick(Fla Gulf Coast Univ) had played team basketball together since early grammar school and could anticipate where the other players would be on the court at all times. Lyon Co was the slickest passing team and had the best teamwork I saw in the tournament. I also learned that a retired U.S. army Special Forces(green beret) NCO was responsible for their top notch conditioning. Being an old retired soldier ,I approached the "old Sarge" and he explained to me that he trained them like he would a special forces A team with emphasis on running, endurance and strength training. Lyon county reminded me of the "fiddling five" 1958 NCAA championship team.

Second- Because Travis is a small town native Kentuckian coupled with his unparelled accomplishments as the alltime leading scorer , Mr Basketball and State Tournament Champion he became the Rupp Arena fan favorite. Every time he entered the game in Rupp or scored a point the crowd erupted with cheers louder for Travis than any other UK player. It is my personal opinion, not based on any inside information. that the favortisim shown for Travis by the Ky fans wrankled some of his more talented teamates. I think that some of this resentment spilled over onto the floor and resulted in some of his teammates ignoring Travis when he was open for a shot and instead passing to someone else or driving to the basket often times when there was not an opening. Whether this was a deliberate or subconscise act by his teammates is not clear to me. But it is what I observed as did some other fans with whom i have discussed it. I also believe the teamwork on the 24-25 cats was some of the poorest I have ever seen.
I believe this may have been a factor in his decision to transfer. At Ole Miss he will be just another player not the overwhelming fan favorite that may trigger the envy of his teammates.

 

[Fox2monk]

This is an absurd statement. This year’s team overachieved above pre-season expectations in significant part because of good teamwork. There was no problem with Perry’s teammates finding him when he was open …at least that I saw. If he wanted it to happen more often then perhaps he should’ve shot a better percentage.

You’re letting your favoritism toward one player cloud your judgment.

Exactly, they had some of the highest assist games in our history and shot the best 3 point % overall ever I think. You don’t approach those numbers with bad teamwork. That team was all bought in and played as a unit all year.

 

[UK90]

Can you give me an executive summary?

The one short sentence summary:

Perry’s jealous teammates were mean to him.

 

[bookerfan66]

What in the actual hell? You are actually accusing his teammates of having a bias against him?

 

[MegaBlue05]

What in the actual hell? You are actually accusing his teammates of having a bias against him?

Right?

Instead of just maybe taking a step back and realizing success in Kentucky high school basketball doesn’t necessarily translate to the SEC in the year 2025 and maybe realizing his personal biases are clouding his judgement, he invents a scenario in which his favorite player was somehow a victim of his high school success and his teammates are jealous of said high school success?

What?!?

 

[Fox2monk]

I'm sure you're a great guy. I mean no disrespect by this post. But this reads like someone who is seeing what they want to see.

Travis Perry played varsity basketball for what, 6 years? After being held back a year. He was a very good high school basketball player. But the extra years helped him set the scoring record. I don't want to "break him down." But if we're using the state scoring record as proof of how good he is--I think we need the full context.

Travis Perry was NEVER expected to play year 1. He wound up playing significant minutes. He even started games.

I think fans root for Perry extra because he's a Kentucky kid. But I don't even buy the idea that Perry as the favorite player on the team. People loved Robinson, Oweh, Brea, Williams. Those guys frequently talked about how great the fan base was. I've watched every minute of every game. It never once crossed my mind that someone was singling out Perry because the fans liked him too much.

Why didn't they single out Oweh for the fans liking him too much? Why didn't they single out Williams? Was it only this team that did it? Reed Sheppard was a beloved KY boy. He was the best player on the team. He got the ball plenty. He just...had a nicer team?

Did they slight Trent Noah? Or did the KY fans just not like Noah as much as Perry?

Let's say you can show statistical proof Perry didn't get every pass when he was open. He shot 31% from THE FLOOR. Not from 3. He was a 31% shooter overall. Sometimes poor shooters don't get the ball when they're open. They're open for a reason.

In regards to the team work--I thought this was the best "team" we've seen since the PJ Washington/Tyler Herro team. I thought this was the closest thing we've seen to a Pitino team or early Tubby Smith team where the whole was greater than the sum of the parts.

You like Perry. That's great. I liked the kid too. But you're creating false narratives to defend a kid that doesn't need defending. He wasn't good enough to play this past season. In spite of that, he played significant minutes. He started games even. You're telling me THAT kid is a victim? Come on.

I’ll never understand someone getting a record who played 2 more years than the average player. They should take his 4 best seasons and compile them at best, maybe even throw out his worst and best to make it fair.

 

[KYFOSSIL]

Was Travis Perry an Unjust Victim of His Own Hardearned Success?

I am 82 years old and I have followed the cats since the 1951 Big Bill Spivey and Shelby Linville NCAA Championship team. I have experienced all the highs(championship seasons) and the lows (point shaving scandal, 1952-53 suspension, and 89-90 probation ) during the past 75 years. I have also suffered the disappointment of the unexpected loss of some of my favorite players whether through injury, suspension or transfer. Donnis Butcher, Linville Puckett, Sam Bowie, Dwight Anderson and Mickey Gibson are a few of the great players we lost for a season or permanently due to the aforementioned reasons. But the hardest loss for me personally has been the transfer of Travis Perry. Travis is the epitome of what 90% of Ky High School basketball is all about. He was not blessed with many of the physical gifts such as height, quickness, leaping ability which most of the 4 and 5 star high school recruits posess. Despite these shortcomings he scored more points than any Ky basketball player in history and also led a small rural highschool to the Ky State Championship. These outstanding attainments were the direct result of Travis committing to be all he could be and devoting years of practice and hardwork to realizing the goals he set for himself. As a consequence of these acheivements he became the Jimmy Chitwood(Hoosiers Movie) of Ky and his little Lyon county team became the Hickory(Hoosiers and real life Milan, Ind ) state champions.

There are two reasons I have taken his transfer so hard:
First- I started following Travis and Lyon county two years ago when Travis scored over 40 points to beat Reed Sheppard's North Laurel Team. I followed him on UTUBE during the 23 and 24 seasons and saw him play twice in person when Lyon Co won the small high school bracket during the 2023 Palm City classic which is held near my home in Ft Myers. During the games I sat in the Lyon county section and had the priviledge of talking at length with several of the player's families to include Travis's paternal grandmother. They are some of the nicest, most down to earth people I have ever met. During the two games I watched I was struck by the teamwork and superb conditioning of the Lyon Co team. From their fans I learned that the 3 Division 1 players on the team- Travis. Brady Shoulders(Mercer Univ) and Redick(Fla Gulf Coast Univ) had played team basketball together since early grammar school and could anticipate where the other players would be on the court at all times. Lyon Co was the slickest passing team and had the best teamwork I saw in the tournament. I also learned that a retired U.S. army Special Forces(green beret) NCO was responsible for their top notch conditioning. Being an old retired soldier ,I approached the "old Sarge" and he explained to me that he trained them like he would a special forces A team with emphasis on running, endurance and strength training. Lyon county reminded me of the "fiddling five" 1958 NCAA championship team.

Second- Because Travis is a small town native Kentuckian coupled with his unparelled accomplishments as the alltime leading scorer , Mr Basketball and State Tournament Champion he became the Rupp Arena fan favorite. Every time he entered the game in Rupp or scored a point the crowd erupted with cheers louder for Travis than any other UK player. It is my personal opinion, not based on any inside information. that the favortisim shown for Travis by the Ky fans wrankled some of his more talented teamates. I think that some of this resentment spilled over onto the floor and resulted in some of his teammates ignoring Travis when he was open for a shot and instead passing to someone else or driving to the basket often times when there was not an opening. Whether this was a deliberate or subconscise act by his teammates is not clear to me. But it is what I observed as did some other fans with whom i have discussed it. I also believe the teamwork on the 24-25 cats was some of the poorest I have ever seen.
I believe this may have been a factor in his decision to transfer. At Ole Miss he will be just another player not the overwhelming fan favorite that may trigger the envy of his teammates.

The last part about the lack of teamwork is a top 10 moronic take. The way this team passed and shared the ball was a trade mark of their’s.

 

[WeWant9]

Over/under if OP pops back in this thread?

 

[cardsfan53]

I mean I guess? As you say, or at least imply, there’s nothing super special about Travis (and I love his story). The 6’1 marginally athletic white kid who scores a ton isn’t exactly a rare thing in Kentucky high school basketball history. He developed early (first time I saw him he was in 6th grade, and was physically very mature - so naturally everyone was saying he was 15 or some nonsense like folks do) and he played for his dad. So beginning in 7th grade he started and had the ultimate green light, which is how you get to 5000 points. But I strongly suspected he couldn’t really compete at UK’s level, especially on the defensive end. Another odd thing that hurt him was the success of Reed Sheppard. People thought, well, short white guys, if Reed can do it Travis can too. They are nothing alike. Sheppard is a unicorn, and would’ve been among 5e best players in UK history had he stayed 4 years. Unfair comparison.

I remember watching Reed and always felt he was WAY underrated as a player. I also though he was better than Wagner after watching both in high school. He was a much better athlete than people gave him credit for, and a much better shooter. Was not fair to Perry that people were expecting him to be the next Reed Shepperd.

 

[ArtLaibsGhost]

Perry played more minutes at UK than ANYWHERE else in SEC he might have landed. He could have stayed and fought for playing time, instead he quit on UK. He isn't a victim of anything except maybe an inflated ego. Good riddance.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

The one short sentence summary:

Perry’s jealous teammates were mean to him.

Lol that sums it up.

 

[Smashcat]

He can come back in year 4 when he is more seasoned. I think he just wants to play and he's going to get more time there than here just like Krissa at Cincinnati.

IMO he burned that bridge when he left without leaving a good bye to BBN.

 

[MidseasonTweaks]

Perry played more minutes at UK than ANYWHERE else in SEC he might have landed. He could have stayed and fought for playing time, instead he quit on UK. He isn't a victim of anything except maybe an inflated ego. Good riddance.

This is not a fair criticism of the kid.

 

[bigbluedon]

This is an absurd statement. This year’s team overachieved above pre-season expectations in significant part because of good teamwork. There was no problem with Perry’s teammates finding him when he was open …at least that I saw. If he wanted it to happen more often then perhaps he should’ve shot a better percentage.

You’re letting your favoritism toward one player cloud your judgment.

Agree totally.

 

[katwest]

Sometimes records just don't tell the whole story, I don't put too much stock into most records in sports. For example, Ervin Stepp was one of the most prolific scores in Kentucky high school basketball history averaging 40 something his junior year and 50 something his senior year. He ended up going to EKU and averaging about 4. 5 points in his career there. He also went to a small school, I'm not sure how many years he played varsity, but it is still noteworthy. People are always talking about baseball's all-time home run record arguing who was really the best, Hank Aaron or Babe Ruth, since Aaron batted about 4000 times more than Ruth, was Aaron really the best. He had the most when he retired. The NBA scoring record is always talked about, I know LeBron has it now, but when Kareem broke Chamberlains record, Wilt said if he had of known Jabbar was going to break it so soon, he would have put it out of reach. I believe he could have too, but he didn't. Records are overrated, and hardly ever based on the same criteria for setting them.

 

[cornbreadnmilk]

This has to be Perry's dad.

 

[Zissou87]

I know many of us love the undersized white kids from Kentucky because some of us see ourselves in them, but I kind of feel like we fawn over them so much we set them up for failure. If PG3 from Maine transferred out after shooting 31% from the floor, nobody would care and many would be glad. But because the player is from Kentucky it’s suddenly a big deal.

Another issue I have is so many people think KHSAA success will translate into UK success. I hate to he this person, but Kentucky is a bottom third state for producing high end basketball talent. I don’t want to diminish Perry’s accomplishments, but nobody ever mentions that’s a 6 year scoring total, not a 4 year total. A lot of those points were scored on teams with a 6’1 white center who is also the right guard on the football team. Night in and night out, especially in rural regions, the competition is NAIA level at absolute best.

I know we all have a soft spot for the early Pitino teams, especially the Unforgettables, and want our future teams to resemble that one, but everyone seems to forget a sophomore Mashburn led that team in scoring at 21 ppg. Without him, that was an 11 seed type team. My point being, Kentucky boys are nice and all but you need studs. If we were depending on Travis Perry to be a key contributor, we’re probably not adhering to the standards this fanbase has for this program.

I wish Perry the best except when he is playing UK. I just saw him as more of a Jon Hood than Reed Sheppard in terms of college career trajectory, so his departure wasn’t surprising or disappointing for me.

This 💯.

 

[ThunderCat98]

Perry's ceiling is always going to be limited by the fact that he's 6'1, can't jump, and is not incredibly quick. Frankly, I think he would have been better served going to a mid-major where his defensive and athletic deficiencies aren't going to get exposed every single game. He's just not an SEC-caliber starter and probably never will be, absent a significant growth spurt. I can see him coming off the bench to help stretch a defense that's packing it in, but that's about it, imo.

 

[wardlow]

IMO he burned that bridge when he left without leaving a good bye to BBN.

Really? I’m shocked he didn’t send out something

 

[kyrx]

Today Coach Pope said he was "devastated" according to the CJ.

My take is that it is 100% transfer portal-related. More money, more playing time, etc.? Easy, just transfer.

 

[Bleedin Blue in Ohio]

I for one hated to see Travis Perry leave the program. I also did not see him as any more than a role player at UK. I think as a freshman he did as well as possible filling in as point guard when both Butler and Kriisa were hurt. It was unfair to think he would have been really ready at that point in his career. I think if he would have stayed, he could have filled that role his entire career much better than as a freshman and be a zone buster for the team. A Richie Farmer type player.

 

[Myotis]

… From their fans I learned that the 3 Division 1 players on the team- Travis. Brady Shoulders(Mercer Univ) and Redick(Fla Gulf Coast Univ) had played team basketball together since early grammar school and could anticipate where the other players would be on the court at all times. Lyon Co was the slickest passing team and had the best teamwork I saw in the tournament….

This is most likely the answer. Three bodies one mind is a powerful force, and something Travis would not yet have had at UK. No matter how quick the defenders are, they’re not faster than a pass and the synergy between three players who have spent years together - particularly if they have good basketball IQ and have very good situational awareness - can mask a significant deficit of athleticism. The sad part is that if Perry does have those mental attributes, he’s never going develop that “multiple bodies one mind” bond with his teammates by hopping from team to team.

 

[BlueBloodedCat96]

In his personal life wish him well. On the hardwood he’s an enemy.

 

[BigRickWithTheBig___Suv]

lmfao. you don't have to now. copy/paste it into AI or GROK and tell it to summarize in one paragraph. it seriously works great

 

[I-Move-Like-The-Pope]

There's so much corruption in small town schools, if you're the "guy" it's not that hard to score points when you shoot almost every shot and every designed play is ran for you. He's 5'11 on a good day, 0 hops, no lateral quickness. For a PG his handle is awful and has 0 play recognition. If he played in any other state I don't think Perry would have even been a 3 star.

 

[Padsfs07]

IMO he burned that bridge when he left without leaving a good bye to BBN.

I couldn't care less about those scripted good byes.

 

[Padsfs07]

He's 5'11 on a good day,

He was 6'1 at least. He was exactly my height and I'm 6'1 barefoot