Florida guard Denzel Aberdeen gets court injunction to play this season
Aberdeen is cleared to play for Florida after receiving a temporary injunction in his eligibility case.
Florida college basketball guard Denzel Aberdeen has been granted a temporary court injunction that will enable him to participate in the upcoming season. Circuit court judge George Wright made the decision during a Tuesday hearing in Alachua County. Gators coach Todd Golden and several players were present for the proceedings. Golden expressed his satisfaction with the ruling, stating, "We're pleased with today's ruling, and we're especially happy for Denzel."
Aberdeen's legal representative, Jesse Panuccio, filed a lawsuit against the NCAA earlier in the month. The lawsuit argued that over 30 courts in various jurisdictions have ruled that the NCAA's "arbitrary decision" against student-athletes who began their college careers during the 2022-23 season and completed four years of eligibility is "unlawful."
The suit claimed that the NCAA's refusal to comply with its current eligibility framework violates a contract with the University of Florida, which is supposed to benefit student-athletes like Aberdeen. The NCAA's shift to a five-year, age-based eligibility model has sparked a series of legal battles nationwide. Aberdeen played three seasons at Florida before transferring to Kentucky last year.
He returned to Florida this year to complete his undergraduate degree. He has been working out and practicing with the Gators throughout the summer. Aberdeen initially intended to convince the NCAA that his freshman year in Gainesville should be treated as a redshirt season. Standing at 6 feet 5 inches, the Orlando native appeared in only 12 games last season, scoring 19 points in 41 minutes.
He hoped to secure a waiver from the NCAA to gain another year of eligibility. However, the NCAA recently adopted a five-year eligibility model, set to be fully implemented next fall. This change led to lawsuits from four-year players from the high school class of 2022, including Aberdeen. Aberdeen is anticipated to secure a starting position to replace Xaivian Lee.
The Gators are the favored team to win the national championship in 2027, according to betting experts. Coach Golden retained most of last year's roster, with notable additions being big men Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh, and Rueben Chinyelu. Aberdeen played 35 games for Kentucky last season, averaging 13.5 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.5 rebounds.
In his previous two seasons at Florida, he started 35 games as a junior in 2024-25, scoring 7.7 points.
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