Denzel Aberdeen’s UF basketball eligibility fight headed to a Florida court

GAINESVILLE — Gators’ shooting guard Denzel Aberdeen will have a Florida court decide whether he can play this season. Aberdeen has hired attorney Jesse Panuccio, who has offices in Fort Lauderdale and Washington, D.C., to help him secure a temporary restraining order allowing him to play in 2026-27. Jeff Goodman of the Field of 68 reported Friday night that Panuccio released a statement saying Aberdeen should be allowed to compete under the NCAA’s new “5-in-5 rule.” The 22-year-old Orlando native is in his fifth year of college after enrolling at UF in 2022. He returned to the Gators last spring after transferring to Kentucky following Florida’s 2025 national championship season. Earlier this year, the NCAA changed its eligibility rules to allow athletes who entered college fresh out of high school or before turning 20 to play five seasons in a five-year window while eliminating redshirting.

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