By the time Travis Perry arrived on the campus of the University of Kentucky, he was already a legend in the Commonwealth. Perry was named the 2024 Kentucky Mr. Basketball after completing his career at Lyon County High School, where he led his team to the Sweet 16 title as a senior.

Perry was known as a scorer at Lyon County. He became the first player in Kentucky high school history to score more than 5,000 points in his career. However, during his freshman season, it has been his play at point guard that has gotten Perry on the floor.

Filling in for the injured Kerr Kriisa, Perry has grown into his role as the backup point guard to Lamont Butler.

“I definitely feel like I’m getting more comfortable in my role,” Perry said. “It’s always a little bit of a struggle going into a different environment, no matter where it is. But I think I’ve definitely made huge strides and just found out what I need to do in the minutes I get.”

Perry, who has hit a three-pointer in three of the last four UK games, is one of a number of good shooters on the Kentucky roster. The Cats hit 16 threes in the road win at Mississippi State on Saturday night. While good shooting can definitely carry a team, Perry and the Cats know that it’s just as important to find other ways to get to the end goal.

“I think we have a great shooting team, probably one of the best in the country. I think if we make shots, and we’re hot, we can beat anybody in the country,” Perry said. “But I think we also want to be at a point where we can win games when we’re not making shots. I think good teams can really win when they’re making shots, but I think great teams and championship level teams can win when they’re not making shots.”

The Southeastern Conference gauntlet continues on Tuesday night as the eighth-ranked Cats welcome No. 11 Texas A&M to Rupp Arena. The Aggies are 13-3 overall and 2-1 in league play. On Saturday, A&M lost to Alabama 94-88 while playing without leading scorer Wade Taylor IV. Perry knows that the Aggies really hit the boards.

“They’re a very good team. Offensive rebounding stands out for them,” Perry said. “Number one in the country in offensive rebound percentage by a large margin. We need to come out early, make a push early and continue it throughout the game.”

Tuesday’s game is set for a 7 p.m. tipoff and it can be seen on ESPN2.