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Men's Basketball

Info On Kentucky’s Closed Scrimmage with Transylvania

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6 years ago

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Due to COVID-19, Kentucky’s game against South Carolina last night was canceled. Kentucky tried to schedule multiple games, but all plans fell through. John Calipari instead chose to scrimmage Transylvania at Rupp Arena.

I spoke to a source last night close to the scrimmage and this is what they said.

Kentucky won by 20-25

The source that I spoke to said that Kentucky and Transy scrimmaged for 40 minutes and then did “situational stuff.” From what I was told, Kentucky won by 20-25 in a “weird format with lots of stoppages in play.”

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However, Transy was missing their two best players.

Dontaie Allen hit 7-8 three’s but was a liability on defense

Fans, including myself, have been begging for Dontaie Allen to get playing time. Cal said last Monday night on his call-in-show that he had talked to Dontaie and told him he was going to get his chance. Last night he did, and the source told me that Allen “hit 7-8 three’s.”

But, the source also told me that Allen “is a major liability on defense and that’s why he doesn’t play.”

Kentucky doesn’t have a leader and isn’t very coachable

A great team needs a great leader and the source I spoke to said “Kentucky doesn’t have a real leader.” According to the source, “They played for four hours and no one was leading the team. Cal has to say something five times before they get it and there was a lot of screwing around. They don’t have a true leader and aren’t really coachable.”

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Terrence Clarke didn’t play

It was reported by Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio earlier last week that Terrence Clarke had been in a walking boot and had missed practice for most of the week. However, Cal did try to play him against Louisville, but admitted that “it was a mistake” in his postgame presser.

The source that I spoke to said that Clarke did not play and was in a walking boot the whole time.

Cam’Ron Fletcher

Something happened after the UNC loss and whatever it was, it wasn’t good. The whole ordeal ended in Cam’Ron Fletcher going home and then Cal taking a shot at him in his Louisville postgame presser.

According to the source, “Fletcher played, but didn’t play much” and had an “okay” attitude.

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BJ Boston is close

The most disappointing thing about this season so far is the lack of production from BJ Boston. A superstar coming into the year hasn’t performed close to the level Kentucky needs him to. According to the source, “Boston played good and is getting close. He was money from mid-range.”

This is uncharted territory for John Calipari

The source that I spoke with said that they talked to Calipari for around 10-15 minutes and it was obvious he wasn’t sure what to do.

“Cal has never been 1-6 before” the source said. “This is uncharted territory for Cal and it seemed like he wasn’t sure what to do.”

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Men's Basketball

College Basketball Rankings: Where Kentucky Stands in Updated “way-too-early” Polls

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2 weeks ago

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July 3, 2026

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Where Kentucky basketball stands in ESPN and CBS Sports updated way-too-early rankings after more coaching changes, player additions, and injuries.
UK Athletics

Last offseason, Kentucky was considered a top-10 team and a true title contender, but ended the season as one of the most disappointing teams in the country, winning just one game in the NCAA Tournament.

This offseason, Kentucky is barely cracking the top 15 in most preseason rankings and will look to climb the rankings throughout the season rather than fall.

Still 120+ days out from the start of the regular season, ESPN and CBS Sports have updated their “way-too-early” rankings following Dusty May’s jump from Michigan to the NBA, more player additions for teams, and some early-season-ending injuries.

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The rankings remain fairly static, however, with the Wildcats holding steady in ESPN’s rankings while moving ahead of St. John’s in CBS Sports’ rankings following Donnie Freeman’s Achilles injury.

ESPN

17. Kentucky Wildcats

Previous ranking: 17 (no change)

Impact newcomer: Milan Momcilovic

Momcilovic was the best transfer in the portal, after a season in which he established himself as the best shooter in college basketball. The 6-8 forward withdrew from the NBA draft on the night of the deadline, committing to coach Mark Pope’s team a few days later after also being pursued by Louisville and Arizona. He’s immediately an All-America contender and the most dangerous player on the Wildcats’ roster, after averaging 16.9 points and shooting 48.7% from 3 last season.

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Projected starting lineup

Zoom Diallo (15.7 PPG at Washington)
Alex Wilkins (17.8 PPG at Furman)
Milan Momcilovic (16.9 PPG at Iowa State)
Ousmane N’Diaye (9.8 PPG for Cremona in Serie A)
Malachi Moreno (7.8 PPG)

CBS Sports

16. Kentucky Wildcats

Previous ranking: 17 (⬆️1)

This ranking is based on the Wildcats returning one of the top six scorers — specifically Malachi Moreno — from a team that finished 22-14 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic, Washington transfers Zoom Diallo and Franck Kepnang, Washington State transfer Jerone Morton, James Madison transfer Justin McBride, Providence transfer Alex Wilkins, four-star prospect Mason Williams and international prospect Ousmane N’Diaye.

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Men's Basketball

Mark Pope Discusses Final Assistant Coach Position, “I’m not in desperate need of adding more pieces”

Published

2 weeks ago

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July 3, 2026

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Mark Pope isn't rushing to fill Kentucky's final assistant coach opening, saying pending NCAA rules on international players could shift his plans.
UK Athletics

Kentucky basketball has operated this offseason without a full staff. Assistant coaches Alvin Brooks III and Jason Hart left the program back in March, and Mark Pope has only filled one of the two spots since, hiring former NBA All-Star Mo Williams from Jackson State.

Despite that, Kentucky managed to bring in the 3rd ranked transfer class in the country, highlighted by Milan Momcilovic, and have secured a commitment from 2027 five-star Ryan Hampton.

“I like my organization a lot right now. I think this group is functioning at a high level,” Pope said about his staff in an interview with BBN Tonight. “I like the way our staff feels. I like the way we feel in the staff meeting every day. I like the way we’re executing on the road. I like the way we feel on the court right now.”

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With an assistant coach position sitting vacant, Pope is satisfied with how his staff is performing and says there is no urgency in filling the role. Instead, he’s waiting to see how NCAA guidelines and rules unfold in the coming weeks.

“I’m not in desperate need of adding more pieces, although I’m open to the idea,” he said.

“There are going to be a whole host of legal cases from our league testing the CSC and the NCAA on their current guidelines and rules on international players. And depending on what the outcome of those are, it could very much shift the direction we go with hiring.”

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Men's Basketball

Mark Pope Says Kentucky’s Final Roster Spot Is About Fit, “There’s got to be a very uniquely positioned piece”

Published

2 weeks ago

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July 3, 2026

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Mark Pope opens up on Kentucky Basketball's final roster spot, emphasizing fit over hype as the Nikola Kusturica recruitment nears a decision.
UK Athletics

Kentucky basketball is wrapping up its third week of practice in an eight-week summer training block. While the players are getting acclimated to Mark Pope’s system and to each other, there is still one roster spot to be filled.

“I am enjoying coaching these guys, but we’re also still really active in recruiting,” Pope said in an interview with BBN Tonight.

One name that Wildcat fans have been keeping a close eye on in recent weeks is Nikola Kusturica, a 17-year-old prospect from Serbia, who is currently playing for FC Barcelona and is a projected lottery pick in the 2028 NBA Draft. His recruitment is down to Kentucky and UCLA, with the latter having the momentum and a decision expected soon.

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Whoever the final roster piece will be, Pope emphasizes that they must fit with the other 14 players on the roster.

“Where we are with our roster, there’s got to be a very uniquely positioned piece that fits,” he said.

“There are several different archetypes of piece that would fit this roster really well, but there’s also a lot of guys who are popping up as available or have been available for a little while who don’t turn out to be the fit that’s going to work for this team.”

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