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Men's Basketball

Kentucky vs. Brown Recap: The Wildcats Dominate in Much Needed Win

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Kentucky's Brandon Garrison (10) celebrated after dropping in a three-pointer
Jeff Faughender | IMAGN

Fresh off a 10-day break between their gut-wrenching loss to Ohio State, Coach Pope and the Cats came back home to take on the Brown Bears of Providence, Rhode Island. With this being the last game before their intimidating conference schedule, Kentucky needed a convincing win to raise spirits and get back on the right track. The Wildcats managed that, and then some.

Slow and Steady

But as has been the pattern for the team this year thus far, Kentucky struggled to find their footing early on. Despite an immediate 3-0 thanks to a triple from Jaxson Robinson, the Cats could only tally one more point by the 15-minute mark, where they led 4-2.

The rest of the half was back-and-forth, with Kentucky jumping out to a 19-9 lead spurred by seven straight from Andrew Carr, only for Brown to answer with a 5-0 run of their own, drawing within five at 19-14.

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Still, the Wildcats finished the first half on a high note thanks to a Travis Perry three (for which the crowd erupted,) and seven more from Carr. His 14 at the half set the team high.

What the Stats Said

Despite Kentucky forcing a staggering 14 turnovers in the first period, they were equally stifled by Brown’s 21-10 advantage on the glass. Kentucky has struggled mightily with physicality all season, and the Bears were able to keep the game within arm’s length for that very reason.

The Cats led at the end of the first half 39-27.

The Pope’s Plan

Yet Mark Pope always adjusts, and his team came out of the half with a newfound precision on both ends of the floor.

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Kentucky broke off a 13-3 run to get things started, seven of which came unanswered from Otega Oweh. Amari Williams also got in on the fun with a back-to-the-basket floater to extend the Cats’ lead, 50-30, hardly five minutes into the second half. 

From there, it was all Wildcats.

Finishing Strong

Ultimately, Kentucky would outscore Brown 49-27 in the second half and win the game 88-54, their largest margin of victory in more than a month. While the defense remained consistently strong throughout, the offense stood out, found their footing, and hit a stride that they’d been missing the last couple of games.

Among a flurry of encouraging stats, perhaps the most impressive was the Cats’ tally from the free throw line: 18/23 (78%.) This is a solid 5% above their season average, showing real improvement in a category in which the team has struggled often this season.

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In addition, Kentucky shot 10/28 from long range (36%,) and 30/60 from the field as a whole, landing them at 50% total on the night. Questions about the team’s recent scoring struggles should be satiated for now, at least.

The Wildcats will carry this dominant win with them into conference play this weekend, where they’re set to kick things off against the undefeated, sixth-ranked Florida Gators at home on Saturday, Jan. 4th. You can cheer on the Cats on ESPN at 11:00 a.m.

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Men's Basketball

Practice Update: How Summer Workouts Are Going For Kentucky Basketball

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Photo via UK Athletics

It’s the heat of the summer, with every member of Kentucky’s basketball roster on campus and gearing up for next season.

Although Kam Williams and Franck Kepnang have been sidelined as a precautionary measure, the rest of the team has been lifting weights, playing pickup and getting adjusted to each other’s game. 

Justin McBride Turning Heads 

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6-foot-7 forward Justin McBride averaged 15.3 points per game in his junior season with JMU, so when Kentucky picked him up in the offseason, many members of the Big Blue Nation began to share his offensive highlights and build anticipation for his senior year. 

McBride saw that and took accountability, with sources confirming with KY Insider that he showed up on campus nearly 15 pounds lighter. This is the healthiest he’s been in his career, and his deadly shooting will be welcomed by a newfound agility and quickness. 

Zoom Diallo Taking Leadership Role 

As any true point guard should do, Zoom Diallo has taken on the leadership role with a full head of steam, using his voice to rally the team early in the summer. 

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Sources confirmed that the 6-foot-6 guard from Washington certainly isn’t shy on the court and goes the extra mile, arriving to practices hours early to staying after for extra work. 

New Team, New Intensity

The Kentucky staff is changing the tone of the offseason, with a source telling us that there’s been a physical shift during each practice and workout. 

Notably, this gets guys familiar with what the college level is truly like, with Braydon Hawthorne and Mason Williams being two names mentioned as players they’re pressing the envelope on early. 

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Talented Youth 

While there’s a fair share of experienced guys on this roster, two of the best players on this team are entering their sophomore seasons.

Alex Wilkins and Malachi Moreno have been showing off so far, sources confirmed, with Moreno being simply unbelievable down low and Wilkins showing that he’s not going to be passive with his decision making. 

With Kepnang out for the summer as a precaution, the staff is excited to see him match Moreno’s intensity given his college experience. Wilkins has proved his dual-threat ability is real, allowing him to score from anywhere and make plays alongside Diallo. 

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BB Recruiting

Kentucky Basketball Receives Prediction to Land International Star Nikola Kusturica

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Kentucky basketball has taken over as the favorite for Serbian star Nikola Kusturica, a projected lottery pick in 2028, with a prediction backing the Wildcats.

Just when many believed Kentucky’s roster was complete in terms of contributing players, Mark Pope might have an ace up his sleeve.

Last week, it was reported that Kentucky was among the frontrunners to land 6-foot-8 Serbian wing Nikola Kusturica. At the time, Gonzaga was thought to be the team to beat, having a more defined role to offer, compared to Kentucky, who has one remaining roster spot and a good amount of depth in wing positions.

Since then, things have shifted in a big way.

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Gonzaga received a commitment from 18-year-old French guard Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa on Sunday. By Tuesday night, the Wildcats received a Crystal Ball prediction from 247Sports’ Travis Branham to land Kusturica, with a confidence level of 7 out of 10.

The 6-foot-8 wing currently plays for FC Barcelona in Spain’s Liga ACB and EuroLeague system. He just turned 17 years old and is reportedly seeking a two-year college opportunity before becoming draft-eligible in 2028, where he is already being projected as a lottery pick.

The on-court résumé speaks for itself. In the 2025 FIBA U16 EuroBasket, he averaged 20 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game while leading Serbia to a championship and was named tournament MVP. He also helped Barcelona capture the Adidas NextGen Finals championship last month, posting 20 points and 10 rebounds in the title game against Real Madrid.

Next, Kusturica will represent Serbia in the FIBA U17 World Cup from June 27 to July 5, and a college decision could come before then.

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Mark Pope is carrying a lot of momentum in recent weeks after retaining Malachi Moreno and adding Milan Momcilovic to this season’s roster, as well as landing the first top 10 prospect of his career in Ryan Hampton. If he can close on Kusturica, that would cap off the roster in a significant way and continue to change the narrative around his recruiting ability.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky’s Kam Williams and Franck Kepnang Sidelined For Summer as Precaution

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Photo via UK Athletics

Since players have arrived on campus and began facing off against each other, we’ve seen multiple pictures and videos of the team surface across social media. 

From Milan Momcilovic sparking threes from deep, to Braydon Hawthorne showing us his playmaking abilities, members of the Big Blue Nation have been watching, reposting and expressing their animosity for the upcoming season. 

However, the same questions have circled throughout the comments. Where is Kam Williams? Where is Franck Kepnang? 

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In the most calming way possible, KY Insider can confirm that Williams and Kepnang will both be out during summer workouts as a precautionary measure for previous injuries. KSR’s Jack Pilgrim had the news first, with Williams confirmed to be back in his boot.

Williams, who broke his foot in February, is eyeing an 100% recovery before he begins scrimmaging. His summer training has been minimal and the team is taking the most kindest form of rest so re-injury becomes less likely during the 2026-27 season. 

Kepnang has had a long list of leg and knee injuries throughout his collegiate career thus far, causing him to miss the half of four seasons from 2020-21 through 2024-25. Hoping for a productive seventh year of college basketball and with a severe past, load management is the common and smart move given his situation. 

Again, both are precautious actions and no new injuries have occurred. 

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Mark Pope and the rest of the team are having fun, the vibes are good and they will get Williams and Kepnang up to speed when the time is right. 

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