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Men's Basketball

Every Senior Scores as Kentucky Routs LSU on Senior Night at Home

It’s in the name – Kentucky’s seniors all managed to score in their final game, as well as win, at Rupp Arena.

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Kentucky basketball senior night
Chet White | UK Athletics

Mardi Gras did nothing for the LSU Tigers as they took to Lexington on Kentucky’s senior night. The ‘Cats won in a 95-64 blowout, benefiting from buckets from all six of their seniors in their last game at Rupp Arena.

Though while each senior got their moment to shine, Kentucky as a team put on one of their best overall performances of the season. In addition to the final-year guys, Otega Oweh put up 24 points on 9-11 shooting, while Collin Chandler did a little of everything with 11 points, three rebounds and three assists in only 18 minutes of play.

Ansley Almonor was the highest scoring senior, dropping 15 on an incredibly efficient 6-7/3-4 split from the floor. It was a textbook team effort for the Wildcats across the board, further evidenced by an impressive 22/8 turnover ratio (compared to LSU’s 12/16 metric).

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A Win Without Asterisks

Put shortly, it was all ‘Cats, all the way through. Kentucky took a double-digit lead just after the first media timeout, and after that, didn’t look back the rest of the way. A no-frills, big thrills win meant a nice change of pace for a Kentucky team that has endured every bit of the usual ups-and-downs an SEC team faces, if not more.

After the game, Tigers coach Matt McMahon gave the entire team their flowers, dubbing their performance “fantastic”, though he honed in on Oweh as Kentucky’s silver bullet in the matchup.

“I really thought double-zero was phenomenal tonight. I thought he really set the tone for the game on both ends of the floor.” McMahon said. “His physicality defensively… but then he was so efficient on the offensive end tonight. I thought he really dominated the game from the wing position.”

Finding a Roster Rhythm

Of course, Mark Pope had plenty to say about his team following the win, too, highlighting the roster’s newfound stability in spite of injuries and a desire to increase both hunger and pace.

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“We’ve been patchworking so much… we’ve lost a couple things over the last six weeks. We lost this desperate hunger to get better ’cause we were just trying to stay afloat,” he said. “For the first time, it feels like we’re gonna have the same guys out on the floor tomorrow, on Saturday, as we did tonight, as we did last Saturday… we haven’t had that in almost two months.”

“We’re really excited about that, and we’re really excited about getting back focused in this late stretch to continue getting better and to continue bringing pace to the game.”

Kentucky will have to stay hungry as they face a top-five offense in the Missouri Tigers on the road this Saturday, March 8, before heading to Nashville to compete in the SEC tournament the following week. After that, nothing is left between the Wildcats and the madness that remains.

As unreal as it seems, March has arrived… and we’re turning the final corner.

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Men's Basketball

Otega Oweh Is “All In” On NBA Draft Process

While Otega Oweh is “all in” on the NBA Draft process, his ultimate fate at Kentucky still hangs in the balance.

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Otega Oweh is "all in" on the NBA Draft.
Chet White | UK Athletics

While Kentucky’s incoming roster of freshman, transfers, and returners may seem complete to many, a once crucial piece has been taken for granted by folks eager to get the season started: Otega Oweh.

One of the primary driver’s of much of last year’s success, Oweh found his footing as a source of energy for his teammates, and found the ball in his hands more often than not when the team desperately needed a bucket.

Now, he’s testing the NBA Draft waters, and, according to Oweh himself, he’s “all in.”

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A Pro Goal

“I have one more year of eligibility, but my goal is to play in the NBA,” he said. “So I’m not doing this process one foot in, one foot out.”

This potentially worrying tidbit came out of a segment with the Portland Trail Blazers media following a session with the team. Oweh was also asked about the rumor that he’d return to Kentucky if he wasn’t granted a first round selection in the draft, to which he said, “I wouldn’t say it’s completely false.”

“I believe I’m a first round guy, so I’m just gonna go through all these workouts, give it my all, then when it’s all said and done, I’ll see where I’m at and I’ll make that decision.”

“That decision” will mean a lot for Kentucky’s incoming roster whichever way it goes. If Oweh returns, the team will likely be in final, or near-final, form; barring any crazy shake-ups, we’d be looking at a finalized roster and rotation sooner rather than later.

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If he doesn’t? Well, it’d be hard to imagine that the team would be left as-is – a late foray into the transfer portal on Mark Pope’s part would almost be imminent. And he couldn’t land just any player; he’d be replacing a potential SEC player of the year favorite, given a return. The stakes are at an all-time high.

It doesn’t help that the wait isn’t close to being over, either. Oweh has until June 15 to make his final decision, assuming he doesn’t sign an agent before then. With the BBN at his back, Kentucky’s would-be senior star is facing down what may be the most important decision of his career thus far… and all fans can do in the meantime is hurry up and wait.

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Kentucky Commit Jasper Johnson Excels at Iverson Classic

Jasper Johnson showed out at the Iverson Classic, shining light on his own potential and bringing more excitement to the ‘Cats incoming class.

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Chet White | UK Athletics

Amidst the excitement of Kentucky’s exceptional incoming transfer class, many have forgotten about (arguably) Mark Pope’s most exciting freshman: Jasper Johnson.

While Johnson, ranked 18th among freshman by ESPN, is a Kentucky kid at heart, his recruitment was easily the most widespread and heavily contested of any of the first-year Wildcats on the 2025-26 team. For a while, he was heavily favored to land with Nate Oats in Alabama, before the Pope regime swooped in behind the scenes and, clearly, pulled every necessary string. He officially announced his commitment to the ‘Cats in September of last year.

Now, Johnson is traveling across the country for various all-star-level competitions leading up to his first year of collegiate play. The latest in that string came in the form of the Iverson Classic, put on and named by the NBA legend Allen Iverson – as he has been just about everywhere else, the Kentucky commit made a real splash.

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Walking Highlight Reel

In the game, which took place last weekend, Johnson tallied 17 points, five rebounds, and four assists, stuffing the stat sheet in an all-around performance with highlights across the board. In addition to a couple of effortless slams and automatic triples, a video of Iverson and Johnson meeting at mid-court prior to the match took off across Overtime Elite’s social media, followed by a portion of his tape.

Johnson is only just scratching the surface of his ability as a player and, given the high likelihood that he’ll come off the bench during his first season in Lexington, it only speaks to the team’s incredible depth and high ceiling.

However and whenever he plays, the freshman guard will surely make an immediate impact. With November and the beginning of the season still six months down the line, however, ‘Cats fans will have to rely on videos like the one above to hold them over before they get to see their own battling for the blue and white in Rupp Arena.

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Men's Basketball

Jayden Quaintance Speaks On Why He Chose Kentucky: “I felt like Kentucky was the perfect spot”

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Jayden Quaintance
UK Athletics

At just 17 years old, Jayden Quaintance has already made his presence known in the college basketball landscape.

After suffering an ACL injury toward the end of his freshman season at Arizona State, the 6-foot-10 forward is headed to Kentucky with something to prove.

“I felt like Kentucky was that perfect spot,” Quaintance said recently on the Aaron Torres Sports Podcast. “I feel like I have a lot more confidence, you know, knowing where my baseline is. It’s really only up from here.”

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Despite the setback, he confirmed he expects to be on the floor when the Wildcats tip off their season against Louisville on Nov. 11.

Quaintance’s decision to commit to Kentucky — not once, but twice — has been one of the more compelling storylines of the Wildcats’ offseason.

Originally part of John Calipari’s final recruiting class in Lexington, the North Carolina native entered the transfer portal following Calipari’s departure, only to return under new head coach Mark Pope, who made clear that he saw Quaintance as more than just a traditional big man.

“It felt like they really wanted me here,” Quaintance said of Pope and his staff. “The sales pitch was kind of more getting to show off what I could do a little bit more offensively, you know, have a real chance to win next year. I feel like that was also a big part of it.”

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That promise of versatility has been central to Quaintance’s decision-making. Known in high school for his rim protection and physical tools, he’s eager to prove there’s much more to his game.

“I feel like I didn’t really scratch the surface of all that I can do,” he said of his time at Arizona State. “I didn’t feel like I got to show off how good I am as a passer, how good I am in transition, how good I am actually handling the ball.”

Now in Lexington, Quaintance joins a retooled Kentucky roster with a fresh identity and plenty of opportunity. His youth may stand out on paper, but his approach and awareness suggest a player far beyond his years — and NBA scouts have taken notice.

Quaintance remains a projected top-five pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. His combination of size, mobility and upside fits the modern pro game, and his age only adds to his appeal.

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With a projected full return by September and a system ready to showcase his complete skill set, Quaintance’s next chapter is taking shape in the Bluegrass.

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