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RECAP & TAKEAWAYS: Kentucky Overcomes First Half Deficit to beat Texas A&M Commerce 81-61

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3 years ago

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© Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

It wasn’t pretty, but the ‘Cats (eventually) took the lead to down the Texas A&M Commerce Lions 81-61 to move on to 2-0 on the young season. Eight minutes into the game, Kentucky was down 21-8, but they went on a 17-3 run to take a one point lead with 7:16 to go in the first half. From there, it was all good guys.

Antonio Reeves leads the way (again)

To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Antonio Reeves led Kentucky in scoring to help the ‘Cats get to their victory against Texas A&M Commerce. Reeves went 8-14 (57.1%) from the field overall while shooting a tremendous 5-8 (62.5%) from deep.

However, it wasn’t just shooting the ball where Reeves made an impact. He also finished with a solid six rebounds and two assists to add to his stat line. In addition, in 29 minutes of play, Reeves did not commit a single turnover.

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Overall, Antonio Reeves proved again why he has the potential to do big things this season. The Preseason 1st Team All-SEC selection is making a very strong case as to why he could very well win SEC Player of the Year. We’ll see if his game against Kansas helps or hurts that narrative.

Kentucky starts off slow

As stated in the intro, Texas A&M Commerce came out of the gates swinging, getting out to a 21-8 lead less than ten minutes into the game. Kalen Williams scored a team-high 19 points, and the majority of those came in the first half.

However, after a timeout at the 11:51 mark, Calipari rallied his troops and the ‘Cats would go on a 21-8 run over the course of the next five minutes of action. Adou Thiero was out of the game due to concussion protocol, and you could tell UK missed his physical presence inside.

Did Kentucky look forward to Kansas? Who knows? Considering Calipari mentioned that he had not looked at Kansas film, I would say he didn’t for certain. The players on the other hand? Well, that’s a question left up for all of us to decide.

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DJ Wagner struggles on defense

Coming into the game, the Lions had only made nine three-pointers on the season. Against Kentucky, Texas A&M Commerce scored 30 points from deep, going 10-27 (37%) from beyond the arch.

Perhaps one of the more major concerns moving forward is Kentucky’s on-ball defense, specifically DJ Wagner’s. Wagner fell victim to really any sort of deceptive dribble move that Commerce’s guards made.

Then, Coach Jaret von Rosenburg started using pick-and-roll action to expose Wagner, and it worked for a decent amount of time before Calipari made an adjustment defensively. Against Kansas, Wagner will be tasked with guarding much better players around the perimeter. It’ll be interesting to see if he can improve from Friday night’s game.

Next, Kentucky will make their way to the United Center in Chicago to take on the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks in the Champions Classic. It will be a big-time game for sure, but if John Calipari and his team have any chance of pulling off the upset, they must tighten up on both ends of the floor come Tuesday night. You can view the final box score from the game here.

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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”

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

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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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