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Men's Basketball

The Best and Worst of The Wildcats Ahead of Conference Play

What must the Wildcats do to improve ahead of their rigorous conference schedule?

Published

1 year ago

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Mark Pope stands disappointed after Kentucky's loss to Ohio State.
Tristan Pharis | KY Insider

The state of the Southeastern Conference in men’s basketball this year is unlike any year in recent memory. With three teams in the top five (for now,) and eight in the AP top 25, the SEC accounts for about one-third of the current nationally ranked teams. The next closest conference tallies just over half that number, with five ranked teams from the Big 10. Put plainly, the SEC is the best conference in college basketball.

So how do the fourth-ranked Wildcats stack up? Well, following a 20-point loss to unranked Ohio State on a neutral floor, they’ll definitely drop out of the top five. But this loss isn’t the first, last, or only game that the Cats will play this year, although it may feel that way right now.

Sharing the Wealth

At 10-2 with signature wins over Duke and Gonzaga, there are significant positives and negatives on both sides of the ball that should paint a relatively clear picture regarding the upcoming conference gauntlet that the team is set to face.

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Perhaps the most reassuring aspect of this year’s unit is the ability to move and, at times, score the ball. Their 18.8 assists averaged as a team is good for top 10 nationally, and when they can consistently make shots, this translates to scoring nearly 90 points per game. Their current average sits at 89.1.

Shooting Struggles

The problem is, they aren’t consistently making shots. The Cats’ 48% composite mark from the field doesn’t seem that bad, but when you factor in the seemingly ever-dwindling three-point percentage (36%,) the worries start to make more sense.

It doesn’t help that this team is supposed to rely on the perimeter to score, according to Coach Pope. On multiple occasions and as recently as this past week, Pope has expressed a desire to shoot more threes. Going into the season, he set the mark at 30 attempts per game. 

Kentucky has only met that mark in three games this season, against Bucknell, Jackson St., and Colgate, all at home. In the loss to Ohio State, they shot just 4-22 from the arc, charting a season-low 18.2%. The deep ball has officially become a question mark.

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Tooth and Nail

General physicality has also proven to be a serious problem for this Kentucky team. In the losses against Clemson and Ohio State, they’ve lost the turnover battles in both and, at best, tied their opposition on the glass.

This struggle to contend with muscle on either end of the floor has negatively impacted that aforementioned long-range statistic too, wherein the Cats find fewer open looks from outside as a result of defenders pushing them well past the three-point line.

And when they do find themselves on the other side of a scrap with an opportunity at the free throw line, they’re only converting about 74% of their attempts. On average, they’ll leave around six free points on the floor every game. When you consider the four-point loss to Clemson, that statistic specifically starts to sting.

Stay the Course

Even still, the rafters of Rupp aren’t falling down… at least not yet. Coach Pope and the Cats have had 10 days of downtime before their home matchup with Brown, and then another five to prepare for their first SEC bout with seventh-ranked Florida, also at home. They’ve got the time, and facilities, to fix what’s broken and double down on what works.

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The SEC is a high-octane, hyper-physical conference that’ll be sure to challenge every aspect of this Kentucky team. But going forward, fans should have hope that the Cats will put it together. Consider again the gritty comebacks against Duke and Gonzaga on neutral floors, as well as the recent breakout shooting performance against Louisville, which saw Kentucky shoot 11-21 from three, or 52%.

It’s a long season and, despite two frustrating losses, the Wildcats have earned a little patience to this point. Either way, nothing can be said beyond speculation until the match with the Gators on Jan. 4th. All we can do until then is cross our arms and wait.

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Men's Basketball

National Reporter Matt Norlander Chooses Kentucky as Landing Spot for Star Forward Milan Momcilovic

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1 day ago

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May 28, 2026

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Photo via Imagn Images

The Milan Momcilovic sweepstakes is underway, with multiple teams involved in the No. 2 overall transfer player’s recruitment. It is believed that Kentucky and Louisville are the top candidates after his decision to pull out from the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday, May 27.

Along with the in-state rivals, Arizona and St. John’s are both very well still in the mix, but the Red Storm are slowly falling out of contention after landing Baylor’s Tounde Yessoufou.

On May 28, national reporter Matt Norlander cleared the air on CBS Sports’ Eye On College Basketball podcast, stating that he believes Kentucky will land Momcilovic by the end of the weekend or Monday.

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“My prediction right now is that Milan Momcilovic will go to Kentucky,” Norlander said. “My understanding is that decision is going to come in the next one, two, three days, four days max.”

He would go on to talk about the other top programs involved, stating why he thinks they will be working in an uphill battle in this bidding war.

“My forecast is that it’s Kentucky, but you know, we’ll see if Louisville can get in there,” he continued. “Arizona I don’t think has the money to contend, like I think Kentucky and Louisville just have more money to play with.”

For the worried members of the Big Blue Nation, this is certainly good news to be put out by one of the most trusted college basketball reporters at the national level.

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Going by this report and Adam Zagoria’s from NYT Sports, it shouldn’t be long until a commitment decision for Momcilovic is announced publicly.

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Men's Basketball

BREAKING: No. 2 Ranked Transfer Milan Momcilovic Removes Name From 2026 NBA Draft

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2 days ago

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May 27, 2026

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Kamil Krzaczynski | Imagn Images

Milan Momcilovic has officially removed his named from the 2026 NBA Draft and will return to college for his senior season.

Kentucky leads in his recruitment, followed closely by St. John’s, Louisville and Arizona. A backdoor to Iowa State is also still open.

The No. 2 ranked transfer would be a huge addition to Kentucky’s 2026-27 roster if he committed, averaging 16.9 points per game on 50.6/48.7/87.8 shooting splits last year. Funny enough, in the current world of college athletics that we live in, Momcilovic was responsible for eliminating the Wildcats from the NCAA Tournament, dropping 20 points in the Round of 32.

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He would go on to lose to Tennessee in the Sweet 16 with Iowa State, so at least we know that there’s some inner-hatred for a long-standing rival if he ends up a Wildcat.

He made the most three-point shots in Division I basketball and is a versatile 6-foot-8 wing, which would fit perfectly into Mark Pope’s offensive system. He completed workouts with the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves during the draft process.

Now, the bidding war for the top dog begins, with some of the most prestigious programs in the sport placing their bets on the star forward.

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Men's Basketball

BREAKING: Malachi Moreno Set to Return to Kentucky for Sophomore Season

Published

5 days ago

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May 24, 2026

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Tristan Pharis | KY Insider

One of the biggest pieces of the 2026-27 roster has officially made a decision. Malachi Moreno, the Georgetown, Kentucky native, will forgo the 2026 NBA Draft and return to the Wildcats for his sophomore season!

As time went on, Moreno proved through personal workouts and in-gym drills that he could play the game of basketball at the next level, eventually drawing interest from teams slated with the first 20 picks of the draft. The 7-foot big had eyes on him from teams such as the Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics.

Ultimately, the former state champion and his camp felt that the deal offered from Mark Pope and his staff was just too sweet, with the idea of developing even further and potentially becoming a lottery pick in next year’s draft making logical sense for both sides.

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In his freshman season, Moreno averaged 7.8 points per game, 6.3 rebounds per game and 1.5 blocks per game, all on 58.2% shooting. As many assume, this was just a trial for what he can become on the court.

Videos circulated on social media of Moreno hitting jump shots from deep range, visibly looking stronger and more confident in his decision making. Although he decided to not participate in the NBA Combine, a strong indicator for his return to college, it would’ve certainly been interesting to see what type of statline he could’ve produced against the league’s future stars.

Nonetheless, Moreno is back in the blue and white for one more go at No. 9 with Pope and his new teammates. This time, he won’t be predicted as the third best center on team, or plagued with the freshman tendencies – he’ll be ready to start at the five from the moment he arrives in Lexington.

No. 24 is back.

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