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Men's Basketball

PREVIEW: Kentucky Hosts High-Motored Georgia Bulldogs, Looking to Get Back in the Win Column

Published

5 months ago

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Chet White | UK Athletics

How do you bounce back from that Florida loss? Well, the answer is that you don’t really have to.

The No. 14 ranked Gators wouldn’t go away and the officials didn’t do the Wildcats any favors on the flip side, but it felt like a “good” loss when looking back on the trip to Gainseville.

Kentucky nearly matched Florida in every notable category and even outscored them 66-60 in the final 29 minutes of the game. We all saw the blatant fouls and, yet again, a sloppy start, but there’s not much from a fan’s standpoint to be upset about.

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Maybe Terry Brown would shake his head for claiming that Mark Pope’s squad played hard, but it’s the truth, and now it’s time to move on and prepare for the next opponent: Georgia.

This Isn’t Football…

The visiting Bulldogs have some edge to them, for once, in the basketball world and believe it or not are the second-highest scoring team in the SEC behind Alabama.

To that credit is guards Jeremiah Wilkinson (17.1 PPG) and Blue Cain (13.6 PPG) who certainly aren’t afraid to shoot the ball. Although the percentages aren’t jaw dropping, this pair still gets shots up in abbundance and you don’t want to see one, let alone both of them, get hot.

Head coach Mike White, in his fourth year with the Bulldogs, has his squad at a 17-8 (5-8 SEC) record, which will likely be nearly identical to last year’s record when it’s all said and done.

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Gerogia, sitting on the bottom half of the conference rankings, aren’t a threat to sneak a top seed by any means, but Kentucky can’t take any opponent in the SEC lightly. If you’ve watched any single matchup in this league throughout the season, you’d definitely agree.

However, history is on the Wildcats’ side by a wide margin, holding a 17-year winning steak over the Bulldogs at Rupp Arena. Thank the good lord above that it isn’t football season, right?

Gameplan for Kentucky

Should the Wildcats necessarily switch up the gameplan?

The short answer is no, as long as you get out to a hot start and not a slow one. I think you may have a better chance of climbing Mount Everst by tomorrow, but just a point.

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Pope will likely go through his guard trio that has been nothing short of fantastic in confrence play and look for them to lead the team offensively.

Otega Oweh has been an easy SEC Player of the Year candidate, only missing the 20-point mark a handful of times, while Denzel Aberdeen has complimented him well with a good assist to turnover ratio and a killer mentality.

When a big play is needed, it’s almost like clockwork to go to Collin “Captain Clutch” Chandler, who never shys away from a game-deciding moment if Oweh and Aberdeen are all guarded up.

Hopefully the Wildcats aren’t in a scenario like that, but maybe we’ll get a posterizing dunk or some early threes from Chandler to wow us all.

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Time, Where to Watch and More

Kentucky (17-8, 8-4 SEC) is currently favored to win by 7.5 points or more (-7.5), moving up a point from the opening line. UGA, for the underdog chasers, is a +250 ML.

Tip is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET inside of Rupp Arena, so make sure you don’t get too comfortable on the couch and doze off before halftime.

The No. 16 ranked North Carolina Tar Heels, without star forward Caleb Wilson, will face NC State on the road, hogging the ESPN spot before the Wildcats. As soon as the baby blue is done with the butt-whooping win, Kentucky will be playing on your screen.

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Men's Basketball

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

Published

2 weeks ago

on

July 3, 2026

By

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

on

July 3, 2026

By

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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