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Kentucky Wins Fourth Conference Game in a Row, Holds Off Texas at Home

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4 months ago

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Sydney Yonker | UK Athletics

Kentucky (13-6, 4-2 SEC) extended its conference win streak to four after closing out Texas (11-8, 2-4 SEC) by a score of 85-80 on Wednesday, Jan. 21.

After the Wildcats’ return to Rupp Arena, fans will likely run back the highlights and maybe even show a friend who isn’t into basketball. From back-and-forth-scoring, flashy dunks and crowd pops, this game had it all.

Notably, for the first time since the start of SEC play, the Wildcats did not head into the second half trailing and won this boxing match straight up in front of Big Blue Nation.

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Breaking the First Half Faults

Let’s just cut to the chase. Kentucky ended the first half tied with Texas 40-40, however, in the past three games, the Wildcats had been down double digits heading into the break.

This was a real treat for fans who have not yet seen their team actually put together a respectable first half. The standout player for the first 20 minutes was none other than Otega Oweh, who finished the half with 10 points and a steal, altogether saving the “heart attacks” from the fans who bleed blue.

But, numbers fade, and what everyone will remembers is the highlights – plays like the “baptism” Oweh created, nearly posterizing Texas center Matas Vokietaitis.

Driving baseline with his head down, Oweh’s dunk was so powerful that it rattled the rim for what felt like an eternity, resulting in loud cheers from every inch of Lexington’s heart.

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Each team took turns going on three-minute scoring runs while the other would fall into a scoring drought, resulting in a back-and-forth up-hill climb for both squads.

Closing the Game

At the midway point of the Tennessee game, the Wildcats were in the middle of their comeback win, but in the midway point of this one, they were thankfully battling to keep the lead.

Maybe it was being back in Rupp Arena or maybe it was because they just didn’t like being called “Cardiac Cats” all the time, but for this one, Kentucky was in the driver’s seat for a majority of the time.

Fans had plenty of reason to get loud, between consistent scoring and the win. The defense however, earning the loudest cheers, was a staple in the victory.

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Kentucky finished the win with eight steals, seven blocks and 36 total rebounds as a team. Both squads used most of the shot clock in the second half, focused on finding good shots in the half-court offense, but the Wildcats continued to fight through the high-powered Longhorns.

One of the players who this benefited the most was Colin Chandler, who joined Oweh as the second largest leading scorer. Chandler finished the night with 18 points and seven rebounds – a new career high in both categories.

Texas only led in the game for just over seven minutes, dealing with Malachi Moreno swatting its shots away – he had five – and the backcourt just flat out dropping buckets.

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Defensive anchors and control of the final moments is exactly what Kentucky needs with its upcoming schedule.

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Rounding out the month of January, Kentucky faces some of the most high-powered offenses in the SEC, starting first with Ole Miss on Saturday, Jan. 24 and with road games against No. 15 Vanderbilt on Jan. 27 and No. 20 Arkansas on Jan. 31.

The Wildcats will face the Rebels (11-8, 3-3 SEC) this coming Saturday at 12:00 p.m. ET, airing live on ESPN.

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Men's Basketball

Star Forward Milan Momcilovic Chooses Kentucky Over Louisville and Arizona

Published

1 day ago

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June 1, 2026

By

Photo via AOL

The wait is over BBN!

Milan Momcilovic has officially announced that he will be playing his senior year of college basketball at Kentucky, suiting up in the blue and white for Mark Pope and the Wildcats!

The 6-foot-8 wing averaged 16.9 points per game in the 2025-26 season, leading the nation in 3-pointers made (136) and percentage from deep (48.7%).

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Momcilovic is mostly ranked as No. 2 in most portal rankings, but ESPN has the former Cyclone as the No. 1 overall player. With that being said, this technically serves as Pope’s first No. 1 transfer during his tenure at Kentucky.

Pulling his name out of the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday, May 27, Kentucky was seemingly the favorite to land the wing during the entire sweepstakes due to positional need, scheme fit and money available to spend. He could even play another year with the Kentucky Wildcats if the “5-in-5” rule is passed and he forgoes the draft again.

Putting Pat Kelsey in a locker and outbidding him on a recruit is always great for morale, but this fills the much-needed star spot for next year’s roster. Pope and his staff have shaped the team with plenty of skilled players, but Momcilovic adds that extra layer of shooting and will serve as the go-to guy when a game may be on the line.

This will be the final player added to the 2026-27 team, with an insert at the starting small forward position in Momcilovic’s future. Pope and the Big Blue Nation have their guy, and soon enough, we’ll see the Pewaukee, Wisconsin native on Rupp Arena’s court.

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Men's Basketball

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

Published

6 days ago

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May 28, 2026

By

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

Published

6 days ago

on

May 27, 2026

By

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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