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Men's Basketball

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

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6 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

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”

Published

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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Men's Basketball

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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