Connect with us

Men's Basketball

No. 19 Kentucky Tops Tennessee Tech in Second Straight Win

While it may not have been pretty, the Kentucky Wildcats secured their second straight win against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles.

Published

on

Kentucky Wildcats forward Trent Noah
Chet White | UK Athletics

Following a bounce-back win after their latest ranked loss against No. 11 Michigan State, the Kentucky Wildcats (5-2) needed to make a subsequent statement at home against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (3-4) before their gauntlet of a schedule resumes.

While the Wildcats struggled mightily for most of the first half, the final result was a convincing-enough victory, 104-54 improving the blue and white to a growingly respectable 5-2 overall record and hitting the century-mark for the second time this season.

Slow Starts

At one point midway through the first half, Kentucky was shooting a miserable 11% from the three point line and, at the time, were losing to Tennessee Tech. Did the team bring that percentage up by the end of the game? Yes, all the way to 50%. Yet for the Cats to so much as be in a position like that in the first place speaks to the team’s consistent issue with slow starts.

Advertisement

The Golden Eagles may not punish you for getting off on the wrong foot, but much better teams already have and will certainly continue to.

As Coach Pope continues to toy with different lineups and rotations, to varying impact, Kentucky’s inability to start off hot remains. With No. 16 set to hit Rupp Arena next, the Cats don’t have much time to figure it out, either.

But a win is a win all the same, and ultimately, Kentucky managed to run away from Tennessee Tech, especially in the second half.

Finding Footing Late

After leading 43-28 going into the half, the Cats very quickly got out running in the final 20 minutes. Not only did the team simply start making shots on a consistent basis, but expected star Otega Oweh, who has more than struggled this season up to this point, had what may have been his best game of the year.

Advertisement

With a season-high 16 points, three assists and two rebounds, the senior guard finally led the blue and white in a winning effort. His outing was sure to elicit a sigh of relief from worried members of the big blue nation, regardless of who it came against.

Denzel Aberdeen and Trent Noah also filled it up for Kentucky, scoring an equivalent respectively, evening out the offensive load for a team that has struggled to find consistency on that end. Perhaps a “by-committee” approach is Pope’s best option going forward for his scoring unit, even if it’s far less flashy than having a go-to guy.

A Telling Stretch

With another victory under their belts, the Wildcats are officially approaching one of the most anticipated stretches on their schedule. Not only do the Cats have a date with the aforementioned Tar Heels, but they’ll then travel to Nashville to take on the red hot No. 12 Gonzaga Bulldogs in succession.

And it doesn’t stop there. With No. 25 Indiana and No. 14 St. John’s waiting on the other side of a favorable matchup at home, Pope’s second-year team is about to take a slew of either signature wins or debilitating losses.

Advertisement

Having two of the latter under their belts already only steepens the stakes. It’s win or sink for the ship that is Kentucky basketball going forward.

Men's Basketball

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

Published

on

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.

Advertisement

“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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Men's Basketball

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

Published

on

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Men's Basketball

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

Published

on

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Trending