It’s the night before the 53rd edition of the Battle of the Bluegrass, between Kentucky and Louisville.
The Cats and the Cards are set to tip-off at 3:45 p.m. EST on CBS.
I’m not old enough to remember the rivalry before Calipari, but I think it’s safe to say that the rivalry has never been more exciting. Ever since I found out Santa wasn’t real, the night I lose the most sleep is the eve of this basketball game.
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I hate Louisville with a passion and most Kentucky fans do, and if you don’t, you aren’t a real Kentucky fan. I cannot stand Louisville fans either. They’re terrifying in person and even more so online. Is there a worse fanbase? Well, Tennessee fans are pretty bad.
Calipari literally owns Louisville, like they are his fourth child. He’s 10-2 against them.
I could go on for days, so instead, let’s look at the best games from this decade of the rivalry.
#5: 2010
The first game between John Calipari and Rick Pitino who literally cannot stand each other.
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I don’t remember this game well, but I’ve seen highlights, and I think it would’ve been pretty fitting if both sides just started fighting each other.
You had Eric Bledsoe and Reginald Delk jawing at each other seconds into the game where Cal eventually intervened telling Delk, “You’re messing with the wrong guy, he’ll kick your ass.”
You also had DeMarcus Cousins elbow Jared Swopshire in the face going after a loose ball. Maybe one of the wildest starts to a college basketball game?
Pretty clean. How did Cousins not get thrown out?
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#4: 2012 Final Four
I was at this game. Don’t remember it too well, but I was there.
My dad has never been so nervous about a sporting event in his life.
Kentucky dominated Louisville the whole game, then the Cards came back to make it interesting, but two dunks by Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in the final seconds sealed the game for the Cats.
It all ended with Anthony Davis throwing the ball into the air and yelling, “this is my state! this is my state!.”
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#3: Pitino’s last game at Rupp
Kentucky and Louisville were pretty equal for a change.
Tyler Ulis went off with Tom Leach’s “the card killer strikes again” call. He had 21 points and eight assists.
Not only was it Rick Pitino’s last game at Rupp Arena, he also left with some class. Pitino let us UK fans know that we’re #1.
#2: Josh Harrelson’s breakout game
I don’t remember this game at all. You could tell me that they didn’t play that year and I would believe you.
All I know is that Kentucky wasn’t supposed to win this game and then Jorts went off.
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Brandon Knight had 25 points and Harrelson had 23 points, 14 rebounds, and oh wow he hit a three-pointer.
#1: Aaron Harrison sends the Cards home
Now I remember this game like it was yesterday.
Kentucky was not supposed to win this game, in fact, they weren’t even supposed to be here, but the Cats upset the undefeated Shockers of Wichita State in the second round, so they made it to Indianapolis.
The Cards were the better team and played like it. Kentucky led the game 2-0 early and didn’t hold the lead again until it was 67-66 with 1:22 left.
On Monday, Oct. 12, Kentucky’s Milan Momcilovic and Malachi Moreno both earned All-SEC preseason honors, with the Iowa State transfer selected to the Preseason All-SEC Second Team and the returning sophomore selected to the Preseason All-SEC Third Team.
BREAKING: Kentucky’s Milan Momcilovic and Malachi Moreno have earned SEC preseason honors!
Momcilovic was selected to the All-SEC Second Team while Moreno was selected to the All-SEC Third Team. #BBN, how do you feel about these selections? pic.twitter.com/BFX0CQp8wY— KY Insider (@KyInsider) October 12, 2026
Momcilovic is entering his senior season with the Wildcats, looking to follow up his junior campaign after reigning as the undisputed best shooter in college basketball. He averaged 16.9 points per game last year, with his shooting splits reading 50.6/48.7/87.8.
Leading the Cyclones to a No. 2 seed and being selected to All-Big 12 Second Team, it’s safe to say that this isn’t the first time that Momcilovic has been left off of the top list, making the Kentucky superstar hungry to prove the haters wrong on a much larger stage.
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Moreno is returning for his sophomore season after earning All-SEC Freshman Team honors last year, looking to show the Big Blue Nation everything he learned throughout the draft process and that he has changed this summer.
The Kentucky native was thrown into the fire, earning 30 unexpected starts for the Wildcats. He developed as the season went on, ending the 2025-26 campaign averaging 7.8 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game.
With both Momcilovic and Moreno as staple players on this year’s roster, the SEC has slated Mark Pope’s team to finish seventh in the conference this season, finishing behind Florida, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama and Vanderbilt.
The full lists of the All-SEC Teams can be found below:
Former Kentucky standout Otega Oweh took another step in his basketball career on Tuesday night, making his NBA preseason debut with the Oklahoma City Thunder and taking on the New Orleans Pelicans.
Oweh came off of the bench and played 28 minutes, finishing with six points, six rebounds, two steals, one block and an assist. The former Wildcat struggled offensively, shooting only 3-of-9 from the field and missing all four of his free throw attempts.
Despite the shooting struggles, Oweh showed flashes of his defensive ability and physicality that made him a fan favorite during his two seasons in Lexington.
The Pelicans escaped with a 116-110 win, leaving the Thunder with a 0-1 record. The next night wouldn’t draw a different result, with Oweh’s team losing by two and only playing the beloved superstar a total of 16 minutes.
Due to foul trouble, this would be the only minutes he would receive, ending the game with two points on three shots.
Oweh was selected with the 41st overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft by the Thunder after averaging 18.6 points per game during his senior season at Kentucky, joining former Wildcats Cason Wallace and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Although his preseason debut wasn’t the offensive performance he might have hoped for, Oweh will have more than enough opportunities to prove himself as he looks to earn a role in a professional rotation.
Kentucky held its annual Pro Day on Tuesday, Oct. 6, where NBA scouts were able to watch the team go through individual drills and a live game-like scrimmage. There are plenty of takeaways that stood out during the two hour practice. Let’s dive into it:
1.) Franck Kepnang Shows Off in the Paint
The first thing that stood out was transfer big man Franck Kepnang, with the seven-foot big from Washington dominating in the paint. Starting with the individual drills, he showed his size and ability to get downhill off of a pick-and-roll.
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The bigs went through a finishing through contact drill, and the new Wildcat seemed unfazed by the pads being pounded against him. With Moreno and Kepnang running the paint together, it will make it very difficult for opposing teams to stop both of them.
2.) Ousmane N’Diaye Has High-Scoring Performance
Overseas big Ousmane N’Diaye was another standout in front of the NBA scouts. In the first six-minute “quarter”, N’Diaye led all scorers with eight points.
He showed off his ability to score at all three levels, hitting multiple threes and also demonstrating his ability to score in the paint. N’Diaye wasn’t playing the five spot, which really allowed his team to stretch the floor and help with spacing.
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With Moreno, Kepnang, N’Diaye and Reece Potter all standing at seven-feet tall, Mark Pope has the opportunity to run a four-big lineup all while each player hones a different skillset. Having this much size will pay dividends come time for conference play.
3. The Forwards Do a Little Bit of Everything
A few other players who performed well were Milan Momcilovic and Braydon Hawthorne. Momcilovic played very unselfish during the inter-squad scrimmage, looking to first get his teammates involved and not forcing his game whatsoever.
He did hit a nice step-back 3-pointer at the buzzer in the second “quarter”, highlighting his 10-point performance. Hawthorne had some great looks from beyond the arc and did a phenomenal job getting his teammates open, driving and distributing the rock.
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He finished with six points and one assist.
Overall, the whole team appeared molded together and played as a unit rather than just isolation ball, which is a great sign in early October. There is no shortage of individual talent on this roster, and that was evident on Tuesday, with leaders and experience at every position.
The wait is almost over BBN. Kentucky will take the court in its first exhibition game on Friday, Oct. 16, when Little Rock comes into town. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET and will air live on SEC Network+.