Men's Basketball

Biggest Takeaways for Mark Pope’s Team After Blue-White Game

Ahead of one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory, there are a few key takeaways from the Wildcats Blue-White scrimmage.

Published

8 months ago

October 17, 2025

Lane Mills

Marissa Gilchrist | UK Athletics

The first official competitive preview of Mark Pope and Kentucky’s incoming season has arrived in the form of the yearly Blue-White scrimmage. With (reportedly) the most expensive roster in the country and a fanbase that hasn’t been as enthralled as they are right now for the better part of a decade, a lot is riding on Coach Pope’s sophomore season at the helm.

Blue-White, while not a full indicator, is always helpful in laying groundwork and setting expectations for the team at hand. Here are the biggest, most notable takeaways from this year’s iteration of the event.

Kentucky is More Physical

In a play during the second period, transfer forward Mo Dioubate dove on the ball, scored in the paint, stole it in transition and, again, scored in the paint. Memorial Coliseum went accordingly nuts.

The stretch is a microcosm for what appears to be a much more physically concerned Kentucky team. Rebounds constantly let to second opportunities, especially from long range, and the aforementioned Dioubate, as well as Kentucky native freshman Malachi Moreno, stood out as board-crashing savants in the blue-white duel.

Kentucky fans should expect this team to answer much of the worry regarding physical toughness generated by last year’s team. It appears that Mark Pope built the 2025-26 squad with those previous shortcomings in mind.

Arguably the other aspect of the scrimmage that stood out the most, the Wildcats’ ability to pass the ball at every position is one that will keep even notorious SEC defenses guessing.

With Jaland Lowe (former Pitt Panther) leading the charge, Kentucky’s offense moves with a liquidity; off-ball momentum got multiple players open looks – including an entertaining Reece Potter slam – and bigs, especially Brandon Garrison, returned the favor to the guards on multiple occasions with passes from the top-of-the-key.

For a program that dealt with a static offense for years on end prior to the Mark Pope era (not to point fingers) having an offensive system built around the basketball’s continuous movement is a refreshing change of pace. It’s a dizzying efficiency that, when at its best, could set Kentucky apart whilst they face one of the team’s toughest schedules in recent memory.

Primary Shooters vs. “Can Make” Shooters

While most of Kentucky’s roster appears equipped to shoot the ball, there are certainly options bound to shoot a higher clip than others, and the discrepancy was made clear in the Blue-White matchup.

Players like Trent Noah and Andrija Jelavic, among others, stood out as “anywhere on the floor” shot-makers with multiple contested triples finding the bottom of the net. With both those guys expected to come off the bench, Kentucky appears prepared to take advantage of their previously perceived depth.

On the other hand, attempts from players like the aforementioned Mo Dioubate and second-year Cat Brandon Garrison were less fortunate, appearing awkward and less surefire in comparison. Mark Pope is known for encouraging his entire team to shoot at will, but if Blue-White suggested anything, it’s that gearing open looks to certain shooters may be a more worthwhile strategy in the long run.

Then again, this was only one game, and a scrimmage at that. Time will tell if these apparitions take full form when Kentucky’s season tips off in early November. The continuous calls for a ninth title from within the program loom large over a big blue fanbase that is facing down their largest gap without a championship in decades.

The clock isn’t ticking on Mark Pope, by any means, but for a coach loudly embracing the fan’s expectations, it’s become apparent that the BBN is expecting nothing less from this year’s highly-anticipated roster.

Men's Basketball

Practice Update: How Summer Workouts Are Going For Kentucky Basketball

Published

15 hours ago

June 18, 2026

Kai McClelland

Photo via UK Athletics

It’s the heat of the summer, with every member of Kentucky’s basketball roster on campus and gearing up for next season.

Although Kam Williams and Franck Kepnang have been sidelined as a precautionary measure, the rest of the team has been lifting weights, playing pickup and getting adjusted to each other’s game.

Justin McBride Turning Heads

6-foot-7 forward Justin McBride averaged 15.3 points per game in his junior season with JMU, so when Kentucky picked him up in the offseason, many members of the Big Blue Nation began to share his offensive highlights and build anticipation for his senior year.

McBride saw that and took accountability, with sources confirming with KY Insider that he showed up on campus nearly 15 pounds lighter. This is the healthiest he’s been in his career, and his deadly shooting will be welcomed by a newfound agility and quickness.

Zoom Diallo Taking Leadership Role

As any true point guard should do, Zoom Diallo has taken on the leadership role with a full head of steam, using his voice to rally the team early in the summer.

Sources confirmed that the 6-foot-6 guard from Washington certainly isn’t shy on the court and goes the extra mile, arriving to practices hours early to staying after for extra work.

New Team, New Intensity

The Kentucky staff is changing the tone of the offseason, with a source telling us that there’s been a physical shift during each practice and workout.

Notably, this gets guys familiar with what the college level is truly like, with Braydon Hawthorne and Mason Williams being two names mentioned as players they’re pressing the envelope on early.

Talented Youth

While there’s a fair share of experienced guys on this roster, two of the best players on this team are entering their sophomore seasons.

Alex Wilkins and Malachi Moreno have been showing off so far, sources confirmed, with Moreno being simply unbelievable down low and Wilkins showing that he’s not going to be passive with his decision making.

With Kepnang out for the summer as a precaution, the staff is excited to see him match Moreno’s intensity given his college experience. Wilkins has proved his dual-threat ability is real, allowing him to score from anywhere and make plays alongside Diallo.

BB Recruiting

Kentucky Basketball Receives Prediction to Land International Star Nikola Kusturica

Published

2 days ago

June 17, 2026

Tristan Pharis

Kentucky basketball has taken over as the favorite for Serbian star Nikola Kusturica, a projected lottery pick in 2028, with a prediction backing the Wildcats.

Just when many believed Kentucky’s roster was complete in terms of contributing players, Mark Pope might have an ace up his sleeve.

Last week, it was reported that Kentucky was among the frontrunners to land 6-foot-8 Serbian wing Nikola Kusturica. At the time, Gonzaga was thought to be the team to beat, having a more defined role to offer, compared to Kentucky, who has one remaining roster spot and a good amount of depth in wing positions.

Since then, things have shifted in a big way.

Gonzaga received a commitment from 18-year-old French guard Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa on Sunday. By Tuesday night, the Wildcats received a Crystal Ball prediction from 247Sports’ Travis Branham to land Kusturica, with a confidence level of 7 out of 10.

The 6-foot-8 wing currently plays for FC Barcelona in Spain’s Liga ACB and EuroLeague system. He just turned 17 years old and is reportedly seeking a two-year college opportunity before becoming draft-eligible in 2028, where he is already being projected as a lottery pick.

The on-court résumé speaks for itself. In the 2025 FIBA U16 EuroBasket, he averaged 20 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game while leading Serbia to a championship and was named tournament MVP. He also helped Barcelona capture the Adidas NextGen Finals championship last month, posting 20 points and 10 rebounds in the title game against Real Madrid.

Next, Kusturica will represent Serbia in the FIBA U17 World Cup from June 27 to July 5, and a college decision could come before then.

Mark Pope is carrying a lot of momentum in recent weeks after retaining Malachi Moreno and adding Milan Momcilovic to this season’s roster, as well as landing the first top 10 prospect of his career in Ryan Hampton. If he can close on Kusturica, that would cap off the roster in a significant way and continue to change the narrative around his recruiting ability.

Men's Basketball

Kentucky’s Kam Williams and Franck Kepnang Sidelined For Summer as Precaution

Published

3 days ago

June 16, 2026

Kai McClelland

Photo via UK Athletics

Since players have arrived on campus and began facing off against each other, we’ve seen multiple pictures and videos of the team surface across social media.

From Milan Momcilovic sparking threes from deep, to Braydon Hawthorne showing us his playmaking abilities, members of the Big Blue Nation have been watching, reposting and expressing their animosity for the upcoming season.

However, the same questions have circled throughout the comments. Where is Kam Williams? Where is Franck Kepnang?

In the most calming way possible, KY Insider can confirm that Williams and Kepnang will both be out during summer workouts as a precautionary measure for previous injuries. KSR’s Jack Pilgrim had the news first, with Williams confirmed to be back in his boot.

Williams, who broke his foot in February, is eyeing an 100% recovery before he begins scrimmaging. His summer training has been minimal and the team is taking the most kindest form of rest so re-injury becomes less likely during the 2026-27 season.

Kepnang has had a long list of leg and knee injuries throughout his collegiate career thus far, causing him to miss the half of four seasons from 2020-21 through 2024-25. Hoping for a productive seventh year of college basketball and with a severe past, load management is the common and smart move given his situation.

Again, both are precautious actions and no new injuries have occurred.

Mark Pope and the rest of the team are having fun, the vibes are good and they will get Williams and Kepnang up to speed when the time is right.