The hype for this upcoming basketball season may be the most we’ve seen in the commonwealth since the Harrison twins announced they were coming back in 2014 after a championship loss, but for good reason.
Kentucky returns the National Player of the Year, Oscar Tshiebwe, along with the SEC assist leader, Sahvir Wheeler. Pair these with transfers Antonio Reeves, two five-star freshmen, and several other key returnees, this a talented and deep group.
With all that being said, here are three bold predictions for Kentucky basketball this season.
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Kentucky will have its best defense since 2015
The 2015 Kentucky basketball team was an absolute juggernaut defensively and was widely considered one of the best college basketball defenses of all time. They were ranked 3rd in the country giving up just 54 ppg, but ranked first in opponent field goal percentage at 35 percent.
This defense notoriously held a UCLA team that made the Sweet Sixteen to just seven points in the first half of their regular season matchup.
If you need more evidence of the historical greatness of this team, look at this deep dive done by the New York Times.
With that said, this year’s team has the tools to be an elite defensive team given the speed and length in the backcourt, along with elite athleticism and length in the frontcourt as well.
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Wallace and Frederick will be huge in setting and locking down opposing guards, and from the looks of the season opener, Reeves is a better defender than originally thought as well.
With help from Tshiebwe, Collins, and now Ugonna Onyenso down low, this team can wreak havoc defensively as they did in the exhibitions giving up 38 and 53 points respectively.
Daimion Collins will be a 1st round pick in the 2023 NBA draft
Collins is one of the most underrated players eligible for the 2023 NBA draft as he will be able to make a huge jump this season.
Standing 6-foot-9, Collins can jump out of the gym with a 46.5-inch vertical – which he has used to dunk on numerous people – and uses that to be a fantastic rim protector.
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Combining this with a stronger frame and improvement in his ball-handling and shooting, Collins can take a big step this season and catch the eyes of the NBA.
If Collins improves can showcase an improved offensive game over the course of the season, he will be a very good option for the NBA already being freakishly athletic and having such a large upside.
Kentucky will not lose more than one game in conference play
John Calipari teams typically hit their stride in March, just in time for tournament play to begin.
However, this has not been the case the past couple of seasons as they have been playing maybe their worst basketball at the most important time of the year, whether it be due to injuries (2021-22) or just bad basketball (2020-21).
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With the amount of experience on this team, this team should not take as long to hit their stride and it should be expected to see them flourish through the heart of conference play.
On paper, the SEC is still extremely tough, but Kentucky’s schedule may be a little weaker this year than last, with just three ranked games on the road. As we speak, Warren Nolan has the Wildcats predicted to go 15-3 in the SEC this season.
Last season, Kentucky lost some tough road games, so expect this year’s team – with a lot of returnees – to come out with a chip on their shoulder against teams like Arkansas, Auburn, and Tennessee
With that said, two of those teams, Arkansas and Tennessee are two of the three best teams in the SEC behind Kentucky, and the Wildcats play them on the road again this year. It will be a difficult task to win all three, so expect to drop at least one of them.
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This will be an extremely difficult task for the Wildcats – and this is a BOLD prediction – but it is feasible that Kentucky could win the SEC and finish with just one loss in conference play.
In the end, these may or may not happen, but college basketball is here and Kentucky is poised for a great run. What are your bold predictions for this season?
Fan-favorite big man (and official Weetabix sponsor) Amari Williams has officially made it to the big leagues, taken by the Boston Celtics with the 46th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, via a trade with the Orlando Magic.
The selection makes Williams the second Wildcat to be scooped up from this year’s pool, following Koby Brea being picked by the Phoenix Suns just five picks earlier at the 41st spot. From Mark Pope’s first Kentucky team, two transfer athletes (thus far) in their last year of eligibility have achieved next-level dreams by way of the blue and white.
Williams, who averaged 11 points, nine rebounds, and three assists per game during his lone season in Lexington, will look to aid Boston in filling their recently vacant five-spot, left by the recently traded Kristaps Porzingis.
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As Wildcat fans surely know, not only can Williams battle with the best of them in the paint, but he can run the floor as efficiently as just about any guard, too. His versatility and sizable frame ensure a high ceiling in the NBA and, despite not every draft board seeing him selected, the league champions two years removed made the call when it mattered.
Hailing overseas from Nottingham, England, and spending his first four years of college basketball at the University of Drexel, Williams’ success is a testament not only to Kentucky Basketball’s immaculate tradition, but to his own incredible work ethic and intangible ability.
Cats fans will be sure to follow and support their point-center to the next level, as they always do. Go be great, Amari – all of BBN has your back.
Koby Brea arrived at Kentucky last season as one of the nation’s deadliest shooters, lived up to the billing, and reaped his rewards on Thursday night at the NBA Draft. The former Kentucky star is heading to the Phoenix Suns with the No. 41 overall pick
As a 6-foot-7 wing, Brea entered the 2025 NBA Draft as one of the most experienced prospects after spending four years at Dayton and a fifth at Kentucky during Mark Pope’s successful first season as head coach, where he became one of the best three-point shooters in all of college basketball.
Last season at Kentucky, the Bronx native averaged 11.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game while shooting 43.5% from beyond the arc on nearly six attempts per game in 36 games, 16 of which were starts, showcasing his scoring ability in transition, off the catch, and via handoffs and screens.
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Not only did Brea achieve his own dreams of playing at the next level, but becomes a piece of history for Pope, becoming the first player drafted out of Kentucky during the Pope era.
Brea joins a rebuilding franchise with a notorious background for drafting Kentucky guards. Eric Bledsoe rings the bell, Tyler Ulis of course, and the Suns’ all-time leading scorer, Devin Booker obviously leads the pack.
How a Call with Mark Pope Led Denzel Aberdeen to Kentucky
After winning a national title at Florida, Denzel Aberdeen committed to Kentucky without ever visiting campus—thanks to a revealing three-hour call with head coach Mark Pope.
As a junior, Denzel Aberdeen was a key part of Florida’s national title run. But a certain phone conversation convinced him to leave his home state and head north to Lexington in hopes of experiencing that feeling once again.
He had never set foot in Lexington before deciding to become a Kentucky Wildcat — and he didn’t need to. All it took was one phone call — three hours long, on Easter Sunday — with head coach Mark Pope to convince him that he belonged in blue and white.
“Our phone call lasted about three hours, to be honest,” Aberdeen said, meeting with the media in Lexington for the first time earlier this week. “A lot of it was just getting to know me and getting to know the school, the university, getting to know him (Pope), how their style was, a lot of film. Once I saw that, I was like this looks like a great guy to play for.”
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The two went on to discuss Aberdeen’s role at Kentucky in more depth, including how Pope envisions him fitting into Kentucky’s new system — a system that, according to Aberdeen, is very similar, if not better than the one he just left.
“We had a lot of great players at Florida, especially the tall bigs. Bigs that love to run there, and we have just as much here; our bigs love to run, they play defense, and they play at a fast pace. So I think the things that we’ve got here are just as good, or even better,” Aberdeen said.
Averaging 7.7 points and nearly 20 minutes per game off the bench for the Gators last year, it’s clear to see what Aberdeen brings to the team: experience, versatility, calmness in the backcourt, and championship pedigree. Pope’s phone conversation with Aberdeen wasn’t just impactful on the court — it also speaks volumes to what he is doing off the court in pursuit of the goal he laid out in his introductory press conference: to hang banners.
This phone call wasn’t just about Denzel Aberdeen. It was a glimpse into Pope’s player-first, transparent coaching approach, which could define his era at Kentucky — and potentially make this season a special one, with Aberdeen playing another key role in a deep NCAA Tournament run.
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“I know the goal is to win No. 9,” he said. “I know the fans want that, we want that, all the staff and coaches want that. That pushes us. We know what we gotta do when we come here and put on that Kentucky jersey. Just playing for the University of Kentucky is a big thing. Being here is a blessing, and I can’t look back.”