Kentucky is already on Dick Vitale’s radar for the 2026-27 season, and not in the soft, feel-good way. He’s looking at Mark Pope’s Wildcats and basically drawing a line in the sand: the program needs more than respectable progress. It needs to matter in the SEC.
Vitale laid out his preseason “Dazzling Dozen” storylines for what he called one of the most fascinating hoops seasons he can remember, and the biggest item on his list is the one everybody will be watching until November - who is eligible to play and who isn’t. But Kentucky checked in right behind that, because Vitale sees a team that has been retooled and is expected to carry real weight this time around.
“Big Blue Nation isn’t interested in moral victories,” Vitale wrote. “After an underwhelming season, Mark Pope landed Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic and now pairs him with talented youngster Malachi Moreno. Kentucky looks deeper, tougher and better suited for the SEC grind this coming campaign.
“But here’s the deal: The SEC is a monster. The conference retained 10 of its top 30 scorers and imported 11 more top-30 scorers from other major conferences. Kentucky has to contend, not just compete.”
Vitale slotted Kentucky 17th in his preseason rankings, which puts the Wildcats fifth among SEC teams in his poll. He has Florida at No. 1, followed by Texas at No.
10, Tennessee at No. 11 and Arkansas at No. 15.
He also placed several Kentucky opponents inside his Top 25, including Virginia at No. 8, Louisville at No. 9 and Indiana at No.
Two Kentucky matchups made Vitale’s list of the 10 games he is most eager to see next season: Kansas vs. Kentucky in the Champions Classic on Nov. 10 in Chicago, and Louisville at Kentucky on Dec. 12 in the Battle of the Bluegrass.
Moreno, in particular, caught his eye. Vitale named 10 players he expects to take major steps forward next season, and Moreno was the second player listed. The seven-footer from Georgetown was an All-SEC Freshman Team selection and nearly left for the NBA.
“Pay particular attention to Moreno. Kentucky needs him,” Vitale wrote. “The SEC had better be ready for him.”
That kind of growth could change everything for Pope’s team. If Moreno turns into a clear first-round type, Kentucky could have one of the nation’s best centers. Pair that with a rebuilt backcourt and Momcilovic, whom Vitale called the best shooter in college basketball, and the ingredients are there for a strong year three under Pope.
“Kentucky wants to remind everybody what Big Blue basketball is supposed to look like,” Vitale concluded.
Now the Wildcats have to prove it.
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Kentucky Gets Its First Real Chance To Back Up The Hype
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Now comes the part that will tell the bigger story. Kentucky heads into this matchup as the underdog, facing a Crimson Tide team that brings a different level of talent and depth, and the Wildcats will have to translate the confidence they showed in Week 1 into something sturdier against a far sterner test. The opener featured encouraging performances from key players, but Alabama is the kind of opponent that quickly reveals whether the hype is real or just September noise. [Read more 🡒]
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The timing only sharpened the moment for Kentucky fans, with opening weekend across the SEC delivering the kind of conference-wide backdrop that makes every result feel bigger. While football headlines around the league centered on unbeaten starts and a slate of tight games, Kentucky was making its own statement in a different sport, and the Wildcats are still settling into a new weekly rhythm on the football side after moving press conferences and coach shows to different days. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Heads Into Kentucky With One Big Problem Fans Will Notice
Kentuckys Week 2 meeting with Alabama comes with a strange kind of uncertainty for both staffs, the sort that only shows up this early in the season. Kalen DeBoer spent part of his press conference Wednesday talking through the usual mix of player evaluation, preparation and the challenges of jumping into an SEC game this quickly, while also acknowledging that the Crimson Tide are still trying to get a clear read on what Kentucky looks like under new head coach Will Stein.
The catch for Alabama is that the film bank is thin, and what is available does not offer much of a clean blueprint. DeBoer said the Tide are leaning heavily on fundamentals as they get ready for an early conference test, which makes this more of a game-plan-for-the-basics week than a deep-dive into tendencies. The matchup is set for ABC and Disney+, and for Kentucky, that kind of uncertainty can be a useful place to be when a heavyweight comes to town. [Read more 🡒]