Friday brings a homecoming with a little extra meaning for Kentucky, because James Madison coach Preston Spradlin is walking back into the state where his career started.
Spradlin, a Pikeville native, spent 2009-14 on John Calipari’s staff in Lexington and already has a 2012 championship ring in his trophy case. He began as a graduate assistant from 2009-11, moved into the director of operations role from 2011-14, and later got his first coaching opportunity at Morehead State as an assistant under Sean Woods.
By 2016, he was the interim head coach, and he earned the full-time job in 2017. At Morehead State, he piled up 140 wins and two NCAA Tournament trips before taking the JMU job in 2024.
In Harrisonburg, he won 38 games in his first two seasons.
Now he returns to Rupp Arena to face Mark Pope’s Wildcats.
There’s another familiar name on the other side, too. James Madison transfer Justin McBride is now wearing Kentucky across his chest after earning Third-Team All-Sun Belt honors last season. He averaged 15.3 points and 5.6 rebounds while starting 30 games for the Dukes.
This won’t look anything like Kentucky’s opener against Manhattan. JMU was picked second in the Sun Belt and actually collected the most first-place votes with nine, so the Dukes arrive with enough credibility to make this a real test.
The expectation is still clear: Kentucky should win, and JMU can’t turn this into a game it has any business winning. But the Dukes are good enough to keep the Wildcats honest, which is exactly what UK needs before Tuesday’s first major measuring stick against Kansas in the Champions Classic.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
The numbers back up Kentucky as a heavy favorite. The Polymarket App has the Wildcats by 25.5 points, with a projected total of 157.5 and a projected score of 91.5-65.5. Traders give Kentucky a 99 percent chance to beat JMU and move to 2-0.
KenPom is nearly as bullish, giving UK a 96 percent chance with an 88-67 projected final. Bart Torvik is close behind at 94 percent, predicting an 86-66 Kentucky win.
The line is a tricky one, but one Kentucky can cover if it puts together 40 clean minutes. That part, of course, is never automatic.
Spradlin talked about the matchup and his return to Lexington on Sources Say last night, where he discussed his time in Kentucky, some of the best teams he saw during his run in the program, and his relationship with Coach Pope and Justin McBride. The conversation ran 17 minutes and offered a strong preview of the game.
Kentucky’s recruiting board also shifted this week after the addition of 7-foot-5 center Cherif Millogo. Pope and the staff have cut ties with two five-star targets who were trending elsewhere, though both remain on final lists as hats on the table.
Five-star wing AJ Williams had an official visit to Lexington scheduled for this weekend, but that trip has been canceled and Kentucky is no longer pursuing him, according to sources. The same decision has been made with fellow five-star Adan Diggs, who visited Kentucky in late October.
That leaves CJ Rosser as a key 2027 target, with Benji Berrouet and Yann Kamagate among the 2028 reclass possibilities. Rosser and Berrouet squared off in Texas last night, and Rosser delivered a big one: 30 points and 11 rebounds, plus a monster poster on Berrouet. Berrouet finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds.
On the women’s side, Kentucky rolled Northern Kentucky on Thursday, and it wasn’t close. Kenny Brooks’ team blasted the Norse 79-28 behind 21 points from Asia Boone.
Meezy O’Neal added 12, Clara Strack posted 11 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks, and Ajša Sivka also scored 11. Kentucky now turns to No.
25 NC State in Charlotte on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
There was also good news on the football front ahead of Saturday’s trip to Tennessee. CB Isaiah McMillian has been upgraded to probable and joins EDGE Sam Greene in the likely-to-play group. CJ Baxter, Nic Anderson and Malachi Wood, who were either inactive or left early against Vanderbilt, are off the report entirely.
Kentucky’s report lists CB Grant Grayton, LB Justyn Hartley, LB Antwan Smith and nickel Jaden Smith as out. Tennessee has its own long-term absences: TE Ethan Davis, WR Joakim Dodson, LB Jaedon Harmon, S Edrees Farooq, S Dylan Lewis and G Wendell Moe Jr. are all out.
And yes, it’s Tennessee Hate Week. The message is simple: beat the Vols, beat the Dukes.
In Other News...
Kentucky Heads Into Tennessee With One Big Availability Concern
The SEC Availability Report for Kentuckys trip to Tennessee has been updated, and it gives the Wildcats a clearer picture of who will and wont be available heading into a rivalry game that already carries plenty of weight. Kentucky did get one player moved up to probable, which is at least a small sign of progress as the team continues to work through a list of long-term injuries that have thinned the roster.
Tennessees report brings its own set of concerns, with multiple long-term injuries and several starters already ruled out for the season. For Kentucky, the bigger question is how much the latest availability shift changes the rotation and whether the Wildcats can absorb the absences well enough to stay competitive in a game where depth and health may matter as much as anything else. [Read more 🡒]
Lance Heard Is Giving Kentucky Fans One More Reason To Watch Tennessee
Lance Heard has given Kentucky fans a fresh reason to keep an eye on Tennessee, even with the rivalry game still ahead. The Wildcats offensive lineman was named one of 12 semifinalists for the 2026 Lombardi Award and is also on the Outland Trophy watch list, recognition that reflects just how steady he has been this season.
Heard has logged 461 snaps and drawn praise for both his performance and the way he has carried himself inside the program. Coach Will Stein has singled out Heards leadership and overall impact heading into Kentuckys matchup with Tennessee, adding another layer to a game that already carries plenty of weight for the Wildcats. [Read more 🡒]
Mark Pope Just Hit A Kentucky Recruiting Nerve Early
Kentuckys 2027 recruiting board already has a striking name on it in Cherif Millogo, the 7-foot-5 prospect from Burkina Faso who is playing high school basketball in California and has already committed to the Wildcats. ESPN has him ranked No. 8 in the class, and he joins Ryan Hampton, who is also pledged to Kentucky and sits at No. 31, giving the program an early foundation in a cycle that could shape how the roster looks down the line.
The bigger conversation around a commitment like Millogos is what it says about the kind of talent Kentucky is chasing and how that fits into the broader recruiting history of the program under John Calipari and now his successor, Mark Pope. Top-10 recruits are always a headline, but they are rarely the kind of freshmen who immediately carry a team to a national title, which is why Kentuckys latest move feels less like a finished product and more like the start of a much larger roster puzzle. [Read more 🡒]