James Madison didn’t just take a few shots from deep at Rupp Arena on Friday night. The Dukes turned the 3-point line into their main weapon, hoisting 45 attempts in Kentucky’s 89-80 win and tying a program record for a Kentucky opponent.
That kind of volume told the story right away. Faced with a size gap and a clear talent mismatch, James Madison chose the simplest path available: spread the floor and keep firing. The approach worked well enough to keep the game tight for long stretches, and the Dukes knocked down 15 of those 3s to stay within striking distance for much of the night.
Kentucky still found a way to separate in the second half. After the game was tied at halftime, the Wildcats fell behind by 2 with 13 minutes left before ripping off a 9-0 run. From there, James Madison never got closer than 7 again.
The 45 threes weren’t just a random outlier, either. UK statistician Corey Price noted that the only other team to attempt that many against Kentucky was Tennessee in 2025.
That number says plenty about how opponents may try to attack Mark Pope’s team going forward. Kentucky’s size is obvious - no player in the rotation who gets significant minutes is shorter than 6-foot-3, and no starter is below 6-foot-6 - and smaller teams may see the perimeter as their best chance to level the playing field.
The Wildcats eventually won the battle inside, outscoring James Madison 40-20 in the paint. But the perimeter defense left enough open looks to raise a real question, especially with No. 17 Kansas waiting in Tuesday’s Champions Classic.
Kentucky has only a few days to clean up its rotations and communication on the outside. Kepnang and Moreno were stuck handling pick-and-pop action, and once the guards had to rotate, the margin for error shrank fast.
That kind of breakdown can be survived against a mid-major. It’s a different story when the next opponent has the kind of talent that can make those openings hurt.
In this week’s Kentucky Reacts survey, fans made their preference clear about the 2026-27 schedule. Louisville led the way at 43%, while 33% picked Tuesday’s Champions Classic matchup with Kansas as the game they most want Kentucky to win.
In Other News...
Kentucky Fans Have Every Right To Be Furious After Tennessee Loss
Kentucky left Neyland Stadium with more than a loss on its hands, because the Wildcats also left with a long list of grievances about how the game was called. Two moments in particular stood out: a missed defensive pass interference against Tennessee near halftime and an offsides no-call on Tennessees Qua Moss in the third quarter, both of which had the feel of swings that could matter in a tight road game.
For a Kentucky team still alive with three games left, the frustration is easy to understand. The Wildcats have enough football remaining to keep chasing a College Football Playoff path if they can win out, but a defeat like this one lingers because it invites the question of what might have been had those calls gone the other way. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Still Has SEC Attention But The Pressure Just Changed
The latest National Football Foundation Super 16 poll keeps Kentucky in the SEC conversation, even as the leagues hierarchy continues to shift around it. After Week 10, five conference teams made the list, with Georgia holding down the No. 1 spot after its win over Ole Miss and Alabama, Texas and Tennessee all landing ahead of the Wildcats.
Kentucky checking in at No. 13 is still a sign of national relevance, but it also underscores how much tighter the margin has become in the College Football Playoff race. With the SEC crowding the top of the poll, the Wildcats are no longer just trying to stay visible, they are trying to keep pace in a field where every result seems to reshape the picture. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky's Offense Leaves A Bigger Concern Than The Tennessee Loss
Kentuckys trip to Tennessee was supposed to be a measuring stick, and for three quarters it looked like the Wildcats might keep it close enough to make the finish interesting. Instead, the game unraveled late in a 34-6 loss that dropped Kentucky to 7-2 overall and 5-2 in the SEC, with Tennessee putting up 21 points in the fourth quarter to turn a manageable night into a lopsided one.
The bigger concern for Kentucky may not be the final score so much as the offenses inability to keep pace when the game was still there to be won. Kenny Minchey finished 26 of 34 for 224 yards, and Willie Rodriguez led the pass catchers with six receptions for 81 yards, but those numbers never translated into enough points to threaten Tennessee down the stretch. For a team with SEC aspirations, the question now is whether this was just a bad night or a sign that the offense still has a ceiling to break through. [Read more 🡒]