Kentucky’s first exhibition of the Mark Pope era this season didn’t exactly roll out the red carpet for pretty basketball. It was messy at times, choppy in stretches and overloaded with turnovers. But the Wildcats still had enough shooting, enough length and enough late-game separation to beat Little Rock 69-49 on Friday night at Rupp Arena.
If the goal was to get a clean early read on this team’s offensive polish, the answer came back: not yet. If the goal was to see whether Kentucky can bother teams defensively with size and activity, there were at least some encouraging signs.
The Wildcats never looked like they were in real danger of losing control, but they also never delivered the kind of fluid, high-end performance that would send anyone sprinting toward title talk. That said, there were a few bright spots buried inside the sloppiness.
Milan Momcilovic gave Kentucky a real shot of offensive juice. The shooter hit 4 of 7 from behind the arc and showed off more than just catch-and-shoot touch. He buried a side-step triple after a shot fake and later drilled a pull-up transition 3 following a behind-the-back dribble, helping stretch the lead to 61-39 with 5:29 left.
Freshman Mason Williams also gave the Wildcats useful minutes, finishing with 10 points, three assists and three steals. And down the stretch, Kentucky found the range from deep, knocking down 8 of 15 3-pointers after opening 4 of 13.
Still, the rough edges were impossible to ignore. Kentucky turned it over 19 times and had trouble handling the full-court press Travis Ford used in the second half. Starting guards Alex Wilkins and Zoom Diallo combined to shoot 7 for 19, and too often the offense bogged down with the ball stuck in one player’s hands instead of moving the way Pope wants.
The defense offered a better story. Kentucky held Little Rock to 19 points in the first half and limited the Trojans to 31% shooting for the game. Little Rock managed just 7 of 31 from the floor in the opening half, and the Wildcats also scored 18 points off 15 turnovers.
Malachi Moreno had one of the more important performances of the night on the glass. The Kentucky center finished with 11 rebounds in 26 minutes, and when he was on the court, he grabbed 33.8% of Little Rock’s misses. That number stands out after Moreno rebounded 18.9% of opponents’ misses last season, a mark that ranked 247th in the country.
The decisive burst came with 10:40 remaining, when Little Rock had cut the margin to 12. Kentucky answered with an 8-0 run that featured a 3 from Wilkins and a fastbreak layup by Mason Williams, pushing the lead to 53-33 and ending any suspense.
Kentucky now turns to a tougher exhibition next Friday against Texas Tech, which is picked to finish fifth in a strong Big 12. That one tips at 7 p.m. and will air on SEC Network+.
In Other News...
Kentucky Catches A Break As Oklahoma Faces A Major Concern
Oklahomas upset of Texas gave the Sooners a fresh burst of momentum heading into Week 7, but the mood around Norman has shifted quickly with Kentucky coming to town. A pair of starting offensive linemen, Michael Fasusi and Eddy Pierre-Louis, were listed as doubtful on the SEC injury report, and that is the sort of development Kentucky will notice immediately when it studies the tape.
For a Wildcats defense that is trying to stay organized against a team coming off one of its biggest wins of the season, the health of Oklahomas front could matter just as much as the emotion from last weekend. If the Sooners are forced to shuffle up front, it could alter the way they protect the quarterback and handle Kentuckys pressure, leaving one more thing to monitor before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Just Added Real Intrigue To Its Oklahoma Trip
Kentuckys Week 7 trip to Oklahoma already carried a little extra edge, and the Wildcats made it feel more personal by announcing four captains for the game. Senior wide receiver Nic Anderson, senior defensive back Ty Bryant, senior defensive lineman Tavion Gadson, and senior running back Jovantae Barnes will represent the team when it takes the field in Norman.
Anderson and Barnes both bring a familiar twist to the matchup, since each spent time at Oklahoma before ending up in Lexington. Their presence adds another layer to a game that was already going to draw plenty of attention, giving Kentucky a pair of veterans who know the setting well as the Wildcats head into one of the more interesting road trips on their schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys Rotation Already Has A Trent Noah Problem
Kentucky is already sorting through the early-season ripple effects of a rotation that has not had much time to settle. Milan Momcilovic has moved past a finger injury and was back on the floor against Little Rock, while Jerone Morton is still working his way back from a knee injury and is set to be re-evaluated in several weeks. In the frontcourt, Kam Williams is nearing the point where he can be cleared to practice after a second foot surgery, which gives the staff at least one more piece to monitor as the schedule keeps moving.
The tougher question centers on Trent Noah, who is still trying to get fully healthy from a hamstring injury. Mark Pope has stressed how important Williams return could be, especially with Noahs recovery still limiting what Kentucky can count on from that spot. For a team trying to build rhythm in November, the balance between getting players back and avoiding setbacks is already shaping the rotation before it has a chance to stabilize. [Read more 🡒]