A big difference between last year’s Kentucky team and this year’s Kentucky team is that this team isn’t playing its best basketball right now. Last year’s team peaked in non-conference play.
However, it’s
a good thing this Wildcats team isn’t playing its best right now. They’re still playing good basketball, and they’re going to get better. If the second half of Tuesday night’s game is any indication, this Wildcats team is starting to find its offensive groove.
Friday night, Jaland Lowe will make his Wildcats’ debut when they host the Valparaiso Beacons. Lowe is playing just three weeks removed from his shoulder injury sustained in the Blue-White Event. With him on the court, the hope is that Kentucky’s offense will be stabilized with him running the offense.
Valparaiso is one of the most recognizable programs in mid-major college basketball. The Beacons advanced to the Sweet 16 in 1998, marking the third of five consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament and six overall from 1996 to 2004. Homer Drew was the Beacons’ head coach from 1988-2002 and again from 2003-2011, leading the Beacons to 371 wins and seven NCAA Tournaments.
The Beacons, however, haven’t had a winning season since 2019-2020, their only winning season in the last eight years, dating back to 2016-2017.
Let’s take a look at this Beacons team and keys to the game Friday night at Rupp Arena.
Players to Watch on Valparaiso
1. No. 7: JT Pettigrew — 6-8, 220 lbs. Fr. Forward, Lisle, Ill.
Tuesday night vs. Eastern Illinois: 13 pts (3-5 FG, 7-11 FT), 4 rebs
It was Pettigrew’s and-one that gave the Beacons a 64-63 lead with 10 seconds remaining Tuesday night, a lead they would preserve in a three-point win.
Pettigrew is a McDonald’s All-American nominee, and he comes from an athletic family. His mother, Bonnie, was the Big Ten Player of the Year and the Big Ten Freshman of the Year during her volleyball career at Penn State, where she served as the setter for a national championship team. His father, Titcus, played football and basketball for Penn State, while his brother, Trey, played college basketball for Nevada, Bradley, and Eastern Michigan.
2. No. 11: Isaiah Barnes — 6-7, 210 lbs. R-Sr. Guard, Chicago; Tulsa Transfer
Tuesday night vs. Eastern Illinois: 15 pts (4-10 FG, 1-4 3-PT FG, 6-9 FT), 10 rebs, 3 TO, 1 stl
Barnes is a former four-star recruit who started his career at Michigan for two seasons. He then transferred to Tulsa for the previous two seasons, playing in 57 games and starting 54 of them. In 2024-2025, Barnes averaged 9.3 points per game and had a season-high 22 points.
In his Valpo debut on Tuesday, Barnes led the team with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
3. No. 0: Rakim Chaney — 6-3, 185 lbs. Fr. Guard, Rockford, Ill.
Tuesday night vs. Eastern Illinois: 12 pts (3-8 FG, 2-6 3-PT FG), 4-4 FT, 5 stl
Chaney had a strong Valparaiso debut Tuesday night, leading the Beacons with five steals.
He spent the 2024-2025 season at 212° in Sarasota, Florida, averaging 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists per game, and was named Florida Sun Basketball League Player of the Year.
4. No. 10: Mark Brown Jr. — 6-0, 190 lbs. Jr. Guard, South Phoenix, Aiz.
Tuesday night vs. Eastern Illinois: 6 pts (2-9 FG, 2-7 3-PT FG), 3 ast.
Brown played at Snow College for two seasons, totalling 669 points, 220 rebounds, and 215 assists. He had 33 games with double-digit points and five+ assists 16 times. In 2024-2025, Brown averaged 13.3 points and 4.3 assists per game.
Mark’s older brother, Brandon, played two seasons at Loyola Marymount. Brandon earned back-to-back All-West Coast Conference honors, earning honorable mention in 2015-16 and second team in 2016-17. Brandon averaged 13.5 points per game and totaled 811 in two seasons at LMU while shooting 40.9 percent from 3 and 40.5 percent from the floor as a senior. He went on to play professionally overseas.
5. No. 13: Carter Hopoi — 6-11, 220 lbs. Fr. Forward, Tauranga, New Zealand
Tuesday night vs. Eastern Illinois: 3 pts (1-4 FG, 1-2 FT), 6 rebs, 2 blk, 2 stl.
Hopoi played soccer, cricket, and volleyball growing up in New Zealand. In September 2024, he participated in the FIBA U18 Asia Cup, averaging 17.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game.
6. No. 3: Brody Whitaker — 6-3, 195 lbs. 5th-Year Guard, Green Castle, Ind.
Tuesday night vs. Eastern Illinois: 8 pts (2-8 FG, 2-7 3-PT FG, 2-2 FT), 5 rebs
Whitaker played during the 2024-2025 season at the University of Indianapolis, following three seasons at Marian University, where he scored over 1,000 points. At Indianapolis, Whitaker averaged 14.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game.
In high school, Whitaker was Green Castle’s all-time leading scorer at 1,896 points upon graduation.
Head Coach: Roger Powell Jr. (3rd Season, 23-44) — 42 years old
Powell brought a lot of coaching experience to Valpo when he arrived in April of 2023. The Beacons have struggled for several seasons, but last year was a sign that things may be improving. This is Powell’s second stint at Valpo, after spending five seasons as an assistant coach from 2011 to 2016, leading the Beacons to two NCAA Tournaments and four Horizon League regular-season championships.
Valpo over doubled its overall win total from the previous season and doubled its conference win output before earning a Missouri Valley Conference Tournament semifinal berth. The Beacons finished with 15 wins, the team’s highest total since 2019-20. Two of the greatest strengths of the 2024-25 team were avoiding turnovers and making free throws, as Valpo broke the modern program record for single-season free-throw percentage by finishing at .790, 11th nationally. In addition, Valpo turned it over a conference-best 9.7 times per game, setting a program standard and ranking 19th in the nation.
Prior to his second stint at Valparaiso, Powell served as an assistant for four seasons at Gonzaga. The Bulldogs were the No. 1 overall seed in both the 2021 and 2022 NCAA Tournaments, including reaching the National Championship Game at 31-0 in 2021. Gonzaga went to the Sweet 16 in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
At Vanderbilt for four seasons as an associate head coach, the Commodores went to the NCAA Tournament in 2017 while playing the toughest strength of schedule nationally.
As a player at Illinois, Powell was a three-year starter and two-time All-Big Ten Honorable Mention. The Fighting Illini won three Big Ten regular-season titles and two Big Ten Tournament titles, going to two Sweet 16s and the 2005 National Championship Game. Powell played professionally for many teams, including overseas. He played for the Utah Jazz during the 2006-2007 NBA Season, a season in which the Jazz advanced to the Western Conference Finals.
Keys to the Game for Kentucky
1. Rebounding
This Beacons team can rebound, but the Wildcats have the players to out-muscle them in the paint on both ends of the floor. The Wildcats should control the glass in this game.
2. On-ball defense
With Jaland Lowe making his Wildcats debut Friday night, they should be able to pressure the ball and make it tough for the Beacons to move it. They had just eight assists and 14 turnovers Tuesday night, so the Beacons are prone to mistakes. Pressuring the ball will amplify those.
3. Shot selection
This will help Kentucky’s offense on Friday night. Taking good shots, avoiding ill-advised three-pointers, and moving the ball to get the best shot will, or should, lead to a better offensive output.
4. Free-throw shooting
This is self-explanatory. Friday night is a good night to work on this in-game, especially with a game at Louisville looming next Tuesday night. The Wildcats can’t shoot close to 50% like they did vs. Nicholls if they want to close out big wins.
Score Prediction: Wildcats 82, Beacons 58
Friday night should be a much better offensive output from the Wildcats. Valpo could be a pesky team, but they possess several weaknesses, including on the glass for second-chance points, which the Wildcats can exploit to win this game comfortably. A more efficient offensive output will have Wildcats fans feeling good about this team going into Louisville.
