The 2025-26 Kentucky Wildcats basketball season is almost here now that the exhibition season has begun.
With Mark Pope entering his second season, the BBN has high expectations for a team that boasts considerable
experience and talent. We got a good look at some of the squad through some highlight videos throughout the summer and the very brief Big Blue Madness scrimmage.
That leaves a question for fans: What will the rotation be?
At this point, there are several legitimate options at multiple positions, but here is how the starting lineup and rotation would likely be if the games were to tip off today.
Projected Kentucky Basketball Starters And Bench
PG: Jaland Lowe
SG: Denzel Aberdeen
SF: Otega Oweh
PF: Mo Dioubate
C: Brandon Garrison
While things can change as the season progresses, these are the five guys favored to be starting when Game 1 vs. Nicholls tips off. Jaland Lowe and Otega Oweh are virtual locks, while Denzel Aberdeen is likely to be the third starting guard. Mo Dioubate should be the starting 4, and Brandon Garrison should be able to hold off Malachi Moreno to be the starting 5 when the season begins.
The rotation is where it gets tricky. There are a host of players who could make an impact on any given game, but this rotation seems like a safe bet at this point:
6: Collin Chandler
7: Trent Noah
8: Malachi Moreno
9: Kam Williams
10: Jasper Johnson
11. Andrija Jelavic
12. Braydon Hawthorne
13. Reece Potter
With Jayden Quaintance still working his way back, this rotation will take some huge shifts going deeper into the season. His absence puts Malachi Moreno higher in the rotation since he’s likely going to be the first big man off the bench.
Croatian big man Andrija Jelavic is also a big question mark as to where he fits into the mold, given that he missed the summer practice season and is still behind everyone else. However, Jelavic has already shown off a promising 3-point shot, so he could become a big factor as the season progresses.
Whenever Quaintance returns, that could push Brandon Garrison to the bench, where he’ll fight with Moreno for playing time.
Needless to say, this roster is incredibly deep when people like Jelavic, Jasper Johnson, and Kam Williams could be your ninth, 10th, and 11th guys.
Now, here are a few more takeaways from what we’ve seen from the 2025-26 Wildcats so far.
Malachi Moreno Continues To Impress
Going into the summer, there was a lot of concern from the BBN about the frontcourt while Jayden Quaintance recovers from his ACL surgery.
Brandon Garrison has experience with this system and clearly has a lot of talent, but would he take the next step in his development? And if not, could any of the other bigs realistically challenge him?
It appears UK has a more competitive frontcourt position battle than we initially thought.
Malachi Moreno comes to Lexington with plenty of pedigree as a top-30 recruit in the 2025 class. Despite that, many expected him to take some time to be ready to roll for Coach Pope and the Cats.
That may not be the case.
We’ve seen plenty of highlights showcasing Moreno in the pick-and-roll game, as well as some put-back dunks and crisp passing. And according to reports behind the scenes, he’s looked even better than the short clips we’ve seen.
This team will need someone to take a step forward in the frontcourt if they want to compete early in the season. Having Moreno become a legit option only helps push that worry further down the line.
Braydon Hawthorne’s Bright Future
Braydon Hawthorne joined the 2025 class late and arrived on campus with a clean slate when it came to expectations.
Let’s just say he’s been very impressive throughout this summer.
The freshman forward has shown the flashes of potential that piqued the interest of this staff in the first place, even drawing comparisons to former UK All-American Tayshaun Prince. Hawthorne even showed off some deep 3-point shooting that gave the BBN flashbacks to Prince going nuclear against North Carolina.
Who knows what his role will look like, but it is obvious that he could be a staple in Lexington for years to come. And if he can bulk up a little, Hawthorne could have a bigger role this season than anyone could have anticipated.
Finding Minutes For Trent Noah
While Trent Noah had a promising freshman year in limited minutes, he’s been the talk of the town throughout the summer and into fall camp thanks to his 3-point shot, which is already regarded as the best on the team. That was evident when Noah scorched the rims at Big Blue Madness to take home the 3-point competition trophy.
But while Noah has been outstanding from deep, Kentucky will have to get creative to find minutes for him with guys like Otega Oweh, Denzel Aberdeen, and Collin Chandler (more on him below) commanding so many minutes. And that’s not even accounting for the minutes Kam Williams and Jasper Johnson could earn.
It will be interesting to see how many minutes Kentucky can manufacture for Noah, as he’s simply too good not to get at least 15 minutes a game.
Collin Chandler Poised For Year 2 Breakout
Another popular name among the fanbase this summer has been Collin Chandler.
Returning for his second season with the Cats, the college basketball world got a good look at his potential in March of last season. Over the summer, Chandler was someone who really stood out after working his way back from an injury early on.
Since fall camp began, the buzz has continued to build that Chandler is poised to take that next step and really be a key factor for this team this season. Because he can effectively play the 1-3 spots, Chandler will likely be the sixth man to start the season and could make a major impact playing on and off the ball.
He was a top-40 recruit for a reason. Sounds like we are going to see that potential, and it won’t be a shock if he’s able to take Denzel Aberdeen’s starting spot at some point.
Also, be sure to check out our own Dylan Ballard interviewing Collin Chandler on the latest edition of Success Stories!
