The Kentucky Wildcats stomped the Manhattan Jaspers on Tuesday night to open the 2026-27 season by a final score of 85-57.
The Cats opened the season on a good note. Despite falling behind 13-9 early on, Kentucky went on an astounding 39-9 run to take 48-22 lead into the half. The offense was running on all cylinders. The three-point shooting was good, but Kentucky got whatever it wanted whenever it wanted to.
After the break, it was no different. There was some sloppy play as the score dictated the players’
level of play, but Kentucky still took care of business. The bench got a lot of run, and that’s important long term.
All in all, all that matters is that UK is 1-0. As always, just keep winning!
Next up, the Cats will take on the James Madison Dukes on Friday night in Lexington.
Momcilovic is as good as advertised
Milan Momcilovic came to UK with incredibly high expectations. He was a potential first round NBA Draft pick this summer, but he returned to college basketball as a top 2-to-3 transfer in the country. Some even thought he was the top-ranked transfer.
Momcilovic was paid a lot of money to come in and be the Cats’ star player. The best 3-point shooter in the country on Mark Pope’s offense? Yes, that’ll create a lot of excitement and deservedly so.
Milan is a bucket. That’s the simplest way to put it. He shot almost 50% from deep last season, and he proved that wasn’t a fluke in this one. Standing at 6’9, if he has even a sliver of open room, you just assume the ball is going in the basket. The shot is pure, and he doesn’t miss.
Momcilovic may not be an NBA superstar, but he will be Kentucky’s backbone this season.
The backcourt is fun
The offseason chatter focused on Alex Wilkins’ potential and Mason Williams’ impressive exhibition showings, but Zoom Diallo should not be forgotten.
Diallo is a veteran who can get into the lane at will and create open looks for his teammates. There’s a reason he’s the starting point guard. Zoom is just a guy who gets the job done. If he can limit turnovers, it’ll be hard to keep him off the floor.
Wilkins, meanwhile, is more potential than production at this point, but his ceiling is sky-high. He’s probably Kentucky’s best NBA prospect after an impressive freshman season, albeit at Furman. He can absolutely run the point, but he’s skinny and can be erratic at times.
However, he’s a microwave scorer with an improving three-point shot, and that’s nothing to scoff at. The preseason chatter surrounded his struggles on the defensive end, but he had seven (!) steals in the season opener.
Finally, we have Mason Williams. The well-built freshman guard was the story of exhibition season, putting up impressive numbers night after night. It looked like he might grab Zoom’s starting spot before the season started, but exhibitions are just that, and Williams, while possessing a high ceiling, is still just a freshman who has a long way to go.
Regardless of the rotation, this backcourt is good, and it’s fun. Diallo’s turnovers, Wilkins’ inconsistency, and Williams’ freshman mistakes may be frustrating over time, but I would bet they’re really fun before it’s all said and done. I still think Williams might steal that starting spot, but Kentucky has three really good lead guards either way, which has been a weakness in the last couple of years.
The frontcourt is a bigger question mark
It’s just game one, but we can still make observations. For starters, the 4 spot is a massive issue. I don’t even think that’s disputable at this point.
Justin McBride has yet to prove he’s a Power Conference player and someone who deserves heavy minutes. He may knock down the occasional 3, but he has minimal athleticism, and he’s small for his position.
Ousmane N’Diaye looks like he could be a fun player, but sometimes guys are just what they are at age 23. His size helps defensively, but he can’t dribble, and his 3-point shot looks bad.
Malachi Moreno has taken a step forward, but I just don’t think it’s as big as Kentucky needs. I truly believe Moreno is like sophomore Nick Richards. Next year, he may be really good, but this year, while improved, I don’t think he’s good enough to make the Cats a National Championship contender. I hope I’m wrong.
For now, let’s just enjoy the win and that Kentucky Basketball is back.
Go Cats!
