On Friday, No. 23 Kentucky Basketball played its second exhibition game of the 2026-27 season. This time, it was Grant McCasland and the No. 19 Texas Tech Red Raiders coming to Rupp Arena.
One week ago, the Little Rock Trojans came to town, and Kentucky left with an ugly victory in which it won by 20. Heading into the matchup with the Red Raiders, we knew the Cats would need a much more complete performance to win. This is a Texas Tech program that literally goes by the saying, “Toughest team wins,”
so it wouldn’t be easy no matter who is on the court.
Texas Tech entered the contest without its best player, JT Toppin, who tore his ACL in February during Big 12 play last year for the Red Raiders, with a target to return in December of this year. The Red Raiders certainly didn’t lack college basketball experience. Texas Tech is among the teams benefiting the most from the 2022 athletes fighting to gain an extra year of eligibility and be part of the new 5-for-5 in the sport.
That said, Kentucky found itself down early and struggling with ball security against the feisty bunch from Lubbock. The Wildcats ramped it up on both ends, turning that deficit into a 4-point lead going into the break. Overall, it was a roller coaster of a game for the fans, but it resulted in a 76-65 victory for Kentucky.
Outside of the cold and turnover-heavy start to the game, the Cats played well, giving Big Blue Nation something to enjoy as we head into the weekend: A feel-good win.
Observations
Take care of the ball. It may sound obvious, but this team has to protect the ball. Early in this one, the Cats once again experienced a turnover fest, similar to the one against Little Rock. Kentucky had seven turnovers in the first 11 minutes of action, and found themselves trailing.
Then, as the Cats started to take care of it, the score moved in the home team’s favor. For the rest of the first half, there were no turnovers, and the scoreboard showed a drastically different game.
Kentucky’s defense would be much better than expected. Length is our strength, as Pope repeatedly said throughout the offseason leading up to the season, and now we have seen that become a reality.
Milan Momcilovic is so fun to have on the team you’re a fan of. Yes, he takes some questionable shots at times, but genuinely, they all feel like they’re going in. We got to see some more of it in this one.
The M&M’s play really well together. Moreno and Momcilovic make for quite the offensive pairing. With the new and improved Moreno, who is much stronger than he was in his freshman season in Lexington, and the best shooter in the world, it makes for a “pick your poison” situation for Kentucky’s opponents.
Highlights
MVP: Mason Williams
This was expected, right? Mason Williams has turned heads all offseason in and around the facility, but now we fans are getting to see, too. In a night of up-and-down guard play, the freshman provided shot-making, energy, and reliability as Kentucky tried to take over the game.
There were a ton of names that deserve praise after this one, but the MVP had to be the standout freshman.
Box Score
Game Summary
First Half
The first half was back-and-forth, with teams trading baskets early. Then Texas Tech began to pull away by forcing turnovers from Kentucky. Then, Kentucky flipped the script. The Wildcats started turning the Red Raiders over and responded with buckets of all kinds, including a few spectacular ones by Milan Momcilovic. Another big first-half takeaway was freshman Mason Williams’s performance. The freshman showed up big-time for Kentucky on both ends, finished a couple of great plays around the rim, and played with nonstop effort.
Pope’s squad ran 17-3 against the Red Raiders over 3 minutes and 43 seconds, fueled by turnovers, Momcilovic 3s, and Moreno buckets around the rim. This run certainly got Rupp Arena into it, giving these fans a ton to cheer about.
The Wildcats had seven players score in the first half, with Momcilovic leading the way with 10. Statistically, it was a half to forget for Kentucky, with the team shooting 1/11 from three-point range. Turnover-wise, things would even out towards the end of the first half, with both teams having seven turnovers at the break.
Second Half
Kentucky’s lead in the first half was no fluke. The Cats’ length caused disruption and led to some quick offense on the other end. One of the game’s brightest moments came when Ousmane N’Diaye blocked a shot, and Milan Momcilovic led the break, kicking to Mason Williams for a 3 that sent Rupp Arena into a frenzy.
Texas Tech wouldn’t go away, channeling that toughness. The offensive glass played a huge role in the Red Raiders’ ability to stick around for so long.
The second half provided us a ton of moments that will stick with us. Alex Wilkins ‘ step-back threes, Mason Williams’ elite-level play, and a Milan Momcilovic dagger. Exhibitions don’t mean everything, but it’s better to win ‘em than lose ‘em.
