Alright, here we go! Friday night, the ball will be tipped in Rupp Arena for the first time this season, albeit in an exhibition game.
Still, the Kentucky Wildcats are playing a basketball game, and that matters to everyone associated with the Wildcats.
Friday night, Kentucky will play its first of three exhibition games, hosting the Little Rock Trojans, led by former Kentucky standout Travis Ford.
Little Rock is preparing for its first season in the United Athletic Conference, formerly the WAC (Western
Athletic Conference) dating back to 1962. This Trojans team is very different from last year. Ford built this roster from scratch through the transfer portal and a strong high school recruiting class. The Trojans’ roster includes players from the United States and four other countries.
With this being the first exhibition game, we don’t know who will start for the Trojans Friday night. Who’s even going to play? We don’t have anything to go off of going into this game, especially with the Trojans’ roster being almost entirely new.
Therefore, this Players to Watch will look a little different than what you’re used to. We’re going through every player on Little Rock’s roster because we don’t know who’s going to play Friday night, and we’ll give one worthy fact about each.
Players to Watch Friday night vs. Little Rock: One fact about each Trojans player
1. #10: Terrion Burgess — 6’9” 200 lbs. So. Forward; BENTON, Ark., Benton High School
The only returning player from last year’s team, Burgess played just six games before a knee injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. Burgess was the No. 2 player in Arkansas by 247Sports and led Benton High School to the Arkansas Class 5A State Championship in 2024.
2. #3: Aaron Clark — 6’5” 190 lbs. R-Jr. Guard; EASTON, Penn. (Pepperdine Transfer)
After one season at Wake Forest in 2023-24, Clark played two seasons at Pepperdine,, where he led the West Coast Conference with four 30+ point games. Clark also led Pepperdine and ranked seventh in the conference with 15.3 points per game.
3. #7: Jamai Felt — 6’9” 200 lbs. R-Jr. Forward; BOSTON (Temple Transfer)
After two seasons at Bowling Green, Felt became a strong interior presence with the Owls last year. Felt had 10 games with five+ rebounds last year and shot 62% from the field with Temple.
4. #13: Bradyn Hubbard — 6’5” 235 lbs. Gr. Forward; TULSA, Okla. (Abilene Christian Transfer)
Hubbard played two seasons at Abilene Christian, averaging 16.2 points per game last year, eclipsing 2,000 points in his collegiate career.
5. #6: Taj Walters — 6’5” 220 lbs. So. Guard; BRONX, N.Y. (Northern Illinois Transfer)
Walters started 22 of the final 23 games last year for the Huskies, posting two double-doubles, with 11 games scoring in double figures and four games with 10+ rebounds.
6. #23: Ayomide Bamisile — 6’7” 206 lbs. R-Jr. Forward; LAGOS, Nigeria (Louisiana-Monroe Transfer)
Bamisile also played at Utah for two years before playing in 22 games with six starts last year for the Warhawks. In addition, Bamisile averaged 2.8 points and three rebounds per game last season.
7. #2: Jah’Likai King — 6’2” 175 lbs. Sr. Guard; NEWBURGH, N.Y. (UMBC Transfer)
A member of UMBC’s America East Tournament title-winning team last year, King was First-Team All-America East, averaging 14 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. King was seventh in the conference in scoring and third in free-throw percentage at 82.5%.
8. #5: Papa Amadou Kante — 6’10” 235 lbs. R-Jr. Forward; DAKAR, Senegal (Pittsburgh Transfer)
In three seasons at Pittsburgh, Kante sustained two season-ending injuries. But his resolve earned him two Gold Standard Teammate of the Year awards. According to Pitt’s Athletics website, “The Gold Standard Teammate of the Year award goes to the student-athlete who most effectively inspires his or her team through exemplary commitment, composure and integrity.” Kante moved to the United States in 2019 and has a 7’4” wingspan.
9. #11: AJ Economou — 6’5” 180 lbs. Jr. Guard; SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Hawai’i Transfer)
A McDonald’s All-American nominee in high school, Economou played 30 games in two seasons at Hawai’i and averaged 5.7 minutes last season.
10. #31: Roee Oselka — 6’10” 220 lbs. Jr. Forward; GIV’ATAYIM, Israel (Green Bay Transfer)
Playing for Doug Gottlieb at Green Bay in his first season as head coach, Oselka is from an Israeli town that translates to “two hills.” In Hebrew, it refers to Borochov Hill and Kozlovsky Hill, the highest point in the Gush Dan region, at 85 meters above sea level. He played professional basketball in Israel for two years before coming to the United States.
11. #8: Cameron Brown — 6’6” 185 lbs. So. Guard; MEMPHIS, Tenn.
Brown transferred from Ranger (Texas) College, where he averaged 19.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game and shot 45.3 percent from the field.
12. #1: Jalen Lyn — 6’4” 190 lbs. Jr. Guard; QUEENS, N.Y.
Lyn played at the College of Southern Idaho last year, where he played 10 games, averaged 17.2 points per game, and shot 46.7% from the field.
13. #0: Tyrese Lacey — 5’9” 145 lbs. Jr. Guard; BIRMINGHAM, England
Lacey played for Dayton State College last year and averaged 9.5 points while shooting 49.8 percent from the field.
14. #12: Micah Moore — 5’10” 165 lbs. Fr. Guard; LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Hall High School)
Moore led Hall to a State Championship this past season, and head coach Travis Ford says he can create and score from the point guard position.
15. #15: Jakari Smith — 6’6” 210 lbs. Fr. Guard; MILWAUKEE (Bradley Tech HS)
Smith is a prolific scorer, averaging over 35 points per game and scoring 50 points multiple times in his senior year.
16. #9: Jonas Thurman — 6’5” 180 lbs. Fr. Guard; LOS ANGELES (SoCal Academy)
Here is what Ford said about Thurman: “Jonas is a young player whose best days are ahead of him,” Ford said. “He’s athletic, has great length and a lot of upside. As he gets stronger and gains experience, he has a chance to develop into a really good player.”
Head Coach: Travis Ford (1st Season; 25th Season Overall, 424-335) — 56 years old
The Most Outstanding Player in the South Region of the 1993 NCAA Tournament with Kentucky’s Final Four team, Ford was a two-time All-SEC player with Kentucky and became the first player in Wildcats history to make 100 three-pointers in a season when he connected on 101 in that 1992-93 Season. While playing at North Hopkins High School in Madisonville, Kentucky, he was Western Kentucky Player of the Year twice and averaged a whopping 31.7 points per game as a Senior.
Ford’s head-coaching career has been stellar, leading his previous four teams to seven combined NCAA Tournament berths. Although UMass never made the Tournament in his three seasons with the Minutemen, they did play in the 2008 NIT Championship. Ford’s Oklahoma State Cowboys won a Tournament game in 2009.
In 24 seasons as a head coach, Ford led Eastern Kentucky to the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Championship in 2005 and Saint Louis to the A-10 Tournament Championship in 2019. UMass won the A-10 Regular Season title in 2007.
Ford called a Kentucky game on SEC Network+ in November 2024, a home game against Lipscomb, where he teamed with Andrew Kappes. Now back in the coaching ranks, Ford is taking on a massive challenge leading Little Rock with a completely new roster. But given his success in his first 24 seasons as a head coach, Ford is poised to get Little Rock going again.
Final Thoughts
It’s the first exhibition game. I honestly don’t know what to expect. This game won’t count toward the standings, but it still matters. Regardless of the result, take it with a grain of salt.
