Kentucky Basketball finished exhibition play with a perfect 3-0 record after defeating UCF, 90-76, in overtime on Wednesday. At times, the Wildcats looked like the better team but struggled to pull away from the Knights. UCF eventually took the lead in the final minutes of regulation before Kentucky guard Alex Wilkins hit a game-tying shot to send the contest into overtime.
Kentucky then dominated the extra period, outscoring UCF 14-5. The performance showed that if the Wildcats can put everything
together, they have the potential to be one of the better teams in the country. They demonstrated that potential earlier with a 76-65 victory over Texas Tech.
Against UCF, four Wildcats reached double figures: Milan Momcilovic, Malachi Moreno, Mason Williams and Alex Wilkins. Kentucky will now turn its attention to the regular season, beginning Tuesday, Nov. 3, against Manhattan at 7 p.m. ET inside Rupp Arena as the Wildcats look to start their pursuit of a ninth national championship.
This is also a pivotal third season for head coach Mark Pope. After Kentucky’s season ended with a second-round loss to Iowa State in the NCAA Tournament last year, expectations are high, and many believe this season could be a make-or-break year for Pope and the program.
Manhattan, meanwhile, is coming off a difficult 2025-26 season in which the Jaspers finished 12-20. The program has also experienced significant roster turnover, returning only five of the 18 players from last season’s roster.
Getting to know Manhattan
John Gallagher enters his fourth season as Manhattan’s head coach in 2026-27. He was named the 24th head coach in program history on March 29, 2023, and brings 26 years of collegiate coaching experience at the Division I level.
Before arriving at Manhattan, Gallagher spent 12 seasons as the head coach at Hartford, leading the Hawks to three postseason appearances. His tenure included an NCAA Tournament berth in 2021 after Hartford won the America East Championship. The Hawks faced eventual national champion Baylor in the first round.
Gallagher also led Hartford to a program-record 19 wins during the 2017-18 season and helped the team reach consecutive America East championship games in 2019-20 and 2020-21.
At Manhattan, Gallagher oversaw a significant turnaround during the 2024-25 season, leading the Jaspers to 17 wins, their highest total since 2014-15. The team earned the No. 5 seed in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament and received an invitation to the College Basketball Invitational, where it lost to Incarnate Word in the first round.
Now, Manhattan faces another challenge heading into 2026-27 after losing much of its roster from last season.
Here’s what you need to watch for as the Kentucky Wildcats begin their quest for No. 9 on Tuesday.
Kentucky needs a complete performance
Although this is Kentucky’s first regular-season game, the Wildcats have already shown what their offense and defense can look like through three exhibition games. Now, they need to put everything together for a full 40 minutes.
In each exhibition, Kentucky had stretches when it struggled to execute, whether through scoring droughts, defensive breakdowns, or missed open shots. With the season underway, the Wildcats will need to become more consistent on both ends of the floor.
Against Manhattan, Kentucky may not reveal its entire playbook, especially with a challenging matchup against Kansas coming up. Even so, the Wildcats must avoid the offensive droughts that plagued them against Little Rock and UCF. Ideally, their offense will look more like it did against Texas Tech than in their other exhibition games.
Defensively, Kentucky also has room to improve. The Wildcats allowed too many offensive rebounds and second-chance points against Texas Tech, giving the Red Raiders opportunities to make a comeback. Against UCF, Kentucky nearly let the game slip away after allowing a 12-3 run late in the second half that gave the Knights the lead.
Fortunately, Kentucky survived and pulled away in overtime. Moving forward, the Wildcats must limit those lapses and sustain their effort throughout the game.
Zoom Diallo needs to regain his confidence
Kentucky had to rebuild its backcourt after losing several guards through graduation, transfers, and the NBA Draft, including Jaland Lowe, Denzel Aberdeen, Otega Oweh, Collin Chandler, and Jasper Johnson.
The Wildcats responded by adding Zoom Diallo, Alex Wilkins, Jerone Morton, Mason Williams and Zyon Hawthorne. With several new players adjusting to their roles, establishing consistency in the backcourt will be one of the team’s most important early-season priorities.
Diallo struggled to find his scoring rhythm during exhibition play. Although he looked to involve his teammates and create opportunities as a playmaker, he still has room to improve as a scorer.
Tuesday provides an opportunity for Diallo to reset and build confidence as the regular season begins. He does not necessarily need to score at the same rate he did at Washington, but Kentucky will benefit if he can attack the basket, make sound decisions, and become more comfortable offensively.
Diallo has the potential to be an important player for the Wildcats. For now, Kentucky fans will be hoping to see him take a step forward against Manhattan.
Will Kentucky play its frontcourt reserves more?
Malachi Moreno and Ousmane N’Diaye have emerged as Kentucky’s primary frontcourt starters, while Justin McBride has received the most playing time among the reserve forwards.
Pope also used backup big men Franck Kepnang and Reece Potter against UCF, but neither saw extensive action. The two combined for just nine minutes, which was notable given the expectation that Kepnang could provide 10-15 minutes off the bench to back up Moreno.
It will be worth watching whether Pope expands his frontcourt rotation against Manhattan or continues to rely primarily on Moreno, N’Diaye and McBride.
A shorter rotation could indicate that Pope is more comfortable with his primary frontcourt players, while additional minutes for Kepnang or Potter would give the Wildcats more opportunities to develop depth before tougher opponents arrive.
Regardless of how Pope handles the rotation, Kentucky will need its big men to rebound consistently, protect the rim, and provide a physical presence inside.
Manhattan players to watch
- Dasean Lewis, Guard: The 5-foot-10 junior arrives at Manhattan from Garden City Community College. In 2025-26, he averaged 13.1 points per game while shooting 39.8% from 3-point range. He also recorded 49 steals and 104 assists in 31 games. Lewis gives the Jaspers another perimeter scoring option, and Kentucky will need to account for his ability to create offense.
- Ben Pearce, Guard: The graduate student transferred from Emory, where he finished as the program’s all-time career leader in points, scoring average, 3-pointers made, games started, and minutes played. He averaged 23.6 points and 7.1 assists per game in 2025-26, earning national recognition at the Division III level. His scoring and playmaking experience could make him an important addition to Manhattan’s backcourt.
- Novak Manojlovic, Forward: The 6-foot-8 freshman joins Manhattan from Bosnia and Herzegovina. He played for KK Bosna and the Bosnia and Herzegovina U18 national team, winning national and cup championships with KK Bosna Sarajevo. His international experience gives the Jaspers another frontcourt option.
- Jackson Delaney, Guard: The 6-foot-5 senior returns after spending time at Rhode Island College and Manhattan. He played a limited role last season, appearing in 20 games off the bench. His size gives the Jaspers another option on the perimeter.
- Dušan Eric, Forward: The 6-foot-8 forward joins Manhattan after playing in Serbia and completing a prep year at Hoosac School. Gallagher has highlighted Eric’s ability to stretch the floor, giving the Jaspers a frontcourt player who can create matchup problems with his perimeter shooting.
- Ognjen Stankovic, Forward: The 6-foot-8 sophomore transferred from Akron, where he appeared in 18 games as a freshman and averaged 2.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 6.5 minutes per game. He provides Manhattan with another option in the frontcourt.
- Ben Tweedy, Guard: The junior transferred from Colgate, where he started all 33 games in 2025-26 and averaged 9.4 points per game. He made 42 of his 109 3-point attempts and scored at least 12 points in five of his final six games. Tweedy was also named to the preseason All-MAAC Third Team, making him a perimeter threat Kentucky must track.
- Isaac Johnson, Forward: The 6-foot-7 junior arrives from Pima Community College, where he averaged 16.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in 2025-26. He shot 71.8% from the field and added 1.9 steals and 1.0 block per game. Johnson’s efficiency around the basket could give Manhattan a productive frontcourt presence.
Final thoughts
Kentucky should enter Tuesday’s matchup with a clear talent advantage, but the Wildcats still need to show that they can put together a complete performance. Manhattan is coming off a 12-20 season and has undergone significant roster turnover, giving Kentucky an opportunity to open the year with a convincing win.
The biggest priorities for the Wildcats will be limiting scoring droughts, improving their defensive rebounding, and helping Diallo find his rhythm. Kentucky also has an opportunity to determine how much it can rely on its frontcourt reserves as the season progresses.
A strong start would help build confidence heading into the tougher portion of the schedule. Kentucky fans are hoping this season ends with a special run and a ninth national championship returning to Lexington for the first time since 2012.
Kentucky Basketball vs. Manhattan Jaspers
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026
Game Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center in Lexington, Kentucky
TV Channel: SEC Network+ (streaming-only broadcast)
Online Stream: Watch ESPN and the ESPN app
Replay: Watch ESPN
Radio: UK Sports Network with Tom Leach and Jack “Goose” Givens
Rosters: Kentucky | Manhattan
KenPom: Kentucky | Manhattan
Prediction: Kentucky will be looking to tip off the new season with a fast start, and against a Japers team projected to be one of the worst teams in America — KenPom has them currently ranked 318th — look for the Wildcats to come away with a dominant win to start things off. I’m going with an 89-61 victory, Kentucky!
What will you be watching for in this matchup? How do you see the game playing out? Send us your thoughts in the comments section!
