{"id":911331,"date":"2026-11-09T14:38:09","date_gmt":"2026-11-09T14:38:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/911331\/"},"modified":"2026-11-09T14:38:09","modified_gmt":"2026-11-09T14:38:09","slug":"kansas-basketball-vs-kentucky-preview-get-to-know-the-wildcats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/911331\/","title":{"rendered":"Kansas Basketball vs. Kentucky Preview: Get to Know the Wildcats"},"content":{"rendered":"

The No. 17 ranked Kansas Jayhawks<\/a> are about to get their biggest test thus far of the regular season when they head to Chicago for this year\u2019s Champions Classic for a primetime showdown versus the No. 23 ranked Kentucky Wildcats. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a star-studded matchup on both sides with Kansas boasting college basketball\u2019s top freshman \u2013 and the early favorite to go No. 1 in the 2027 NBA Draft <\/a>\u2013 in Tyran Stokes and Kentucky having several pro prospects on their roster this season. <\/p>\n

Kansas and Kentucky are the two winningest programs in college basketball, and it\u2019s always entertaining when these two teams get together. <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a preview of this year\u2019s Kentucky Wildcats. <\/p>\n

Record<\/p>\n

The Wildcats enter the Champions Classic with a 2-0 record. Their first win came convincingly against the Manhattan Jaspers of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference by a final score of 85-57. However, Kentucky\u2019s second win against James Madison was much more of a challenge. <\/p>\n

The game was tied at 39 a piece at halftime, and the Dukes held a 56-54 lead with about 14 minutes to go in the game. But Kentucky was eventually able to pull away 89-80 in the end.<\/p>\n

The Wildcats were picked to finish seventh in the SEC this year according to the SEC media preseason poll. <\/p>\n

Key Players<\/p>\n

The Wildcats have a lot of talent across the board, but there\u2019s a trio of players who stick out on this year\u2019s team. <\/p>\n

Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic is one of the best shooters in college basketball. The 6-foot-9 senior averaged 16.9 points per game last year for the Cyclones and shot an incredible 48.7% from 3-point range. <\/p>\n

ESPN rates him as the 18th best player in the country this season<\/a> and it will be a big challenge for the Jayhawks to keep him contained. <\/p>\n

Washington transfer Zoom Diallo will also present a challenge. The 6-foot-6 junior was a double-digit scorer the past two seasons for the Huskies and is averaging 14.0 points per game thus far for the Wildcats. <\/p>\n

Kentucky big man Malachi Moreno will be a tough matchup for KU\u2019s frontcourt on Tuesday night as well. The 7-foot-1 sophomore center is a projected first-round draft pick and tested the NBA waters this offseason after averaging 7.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game as a freshman last year.<\/p>\n

It will be interesting to see how Bill Self decides to match up with Moreno defensively.<\/p>\n

Coaching<\/p>\n

The Wildcats are led by Mark Pope, a former Kentucky player who is now in his third year as head coach in Lexington. He was hired by the Wildcats in April 2024 to replace long-time head coach John Calipari. <\/p>\n

Pope guided Kentucky to a 24-12 record and a Sweet 16 appearance during his first year. His early success had Big Blue Nation excited for the future, but that took a turn during a tumultuous second year at the helm.<\/p>\n

Boasting one of the most expensive rosters in college basketball, the Wildcats drastically underperformed last year and lost seven of their final 12 games. They finished 22-14, losing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. <\/p>\n

Pope is now 48-26 overall as head coach at Kentucky. <\/p>\n

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