2026-27 Official Kentucky Men’s Basketball Yearbook Presented By The Perfect Fit Silver Lining Inside: 48© 2026 The Coca-Cola Company. “Coca-Cola” is a registered trademark of The Coca-Cola Company. ISTHIRSTYWORK FAN WORKSAVE YOUR WAY SAME POINTS. MORE CHOICES. * OR Dollars OFF Groceries Up to $1 OFF per Gallon Learn more at Kroger.com/points * Restrictions apply. See site for details.2 KENTUCKY WILDCATSBASKETBALL YEARBOOK 2026-27 Wildcats 20Zoom Diallo 22Braydon Hawthorne 24Zyon Hawthorne 26Franck Kepnang 28Justin McBride 30Milan Momcilovic 32Malachi Moreno 34Jerone Morton 36Ousmane N’Diaye 37Trent Noah 38Reece Potter 39Alex Wilkins 40Kam Williams 41Mason Williams Coaching Staff 44Head Coach Mark Pope 46Associate Coach Mark Fox 47Assistant Coach Cody Fueger 48Assistant Coach Mo Williams 49Assistant Coach Mikhail McLean 50Dir. of Basketball Ops Nick Robinson 2026-27 Opponents 52Manhattan 53James Madison 54Kansas 56Northern Arizona 56Grambling State 58Indiana 60Wichita State 62Virginia 63Appalachian State 64Bryant 65Louisville 66North Carolina 67Sacred Heart 68Gardner-Webb 69Oklahoma 70Ole Miss 71Missouri 72LSU 73Vanderbilt 74Mississippi State 75Tennessee 76Texas 77Alabama 78South Carolina 79Georgia 80Arkansas 81Auburn 82Texas A&M 83Florida University & Tradition 86University of Kentucky 88President Eli Capilouto 90Athletics Director J Batt 92Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center 94Hall of Fame 96Wildcats in the NBA 104Kentucky in the NBA Draft 106Kentucky in the NCAA 107Kentucky in the SEC 108Unparalleled Tradition 111Retired Jerseys 112All-Americans 114UK Sports Network 2026-27 Kentucky Men’s Basketball Yearbook is published by the University of Kentucky Athletics Department University of Kentucky Athletics Director: J Batt Communications and Public Relations: Tony Neely, Greg Welsh 410 West Vine Street, Suite 150 Lexington, KY 40507 859-230-4372 Brandon Baker, Curtis Burch, Brent Carney, Randy Carter, Annie Gillenwater, Devin Jones, Michelle Knezovic, Jensen Linder, Davis Luna, Adair Mattingly, Case Miller, Seth Poteat, Kim Ramsay, Lance Reed, Nadia Steinbicker, Saige Sutterlin, Matt Taylor, Brad Tucker Design & Publishing: Jai Giffin Creative Director: Jamie Barker Production Assistance: Laura Doolittle, Lisa Roberts Contents The Perfect Fit New playmakers, elite shooting and improved length have UK positioned to take the next step under Mark Pope. Silver Lining The 1996-97 Wildcats finished the season 35-5 and runner-up in the NCAA Championship. On the Cover Back Row (L-R): Zyon Hawthorne, Justin McBride, Ousmane N’Diaye, Reece Potter, Malachi Moreno, Braydon Hawthorne, Trent Noah, Franck Kepnang. Front Row (L-R): Kam Williams, Milan Momcilovic, Alex Wilkins, Mason Williams, Zoom Diallo, Jerone Morton. 4 8KENTUCKY WILDCATSFOOTBALL YEARBOOK 3 THE PERFECT FIT NEW PLAYMAKERS, ELITE SHOOTING AND IMPROVED LENGTH HAVE UK POSITIONED TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP UNDER MARK POPE. BY: TOM LEACH “VOICE OF THE WILDCATS”5 KENTUCKY WILDCATSBASKETBALL YEARBOOK W hen Mark Pope addressed the Lexing- ton Rotary Club the week before his third Kentucky team’s first exhibition game, one comment stood out. He said this roster may be the best fit yet for his coaching phi- losophy. After battling injuries throughout his first two seasons, Pope believes this team’s ver- satility, basketball IQ and shooting ability will allow him to coach more creatively and maximize his system. “What this team has is so much posi- tional versatility, where guys can slide from position to position,” Pope told a packed room of Rotarians. “I think this team fits me in terms of its ability to shoot the ball. This team is going to be so much fun to coach be- cause its IQ is really high. They allow us to tinker with the game, which is what I love to do most and get really creative. “So it’s going to be, for me personally, an incredibly fun team to coach.” Pope’s first Kentucky team finished 10th nationally in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency ratings but only 51st defensive- ly. Injuries — most notably to point guard Lamont Butler — prevented the Wildcats from developing the defensive consistency needed to complement an offense that set a school record for victories over ranked op- ponents. Year 2 brought another wave of injury challenges. Kentucky spent much of the season without the point guard recruited to run the offense and the talented post player who flashed his potential in the Wildcats’ victory over St. John’s in late December. The defense improved significantly, climbing to 28th nationally in adjusted efficiency, but the offense slipped to 40th. The 2026-27 Wildcats appear to have the personnel to return to an elite offensive lev- el. How much they continue to improve de- fensively may determine just how high their ceiling can be. “It’s a serious-minded group of guys, and we also have a serious-minded coach- ing staff. I think that’s the most important thing,” said UK radio analyst Jack “Goose” Givens. Givens also believes leadership has emerged throughout offseason workouts. “There are certain players who come in and take that leadership role and become the glue that holds everybody together,” he said. “We have that in Zoom Diallo.” “You want these guys to look at every day as a challenge. That’s how you get bet- ter and win games,” Givens continued. “I’ve seen a lot of that in practice. I was talking with one of the players during Pro Day for NBA scouts, and it was interesting to hear him say, ‘This team likes to practice.’ It’s ob- vious every day.” On his final radio show last March, Pope said finding more “creators” would be one of his top offseason priorities. He believes he accomplished that goal, helping explain why he feels this roster is such a natural fit for his system. Kentucky added two accomplished point guards in Washington transfer Zoom Diallo and Furman transfer Alex Wilkins. Both ranked among the nation’s better play- makers in assist rate, and Pope believes they can play together effectively. Diallo embraces the leadership respon- sibilities that come with running Kentucky’s offense. “I have a job to do — win games for Ken- tucky basketball,” Diallo said. “I can’t afford to be shy with my teammates, my coaches or the fan base. One thing I am is a leader. I want people to hear my voice, and I’ve no- ticed that’s been contagious. That’s just who I am. “You only live once. If people hear you, they can understand you on a better level. I know the standard at Kentucky. There’s no losing here. If my name is going to be part of Kentucky basketball, I want to win. Coach Pope calling me was a dream come true. It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.” Wilkins burst onto the national stage during the NCAA Tournament, scoring 21 points in Furman’s 82-71 first-round loss to eventual national runner-up UConn. But he said that performance didn’t create his con- fidence. “I can play with anybody. My confidence is through the roof,” Wilkins said during UK Basketball Media Day. “I know I can play with the best. That game was a great experience, but I’ve always had that confidence.” Former Penn State stand- out Jon Crispin, who called the Furman-UConn game for Westwood One, believes Wilkins’ upside extends well beyond scoring. “When they needed him, he could turn it on. My hope for him, as a bigger guard who can add a little more weight, is that he learns to be a play- maker in addition to being a scorer,” Crispin said on The Leach Report. “Scoring isn’t going to be a problem for him. Making others better is the next step in his development. “Anything’s possible with him. You don’t want to reel him in. Let him go and coach him along the way. He was a fighter, a warrior and the type Zoom Diallo6 KENTUCKY WILDCATSBASKETBALL YEARBOOK of kid you’d want to play with,” Crispin con- tinued. “As a coach, you look at him and say, ‘The more confident he is, the more danger- ous he becomes,’ and you let him go. That’s the next step I’m most interested in. How does he step into a situation with a different level of responsibility? That’s the biggest question with a talent like this. He has great length and the ability to get his shot off. He’s not a pure jump shooter, but he has such a knack for the game that he doesn’t need to create the same kind of space that others do. Learning how to manage a game will be the next step in his development.” Kentucky added another major boost to its offensive firepower by landing Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic. He was one of the nation’s premier shooters last season, making 136 3-pointers while shooting 49% from beyond the arc. He scored 20 or more points in 15 games despite not being the first option in Iowa State’s offense. Pope has told Momcilovic his 3-point percentage may decline slightly because he’ll be asked to shoot even more than he did last season. Momcilovic attempted 279 3-pointers, the 20th-most in Division I. Sophomore Malachi Moreno could be the only returning player in Kentucky’s start- ing lineup on opening night. The 7-footer from Georgetown, Kentucky, and Pope both acknowledged there were some bumps ear- ly in the summer as they worked to establish expectations for Moreno’s development. Moreno said he and his biggest adviser — his brother Michael, a former standout at Eastern Kentucky — met with Pope, and everyone has been on the same page ever since. Veteran college basketball writer Mike DeCourcy believes Moreno is poised for sig- nificant growth in his second season. “I looked at what Malachi did as a fresh- man as the beginning, not as a definition of who he is,” DeCourcy said. “He was only a freshman playing in a high-leverage situa- tion. At Kentucky, there’s not much room for failure. For him to handle what he handled, I think it absolutely points toward excellence in his future, as long as he’s committed to the process. From everything I’ve seen so far, he is.” Moreno, Momcilovic, Diallo and Wilkins appear poised to log heavy minutes, but how the rest of the starting lineup and the rotation take shape remains one of the big- gest questions entering the season. Sharpshooter Kam Williams, who also showed tremendous promise defensive- ly last season, should be in the mix once his foot has fully healed. Trent Noah re- turns with a combination of shooting and rebounding skills that could earn him sig- nificant minutes. James Madison transfer Justin McBride provides more size as a po- tential power forward, while international recruit Ousmane N’Diaye is an intriguing 7-footer capable of stretching the floor from beyond the arc. Former Wildcat Kyle Wiltjer played against N’Diaye in the same professional league overseas. “I think Kentucky fans should be really excited,” Wiltjer said on The Leach Report. “He’s an exciting player who plays with a lot of confidence. I played against him twice last season. He shoots it really well, he’s su- per athletic and he’s playing at a high level in a league filled with experienced profes- sionals. Having played in so many different countries and against so many different types of players, I think he’s going to do great at the NCAA level.” Pope has emphasized one theme throughout the preseason: “Our length will be our strength.” He also made an interest- ing move to help accelerate team chemistry by having the players live together in Wild- cat Lodge next to the Joe Craft Center. Diallo believes that decision will pay div- idends. “You look at the Michigan team that just won the national championship,” he said. “Their connection and their bond were at a high level. Us starting that early is going to help us.” Milan Momcilovic Malachi Moreno Kam WilliamsNext >