< Previous10 n @KentuckyMBBOfficial Grocer of UK Athletics IN EVERY AISLE LOW PRICES Scan to learn more.WEEKNIGHTS 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY 9:00 a.m. 12 n @KentuckyMBBKentucky in Season Openers Now in its 124th season of college bas- ketball, Kentucky is 101-21 all-time in sea- son openers entering the 2025-26 season (the Wildcats did not have a schedule in 1952-53 due to NCAA suspension). Included in Kentucky's 101-21 all-time season-opening record was a 34-game win- ning streak from the 1927-28 season to the 1961-62 season. • Kentucky is 106-16 all-time in home openers • UK is 45-4 in the first game played in Rupp Arena for the season • Mark Pope is 1-0 in season openers as UK's head coach • Pope coached UK to a season-open- ing win by a 103-62 win, a 41-point margin a season ago. The 103 points were the most for a Kentucky coach in a debut game. The previous high was 88 points vs. Morehead State in Tubby Smith's first game in 1997 Takeaways from the Tune-Ups Kentucky utilized 10 players who ap- peared for at least 15 minutes of action -- and all 10 scored in a 78-65 win over Purdue, the No. 1 team in the country heading into the 2025-26 season. Freshman Jasper Johnson paced the team in scoring at 15 points. Eight players scored at least six points in the contest for the Cats. Defense also played a part for the Cats, with Purdue limited to just 38.6% shooting, including 17.6% from distance. UK also won the boards by a 42-30 margin. In Kentucky's 84-70 loss to Georgetown, Otega Oweh had 17 points and Mo Diou- bate added 13 and seven boards. The Hoyas managed 55.4% from the field and forced the Cats into 15 turnovers. Kentucky shot just 33.3% from the field and 65.7% from the charity stripe. After sev- en players making a 3-pointer in the opening frame, the Cats could not connect from dis- tance in the second half. UK did outrebound the Hoyas by a 38-30 margin, including snaring 16 on the offen- sive end. Celebrating the 50th Season of Ken- tucky Basketball in Rupp Arena UK Athletics and Rupp Arena at Cen- tral Bank Center, proudly managed by Oak View Group, are excited to announce a sea- son-long celebration marking the 50th sea- son of Kentucky men’s basketball playing in one of the most iconic venues in college sports. Since opening its doors in 1976, Rupp Arena has been home to countless unforget- table moments, including four NCAA Cham- pionship-winning teams, legendary players and generations of Big Blue Nation faithful. The milestone season will honor that rich history with a series of in-venue cel- ebrations, social media throwbacks and special broadcast programming through the UK Sports Network Throughout the 2025–26 season, fans can expect a variety of tributes to the program’s storied history, including highlight reels, commemorative content and special recognitions during home games. The celebration will also spotlight the fans who have made Rupp Arena one of the most electric environments in all of sports. Preseason Honors Several Wildcats have earned preseason honors heading into the 2025-26 season, headlined by Otega Oweh. Oweh has hauled in Southeastern Con- ference Player of the Year preseason nods by the league's media and coaches as well as ESPN. He's also an early season candi- date for All-America honors from CBS, Jay Bilas, The Field of 68, College Hoops Today and Blue Ribbon Magazine. Furthermore, he's one of 20 candidates on the preseason watch list for the Jerry West Award which recognizes the nation's best shooting guard. He's also an early-season candidate for the NABC Player of the Year and the Naismith Trophy. Jaland Lowe has been a candidate for SEC recognition as well, joining Oweh on preseason All-SEC squads. He's also one of 20 selections for the preseason watch list for the Bob Cousy Award, which highlights the nation's best point guard. He joined Oweh on the Naismith Trophy Watch List. Jayden Quaintance is an early-season candidate for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hon- or which recognizes the nation's best center. From Press Row 14 n @KentuckyMBB KENTUCKY BASKETBALLWe’re your Shield. We’re your Shelter. ShelterInsurance.com • 1-800-SHELTER ANDERSON, IN Jordan Harper BARDSTOWN Tyler Bruington BEAVER DAM Robbie Parham BOWLING GREEN William Porter BUTLER Jason Laytart CAMPBELLSVILLE Taylor Burress COVINGTON Shawn Moore CRESTWOOD Jamie Norsworthy CYNTHIANA, KY Lee Adkins DANVILLE Troy Wheeler ELIZABETHTOWN Thomas Hill EMINENCE Fred Downey FLORENCE Rocky Bryan FRANKLIN Lauren Roberts FRANKFORT BJ Hurst Audrey Marshall GEORGETOWN Steve Black Stephanie Mills HARRODSBURG Jamie Dunn HENDERSON Jules Harrison HODGENVILLE Teddy Sandford HOPKINSVILLE Alexander Capps LANCASTER Cindy Lanham LAWRENCEBURG Ashley Bailey LAWRENCEBURG, IN Heather Fentress LEITCHFIELD Donna Vanmeter LEXINGTON Tony Arnold Craig Curtis Josh Miniard Willie Morrison Linda Nance Paul Young LIBERTY Kevin Atwood LIVERMORE Katie Gunterman LONDON Derek Marlow LOUISVILLE Corinne Ramsier Larissa Spears William West MADISONVILLE Brandi Hughes MAYFIELD Steve Jones MOREHEAD Caleb Staggs MOUNT STERLING Elizabeth Shelley MURRAY Doug Henry NICHOLASVILLE Marc Miller Russ Owens OWENSBORO Logan Barrow Natasha Conkright PADUCAH Toby Boone PRINCETON Mike Gilkey RICHMOND, IN Ashley Kovaleski Evan Worrell SHELBYVILLE Scott Martin SLAUGHTERS Sam Westfall SOMERSET Jason Weatherford SPRINGFIELD Sue Blair STANFORD Sean Slusher UNION Joey Bailey VERSAILLES Debbie Hinely WINCHESTER Kay Brandenburg Olin Woolum Visit ShelterInsurance.com/WorldsBest for more information. Ranked on the list for three years in a row! FORBES WORLD’S BEST INSURANCE COMPANIESFinal 2024-25 SEC Standings and Statistics TeamSECOverallHomeRoad Auburn15-332-614-28-2 Florida14-436-417-17-3 Alabama13-528-913-39-4 Tennessee12-630-818-16-5 Texas A&M11-723-1113-35-5 Kentucky10-824-1213-34-7 Ole Miss10-824-1213-36-7 Missouri10-822-1218-23-7 Mississippi State8-1021-1310-56-5 Arkansas8-1022-1413-44-7 Georgia8-1020-1315-33-7 Vanderbilt8-1020-1314-33-7 Oklahoma6-1220-1411-52-7 Texas6-1219-1611-74-6 LSU3-1514-1811-72-8 South Carolina2-1612-2010-81-10 Scoring Player-Team.............................................................PPG 1. Johnson, Tre - Texas................................................19.94 2. Hubbard, Josh - MS.................................................18.88 3. Sears, Mark - UA .....................................................18.65 4. Broome, Johni - AUB................................................18.58 5. Clayton Jr., Walter - UF ...........................................18.28 Rebounding Player-Team............................................................RPG 1. Broome, Johni - AUB................................................10.81 2. Williams, Amari - UK ........................................... 8.50 3. Murray-Boyles, Collin - SC ........................................8.25 4. McGlockton, Devin - VU ...........................................7.88 5. Nelson, Grant - UA....................................................7.57 Assists Player-Team............................................................APG 1. Zeigler, Zakai - UT .....................................................7.43 2. Sears, Mark - UA .......................................................5.14 3. Hoggard, A.J. - VU .....................................................4.63 4. Taylor IV, Wade - TA&M ..............................................4.30 5. Butler, Lamont - UK ............................................. 4.26 Steals Player-Team.............................................................SPG 1. Matthews, Cameron - MS .........................................2.41 2. Robinson II, Anthony - MO ........................................2.03 3. Zeigler, Zakai - UT......................................................1.89 4. Pedulla, Sean - UM ...................................................1.89 5. Murrell, Matthew - UM ............................................. 1.81 Blocks Player-Team............................................................BPG 1. Broome, Johni - AUB..................................................2.11 2. Ivisic, Zvonimir - ARK.................................................1.89 3. Okpara, Felix - UT......................................................1.68 4. Shedrick, Kadin - Texas .............................................1.66 5. Collins, Daimion - LSU ............................................ 1.57 2025-26 Associated Press Rankings As of November 1, 2025 (preseason) TeamRecord Points 1Purdue (35)0-01485 2Houston (16)0-01459 3Florida (8)0-01382 4UConn (2)0-01299 5St. John's0-01203 6Duke0-01123 7Michigan0-01084 8BYU0-01078 9Kentucky0-01056 10Texas Tech0-01015 11Louisville0-0966 12UCLA0-0741 13Arizona0-0715 14Arkansas0-0695 15Alabama0-0620 16Iowa State0-0616 17Illinois0-0567 18Tennessee0-0462 19Kansas0-0453 20Auburn0-0424 21Gonzaga0-0387 22Michigan State0-0188 23Creighton0-0158 24Wisconsin0-0136 25North Carolina0-0104 Around the CountryAround the SEC 18 n @KentuckyMBB KENTUCKY BASKETBALLNext >