2025–26 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team

American college basketball season From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 2025–26 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Kentucky during the 2025–26 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Wildcats, founding members of the Southeastern Conference, played their home games at Rupp Arena and were led by Mark Pope in his second season as head coach for the Wildcats.

ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Record22–14 (10–8 SEC)
Headcoach
Associate headcoachAlvin Brooks III (2nd season)
Quick facts Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball, NCAA tournament, Second round ...
2025–26 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
NCAA tournament, Second round
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Record22–14 (10–8 SEC)
Head coach
Associate head coachAlvin Brooks III (2nd season)
Assistant coaches
Home arenaRupp Arena
Seasons
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More information Conf., Overall ...
2025–26 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
No. 9 Florida16–2 .88927–8  .771
No. 16 Alabama13–5 .72225–10  .714
No. 13 Arkansas †13–5 .72228–9  .757
No. 19 Vanderbilt11–7 .61127–9  .750
No. 12 Tennessee11–7 .61125–12  .676
Texas A&M11–7 .61122–12  .647
Georgia10–8 .55622–11  .667
Missouri10–8 .55620–13  .606
Kentucky10–8 .55622–14  .611
No. 22 Texas9–9 .50021–15  .583
Oklahoma7–11 .38921–16  .568
Auburn7–11 .38922–16  .579
Mississippi State5–13 .27813–19  .406
South Carolina4–14 .22213–19  .406
Ole Miss4–14 .22215–20  .429
LSU3–15 .16715–17  .469
† 2026 SEC tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll
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Previous season

The Wildcats finished the 2024–25 season with a record of 24–12, 10–8 in SEC play to finish in a 3-way tie for seventh place in the SEC. The Wildcats earned a number six seed in the SEC tournament, they won the second-round game against Oklahoma then lost to Alabama in the quarterfinals. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where the Wildcats made it to the Sweet 16 by defeating Troy, 76–57, in the first round and Illinois, 84–75, in the second round. The Wildcats lost to rival Tennessee, 78–65, in the Sweet Sixteen, finishing the season with an overall record of 24–12.[1]

Offseason

Departures

Kentucky had 5 departures from the 2025 team that were lost to exhausted eligibility. On March 31 Kerr Kriisa announced his entry into the NCAA transfer portal.[2] On April 8 Kriisa committed to play for Cincinnati.[3] On April 22 Travis Perry put his name in the transfer portal.[4] On May 4 Perry committed to play for SEC rival Ole Miss.[5]

More information Name, Number ...
NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownReason for departure
Koby Brea4G6'7"206SeniorWashington Heights, NYGraduated
Lamont Butler1G6'2"204SeniorMoreno Valley, CAGraduated
Andrew Carr7F6'10"227SeniorWest Chester, PAGraduated
Kerr Kriisa77G6'3"190SeniorTartu, EstoniaTransferred to Cincinnati
Travis Perry11G6'1"185FreshmanEddyville, KYTransferred to Ole Miss
Jaxson Robinson2G6'6"191SeniorAda, OKGraduated
Amari Williams22C7'0"265SeniorNottingham, EnglandGraduated
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Incoming transfers

Prior to the end of the 2025 season Kentucky received its first transfer commitment for the next season from forward Kam Williams, who transferred from Tulane, on March 29.[6] On April 5 guard Jaland Lowe, transferring from Pittsburgh, committed to play for Kentucky.[7] Two days later on April 7 former Alabama forward Mouhamed Dioubate became the third transfer commitment.[8] One day later, one of the top forwards in the portal, former Arizona State forward Jayden Quaintance committed. Quaintance was previously a signee with Kentucky in the 2024 class, but decommitted once former coach John Calipari became the Arkansas head coach.[9] On April 21 former Florida guard Denzel Aberdeen committed.[10] The last member of the transfer class is center Reece Potter, who committed on May 5 after transferring from Miami (OH).[11] This years team, had a high NIL (Name Image and Likeness) value, of around $22M.

More information Name, Num ...
NameNumPos.HeightWeightYearHometownPrevious college
Denzel Aberdeen1G6'5"180SeniorOrlando, FLTransferred from Florida
Mouhamed Dioubate23F6'7"215JuniorFlushing, NYTransferred from Alabama
Jaland Lowe15G6'1"180JuniorMissouri City, TXTransferred from Pittsburgh
Jayden Quaintance21F6'10"225SophomoreCleveland, OHTransferred from Arizona State
Reece Potter33F7'1"215JuniorLexington, KYTransferred from Miami (OH)
Kam Williams3F6'8"190SophomoreLafayette, LATransferred from Tulane
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Class of 2025 signees

More information Name, Hometown ...
College recruiting
Name Hometown School Height Weight Commit date
Jasper Johnson
#8 SG		 Lexington, KY Overtime Elite 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Sep 5, 2024 
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 4/5 stars   247Sports: 4/5 stars   ESPN: 4/5 stars   (89)
Malachi Moreno
#1 C		 Georgetown, KY Great Crossing High School 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Aug 16, 2024 
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 4/5 stars   247Sports: 4/5 stars   ESPN: 4/5 stars   (88)
Braydon Hawthorne
#10 F		 Beckley, WV Huntington Prep 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 185 lb (84 kg) May 22, 2025 
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 4/5 stars   247Sports: 4/5 stars   ESPN: 4/5 stars   (83)
Andrija Jelavić
F		 Zagreb, Croatia KK Mega Basket 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Apr 12, 2025 
Recruit ratings: No ratings found
Overall recruit ranking:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Kentucky 2025 Basketball Commitments". Rivals. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  • "2025 Kentucky Basketball Commits". ESPN. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  • "2025 Team Ranking". Rivals. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  • "Kentucky 2025 Basketball Commits". 247Sports. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
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Roster

More information Players, Coaches ...
2025–26 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
G 00 Otega Oweh 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)220 lb (100 kg) SrOklahoma Newark, NJ
G 1 Denzel Aberdeen 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)195 lb (88 kg) SrFlorida Orlando, FL
G 2 Jasper Johnson 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)180 lb (82 kg) FrOvertime Elite Lexington, KY
F 3 Kam Williams Injured 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)205 lb (93 kg) SoTulane Lafayette, LA
F 4 Andrija Jelavić 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)225 lb (102 kg) FrMega Superbet Zagreb, Croatia
G 5 Collin Chandler 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)205 lb (93 kg) SoFarmington Farmington, UT
G/F 9 Trent Noah Injured 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)220 lb (100 kg) SoHarlan County Harlan, KY
C 10 Brandon Garrison Injured 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)245 lb (111 kg) JrOklahoma State Oklahoma City, OK
G 11 Walker Horn (W) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)190 lb (86 kg) SrWestlake Austin, TX
G 15 Jaland Lowe Injured 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)170 lb (77 kg) JrPittsburgh Missouri City, TX
F 20 Zach Tow (W) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)220 lb (100 kg) SrMadisonville North Hopkins Madisonville, KY
F 21 Jayden Quaintance Injured 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)255 lb (116 kg) SoArizona State Cleveland, OH
F 22 Braydon Hawthorne 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)190 lb (86 kg) FrHuntington Prep Beckley, WV
G 23 Mouhamed Dioubate 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)220 lb (100 kg) JrAlabama Flushing, NY
C 24 Malachi Moreno 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)250 lb (113 kg) FrGreat Crossing Georgetown, KY
C 33 Reece Potter Injured 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)230 lb (104 kg) RS JrMiami (OH) Lexington, KY
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster

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Schedule and results

More information Date time, TV, Rank# ...
Date
time, TV		 Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
October 24, 2025*
6:00 p.m., SECN		 No. 9 No. 1 Purdue W 78–65  –
  15 – Johnson  9 – Dioubate  3 – Tied  Rupp Arena (19,906)
Lexington, KY
October 30, 2025*
7:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+		 No. 9 Georgetown L 70–84  –
  17 – Oweh  6 – Tied  3 – Tied  Rupp Arena (19,251)
Lexington, KY
Non-conference regular season
November 4, 2025*
7:00 p.m., ESPN+/SECN+		 No. 9 Nicholls
BBN United Tipoff Classic		 W 77–51  1–0
  15 – Chandler  9 – Moreno  6 – Aberdeen  Rupp Arena (19,289)
Lexington, KY
November 7, 2025*
7:00 p.m., ESPN+/SECN+		 No. 9 Valparaiso
BBN United Tipoff Classic		 W 107–59  2–0
  18 – Moreno  10 – Moreno  5 – Tied  Rupp Arena (20,016)
Lexington, KY
November 11, 2025*
8:00 p.m., ESPN		 No. 9 at No. 12 Louisville
Battle For The Bluegrass		 L 88–96  2–1
  26 – Aberdeen  7 – Aberdeen  5 – Lowe  KFC Yum! Center (22,586)
Louisville, KY
November 14, 2025*
7:00 p.m., ESPN+/SECN+		 No. 9 Eastern Illinois
BBN United Tipoff Classic		 W 99–53  3–1
  20 – Dioubate  11 – Dioubate  7 – Johnson  Rupp Arena (20,000)
Lexington, KY
November 18, 2025*
6:30 p.m., ESPN		 No. 12 vs. No. 17 Michigan State
Champions Classic		 L 66–83  3–2
  12 – Oweh  4 – Tied  3 – Tied  Madison Square Garden (19,327)
New York, NY
November 21, 2025*
7:00 p.m., ESPN+/SECN+		 No. 12 Loyola (MD) W 88–46  4–2
  13 – Tied  11 – Garrison  6 – Aberdeen  Rupp Arena (19,764)
Lexington, KY
November 26, 2025*
7:00 p.m., SECN		 No. 19 Tennessee Tech W 104–54  5–2
  16 – Tied  11 – Moreno  5 – Chandler  Rupp Arena (19,602)
Lexington, KY
December 2, 2025*
9:30 p.m., ESPN		 No. 18 No. 16 North Carolina
ACC–SEC Challenge, rivalry		 L 64–67  5–3
  16 – Oweh  9 – Moreno  4 – Aberdeen  Rupp Arena (20,029)
Lexington, KY
December 5, 2025*
7:00 p.m., ESPN2		 No. 18 vs. No. 11 Gonzaga L 59–94  5–4
  16 – Oweh  5 – Oweh  5 – Oweh  Bridgestone Arena (18,507)
Nashville, TN
December 9, 2025*
7:00 p.m., SECN		 NC Central W 103–67  6–4
  22 – Johnson  7 – Tied  8 – Chandler  Rupp Arena (19,247)
Lexington, KY
December 13, 2025*
7:30 p.m., ESPN		 Indiana
Rivalry		 W 72–60  7–4
  14 – Dioubate  12 – Dioubate  3 – Moreno  Rupp Arena (20,061)
Lexington, KY
December 20, 2025*
12:30 p.m., CBS		 vs. No. 22 St. John's
CBS Sports Classic		 W 78–66  8–4
  22 – Oweh  9 – Moreno  3 – Tied  State Farm Arena 
Atlanta, GA
December 23, 2025*
1:00 p.m., ESPN+/SECN+		 Bellarmine W 99–85  9–4
  26 – Williams  8 – Oweh  10 – Oweh  Rupp Arena (19,706)
Lexington, KY
SEC regular season
January 3, 2026
12:00 p.m., ESPN		 at No. 14 Alabama L 74–89  9–5
(0–1)		  22 – Oweh  8 – Tied  3 – Oweh  Coleman Coliseum (13,474)
Tuscaloosa, AL
January 7, 2026
7:00 p.m., ESPN2		 Missouri L 68–73  9–6
(0–2)		  20 – Oweh  5 – Oweh  4 – Tied  Rupp Arena (19,085)
Lexington, KY
January 10, 2026
8:30 p.m., SECN		 Mississippi State W 92–68  10–6
(1–2)		  22 – Oweh  8 – Moreno  6 – Moreno  Rupp Arena (19,725)
Lexington, KY
January 13, 2026
7:00 p.m., SECN		 at LSU W 75–74  11–6
(2–2)		  21 – Oweh  8 – Moreno  4 – Aberdeen  Pete Maravich Assembly Center (8,671)
Baton Rouge, LA
January 17, 2026
12:00 p.m., ESPN		 at No. 24 Tennessee
Rivalry		 W 80–78  12–6
(3–2)		  22 – Aberdeen  6 – Tied  4 – Johnson  Thompson–Boling Arena (21,678)
Knoxville, TN
January 21, 2026
7:00 p.m., SECN		 Texas W 85–80  13–6
(4–2)		  19 – Aberdeen  7 – Tied  6 – Moreno  Rupp Arena (19,298)
Lexington, KY
January 24, 2026
11:00 a.m., ESPN		 Ole Miss W 72–63  14–6
(5–2)		  23 – Oweh  9 – Moreno  5 – Aberdeen  Rupp Arena (19,831)
Lexington, KY
January 27, 2026
9:00 p.m., ESPN		 at No. 18 Vanderbilt L 55–80  14–7
(5–3)		  20 – Oweh  8 – Moreno  3 – Oweh  Memorial Gymnasium (10,195)
Nashville, TN
January 31, 2026
6:30 p.m., ESPN		 at No. 15 Arkansas W 85–77  15–7
(6–3)		  24 – Oweh  8 – Oweh  3 – Tied  Bud Walton Arena (19,200)
Fayetteville, AR
February 4, 2026
9:00 p.m., ESPN2		 Oklahoma W 94–78  16–7
(7–3)		  24 – Oweh  11 – Garrison  5 – Aberdeen  Rupp Arena (19,394)
Lexington, KY
February 7, 2026
8:30 p.m., ESPN		 No. 25 Tennessee
Rivalry		 W 74–71  17–7
(8–3)		  21 – Oweh  7 – Garrison  3 – Tied  Rupp Arena (20,123)
Lexington, KY
February 14, 2026
3:00 p.m., ABC		 No. 25 at No. 14 Florida
Rivalry		 L 83–92  17–8
(8–4)		  19 – Aberdeen  11 – Moreno  4 – Aberdeen  O'Connell Center (11,230)
Gainesville, FL
February 17, 2026
9:00 p.m., ESPN		 Georgia L 78–86  17–9
(8–5)		  28 – Oweh  9 – Dioubate  4 – Tied  Rupp Arena (19,780)
Lexington, KY
February 21, 2026
8:30 p.m., ESPN		 at Auburn L 74–75  17–10
(8–6)		  29 – Oweh  7 – Tied  4 – Moreno  Neville Arena (9,121)
Auburn, AL
February 24, 2026
7:00 p.m., SECN		 at South Carolina W 72–63  18–10
(9–6)		  19 – Aberdeen  11 – Moreno  5 – Aberdeen  Colonial Life Arena (11,318)
Columbia, SC
February 28, 2026
2:00 p.m., ESPN		 No. 25 Vanderbilt W 91–77  19–10
(10–6)		  23 – Tied  6 – Moreno  5 – Moreno  Rupp Arena (20,075)
Lexington, KY
March 3, 2026
7:00 p.m., ESPN2		 at Texas A&M L 85–96  19–11
(10–7)		  24 – Oweh  9 – Oweh  8 – Aberdeen  Reed Arena (8,062)
College Station, TX
March 7, 2026
4:00 p.m., ESPN		 No. 5 Florida
Rivalry		 L 77–84  19–12
(10–8)		  28 – Oweh  6 – Tied  4 – Tied  Rupp Arena (20,140)
Lexington, KY
SEC Tournament
March 11, 2026
12:30 p.m., SECN		 (9) vs. (16) LSU
First round		 W 87–82  20–12
  23 – Oweh  8 – Oweh  3 – Tied  Bridgestone Arena (12,722)
Nashville, TN
March 12, 2026
12:30 p.m., SECN		 (9) vs. (8) Missouri
Second round		 W 78–72  21–12
  21 – Oweh  7 – Dioubate  7 – Aberdeen  Bridgestone Arena (15,719)
Nashville, TN
March 13, 2026
1:00 p.m., ESPN		 (9) vs. (1) No. 4 Florida
Quarterfinal / Rivalry		 L 63–71  21–13
  17 – Aberdeen  5 – Tied  3 – Aberdeen  Bridgestone Arena (17,864)
Nashville, TN
NCAA Tournament
March 20, 2026*
12:15 p.m., CBS		 (7 MW) vs. (10 MW) Santa Clara
First round		 W 89–84 OT 22–13
  35 – Oweh  8 – Tied  7 – Oweh  Enterprise Center (17,192)
St. Louis, MO
March 22, 2026*
2:45 p.m., CBS		 (7 MW) vs. (2 MW) No. 6 Iowa State
Second round		 L 63–82  22–14
  20 – Aberdeen  8 – Oweh  3 – Moreno  Enterprise Center (16,348)
St. Louis, MO
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
MW=Midwest.
All times are in Eastern Time.
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Rankings

See also: 2025–26 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings
More information Week, Poll ...
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre12345678910111213141516171819Final
AP99121918RVRVRVRVRV—RVRVRV25RV—RV—RVRV
Coaches98131818RVRVRVRVRV—RVRVRVRVRV—RV—RVRV
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References

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