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Kentucky will see game action for the first time since the Big Bahamas Tour when the Transylvania Pioneers come to Rupp Arena.
Friday night’s game will be the first of UK’s two exhibition games before the season opener. At this point, every day for the Cats is a tune up for the Champions Classic against Duke. Playing against an opponent other than themselves should be a welcomed change of pace.
These two exhibition games will give fans some idea of the rotation that John Calipari has in mind to begin the season. If the Blue-White Game was any indication of things to come, then Coach Cal is going to have some difficult decisions to make as to which player is getting minutes. The starting lineup will be another interesting thing to follow.
This will be the fourth time that Transylvania’s head coach Brian Lane will bring his team to Lexington for the “Battle on Broadway. The Pioneers return several starters and are sure to be relishing at the idea of playing in Rupp Arena in front of 20,000 fans.
Here is what Coach Lane said about getting an opportunity to play against Kentucky during his tenure.
“It was a thrill for our fans, students and alumni to experience all the events surrounding the earlier match-ups with UK, and I know this group of student-athletes will share in that excitement, Coach Calipari’s generosity to the local community never ceases to amaze me.” Coach Lane Said. “I appreciate him allowing us to share in the national spotlight in such a historic venue.”
Kentucky is coming off a promising showing in Sunday’s Blue-White Game. All 10 starters scored at least 12 points, led by Tyler Herro’s 34 points. The freshman made 12 of his 16 field-goal tries and four of his six 3-pointers, continuing his run of play on the Big Blue Bahamas Tour that is making him a fan favorite before he even plays in his first official game.
Senior graduate transfer Reid Travis, a two-time All-Pac 12 performer at Stanford, went for 27 points and 13 rebounds. Sophomore center Nick Richards, who continues to look like a vastly improved player from last season, posted a double-double with 16 points and 16 rebounds to go with five blocks.
Freshman forward EJ Montgomery, who missed three games in the Bahamas due to a back issue, finished with 21 points and eight rebounds.
Kentucky Wildcats vs Transylvania Pioneers
- Date: Friday, Oct. 26 at 7 pm EST
- TV: SEC Network
- Online Stream: WatchESPN and fubotv
- Replay: ESPN+ and SEC Network (check local listings)
- Radio: Voice of the Wildcats Tom Leach and Mike Pratt will have the UK radio network call on 630 AM and 98.1 FM in Lexington or online at UKAthletics.com.
- Live Stats
- Kentucky Roster | Transy
Players to watch for Transylvania
- Senior Guard Cooper Theobald 11.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg
- Junior Guard Gabe Schmitt 12.1 ppg, 2.3 apg and
- Sophomore Guard Michael Jefferson 9.8 ppg, 3 rpg, 3.3 apg
Obviously Transylvania will have extreme difficulty dealing with Kentucky’s size and strength. But both teams should be able to take something away from this game and get better.
Kentucky has to focus on getting dialed in and work to determine what the rotation will look like moving forward. The Blue-White game was just a preview of what’s to come. I will be looking for the Cats to make jump shots and not turn the ball over. If UK is making jump shots then they are going to be nearly impossible to compete with against any opponent.