All was right in the world as the 2018 Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team took Rupp Arena’s hardwood for the first time this fall.
Suiting up against the Transylvania Pioneers for the first of two exhibition games this pre-season, Kentucky cruised to a 94-66 victory.
Soft serve ice cream regularly highlights nights at Rupp Arena but, on Friday, all attention was focused on the court as Big Blue Nation watched their new group of Wildcats showcase their potential of which many believe will lead to the Final Four.
While the Wildcats are miles away from March Madness form, they did show flashes of how special they can be. Between their athleticism & length on defense at nearly every position, to their ability to put five players of any size/skill/speed on the floor, head coach John Calipari seems to have arguably his best team yet.
Though Kentucky put up 94 points, there wasn’t exactly a standout player. In fact, EJ Montgomery’s 14 points led all scorers for the Wildcats. Kentucky did, however, have seven players score in double digits.
While Montgomery showed flashes of his unicorn skillset, Nick Richards also dominated the paint early and Reid Travis impressed in the double-double department en route to the “team win.”
The “team win” comes as a positive sign, too, considering the limited amount of time the group has had to build chemistry. 14 turnovers were concerning but, again, it’s their first game together while also just an exhibition contest.
Kentucky will play one more exhibition game this pre-season, which falls on next Friday at Rupp Arena. The Wildcats will tip-off with the Indiana University of Pennsylvania at 7 P.M. EDT.
Then, on Nov. 6th, the Wildcats will make their long-anticipated trip to Indianapolis for their regular-season opener against the Duke Blue Devils.