Kentucky

The 2025-26 Kentucky Basketball roster as we know it

Published

8 months ago

April 11, 2025

The 2025-26 Kentucky Basketball roster as we know it

In the era of the transfer portal, there is no such thing as the offseason.

Coaches all over the country are scrambling to inject as much talent into their programs as possible before the well runs dry.

When it comes to the Kentucky Wildcats, the Big Blue Nation has quickly learned that this new coaching staff moves in silence. There has been little information leaking and the commitments and decommitments have come abruptly, without warning.

Case in point: The Wildcats learned Thursday night that Acaden Lewis will not be part of the 2025 recruiting class after he decommitted.

Lewis was set to arrive in Lexington with the luxury of learning from Jaland Lowe and not being forced to do too much too early. It’s unclear why Lewis is now reopening his recruitment, but Kentucky will thankfully have other options to run the point next season.

With that, we’re beginning to get an idea of what the 2025-26 Kentucky basketball roster will look like. The final product is still a work in progress, but the foundation for Mark Pope’s second year has been laid.

Here is a quick look at the current roster with a projected starting line-up.

Jaland Lowe – Adding an experienced veteran to run the show came as welcomed news over the weekend. In two years at Pitt, Lowe played in a total of 64 games and will come to Lexington eyeing a breakout season playing in Pope’s scoring-friendly offense.

Travis Perry – There’s no denying that Perry will enter his sophomore season with a little added pressure to perform after struggling to carve out a role for himself in year one. He was asked to do a lot because of injuries, so you can expect a smoother approach in year two.

Jasper Johnson – The Woodford County product has as much upside as just about anyone in the country. His smooth left-hand game, paired with his fierce athleticism, makes for a combo that will have the NBA scouts closely following Johnson’s development.

Otega Oweh – Not much to say here. Otegatron returning to Lexington will be the foundation of this roster. His heroics fueled Kentucky’s run to the Sweet 16, capturing the hearts of the Big Blue Nation along the way. Next year’s season could be very much dependent on the contributions of #00, so long as he doesn’t go pro. He’s expected to test the waters but is widely projected to go undrafted.

Trent Noah – It’s not an unpopular opinion to think that Noah will have a monster sophomore season. His stature compliments SEC play well and he’s proven he can come in and make a big shot. Keep an eye on the Mountain Mamba next year.

Collin Chandler – Who knows where the Cats would have been without Chandler stepping up in the face of devastating injuries. His big-shot-making ability and defensive tenacity were put on display in some of the biggest moments of the season. Expect to see a lot of Collin Chandler next year, especially now that Lewis is out of the fold.

Brandon Garrison – Anyone who watched Kentucky basketball last season saw the potential in Brandon Garrison. Mark Pope could be relying on BG to play a much bigger role with the departure of Amari Williams.

Malachi Moreno – Many fans were introduced to Moreno after his strong showing in the McDonald’s All-American game. The 7-footer looks poised to contribute in his first year as a Wildcat.

Kam Williams – At 6-foot-8, Williams shot 41% from deep last season at Tulane and all signs point to him thriving in Mark Pope’s offense.

Mouhamed Dioubate – All signs are pointing to this being a huge commitment for Mark Pope and the Cats. The Alabama transfer is expected to bring versatility and the ability to stretch the floor. He fills a much-needed void in the front-court and is an offensive rebounding machine.

Jayden Quaintance – Kentucky’s latest pick up was a needle mover. The projected NBA lottery pick will be coming off of a torn ACL but all signs point to him being available for the start of the season. This was a monster commitment for Mark Pope and his staff.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG: Jaland Lowe
SG: Jasper Johnson
PF: Otega Oweh
PF: Mouhamed Dioubate
C: Jayden Quaintance

Keep in mind the roster is not complete, and Mark Pope may still have some magic up his sleeve. Among the names Kentucky is still in the mix for are Robert Morris forward Alvaro Folgueiras and Sam Houston shooting guard Lamar Wilkerson.

Buckle up. We’re in for a busy couple of weeks and potentially months.

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Kentucky

Kentucky Volleyball set for Final Four showdown with Wisconsin

Published

14 hours ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

Kentucky Volleyball set for Final Four showdown with Wisconsin

The semifinal stage is set for No. 1 seed Kentucky volleyball, as the Wildcats prepare to take on No. 3 seed Wisconsin in the NCAA Final Four on Thursday, Dec. 18, at 9:00 PM ET inside the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.

Kentucky has been dominant throughout the NCAA Tournament, including a 3–0 sweep of Wofford, a sweep against Cal Poly in the Sweet 16, and a sweep over Creighton in the Elite Eight. Their only dropped set came in the Round of 32 against UCLA. Outside of that brief hiccup, Kentucky has controlled matches from start to finish and remains undefeated at home this season.

Wisconsin arrives in Kansas City after a statement win over No. 1 Texas in the Elite Eight. The Badgers earned a measure of revenge against the Longhorns, who handed Wisconsin one of its four losses during the regular season. Kentucky accounted for Texas’ other two defeats, beating the Longhorns in both the regular season and the SEC Tournament championship.

Thursday’s matchup also carries historical weight for Big Blue Nation. Wisconsin was the team that ended Kentucky men’s basketball’s perfect 38–0 season in the 2015 Final Four, denying the Wildcats an undefeated national title.

Now, Kentucky volleyball has an opportunity to write a different ending against the Badgers on the sport’s biggest stage.

If the Wildcats advance, they’ll face the winner of the other national semifinal matchup, which sees No. 1 seed Pittsburgh, who actually handed Kentucky one of its regular-season losses, take on No. 3 seed Texas A&M, whom the Cats defeated in College Station.

With a spot in the national championship match on the line, the Wildcats will look to continue their dominant run and settle an old score. The national championship game is Sunday, Dec. 21, on ABC at 3:30 PM ET.

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Kentucky

PREVIEW: Kentucky wraps up home-and-home series with Belmont on the road

Published

1 day ago

December 14, 2025

Press Room

PREVIEW: Kentucky wraps up home-and-home series with Belmont on the road

Kentucky has had a week off following their 82-55 win over Central Michigan, and now, the Cats retake the court down in Nashville to take on the Belmont Bruins. This is the second game of a home-and-home series between the two programs. Kentucky won its contest against Belmont last season by just six points at home — an 84-78 game in which the Bruins gave Kentucky all it could handle.

Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s Belmont squad and the upcoming game.

Bio Blast

Belmont is 4-5 on the season, but this isn’t your average 4-5 Missouri Valley Conference team. Three of those five losses came to AP ranked teams and Princeton, who they also lost to, was the first team outside of the AP Poll in the latest release. So, make that four of their five losses that have come to AP top 26 teams.

Amidst those losses came a defeat to McNeese. That’s their only real stinker on the season. For most of the game, Belmont kept it close against No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 18 Tennessee, No. 21 Ohio State and Princeton who, again, is right outside the AP top 25.

Kentucky is 4-0 all-time against Belmont, and all of those matches have taken place since 2014. Georgia Amoore had 23 points and five assists in last year’s win over the Bruins. Amelia Hassett had a notable outing as well, scoring 16 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and getting two steals as she played in all 40 minutes of the game.

Scouting Report

Speaking of last year’s game, guard Jailyn Banks had 23 points against the Wildcats, and she could very well put up a similar number this time around. As a junior, Banks is averaging 14.9 points, 3.3 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game. She has scored in double figures in all of Belmont’s games this season except for one, when she put up seven points against the Buckeyes.

Avery Strickland has been a big contributor for them as well, averaging 11.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game this season. Tuti Jones, who had 11 against Kentucky a year ago, is putting up 9.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3.2 steals per game.

Hilary Fuller is another name to watch for Belmont. She’s currently averaging 11.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 37.5% from deep. As a team, Belmont is shooting just 30.6% from three-point range, but she’s one of their players that can get hot in a hurry from the perimeter.

Belmont Bruins roster

via espn.com

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Projected Kentucky Starters

#5 – Tonie Morgan

5-FOOT-8 – GUARD – SENIOR

12.4 PPG – 8.5 APG – 2.9 RPG

#0 – Jordan Obi

6-FOOT-1 – GUARD – GRADUATE STUDENT

12.2 PPG – 6.2 RPG – 1 APG

#32 – Amelia Hassett

6-FOOT-4 – FORWARD – SENIOR

9.7 PPG – 6.1 RPG – 2 BPG

#7 – Teonni Key

6-FOOT-5 – FORWARD – SENIOR

11.5 PPG – 5.7 RPG – 1.6 BPG

#13 – Clara Strack

6-FOOT-5 – CENTER – JUNIOR

15.2 PPG – 10.2 RPG – 2.7 BPG

Phoenix’s Prediction

Score: 76-60, Kentucky

MVP: Amelia Hassett

Belmont’s 4-5 record is deceiving, and I would expect them to give Kentucky some trouble on the road. I don’t think they’ll ever truly threaten to win the game, but at the same time, I don’t think Kentucky is going to blow this team out to the point Gabby Brooks gets any PT. Give me Amelia Hassett to put up a team-high 20 points in the win.

How to Watch/Listen

Join The Discussion on KSBoard

Want to interact with the KSR crew during tonight’s game? Consider joining the conversation on KSBoard, where we’ll be sharing live updates while also answering questions and providing real-time analysis (and probably complaining about the officiating).

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Kentucky

Even Indiana-Kentucky basketball rivalry couldn’t resist HeisMendoza chants

Published

2 days ago

December 14, 2025

Press Room

Even Indiana-Kentucky basketball rivalry couldn’t resist HeisMendoza chants

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Fernando Mendoza’s Heisman Trophy triumph made noise as far afield as Rupp Arena on Saturday night.

Indiana could not claim too many fans in the building, in the Hoosiers’ first regular-season game against Kentucky in 14 years, unsurprising given the venue. But the ones who made the trip east on I-64 made themselves heard more than once during a 72-60 loss.

That included what has become a familiar chant among IU fans, one that broke out not long into the game and yet owing absolutely nothing to what was happening on the floor.

As news filtered through the arena that Mendoza had won his program’s first Heisman Trophy, fans seated in small clusters — including one group just a few feet away from the media seating area — began loudly chanting “Heis-Mendoza!” at the news.

It was the latest reminder of IU’s brave new world, with football and basketball co-existing so significantly, so late into the calendar. Curt Cignetti’s team, the No. 1 seed in this year’s College Football Playoff, will next play in the Rose Bowl, on New Year’s Day in Los Angeles.

The Hoosiers await the winner of the 8/9 game between Oklahoma and Alabama, in Norman.

In the meantime, they’ve spent the pre-Christmas period resting on the field, while cleaning up off it. Mendoza and Cignetti were named Big Ten offensive player and coach of the year, respectively, while Carter Smith won the conference’s lineman-of-the-year award.

Cignetti has also won multiple national coach-of-the-year awards, with more potentially on the way.

Mendoza added a clutch of trophies to his mantle this weekend in New York, including not just the Heisman Trophy but the Davey O’Brien Award for nation’s best quarterback and the Maxwell Award for nation’s best player. Mendoza is also the first Hoosier to win the O’Brien Award, and the second (after Anthony Thompson) to win the Maxwell.

More than a dozen Hoosiers have landed All-Big Ten and/or All-America honors since their Big Ten championship game triumph a week ago. A handful — including Smith, Aiden Fisher, Riley Nowakowski, Pat Coogan, Isaiah Jones and others — traveled to New York to celebrate with their quarterback.

Alberto Mendoza, Fernando Mendoza’s backup and younger brother, also made the trip. Both brothers became visibly emotional when Fernando referenced his younger brother during his acceptance speech.

The Hoosiers ultimately left Rupp Arena empty handed Saturday. But their football program once again left them celebrating, nonetheless.

Want more Hoosiers coverage? Sign up for IndyStar’s Hoosiers newsletter. Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the latest on IndyStar TV: Hoosiers.

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