For most Kentucky Wildcats basketball fans, the 2025-26 season can’t get here fast enough. After making it to the Sweet 16 in his first year, expectations are high for Mark Pope and a new squad that is loaded with talent.

Pope has assembled a roster that many consider to be one of the nation’s best heading into the season. Jeff Borzello, an analyst for ESPN, considers them a top ten team right now, listing them at number ten in a recent top 25 article. He specifically mentioned the backcourt, saying, “Kentucky is absolutely loaded on the perimeter next season, with the arrivals of transfers Jaland Lowe (Pitt), Kam Williams (Tulane) and Denzel Aberdeen (Florida) as well as five-star prospect Jasper Johnson to go with the potential return of leading scorer Otega Oweh and reserve Collin Chandler.“

Borzell also predicted the starting lineup for the Cats. He has transfer Jaland Lowe and Freshman Jasper Johnson as the guards, Otega Oweh on the wing, and Mouhamed Dioubate and Jaydan Quaintance as the starters inside. Obviously, that’s dependent on Quaintance being 100% after a knee injury in February.

This is an early prediction, and one of several different possible lineups. It’s fun to look ahead, but we’ll have a much clearer picture later in the summer.