Big Blue Preview: Kentucky vs. Georgetown
After beating top-ranked Purdue on Friday, the Kentucky men’s basketball team returns to action on Thursday, hosting Georgetown University for an exhibition game inside Rupp Arena (7 p.m. ET, SEC Network Plus).
In the 78-65 win, Kentucky got 15 points from freshman Jasper Johnson and 10 apiece from Trent Noah and Otega Oweh. UK head coach Mark Pope, who met the media on Wednesday, liked how his team responded against the Boilermakers.
“What I was really excited about in the Purdue game was, I was afraid we were going to feel small because Purdue’s frontline is so veteran, so physical,” Pope said. “At least in that one game, I didn’t feel like we were small and that made me feel really good.”
Pope believes his team has a lot of positive attributes.
“I haven’t coached a team this deep before,” Pope said. “It’s one of the challenges that we’re really excited about. It’s a rich person’s problem. We’re really blessed in the sense of having such an incredibly deep team and trying to fit these guys together. We feel like we have some speed, some mobility, some toughness.”
Kentucky’s opponent on Thursday night is one of the historically biggest names in the college game.
“The Georgetown Hoyas, one of the great programs in college basketball and they have one of the best coaches in coach Ed Cooley,” Pope said. “Tough, tough team. It’s going to be a big-time game in Rupp Arena.”
Georgetown won its exhibition opener, topping George Washington, 73-64. Sophomore forward Caleb Williams led the Hoyas with 20 points and six rebounds, while junior guard Malik Mack added 16.
The Cats and the Hoyas have met just twice. In 1922, it was Georgetown getting the best of Kentucky 33-28 in Washington, D.C.
In 1984, the Cats and the Hoyas met in the Final Four in Seattle. The game was memorable, but not for reasons that Kentucky fans want to recall. Led by Sam Bowie, Melvin Turpin and Kenny Walker, Kentucky led Georgetown 29-22 at the half inside the Kingdome. However, the second half was a disaster for Kentucky. The Cats made just three of 33 field goals (9.1 percent) in the final 20 minutes and Georgetown rallied for a 53-40 win. UK had a scoreless stretch of 9:56 on the game clock.
Pope and his Cats hope that Thursday’s exhibition contest against Georgetown will be memorable for much happier reasons.
Recapping a Win over Purdue
Kentucky utilized 10 players who appeared for at least 15 minutes of action — and all 10 scored in a 78-65 win over the No. 1 team in the country heading into the 2025-26 season.
Freshman Jasper Johnson paced the team in scoring at 15 points. Eight players scored at least six points in the contest for the Cats.
Defense also played a part for the Cats, with Purdue limited to just 38.6% shooting, including 17.6% from distance. UK also won the boards by a 42-30 margin.
Kentucky in Exhibition Games
The Wildcats have historically been successful in exhibition contests. UK is 155-12 all-time in tune-up games, and currently are on a 34-game winning streak.
Kentucky is 3-0 in exhibition games under Mark Pope after defeating Purdue on Oct. 24 by a 78-65 score.
This marks the first season the team will play Division I opponents in an exhibition games in the history of the program.
Although the contest will not count towards the regular-season record, here is a snapshot of the series with Georgetown:
• There have been just two total meetings in the series, with the Hoyas capturing wins in both outings
• Georgetown claimed a 53-40 in NCAA Tournament action in Washington, D.C., in the 1983-84 season — the last meeting on the hardwood between the two teams
• The only previous meeting came during the 1921-22 season, a 28-23 Georgetown win, also played in D.C.
Preseason Honors
Several Wildcats have earned preseason honors heading into the 2025-26 season, headlined by Otega Oweh.
Oweh has hauled in Southeastern Conference Player of the Year preseason nods by the league’s media and ESPN. He’s also an early season candidate for All-America honors from CBS, Jay Bilas and Blue Ribbon Magazine. Furthermore, he’s one of 20 candidates on the preseason watch list for the Jerry West Award which recognizes the nation’s best shooting guard.
Jaland Lowe has been a candidate for SEC recognition as well, joining Oweh on preseason All-SEC squads. He’s also one of 20 selections for the preseason watch list for the Bob Cousy Award, which highlights the nation’s best point guard.
