Kentucky Pronounces Seven House Nonconference Video games

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky males’s basketball program introduced seven dwelling nonconference video games to its 2026-27 slate on Monday. UK will start the 2026-27 season at dwelling with a first-time opponent in Manhattan on Nov. 3.

Additional dwelling dates embrace:

• 6 vs. James Madison
• 13 vs. Northern Arizona
• 16 vs. Grambling State
• 8 vs. Bryant
• 22 vs. Sacred Heart
• 28 vs. Gardner-Webb

Television designations and tip instances will likely be introduced at a later date. With the seven further video games, UK now has introduced 12 nonconference contests for the 2026-27 season, the third below head coach Mark Pope.

In addition to Manhattan, Kentucky will even tackle first-time opponents in James Madison, Northern Arizona, Grambling State, Bryant and Sacred Heart. It will mark the second ever assembly with Gardner-Webb.

James Madison is coached by Preston Spradlin who was part of Kentucky’s workers from 2009-2014 earlier than turning into an assistant coach after which a head coach at Morehead State. Spradlin and the Eagles traveled to Rupp Arena for the beginning of the 2020-21 season and the Cats earned an 81-45 win in the one prior assembly with the previous staffer.

Kentucky returns 5 gamers from its NCAA Tournament Round of 32 squad a yr in the past as Braydon Hawthorne, Malachi Moreno, Trent Noah, Reece Potter and Kam Williams are all again for the Wildcats.  Moreno, an All-Southeastern Conference Freshman Team choice, began 30 video games for the Cats final season and led the group in rebounds per recreation (6.3), blocks per recreation (1.47) and area purpose share (58.2%). Williams noticed motion in 24 video games and made seven begins, regardless of lacking 12 video games with a damaged foot. He matched this system’s file for many made 3s in a single recreation when he buried eight towards Bellarmine. Noah appeared in 27 contests as a sophomore, twice scoring in double figures, together with a career-high 16 factors towards Tennessee Tech. Both Hawthorne and Potter redshirted in 2025-26.

A well-regarded group of six transfers additionally enters the fold for Kentucky in 2026-27, headlined by the nation’s main 3-point shooter from a yr in the past, Milan Momcilovic. Momcilovic starred for Iowa State final season, averaging 16.9 factors per recreation and making a school-record 136 3s whereas taking pictures 48.7 % from deep. He was rated as a high three switch this offseason by ESPN, 247 Sports and On3. Joining Momcilovic within the switch contingent are backcourt items Zoom Diallo, Jerone Morton and Alex Wilkins, together with frontcourt additions Franck Kepnang and Justin McBride. Wilkins and McBride had been All-Conference alternatives at Furman and James Madison, respectively, whereas Diallo and Kepnang each arrive from the University of Washington and Morton returns to his hometown of Lexington after a season at Washington State.

This yr’s group additionally includes a trio of school basketball newcomers in Zyon Hawthorne, Ousmane N’Diaye and Mason Williams. Zyon is the youthful brother of Braydon and performed his ultimate highschool season at Huntington Prep. N’Diaye hails from Dakar, Senegal and has expertise taking part in in Europe, most lately with Vanoli Cremona in Italy’s high division. Williams is the son of UK assistant Mo Williams, and averaged 15.1 factors, 5.4 assists, 4.5 rebounds and three.5 steals at Tennessee Collegiate Academy as a senior.

Those interested by new season tickets are inspired to enter the season-ticket lottery. Due to the extraordinarily excessive renewal charge of males’s basketball season tickets, solely a restricted variety of upper-level tickets can be found annually by way of the lottery. Season ticket holders will likely be receiving their renewals subsequent month for the upcoming season.

A restricted variety of new lower-level season tickets can be found with a capital pledge dedication, as are memberships in Rupp Arena’s latest hospitality house, the Champions Club. For extra data on premium choices, please contact the Ok Fund Office at (859) 257-6300.

For the most recent on the Kentucky males’s basketball group, comply with @KentuckyMBB on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and on the internet at UKathletics.com.