Jaland Lowe on Kentucky's exhibition vs. Purdue: 'We're going out there to win'

The No. 1 team in the country comes to Lexington a week from Friday. The fact that the game vs. Purdue is just an exhibition and won’t count toward Kentucky’s record isn’t doing anything to tamp down excitement for the top-ten clash. Mark Pope was practically giddy talking about it at SEC Tipoff on Tuesday — even if he thinks some of his players will be “super nervous.”

“We are really excited. We put the schedule together to kind of ease our way into the season,” Pope joked. “My expectation is that Rupp is going to be on fire, and our guys are going to be super nervous. It’s going to be the first time with this group ever being together on the floor.”

Kentucky returns four players from last year’s team that went to the Sweet 16, including Preseason SEC Player of the Year Otega Oweh, who returned to full action in practice this week. Joining them is one of the best transfer portal classes in the country, a talented trio of freshmen, and an intriguing international prospect in Andrija Jelavic. Kentucky’s upside is undeniable — the Cats are No. 9 in the Preseason AP Poll — but Pope thinks it could take some time before they find their groove.

“I expect we’re going to see things where we shake our heads in disbelief, like, ‘What were we thinking?’ I think we’re going to shake our heads and think, ‘That’s amazing. I didn’t actually expect to see that.’ We’re going to see all things.”

This is the first season in which Division I teams are allowed to play each other in the preseason, thanks to a rule change by the NCAA. Pope — who has been beating the drum for a 40-game regular season for a while — would love to play “four, five, or six” preseason games, but for now, he’s simply grateful for two.

“It is such a gift to college basketball players,” Pope said, mentioning how teams are rebuilding during the offseason more than ever due to the transfer portal. “The opportunity for us to go against the No. 1 team in the country this early, before the season even starts, where we can still experiment and try things and learn things about our team.”

What better measuring stick than Purdue, which returns AP All-American guard Braden Smith, leading scorer Trey Kaufman-Renn, and veteran guard Fletcher Loyer? Pope scheduled this game to challenge his team with the Boilermakers’ blend of talent, experience, and coaching by Matt Painter, who won the Big Ten title and lost to UConn in the national championship game in 2024.

“Matt [Painter] could have probably not practiced once the entire summer and come into Rupp and put together an incredible product on the floor,” Pope said. “One, he coaches so well. Two, his guys know everything they do already. We’re not just going against the No. 1 team in the country, but we’re going against the most experienced, most well-prepared, well-coached team in the country.”

There would be no shame in losing to a team like Purdue in the preseason. As Pope said, the Boilermakers have the edge in experience, both on an individual and group level, and getting to go against them is a gift in itself; however, Jaland Lowe made it clear that when Kentucky takes the floor on October 24, they will have one goal in mind, and it’s not just running plays and getting their feet under them against another squad. It’s to win.

“We’re gonna learn for sure, but at the end of the day, nah, we’re going out there to win,” Lowe told reporters. “That’s our main goal. That’s what we expect out of ourselves, and that’s what our fans expect out of us. We’re gonna do nothing less than try to win out there.”

We’ve heard all about this team’s competitive fire in practices; it’s good to hear the Cats’ new floor general say the players won’t be satisfied with a moral victory next Friday night.

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Very few tickets remain; Postgame Party outside Rupp

How excited is BBN? Single-game tickets for Kentucky’s first nine home games, including the exhibitions, went on sale yesterday. Not surprisingly, the limited tickets for the Purdue game were snapped up quickly. Only a few remain, scattered across the upper deck.

If you can’t make it into the building, you can watch on the SEC Network. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. ET. Rupp Arena is also hosting a free postgame party outside the Vine Street entrance from 7-10 p.m. ET. There will be live music by Owensboro native Cam Thompson, and food and drinks will be available for purchase.

See you there.