KSR GAMEDAY: Kentucky takes on Valparaiso at Rupp Arena

Two BBN United Tipoff Classic presented by Kentucky Tourism games in a week? What did we ever do to deserve such a thing? The basketball gods have gifted us with another can’t-miss matchup coming to Rupp Arena, this time against the Beacons of Valparaiso. It’s game two of not only the prestigious annual event, but game two of the season outright, Mark Pope and the Wildcats looking to start 2-0 before traveling down I-64W to take on the Dirty Birds at the Yum! Center early next week.

What do you need to know about the Beacons? They’re coached by third-year coach Roger Powell Jr. (23-44) with a 1-0 start on the year after defeating Eastern Illinois 66-63 to begin the season. Isaiah Barnes went for a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double in that one, followed by JT Pettigrew with 13 points and Rakim Chaney with 12. It’s a roster balanced nicely with youth and experience, Valpo bringing 10 underclassmen and seven upperclassmen to Lexington.

Grab your cup of coffee as we dig into tonight’s matchup and everything else going on with the Cats.

Mark Pope prepares for ‘Gonzaga vibe’ in ‘really fun’ Valpo team

Coach Pope fielded questions at the podium on Thursday, including one about Kentucky’s opponent tonight at Rupp. What has he seen on tape?

“Good team, good team,” he said. “They put up a ton of pace, they really try and hurt you in transition. They’re so aggressive on the offensive glass — 16 offensive rebounds in their opener. Their offensive rebound rate was close to 35%. They’re really great in transition, they really go with the glass, they have some physicality to them, bigs that can make plays.”

The Beacons remind him of a team the Wildcats will be taking on in Nashville early next month.

“They’re kind of a little bit of a Gonzaga vibe in the way they play — the pace, they play with some of the same basic actions that they run,” Pope continued. “Their transition continuity is very similar. It’ll be a great game, it should be a really fun game. It’s going to be a physical, competitive game from a team that’s a storied program. It’s got a great history.”

Cats open as massive favorites

UK did not cover the 31.5-point spread in the opener vs. Nicholls while under bets also cashed. What do the experts think of game two against Valpo? BetMGM lists Kentucky as a 34.5-point favorite with a total of 156.5, giving us a projected final score of 95.5-61.

The Beacons did not cover in their opener as a 5.5-point favorite vs. Eastern Illinois. Can the Cats win big or will we see another sloppy performance for the blue and white?

Kentucky vs. Valparaiso: How to Watch, Listen

• Tipoff: 7:00 p.m. ET
• TV: SEC Network+ (Andrew Kappes, Travis Ford)
• Local Radio: UK Sports Network (Tom Leach, Goose Givens)
• AM: 840 WHAS, 630 WLAP
• FM: 98.1 WBUL
• Online: iHeart Radio
• Sirius XM: 210 or 201

You can also follow along on the KSR LIVE BLOG, which will start a few hours before tipoff, and join the conversation on KSBoard.

Take advantage of our KSR+ Introductory Offer to get bonus coverage of the Cats, including game threads, in-depth scouting reports, and the latest recruiting and roster intel. $1 for a week.

Welcome back, Jaland Lowe!

Point guard play has been up and down in the early viewing opportunities for Kentucky, mostly due to Lowe’s extended absence dealing with a shoulder injury after going down in the Blue-White Game. The plan was to give him just a little more time to rest to open the season, missing the Nicholls game before potentially returning against Valpo.

Is that still the plan?

“I think so,” Pope said Thursday. “He’ll have a full practice today. He’s been really good the last couple of days, and so I hope so.”

Elsewhere, it sounds like Trent Noah will not be available on Friday after rolling his ankle in the opener. The sophomore from Harlan wants to push himself, but Pope wants to do whatever it takes to keep him healthy long-term — especially ahead of Louisville.

“I expect he’s gonna be back soon,” he said. “I don’t think we’ll practice him today. I don’t know if he’ll be available tomorrow — I’m guessing maybe it’s probably a toss-up whether he will be or not, I’m probably leaning toward saving him and just trying to get him healthy.”

Redshirts, JQ progress and more from Pope

Beyond injury updates on Lowe and Noah, the Valpo scout and what worked and didn’t vs. Nicholls, Pope also revealed Reece Potter will redshirt for the Wildcats while the staff continues to feel out Braydon Hawthorne’s growth before making a final call on his season status. He also confirmed Jayden Quaintance hit another milestone in his ACL recovery and has been cleared for 5-on-0 full-court team work before one final strength test in three weeks.

Will Tyran Stokes enroll mid-year for UK? He can’t talk about unsigned recruits directly, obviously, but he was asked about the possibility of adding another roster piece amid speculation that the No. 1 recruit is considering it. His answer is fascinating, to say the least.

Plenty of info jam-packed into a 23-minute press conference. See it all for yourself:

Kasean Pryor scores six points and says “F*** (Kentucky)”

Set to turn 25 in January, sixth-year forward Kasean Pryor couldn’t help but celebrate his return from ACL surgery in the only way Louisville knows how, even in a 106-70 win over Jackson State: talking about Kentucky.

He scored six points nearly a year removed from his injury, talking about the emotions of his debut knowing all he’d been through. Then he called his shot.

“See you guys Tuesday,” he told UL media. “After a win. F*** them.”

That came after all 17 fans in attendance chanted “Beat UK” in the final seconds of the blowout win.

Louisville fans are chanting "Beat UK" pic.twitter.com/WKQj7GHHA7

— Rare Rookies #BBN (@rarerookies) November 7, 2025

Reminder: Louisville is 3-15 against Kentucky while being outscored by 152 points since 2009.

See ya next Tuesday.

UKWBB runs Monmouth out of the gym

It wasn’t the prettiest season-opening win in the world for Kenny Brooks’ squad, but goodness gracious, the Cats responded just fine in game two. Taking on Monmouth, Kentucky earned a 104-46 victory to cross the century mark for the first time since 2017 as a program.

Lexi Blue led the way with 18 points on 6-7 from three, followed by Amelia Hassett with 17 and Teonni Key and Asia Boone both with 14 apiece. As a team, the Wildcats shot 58.2 percent overall and 47.2 percent from deep while holding the opposition to 27.9 percent overall and 20.0 percent from three.

How’d it all happen? Let Coach Brooks, Blue and Hassett explain from the podium, followed by KSR’s own Phoenix Stevens with the Rapid Reaction.

Kentucky’s Availability Report vs. Florida

No change for the Wildcats ahead of the football matchup against Florida — but one big one for the Gators after previously learning standout receivers Dallas Wilson and Trey Wilson would be out. Now, top receiver Vernell Brown III has been removed from the injury report and will play on Saturday.

A look at the full Thursday-night report for both teams.

KENTUCKY

OUT

• WR Troy Stellato
• RB Jamarion Wilcox
• DB Terhyon Nichols
• DB Jaden Smith
• LB Devin Smith
• OL Aba Selm
• WR David Washington Jr.
• TE Elijah Brown

PROBABLE

• DL Tavion Gadson
• CB DJ Waller Jr.

FLORIDA

OUT

• WR Eugene “Trey” Wilson III
• RB Treyaun Webb
• WR Dallas Wilson
• LB Ty Jackson
• LB Grayson Howard
• EDGE LJ McCray
• DB Aaron Gates
• DB Michael Caraway Jr.
• RB Ja’Kobi Jackson
• DB Dijon Johnson
• WR Taylor Spierto
• DB Javion Toombs
• CL Caleb Banks

No. 2 Kentucky Volleyball stays hot with a 3-1 win over Mizzou

Craig Skinner’s Winners remain atop the SEC standings following yet another victory — this time a 3-1 takedown (25-19, 18-25, 25-23, 25-20) of the Missouri Tigers on Thursday in Columbia.

Standout performances from Eva Hudson and Brooklyn DeLeye (both named AVCA National Player of the Year semifinalists earlier in the day) helped extend the Wildcats’ winning streak to 16, keeping them perfect in the SEC at 12-0.

Read the full recap from KSR’s Penelope Steffek-Lynch here. Up next, a head-to-head battle vs. No. 19 Tennessee on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET, live on ESPN.

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Big weekend for the Cats begins now. Let’s do this, BBN.