The Top Kentucky Performances of 2025

The calendar will soon turn from 2025 to 2026, putting the first quarter of the 21st century in the history books. Now is a good time to reflect on the year that was, starting with some of the best performances from Kentucky athletes over the last 363 days. These are in no particular order of significance, but should help you remember some of BBN’s best moments.

A Rare Kentucky Triple-Double

Until the 2016-17 season, there was only one triple-double in Kentucky basketball history. Isaiah Briscoe and De’Aaron Fox etched their name into history nearly ten years ago. This spring, an unlikely player joined that list in a losing effort, creating a difficult future trivia question for Kentucky fans.

One might expect to see a 6-11 center get a triple-double with blocks. Amari Williams did it with assists. He had 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists at Ole Miss. Unfortunately, Kentucky needed more defense, allowing the 25th-ranked Rebels to shoot 54% in the 98-84 Kentucky loss.

The Kentucky Bullpen vs. Texas

Fresh off the program’s first College World Series appearance, Kentucky baseball enthusiasm was at an all-time high. BBN packed Kentucky Proud Park for a midday game against No. 2 Texas and fans were treated to a marathon.

Ethan Hindle hit a game-tying home run in the ninth to send it into extra innings. The Bat Cats’ bullpen held serve. Led by Simon Gregersen (4.2 innings, one hit, five strikeouts), the Kentucky bullpen pitched 9.2 innings and only allowed five hits, one run, and struck out 13 before a walk-off bunt gave the Wildcats a 5-4 win in the 15th inning.

Ty Bryant vs. Ole Miss

In the first SEC game of the season, the Kentucky defense came ready to play. The Wildcats held the Rebels scoreless for the first two drives, then Ty Bryant picked off a pass to give the offense the ball in scoring territory. Kentucky turned it into a touchdown, then three plays later, Bryant secured a second interception. The Cats had an early 10-0 lead, but couldn’t maintain that momentum, ultimately falling 30-23.

The Mountain Mamba Emerges vs. Tennessee

Trent Noah had only played double-digit minutes in four games entering the tilt against No. 5 Tennessee at Rupp Arena. The Harlan County native brought his best, knocking down 3-4 three pointers in 19 minutes of action to score 11 points, the final margin of victory over the Vols. That performance gave us the apt nickname, Mountain Mamba.

Georgia Amoore Ties a Kentucky Record

Kenny Brooks injected life back into the Kentucky women’s basketball program and got a ton of help from his star player, who followed him from Virginia Tech. On the road in a matchup between No. 12 and No. 13, Georgia Amoore made 15-22 shots, including 7-12 from three-point land, to score a career-high 43 points in a 95-86 win over Oklahoma. It was just the seventh time a Kentucky women’s basketball player scored 40+ points in a game.

Boley Shines in a Kentucky Win over Florida

Kentucky had lost 10 straight SEC home games when the Florida Gators traveled to Kroger Field for a November night game. Fresh off a victory at Auburn, BBN was desperate to see a big win at home, even if the opponent had an interim head coach.

With the game hanging in the balance, Kentucky did something rarely seen in the Mark Stoops era: the Cats went tempo. Cutter Boley put his foot on the gas and didn’t stop until he delivered a beautiful 29-yard touchdown pass to JJ Hester. On the following drive, he connected with Jason Patterson on a pretty wheel route, and from there, the rout was on, with the Wildcats pulling away for a 38-7 win.

Absolute perfection 👏@cutterBoley ➡️ @JJHester_8 pic.twitter.com/4zXTnDT2Pd

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) November 9, 2025

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Koby Brea vs. Florida

Kentucky swept the Florida Gators in football and basketball in 2025. That’s the mark of a solid year. The Cats tipped off the New Year with a shootout against Todd Golden’s team. Alijah Martin and Walter Clayton Jr. combined for 59 points, but Koby Brea was undeniable, knocking down 7-9 three point attempts to score 23 points in a 106-100 win over the eventual National Champs

Kentucky Reverse Sweeps Texas in the SEC Title

Big Blue Nation knew the Kentucky volleyball team was good, but they probably didn’t know exactly how good until the SEC Tournament Title. Even though the Cats swept the second-ranked Horns on the road in the regular season, they found their backs against the wall in the championship game.

Trailing two sets to none, Texas had three championship points but couldn’t close out Kentucky. The Cats scored six of the final seven points to force a fourth set. Kentucky dominated the final two frames. Eva Hudson had 25 kills, while Lizzie Carr and Brooklyn DeLeye had 13 apiece in the dramatic comeback victory.

Jaxson Robinson vs. Mississippi State

Kentucky laid an egg in its first SEC road game and got bullied at Georgia. Facing another physical foe on the road, Jaxson Robinson pulled the dentist’s teeth with an outstanding shooting performance. The Kentucky shooting guard was 9-12 from the field and 7-10 from behind the three-point line to score 27 points in a 95-90 win over Mississippi State.

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SGA is The Real MVP

Even though Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was six years removed from his time in a Kentucky jersey, his performance in 2025 must be noted. The former Wildcat was the best basketball player in the world. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, and Shaq were the only players in NBA history to win the Scoring Title, NBA MVP, NBA Finals, and NBA MVP in the same season. SGA became the fourth when he guided OKC to a seven-game series win over the Pacers.

The Kentucky Defense Against Illinois

Kentucky had gone six years without an appearance in the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Facing a high-flying Illinois team, the Cats were underdogs. Instead of simply outscoring the Illini, Kentucky brought out its defensive clamps. Illinois made 40% of its threes in the game prior, but netted only 28.1% against Kentucky, who forced four turnovers in the first five minutes to build an early lead. Koby Brea tied his career-high with 23 points to get the Cats into the Sweet 16.

Eva Hudson in the Final Four

Kentucky met Wisconsin in the Final Four for an instant classic. BBN was on pins and needles in the five-set thriller, while Eva Hudson remained unfazed. Wisconsin middle Carter Booth stole the show early, but the SEC Player of the Year was unstoppable in clutch moments. Hudson hit an astounding .455 and had 29 kills, including the match point, to send Kentucky to the National Championship for the second time in program history.

Otega Oweh vs. Oklahoma (Part 1)

The term “flow state” has become a more scientific way to describe what happens when a person gets “in the zone.” It was a topic explored by the Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart in an ESPN 30 for 30 and it certainly applies to what Otega Oweh did to his former school.

The sensational shooting guard took over in unforgettable fashion, scoring Kentucky’s last 18 points, and 21 of the Cats’ final 23, to win a thriller in Norman. Oweh capped off his career-high 28-point performance with an off-balanced game-winner. There were still 6.1 seconds on the clock, enough time for Oweh to block Oklahoma’s game-winning attempt.

Otega Oweh vs. Oklahoma (Part 2)

I don’t know what the Sooners did to Oweh, but boy, he got his retribution.

Kentucky led by 9 points with 100 seconds left in the opening round of the SEC Tournament. Then the Cats tightened up. Oklahoma’s full-court pressure created turnovers, which turned into made shots for the Sooners. Oweh actually gave the ball away one of those times, and for a moment, it looked like Jeremiah Fears would get the last laugh by scoring a go-ahead basket with less than six seconds to play.

Oklahoma knew what Otega Oweh wanted to do. It didn’t matter. He took a narrow lane down the baseline and delivered a mirror image of his previous game-winner over Oklahoma. “OWEH DID IT AGAIN,” screamed Karl Ravech as Bridgestone Arena broke out in a frenzy, arguably the most magical moment for BBN in 2025.