Yes, you should be excited about Kentucky's win over Purdue even though it was an exhibition

My last trip to Rupp Arena was on February 1, 2025. Kentucky lost to Arkansas that night by ten, 89-79, but to everyone inside, it felt like more. John Calipari got the last laugh in his return to Rupp Arena — and handled it gracefully — but it was a tough pill to swallow for the 21,266 fans who packed the building and made the pregame atmosphere one of the most memorable in my many decades of attending and covering games.

I haven’t made the drive up to Lexington for a basketball game since — although I was with the Cats throughout the postseason, following them to Indianapolis for the Sweet 16. Our trip to Indianapolis wasn’t as long as I hoped, ending with a loss to Tennessee, but seeing Kentucky run the No. 1 team in the country out of Rupp Arena 265 days later has me believing that the Cats will finally break the Circle City curse. Sure, the 78-65 win over Purdue was technically an exhibition, but it shouldn’t tamp down your excitement or expectations for the season; in fact, I think it’s even more reason to believe this Kentucky team could be special.

Hear me out. Let’s start with the foe. Purdue is the consensus No. 1 team in the country, ranked first in both the AP and Coaches Preseason Polls. They return three stars from last year’s team that ranked near the top of KenPom’s offensive ratings, including Braden Smith, considered the best player in college basketball. They’re one of the most talented and experienced teams in the country, and Kentucky ran them off the floor — without its starting point guard Jaland Lowe and projected top ten draft pick Jayden Quaintance. The Boilermakers definitely had some moments vs. the Cats early on, but in the second half, Kentucky’s depth and versatility took over, leaving Purdue tugging at their shorts.

I could go on and on about the possibilities that Kentucky’s depth creates. Ten Kentucky players played 15 or more minutes; only three played more than 20. Mark Pope didn’t platoon, but he did substitute three or even four players in and out at times, mini hockey line changes, which wore the Boilermakers out and led to Kentucky’s 15-5 advantage in fastbreak points. Add in Lowe and eventually, Quaintance, and the sky’s the limit, which is why Pope couldn’t help but compare this group to his 1996 national championship team afterwards.

While all of that is thrilling, what excited me most tonight was seeing Kentucky showcase what it lacked last season: defense and urgency. The Cats held the Boilermakers, one of the most efficient offenses in the country last season, to just 65 points on 38.6% shooting from the field, 17.6% (3-17) from three. That’s just 1.0 points per possession, whereas Kentucky finished with 1.182. The Cats led for 37 minutes, with the lead cresting at 17 points with three minutes to go. Kentucky outrebounded Purdue 42-30 and had 10 more points in the paint (36-26). Braden Smith finished with just 11 points on 3-9 from the floor, 5-5 from the free-throw line, matched up against Kentucky’s backup options at point guard.

Pope gave plenty of credit to Purdue after the game, a team and its coach, Matt Painter, whom he respects; however, he did admit that he hoped the reason the Boilermakers struggled was that his team was his team’s pressure on both sides of the ball.

“They didn’t shoot the ball particularly well tonight. And I’m hoping that part of it was just that there was somewhat of a relentless pressure and pace to the game. And so I actually felt like we didn’t play as hard as we are going to have to play to win consistently. I kind of was looking at the bench and was like, I need fresh bodies.”

Kentucky’s got them, and will have even more in the days to come. That was part of the reason why Rupp Arena was euphoric tonight. Having three Kentucky kids score eight straight points was the icing on top. The Big Blue Nation is not naive enough to think there won’t be bumps in the road; however, Kentucky looked really, really good, shorthanded, against a team that most people believe is the best in the country. Don’t let anyone make you feel bad for being excited about that. After all, we’re not too far removed from the days we used to ask Division II teams not to play zone in these games.

I’ve been in the stands for many Rupp Arena “pops.” Tayshaun Prince’s fifth three vs. North Carolina may never be topped, but after hearing the crowd after Jasper Johnson’s third three tonight, I can’t wait to find out if this is the group that does it.

We're having fun 🤩

📺 – SEC Network pic.twitter.com/rL2Fsw1nbd

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) October 24, 2025