A new era has officially begun for the Kentucky Wildcats—the Mark Pope era. Kentucky beat the Wright State Raiders in the season opener on Monday night by a score of 103-62.
The game started as we all anticipated…an alley-oop from Amari Williams to Andrew Carr! The Cats were ready to roll from the tip as the entire team played its first real game in front of the Big Blue Nation. Kentucky went 10 deep in the first half, which was not only indicative of its depth but also its balance, as four guys scored eight points to help Kentucky take a 46-24 lead into the half.
After the break, Kentucky really broke things open. The rotation started to take shape, the guys started to round into form, and the score got worse as a result. There’s truly a beautiful mix of offense and defense that hasn’t been present in years.
After leading Kentucky in scoring during the preseason, Otega Oweh led the way for Kentucky with 21 points on 8/9 shooting and a +/- of 31.
It was a great first showing for Pope and Co. This season is going to be fun!
Next up, the Cats will take on the Bucknell Bison on Saturday afternoon as the football team is on bye.
Here are four things to know from win No. 1!
Starting Five
A new era means a new starting give. Pope started his reign with Lamont Butler, Otega Oweh, Jaxson Robinson, Andrew Carr, and Amari Williams. Can you remember the last time there wasn’t a freshman out there to start the game?
This was the same lineup we saw to start both exhibition games, so it was no surprise, but it’s noteworthy nonetheless. Things have certainly changed.
It was also good seeing Williams out there following his injury scare vs. Minnesota State. It’s clear that Williams is the starting 5 and one of the best overall players on this team. He has the potential to be an All-SEC-level player for the Cats and one of the more complete bigs in college basketball if he can improve the free-throw shooting (2/6 in this one).
The passing is next level
We all knew the shooting would be fun to watch, but guess what leads to open shots? Elite passing, and this team does just that.
These Cats are so good at sharing the ball. They’re really good at shooting it, too, but it helps when there’s so many open looks. From the guards to the big men, this team is elite at finding open looks.
39 field goals. 30 assists.
This team already looks like a better passing team than anything we’ve seen in Lexington for quite some time. This is a team the Big Blue Nation is absolutely going to fall in love with if they haven’t already.
Oweh continues to impress
One of Kentucky’s best players in the exhibition games was Otega Oweh, and he was one of the best players on the floor again in this one.
The Oklahoma Sooners transfer continues to impress thus far. His strength is something we’re accustomed to seeing on veteran opponents. He’s a beast at the rim and on the defensive end, and despite the ugly form, he’s a pretty good outside shooter, too, hitting all three of his 3-pointers in this one.
We’ll see if Oweh can continue what he’s been doing when the competition picks up, but so far, so good.
Brea is a difference-maker
Koby Brea is a fun player. The Dayton transfer led the country in three-pointing shooting percentage last season at 49% and he picked up right where he left off, and then some!
Brea hit all four of his 3-point attempts and also knocked down a couple of two-point baskets while attacking the rim. He’s the perfect fit for a Pope offense, and I’m excited to see what he’s able to accomplish this season. It was great to see after he had a so-so exhibition season, as he looked every bit like one of, if not the best shooter in college basketball tonight.
It’s the start of something special.
Go Cats!
