Kentucky basketball rolls to season-opening blowout of Manhattan

Jon Hale, Lexington Herald-Leader on Nov 3, 2026

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky basketball opened the 2026-27 season in dominant fashion, breaking in a roster with nine Wildcats making their UK debut with an 85-57 win over Manhattan.

Sharpshooting Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic led the way with 24 points, hitting 6 of 9 3-pointers. Washington point guard transfer Zoom Diallo, who struggled for much of Kentucky’s three preseason exhibitions, added 12 points. Furman transfer Alex Wilkins contributed 11 points, five assists and seven steals.

Sophomore center Malachi Moreno, the lone returning player who appeared in the opener, just missed a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds but did not play the final 11:28 of the game.

Kentucky hit 12 of 31 3-point attempts in the game despite missing its first four shots from beyond the arc and missing its last five 3-point attempts after Mark Pope had cleared the bench. The Wildcats held Manhattan to 7-of-26 shooting from 3-point range.

The tests will grow more difficult from here with Manhattan ranked 316th nationally by advanced metrics website KenPom.com entering the season. No. 23 Kentucky has another tune-up game against James Madison on Friday before facing No. 17 Kansas in the Champions Classic in Chicago in one week.

Turning point

Kentucky trailed by four with just more than 12 minutes left in the first half when Wilkins hit Kentucky’s first 3-pointer of the game. UK followed with 3s from Justin McBride and Mason Williams. The Wildcats scored 13 straight points and 24 of the next 27 points to blow the game open.

By halftime, any thought of a close game was long gone. Kentucky led 48-22 thanks in large part to eight made 3s and 10 assists on 17 made baskets.

Player of the game

Momcilovic lived up to his reputation as the nation’s best 3-point shooter in his Kentucky debut, but it was Wilkins who affected the game in the most ways. He finished his UK debut one steal shy of the single-game record. Four UK players have been credited with eight steals in a game, most recently Cason Wallace against Michigan State on Nov. 15, 2022.

Key stat

Kentucky is 103-21 in season openers and has won five straight openers. Pope is 3-0 in season openers as UK’s coach.