Kentucky vs. UCF game discussion and pregame reading

The Kentucky Wildcats will take on the Central Florida Knights on Wednesday afternoon in their third and final exhibition game of the preseason. Game time is set for 6:00 PM ET on SEC Network.

The Cats are looking to impress in one more tune-up game before they open the season on November 3rd. So far, Mark Pope’s squad is 2-0 in the preseason with a 69-49 win over Little Rock and a 76-65 win over the No. 19-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Exhibition game one was a little rocky (pun intended) as the defense looked surprisingly solid, but the offense struggled. Exhibition game two was a much better showing after the Cats took down a ranked foe. Each of these games should be taken with a grain of salt (see win over Purdue last year), but there can be some things gleaned from them (see Georgetown game last year).

You know what to expect from Milan Momcilovic and Malachi Moreno. Mason Williams has been the story of the preseason, but all eyes will be on Zoom Diallo and whether his early struggles are growing pains or a sign of what’s to come. We’ll also be watching Alex Wilkins’ microwave scoring, and if Ousmane N’Diaye can sustain the flashes of potential he’s shown.

UCF is 1-1 in the preseason with an 85-81 loss to the LSU Tigers, who had six players available, and a six-point win over D-II Rollins College. Players to watch are fifth-year Riley Kugel (former Florida Gator and Mississippi State Bulldog) and Dior Johnson (former 4-star recruit). The Knights were solid last season, but they lost their three best players and are looking down this season.

Let’s enjoy and hope Kentucky handles this one with ease to give us something else to look forward to.

Pregame reading

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Let’s Go CATS!