With the first exhibition game of the season happening on Friday, nobody knew what to expect for No. 9 Kentucky basketball as they faced off against No. 1 Purdue inside of Rupp Arena.
Some fans were expecting Kentucky to lose because they were not healthy and down their starting PG Jaland Lowe with a shoulder injury, and also C Jayden Quaintance, who is still recovering from tearing his ACL, but they looked so impressive, even with it just being an exhibition game.
Advertisement
Kentucky had a 38-30 lead in the first half and never looked back in the second half, controlling the game from start to finish.
Freshman guard Jasper Johnson was the leading scorer with 15 points, but overall, the team was pretty balanced in scoring, and it looks like the same offense from last year under Mark Pope; the only difference is that you have some new players. The second half was much of the same as it was in the first half, and it was never really close throughout the whole game.
If Kentucky can continue to look like this throughout the whole season, especially against the No. 1 team in the country, it will not be a surprise if they are bringing home No. 9 come this upcoming year.
Kentucky vs. Purdue Takeaways
3-point shooting should not be an issue
Even though Kentucky did not shoot it as well as they could have against Purdue, they showed they weren’t afraid to take shots from behind the line.
Advertisement
Kentucky only shot 9 of 29 from the 3-point line, but the new players on the roster were ready for their opportunities, and that is what they did. Jasper Johnson shot 3 of 7 from the 3-point line, but for him to shoot it freely, it shows he already has confidence in himself as a freshman.
Kam Williams’ only shots were from beyond the mark, with 2 of 6, but that is why Mark Pope brought him in, because he knew he could shoot, and that is what he did against Purdue.
Denzel Aberdeen was also one of the players who let it loose, shooting 1 of 5 from beyond the arc.
The only other player who shot three or more 3s was sophomore Trent Noah, and he shot 2 of 4, shooting 50% from the 3-point line.
Advertisement
Kentucky will have to work on its 3-point shooting in the future, but to shoot 29 threes in an exhibition game is a lot, and hopefully something that Pope’s team can continue to keep up during the season.
Jasper Johnson did not look like a true freshman
Many people were wondering what Jasper Johnson could do this upcoming year, he slipped down in the rankings for the class of 2025 and he finished as a 4-star, after being a 5-star through most of it.
With Jaland Lowe missing the Purdue game, it was a chance to see how other players would step up, and that is what Johnson did. When Johnson first came off the bench, he was making some simple mistakes that were fixable, and that is what happened.
Advertisement
Johnson was tied for the leading scorer in the first half with 8 points. He shot 3/5 from the field and 2/4 from the 3-point line in the first half, and it was pretty impressive, the plays he was making.
Johnson finished the game shooting 6/10, leading the team with 15 points, including 6/10 from the field and 3/7 from the 3-point line.
The sky is the limit for Johnson, and don’t be surprised if he does not get more playing time this upcoming year.
Denzel Aberdeen can handle the point guard role if needed
Last year, Kentucky dealt with many injuries, even losing their starting PG Lamont Butler during parts of the season and losing their backup PG Kerr Kriisa for the majority of the year with a foot injury. Kentucky had to rely on the true freshmen with Travis Perry and Trent Noah, and they did fine for the position they were thrown into last year.
Advertisement
Now this year, Jaland Lowe went down with a shoulder injury during the Blue-White Scrimmage last Friday, and Kentucky had to find a backup point guard quickly, and that is what they did. Denzel Aberdeen was the next man up and was the starting point guard against Purdue, and he looked comfortable with the ball
Aberdeen finished the night with 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. Of course, Aberdeen is the better player off the ball, and when Lowe comes back, fans will see the full potential from Aberdeen.
Mo Dioubate is a physical beast
Kentucky struggled last year with the physicality, and they needed tough players. Well, Mark Pope focused on that and he went out to get Mo Dioubate from Alabama when he entered the transfer portal.
Advertisement
Dioubate eventually committed to Kentucky, and in his first exhibition game, he did a little bit of everything with scoring, rebounding, and defending. He finished the game with 8 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 steals.
During the game, he struggled with foul trouble but still played 19 minutes. As long as he can stay in the game, he is going to have a big, positive impact on this year’s team. Along with that he is going to be one of the best defenders on this year’s team and potentially in the whole country.
Otega Oweh showed why he is up for the majority of the Preseason Awards
After being out for over 10 weeks, Otega Oweh was finally back on the court during the Blue-White Scrimmage, and he showed he did not lose a step while being out with a turf toe injury.
Advertisement
With a lot more talent on this year’s roster, Oweh will have to do less of the work with scoring but he still had a solid game against Purdue.
Oweh finished the game with 10 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal on 4/9 shooting and also went 1/2 from the three-point line.
Conclusion
This game was never close, and for a Kentucky team that struggled against better competition all of last year, it was a sight to see where Kentucky was leading for the majority of the game against Purdue.
Kentucky will need to keep this up throughout the whole year, and most importantly, stay injury-free if they want a chance at No. 9 this year. Once Lowe and Quaintance return, this team will be even more incredible to watch.
Advertisement
For Pope to be able to blow out Matt Painter and Purdue, especially with many saying Braden Smith is the best college basketball player this year, is impressive to say the least.
Smith only had 11 points and shot terribly from the field, 3/9, but still had 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals.
The roster for Kentucky is deep, and they will need every player to step up, but for now, it was an incredible win, and it will help the team continue to gain confidence going into the season.
Now, let’s celebrate!
Go CATS!!
