Kentucky men’s basketball is gearing up for an unusually early date with rival Louisville next week. The final tune-up is Friday night at Rupp Arena, where Valparaiso visits.
The ninth-ranked Wildcats (1-0) and Beacons (1-0) tip off at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
It’s likely to be the debut of Jaland Lowe, Kentucky’s starting point guard, against outside competition. The Pittsburgh transfer suffered a shoulder injury in the Blue-White Game on Oct. 17 and sat out exhibition wins against Purdue and Georgetown and Tuesday’s regular-season opener against Nicholls.
Valparaiso is coached by Roger Powell Jr., a former standout player at Illinois and assistant coach under Mark Few at Gonzaga, and UK coach Mark Pope said the Beacons have “a little bit of a Gonzaga vibe in the way they play,” referencing Valpo’s pace and basic offensive actions.
Beginning just prior to tipoff, Herald-Leader basketball beat writer Ben Roberts, columnist Mark Story and staff writer Cameron Drummond will provide live updates from Rupp Arena in the chat below, where you can also follow live stats and play-by-play from the game.
