Kentucky fans finally got something to smile about — and the timing couldn’t be better.
Just hours before No. 12 Kentucky steps onto the biggest stage of its young season tonight against No. 17 Michigan State in the Champions Classic, Mark Pope received the breakthrough his team desperately needed: clarity, confidence, and real momentum from the players most expected to struggle without injured point guard Jaland Lowe.
And the surprising twist?
It’s Kentucky’s big men who delivered it.
Kentucky’s guards are banged up — but the frontcourt just stepped up in a major way
The Wildcats entered the week with a familiar problem. Once again, the backcourt has been hit hard by injuries. Lowe’s ongoing shoulder issues have left Kentucky without the steady floor general they envisioned leading this offense.
Instead of spiraling, Mark Pope leaned into what makes this roster different from nearly every Kentucky team of the past decade:
Versatile big men who can handle, pass, and initiate offense like guards.
This week, as the team prepared for Michigan State’s top-15 defense, Pope watched his frontcourt take a dramatic leap forward — the exact step Kentucky needed to feel confident entering Madison Square Garden.
Sources inside the program describe the big men as “locked in,” “sharp,” and “more comfortable than at any point this season.”
For a team playing without its starting point guard, that’s game-changing news.
The transformation happening inside Kentucky’s frontcourt
Kentucky’s trio of frontcourt playmakers — Mouhamed Dioubate, Brandon Garrison, and Malachi Moreno — didn’t arrive on campus to simply rebound and set screens. Mark Pope recruited them because they can dribble, pass, and read the floor at a high level.
This week, all three took on major ballhandling and playmaking duties in practice.
And they thrived.
Mouhamed Dioubate:
Explosive, confident, and ready for a homecoming performance at The Garden. The Queens native has never played in Madison Square Garden, but he looked more comfortable than ever initiating the offense during game prep.
Malachi Moreno:
The freshman center continues to show advanced poise, making the right reads, protecting the ball, and proving he can help carry the offense without turning it over.
Brandon Garrison:
After a turnover-heavy outing vs. Eastern Illinois, Garrison responded this week by simplifying decisions and tightening his handle — exactly what Mark Pope asked for.
The improvement was noticeable to everyone.
“This is the news we needed,” Pope told staff
With Michigan State looming — a team that has suffocated every opponent so far — Kentucky desperately needed signs that it could run offense smoothly without Lowe.
And that’s exactly what Pope got.
Not only did the bigs handle pressure well, but the pace, spacing, and decision-making were better than they’ve been all season.
Pope now believes the Wildcats have enough dynamic playmaking across the lineup to withstand Michigan State’s physicality — even without a healthy traditional point guard.
Why this changes everything for tonight
Michigan State’s defense forces teams into mistakes. They rotate quickly, pressure the ball, and rarely allow easy paint touches.
Historically, teams without strong guard play crumble against them.
But Kentucky’s new approach — using bigs as playmakers and pushing the pace from all positions — gives Michigan State a completely different look than they’re used to preparing for.
If Kentucky’s big men can continue what they showed this week, the Wildcats suddenly have:
More ballhandlers
More scoring angles
More unpredictability
Less pressure on Denzel Aberdeen and Collin Chandler
And a much more balanced offense
This is why tonight’s game feels different.
This is why confidence is rising inside the program.
And this is why — for the first time since Lowe got hurt — Kentucky fans have real hope heading into the biggest night of the early season.
