Big Blue Nation finally got another look at Kentucky Basketball this week as the Wildcats released new footage from their summer workouts, offering an early glimpse of what Mark Pope’s 2026-27 squad is building in Lexington.
The highlights began after Kentucky’s current roster scrimmaged La Familia, the Wildcats’ alumni team preparing for The Basketball Tournament (TBT). The young Wildcats came away with a 31-19 victory, but the biggest takeaway wasn’t the final score—it was the chemistry, ball movement, and confidence the team displayed throughout the session.
Point guard Zoom Diallo looked every bit like the floor general Kentucky expects him to be. He attacked the basket with confidence, finished through traffic, and knocked down a three-pointer while keeping the offense under control.
One of the most exciting moments came when Milan Momcilovic found Ousmane N’Diaye on the perimeter for a made three-pointer. Seeing the 7-footer comfortably stretch the floor is an encouraging sign for a Kentucky offense that should feature plenty of spacing and versatility this season.
The Wildcats also showed impressive chemistry in transition. Mason Williams delivered a perfect pass to Jerone Morton for an easy basket, while Braydon Hawthorne knocked down a three-pointer. Momcilovic continued to showcase his playmaking by setting up Malachi Moreno for an easy dunk as Kentucky consistently created quality scoring opportunities.
A day later, Mark Pope shared another collection of practice highlights that featured Momcilovic and Moreno.
Momcilovic stole the show with a remarkable shooting display, knocking down six three-pointers, including a difficult contested fadeaway off a screen that highlighted why many believe he could become one of the SEC’s most dangerous perimeter threats.
Moreno continued to impress with his physical play around the basket, throwing down multiple powerful dunks, including an emphatic poster finish. He also capped off the workout with a strong defensive sequence by blocking N’Diaye’s shot at the rim.
While it’s still only summer practice, the early signs are difficult to ignore. Kentucky already appears to be developing strong chemistry, crisp ball movement, excellent floor spacing, and the high-level shooting that Mark Pope has emphasized since arriving in Lexington.
There is still plenty of work to be done before the regular season begins, but these early practice videos have given Big Blue Nation plenty of reasons to believe this team has the talent and chemistry to become one of the most exciting Kentucky squads in recent years.
