Mark Pope’s Wildcats may be the heavy favorites on paper, but they know game one won’t be a walk in the park. Nicholls might be rebuilding, yet the Colonels are loaded with experience and hungry to shock the world inside Rupp Arena. Let’s break down why Kentucky’s first real test of the season might be tougher than fans think.
Kentucky opens its 2025–26 season Tuesday night against Nicholls — a matchup that looks lopsided in talent, but not in mindset.
Mark Pope has preached all offseason that every game is the biggest of the year, and players like Jasper Johnson and Brandon Garrison are echoing that same message as they prepare for a scrappy Colonels team that’s undergone massive roster turnover.
Nicholls lost a staggering 1,866 of 2,443 total points from last season’s 20-win team. That includes key scorers like Rob Brown III (13.0 PPG), Jamal West Jr. (12.3 PPG), and Michael Gray Jr. (11.1 PPG), all of whom left through the transfer portal. Yet despite the departures, head coach Tevon Saddler — the youngest active Division I coach at just 30 years old — has built another gritty, athletic roster that fits his aggressive, positionless style.
The Colonels return only three rotation pieces: Jaylen Searles (6.5 PPG), Trae English (6.1 PPG), and Sincere Malone (5.6 PPG). But Saddler reloaded with 10 newcomers, including veterans from across the country. Names like Zaiden Cross (20.2 PPG at Tennessee Southern), Zee Hamoda (11.9 PPG at Sacramento State), and Grant Sanders (10.2 PPG at Brewton-Parker) give Nicholls instant scoring options.
“We’re not overlooking them,” said freshman guard Jasper Johnson. “Coach Pope says the next game is always the hardest. I know Nicholls is coming in hungry, so we’re just trying to be prepared and execute our game plan.”
That hunger is real — especially for players getting a chance to shine under the bright lights of Rupp Arena.
“They get to play at Kentucky,” Brandon Garrison added. “Everybody dreams of that. So they’re gonna give us everything they’ve got.”
With no real film to study — Nicholls’ two exhibition games were secret scrimmages — Kentucky’s staff and walk-ons have been hard at work simulating Saddler’s schemes in practice. The scout team began running Nicholls’ system on Saturday, focusing on their size, pace, and ability to space the floor with shooters across all five positions.
“They’re physical and athletic,” Garrison said. “Everyone on their team can shoot and bring the ball up the court. So we’ve been mocking that in practice to get ready.”
The Wildcats know they can’t afford to let an underdog smell opportunity — especially in an opener where nerves and energy can swing momentum fast.
“You can’t underestimate anybody,” Johnson said. “Nicholls has a great coaching staff and players who can hurt us if we’re not focused. So defensively, we just need to lock in and play our game.”
Kentucky will officially tip off its season Tuesday, November 4 at 7 p.m. ET inside Rupp Arena, live on SEC Network+ — and while the talent gap may be wide, the Cats are treating this one like it’s March.
Because in year two of the Mark Pope era, Kentucky knows one thing for sure:
Every game counts, and every opponent comes to Rupp ready to make a name for themselves.
