After defeating Little Rock and nationally ranked Texas Tech, the No. 23 Kentucky Wildcats will look to make it three exhibition victories in three tries when the UCF Knights visit Rupp Arena on Wednesday evening.
And while this matchup will not count toward the official standings, don't mistake it for a meaningless game. Kentucky is still working through its rotations, developing chemistry and identifying the areas that need attention before the regular-season opener against Manhattan on November 3.
UCF should provide a worthwhile final test. The Knights are coming off a 21-win season and an NCAA Tournament appearance, and they have enough size, athleticism and scoring talent to make Kentucky work.
The Wildcats have taken care of business in their first two tune-ups, winning by a combined 31 points.
Friday's victory over Texas Tech was especially encouraging because Kentucky faced a talented opponent and responded when the game became difficult.
The Red Raiders tied the game at 54 in the second half, but Kentucky finished with a 22-11 run. Freshman Mason Williams supplied a crucial three-pointer and another basket during the decisive stretch, while Alex Wilkins delivered two big shots from beyond the arc.
Kentucky also made 19 of 22 free throws and recorded assists on 18 of its 25 made field goals against Texas Tech. Those are promising numbers for a team still learning how to play together.
UCF is led by former Duke star Johnny Dawkins, now in his 11th season as the Knights' head coach.
The Knights finished the 2025-26 campaign with a 21-12 record and reached the NCAA Tournament before falling to UCLA in the opening round. UCF has retooled its roster since then, but the program has the experience of navigating a difficult Big 12 schedule.
UCF has already tested itself against an SEC opponent this preseason. The Knights lost a close 85-81 exhibition at LSU on October 14 before defeating Rollins College 80-74 on October 25.
Against Rollins, UCF forced 19 turnovers and scored 25 points off those mistakes. The Knights also enjoyed a 50-24 advantage in points in the paint, illustrating their ability to create offense near the basket.
Winning would be nice, but these five areas may tell us even more about where Kentucky stands entering the regular season.
Texas Tech grabbed 16 offensive rebounds in Friday's matchup, producing 15 second-chance points. That is an area Kentucky simply must improve. With 7-foot-2 John Bol and 6-foot-9 Isaiah Malone on the UCF roster, this will be another legitimate test for Malachi Moreno, Ousmane N'Diaye and the entire Kentucky frontcourt.
The Wildcats connected on 12 of 28 three-pointers against Little Rock but made only 7 of 24 against Texas Tech, a 29.2 percent performance. With Milan Momcilovic, Alex Wilkins and others capable of hitting perimeter shots, Kentucky has the potential to be dangerous from deep. Better shot selection and consistent ball movement will be important.
Zoom Diallo is an important piece of Kentucky's plans at point guard, but freshman Mason Williams and Alex Wilkins have also impressed. Williams scored 14 points against Texas Tech, while Wilkins finished with 13 points, seven assists and three steals. Watch how Pope distributes the minutes and which combinations work best together.
Through two exhibitions, Kentucky opponents have shot only 36 percent from the floor and 20 percent from three-point range. Those are impressive early defensive numbers. UCF's Dior Johnson will be a different type of scoring threat, and the Knights' size gives Kentucky another chance to prove that its defensive effort is sustainable.
This is the last chance to experiment before wins and losses become official. Pope will be looking for players who communicate defensively, execute the offense, limit turnovers and understand their roles. The most encouraging outcome would be a complete performance that sends the Wildcats into November looking like a connected basketball team.
Three Wildcats who could factor into the rotation have been sidelined during the preseason: Kam Williams, Trent Noah and Jerone Morton.
None of the three played against Texas Tech. The latest publicly reported team updates, issued October 22, listed Williams as week-to-week while progressing toward practice, Noah as week-to-week with a hamstring injury, and Morton as continuing to recover from a knee injury.
The upside of those absences has been additional playing time for younger players, particularly Mason Williams and Alex Wilkins. Both have taken advantage of their opportunities and are making a strong case for meaningful minutes moving forward.
Surprisingly, Kentucky and UCF have met just once in men's basketball.
That game came during Tubby Smith's tenure as head coach. Kentucky narrowly escaped with a two-point victory, with Ramel Bradley scoring 16 points and Rajon Rondo contributing 13.
Rondo delivered the winning basket in the final seconds. Twenty years later, the two programs are meeting again at Rupp Arena, this time with Mark Pope leading the Wildcats and UCF competing in the Big 12 Conference.
Because Wednesday's game is an exhibition, the official all-time series will remain 1-0 in Kentucky's favor regardless of the result.
There is plenty to like about what Kentucky has shown so far.
The Wildcats are playing with defensive energy, getting meaningful contributions from young players and showing the ability to respond when an opponent makes a run. The Texas Tech victory was particularly important because Kentucky had to execute under pressure instead of simply cruising to another preseason win.
UCF won't make things easy. The Knights have an explosive scorer in Dior Johnson, legitimate size in the paint and the ability to force turnovers. They also demonstrated against LSU that they can compete with a quality SEC opponent.
Still, Kentucky has the home-court advantage, momentum from two victories and an opportunity to finish the exhibition schedule on a high note.
The biggest question isn't simply whether Kentucky wins Wednesday night. It's whether the Wildcats look more polished than they did a week ago.
If Kentucky rebounds more effectively, plays unselfishly and continues its strong defense, Big Blue Nation should have plenty of reasons to feel optimistic heading into the regular season.
Once Wednesday's exhibition is over, Kentucky will turn its attention to the 2026-27 regular season.