225 days later, we are just one sleep away from Kentucky basketball. The No. 23 Wildcats will begin their quest for a national title Tuesday night, welcoming the Manhattan Jaspers of the Metro Conference to Rupp Arena in what will be the first-ever battle between the two programs.

Kentucky swept exhibition play with a 3-0 record: a 69-49 win over Little Rock, a 76-65 win over No. 19 Texas Tech, and a 90-76 overtime win over UCF. We saw positive signs, flaws, and all that comes in between; but in less than 24 hours, none of that will matter. In all three of these exhibition contests, head coach Mark Pope rolled out the same lineup, consisting of Zoom Diallo, Alex Wilkins, Milan Momcilovic, Ousmane N’Diaye, and Malachi Moreno, so we should expect to see the same once the ball tips tomorrow.

Ahead of the season, forward Milan Momcilovic earned a spot on the Preseason All-SEC Second Team, while returning sophomore and former SEC All-SEC Freshman Team selection Moreno earned a spot on the Preseason All-SEC Third Team. Those two are expected to be Pope’s most valuable cards this season.

Manhattan makes the 700-plus-mile trip down to the Bluegrass after closing the 2025-26 season with a 12-20 overall record. Led by fourth-year head coach John Gallagher, the Jaspers were picked to finish 10th in the Metro Conference this season. Guard Ben Tweedy, a Colgate transfer, earned a spot on the Preseason All-Metro Third Team, coming off a sophomore season where he averaged 9.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists with the Raiders.

He is expected to be Gallagher’s strongest player and should be a fun early test for Kentucky’s guards. The Jaspers last made the NCAA Tournament in 2015 and will seek to get back on that track on Tuesday night, while the Wildcats will seek to open the season with what many expect to be a dominant win.

Nonetheless, UK ball is back. Tipoff for the season opener is set for 7 p.m. ET and can be viewed on SEC Network +.

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