Mar 23, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope reacts during the second half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

#9 Kentucky can make a massive statement with a win over #1 Purdue on Friday

Originally posted on Kentucky Wildcats on SI
By Andrew Stefaniak | Last updated Oct 21, 2025 8:00 PM ET

Friday is a big day for the Kentucky Wildcats as they are set to host the Purdue Boilermakers in Rupp Arena for an exhibition game. Purdue, of course, is the #1 team heading into the season and the team many believe is going to win the national title.

Kentucky heads into the season ranked as the #9 team in the nation, but Big Blue Nation feels that the Wildcats are a top five team in college basketball. This means that Kentucky has a big opportunity on Friday to prove that, perhaps even though they are a top ten team right now, they are a bit underrated.

Fans already knew the Wildcats would be without star forward Jayden Quaintance as he rehabs from his ACL injury, but now it looks like the Wildcats will be without starting point guard Jaland Lowe against Purdue.

Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

This means Kentucky will be without two of its three best players to take on the number one team in the nation.

In a weird way, there are some positives to playing this game without Lowe, who shouldn't be out for more than a few weeks. One of the positives is that we will get answers at the backup point guard spot. This offseason, the backup point guard position has been a question mark for this team.

Guard play wins in March, so now fans will get to see what the plan is with Lowe off the floor. More than likely, the plan will be to run either Denzel Aberdeen at the one and Jasper Johnson at the two or run a mixture of Aberdeen and Collin Chandler at the one and two.

Kentucky has a ton of belief in these players, and they will have a big opportunity on Friday. These members of the backcourt will be tasked with guarding Braden Smith, who many consider the best player in the nation.

Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Kentucky has absolutely nothing to lose in this game. First of all, it is an exhibition, so it doesn't count in the grand scheme of things, and they will be banged up. The Wildcats need to go out on the floor loose and play their game.

The crowd should be loud with this being a Friday night game in Rupp Arena, so the atmosphere will have an effect on Purdue. If a shorthanded Kentucky team is able to take down the #1 team in the nation, it will go a long way to proving the Wildcats are a top five team in college hoops.

This article first appeared on Kentucky Wildcats on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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