Preview: #23 Kentucky's matchup with James Madison

Oct 23, 2026; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope talks to his players during the first half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Rupp Arena Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Preview: #23 Kentucky's matchup with James Madison

Originally posted on Kentucky Wildcats on SI
By Andrew Stefaniak | Last updated Nov 6, 2026 8:30 AM ET

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Coach Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats got the season started on Tuesday night with a win over Manhattan. The Wildcats had a good showing in the win, but now another test lies ahead for the Wildcats as James Madison will make the trip to Lexington. Last season, Justin McBride played for the Dukes, where he had the best season of his college basketball career.

The Wildcats have a few things that they would like to clean up from game one to game two, and the big thing is the turnovers. The Wildcats turned the ball over 14 times in the win over Manhattan, and this needs to be fixed. Kentucky needs to value each possession, and if they are turning the ball over a ton, that isn't happening.

Another fix that the Wildcats need to make this evening in Rupp Arena against the Dukes is to defend without fouling. In the season opener, the Wildcats committed 19 fouls, and this led to 23 free throws for the Jaspers. Kentucky's defense has been much better than expected so far for the Wildcats, but they need to avoid fouling. When SEC play rolls around, the Wildcats will be in big trouble if they are fouling a lot. If this is the case, teams will take it to the rack a lot and go to the charity stripe.

Let's take a look at how to watch #23 Kentucky's matchup with the James Madison Dukes.

How to watch the Kentucky Wildcats matchup with James Madison

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The matchup between Pope's Kentucky Wildcats and the Dukes of JMU will tip off at 7:00 pm et this evening at Rupp Arena. This game can be watched on the SEC Network.

Zoom Diallo had a much better game against Manhattan compared to the exhibition games, but Big Blue Nation would love to see him fully put it together this evening. Fans have to remember that the next game on the schedule for the Wildcats is the matchup with Kansas on Tuesday. If the Wildcats are going to win this marquee game, the point guard Diallo has to play well.

This matchup with Kansas will really show Big Blue Nation what they have with this team, so this final tune-up game against JMU is going to be very important. Improvements from game one to game two are what BBN needs to be looking for as the Dukes are in town tonight.

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

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