Mar 4, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope yells to his players during the first half against the LSU Tigers at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Preview: #9 Kentucky Wildcats take on Nicholls

Originally posted on Kentucky Wildcats on SI
By Andrew Stefaniak | Last updated Nov 4, 2025 9:21 AM ET

Mark Pope is ready to get his second season as the head coach of Kentucky started, and the first opponent on the 2025-26 schedule is the Nicholls Colonels.

This is a Nicholls team ranked 225th in KenPom, so hopefully this is a game that the Wildcats can win by a wide margin to give the team a confidence boost after the ugly exhibition loss.

It will be interesting to see whether or not Jaland Lowe or Denzel Aberdeen will be on the floor, but we will find out ahead of the game.

Let's take a look at how to watch the Wildcats take on the Colonels.

How to watch #9 Kentucky take on Nicholls

The Wildcats are set to take on the Colonels at 7:00 pm ET inside Rupp Arena, and this game can be watched on SECN+.

Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Three keys to victory for Kentucky over Nicholls

Better shot selection/Better shooting

In the exhibition loss to Georgetown, the Wildcats did not have a good night shooting the ball as they went 7-30 from three, which comes out to 23.3%. The Wildcats were also 0-13 from three in the second half, which will make it impossible to pull off a comeback. What was more frustrating than just missed shots was the fact that they were ugly shots. Coach Pope's offense is known for getting good open shots from three, and that was not the case against the Hoyas. The goal in this game against Nicholls should be to take better shots and make those better shots.

Elite lockdown defense

The other frustrating part of the loss to Georgetown was how badly the defense played. The Wildcats could not seem to get a stop against the physical Hoyas, which was frustrating, knowing the defense played so well against #1 Purdue. This is a Nicholls team that has an offense ranked 258th in KenPom, so the Wildcats should dominate this game from start to finish on defense. Kentucky's defense is ranked fourth in KenPom, so if it is going to be this good, the matchup with Nicholls is a great time to prove it.

Ball movement on offense

Part of the offensive struggles against Georgetown was because the ball was not moving, and it looked like hero ball. There is a chance that once again Lowe and Aberdeen aren't on the floor, and if this does happen, Collin Chandler and Jasper Johnson need to play well. These two did not have a good showing against the Hoyas. This offense only works when the ball is moving, and it needs to do that against Nicholls.

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

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