Oct 30, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope claps as he watches the action during the first half against the Georgetown Hoyas at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Three keys to victory for the #9 Kentucky Wildcats to take down Nicholls

Originally posted on Kentucky Wildcats on SI
By Andrew Stefaniak | Last updated Nov 3, 2025 6:52 PM ET

It is almost gameday as the Kentucky Wildcats get ready to take on the Nicholls Colonels to get the 2025-26 season started. Nicholls isn't a team many expect to be impressive, so this will hopefully be a game where Kentucky can bounce back from the ugly exhibition loss to Georgetown.

Nicholls is ranked 225th overall in KenPom, so not many believe the Colonels have a shot in this basketball game. Kentucky has a lot to work on in this game, and it sounds like they could be without Jaland Lowe and Denzel Aberdeen.

Let's take a look at three keys to victory for Kentucky to take down Nicholls.

Three keys to victory for Kentucky to beat Nicholls

Better shot selection/Better shooting

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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.

Play elite lockdown defense

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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

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Part of the offensive struggles against Georgetown were 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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