Players to watch in Kentucky vs. Texas Tech

Exhibition games in college basketball are becoming like the NFL Preseason. At least, that’s how it can feel with Kentucky Basketball.

The Wildcats have already played one exhibition game, and they still have two remaining before the regular season starts. Friday night is the second of the three exhibition games against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

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Even though this game doesn’t count toward the standings, it’s still an opportunity for the Cats against a Power Four team, a good Power Four team at that. Texas Tech is No. 19 in the AP Preseason Top 25, and they’re coming off a really solid season where they were ranked in the top 25 all season and finished third in the Big 12.

Had it not been for a season-ending injury to their star player, JT Toppin, they could have been a team that played in the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

Speaking of Toppin, he is not going to play Friday night against Kentucky. He is still recovering from a torn ACL sustained in February, and his absence looms large for the Red Raiders. Toppin was averaging close to 22 points per game and over 10 rebounds per game when he went down.

Elsewhere for the Red Raiders, Donovan Atwell was recently granted an injunction to make him eligible for this season. Atwell is a terrific shooter and active defensive player, shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 45.8 percent from 3-point range while finishing second on the team in steals with 40.

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There are two other players who are seeking eligibility for this season. Darrion Williams is back at Texas Tech after a season at North Carolina State. Williams played two seasons prior at Texas Tech, averaging 15.1 points per game in 2024-25 for a Red Raiders team that played in the Elite Eight.

Jamichael Stillwell is also seeking eligibility after transferring in from Central Florida this offseason. Stillwell has averaged double figures in scoring in both of his first two seasons in college basketball, including a double-double as a Freshman at…

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Publish date : 2026-10-23 10:01:00

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