Kentucky Basketball vs. Manhattan preview, viewing info, and prediction for stream-only game

Kentucky Basketball finished exhibition play with a perfect 3-0 record after defeating UCF, 90-76, in overtime on Wednesday. At times, the Wildcats looked like the better team but struggled to pull away from the Knights. UCF eventually took the lead in the final minutes of regulation before Kentucky guard Alex Wilkins hit a game-tying shot to send the contest into overtime.

Kentucky then dominated the extra period, outscoring UCF 14-5. The performance showed that if the Wildcats can put everything together, they have the potential to be one of the better teams in the country. They demonstrated that potential earlier with a 76-65 victory over Texas Tech.

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Against UCF, four Wildcats reached double figures: Milan Momcilovic, Malachi Moreno, Mason Williams and Alex Wilkins. Kentucky will now turn its attention to the regular season, beginning Tuesday, Nov. 3, against Manhattan at 7 p.m. ET inside Rupp Arena as the Wildcats look to start their pursuit of a ninth national championship.

This is also a pivotal third season for head coach Mark Pope. After Kentucky’s season ended with a second-round loss to Iowa State in the NCAA Tournament last year, expectations are high, and many believe this season could be a make-or-break year for Pope and the program.

Manhattan, meanwhile, is coming off a difficult 2025-26 season in which the Jaspers finished 12-20. The program has also experienced significant roster turnover, returning only five of the 18 players from last season’s roster.

Getting to know Manhattan

John Gallagher enters his fourth season as Manhattan’s head coach in 2026-27. He was named the 24th head coach in program history on March 29, 2023, and brings 26 years of collegiate coaching experience at the Division I level.

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Before arriving at Manhattan, Gallagher spent 12 seasons as the head coach at Hartford, leading the Hawks to three postseason appearances. His tenure included an NCAA Tournament berth in 2021 after Hartford won the America East…

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Publish date : 2026-10-31 11:15:00

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