Kentucky Basketball’s 3-point shooting shines in season-opening win over Manhattan

No. 23 Kentucky Basketball opened its season Tuesday night with an 85-57 victory over Manhattan. After a slow start, the Wildcats’ offense began to click, and it was encouraging to see the team find its rhythm.

Kentucky head coach Mark Pope has consistently emphasized his desire for the Wildcats to attempt between 30 and 35 3-pointers per game, and he got his wish in the season opener.

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Pope’s philosophy of living by the 3-pointer paid off, as Kentucky finished 12-for-31 from beyond the arc, good for 38.7%.

While shooting nearly 39% from 3-point range was impressive, Milan Momcilovic was the biggest standout. The 3-point specialist finished 6-for-9 from beyond the arc, shooting an incredible 66.7%. He’s now tied with Antonio Reeves for the most 3-pointers made by a Wildcat in his regular-season debut.

For most players, shooting 40% from 3-point range is considered an excellent mark. Momcilovic surpassed that percentage by a wide margin in his first game in a Kentucky uniform.

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Alex Wilkins was the only other Wildcat to make multiple 3-pointers, finishing 3-for-6 from beyond the arc (50%).

Hopefully, Kentucky can continue knocking down shots from deep and become a more consistent 3-point shooting team than it was last season.

It will also be encouraging to see more players contribute from beyond the arc rather than relying primarily on Momcilovic and Wilkins. However, this was an excellent start for the Wildcats, and if the offense can continue to click the way it did against Manhattan, Kentucky could become a dangerous team from 3-point range.

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/kentucky-basketball-3-point-shooting-235710211.html

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Publish date : 2026-11-04 23:57:00

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