Drew BrownThu, November 27, 2025 at 2:03 AM UTC·5 min read#19 Kentucky basketball came into Wednesday night’s game looking for a repeat of their last outing – a 42-point demolition of Loyola-MD. Playing Tennessee Tech just ahead of the holiday offered one last opportunity for a tune-up before hosting North Carolina next week.
This Thanksgiving Eve matchup also featured the welcoming of a hometown hero in John Pelphrey. The former Unforgettable, now in his seventh season as the Golden Eagles’ head coach, has spent over two decades coaching the sport at a high level.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHis team mirrored Pelphrey’s spirit because they came out fearless and showed no signs of intimidation in front of the Rupp Arena crowd. The score was tied 25-25 before a 20-3 run to end the first half opened the game up for Kentucky. Even after the halftime break to regroup, Tennessee Tech couldn’t recover from that blow, and the rout was on.
Even the walk-ons got buckets in the second half as UK lit up the scoreboards with 104 points. Their 15/30 performance from deep was a welcoming sign heading into Tuesday’s showdown with #16 North Carolina.
Here’s what you need to know from a fun night at Rupp.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement1. John Pelphrey returnsIt was a treat for the Big Blue Nation to welcome home former Wildcat great John Pelphrey, who’s now in his seventh season serving as Tennessee Tech’s head coach.
Pelphrey has dedicated his entire life to basketball and has a decorated career of accolades to show for it.
After being named Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball in 1987, the Paintsville native would be a key part of some of the most transformative years in Kentucky basketball history. His contributions as a Wildcat earned Pelphrey’s jersey a lifelong place in the Rupp Arena rafters.
The Golden Eagles opened the game with a Herculean effort, giving UK fits on both ends of the floor. It’s clear that Pelphrey runs a great program, and it was a classy move by the folks at Kentucky for making this happen during a week where I’m sure he was delighted to be back in the Bluegrass.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement2. Monster run negates slow startTo start this one off, it seemed as if the Cats were thinking more about turkey and pumpkin pie than they were the Golden Eagles. A lack of energy and execution pushed the momentum towards Tennessee Tech and for a moment, it felt as if the Big Blue Nation was about to be on holiday catastrophe alert.
That was until an impressive 20-3 run to end the first half broke the game wide open. Defensive stops led to a flurry of made shots, and the onslaught even featured another SportsCenter-level dunk from Collin Chandler.
The Cats would take a 43-28 lead into the locker room with Trent Noah leading all scorers with 10 points 3-3 shooting with two made threes. The Harlan native would add five rebounds in what was probably the best half of his young career.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement3. Otega Oweh awakensOne of the more frustrating elements of Kentucky’s struggles this season has been the poor play of preseason SEC Player-of-the-Year selection Otega Oweh. There just hasn’t been the same spunk in his game that fans had grown accustomed to seeing game in and game out.
On Wednesday against Tennessee Tech, #00 activated and showed signs of his old self by slashing to the basket and finishing at the rim. Aside from getting healthy, doing whatever it takes to keep Oweh on the right track may be the single most important thing for Mark Pope.
Oweh would finish with 16 points on 6/11 shooting.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement4. Who needs shooting when you can dominate points in the paintKentucky’s outside shooting will always be a focal point of discussion, considering the style of offense that Mark Pope has implemented since he arrived in Lexington. After a shaky start to the season, the Cats have asserted their dominance in the paint over their past two games.
Most recently demoralizing Loyola-MD 52-16, the Cats followed up with another impressive performance by owning the Golden Eagles 48-24. That’s a 100-40 advantage over the last 80 minutes of play.
Funny enough, UK also drained 15 of their 30 threes making it one of their best shooting nights of their best shooting nights of the season.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement5. Trent Noah pours in a career-highThe Mountain Mamba made the most of his minutes against Tennessee Tech by flexing his muscles as a sharpshooter. Noah knocked down four of his five 3-point attempts on his way to 16 points and six boards. If he can carry over this confidence and contribute against high-level competition, it could take this Kentucky team to another level. Not only were Noah’s shots falling, but they also looked buttery smooth, which hopefully signals positive vibes moving into December.
6. Caleb Wilson and #16 North Carolina are coming to LexingtonSure, it was great to watch the Cats handle business against two inferior opponents like Loyola-MD and Tennessee Tech, but at the end of the day, seeing them perform against top competition remains a priority for the Big Blue Nation. There’s no better opportunity for Mark Pope’s team to snatch back some belief than by beating another Blue Blood program.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNorth Carolina is led by freshman superstar Caleb Wilso,n who is projected to be a lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The Atlanta native is putting up All-American numbers for the undefeated Tar Heels. His 20.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game have him firmly on the Wooden Award Watch List through six games. Their next match-up will be on Thanksgiving against #11 Michigan State in the Fort Myers Tip-Off.
If Otega Oweh (or anyone) can beat Wilson on December 2nd and lead UK to a victory, it would do wonders for getting this season back on track and raise overall optimism around the program. On the flip side, getting beat handily would be devastating for fan morale.
Make no mistake, this is a monumental game for Mark Pope now in his second year as UK’s head coach.
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