Milan Momcilovic leads No. 23 Kentucky past Manhattan 85-57

No. 23 Kentucky opened its 2026-27 season with an 85-57 win over Manhattan at Rupp Arena. The Wildcats led by 26 at halftime and stretched their advantage to 39. Transfer Milan Momcilovic led Kentucky with 24 points and six three-pointers, while Alex Wilkins added 11 points, five assists and seven steals. Kentucky shot about 53% from the field, forced 13 turnovers and outrebounded Manhattan 40-26, with 11 Wildcats seeing action. The win begins a season of high expectations for coach Mark Pope, whose team is seeking to improve on last season’s 22-14 record and make a deeper postseason run.