How to Watch No. 1 Purdue vs. No. 9 Kentucky in Exhibition Game

A highly-anticipated exhibition game is on the docket for Friday night, with No. 1 Purdue traveling to Lexington for a showdown with No. 9 Kentucky. Even for a preseason contest, it should be an exciting atmosphere for two of the best teams in college basketball.

Friday is the first step towards the 2025-26 season for both teams. Here's everything you need to know about the clash between the Boilermakers and Wildcats.

No. 1 Purdue Boilermakers vs. No. 9 Kentucky Wildcats

What: Exhibition game
Date: Friday, Oct. 24, 2025
Tipoff time: 6 p.m. ET
Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. (20,500 capacity)
TV: SEC Network
Stream: ESPN App
TV announcers: Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jimmy Dykes (analyst)
Radio: Purdue Global Radio Network — WAZY 96.5 FM (Lafayette); WKJG 100.9 FM (Fort Wayne); WNDE 1260 AM (Indianapolis); WGBF 1280 (Evansville); View all listings: CLICK HERE
Radio announcers: Rob Blackman (play-by-play), Bobby Riddell (analyst), Wes Scott (producer).
All-time series: Kentucky leads the all-time series 6-2.
Last meeting: Dec. 3, 1997. Kentucky defeated Purdue 89-75.

Key Players

Purdue Boilermakers

Braden Smith, G — Smith is considered the top point guard in college basketball, coming off a year in which he averaged 15.8 points, 8.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. He was last year's Big Ten Player of the Year and the winner of the Bob Cousy Award. Smith is one of the best playmakers in the sport, getting his teammates the ball in opportunistic scoring spots, and he can also take over a game with his shot. Smith is also one of the top defenders in college basketball, creating turnovers with pressure and jumping into passing lanes to get Purdue into transition.

Trey Kaufman-Renn, F — The senior forward might have been the most improved player in the country last year, averaging 20.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while shooting at a 59.5% clip. Kaufman-Renn is one of the most physical players in the country and has a variety of post moves that are impossible to defend. He's also perfected his floater, one of the tougher shots to make consistently.

Fletcher Loyer, G — Loyer is a sharp-shooter who has been lethal from three-point range throughout his career in West Lafayette. Over the past two seasons, he's knocked down the long ball at a 44.4% clip, one of the top percentages in the country. Loyer has also gotten more aggressive with the ball in his hands, taking it to the basket and either finishing plays or drawing contact.

Oscar Cluff, C — One of Purdue's two additions from the transfer portal, Cluff is coming off a year in which he averaged 17.6 points and 12.3 rebounds at South Dakota State. He gives the Boilermakers an elite rebounder at the center position, as well as someone with the ability to score or find the open man with his strong passing skills. Defensively, he can guard the interior while also having the ability to switch at the perimeter.

Kentucky Wildcats

Otega Oweh, G — Oweh is the Preseason SEC Player of the Year after averaging 16.2 points and 4.7 rebounds for the Wildcats last season. He is one of the most athletic guards in the nation, possessing the ability to drive to the basket and finish at the rim with consistency. His 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame makes him almost impossible to defend, especially with a full head of steam while getting downhill. Oweh is also an excellent defender, jumping into passing lanes and using his athleticism to alter shots at the rim and along the perimeter.

Denzel Aberdeen, G — Aberdeen was a member of Florida's national championship team last season, averaging 7.7 points per contest with the Gators. He can score at every level, showing his ability to get to the rim, while also knocking down mid-range and three-point shots. The guard logged fewer than 20 minutes per game last season, but is expected to see more time at Kentucky this year.

Brandon Garrison, C — Last season, Garrison was utilized as a backup big man, but he still gave Kentucky quality production off the bench. With Jayden Quaintance still rehabbing from injury, Garrison will likely be the guy the Wildcats turn to in the post. He's a good pick-and-roll big man, but can also play one-on-one from the free throw line and in. At times, he's shown the ability to knock down the three-ball, shooting 30% on 40 attempts. He can cause problems defensively with some shot-blocking ability, but wasn't consistent a year ago.

Mo Dioubate, F — Dioubate was a productive player in his two seasons at Alabama, averaging 7.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists for the Crimson Tide last season. He's a really tough matchup at 6-foot-7 and has a nose for the basketball. It'll be interesting to see how his skill set is used in Lexington this season.

The Coaches

Matt Painter, Purdue

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Painter enters his 21st season at Purdue, and his 22nd year overall with the Boilermakers. In that time, he's led the program to five Big Ten regular season championships, two Big Ten Tournament titles, 16 NCAA Tournament appearances and a trip to the National Championship Game in 2024.

A lot of Purdue's success has come in the last decade, with the Boilers adding four Big Ten championships to its collection since the start of the 2016-17 campaign. Painter has had four different players win the Big Ten Player of the Year Award five times: JaJuan Johnson (2010), Caleb Swanigan (2017), Zach Edey (2023, 2024), and Braden Smith (2025).

Painter is a Purdue alum, playing under legendary coach Gene Keady from 1989-93. After his playing career ended, he jumped right into coaching, working as an assistant at Washington & Jefferson (Division III) and Barton (Division II) before getting a job at Eastern Illinois (1995 to 1998). Painter then joined former Purdue assistant coach Bruce Weber at Southern Illinois as an assistant from 1998 through 2003. Painter then became head coach of the Salukis for the 2003-04 season.

In 2004, Painter returned to Purdue as the associated head coach alongside Keady before taking over the program before the 2005-06 season.

Overall record: 496-220
Record at Purdue: 471-215

Mark Pope, Kentucky

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope yells to his players | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Pope is entering his second year at Kentucky and his 11th season as a head coach. In his first season at the helm in Lexington, he led the Wildcats to a 24-12 record and a trip to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.

Pope is a former Kentucky basketball player, suiting up for then-coach Rick Pitino from 1994-96. He spent his first two college basketball seasons at Washington before making the decision to transfer. He was an outstanding player and was selected in the second round of the 1996 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers. Pope spent six years in the league, playing for the Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Denver Nuggets.

After his NBA career, Pope jumped into coaching, working as an assistant coach at Georgia (2009-10), Wake Forest (2010-11), and BYU (2011-15). In 2015, he received his first opportunity as a head coach, taking over at Utah Valley. The program went 77-56 and played in the CBI in three straight years from 2017-19.

Pope then returned as BYU's head coach before the 2019-20 season. The Cougars won at least 20 games in four of his five seasons at the helm and reached the NCAA Tournament twice. He took over at Kentucky following John Calipari's departure.

Overall record: 211-120
Record at Kentucky: 24-12

Preview

Purdue Boilermakers center Oscar Cluff (45) practices | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How often do you get an exhibition game between top-10 teams in college basketball? This is one of the most hyped preseason games because it features a pair of elite teams with two of the best players in the sport in Smith and Oweh.

What's going to be interesting is how Painter and Pope balance experimentation and consistency. Is this a matchup where we see both coaches tinker with lineups, trying to see what works and what doesn't? Or is this an opportunity to see how your set rotations perform in a big-time game?

It will also be interesting to see what Kentucky does with its point guard position, with Jaland Lowe expected to miss the game due to injury. Will Oweh move to the one spot? Is Smith going to be tasked with defending the SEC Preseason Player of the Year?

Kentucky Wildcats guard Jasper Johnson (2) competes in the three point contest | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

The big thing, for both teams, is how the new additions fit in with the returning pieces. Purdue is better suited in this area, with eight players returning from last year's team. How will Cluff, Liam Murphy, Antione West Jr., and Omer Mayer be used?

On the Kentucky side, how will transfer players like Aberdeen, Dioubate, Reece Potter, and freshmen Andrija Jelavic, Jasper Johnson, and Malachi Moreno work into the rotation?

Essentially, we have a lot more questions than answers heading into this exhibition game. It's a great opportunity for both teams to work those out while competing at a high level.