Five observations from watching the Kentucky Wildcats practice this preseason

Mark Pope has peeled back the curtain on his Kentucky basketball team a couple of times over the past week. Those opportunities have offered a glimpse of what these Wildcats are capable of, as well as some areas of concern heading into the 2026-27 season.

Last Tuesday night, the Wildcats performed in front of dozens of NBA scouts as part of the program’s annual Pro Day event in Rupp Arena. A few days before that, Pope opened the doors of the building for BBN United members as the team prepares for the preseason portion of the schedule, which will begin with an exhibition game against visiting Little Rock on Friday night.

The Pro Day event was especially enlightening, with Pope turning his guys loose for the pro scouts as part of a two-hour session that featured plenty of live play and four quarters worth of five-on-five scrimmages.

Three Cats remain on the sidelines, with Kam Williams (foot) and Trent Noah (hamstring) nearing returns in hopes of being fully ready to go for the start of the regular season. Transfer guard Jerone Morton is dealing with a knee injury, and his timetable remains uncertain, with another round of tests coming in the next few days to hopefully bring clarity to the situation.

What did we learn about the Wildcats who were on the court? Here’s a look at five key takeaways from the past week: