Red Raiders Travel To The Blue Grass State For A Ranked Preseason Matchup

It is no secret that Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland isn't afraid to test his team in the non-conference slate. The Red Raiders will host Illinois, meet Louisville in the first round of the Players Era Festival and Duke in Madison Square Garden just to name a few. 

It also shouldn't go unmentioned that he sets his team up in the preseason as well. In his first year, Texas Tech played Texas A&M in Denton. They played a Drake team that would win 30 games in the regular season in 2025, and last year they met Oklahoma in Wichita Falls.

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This matchup on Friday is probably the grandest of the bunch, especially with a big crowd expected.

The preseason #23 Kentucky Wildcats welcome Texas Tech to Rupp Arena on a weekend that features a ranked high-major basketball exhibition on Friday night and an SEC football matchup against Vanderbilt that could have implications for the conference title game. 

It will be a wild one.

Both Texas Tech and Kentucky are coming off second-round exits in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, ironically against each other's conferences (Texas Tech to Alabama, Kentucky to Iowa State.)

For both teams, this is a chance to work on defensive rotations, especially on the perimeter and in the open floor. Kentucky head coach Mark Pope discussed his impression of the Red Raiders going into the matchup

"This Texas Tech team is a gravity team," Pope said. "They're a bit like us; they shoot the ball incredibly well, which means you have to guard in space."

It is easy to say that three-point shooting will continue to be Texas Tech's identity early on. Coming into this season, the Red Raiders have four players who shot over 40% from distance, including Donovan Atwell, who shot just under 46%.

Last season there was a debate on who the best shooter in the country was. Atwell was in the conversation, and someone he will see on the court on Friday was the other. Milan Momcilovic, a transfer from Iowa State, shot nearly 49% from three last year on seven and a half attempts per game.

Pairing Momcilovic up with other capable shooters like Mason Williams and Alex Wilkins will give him more space to operate and force Texas Tech to respect the perimeter.

While both teams believe in the modern game, what Texas Tech wants to do more, especially this season, is get out in transition. 

The Red Raiders want to force turnovers and turn them into opportunities on the other end of the floor. From the small sample size we have, Kentucky looks like they will give Tech a good chance to do that.

In their first exhibition against Little Rock, the Wildcats had 19 turnovers and only 12 assists, with their two lead guards, Wilkins and Zoom Diallo, combining for 7.

For Kentucky, taking care of the ball is a must. For Texas Tech, making Wildcat guards uncomfortable is the key.

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Both coaches are expecting an offensive battle. The question is, whose defense will show up the most.

Texas Tech and Kentucky tip off at 6 p.m. CT, with the regular season for Tech starting on Nov. 2 at home against Jackson State.