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Sports104 words1 min read

Kentucky Wildcats Open Basketball Season Against Manhattan

a red and white ball with the words kentucky fried chicken on it
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Listen to the story

The Kentucky Wildcats start a new basketball season.

Their first game is against a team called Manhattan.

This game is called the season opener.

The Kentucky team is also called "Big Blue."

The coach of the team is Mark Pope.

He is the head coach for Kentucky.

People want to know where to watch the game.

They also want to know how to follow the news.

This is the start of the 2026-27 season.

Fans are excited to see the new team play.

People are also trying to guess the team's record.

A record shows how many games a team wins or loses.

Vocabulary15 words

season opener
the first game of a sports season
head coach
the main person who leads a sports team
record
the number of wins and losses a team has
Wildcats
the name of the Kentucky sports teams
hoops
another word for basketball
preview
information about something before it happens
opponent
the other team you play against
fans
people who like and support a team
match
a game between two teams
team
a group of players who play sports together
college basketball
basketball played by university teams
schedule
a list of games and their times
broadcast
to show a game on TV or online
predict
to say what you think will happen
season
the period of time when a sport is played

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Quiz

1. Who is Kentucky playing in their season opener?
2. Who is the head coach of Kentucky?
3. What is a season opener?

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Fill-in-the-blank listening

Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.

The Kentucky Wildcats start a new basketball _____.

Their first game is against a team called _____.

This game is called the _____ opener.

The Kentucky team is also called "Big _____."

The coach of the team is Mark _____.

He is the head _____ for Kentucky.

People want to know where to _____ the game.

This is the start of the 2026-27 _____.

Fans are excited to see the new team _____.

A record shows how many games a team wins or _____.

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