Kentucky players react to new EA Sports college basketball release, predict ratings

Fans asked and finally received when it came to a college football video game, EA Sports College Football 25 returning to consoles last summer. It was all anyone talked about leading up to the season, a preview of what was to come in the fall — while also giving fans a taste of what it was missing on the hardwood equivalent. Football was back, but what about basketball?

It had been 16 years since the last college basketball video game, EA Sports releasing NCAA Basketball ’10 with the 2009-10 season the last represented in virtual form. Then came June 30, 2025.

“Bring the Madness,” EA Sports announced. “Let’s run it back.”

That was the good news, the official return of the prized video game series after years away. The bad news? We’re still years away, the projected release set for 2028, unfortunately.

“Dang, why couldn’t they come out this year with it?” Jaland Lowe told KSR upon hearing he wouldn’t be on the new release — barring a legendary throwback team option EA Sports throws in there.

Reece Potter is rooting for that option to see himself in the game at some point, a chance for everyone on the team to play as their virtual characters — and joke on each other about player ratings.

“Just being in the game would be wild, I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. “Seeing all the football players last year and how happy they were to see their overalls and stuff like that. That’s gonna be fun seeing that, we’re all gonna probably make jokes with each other and just different stuff.”

What if they were in the game this season? What do they think their ratings would be?

“99, for sure,” Potter quickly said.

“Reese is playing too much,” Lowe responded when he heard that wild development.

The Pittsburgh transfer wanted to be a bit more calculated with his answer, using his All-SEC teammate as a measuring stick before throwing his likely rating out there.

“I gotta be humble. An overall rating, I give myself like — what would y’all put (Otega Oweh) at?” he asked.

A few media members guessed a 95 overall for Oweh, a top contender for Preseason SEC Player of the Year. Lowe didn’t disagree — and also didn’t put himself too far away from that mark.

“95? I’m not gonna do that, but I’m gonna say a 91. If you’re putting O at 95, that’s fair,” he told KSR. “I would put myself at like a 91. I got all of the tools to be good at NCAA.”

No matter the individual ratings, Potter is confident the team rating would put Kentucky near the top of college basketball this season. In fact, the Wildcats would be so good, you probably wouldn’t be able to use them with your friends — kind of like the Warriors in NBA2K with Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson during their dynasty, the Patriots with Tom Brady in Madden or Georgia this past year in CFB 25.

Too good, pick another team.

“We’d be one of those teams you definitely have to ban, I’m gonna be honest with you,” Potter said. “There were a couple of teams in (EA Sports) College Football (25) that were too good. You couldn’t use them because they’re too good, and I feel like we’d definitely be one of them.

“We’re gonna have all 99s probably, definitely going to be on the X-list, ‘You can’t use Kentucky basketball versus me.'”

Hopefully other teams feel the same way when taking on the Wildcats this season.