No. 1 Kentucky 89, UNC Asheville 57: Julius Randle totaled 23 points and 15 rebounds and fellow freshman Marcus Lee added 17 points as the host Wildcats defeated the Bulldogs in the debut of John Calipari’s latest – and perhaps greatest – star-studded freshman class.

Randle, the highest-ranked freshman on Kentucky’s youthful roster, made half of his 12 shots from the field and converted 11-of-13 attempts from the foul line for the Wildcats (1-0), who only led by 10 points at halftime before outscoring the Bulldogs 48-26 following intermission. In addition to Randle and Lee, fellow freshmen James Young (11 points), Aaron Harrison (10 points, five rebounds, four steals) and Aaron Harrison (eight points, five assists) had solid debuts, although the trio combined to shoot just 7-of-21.

In the midst of the hoopla surrounding Kentucky’s freshmen, sophomore forward Alex Poythress delivered 10 points and 13 rebounds as the Wildcats held a 47-31 advantage on the boards. Will Weeks led UNC Asheville (0-1) with 19 points, while Andrew Rowsey added 12.

The best sequence for Kentucky in the first half was a 10-0 run that turned a 13-13 tie into a double-digit lead. Young had seven points, including two 3-pointers, during the key stretch, which also featured a dunk by Poythress.

Still, the Wildcats shot only 37.9 percent in the first half, not to mention a disappointing 17-of-31 effort from the free-throw line. For the game, Kentucky shot 47.5 percent from the field, highlighted by Lee’s 7-of-8 performance.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Sophomore F-C Willie Cauley-Stein had five of the Wildcats’ six blocks. … Kentucky only committed seven turnovers, although the team only had a dozen assists. … Three of the Bulldogs’ last four meetings with top 25 teams had been decided by 10 points or less.