KSR Today: Basketball Time in the Bluegrass is almost here (and what’s going on with Football?)
Good morning, friends. We’re another day removed from Kentucky’s loss to Florida and I don’t feel any better about the state of the program. With five games to go, the Cats are spiraling, putting the eight-year bowl streak very much at risk. What happens beyond that is an even bigger mystery.
Thankfully, we’re about to get a distraction. On Wednesday, the Kentucky Basketball team hosts its first exhibition vs. Kentucky Wesleyan. Today, two of Mark Pope’s players will preview it. Join me as we go through the rundown.
Collin Chandler, Amari Williams preview exhibition vs. Kentucky Wesleyan
Kentucky Basketball is so close you can almost taste it. Later this morning, freshman guard Collin Chandler and graduate center Amari Williams will sit down to talk about the Cats’ exhibition vs. Kentucky Wesleyan, which takes place tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Rupp Arena. Chandler was one of the standout performers in the Blue-White Game, finishing with a team-high 19 points on 7-10 shooting, including 4-7 from three. Williams also impressed, breaking away for a monster dunk at the end of the first half.
We’ll bring you everything you need to know from their conversations a little later, along with the full interviews. Remember, tomorrow’s exhibition will be streamed exclusively on SEC Network+/ESPN+ (aka “the computer”) so make sure you’ve got the ESPN app downloaded and your login handy.
New episode of Sources Say
Tonight, Jack Pilgrim and Shawn Smith will preview tomorrow’s game and share their favorite moments from the Blue-White Game on a new episode of Sources Say at 8 p.m. on the KSR YouTube Channel. If you miss the show live, you can catch the replay any time or listen to the audio version wherever you get your podcasts.
It’s been a depressing few days, so here are some Blue-White Game highlights:
Lee Anne Pope enters the UK vs. UofL rivarly chat
Hopefully, Jack and Shawn also talk about the Louisville Tipoff Luncheon, which took place at Churchill Downs on Monday. Mark Pope was joined on stage by his wife Lee Anne, who won the crowd over with her story about their first date and her first foray into the Kentucky vs. Louisville rivalry:
Lee Anne is a superstar. I can’t wait to share more of her story with you later this week.
Updates from Bush Hamdan after practice
I guess we have to talk about football, don’t we? It’s Tuesday, which means we’ll hear from Bush Hamdan and members of the offense after practice. While Saturday’s loss was an all-systems failure, the offense continues to be an issue, particularly in the red zone. We’ll bring you their comments this evening.
Speaking of offense, on Monday, Stoops insisted he doesn’t get involved with play-calling unless asked, like on Kentucky’s scoring drive in the third quarter. After some back-and-forth about officiating, Stoops said he is now worried about being candid during press conferences because he doesn’t want to be taken out of context. He doubled down on that on his coach’s show, telling Tom Leach that people made too much of his comments about Jamarion Wilcox needing to tie his shoes a week prior. The fact that Wilcox’s shoe flew off on his first carry vs. Florida proves that’s still an issue. Stoops said that Chip Trayanum, who played his first snaps of the season at Florida, is also dealing with a tweaked ankle.
You can see all of Stoops’ press conference below, along with the latest episode of the KSR Football Podcast, in which the guys tried to figure out what is happening with this team right now.
Kentucky Softball hosts Georgetown
Elsewhere in UK Athletics, the Kentucky Softball team wraps up its fall schedule today vs. Georgetown, a game that was scheduled for September 27 and postponed due to rain. Rachel Lawson’s squad is 3-2 this fall, beating Louisville last Thursday and losing to Tennessee on Sunday. It’s supposed to be a beautiful night, so get on down to John Cropp Stadium to support the Cats. Admission is free and first pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Wesley Woodyard vows to return to Kentucky
Adding to a very weird Monday was this tweet from Kentucky Football great Wesley Woodyard, who vowed to carry through his dream of being the Cats’ head coach one day. Given the current program’s current state, the timing seems odd.
KSR the Show in one hour
KSR the Show is back at KSBar and Grille this morning. Come on out to enjoy and maybe help the guys get rid of the bird that attacked Matt on Monday if it returns.
Related
Kentucky basketball: Preseason Power Rankings of all the Wildcats in…
The Kentucky Wildcats did it again. They officially have the most NBA players at 28. There were even a couple of surprises, with Justin Edwards making the Phila
Former Kentucky Wildcats dominate ESPN’s top NBA players ranking
The Kentucky Wildcats have been among the most successful programs in college hoops at producing stardom at the highest level in basketball. Numerous former
Top recruiting expert picks Kentucky for Acaden Lewis
It appears the Kentucky Wildcats are closing in on another major basketball commitment in the class of 2025. With Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno already i
4-Point Play: Leftovers from Blue-White ahead of exhibition slate
Real-life basketball is coming, BBN. How do you feel? Excited? Maybe a little anxious? Nervous, hoping the Mark Pope era is everything we hope for and more whe
