ksrbasketball
Three weeks following his arrival and introduction as Kentucky’s next head coach, Mark Pope is finally able to take a step back and catch his breath. It’s been all gas and no brakes since the minute he arrived in Lexington with early mornings and late nights, desperate to build a competitive coaching staff and roster to put the Wildcats back in position to make a run next March — a goal he’s not shying away from, embracing the championship standard his role comes with. That started with a four-man coaching staff including Alvin Brooks III, Cody Fueger, Jason Hart and Mark Fox, followed by a ni...
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Things are coming together, folks. The Kentucky basketball roster is up to nine and the staff is up to four, just a few key pieces here and there to close things out for Mark Pope’s first official ride in Lexington. Two of the newest pieces? Dayton sharpshooter Koby Brea and West Virginia playmaker Kerr Kriisa, top backcourt targets for Pope out of the portal that are now signed, sealed and delivered. What’s next? Well, it starts with star talent — and the Wildcats are fortunately positioned well for at least one of those. How did we get to this point and what’s next for the Wildcats? Sources ...
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It’s been almost a month since the 2023-24 college basketball season ended. With the transfer portal now closed and over three weeks until the NBA Draft withdrawal deadline (May 29), several outlets are releasing updated “Way Too Early” Top 25 rankings for the 2024-25 season. So far, Kentucky isn’t included in any of them. With just nine players on the roster and some big fish still in the sea, that’s not terribly surprising. Mark Pope told Tom Leach on Friday that Kentucky is still pursuing a few players currently testing the NBA Draft waters. One is almost certainly former BYU star Jaxson Ro...
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Before John Calipari even left Kentucky for Arkansas, sophomore Adou Thiero had already entered his name into the transfer portal and was expected to play under a new coach next season. But on Monday, Thiero announced on social media that he’ll instead follow Calipari and suit up for the Razorbacks in 2024-25. Thiero elected to stick with his head coach of the last two years, choosing Arkansas over a group of finalists that also included North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Indiana, and a return to Kentucky. The 6-foot-8 wing took a visit to Pitt in late April before making a surprise trip to Arkansas ...
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Rick Pitino had a good morning. The former Kentucky coach just landed a former Kentucky transfer portal target, beating out Louisville and John Calipari/Arkansas in the process. Utah transfer guard Deivon Smith is headed to St. John’s. The 6-foot senior from Decatur, Georgia chose the Red Storm over Washington, West Virginia, Louisville, and Arkansas. Kentucky reached out to Smith when he entered the transfer portal last month but moved on to other backcourt prospects, including Lamont Butler and Kerr Kriisa, who have since committed to play for Mark Pope in Lexington. Last year at Utah, Smith...
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It’s difficult to tangibly measure the excitement of a fanbase, unless that fanbase is the Big Blue Nation. Kentucky basketball fans sold out Rupp Arena for Mark Pope’s introductory press conference. Since that monumental moment, fans have put their money where their mouth is by investing in Pope’s future with much-needed NIL dollars. Club Blue has emerged as the primary NIL collective for the Kentucky basketball program. Matt Jones reports Club Blue has received $650,000 in recurring annual commitments through just the first three weeks of the Pope era. That does not include the lump sum priv...
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Reed, Jeff and Stacey Sheppard all threw on their Sunday-best on the first Saturday in May to attend Kentucky Derby 150, the former Wildcat superstar walking the red carpet rocking UK blue with his parents by his side. After getting settled in at Churchill Downs, the Sheppards caught up with WAVE 3’s Kendrick Haskins about not only being at the Derby, but the freshman standout’s decision to turn pro after a one-and-done season in Lexington. Sheppard’s father will be the first to tell you this all happened quicker than anyone expected, but it’s a process they all enjoyed and are excited to foll...
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Is Ugonna Onyenso taking his talents to Tuscaloosa to play for Nate Oats? Well, maybe — but he’s trying his hand at the NBA first, just in case. The standout shot-blocker was not invited to the NBA Draft Combine, but he was added to the G League Elite Camp roster, one of 44 players competing in Chicago next weekend. Standouts from that event will then be brought up to the Draft Combine to compete against the best of the best in hopes of building stock ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reported Onyenso as an official participant on Saturday, adding that “at least a half-dozen ...
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Antonio Reeves is about to embark on his journey to playing in the NBA. But first, he stepped onto the Rupp Arena floor one last time. On Friday, Reeves graduated from the University of Kentucky with a major in communications. He’s one of four men’s basketball players to graduate this spring, joining Tre Mitchell, Kareem Watkins, and Brennan Canada, who received his master’s degree. Reeves walked across the stage at Rupp for the final time, pumping his fists after receiving his diploma. For anyone who’s watched him play the last two seasons in a Wildcat uniform, you can’t help but smile. After...
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When Kentucky hired John Calipari in 2009, the late, great Mike Pratt evoked the words of a legend when discussing the art of roster construction. “My old coach, Adolph Rupp, used to say, ‘Boys, donkeys don’t win the Derby.’” The phrase, of course, is meant to convey that in order to win at the highest level, you need the best talent. When it comes to basketball, all the Xs and Os in the world are only going to get you so far with donkeys on your roster. That’s why Mark Pope has been recruiting thoroughbreds, but not necessarily the ones studded by former Derby winners that Wildcat fans have g...
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