7-4 - Losses @ #23 Texas A&M (9-2) by 14 / Pitt (9-2) by 1 in OT / @Maryland (9-2) by 24 / #2 Auburn (10-1) by 38
Quality wins : Beat Texas by 8 / Rutgers by 14.

Likely starters :
Devin Royal (soph) - 6-6 220 lbs. Forward - 15.6 ppg / 8 rpg. / 1 apg.
Bruce Thornton (JR.) - 6-2 215 lbs. Guard - 14.8 ppg / 2.7 rpg. / 5.3 apg.
Michael Parrish (SR.) - 6-6 205 lbs. Guard - 10.5 ppg / 4.7 rpg / 2 apg
Meechie Johnson (SR.) - 6-2 185 lbs. Guard - 9 ppg / 2.5 rpg / 2.7 apg
Sean Stewart (Soph) - 6.9 220 lbs. Forward - 5.7 ppg / 5.8 rpg

Key reserves :
John Mobley (Freshman) - 6-1 175 lbs. Guard - 12 ppg / 1.3 rpg. / 1.5 apg.
Aaron Bradshaw (Soph.) - 7-1 215 lbs. C/PF - 7.8 ppg. / 4.8 rpg.
Evan Mohaffey (JR.) - 6-6 200 lbs. G/F - 5.4 ppg. / 4.1 rpg. / 1.2 apg.

They have played a really solid schedule, been blown out by the better teams, have a couple solid wins. We need to be ready from the tip and play 40 minutes. Cats favored by 6, over / under 160. Cats can't just show up and expect to win, it will be a game for a while, hopefully, a nice double digit win, 88-74 is my prediction. Mobley (53.57%) can stroke it, he actually shoots it better than Brea (53.12%) from 3. Mobley has hit 4 less 3's than Brea, both are from New York.

It’s ranked the toughest schedule in college basketball. They have 15 Quad 1 games left.

Is a DEMON 😈!!!!’

Miss St is smoking a good Memphis team that is ranked my 18!

Hang on folks this is gonna be fun bball!

I think the winner is clearly Lenny Kravitz for being related to Al Roker.

Those who are watching, Indiana’s scheme is what Stoops is thriving for in both sides. Built around the run game with the RPO and a very very good 3-4 defense.

Do we have the guys to run it? I don’t know. But Bush really needs to study their film this offseason and take some notes

Notre Dame just has too many athletes for them imo though.

Why not?

Life comes at your pretty fast. My big sister, 50, went to work yesterday and never made it home. Brain aneurism, out of the blue. She left behind two children, 13 and 15. You just never know, so hug your loved ones today and when you see them for Christmas. Don't learn the hard way that there's always tomorrow, or that there will be time for goodbyes.

Here is what almost everyone agrees on. Nobody is going to be happy that Dane Key, Barion Brown, Khamari Anderson, and Keeshawn Silver are leaving in the portal. Nobody will be happy when we learn about other Wildcats who will enter the portal this coming week.

We are assuming Brock Vandagriff and Gavin Wimsatt will transfer out. Neither has a future in Coach Hamdan's offense.

But players come, and players go. It happens everywhere. These are the times.

OTOH, I have been reading what former UK players including Kash Daniel, AJ Rose, and Quinton Bohanna have recently said about this team. For those who haven't seen it, Bohanna explicitly absolves Stoops and our coaching staff. All three former Wildcats reinforce Stoops' current path forward by placing blame on the shoulders of unfocused players intoxicated by NIL and lacking the necessary mental discipline to work through any significant competitive challenges. Bohanna's comments are particularly poignant and you should google them if you haven't already.

Be that as it may, I missed part of this season while recovering from an illness. When I re-engaged with college sports around Halloweenish, just after the loss to Auburn (which I DVRed), I didn't know what to make of the slide because I hadn't actually witnessed enough of it. But I am catching up fast now while I do my cardiac rehab.

I like our 2025 recruiting class a lot. It is sad to lose Tucker Kattus and Marquise Davis, but it is good to add Dyllon Williams, Grant Grayton, and Cameron Miller. These are somewhat overlooked additions but good players. Especially Miller. Strengths of this class are significant. OTOH, only 2-3 of these incoming freshmen will be ready to contribute by September.

Next year's team will open with 4 nonconference games. The first three are on our schedule to serve as formalized scrimmages and near certain wins. The fourth game is UL in Louisville, and that one will serve as an early measure of whether Stoops, Hamdan, Wolford, and White have succeeded in making necessary roster improvements and attitude adjustments. After that will come the SEC schedule. FL, Ole MS, TN, and TX will visit KF. UK must travel to Auburn, GA, SCar, and Vandy. There is no point in fearing the schedule until we know what we are dealing with and what weapons we will have by October. All these teams are in flux. Not just us.

But just to assure there will be talent, let's piece this together as of today. Of course, changes are not over yet. Obviously, nearly every offensive position and some defensive positions will gain players from the portal between now and summer. Effectiveness of these portal additions will go a long way toward determining eventual success of our 2025 team.

QB- Cutter Boley, Stone Saunders, Brennan Ward

RB- Chip Trayanum, Jamarion Wilcox, James Patterson, Tovani Mizell

WR- Jacori Maclin, Brandon White, Hardley Gilmore, Fred Farrier, David Washington

TE- Josh Kattus, Willie Rodriguez

OL- Jalen Farmer, Dylan Ray, Koby Keenum, Jaden Burton, Malachi Wood, Anfernee Crease, Aba Selm, Marc Nave, Hayes Johnson, Daniel Mincey

DL- Josaih Hayes, Kahlil Saunders, Tavion Gadson, Austin Ramsey, Kendrick Gilbert, Jerod Smith, Brian Robinson, Dennious Jackson

OLB- Steven Soles, Caleb Redd, Jacob Smith

MLB- D'Eryk Jackson, Daveren Rayner, Devin Smith

WLB- Alex Afari, Grant Godfrey, Antwan Smith, Quintavion Norman

CB- JQ Hardaway, Terhyon Nichols, DJ Waller, Nasir Addison

S- Jordan Lovett, Ty Bryant, Jantzen Dunn, Quaysheed Scott, Cam Dooley, Jaden Smith, Quavo Marshall

P- Aidan Laros

PK- Jacob Kauwe

DE Darrion Henry-Young will petition for another year of eligibility due to time missed with multiple injuries. He could help us. I have heard Beau Allen may petition for an extra year.

Given this information, you can easily see which positions need help from the portal. But there is more quality depth on this roster than people might realize at first blush. Of course, a few of these names may still leave before next fall.

There are some very good players on the list who have not yet had enough playing time to impact the team. I am a big fan of Willie Rodriguez, Grant Godfrey, Terhyon Nichols, Nasir Addison, and Quaysheed Scott. Jacob Kauwe has a big leg and will apparently inherit the PK job. Some other dark horses for seasonal breakouts could be DJ Waller, Daveren Rayner, Jaden Smith, Caleb Redd, Tavion Gadson, Brian Robinson, Tovani Mizell, and David Washington. All are good, talented players.

True freshmen Stone Saunders, Martels Carter, Kalen Edwards, and Dejerrian Miller will probably be in their playing rotations from the get-go. Maybe Quintin Simmons, Cameron Miller, Mikkel Skinner, Javeon Campbell, or Andrew Purcell if they play themselves into a role in practice.

Let's not waste time debating or criticizing this as if it is a final roster, when everyone knows there will be forthcoming portal additions, some of whom will start. But it is a foundation, along with the recruiting class.

It is known that Stoops has already offered former Western Carolina OT Derek Simmons, a 6'6" 325# brute currently in the portal. There will be more, and we will see how it goes.

Everybody has him pegged to Kentucky.

@Travis Graf is right IMO. 6’9” 220ish watch him grab a board and lead the break, make the right decision. Crash the offensive board. Get the ball in space and either score or set somebody up. See how fluid he is, can guard 1-5. Moves his feet incredibly well for this size.

He’s a right handed Terrence Jones. Get this dude to 240, get his 3 ball to 33-35%, and he’s a 14/9/3 assist 1-2 block dude with 55/33/70 splits as a freshman and a key 1-3 piece to a national title team like Antoine Walker was.

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Interesting to Say The Least

Nm

Does he have dirt on Stoops or Barnhart or something? The most obvious thing to do this off season was get rid of Wolford with how bad the OL was.

Ole Miss going wild in the portal again.

9 commits already.
5 of 9 Portal 4*s (via 247)

1 of the 3*s was a true freshman starter for Arkansas last year, and this year but suffered a season ending injury week 2 this year.

Favored for the #2 overall portal player and #1 portal WR. That would give them 3 of the top 10 current portal players via 247 rankings.

Nebraska RB 6’2 - 225 has committed to Kentucky

Always passing the buck to someone else vs the schools profits



Auburn athletic director John Cohen is warning fans that the school could raise ticket prices in preparation for a revenue-sharing model in college athletics under the pending $2.8 billion settlement with the NCAA and the nation's biggest conferences.
"Growing revenue opportunities because of additional expenses has become essential for Auburn's sustained success," Cohen wrote in an email sent to season ticket holders Wednesday and reported by on3. He called it "imperative that ticket prices in several seating zones be adjusted due to a new era of NIL," but said that other ticket prices won't change.
The so-called House settlement will be distributed over the next 10 years to players both past and present, leaving schools with the resources able to share as much as $20 million in annual revenue with their athletes.
Those payments and a drop in NCAA revenue to pay damages as part of the settlement are having an effect. Tennessee plans to add a "talent fee" to the price of sports tickets. Arkansas says it will charge 3% more at the concessions stands. Clemson is going to start adding an athletic surcharge to tuition bills.

Auburn warns of potential ticket price increases

Auburn athletic director John Cohen is warning fans that the school could raise ticket prices in preparation for a revenue-sharing model in college athletics under the pending $2.8 billion settlement with the NCAA and the nation's biggest conferences.

www.espn.com

Much of the offensive class is coming together publicly so here's what we know about next year's offense:

** It will be Bush Hamdan's second year with the offense.

** It will mark the first year Hamdan has a quarterback he has picked at Kentucky. (Neither of these are to say success will follow)

** Zach Calzada is coming in to start and the hope will be to keep Cutter Boley around as somebody who is in line to play and still the future

** It seems like UK is likely to hold onto Jamarion Wilcox, based on what we've been hearing and the fact he hasn't gone in, even if they take another running back. He has to know they are going to take another and we have heard they're in good shape to keep him as of now.

** As we have said the most likely running back for them to add at this juncture is Dante Dowdell from Nebraska. Between he, Wilcox, Patterson, and Mizell they could probably be good to go next year. It would be interesting to see if they would consider adding another given Mizell's injury history but probably only if another scholarship is free.

** Hardy probably could have been theirs but with as many starters as they needed they weren't going to go so heavily in with a running back. That's my commentary, just seems like common sense. No clue how much he'll make at Missouri. Just a statement about the general conversation.

** We told you about Henry Boyer in advance and he's going to be brought in to help with the run blocking. I wouldn't expect him to immediately unseat Willie or Kattus. Modest expectations but they needed depth. I could have seen them adding another but it seems like Mikkel Skinner is showing well at the Shrine Bowl. He could be a true frosh to watch.

** Evan Wibberley has not announced for UK yet but we told you about that one in advance as well and it still seems good for them. There was some back and forth about whether it would play out but there's been a positive evaluation. He did some good things against Alabama.

** Alex Wollschlaeger from Bowling Green was a first team All-MAC selection. He is most likely the starter at right tackle. The one area for improvement in his game is to get a little stronger especially if he's going to be run blocking on that side.

** Wallace Unamba is a guy who they see as having some real upside. He played against Auburn and showed some flashes of really good things in that game against SEC competition. Having spoken with him, has some good perspective and has put in a ton of work along the way that was not immediately rewarding. Shows a lot of delayed gratification in my book, so bodes well for his approach in coming in perhaps in contrast to some others who have been in the portal previously. They told him right or left tackle. Right seems most likely for him. I would not write tackle off as a stretch just because you look at his measurables. ** Unamba was a wait and see guy initially but that happened immediately after Gunnar Hansen went to Florida State. The numbers we've heard on that would blow your mind. No knock on Hansen at all, but shows how difficult it is. Having a good recruiter still has value. A guy is more likely to play somewhere for less if he likes the coach or has a previous relationship there.

** No question though, Unamba's "win now" component is a question just because of the steep step up in competition even if he's older.

** The question is who they bring in as the other tackle. I am still expecting them to bring in another tackle. Then you look at the overall numbers and they will have really revamped the 1-7 or 1-8. Finding a left tackle is going to be difficult. Reports (unconfirmed but heard myself) of $1.5-$1.7 for Isaiah World or $2.1 (MILLION) for Howard Sampson at Texas Tech (apparently has a big windfall from a late booster, I have heard) blow your mind. World is supposedly really good, a great prospect, but Sampson you are hoping he is good.

** Kentucky was going to bring in both Sampson and some other big names for visits but NIL is a huge factor in a lot of these cases. Ohio State and Oregon in particular have been a thorn in some cases with high end guys but the Cats were in on World before almost anybody.

** Joshua Braun should be a starting guard. He was All-SEC two years ago, and I have heard no concern about a "decline" last year. I think if he gets his weight down a little bit it will help him but this is a big year for him so I expect him to come in ready.

** Will have more on Calzada but he makes more sense than Murphy to me as a Hamdan quarterback and a Stoops quarterback. Murphy is best when set up to pick you apart and I just don't see that as an approach you're confident would work with Stoops. Calzada is very experienced and while I would expect up and down, I do not understand any of the visceral aversion some have had. I understand overall skepticism about the team next year, but he seems like a quality addition given how bad the offense was this past season.

** WR Horatio Fields to Auburn... In some of these cases not having a quarterback in place may have hurt. He was Wake's third best receiver maybe this past season. If you dig into the portal you see very few obvious difference makers. I have been more impressed with Justin Bowick from Ball State because of the crazy production in very limited action last season.

** If you are able to reel in Law from Alabama that helps because he should be a difference maker if the offense isn't broken. Then you focus on adding size.

Devin Askew and Lance Ware have turned out to be far better players than I ever thought they would.
https://www.courier-journal.com/sto...hn-calipari-stats-2024-25-season/76525136007/

I am in Switzerland with family over the holiday. Just realized that I will not be able to watch the game online with YouTube TV, because you must be in the US to use youtube TV. I do not know how to use a VPN, but that seems to be the only option to make it work. Any other suggestions to make this work? Thanks in advance. GO BIG BLUE

I have two tickets available. These are very good seats - Sec 19 Row R Seats 1-2 for $350 per ticket.

New York is crushing right now. Dropped 73 in the first half and KAT already has like 22/12/4. Randle had 21/4/3 and was the only T Wolf doing anything so far.