Kentucky
Kentucky basketball under Mark Pope: Transfer portal news, 2024 roster, targets, recruits from KY insiders
The Kentucky Wildcats are one of college basketball’s blue blood programs, but will have an almost entirely new look next season. After 15 memorable seasons, John Calipari left Lexington to take the head coaching job at Arkansas. The Wildcats hired Mark Pope, a former standout guard on Kentucky’s 1996 national championship team, away from BYU to replace Calipari. Pope was tasked with building an entirely new Kentucky basketball roster and has managed to hit the ground running. The bulk of the new 2024 Kentucky basketball recruiting class followed Calipari to Arkansas, but Pope was still able to add a pair of in-state high school recruits to his Kentucky basketball lineup.
The Wildcats have hit the Spring Transfer Portal hard and continue to be in contact with multiple available players. If you love the Wildcats, or just want the latest roster updates and college basketball transfer portal news, be sure to see what the proven team of insiders are saying at CatsPause, the 247Sports affiliate that covers Kentucky.
The team of insiders at CatsPause.com are providing up-to-the-minute scoop on the latest intel surrounding the Kentucky basketball coaching transition and roster changes. CatsPause has built a solid reputation over its 20+ years covering the Wildcats, and has deep-rooted sources inside and around the Kentucky athletic department. And right now, CatsPause is offering 50% off the first year of an annual subscriptions*, so now is the time to sign up.
The team at CatsPause has full coverage of who is coming and who is going on the Kentucky basketball roster. Head to CatsPause now to see all the insider info.
Kentucky basketball roster departures
No sooner had Calipari departed Kentucky that a number of Wildcats from last year’s roster were on the move as well. Aaron Bradshaw was the first to commit to a new team when he joined the Ohio State Buckeyes, while Zvonimir Ivisic became the first player from last season to follow Calipari to Arkansas. Calipari is also reportedly encouraging Bradshaw’s high school teammate, D.J. Wagner, to join the Razorbacks.
The transfer portal isn’t the only reason the Wildcats roster will look different next season. Antonio Reeves and Tre Mitchell, who were two of Kentucky’s top scorers last season, are both graduating. Meanwhile, Justin Edwards, Rob Dillingham and Ugonna Onyenso have all declared for the 2024 NBA Draft. There is also movement within the recruiting class, so Pope’s roster is clearly far from solidified for the 2024-25 season. Join CatsPause to see the latest on all of Kentucky’s roster changes.
Kentucky basketball news, roster
Pope has already added eight transfer players, giving Kentucky the No. 5 transfer class in the country, according to 247Sports. One of the Wildcats’ first additions was former Oklahoma State center Brandon Garrison, who was ranked as a five-star prospect in the Class of 2023, to get things started. The 6-foot-11, 245-pound big man averaged 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game during his freshman season, and will give the Wildcats a physically imposing presence in the paint.
Pope also added a pair of potential instant impact guards in former Dayton sharpshooter Koby Brea and for San Diego State point guard Lamont Butler Jr.. Brea developed into one of the premier long-range shooters in college basketball. In 2023-24, Brea connected on 49.8% of his 3-point attempts and averaged 11.1 points per game. He should fit seamlessly into Pope’s fast-paced offense that is heavily reliant on 3-point shooting. Butler was a key piece in the Aztecs’ run to the national championship game in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Join CatsPause to get the latest on all of Kentucky’s roster additions.
How to get insider Kentucky basketball roster updates
Pope could also be bringing at least one big-time BYU player with him, so be sure to join CatsPause to see who that is and get the rest of the insider roster news.
Who are the top names Kentucky basketball is pursuing under coach Mark Pope, and what former BYU player could land in Lexington? Go to CatsPause to see their insider information, all from a team of reporters with years of experience covering the Wildcats, and find out. And reminder, CatsPause is offering 50% off the first year of an annual VIP membership*, so subscribe now before it’s too late.
*Terms: This offer is only available for new members who sign up for a CatsPause annual subscription. After the first year, subscription will re-bill on an annual basis at the regular rate. 247Sports.com reserves the right to alter or cancel this promotion at any time. Please write support@247sports.com with any questions you may have.
Kentucky
Trump takes his war against Thomas Massie straight to his home Kentucky district
WASHINGTON — President Trump will use his stop in Kentucky on Wednesday to try to get his congressional nemesis out of office.
His target is Rep. Thomas Massie, a seven-term congressman who the White House has named the “Democrats’ favorite member.”
Trump endorsed Massie’s primary opponent, Ed Gallrein, who will be at the event in Hebron, Ky., per his campaign. The president will also be making a stop in Ohio.
Hebron is located in Boone County, Ky., just south of Cincinnati.
The White House made its feelings on Massie clear.
“You can have differences, but you have to be constructive. He is not constructive. In fact, he’s the Democrats’ favorite member,” a senior administration official told The Post.
Massie has outraged the White House on multiple occasions: he refused to support Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” which was the president’s signature domestic policy agenda; he criticized Trump’s foreign policy and accused him of executive overreach on the attacks on drug boats and Iran; and he led the charge on demanding the Justice Department release all its files in the Jeffrey Epstein case.
Now Trump is going to Massie’s district along the Ohio River to campaign against him, with the primary election just a little more than two months away, on May 19th.
Massie won’t be there.

“Congressman Massie will not be attending as he has a previously scheduled official event,” his campaign told The Post.
Trump has railed against Massie as “the worst Republican.”
He took a swipe at his biggest naysayer when he spoke to House Republicans at their retreat at Trump Doral on Monday.
“The Republican Party has fantastic spirit, the level I don’t think has been seen before,” Trump said. “We have to get a couple of people on board, which at least one case is virtually impossible. I wonder who that might be, sick person.”
It’s believed he was talking about Massie, who was not seen in the audience.
In contrast, Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL, has praised Trump, his policies and his handling of the war in Iran.
For his part, Massie has been posting Trump’s videos and comments attacking him, hoping to turn the criticism from the president into support from voters.
The May primary will be a test of Trump’s power with Republican voters. It’ll also be seen as a barometer of Trump’s messaging on the economy.
The White House has argued the cost of living is down but rising gas prices – from the attack on Iran – have dominated the news. Still, the president will tout his work on the issue.
“President Trump will visit the great states of Ohio and Kentucky on Wednesday to tout his economic victories and detail his administration’s aggressive, ongoing efforts to lower prices and make America more affordable,” White House spokesperson Liz Huston told The Post.
Kentucky
Northern Kentucky Norsemen claim Kentucky state hockey championship
Northern Kentucky brought home the Kentucky High School Hockey league state championship once again.
The Northern Kentucky Norsemen defeated Owensboro in dominant 5-0 fashion on March 8 to hoist the trophy. The Norsemen, comprised of players from schools across Northern Kentucky, earned their fourth state title since 2017. The Norsemen previously won in 2017, 2019 and 2023.
After entering the tournament as the top-seeded team, two wins brought the Norsemen to a 27-12-2 final record.
The Norsemen’s defense was in peak performance in the finals. Despite Owensboro getting off over 30 shots, senior goalkeeper Chase Bender kept a clean sheet.
On offense, junior Trevor Bauwens led the Norse, finishing the season with 35 goals and 12 assists. Other key offensive performers were seniors Mitchell Kirby and Samuel Mouser. Kirby ended the year with 19 goals and 22 assists, while Mouser had 16 goals and a team-best 30 assists.
Northern Kentucky is now set to represent the state in the USA Hockey High School National Championships. The tournament be held March 18-22 in Plymouth, Minnesota.
Kentucky
Data centers, election changes and other bills moving in Kentucky
Facts About the Kentucky General Assembly
Discover key facts about the Kentucky General Assembly, including its history, structure, and state government functions.
FRANKFORT, Ky. — If the current legislative session was the Kentucky Derby, we’d be coming around the final turn and entering the stretch.
Feb. 9 marks the 42nd day of the 2026 Kentucky General Assembly, with 18 to go. Lawmakers will continue to meet daily for the next three weeks until the veto period begins in early April, with two more days at the Capitol after that for legislators to vote on overriding potential vetoes.
The filing deadlines for new bills were last week, and many pieces of legislation are moving quickly in Frankfort. Here’s a quick look at bills that advanced last week that will be worth watching:
SB 8 — A reworked PSC
Senate Bill 8 would change the member requirements for the Kentucky Public Service Commission — which regulates more than 1,100 utilities operating statewide — and add two new members who would be appointed by the state auditor, effectively diluting the governor’s power or oversight of PSC membership.
Under the bill, the chair of the commission would be elected amongst the commissioners, not appointed by the governor. The chair’s salary? Also determined by the commissioners.
Sen. Brandon Smith, R-Hazard, the bill’s sponsor, said the legislation will help support Kentuckians in reviewing utility rate cases and hopefully hasten the process.
Critics of the bill raised concerns about a section that would make the attorney general the sole representative for customers, requiring advocacy groups to prove a “special and unique” interest in the case — likely cutting advocacy groups out of the picture and preventing them from intervening in cases.
While on the floor, Smith introduced an amendment removing that section and creating a framework to allow advocates and organizations with legitimate interests to intervene.
Although the bill has passed the Senate, it will likely receive pushback from the governor’s office. In a Team Kentucky press conference, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear criticized the bill and the Republican-led legislature’s attempts at moving power from the governor’s office to the state auditor.
“They’ve done these shenanigans for six straight years,” Beshear said. “This is my sixth session as a governor, four as attorney general and a couple of special sessions. I’ve never seen them try to move something from a Republican officeholder to a Democratic officeholder, but I’ve seen them try to move a whole lot in the other direction.”
The bill passed 30-5 through the Senate on March 6. It now heads to the House.
SB 199 — Pesticide warnings
Senate Bill 199, sponsored by Sen. Jason Howell, R-Murray, would make any pesticide registered with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture or the Environmental Protection Agency that has an EPA-approved label automatically fit Kentucky’s warning label requirements. If passed, that would make it much more difficult for Kentuckians to sue pesticide manufacturers for adverse health risks later on.
Although it might not seem controversial at first glance, the bill united both hardline Republicans and Democrats on the Senate floor, with many raising concerns about the health risks of pesticide use. Several Republicans, including Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, R-Smithfield, Sen. Philip Wheeler, R-Pikeville, and Sen. Shelly Funke Frommeyer, R-Alexandria, spoke against the bill and questioned the lobbying power of chemical companies that manufacture pesticides.
Wheeler brought up previous chemical agents that were found to be major causes of cancer, including DDT and Agent Orange, as well as the $7.25 billion proposed settlement from Bayer to resolve thousands of lawsuit that claim its weedkilling product Roundup caused cancer.
“If we give immunity in these cases, we’re essentially saying, if these claims are later proven to be true, and some of them are in pending litigation, we’re basically saying that these Kentuckians don’t matter, these Kentuckians don’t deserve to collect,” Wheeler said.
The bill passed through the Senate on March 5 with a 23-13 vote and will head to the House.
HB 534 — Elections omnibus
House Bill 534, from Rep. DJ Johnson, R-Owensboro, drew significant scrutiny before passing through the House. The elections legislation with several notable changes to current law moved to the Senate on a 53-40 vote on March 5, with several Republicans joining Democrats in opposition.
Some of the bill’s notable provisions include:
● Monthly reviews of noncitizens on Kentucky voter rolls, with a requirement to remove names of ineligible voters and notification sent to the state’s attorney general, along with authorization for the State Board of Elections to work with the federal government to identify noncitizens who are registered to vote;
● Removing names of individuals convicted of a felony whose cases are currently on appeal from voter rolls;
● Allowing candidates for judicial office to publicly discuss their political party affiliation;
● And allowing Kentucky politicians who currently hold elected federal office to be a candidate for two different federal offices in one election, if one of the offices is decided by the United States Electoral College. The only office that applies to is U.S. president.
U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican who has not hesitated at times to vote against President Donald Trump’s policies, has not shut the door on speculation he may make a run for the White House in 2028. He would also be up for reelection that year as a U.S. senator, a role he’s held since early 2011. State Rep. Joshua Watkins, D-Louisville, was the only representative to speak out against the provision during the March 5 vote on the House floor.
Other Democrats spoke up with concerns about disenfranchising voters appealing felony convictions, in the event the verdicts against them were to be later overturned. And multiple party members were critical of the provisions pertaining to noncitizens, with Rep. Adrielle Camuel, D-Lexington, calling them “another example of a nonproblem” aimed at riling up voters to be concerned about “a very major situation that isn’t actually happening.”
The bill advanced on a relatively narrow margin and is pending in the Senate.
HB 593 — Data center energy costs
House Bill 593 was filed by Rep. Josh Bray, R-Mount Vernon, with a group of five co-sponsors that includes House Speaker David Osborne, R-Prospect. The legislation would take steps to ensure companies hoping to build data centers in Kentucky are legitimate and are able to take on additional energy costs instead of dropping them on consumers.
The bill from Bray, who previously co-chaired the legislature’s Artificial Intelligence Task Force, includes several clauses regulating data centers, which are critical for AI usage but often require huge amounts of energy, a hurdle that frequently draws community criticism.
The legislation requires a nonrefundable application fee of at least $75,000 — Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, said the clause could help scare off “cowboy developers” who buy large amounts of land in hopes of building a data center on the property but are unfamiliar with the development process — and requires the company to pay for an electric supplier study, with provisions aimed at ensuring the data center does not drive up service rates for non-data center customers.
The bill is on its way to the Senate after passing in the House on a 90-4 vote on March 4. It has not yet been given a committee assignment.
Reach Keely Doll at kdoll@courier-journal.com. Reach Lucas Aulbach at laulbach@courier-journal.com. Reach The Courier Journal’s politics team at cjpolitics@courier-journal.com.
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