When Mark Pope announced that he would be taking questions directly from BBN, we all knew things could get interesting. But honestly, it turned out pretty good; you had some honest questions and some good answers. Sure, there were sarcastic questions that just were never going to be answered, but Pope did address the GM situation. While it wasn’t the answer a lot of people hoped for, at least there is now a clear hierarchy within the basketball front office. Let’s break it down.
Kentucky
LIVE BLOG: Kentucky vs. Clemson in the SEC/ACC Challenge
After four easy wins at home, it’s time to see what this Kentucky team can do on the road. KSR’s new and improved LIVE BLOG will bring you all the sights and sounds from Littlejohn Coliseum as No. 4 Kentucky takes on Clemson in the SEC/ACC Challenge (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Kentucky is 7-0, the best start since the 2016-17 season. If the Cats win tonight, it’ll be the best start since the 2014-15 season. Tonight, they’ll face a Clemson team that is 7-1, the only loss coming at Boise State. The Tigers made it to the Elite Eight of last year’s NCAA Tournament but lost seven players from that squad. This year’s team was picked to finish fourth in the ACC preseason poll and is led by Chase Hunter (16.4 points per game) and Ian Schieffelin (11.6 rebounds per game).
Refresh the feed below for updates and our takes on the game, from both Littlejohn Coliseum and the couch. You can also join the conversation on the KSBoard Game Thread or by texting your observations to 859-587-3828 (standard messaging rates apply).
Special thanks to today’s live blog sponsor, Ole Jim’s BBQ:
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Andrew Carr picks up his 2nd foul
12/03/2024 09:09:04 PM
The fouls are mounting at Littlejohn Coliseum. Andrew Carr picked up his second, bringing Kentucky’s team total to five. Lamont Butler has been on the bench after picking up his second foul at the 15:11 mark. Brandon Garrison also just picked up a foul to take Kentucky’s total to six. Clemson has eight fouls total. This game could drag on well into the night.
Score Update: 11:40 1H – Kentucky 17, Clemson 15
12/03/2024 09:02:03 PM
It’s a back-and-forth battle so far. After missing two free throws Andrew Carr hit a huge three to put the Cats up 17-12. Clemson’s Dillon Hunter responded on the other end to cut that lead to three at the Under-12 media timeout. The Tigers are having their way on the offensive glass so far, with five offensive boards to Kentucky’s three for six second-chance points.
Clemson takes the lead, but Koby Brea takes it back
12/03/2024 08:58:55 PM
Myles Foster gave Clemson its first lead of the game but Koby Brea stole it back with his first three of the game. Unfortunately, he picked up a foul on the other end, but we’ll forgive it if it means more threes.
Score Update: 15:11 1H – Kentucky 11, Clemson 8
12/03/2024 08:51:49 PM
Good news or bad news? Good: Kentucky leads Clemson at the first media timeout. Bad: Lamont Butler just picked up his second foul. Butler’s been playing great otherwise, leading Kentucky with five points, so this is not ideal.
Both teams are a little cold early on. Kentucky is 3-9 from the floor, Clemson 2-8.
Christian Reeves picks up his second foul
12/03/2024 08:49:07 PM
Clemson center Christian Reeves just fouled Otega Oweh on a three-point shot, his second foul of the game. Oweh made two of three from the stripe to make it 9-5 Cats with 16:11 to go until half.
Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr pick up early fouls
12/03/2024 08:44:07 PM
The refs are already making themselves known, calling two early questionable fouls on Lamont Butler and Andrew Carr. Mark Pope, who famously attended a referee symposium to better understand officiating, is unhappy with them so far.
It’s okay because a Lamont Butler and-one makes it 6-2 Kentucky with 18:13 to go.
Birthday boy Jaxson Robinson starts things off with a three!
12/03/2024 08:41:44 PM
Today is Jaxson Robinson’s 22nd birthday and he tipped off the celebration with a big three-point bucket on the opening possession.
Tennessee cruises past Syracuse
12/03/2024 08:33:02 PM
If you’ve got ESPN on waiting for Kentucky vs. Clemson, you watched the end of Tennessee vs. Syracuse. I hate to say it, but the Vols looked very good, cruising past the Orangemen 96-70. Add in Missouri’s win over Cal and the SEC now leads the SEC/ACC Challenge 5-0.
Time for the main event. The crowd at the KSR Road Trip watch party in Fort Collins, Colorado is ready:
10 minutes to go until tipoff
12/03/2024 08:30:29 PM
The crowd at Littlejohn Coliseum looks ready to roll:
Usual Starting Lineup
12/03/2024 08:22:16 PM
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Kentucky will go with its usual starters vs. Clemson.
00 Otega Oweh
01 Lamont Butler
02 Jaxson Robinson
07 Andrew Carr
22 Amari Williams
Pope confirms Brandon Garrison will play vs. Clemson
12/03/2024 08:18:49 PM
Jack Pilgrim said Brandon Garrison looked good in warmups after sitting out the Georgia State game as a precautionary measure (soreness). In his pregame conversation with Tom Leach, Pope confirmed Garrison will play vs. Clemson.
“He got in a really light workout on Sunday evening, got to practice yesterday. So, he’s should be a full go today.
Love to hear it.
Good crowd at the KSR Road Trip Watch Party in Fort Collins
12/03/2024 08:13:33 PM
The radio crew is in Fort Collins, Colorado tonight and, of course, some fans showed up at the Grey Rock Sports Grill to watch the game with them. I’m sure that’s just the beginning of Blue getting in.
Arkansas comes back to beat Miami
12/03/2024 08:08:18 PM
Miami led almost the entire game but Arkansas came back to win it 76-73 thanks to some big buckets by Boogie Fland. Miami has now lost five straight games.
The SEC is now 3-0 in the SEC Challenge, as South Carolina beat Boston College 73-51 and Georgia beat Notre Dame 69-48. No. 3 Tennessee is cruising vs. Syracuse and it looks like Missouri will beat Cal too. So far, it just means more.
Brandon Garrison looks good to go
12/03/2024 08:02:57 PM
Held out “more as a precaution than anything else” due to “a little bit of soreness” against Georgia State, it appears Garrison will make his return for the Wildcats following the one-game absence.
The sophomore forward went through full warmups with no apparent setbacks.
Looks like Kentucky is back at full strength.
Sights and sounds from Littlejohn Coliseum
12/03/2024 07:55:28 PM
KSR has arrived for Kentucky’s matchup at Clemson inside Littlejohn Coliseum ahead of the opening tip. Students flooded the venue as soon as doors opened while the rest of the orange and purple have trickled in since.
They’re not alone, though. Big Blue Nation has showed out, too, with most sections featuring at least a couple of Kentucky fans and several with a good chunk of blue. Talking with BBN members around the arena, many made the short trip from Atlanta over to Clemson — just two hours away.
Plenty to get a “Go Big Blue” chant going if things swing Kentucky’s direction this evening.
Take a look at some of the early views from Littlejohn Coliseum:
Tip time now 9:41 p.m. ET
12/03/2024 07:38:04 PM
The game is already being pushed back. According to Dave Baker on the official UK pregame show, tipoff has been pushed back to 9:41 p.m. ET, probably because Tennessee/Syracuse, which is also on ESPN, is only at halftime. Yawn.
Here are your How To Watch Details for whenever this one does tip off.
Television: ESPN (Karl Ravech, Jimmy Dykes)
Home Radio: UK Sports Network – 630 WLAP, iHeart Radio (Tom Leach, Goose Givens)
Online Radio: iHeart
Satellite Radio: Sirius 158 or 190
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
COVINGTON, Ky. (WKRC) – A Northern Kentucky man is in jail, accused of sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl who’d been reported missing.
Matthew Wade, 40, faces charges, including sexual abuse, unlawful transaction with a minor and assault.
Covington Police say they found the teen at Wade’s home on Highway Avenue on Monday. According to the police report, he was knowingly hiding her, knew she was missing and had cut her ankle monitor off.
Investigators say the teen was given alcohol, marijuana and magic mushrooms.
The girl told police wade slapped her and choked her.
Officers also say they found guns in the home.
Mark Pope has confirmed that no official GM position will exist for at least this season, and most likely won’t exist going forward. Why? Because he has the responsibilities spread out across 4 different people, and believes that is the best way forward.
“In this ever-changing college basketball dynamic, everybody is trying a different solution. For us, instead of hiring a singular GM, we’ve gone with a more comprehensive general management team approach. We have four members of the team. Keegan Brown is a data analysis and roster construction expert who’s worked in both college and the NBA. Nick Robinson is our salary cap strategy and management specialist. Kevin Sergent is our compliance officer, and he deals with all of our contracts and legal language. Kim Shelton is our JMI liaison, and she does all of our NIL contracts that deal with corporate sponsorships. That’s our four-person general management team.”
But who is each one of these people, and what makes them qualified?
Who’s doing what in the Kentucky basketball front office?
Well, Keegan Brown has been a video coordinator in the G-League. That essentially means he would go and watch all the videos on league opponents and potential prospects, and come up with data-backed scouting reports for the coaching and front office teams. Pope has worked with Brown at BYU, so there is some familiarity there.
Nick Robinson also worked with Mark Pope in Provo, being an assistant coach from 2019 to 2024 and following Pope to Lexington. He has been on staff all 3 seasons now, and is being tasked with handing out Kentucky’s money and setting a budget for each player.
Kevin Sergent is not new to Kentucky; he has been in Lexington since 2020. But this is his first time handling compliance on his own; his official title is Senior Associate AD for Athletic Compliance. He handles all the rules, applying for waivers, basically making sure the entire staff is doing everything the right way.
Kim Shelton is a UK alum who was more known for soccer than anything else. She was part of the very first Kentucky women’s soccer team and is a former CEO of Lexington Sporting Club. She worked for Kentucky when Commonwealth was renamed as Kroger Field, and played a role in setting up naming rights for Kentucky Proud Park. Right now, she is kind of the bridge between Kentucky and JMI, specifically handling BBNIL Suite.
If you don’t remember what BBNIL suite is, it’s essentially the opt-in program where student athletes agree to only work with deals through JMI. They find offers, broker deals, and help athletes make money. It is, of course, optional, but if players decline, they will not be able to use the University of Kentucky logos in their NIL marketing.
Trent Noah is probably the most successful NIL athlete who opted out. The Kentucky native is handling his own NIL, and by the amount of ads and cardboard cutouts I see littered around the state, he seems to be doing pretty well.
Seeing JMI integrated again into Kentucky Basketball is probably going to make some of you uneasy, and I get that. But everyone who has worked with them who has officially gone on the record says they are a pleasure to work with.
And that’s how Mark Pope wants it done. There is a theory out there that he wants a GM, but JMI won’t let him. Considering he has chosen 2 of the 4 people personally, I highly doubt that’s true.
What do you think of his explanation, and what do you think of how he is handling the GM role?
Leave the ordinary behind as you explore the Bluegrass State
Explore all of the unexpected adventures that Kentucky has to offer. (Photo: Kentucky Tourism)
Published May 12, 2026 04:28PM
When it comes to outdoor destinations, Kentucky’s got some impressive headliners, like Mammoth Cave National Park, home to the world’s longest (known) cave system, and Red River Gorge, a climbing mecca with more than 4,000 sport routes. But away from the more popular paths, you’ll find outdoor adventures that are defined not only by their incredible scenery but also by their one-of-a-kind experiences.
See a Moonbow
If you’ve never seen a moonbow (a rainbow caused by the light of a full moon), there’s only one place in the Western Hemisphere where you can make a plan to see one—Cumberland Falls. Known as the “Niagara of the South,” this 125-foot-tall cascade is home to one of the only predictable moonbows on the planet. Take a look at the schedule, grab your headlamps for the short hike, and go see this rare natural marvel.
More in Daniel Boone National Forest: Visit the nearby Natural Scenic Arch Area, where a short trail reveals stunning views of a sandstone arch spanning nearly 100 feet.
Stay in a Treehouse
The treehouses at EarthJOY Village in northern Kentucky are the real deal, with features every outdoor-loving kid (and adult) has dreamed of—porch views, rope bridges, and a tree trunk right in the middle of the living room. With three impressive treehouses to choose from, more than 285 acres of private forest, and 20 miles of hiking trails, you’ll always find adventures to unlock.
More Camping: Camp closer to the ground—and the wildlife that populates the region—at Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area or John James Audubon State Park.
Go Underground
Some of the most “outdoor” experiences you’ll find in Kentucky are technically inside the many caves and caverns that the state has become known for. There are plenty to explore. Our picks? Hidden River Cave, home to the world’s longest underground swinging bridge, or Lost River Cave, where you can take a boat ride through the otherworldly below-ground landscape.
More Fun in the Depths: Did you know you can scuba dive in Kentucky? You can try it out or get PADI certified at Pennyroyal Scuba Blue Springs Resort before heading to popular destinations like Lake Cumberland.
Take a Canopy Walk at an Outdoor Art Gallery
The short but scenic Canopy Tree Walk at Bernheim Forest and Arboretum allows you to take in the views from the forest’s highest heights—75 feet above the ground. There are even more spectacular sights in this 16,000-plus-acre stretch of wild forest, like the Forest Giants, designed by sculptor Thomas Dambo, or any number of other outdoor art installations along the 40 miles of trails.
More Hiking: Explore the 343-mile Sheltowee Trace Trail, founded in the 1970s as Kentucky’s first long-distance footpath that basecamps in trail towns like Morehead. And even urban hubs like Lexington offer green escapes like the Raven Run Nature Sanctuary.
Kentucky is about coming together for real-life experiences and meeting real-life people. Discover a destination that moves you in ways you never expected. Find What Moves You in our new Kentucky home.
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