Atlanta, GA
KSR Today: Wheels up to Atlanta
I write this from the passenger’s seat with my wife driving and our infant kinda-sorta nodding off in the back (please sleep, kid). We’re on our way down to Atlanta for Kentucky‘s anticipated matchup vs. North Carolina in the CBS Sports Classic, a handful of hours to go. The goal is to get down there in time for the game at Overtime Elite tonight at 7 ET sharp featuring future Cat Somto Cyril and potential future Cat Karter Knox.
It’s gonna be a heck of a weekend in the home of Ludacris and Steve Harvey, let’s just put it that way. Hopefully that includes a big victory for the Cats over the Heels — did you know that every Kentucky team that has won in Atlanta under John Calipari has gone on to a Final Four? (You would if you had read Tyler Thompson’s breakdown of UK’s history in Catlanta.)
Let’s dig in and run through some other morning notes as you sip your coffee (and I pick my fast-food breakfast spot).
Ugonna Onyenso is back
North Carolina’s got some size and physicality in the form of 6-11, 240-pound big fella Armando Bacot. He’s averaging 16 and 12 this season, one of the most dominant frontcourt players in the country. And the Cats have a new defensive-minded center to throw at him in Atlanta.
“He’s been good this week, we’re looking forward to getting him out there,” Bruiser Flint said of Ugonna Onyenso, who is set to return from a broken foot suffered back in July. I think he brings a different presence in terms of physicality and defense. That’s the thing he does is defensive rebounding. We’re looking forward to it just as much as you guys are. He’s done well in practice.”
A new floor to replace the new floor
As the Cats look to take care of business at State Farm Arena, Rupp Arena officials are in the process of bringing in a new floor to replace the new floor. In turn, the old floor will be temporarily replacing the newer floor while they get the newest floor ready.
I think I got that right.
So, long story short, the new floor didn’t fit well together and had some dead spots that Kentucky and the court-maker did not like. Was it the sole reason the Cats lost to UNC Wilmington in the floor’s debut? Yeah, you could probably say that.
Now, it’s time to throw it in the dumpster and try again.
“Robbins (Inc.) is expediting a floor replacement and looks forward to delivering a new floor to Rupp Arena as soon as possible,” the company said in a statement.
“We look forward to the final installation,” Kentucky added.
The stickers are back like the McRib. Enjoy them while you can.
Kenny Payne watch continues
Does Coach Cal add KP to the Kentucky bench by Thursday? That’d be hilariously awesome, but only possible if Louisville AD Josh Heird decides to part ways with Payne in the not-too-distant future. But conversations have begun.
Following back-to-back double-digit losses to DePaul and Arkansas State, KP’s seat is blistering hot with the Cardinals. And according to BBN’s favorite national talking head Jeff Goodman, Heird could make a move with Payne “fairly soon” after meeting with “multiple Louisville players” on Thursday.
Payne is 8-34 (2-19) through his first 42 games at his alma mater. The Cards are currently No. 203 in the KenPom rankings and are projected to finish the season 9-22 (4-16). That ain’t good.
The inside job is nearly complete. Time to come home, KP. We love you here in Lexington.
Floppy Action is back!
I’m not one to tell you what to do, but if you haven’t tuned into KSR’s new show Floppy Action, what are you doing with your life? Zack Geoghegan and Brandon Ramsey dig into the Xs and Os of Kentucky basketball, peeling back the curtain of John Calipari’s offense.
This time, it’s a breakdown of the UNCW loss, the win over Penn and a preview of the North Carolina matchup. Specifically, they dig into the Spain action and how it continues to be effective for the Cats this season.
I promise you it’s worth your time. Tune in.
Vince Marrow looks to shut down Willie Rodriguez’s recruitment
The dirty Vols are trying to steal Kentucky’s prized tight end commit, Willie Rodriguez. The Big Dawg is here to tell them to kick rocks.
Tennessee reportedly convinced the 6-4 pass-catcher to take an official visit ahead of National Signing Day. That comes alongside reports former Cat Jordan Dingle is expected to do the same out of the portal.
Vince Marrow can’t control the latter, but he can do his best to shut down the former. What does that look like? An in-home visit with Rodriguez in Northern Kentucky almost immediately after those reports came out.
Do your thing, Vince.
KSR+ Signing Day Sale begins TODAY
Oh, speaking of which. It’s time to stay up-to-date with us over on KSR+, your one-stop-shop for the best Cats scoop in all of the land.
Take advantage of the KSR+ SIGNING DAY SALE to get bonus coverage of the Cats, including football transfer portal rumblings, basketball game threads, in-depth scouting reports, and the latest recruiting intel. 50% off the annual price or $1 for 1 month.
Join us. Go Cats.
Atlanta, GA
Assaults On Transgender People Leads To Arrest In Atlanta
ATLANTA, GA — Police on Monday arrested a 28-year-old man accused of assaulting multiple transgender people in Atlanta, authorities said.
Michael Boykin was taken into custody after police received a tip that he was in the area of 160 Ponce De Leon Ave. Northeast. According to police, Boykin was wanted because of his connection to a series of assaults targeting transgender people.
Authorities said they believe Boykin had a gun and was considered armed and dangerous at the time of his arrest.
Police arrested Boykin on outstanding warrants for aggravated assault, criminal trespassing, battery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was also charged with possession of drug-related objects.
No additional information was immediately available.
Atlanta, GA
A’s Reportedly Sign Former Atlanta Braves Third Baseman
All offseason, the question looming over the Athletics has been who will man the hot corner for them in their first season in West Sacramento, and on Thursday night we received a bit of clarity. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the A’s are in agreement with former Atlanta Braves third baseman Gio Urshela, with Martín Gallegos of MLB.com saying that it’s a one-year deal. The agreement has not been announced by the A’s, as the deal is pending a physical.
Last season the A’s struggled to find consistency at third base, initially giving the job to J.D. Davis, whom they signed during Spring Training, but when he went down with an injury early in the season, Abraham Toro took over and provided a bit of a spark across 56 games at the position. In 28 games in May, Toro hit .315 with a .351 OBP. From that point on, he topped out at batting .200 in eight games in July, and was designated for assignment in late August.
The A’s also deployed Tyler Nevin, Brett Harris, Armando Alvarez, and Darell Hernaiz at third this past season, with the six players combining for a 79 wRC+ (100 is league average), with nobody possessing a league average bat in the bunch, and accumulating -0.9 fWAR. The Athletics ranked No. 28 in fWAR at the position.
GM David Forst has said that the A’s were looking to add a veteran to the mix headed into 2025, with an emphasis on defense. This will be Urshela’s tenth season in the big leagues, and at the very least he has consistently put up WAR totals greater than zero, which will be an improvement.
The 33-year-old signed on with the Detroit Tigers last offseason, but they released him in late August. The Braves picked him up a couple of days later, and he finished out the season with Atlanta. Between both stops, he played 128 games, 110 of those coming at third base, with some time also spent across the diamond at first.
He hit .250 with a .286 OBP, nine homers, 52 RBI, and ended up with an 81 wRC+. With the glove, he racked up 0 Defensive Runs Saved and +3 Outs Above Average, using a couple of different metrics. His defense at the position has seemingly improved in recent years, and he has gone from well below league average to at, or above.
While adding a veteran upgrade was certainly on Forst’s bingo card, Urshela doesn’t figure to be a full-time addition to the roster. Instead, he’s likely to have the large side of the platoon, though who his partner will be is up for debate.
Last season against left-handers he went 17-for-96 (.177), while batting .271 in a much larger sample size against righties. While we missed on which player the A’s could end up signing, A’s on SI seemed to be on the right track with the thinking of the front office. Urshela’s 97 wRC+ against right-handers (vs. 29 against lefties) in 2024 should lead to him playing the majority of the time, but perhaps not every day.
Instead, the likely option against southpaws, at least in this point in the offseason, is Darell Hernaiz. Both players have upside with the glove, and Hernaiz went 12-for-43 (.279) against lefties, good for a 90 wRC+. While the A’s still don’t have a ton of pop at the position, they have the makings of a conglomerate league average option.
This is also an interesting path for the team to take, since Urshela’s deal is only for the 2025 campaign. That would seem to suggest that the A’s believe in former top first round pick Max Muncy being able to make the transition from shortstop to third base in the early part of the season, and potentialy make his debut at some point in the second half of ’25.
Adding Urshela buys the A’s a little time to figure out who will ultimately take over at third base, and it also potentially buys Hernaiz another look in the big leagues, and a chace to earn the job himself.
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Hawks Guard Listed as Good Trade Target for Sixers
Since they’re only one-and-a-half games out of a playoff spot, the Philadelphia 76ers should remain a buyer as trade season gets underway in the NBA. Armed with decent sized contracts and draft capital, Daryl Morey has the assets to bolster the supporting cast around the team’s star trio.
As the rumor mill starts to heat up, the staff at The Athletic compiled a big board of players who could be on the move before the February 6th deadline. Among those mentioned was Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic. When listing best fits for the veteran, the Sixers were among the handful of teams cited.
Given that he’s a 38.4 percent career 3-point shooter, it’s exceptionally difficult to imagine he won’t get back to that level at some point as he gets his rhythm back. But he doesn’t totally fit the Hawks’ new age timeline, and a number of teams would love to get a player like Bogdanović, who has a proven big-game track record on the international stage.
With the Hawks going in a different direction, Bogdanovic could garner a lot interest around the league. For the Sixers, the 32-year-old provides multiple needed skills. Bogdanovic could serve as a sixth man/spot starter, along with providing secondary playmaking and shot creation on the offensive end. Most importantly, he is another above-average three-point shooter to put around Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George.
Bogdanovic’s dip in production shouldn’t be alarming, as the Hawks’ roster shakeup has likely played a part in that. In 12 games this season, he is averaging 11.8 PPG and 2.0 APG while shooting 34.6% from deep on moderate volume. With an increased shot quality playing alongside three All-Star’s, Bogdanoivc’s numbers would surely revert back to his career average if traded to the Sixers.
The Sixers would have to combine multiple contracts to acquire Bogdanovic ($17.2 million salary), but he’d be a long-term investment at a rather team-friendly price. He is signed through this season and next with a club option for 2027.
With the Sixers’ high-end talent locked in, the focus is on building a strong supporting cast. As an experienced guard with a complementary skill set, Bogdanovic is someone who could help Philly achieve their goals this season and beyond.
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