Kentucky
Archie Goodwin seeks redemption at Kentucky with La Familia in TBT
Archie Goodwin has four years of The Basketball Tournament (TBT) experience, helping perennial power Eberlein Drive reach the semifinals last summer; however, this year, he jumped at the chance to join La Familia for a second shot at Kentucky Basketball glory.
Goodwin played for Eberlein Drive, one of the two remaining teams from the inaugural TBT, since 2021. Last summer, he was one of the stars of Eberlein Drive’s run to the semifinals, where they lost to Forever Coogs, Houston’s alumni team. Goodwin’s season at Kentucky didn’t go as he’d hoped — after Nerlens Noel went down, the Cats failed to make the NCAA Tournament — but he is eager to reunite with Big Blue Nation and maybe get some redemption.
“It means a lot to me. I think when I was here in 2012, we had an up-and-down year. And I think that the way that season ended left a lot of the fanbase looking at that team in a certain way, in a certain light. And so for me to be a part of that team, and then being able to come back to this, if we could win or get close to winning, it could be a way of them being able to see, like, okay, hey, these guys, maybe they didn’t [win big], they weren’t ready then, but they got the opportunity to come back and make it right, and do something as well.
“It’s not the NCAA [Tournament], but it is something that’s competitive in that it means something. You’re playing against other pros and you want to win. So there’s still a competitive edge there, and it’s still something that we can win under the name of Kentucky that will mean something to the program.”
Goodwin is confident that had Noel not torn his ACL in the Florida game in February 2013 that Kentucky would have made the tournament — in fact, he thinks the Cats’ resume was good enough to make it regardless; however, he understands fans’ frustration that the squad only made the NIT, one season after winning the national championship.
“I take it for what it was,” Goodwin said of his time at Kentucky. “I think we had some highs, and we did have some lows. I think that everybody pretty much knows that if Nerlens [Noel] doesn’t get hurt, we have a different season because of what he meant to our team, but I also understand, like, hey, it did happen, and we did have the team that we did once he went down.”
“So I kind of see both, but I try to think of it in a positive light, because I understand the frustration of a fanbase and of a crowd, knowing that they want to win certain games, and we just weren’t able to, because we’re missing certain players.”
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BBN’s support: “Man, it’s amazing; don’t find it nowhere else.”
Goodwin could face his former squad if La Familia and Eberlein Drive both make it to the Lexington Regional championship Tuesday night. As a TBT vet, he likes La Familia’s chances and is going to focus on playing a supporting, not starring, role.
“I was one of the top players last year. I really just helped the team with just fitting in and doing the little things. Like, I didn’t have any crazy games like that. I had moments, but I think that it’s about just doing the little things to help the team win that’ll stand out and help us.
“We have so many guys that it could be anybody tonight on any given day. So with me knowing that, it’s just about me coming in, being a good defender, making the right plays, being a leader, vocal, and making sure we’re doing the things that we need to do to help us win, staying connected with each other. And as long as we do that, we’ll be fine.”
Of course, home-court advantage could play a huge role. Goodwin is counting on Big Blue Nation to bring it at Memorial Coliseum this weekend.
“I expect them to come out and be strong and be supportive as they always are. I think that we have a great group. I think that we’ll come out and play hard and try to win over the fans, as we always do, so we’re just looking for their support, and I know they’ll give it, because they always give it.”
Since going to the pros in 2013, Goodwin has made the rounds in the NBA, G League, and overseas. He most recently played for the Jiangsu Dragons in the Chinese Basketball Association. At almost every stop, he’s encountered Kentucky fans, proof of the fanbase’s unique reach.
“I think the difference is how passionate the fans are,” Goodwin said of Kentucky fans compared to others. “I think you don’t have too many fanbases like this in college. Maybe Duke is the only one I can compare close to the fanbase that we have here. But there aren’t many fanbases where you can go — I was in Italy one year, and there were Kentucky fans that recognized me there. You know what I mean? It doesn’t happen like that. I’ve been in Germany, and I’ve had Kentucky fans recognize me.
“So, you don’t have that everywhere, where they’re really worldwide. It’s just a different impact that Kentucky basketball has had. And a large part of that, I think, is due to Coach Cal’s era, from getting John Wall and those guys and starting that whole way that he did. I think a lot of the fanbase came from that era, and they’re everywhere. Man, it’s amazing. Don’t find it nowhere else.”
DeAndre Liggins, who has played professionally for 14 years all across the world, agrees.
“It’s a great fanbase. You’ve got other fanbases out there, like North Carolina, Duke, but it’s nothing like Kentucky. Because you hear Kentucky, it’s like, even players who never played here, they know about the tradition, and they never experienced it. They just, I tell them Kentucky, they’d be like, ‘Wow,’ so it’s just a big deal.”
Both Goodwin and Liggins are also enjoying being back in their own stomping grounds — even if it’s sometimes hard to recognize due to all the upgrades to Kentucky’s campus. Although they’re among some of the older players on the team, they’re enjoying getting to know their younger counterparts and swapping stories.
“I only played with the Doron, but everybody’s still a family; we all bleed blue and white,” Liggins said. “Every year, my family has a family reunion, like my blood family. These guys are not my blood, but we bleed blue, so to come back here and be around these guys, I haven’t seen their faces for so long. We’re all overseas playing, but come back and reunite, that’s a great feeling. Bringing up old stories from when we were here. Just a great feeling.”
“Honestly, I’m just happy to be around the environment,” Goodwin said. “The environment was what’s most important to me. Being here, being around some of the old guys, and seeing some of the old people who were here when I was here. That’s what I was looking forward to, and I got to see some people today. That’s what I want to see. And I want to see the young guys, I want to see new groups. I want to see how they are, be able to meet those guys, talk to them, interact with them, and see what their mindset is.”
La Familia opens TBT play Friday night vs. Stroh’s Squad at Memorial Coliseum (9 p.m. ET, FS1). If they win, they’ll play the winner of War Ready, the Auburn alumni Team, and X-Rayted on Sunday (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX). The winner of that game will advance to the Lexington Regional championship on Tuesday night (6 p.m., FS2).
The winner of the Lexington Regional will play the winner of the Louisville Regional in the quarterfinals on Monday, July 28, at 6 p.m. on FS1. The semifinals and $1 million winner-take-all championship game will be July 31 and Aug. 3.
Kentucky
Several people hurt in Western Kentucky Parkway multi-car accident, officials say
MUHLENBERG, Ky. (WFIE) – Kentucky officials says there are multiple people injured in a three-car accident on Western Kentucky Parkway.
According to a post made by the Central City Fire Department, three vehicles were involved in a crash between the 64 and 65 mile markers eastbound of the parkway.
They say both the eastbound and westbound lanes are closed at this time. The closure should last around 3 hours.
Two people were extricated from a vehicle. Four adults and three juveniles are being taken to the hospital. No update has been given on their conditions.
They say a mass casualty incident was declared, and Ohio County Fire and EMS were called to the scene due to the number of patients.
We will update you when we learn more.
Copyright 2025 WFIE. All rights reserved.
Kentucky
2027 top in-state prospect talks about his Kentucky unofficial visit on Tuesday
Kentucky’s recruiting efforts in the 2026 class have hit a current rough patch, but things are looking promising in the 2027 class, as the staff has already casted a very wide net in the class, with a number of top targets in the fold. As they’re continuing to pursue mostly national targets, a local star is now on the staff’s radar.
2027 in-state guard Braxton Keathley, one of the state’s top prospects even regardless of class, took an unofficial visit to Kentucky on Tuesday for the game against NC Central. Keathley is native of Martin County, KY, and has took the state by storm as he has really stuffed the stat sheet. Just recently, he dropped a triple-double of 34 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds last weekend.
The Kentucky staff has certainly seemed to take notice really quickly. He’s also getting plenty of other interest, too, including having frequent contact with Louisville, LSU, Purdue, South Carolina, and Florida State, plus offers from Eastern Kentucky, UT Martin, Ohio, and Bowling Green, among others. Keathley sat down with Kentucky Wildcats on SI to talk about his recent visit to Kentucky. What were his impressions of the staff? He shared a conversation he had with them before Tuesday’s game. He also had some interactions with others, too.
“They really talked about how well I scored it and how they’ve been hearing about me for a long time,” Keathley said of his conversation with the Kentucky staff. “One of the (Kentucky) assistants mentioned he had a coaching friend tell them that they better jump on me quick cause I was really good. I had several fans come up to me and take pictures. Jack Givens welcomed me and talked to me for a little bit and said he’s highly impressed with my game and plans on coming to a game soon. A couple of other UK players came up, they were really nice and said they been keeping up with me.”
As a Kentucky kid, Keathley says he been a fan of the Wildcats since he was little, even getting to train with Tyrese Maxey this summer, and he also had some great things to say about what he saw from fellow Kentucky natives and current Wildcats Trent Noah, Jasper Johnson, and Malachi Moreno. “I looked up to players like Tyler Herro, SGA, Tyrese Maxey, Devin Booker, Malik Monk and Reed Sheppard. I got lucky that I got to train with Maxey for a week in August,” Keathley said. “I saw Trent Noah last night having great energy and keeping a smile on his face during warmups. You could tell he loved every minute wearing that Kentucky uniform. He cares and it shows. I saw Jasper and Moreno warming up hard. The one thing about it, and my dad always told me, it’s a different place. You got to be special to play there and be willing to accept everything that comes with wearing that jersey.”
Interestingly enough, Keathley’s dad coached former Kentucky greats Anthony Epps and Wayne Turner after their time at Kentucky, so Keathley has a family history of being around all that comes with the passion of Kentucky basketball. What did Keathley’s dad learn about the two former Wildcats he got the privilege to coach? “He said they carried a chip on their shoulder and were great leaders always humble but tough. and I have to do the same.” Now, for Keathley, it’s about climbing the ranks nationally. “A couple (recruiting services) don’t have me ranked yet and that’s ok. I’m going to walk in the gym every night and know I outworked you and I’m going to outplay you,” he said. “I’m going to compete like every game is a championship. I’m going to to play with the same passion that the fans have. I’m always all in there’s no going back or in-between.”
Keathley has so much passion for his community in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, and he has plans of doing big things at Martin County. He also shared a message Trent Noah’s dad had for him during their interaction at Tuesday’s Kentucky game. “Something he said that really stuck out. ‘Us mountain people have got to stick together.’ He’s right, Eastern Kentucky has great people and basketball players. Kentucky basketball as whole, we got to stick together through the highs and lows. That’s what we do.”
That’s a great message from a parent of a current Wildcat who was in his shoes before, being a fellow native of that part of the state. The Kentucky staff is certainly going to keep an eye on him as he continues the impressive run he is on so far this season, because he just continues to catch more and more people’s attention with his play.
Kentucky
Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie introduces legislation for U.S. to leave NATO – UPI.com
Dec. 10 (UPI) — U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican serving a House district in Kentucky, introduced legislation for the United States to pull out of NATO.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican from Florida, posted on X that she would be a co-sponsor of the Not a Trusted Organization Act, or NATO Act. Utah Republican Mike Lee introduced the same legislation in the Senate earlier this year.
“NATO is a Cold War relic,” Massie said in a statement Tuesday. “We should withdraw from NATO and use that money to defend our own country, not socialist countries.
“NATO was created to counter the Soviet Union, which collapsed over 30 years ago. Since then, U.S. participation has cost taxpayers trillions of dollars and continues to risk U.S. involvement in foreign wars.”
He added: “Our Constitution did not authorize permanent foreign entanglements, something our Founding Fathers explicitly warned us against. America should not be the world’s security blanket – especially when wealthy countries refuse to pay for their own defense.”
NATO was founded in 1949 by 12 members as a military alliance involving European nations, as well as the U.S. and Canada in North America. There are now 32 members, with Finland joining in 2023 and Sweden in 2024.
The NATO Act would prevent the use of U.S. taxpayer funds for NATO’s common budgets, including its civil budget, military budget and the Security Investment Program.
Article 13 of the North Atlantic Treaty allows nations to opt out.
“After the Treaty has been in force for 20 years, any Party may cease to be a Party one year after its notice of denunciation has been given to the Government of the United States of America, which will inform the Governments of the other Parties of the deposit of each notice of denunciation,” the treaty reads.
During the last NATO summit in The Hague, the Netherlands, President Donald Trump told reporters he agrees with NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense treaty.
“I stand with it. That’s why I’m here,” Trump said. “If I didn’t stand with it, I wouldn’t be here.”
Article 5 was invoked for the first time after the 9/11 attacks in the United States, leading to NATO’s involvement in Afghanistan.
The Kentucky Republican, who calls himself a “fiscal hawk” and a “constitutional conservative,” has been at odds with Trump on several issues, including fiscal spending, foreign policy/war powers, government surveillance and transparency.
Trump has also been critical of NATO.
During his 2016 election campaign, Trump called the alliance “obsolete.”
He urged nations to spend at least 3.5% of gross domestic product on core defense needs by 2035.
In June, NATO allies agreed to a new defense spending guideline to invest 5% of GDP annually in defense and security by 2035.
Five nations were above 3% in 2024: Poland at 4.12%, Estonia at 3.43%, U.S. at 3.38%, Latvia at 3.15% and Greece at 3.08%. In last is Spain with 1.28% though Iceland has no armed forces and Sweden wasn’t listed.
Some Republican senators want stronger involvement in the alliance, including Joni Ernst of Iowa and Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi. Wicker is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
For passage, a House majority is needed, but 60 of 100 votes in the Senate to break the filibuster and then a majority vote. Trump could also veto the bill.
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