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Dick Vitale believes Kentucky has to many “cupcakes” on the non-conference schedule

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Dick Vitale believes Kentucky has to many “cupcakes” on the non-conference schedule


Yesterday, Kentucky announced a few more of its non-conference games, and some folks are not happy about the quality of opponents that will come to Rupp Arena. The seven teams added to the schedule were Manhattan (November 3rd), James Madison (November 6th), Northern Arizona (November 13th), Grambling State (November 16th), Bryant (December 8th), Sacred Heart (December 22nd), and Gardner-Webb (December 28th).

One of those who voiced his displeasure was Dick Vitale. The college basketball legend took to X to say, “The Kentucky basketball schedule has many cupcakes on their pre-conference schedule & 5 legit challenges – BBN -Cats fans & players deserve a more challenging schedule in getting ready for the SEC – especially having a TEAM with over 21 MILLION in NIL dollars.”

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ESPN announcer Dick Vitale with analyst Charles Barkley before the Indiana-Kentucky men’s college basketball game at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky December 13, 2025. | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

I see where Dickie V is coming from here, but the reality is that every college basketball team is going to play these cupcake games. If Vitale is frustrated with the NET Rankings of these teams, I understand, but all of college basketball plays games like this.

I can see the frustration for BBN knowing the only really exciting home game coming to Rupp Arena this non-conference season is the matchup with rival Louisville. I have a feeling another big-time game could be coming to the schedule, knowing the Gonzaga matchup is no more. Hopefully, if a new marquee game is scheduled, it will be in Rupp Arena, but this is still to be seen.

The reality is the Wildcats have a top ten strength of schedule right now, and they do have games against Kansas, Indiana, Louisville, North Carolina, and Virginia scheduled in non-conference play. During Mark Pope’s tenure, the Wildcats have played a very tough schedule each season, and that is not going to change this year.

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Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope greets a referee before the game against the Iowa State Cyclones during a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Fans would like to see some more exciting games come to Rupp Arena, but the SEC will once again be very good, which will bring a lot of top 25 matchups to Lexington this year. I believe the five marquee games scheduled for non-conference play will have the Wildcats ready for SEC play, especially knowing they will play a true road game against Virginia.

If the Wildcats do add one more marquee game to the non-conference schedule, this should have Vitale bought into the schedule and how it will get Pope’s team ready for the gauntlet that is SEC play.

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Where Kentucky Basketball recruits stand in the latest round of 2027 recruiting rankings

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Where Kentucky Basketball recruits stand in the latest round of 2027 recruiting rankings


In the dog days of the summer, there’s not a whole lot going on across college athletics. We are currently receiving some fun, short clips highlighting the upcoming team practices.

One recent piece of news that caught our attention is that all the main recruiting sites have updated their high school rankings recently. 247 Sports updated their rankings a few weeks ago, while ESPN and Rivals updated theirs on Monday.

Several notable names for Kentucky have moved around slightly, so let’s take a look at where they are now.

Kentucky’s lone commit in the 2027 class to this point comes in at No. 20 on ESPN, No. 19 on Rivals, and No. 12 on 247 Sports. He was also bumped down to 4-star status at ESPN and Rivals.

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Hampton has been a polarizing player: Some are very high on him and think he could be the best scorer in the class, while others believe he will be a project piece and has some big-time growing to do before he gets anywhere close to his ceiling.

It appears Hampton will need a strong end to the AAU season if he wants to regain 5-star status at Rivals and ESPN.

Spears is the cousin of Kentucky commit Ryan Hampton, son of an NFL great, and a highly sought-after forward in this class. He’s still slotted at No. 1 on ESPN and 247 Sports, but shockingly, Rivals dropped him down to No. 7 overall as a 4-star prospect. Their new rankings only have a pair of 5-star prospects.

Still, Spears is one of the players that people are most confident in overall and see a pretty high ceiling for. With the 6’9 frame and a super versatile offensive bag, Spears Jr. is being pursued by almost every coach and program in the entire country so far.

Remember the guy that Mark Pope and Mikhail McClean went fishing with? Well, here he is. Rosser, similar to Spears with position and size, is a big-time target for the entire country. He’s 6’9 with a strong build and is very capable of translating right away at the next level with his physicality.

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Rosser is now No. 4 on ESPN, No. 1 on Rivals, and No. 3 on 247 Sports.

Kentucky cast a pretty wide net for this class of 2027, across many positions. Some other notable names that Mark Pope and this staff have reached out to and talked to are PG Beckham Black (No. 2 on ESPN, No. 3 on Rivals, and No. 2 on 247 Sports), SF Demarcus Henry (No. 3 on ESPN, No. 5 on Rivals, and No. 5 on 247 Sports), CG Adan Diggs (No. 5 on ESPN, No. 2 on Rivals, and No. 4 on 247 Sports). That’s just a few of the top names that Kentucky has shown interest in, and has gone to watch play a time or two.

It’s only July, but the recruiting never stops, especially in Lexington.



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8 vehicle crash closes I-24 in Kentucky

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8 vehicle crash closes I-24 in Kentucky


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1 missing, 4 injured in Fourth of July boating collision on Kentucky lake

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1 missing, 4 injured in Fourth of July boating collision on Kentucky lake


Videos above are from FOX19 NOW’s top stories.

HARRODSBURG, Ky. (WXIX) – After a boating collision at a popular Kentucky lake, a specialized rescue team from Ohio is helping search crews find a missing victim.

The collision happened between a large boat and a pontoon on Herrington Lake, located about 115 miles south of Cincinnati. The lake is over 2,300 acres long with many sharp, winding curves. It is also the deepest lake in Kentucky.

Multiple emergency crews were called to Pandora Marina to help rescue the victims sometime after 8 p.m.

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Water Rescue 6 rescued one person who sustained traumatic injuries. They were flown to the University of Kentucky Hospital via medical helicopter, according to the Mercer County Fire District.

Four people are injured while one is still missing after a Fourth of July boating collision on Herrington Lake.(Mercer County Fire District)

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Three others were also rescued and transported to a hospital in Danville, officials say.

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“Unfortunately one victim is still missing. Dive teams and boats have been deployed from Boyle County to continue search,” the fire district wrote online the day of the collision.

The situation appears to be the same on July 5 as the last victim remains missing.

“A specialized rescue crew has been dispatched from Ohio and is enroute,” the district wrote in an update. “If you are on the lake please be respectful of the rescuers and search teams. This operation will remain active until the victim is recovered.”

FOX19 NOW has reached out to Mercer County officials for more information on the crash. We are waiting to hear back.

Herrington Lake officials released a statement about the crash.

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