Kentucky

First Down Kentucky: Power Ranking the SEC

Published

2 years ago

May 20, 2024

First Down Kentucky: Power Ranking the SEC

If recruiting is the lifeblood of a college football program, power rankings are the lifeblood of Talking Season. It’s not the best tool to figure out exactly where your favorite program stands. As the standings shake out near the end of the year, programs will be clumped together in tiers. “Tiering the SEC” doesn’t slap the same as “Power Ranking the SEC,” which is why we’ll save where Kentucky stands in the former until later in Talking Season.

As for today, On3’s Jesse Simonton gave us a snippet of what’s to come later this summer when the league converges upon Dallas for SEC Media Days. Oklahoma and Texas will take up a ton of oxygen in the division-less, 16-team SEC, while Kentucky flies under the radar near the bottom of a group of teams who enter the year with plenty of uncertainties. Simonton ranks Kentucky No. 11, sandwiched in between Florida and Auburn.

“The Wildcats have fully leaned into passing the QB baton to the latest transfer addition, going from Will Levis to Devin Leary and now Brock Vandagriff in as many seasons. Mark Stoops continues to turn over the OC position, too, with Bush Hamdan ideally around for more than just 12 games come the fall. The ‘Cats did pick up a key piece in the secondary this spring (DJ Waller from Michigan) and Vandagriff reportedly meshed quickly with wideouts Dane Key and Barion Brown.”
Jesse Simonton, On3

One could argue easily fair or foul from Kentucky’s standpoint, but one thing is clear when scrolling through the teams, wins will come at a premium in the new-look SEC.

One-Time Kentucky Target to Louisville

Kentucky kicked the tires on a few defensive linemen in the spring transfer portal without producing any dice. Brandon Lane was one of those players. For a time it looked like the FCS product would end up at Michigan State. Instead, Lane made the move from Stephen F. Austin to Louisville. The Cards are big fans of using that portal to pick up players. Time will tell what sort of impact he can make in their defensive line rotation.

Kentucky Transfer to the MAC?

WR Ardell Banks made the move to the MAC this spring when the wide receiver transferred from Kentucky to Kent State. A former foe from the practice fields may join him in the state of Ohio. Former Louisville PRP three-star prospect Elijah Reed entered the portal in December. We had not heard much from the cornerback until Monday morning when he shared that he is officially visiting Akron this week.

NFL OTAs are Underway

There’s no spring practice in the NFL. Instead, they stagger organized team activities (OTAs) through various parts of the calendar to keep the guys in shape. Voluntary workouts began on Monday for 21 different teams and Wan’Dale Robinson looks ready to roll.

More NCAA Settlement Talks

The settlement that will redefine college athletics is far from being settled. As the NCAA negotiates with attorneys on an agreed-upon dollar figure and restructured institution, some of its members are pushing back. A letter from Big East commissioner Val Ackerman was obtained by every newsbreaker in college athletics, essentially stating, “We aren’t paying for the sins of Power Five football.”

In the original proposed settlement, the new Power Four conference members would fit 40% of the settlement bill, while the rest of Division I would handle 60%. She believes it should be flipped, and she has a good point. The Power Four are making the most money and are the primary culprits behind these significant changes to college athletics. Why wouldn’t they take on the brunt of the payments? Ross Dellenger has all of the details.

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Kentucky

Funeral arrangements announced for Eastern Kentucky man electrocuted while power washing building

Published

21 hours ago

May 25, 2026

Press Room

Funeral arrangements announced for Eastern Kentucky man electrocuted while power washing building

MORGAN COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) – Funeral arrangements have been made for a Morgan County man who was electrocuted while pressure washing a building last Friday in Johnson County.

Services for 48-year-old Jonathan “Jon” Brown will be Sunday, May 31, at 2 p.m. at Jamie Ferguson’s Garage in West Liberty.

According to his obituary, Brown was a former Morgan County Fiscal Court magistrate, and the owner of Kentucky Pool Company and a power washing business.

Brown also helped out with radio broadcasts of Morgan County High School sports.

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Kentucky

Kentucky Horse Park honors Sgt. Reckless, the mare who served in the Korean War

Published

1 day ago

May 25, 2026

Press Room

Kentucky Horse Park honors Sgt. Reckless, the mare who served in the Korean War

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Kentucky Horse Park is honoring the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to their country this Memorial Day, while also reflecting on the legacy of one of the military’s most remarkable heroes — a horse.

Sergeant Reckless, a mare who served with the U.S. Marines during the Korean War, carried ammunition into battle and brought wounded soldiers to safety, becoming a trusted and beloved companion to those who served alongside her, Kentucky Horse Park described.

In recognition of her extraordinary courage, Sgt. Reckless was promoted to Staff Sergeant and awarded two Purple Hearts, along with numerous other military honors.

“Today, we remember and honor every hero,” a post from the park read.

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Kentucky

Kentucky Puts Three on All-NBA Teams

Published

2 days ago

May 24, 2026

Press Room

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Three Kentucky men’s basketball products were named to All-NBA teams on Sunday, marking the fifth-consecutive season in which the Wildcats have boasted multiple All-NBA selections.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (First Team), Tyrese Maxey (Third Team), Jamal Murray (Third Team) were all selected by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. It is the third time in the last four seasons that three Kentucky products were selected.

Named the NBA’S Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season last week, Gilgeous-Alexander was a unanimous selection to the first team, his fourth season in-a-row as an All-NBA First Team honoree. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard finished the regular season second in scoring with an average of 31.1 points per game while leading the Thunder to a league-best record of 64-18. He shot a career-high of 55.3 percent from the field, becoming the first guard in league history to average at least 30 points per game while shooting at least 55.0 percent. As part of his exceptional 2025-26 campaign, Gilgeous-Alexander set the NBA record for the most consecutive games scoring 20 or more points with 140, breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s mark of 126, which had stood for more than 60 years.

In Lexington for the 2017-18 season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 14.4 points and 5.1 assists. He was named the MVP of the Southeastern Conference Tournament, helping the Wildcats to the title with a win over Tennessee in the championship game. That year, Gilgeous-Alexander was an All-SEC Second Team selection and an All-SEC Freshman Team honoree.

For Philadelphia 76ers’ guard Tyrese Maxey, this marks his first ever nod to an All-NBA team and comes on the heels of a season in which he averaged career highs in points per game (28.3), assists per game (6.6), rebounds per game (4.1), steals per game (1.9) and blocks per game (0.8). Maxey was fifth in the league in both scoring and steals, while also ranking 15th in assists per game. He was named a starter for the NBA All-Star game for the first time.

Maxey was the 21st overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft after earning second-team All-SEC and SEC Freshman Team honors for the Wildcats. He averaged 14.0 points per game and played a team-high 34.5 minutes per game. Maxey scored in double figures in 22 games and hit the game-winning shot in his collegiate debut to help the Wildcats defeat No. 1 Michigan State in the season opener.

Joining Maxey as a first-time All-NBA selection is Murray. The Denver Nuggets guard had a career year, setting career highs with 25.4 points per game, 7.1 assists per game and 4.4 rebounds per game. In his ninth NBA season, Murray also shot career-best marks from both the field (48.3%) and 3-point range (43.5%). He earned his first NBA All-Star bid as the Nuggets finished the regular season with a record of 54-28, third in the western conference.

While playing for the Wildcats during the 2016 season, Murray had a sensational freshman campaign which saw him average 20.0 points per game, the most by a UK freshman all-time. He was named an All-American and was tabbed to the All-SEC First Team. Murray’s 113 made 3-pointers stands as the second most in a single season by a Wildcat all-time.

For the latest on the Kentucky men’s basketball team, follow @KentuckyMBB on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and on the web at UKathletics.com.

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