Good morning BBN!

This is the first time we have had to write a headline post following a very disappointing loss, but here we are.

The Kentucky Wildcats tossed their first dud of the Mark Pope Era in Madison Square Garden, as the Cats got blitzed by the Ohio State Buckeyes.

It was not the prettiest performance from the Cats this season on either end of the floor. The Buckeyes cruised on offense shooting close to 60% from the field.

On the flip side, Kentucky really struggled to get rolling on offense as they shot 29.8% from the field.

Despite an impressive resume, there is no way around this loss stinging some, especially after Auburn crushed this same Buckeyes team by 40+ points.

One non-conference game remains as the Cats return to Rupp Arena on New Year’s Eve when they host Brown.

This team clearly has a lot of work to do until then to

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Some more good news on the way for the Cats?

Headlines

No. 4 Kentucky Falls to Ohio State – UK Athletics

Otega Oweh scored 21 points, but No. 4. Kentucky lost to Ohio State 85-65 on Saturday in the CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Kentucky’s slow starts must be addressed as SEC play approaches – Cats Pause

Kentucky survived poor first halves vs. Duke and Gonzaga but not Saturday vs. Ohio State.

Minnesota Gophers land Kahlee Tafai and Dylan Ray – Minnesota Tribune

Dylan Ray finds his new home.

Kentucky is winless against Ohio State and carries a losing record in the CBS Sports Classic- KSR

That’s not good.

Kevis Thomas commits to Kentucky- KSR

The Cats another player to the defense.

Strong second half powers Kentucky past Belmont- Cats Pause

Kenny Brooks squad adds another win.

Rickey Henderson dies at 65- ESPN

The Oakland A’s legend passes away.

Kentucky football transfer tracker- Cats Pause

Catch up on the latest for the football Cats.

Tiger and Charlie Woods lead at PNC Championship- ESPN

COME ON TIGER!

Kiffin rips College Football Playoff Committee- CBS

Who could have saw this coming?

For the first time since November 19, Aaron Bradshaw jogged over to the scorers table for Ohio State, checking in at the 17:46 mark of the first half. As his name was announced over the loudspeakers, though, a roar of boos echoed inside Madison Square Garden. Splitting up with Kentucky seemingly on good terms this offseason during the coaching change, the reaction was a bit of a surprise, but you never know the true emotions of a fanbase until they experience it in real time.

The former Wildcat’s response? Two quick buckets in two minutes, followed by the sixth 3-pointer of his career in the final segment of the first half. Bradshaw would close out with 11 points good for third on the team, shooting 5-6 overall and 1-2 from three with two rebounds, one assist and two steals in 18 minutes.

Given the circumstances and opponent, it was one of the best performances of his career — and undoubtedly a special one for him personally.

What was it like getting Bradshaw back in the lineup for the Buckeyes?

“Missing a 7-footer is always going to hurt,” Bruce Thornton, who finished with a game-high 30 points, said of Bradshaw. “Not a lot of people who are 7-foot are able to make tough shots in the mid-range. His energy and his passion, it’s very contagious. It rubs off on us. We’re just very thankful that he’s back.”

Bradshaw is now averaging 8.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 22.3 minutes per contest for the Buckeyes. He returned alongside Ques Glover, who had been previously dealing with an ankle injury and had been out since Nov. 15.

Those two were different-makers in Ohio State’s win with the Buckeyes’ bench outscoring the Wildcats 26-11 on Saturday.

“I thought it was a significant boost,” Jake Diebler said. “We felt like going into this year depth was going to be a real strength for us, and we haven’t had an opportunity to play with that depth much of this year. It’s also impacted practice and building because there’s still a lot of newness in this program, new staff, new players, new system, and it’s impacted our growth a little.”

You can see just how much that one meant to Bradshaw by watching OSU’s postgame celebration from the floor at MSG.

He wanted this one bad, and to his credit, he was a big reason for the win.

The Kentucky Wildcats are in New York City about to tip off against Ohio State in Madison Square Garden, and they will be facing a former Wildcat Aaron Bradshaw, who is taking the floor for the first time in a month. The Buckeyes get some much-needed help on the glass as a team that struggles rebounding.

The Buckeyes are a great shooting team, and getting Bradshaw back on the floor really helps compliment that by adding some size. Bradshaw has been held out since November 19 due to personal reasons. The Wildcats will still be without backup guard Kerr Kriisa, but last game out, a boost from starting point guard Lamont Butler in his return really helped.

Bradshaw will be coming off the bench for the Buckeyes, and may even play limited minutes given it will be his first game back. Kentucky will need to keep playing good defense against the threes on Saturday, as that and rebounding will be major keys. If the Buckeyes want to hang around, they will need to knock down shots.

It will be interesting to see how Bradshaw meshes in his first game back in month, and it’s clear they have been a little off without him. Mark Pope and the Wildcats will look to get a win on a big stage in Madison Square Garden on Saturday. Bradshaw will look to give Ohio State a major boost down low on the glass.