Kentucky
Friday Headlines: Major Weekend for Transfer Visits
Kentucky basketball head coach Mark Pope has had quite the busy start in Lexington.
After a monumental introductory press conference and landing Amari Williams — one of the top targets in the transfer portal — Pope has yet another full weekend of recruiting.
Pope and his staff are hosting Aidan Mahaney, Andrej Stojakovic, Andrew Carr, Deivon Smith and Otega Oweh.
Smith, a fifth-year player, has played for Mississippi State, Georgia Tech and most recently Utah. He really found his groove with the Utes, averaging over 13 points and seven assists per game.
Carr, similar to Smith, has one year of eligibility remaining. The former Delaware and Wake Forest big man had a career-best season last year, averaging over 13 points and six rebounds.
Oweh, a former Oklahoma Sooners guard, is coming off a much-improved sophomore season where he averaged over 11 points per game and saw an increase in both his field goal as well as three-point shooting percentages.
Mahaney, a former Saint Mary’s guard, is also entering his third year of college basketball. He averaged just under 14 points per game each of the last two seasons and started every game this past year.
Stojakovic is the youngest of the group, opting to transfer from Stanford after just one season. He averaged over seven points per game and has the potential to be a multi-year player that could excel in Pope’s offensive system.
While this group is rather guard-heavy, that’s okay. Kentucky is unlikely to land all of them, but if Pope can secure Carr and two or three of the guards then his roster will be in much better shape than it currently sits.
Tweet of the Day
No surprise here.
Headlines
Cats in the NFL Draft – UK Athletics
A number of former Wildcats are expected to be taken in this week’s NFL Draft.
Brian Robinson Passes More Than Just The SEC Look Test – Vaught’s Views
He has such a high ceiling.
Alvin Brooks III Joins Kentucky Men’s Basketball Staff – UK Athletics
Alvin Brooks III, regarded as one of the nation’s best assistant coaches, has joined the Kentucky men’s basketball coaching staff as associate head coach it was announced on Thursday.
Bears select QB Caleb Williams with No. 1 pick in NFL draft – ESPN
Like we expected.
Reed Sheppard Has What NBA Teams Like And Want – Vaught’s Views
Will really miss him wearing Kentucky blue.
59 Wildcats on SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll – UK Athletics
A total of 59 University of Kentucky student-athletes earned a place on the 2023-24 Winter Sports Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll.
Vikings trade up with Jets, get J.J. McCarthy 10th at NFL draft – ESPN
Again, like we expected.
Amari Williams “like a man among boys on court” – Vaught’s Views
Appears to be a home run.
Michael Penix Jr. taken by Falcons in NFL draft surprise – ESPN
Surprise of the draft.
Bio Blast: Oklahoma transfer Otega Oweh – KSR
Everything you need to know.
Broncos make Bo Nix sixth QB picked in first round of NFL draft – ESPN
Former Auburn Tiger heads to Denver.
Kentucky
Drug trafficking investigation lands Paducah man in jail
By West Kentucky Star Staff
Jun. 17, 2026 | 10:25 PM
| PADUCAH
A drug trafficking investigation landed a Paducah man behind bars.
The weeks-long investigation by Paducah Police led them to 54-year-old Byrone K. Burns. Burnes was believed to be involved in moving illegal drugs through the area.
An undercover purchase was arranged, and detectives reportedly came away with more than ten grams of methamphetamine. Burns was arrested at his job just before 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Following his arrest, detectives searched two locations in Paducah connected to Burns. They reportedly seized more than two pounds of marijuana, a hydrocodone pill, several thousand dollars in cash, and items consistent with trafficking.
Burns, who is said to have an extensive criminal history related to drugs and weapons, was charged with trafficking in methamphetamine and marijuana, and possession of hydrocodone. He was booked into the McCracken County Regional Jail.
Kentucky
Kentucky fans can enjoy games at new Walk-On’s, KSR sports bar site
J Batt excited about Will Stein’s coaching debut for Kentucky football
Kentucky athletics director J Batt praises football coach Will Stein’s energy and recruiting efforts as he settles into the job.
Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, once labeled by ESPN as the No. 1 sports bar in America, is coming to Lexington, Kentucky.
The new dining establishment will be located at 1030 S. Broadway, in the former Tilted Kilt space, and will use the next-door site of KSBar & Grille, which closed in June, as a game-day location with a Kentucky Sports Radio presence.
The first Walk-On’s location in Kentucky — although its Clarksville, Indiana, location is just minutes from downtown Louisville — will feature at least 50 TVs for fans to watch UK games and other sporting events.
Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux will open ahead of the 2026 football season. The new restaurant will be led by business partners Jamie Daniel and KSR founder Matt Jones.
“As a Kentucky native and die-hard Kentucky fan, opening a Walk-On’s here was a long time coming,” Daniel said in a news release. “By partnering with Matt and the KSR community, we’re serving a fan base that lives and breathes Kentucky sports. We believe this creates a destination unlike anything else in the market.”
KSBar opened in Lexington in 2018 and has been a staple for Kentucky sports fans. Jones wants to keep the space alive by opening it for game days and other special events while allowing fans to order from the Walk-On’s scratch-made menu.
“KSBar has always been about bringing Kentucky fans together,” Jones said in the release. “This partnership allows us to preserve that spirit while giving fans access to a bigger experience, a larger menu and the resources of one of the most successful sports bar brands in the country. We’ll still be here on game days, broadcasting KSR live and celebrating Kentucky sports, but now with Walk-On’s helping take the experience to the next level.”
Walk-On’s was founded in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 2003 by former LSU basketball walk-ons Brandon Landry and Jack Warner. Since then, the restaurant has opened over 80 locations across the United States with partners like Dak Prescott, Dabo Swinney and co-owner Drew Brees.
Reach sports trending writer Alaina Morris at amorris@gannett.com and follow her on X at @alainammorris.
Kentucky
How Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky basketball alums fared in NBA season
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander calls season a ‘failure’ after Thunder’s playoff loss to Spurs
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won his second straight MVP award this season, but he said Sunday that he “didn’t achieve what I wanted to achieve” after falling short of the NBA Finals.
Kentucky basketball is notorious for producing NBA talent. The Wildcats currently have the most active players in the league, with 30 players in 20 different franchises playing a variety of roles.
Karl-Anthony Towns ended the 2025-26 season with an NBA championship, starting at center and helping guide the New York Knicks to their first title in 53 years.
Towns averaged a double-double this season with 20.1 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. In the playoffs, the former Wildcat averaged 15.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per contest. Towns played a big role in the five-game NBA Finals against the Spurs, most notably tallying 21 points, 13 rebounds and four assists in the Knicks’ Game 2 win on the road.
The Knicks center wasn’t the only former Kentucky standout to have a big season. Here is a look at how some of Kentucky’s best did in the NBA in 2025-26:
De’Aaron Fox and Keldon Johnson helped the San Antonio Spurs win the Western Conference Finals against the Thunder and reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014.
Fox was in his first full season with the Spurs after being drafted by Sacramento and spending time with the Kings from 2017-25. He averaged 18.6 points, 6.2 assists and 3.8 rebounds in the regular season. Fox averaged 15.6 points in the playoffs as he dealt with a lingering ankle injury that cause him to miss games against the Thunder. He was also criticized for a disappointing NBA Finals performance against the Knicks.
Johnson etched himself in the record books by winning the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award. Coming off the bench, he averaged 13.2 points and 5.4 rebounds during the regular season. Johnson had four games in double-figures in the Western Conference Finals, but didn’t score more than seven in any game against the Knicks when competing for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Before the 2025 NBA champion Thunder saw their bid for a repeat title shut down by the Spurs in Game 7, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander enjoyed another dominant regular season and captured his second straight MVP award.
Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.1 points per game, second in the league behind only Luka Dončić. The former Wildcat also averaged 6.6 assists (14th-best in the NBA) and 4.3 rebounds.
Cason Wallace, meanwhile, recorded 8.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. Wallace was also named to the 2026 All-Defensive Second Team after leading the league with 150 steals (1.9 per game).
Other stars across the NBA
Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers: Maxey averaged 28.3 points per game, which was fifth-best across the NBA. He dished out 6.6 assists to go with 4.1 rebounds per contest. Maxey led the 76ers to a playoff series win over the Boston Celtics before they were swept by the Knicks in the second round. He was named an NBA All-Star during the regular season and ultimately landed on the All-NBA Third Team.
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns: Booker put up 26.1 points, 6.0 assists and 3.9 rebounds on average this season. He helped lead the Suns back to the playoffs despite the offseason departure of Kevin Durant via trade. Booker was named an NBA All-Star for a fifth time in his career.
Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets: Murray averaged 25.4 points and 7.1 assists to help take the Nuggets back to the playoffs, where they fell in the first round to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Due to an outburst in scoring, the former Wildcat guard was named an NBA All-Star for the very first time in his career.
Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat: Adebayo’s 2025-26 season will be best remembered for his 83 points in one game against the Washington Wizards on March 10. That’s the second-highest single-game total in NBA history, surpassing Kobe Bryant’s 81 in 2006 and sitting only behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 in 1962. Adebayo averaged 20.1 points and 10 rebounds for Miami, which finished 10th in the Eastern Conference.
Julius Randle, Minnesota Timberwolves: Randle averaged 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists for the Timberwolves, whose impressive postseason run ended with a Game 6 loss to the Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals. He set a new career high with 41 points against the Portland Trail Blazers on Feb. 11.
Around the league
Shaedon Sharpe, Portland Trail Blazers: Sharpe appeared in just 50 games, dealing with a stress fracture in his left fibula. He averaged 20.8 points per game when he was healthy.
Tyler Herro, Miami Heat: Herro dealt with a variety of injuries, including to his ribs and ankles. The Heat guard only appeared in 33 games, but he averaged 20.5 points when healthy.
Reed Sheppard, Houston Rockets: Following an injury to teammate Fred VanVleet, Sheppard was given a much bigger role in his second season. He ended up averaging 13.5 points, 3.5 assists and 2.9 rebounds, highlighted by a career-high 31 points in a win over the Golden State Warriors.
Anthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks/Washington Wizards: Davis is another former Wildcat who was riddled with a finger injury this year. He appeared in just 20 games with the Mavericks, where he averaged 20.4 points before being traded to the Wizards.
Immanuel Quickly, Toronto Raptors: Quickly averaged 16.4 points in 70 games and helped the Raptors finish fifth in the East before losing to the Cavaliers in the playoffs.
PJ Washington, Dallas Mavericks: Washington averaged 14.2 points and 7.0 rebounds on a Mavericks team currently looking to rebuild. He played in 56 games.
Malik Monk, Sacramento Kings: Monk found himself on a Kings team that only won 22 games. He averaged 12.9 points and 3.0 assists in 62 contests.
Oscar Tshiebwe, Utah Jazz: Tshiebwe also found himself on a squad that collected 22 wins. The former Kentucky forward averaged 7.8 points and 6.6 rebounds in 27 games.
Isaiah Jackson, Indiana Pacers/Los Angeles Clippers: Jackson played a role off the bench before and after being moved in a midseason trade to the Clippers. He averaged 6.7 points and 5.3 rebounds in 55 games.
Rob Dillingham, Minnesota Timberwolves/Chicago Bulls: Dillingham was traded from Minnesota to Chicago in a February swap that sent Ayo Dosunmu to the Timberwolves. The second-year guard averaged 6.3 points and 2.2 assists in 65 games.
Justin Edwards, Philadelphia 76ers: Edwards emerged as a key bench player for the Sixers, averaging 6.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in 64 games.
Jarred Vanderbilt, Los Angeles Lakers: Vanderbilt came off the bench and appeared in 65 games for the Lakers, averaging 4.4 points and 4.5 rebounds.
Nick Richards, Chicago Bulls: Richards played in just above half of the season, checking into 48 games. He averaged 5.8 points and 5.1 rebounds.
Amari Williams, Boston Celtics: Williams appeared in 22 games, averaging 1.4 points and 1.8 rebounds per outing.
TyTy Washington Jr., Los Angeles Clippers: Washington played in 16 games, in which he averaged 1.3 points and 1.1 assists.
Koby Brea, Phoenix Suns: Brea saw action in 12 games and averaged 3.8 points per contest.
Antonio Reeves, Charlotte Hornets: Reeves saw the floor in 10 games and averaged 2.7 points.
Olivier Sarr, Cleveland Cavaliers: Sarr played in only four contests, averaging 3.5 points and 2.8 rebounds, before he suffered a ruptured left Achilles’ tendon.
Jacob Toppin, Atlanta Hawks: Toppin checked into five games and averaged 1.6 points.
Reach sports trending writer Alaina Morris at amorris@gannett.com and follow her on X at @alainammorris.
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