Kentucky
John Calipari explains Kentucky's failed last play vs. Gonzaga
Was that lob play really what John Calipari really wanted Kentucky to run down two to Gonzaga with 13 seconds left? In his postgame press conference following the 89-85 loss to the Bulldogs, Calipari explained that if the lob to the basket wasn’t there, he wanted the ball to go to Antonio Reeves at the top of the key. With Reeves tangled up in the lane, Reed Sheppard threw it towards the basket, where Gonzaga’s Ben Gregg snatched it before Adou Thiero could.
“The plan was, Antonio, if that lob wasn’t there and obviously it wasn’t, was to go to the top of the key,” Calipari told reporters. “But that didn’t lose us the game. The 18 offensive rebounds, 50 points in the paint. We thought we could guard them one on one, we probably needed to trap more.”
During his postgame conversation with Tom Leach, Calipari said the play was one Kentucky has run in the past with some success. He also doubled down on how his team had shot itself in the foot long before the failed lob.
“It’s a play that we’ve run in the past years where the top options are the lob or the pop-out and it was Antonio. They stole the lob. They stayed back but that didn’t cost us. I’m still disappointed with how we started the game. Come on. We’re better than that.”
“I told them after, we lost the game in the first half”
That play is just one example of how poor Kentucky’s execution was today. Gonzaga came out of the gates hot, building an 11-4 lead in the first three minutes. The Bulldogs led by ten at halftime, but the Cats whittled that margin to three in the first three and a half minutes of the second half. Calipari said he was proud of his team for responding, but reiterated that poor starts continue to cost them.
“The kids kept fighting. They just kept fighting. They never stopped and so — but it’s just tough. I mean, we’ve lost three games kind of like that where we have a chance and I told them after, we lost the game in the first half. That’s where we lost the game. And then we came back and fought and made it close but the first half was what cost us.”
With under a month left in the regular season, how does Kentucky fix its slow starts?
“You know, we keep on them about their intensity to start a game and the fight you have to have, especially at home. It was just disappointing that we got beat to so many balls. Just disappointing. I think we’re better than that.”
Kentucky
Kentucky will have a five-star in attendance for the Wildcats matchup with #6 Florida
Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats are getting ready to take on the Florida Gators to start SEC play, and there will be a very important visitor on campus. Five-star small forward Anthony Thompson is going to be in Lexington for a visit to see the #10 Wildcats take on the #6 Gators in what should be an elite Rupp Arena crowd.
Thompson is ranked as the 17th best player in the 2026 class according to the 247Sports composite rankings. The 6’8 small forward from Ohio has drawn a lot of attention from school, and it looks like it will be a blue-blood battle for the five-star.
When watching film on Thompson he is the perfect player to play the three in Mark Pope’s system as he is excellent at getting to the rim but also poses a threat as a shooter from deep. The lefty is a great shooter, which, at his size in Coach Pope’s offense, will make him a star.
It is still very early in this recruitment, but he has already been on campus before, so seeing Thompson coming back for another visit is great. Coach Pope and his staff are putting themselves in a great spot early into this recruitment, and getting a foot in the door early always helps.
In the 2025 class, Coach Pope proved that he is more than capable of landing some elite five-star players, and he would love to do that again in the 2026 class. Thompson is a name for Kentucky fans to remember as recruiting picks up in the 2026 class.
Kentucky
Thursday Headlines: Mark Pope working on Denim Jersey Revival
Could we see a return of the 1996 denim jerseys? It sounds like Mark Pope is trying to make it happen for the Kentucky Wildcats.
During his weekly radio show earlier this week, Pope was asked about the possibility of bringing back the denim jerseys. He said he’s trying to clear some obstacles to bring back the famous uniforms.
“I’m not really allowed to say this, so it’s just between the two of us: I’m working on it,” Pope said. “It’s amazing the red tape that we have to go through to make this happen, but we’re pretty passionate about trying to make that happen. We’ll see what we come up with. It’s definitely on my agenda of things to get accomplished.”
Those denim uniforms first made their debut in February 1996 when Kentucky hosted Arkansas. Kentucky hosts Arkansas on February 1 this year.
Maybe that would be an opportunity to revive the denim. That certainly would invigorate the Big Blue Nation even more with the Razorbacks coming to town.
Regardless, it sounds like Pope would love to bring back the denim jerseys, and maybe that’s a good sign we’ll see Kentucky utilize more throwback uniforms moving forward. It would certainly be a popular move among BBN.
Tweet of the Day
The 16 college basketball teams with the toughest remaining strength of schedule (per ESPN BPI):
• No. 1 South Carolina
• No. 2 Ole Miss
• No. 3 Vanderbilt
• No. 4 LSU
• No. 5 Texas
• No. 6 Kentucky
• No. 7 Alabama
• No. 8 Texas A&M
• No. 9 Auburn
• No. 10 Oklahoma
•…— Blake Lovell (@theblakelovell) January 2, 2025
A tough road ahead for the Cats.
Headlines
Kentucky to host Tru Edwards for visit – Cats Pause
This would be a really good pickup for Kentucky.
Mark Pope says ball screen defense improved but still a process – KSR
Florida will provide a test to see how much Kentucky has improved.
What can UK WBB expect from a tough SEC slate? – Herald Leader
SEC Basketball is a gauntlet this year.
KAT has another big performance as Knicks win 9th in a row – ESPN
Towns is having a fantastic year in New York.
Winners and losers from CFP Quarterfinals – Bleacher Report
Cam Skattebo was the star of the playoffs.
Ten NFL coaching jobs to keep an eye on – Yahoo
We could see several job openings.
Barkley talks missing chance to break rushing record – CBS Sports
He’ll finish about 100 yards shy of the record.
Is Ohio State now the team to beat in the CFP? – NBC Sports
The Buckeyes seem to be firing on all cylinders.
Sugar Bowl will now take place today – AP
Just an awful tragedy in New Orleans.
Kentucky
A quick rundown on new KY Laws taking effect Jan. 1
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) – With the new year here, several laws have taken effect in Kentucky.
A major question on the 2024 ballot was deciding whether or not to allow medicinal cannabis businesses to operate in the commonwealth.
Governor Beshear signed the program into law in 2023, in part so “patients have access to medical providers and treatment for qualifying conditions.”
Through a license lottery, four dispensaries in the South Central Kentucky area were chosen to offer medical marijuana starting this year. Officials picked Zeus Agoraios in Franklin and three locations in Bowling Green: AR-MO-KY-MS Cannabis Ventures LLC, Promo Pulse LLC and Flower Radar LLC.
These are qualifications people must meet in order to receive a medical marijuana card:
- You must be a resident of Kentucky.
- You must be at least 18 years old.
- You must have a qualifying medical condition such as cancer, chronic pain, muscle spasms or PTSD.
- You need a written certification from a licensed medical practitioner confirming your condition.
- You cannot have a felony record.
“I think any time you you’re dealing with a new agency that’s handling a new government type of medical option it’s going to be a little difficult, but we’ve been trying to work really hard to navigate with the patients and give them a step by step form of papers so that they understand this whole process,” Stacia Staples, an APRN who is on the eligible practitioner list, said.
Another law starting Jan. 1 is a new limit to vape shops. In an attempt to curb the youth’s use of nicotine, only nicotine vapes sold under an approved U.S. Food and Drug Administration list are legal to sell. Those not approved or certified must be off shelves by the first.
“All of those things, my hope is that the new law will affect what our vape stores are selling. They’re popping up all over the city and, you know, you see young people in and out buying vapes,” Bowling Green Attorney Hillary Hightower said. “What’s in those vapes is not regulated, a lot of them come from China; they’re not tested.”
On the flipside, some businesses are distraught over the new law.
“We’ve been railroaded, and it feels bad. It’s just a real **** deal, and none of the politicians seem to care,” Vette City Vape co-owner Cordell Gary said. “Here we are, four days from when this takes effect, and Kentucky keeps saying, ‘Oh, we’re going to approve some products. It’s not going to be as bad as it looks. We’re going to do it.’ Well, people are closing their doors right now.”
Another new law will require Kentucky drivers to take a vision screening when renewing their driver’s license or permit. The new legislation aims to improve driver safety. Warren County Sheriff Brett Hightower said the screening will only take a few minutes, at most, and will help identify potential health issues.
The screening is free and can be done during your renewal appointment. Drivers who don’t pass will be referred to a vision specialist for further examination.
Copyright 2025 WBKO. All rights reserved.
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