Kentucky
Kentucky boasts a highly-ranked frontcourt rotation
After starting from scratch with an entire roster overhaul this offseason, Mark Pope may have brought in an underrated squad.
Pope’s first transfer commitment at Kentucky was Drexel big man Amari Williams and that may very well end up paying dividends.
CBS Sports lists the duo of Williams and fellow big man Brandon Garrison as a top-eight big man duo in college basketball.
“Mark Pope’s sharp offensive system requires big men who can pass the rock. That’s a huge piece of Williams’ game. The fifth-year senior out of Drexel gives Pope a smart dribble handoff hub who can whip backdoor dimes or spray it out to Kentucky’s cavalry of 3-point shooters. Garrison can also do a bunch of those things, too. Williams is the vet. Garrison is the young, rising sophomore. Together, Kentucky should be able to have 40 minutes of a real playmaking big man on the floor who also has plenty of defensive chops. Williams’ durability is a real question. He only played 30+ minutes twice last season, so Garrison is clearly poised to play early and often. Don’t be surprised if this is close to a 50-50 split.”
Alongside that big man duo is Andrew Carr, a presumed starter for Mark Pope’s Wildcats. Last season at Wake Forest, Carr averaged 13.5 points and shot 37.5% from three.
247 Sports predicts that Carr will start for Pope and will be at the epicenter of Kentucky’s new-look offense.
“Carr was so good last year for Wake Forest. The 6-foot-10, 220-pound big man is a fantastic play-finisher. He can stretch the floor (37% from downtown) or kill you on the block. Carr rated in the 92nd percentile nationally in post-up efficiency, per Synergy last year. Yes, Kentucky wants to shoot 3s, but you can’t hide a small guard on Carr and expect to get away with it. He’s just too polished offensively, and Carr will chip in defensively as a useful secondary rim protector. Carr also makes his free throws at a high clip and could even get some minutes at the 5 in closing lineups. There’s so much lineup versatility on this Kentucky roster, and Carr is at the epicenter of all of it.”
The Kentucky Wildcats may very well boast one of the top big men rotations from the 4 and 5 positions in the SEC.
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Kentucky
Kentucky is poised to land either Donnie Freeman or Sebastian Rancik this weekend, per report
Jones posted on Twitter that “Kentucky will have (absent a major change) either Freeman or Rancik by tomorrow,” while also noting the Wildcats still need to add another shooter and another big to round out the roster.
One of the top targets is Donnie Freeman, a 6-foot-9, 205-pound sophomore forward transferring from Syracuse. Freeman arrived in Lexington on Tuesday night and began his visit on Wednesday before leaving without a commitment. While there was concern he could land at UConn, that visit has since been canceled, leaving Kentucky and St. John’s as the top teams.
Freeman averaged 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game last season, while adding nearly a block and a steal per contest. He shot 47.4% from the field but 30.2% from 3-point range across 23 games.
The other option is Sebastian Rancik, a 6-foot-11, 220-pound sophomore forward transferring from Colorado. Rancik visited Kentucky starting Wednesday through Thursday and brings a versatile skill set, averaging 12.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game while shooting 33.1% from 3.
Either Freeman or Rancik would provide a significant boost at the power forward position for head coach Mark Pope. Kentucky has already added guards Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins in the portal.
Kentucky football coach Will Stein reflects on new position
Will Stein was officially introduced to fans and media as the head coach for the Kentucky Wildcats, replacing Mark Stoops.
LEXINGTON — Kentucky football had its first spring game under new coach Will Stein at Kroger Field on Saturday.
The offense, in blue jerseys, had its moments. So too the defense, donning white uniforms.
Ultimately, the blue squad earned a 23-18 victory in a game called just after noon because of inclement weather.
Stein admitted he “got emotional” as he charged onto the field prior to kickoff.
“I know it wasn’t a real game, but when I ran on the field, I definitely — man, I felt it,” he said. “It was like a wave running over me. And very, very, just cool.”
While it doesn’t count in the standings, Stein walked away pleased.
“I think we got a lot of really good work,” he said. “That’s the goal of spring is to improve with fundamentals and technique, learn how to practice, learn what winning edges that we need throughout spring to go into summer and fall and prepare the team for play. And we came out of the scrimmage clean. There (were) no injuries, which to me, that’s the biggest win of the day. I could (not) care less about the score.
“If we come out clean, that’s good. The Wildcats won.”
New starting QB Kenny Minchey looked about as expected, with sharp passes evened out by moments of inconsistency. Martels Carter Jr., a defensive back who is lining up at running back this spring, scored a touchdown and had several nice runs.
And the defense forced multiple three-and-outs and also picked off one Minchey pass on a two-point conversion.
This story will be updated.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
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