Kentucky
Kentucky cracks the top 15 in 247 Sports’ updated college basketball rankings
The Kentucky Wildcats have had an eventful offseason with hiring a new head coach and heavy activity in the transfer portal.
New head coach Mark Pope has revamped the roster into one that has the potential to be really fun to watch.
247 Sports agrees, ranking Kentucky 15th in the country following the NBA Draft deadline and the transfer portal.
The Wildcats were wildly active in the transfer portal, signing Lamont Butler (San Diego State), Otega Oweh (Oklahoma), Amari Williams (Drexel), Brandon Garrison (Oklahoma State), Kerr Kriisa (West Virginia), Koby Brea (Dayton), Andrew Carr (Wake Forest) and Jaxson Robinson (BYU).
Watching the Big 12, as a University of Cincinnati alum and Bearcats fan (don’t worry, I’m still a Kentucky fan), I can tell you that Oweh, Garrison, Kriisa, and Robinson are great additions. Robinson, having played for Pope at BYU, is going to bring a strong 3-point shooting element this team will benefit from. His experience playing for Pope will also be vital for Kentucky this season.
247 Sports cites the “shooting, rim protection and experience combined with this scheme could morph into something super dangerous.”
Specifically, 247 Sports says Otega Oweh is “exactly the type of weapon Pope needed to vary Kentucky’s offensive repertoire.”
Kentucky is the fourth-highest-ranked SEC team on the list, behind Auburn, Alabama, and Tennessee.
Texas A&M, Florida, and Arkansas sit behind Kentucky, while Ole Miss was among the teams that just missed the cut.
‘Like’ our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter for more UK news and views. Go Cats!
SCOTTSVILLE, Ky. (WZTV) — A 26-year-old man died early Sunday after a motorcycle crash in Allen County.
Investigators say Remington James Matlock, of Scottsville, was riding a 2017 Harley-Davidson north on Macedonia Road just after 1 a.m. when he drove off the road and hit a fence post.
Matlock was pronounced dead at the scene.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
The crash remains under investigation.
Trainer Kenny McPeek wants Right To Party with Beastie Boys at 2026 Kentucky Derby
Trainer Kenny McPeek says he would love to have the Beastie Boys at 2026 Kentucky Derby to walk with Right To Party
The post positions are set for the 2026 Kentucky Derby and the draw presented this year’s favorite another obstacle to overcome. Renegade, the horse who will enter the 152nd Run for the Roses with the best odds to win, will start from the No. 1 post along the rail, a spot no horse has won the Kentucky Derby from since Ferdinand in 1986.
The curveball only adds to the wide-open feeling entering the first Triple Crown race of 2026 at Churchill Downs, with some experts believing as many as eight of the 20 horses in the field have a legitimate shot at winning the Kentucky Derby this year. The picks and predictions have varied accordingly during the lead-up to Derby week, though Renegade remains the pre-race favorite following the post position draw.
Here’s a breakdown of the latest odds, picks and predictions ahead of the 2026 Kentucky Derby, as well as how to watch the opening Triple Crown race of the year:
When is the 2026 Kentucky Derby?
The 2026 Kentucky Derby is set to be held on Saturday, May 2 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. ET and post time is scheduled for 6:57 p.m. ET.
Kentucky Derby 2026 odds
Odds courtesy of kentuckyderby.com as of 2 p.m. ET on April 27
- Renegade (4-1)
- Further Ado (6-1)
- Commandment (6-1)
- Chief Wallabee (8-1)
- The Puma (10-1)
- So Happy (15-1)
- Emerging Market (20-1)
- Potente (20-1)
- Fulleffort (20-1)
- Incredibolt (20-1)
- Silent Tactic (20-1)
- Danon Bourbon (20-1)
- Wonder Dean (30-1)
- Golden Tempo (30-1)
- Pavlovian (30-1)
- Albus (30-1)
- Right to Party (30-1)
- Litmus Test (30-1)
- Six Speed (50-1)
- Intrepido (50-1)
2026 Kentucky Derby picks, predictions
Louisville Courier Journal: Commandment is No. 1 pick
The USA TODAY Network outlet’s final ranking of the horses leading into Kentucky Derby week placed Commandment in the No. 1 spot, followed by Renegade, The Puma, Further Ado and Emerging Market
KentuckyDerby.com: Commandment leads pack
Of the seven handicappers and experts listed at the Kentucky Derby’s official website, four had Commandment ranked as the No. 1 horse in this year’s field. Two experts picked Renegade as their top pick and The Puma also received one No. 1 ranking.
Horse Racing Nation: Watch out for Chief Wallabee
“(Chief Wallabee) adds blinkers for this race, which should focus him enough to put it all together. It is true that the addition of blinkers is rare and often unsuccessful in the (Kentucky) Derby, but if anyone knows what they are doing it is (trainer) Bill Mott. … (Chief Wallabee) has the perfect tracking style to get first run on the deep closers and offers a square price in a wide-open Kentucky Derby.”
Odds Shark: Further Ado is best bet
“He has a stakes win at Churchill Downs already. Plus, he crushed all his prep races – winning the Blue Grass Stakes Grade 1 race in April by 11 lengths. He also has fantastic lineage, having been sired by Gun Runner, who placed third in the 2016 (Kentucky) Derby and won the Breeders Cup Classic the following year. Further Ado is trained by Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Brad Cox and will be ridden by experienced jockey Johnny Velasquez.”
Kevin Kerstein, Churchill Downs: Further Ado
“The way that Further Ado has trained for Brad Cox … he’s just really impressed me … He just sort of has to repeat that last race (Blue Grass Stakes). There’s a lot of horses in this race that might have to improve to beat Further Ado in this start.”
Watch the Kentucky Derby on Peacock
How to watch 2026 Kentucky Derby: TV, live stream
The 2026 Kentucky Derby undercard races will be broadcast by NBC Sports Network and Peacock (Noon-2:30 p.m. ET) on Saturday, May 2.
Coverage of the 2026 Kentucky Derby will then shift to NBC and Peacock from 2:30-7:30 p.m. ET, with post time for the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby scheduled for 6:57 p.m. ET.
As Mark Pope works frantically to build the 2026-27 Kentucky Basketball roster, we now have a high school reclassification candidate to monitor.
According to On3’s Joe Tipton, Pope is set to have an in-home visit with 5-star wing Ryan Hampton. Tipton also notes that Hampton is a reclass candidate, which he almost has to be for Pope to visit him at a time when nearly all of his focus is on next season’s roster.
Hampton does not currently hold a scholarship offer from the Wildcats, but that may very well come Monday.
The 6-foot-6 Texas native is the brother of former Kentucky recruit R.J. Hampton, a 5-star recruit in the class of 2019 who ended up playing in Australia before being drafted into the NBA, where he spent four years and now plays in China.
The younger Hampton, who plays at DME Academy in Florida, is ranked as high as fifth overall in the 2027 class by 247 Sports. He holds scholarship offers from Kansas, Indiana, Tennessee, SMU, Texas, Louisville, Nebraska, Texas A&M, NC State, and LSU, among others. He’s taken official visits to SMU, Nebraska, and NC State.
-
New Mexico35 seconds agoCounty assessor files complaint against treasurer over short-term rentals
-
North Carolina7 minutes ago1 dead after late-night shooting at Henderson County park
-
North Dakota13 minutes agoNorth Dakota State Lands Tight End Commit With NFL Tie
-
Ohio19 minutes agoMetro offering free rides across all services for Ohio’s primary election on May 5
-
Oklahoma25 minutes agoOklahoma lawyers to offer free legal advice
-
Oregon31 minutes agoOregon Ducks Turn Heads With More NFL Rookie Minicamp Invites
-
Pennsylvania37 minutes agoGreenville teen dies in Mercer County crash
-
Rhode Island43 minutes agoDump truck strikes overpass on Route 146