Kentucky
Kentucky DNC delegates on what Biden decision means for convention
Biden is first incumbent president to not seek reelection since LBJ
President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he would not seek reelection as the 2024 Democratic nominee for president.
Sadness. Respect. Gratitude.
That’s how some Kentucky delegates to the Democratic National Convention reacted to the news that President Joe Biden will step aside as the party’s next nominee.
Though the possibility that Biden could withdraw from the presidential race has dominated the news for several weeks, some delegates were still caught by surprise while they were on the road or even at church.
Kentucky will send 54 delegates to the convention next month. Those delegates were chosen at a state convention in June. Forty-six delegates were committed to Biden while eight were “uncommitted,” meaning they could but were not required to vote for Biden. There will also be four alternates: three for Biden and one uncommitted.
It’s not yet clear what the process will be for selecting a replacement nominee for Biden. Biden endorsed current Vice President Kamala Harris as the next nominee. Though the convention is scheduled for Aug. 19 to Aug. 22 in Chicago, the party may hold an earlier virtual roll-call to meet early electoral deadlines in some states — including Ohio.
Should Beshear be tapped for VP? Let us know here
On Sunday, some delegates openly shared their thoughts about Biden’s decision, while others declined to comment, citing instructions from Morgan Eaves, the executive director of the Kentucky Democratic Party.
“We respectfully ask that you please refrain from speculating or speaking to the media on possible next steps,” Eaves wrote Sunday in an email obtained by The Courier Journal.
The Kentucky Democratic Party has also declined to share a full list of delegates heading to the convention. Spokesperson Jonathan Levin cited security concerns.
Here’s what delegates we spoke to said:
State Rep. Rachel Roberts of Newport
“Today is a day for reflection, for everyone to just pause and reflect upon a life of service,” Roberts said, adding she feels “gratitude (to Biden) for a life so far lived in servant leadership.”
Jack Dulworth, a member of the Democratic National Committee who sits on the executive committee from Louisville
“Today is about a great American, Joe Biden, who made a decision to move America forward,” Dulworth said.
Johnalma Barnett, a delegate from Bowling Green who will represent Kentucky’s 2nd Congressional District
Barnett said she was at church Sunday afternoon when an usher showed her a cell phone with the news that Biden was stepping aside. Initially she was “surprised,” she said, even though she was expecting the news.
“I’m still at a loss … I will support Vice President Harris, but I think the party just pushed him aside too quick,” Barnett said. “This is really based on one debate.”
Barnett does think Harris can win, if she’s picked as the nominee. She said she was encouraged to overhear a conversation at a store where men were expressing their support for Harris.
Barnett is not eager for Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear to become the party’s vice presidential nominee because she doesn’t want him to leave Kentucky.
Bren Martin, a delegate from Greenup County who will represent Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District
“I greatly respect President Biden’s choice to step out of the race. I am still processing what it means for the Democratic Party, the country and the world,” Martin told The Courier Journal. “I know this was not easy for him to do.”
Martin said she is looking forward to moving ahead with the nomination process and is grateful to Biden for his service.
Reach Rebecca Grapevine at rgrapevine@courier-journal.com or follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @RebGrapevine.
Kentucky
Mark Pope says Kentucky will fight to get better after loss to Ohio State
Kentucky suffered an upset loss to Ohio State on Saturday in the CBS Sports Classic in Madison Square Garden, losing 85-65. Nothing went their way in the game, as shooting struggles and physicality were major factors. The Buckeyes attacked the basket at will, and Kentucky couldn’t find any answers. Kentucky shot 30% overall and 18% from three-point range.
Mark Pope knows his team is going to work hard to try and respond well to the loss, and after the holiday break, the Wildcats will get back in the gym and strive to get better. The Wildcats seemed to lose focus on making plays for each other, and Pope talked about that after the loss.
“I know exactly how these guys will respond. They’re gonna really, really try as hard as they can to not let this destroy their couple of days off. Their job is to get really fresh right now, and then we get back together on the 26th. I know these guys. They’ll come in and it’s not gonna be just empty emotion, it’s gonna be we’re gonna get better, and these guys will get better. We just gotta keep trusting what we do. We had some defensive struggles tonight, and we just fell to pieces offensively. We just went to our default, and our default is not right yet. Our default is still bad habits. It’s not habits coming from a bad place in the guys’ hearts, it’s coming from a great place. It’s coming from a desperation to help their team, but we don’t do that by ourselves. We do it disciplined, and we do it the way we do it, and we do it by making plays for each other.”
– Pope on Kentucky responding.
With a 10-day break between games, Kentucky has some time to regroup and work to improve in those areas, especially before they begin SEC play on January 4 against Florida. Physicality should be a focal point of improvement with how physical the SEC always is.
Kentucky
Sunday Headlines: Cats suffer brutal defeat vs. Ohio State
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
Tweet of the Day
I’ve logged a pick for Kent State EDGE Kam Olds to land at Kentucky.
He had 42 tackles, 6 sacks and an interception this season. https://t.co/VxSGJEUisH pic.twitter.com/qKuNk04RMQ
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) December 22, 2024
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?
Kentucky
Aaron Bradshaw got the last laugh against his former team
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.
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