La Familia found little to like in the “City of Brotherly Love” on Friday night.

The Kentucky alumni team’s run in The Basketball Tournament came to a close at the hands of Carmen’s Crew in Friday’s semifinals, losing 76-70 at Daskalakis Athletic Center in Philadelphia.

Former Buckeyes superstar Jared Sullinger and Desonta Bradford led Carmen’s Crew — a squad of Ohio State alumni — to the victory, as the pair combined for 31 points. Sullinger had 16 points, while Bradford ended with 15. Jamel Morris, who contributed 11 points, hit the game-capping 3 after the Elam Ending started.

La Familia bowed out of the tournament despite having four players post double-digit scoring performances, led by Kerem Kanter’s game-high 17. Willie-Cauley Stein and Andrew Harrison had 14 apiece, followed by Eric Bledsoe (11). Cauley-Stein also grabbed nine rebounds, the top total in Friday’s game.

The difference in the contest was perimeter shooting. Half of the field-goal makes for Carmen’s Crew came from beyond the 3-point arc; it knocked down 28 shots, with 14 from distance. La Familia, on the other hand, shot 26.3% (5 for 19) behind the 3-point line.

That’s where Nate Sestina’s absence Friday was most conspicuous.

Sestina, La Familia’s sharpshooter from deep, entered Friday with 15 triples made in four TBT outings, tied for most among all players (Takeover BC’s AJ English and Happy Valley Hoopers’ Greg Lee). But Sestina missed Friday’s matchup because of “a previously scheduled family obligation,” per a team announcement Thursday afternoon.

Without him, La Familia simply didn’t have enough to keep up with Carmen’s Crew. The group of former Wildcats trailed for most of the contest. Their last lead came at the 2:08 mark of the first quarter, when they held a two-point advantage (10-8). They played catch-up the rest of the way, heading into halftime down 40-27. Carmen’s Crew stretched the lead to as many as 16 (45-29) before La Familia stormed back, drawing within two on two separate occasions during the Elam Ending before Morris’ walk-off 3.

With the win, Carmen’s Crew clinched a spot in Sunday’s championship game against Forever Coogs, which held off Eberlein Drive, 76-73, in Friday’s first semifinal.

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.

Think you can play for Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats? Now is your time to shine, get your sneakers laced up.

No, seriously. The men’s basketball program is hosting an open tryout for the 2024-25 season where full-time, academically eligible UK students will be able to give it their best shot for a walk-on spot on the roster.

To join the likes of Walker Horn and Grant Darbyshire on the bench, the application process is simple. Just email [email protected] with the subject: UK Walk-On Tryout.

From there, the interest email should include the following information:

1. First and Last Name
2. UK ID Number
3. UK Email
4. Cell Phone Number
5. Playing Experience (HS, JC, Transfer) & Profile (Height, Weight, Etc.)
6. HS Coach Contact Info

If you are selected for tryouts, you will receive a tryout authorization form via email with the following documents required before Monday, August 26 in order to be cleared to try out:

1. Completed Basketball Physical Paperwork (you can schedule an appointment with your primary care doctor or go to student health)
2. Copy of the FRONT and BACK of your Insurance Card.
3. Copy of Sickle Cell Test (with Negative Test Result) – test results take a few days to process.

KSR interns at UK, this includes you. Consider it part of your initiation. Time to show us what you’ve got.

The college basketball season is right around the corner, and the question of the day is, can any Kentucky Wildcats win the John Wooden Award?

It would be a longshot for a Wildcat to win the award, but according to the betting odds on FanDuel Sportsbook, the two players who have a real shot to get it done are Jaxson Robinson and Andrew Carr. They give Robinson odds of +8000 to win the award and Carr odds of +18000 to win the award.

Robinson’s odds aren’t all that high, and he is a player who could win the award if he has a good season, according to this betting odds list. Perhaps this could be a way for Kentucky fans to get in on it before the season begins.

Robinson has a real chance to be what Antonio Reeves was for the Kentucky Wildcats last season, except Robinson is likely better at the other aspects of basketball.

It won’t be easy for Robinson or Carr to take down players like Hunter Dickinson, RJ Davis, Mark Sears, or Johni Broome, but crazier things have happened.

There is no doubt that Robinson and Carr will take home some SEC awards this season, and both of these Wildcats will have a massive role for Coach Pope’s first Kentucky team.

These two veterans will be some of the primary scorers on this Kentucky basketball team and will be asked to score the basketball in late-game situations. Kentucky fans are going to love both of these players.