Unlike most years, Kentucky didn’t host a long list of visitors for Big Blue Madness this time around. Instead, Mark Pope wanted to push all of his chips in on Acaden Lewis, the No. 30 overall prospect and No. 5 point guard in 2025.

It was the lone official visitor on campus — top-20 junior Anthony Thompson took an unofficial and left with a scholarship offer — an intentional decision considering what’s on the table in his recruitment. For starters, the 6-2 athlete is very, very good and seen as arguably the top pure college point guard prospect in his class. He has also openly discussed playing with current commits Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno, along with another top target for the Wildcats, top-five recruit Caleb Wilson.

The biggest reason to roll out the blue carpet for him now? Well, he’s just a couple of weeks away from a decision, set to announce his commitment in early November. And Kentucky got his final official with Lewis previously taking trips to see fellow finalists UConn and Duke in recent weeks.

It’s a blue blood recruitment for a blue-chip recruit. The nation’s best want Acaden Lewis and the Wildcats are working toward sealing the deal. This weekend went a long way in those efforts.

The post-visit rollout has begun, starting with his photoshoot rocking Kentucky blue. And the kid looks like he was born to wear that No. 55 in Lexington.

Releasing the photos on Sunday, Pope and his staff took the prized target to Rupp Arena to use the state-of-the-art glass floor for his shoot. They went to the top of the arena — the Kentucky head coach likes showing recruits the passion found way up in the nosebleeds by the banners — along with snapping a few pics on the court.

Oh, and Malachi Moreno joined them for one of the photos.

Take a look at the complete photo gallery, courtesy of Acaden Lewis and UK Athletics:

We even got an official visit hype video after things wrapped up in Lexington, Lewis included among the all-time greats to come through the Kentucky basketball program.

Come on down, Acaden.

When the Week 8 betting lines opened a couple of days ago, Kentucky (3-3; 1-3 SEC) was initially viewed as the slight favorite to beat Florida in Gainesville. But after the Wildcats lost to Vanderbilt on Saturday night 20-13, the line has shifted in favor of the Gators.

As of Sunday morning, Florida is now considered the favorite to beat Kentucky in next weekend’s SEC showdown. FanDuel has the Gators as a one-point favorite while DraftKings is giving Billy Napier’s squad a two-point edge. Kickoff is set for Saturday, Oct. 19 at 7:45 p.m. EST (SEC Network) at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

According to ESPN Analytics, Florida has a 59.4 percent chance of beating UK. On3’s Massey Ratings give the Gators a 56 percent chance at the win with a projected final score of 24-21 in favor of UF. Neither the numbers nor the bettors will be on Kentucky’s side going into the Swamp.

Florida is coming off a loss of its own over the weekend, coming up short in overtime (23-17) on the road to No. 8 Tennessee. UF kicker Trey Smack missed a 47-yard field goal on the first possession of OT, allowing Tennessee’s Dylan Thompson to punch in the game-winning score the next time out. The Gators sit on a 3-3 overall record with a 1-2 mark in SEC play.

Kentucky is 4-2 this season against the spread. UK was a double-digit favorite when Vanderbilt came to town on Saturday before losing by seven. The total has gone under in five of the Wildcats’ last six games. Kentucky is also 8-3 against the spread over its last 11 road games. Bet responsibly, folks.