Kentucky

Kentucky 'scored in every way possible' in learning experience for Brown: “It's just super impressive to see.”

Published

3 days ago

January 1, 2025

Kentucky 'scored in every way possible' in learning experience for Brown: “It's just super impressive to see.”

Brown decided to schedule its two biggest games of the non-conference schedule within nine days of each other. The Bears first traveled to Lawrence to take on a top-10 Kansas team on December 22 before flying to Lexington to take on a top-10 Kentucky team on Dec. 31 — arguably the two best home environments in college basketball in back-to-back matchups.

Quite the challenge ahead of the Ivy League schedule.

Weirdly enough, they were identical 34-point margins of victory for the blue bloods, KU pulling off an 87-53 win and UK pulling off an 88-54 win. Both games saw sluggish starts before the home favorite pulled away in blowout fashion down the stretch.

How did Brown head coach Mike Martin view the matchups?

“Trying to take a little bit of a step-back and just think of the big picture of the opportunity our programs had the last two games, playing in Kansas then playing here,” he said. “Great experience for our players. Great experience for everyone affiliated with our program.”

In his eyes, the Wildcats are as advertised — closer to the team that beat Duke and Gonzaga away from home than the one that got destroyed by Ohio State in New York City. After the offense hit a wall as of late and the defense regressed, Mark Pope’s group finally got things figured out going into the SEC schedule.

It was noticeable on both ends.

“I think Kentucky did a great job of making us uncomfortable from the very beginning. Offensively we struggled to really get into a flow and run offense. 23 turnovers led to 33 Kentucky points,” Martin said. “Obviously, it’s going to be hard to stay within reach when that happens so. I thought our half-court defense was actually pretty good. They scored a lot in transition off our turnovers. In the second half, they scored in every way possible so, we’ll learn from it, and I know we will be a lot better because of these last two experiences.”

What led to that dominant defensive effort that led to 23 forced turnovers with 14 steals?

“It starts at the point of attack. (Lamont) Butler and (Otega) Oweh are terrific defensive guards and obviously we have a terrific guard named Kino Lilly. You know, Kino was efficient offensively, but I think their pressure at the point of their defense, then obviously (Amari) Williams at the back end made it hard on us. They were trying to take us out of our Zoom action, they denied a lot of hand-offs. Then we got a couple back-cuts early, but it wasn’t enough to loosen them up.

“So, I think it starts with those three guys, then their entire team and scheme defensively deserves a lot of credit.”

For how quickly this Kentucky team was put together almost entirely through the transfer portal, Martin couldn’t be more impressed.

“They were ready, Kentucky, to play and it’s impressive to watch what they’ve done in a short amount of time with so many new players,” he said. “How cohesive they are and how they share the ball, the 18 assists for them and only five turnovers. It’s just super impressive to see.”

Can’t complain about a feel-good win to close out 2024.

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Kentucky

Muñoz Canó gets Kentucky suspension for clenbuterol positive

Published

2 hours ago

January 3, 2025

Press Room

Muñoz Canó gets Kentucky suspension for clenbuterol positive

Photo:

Kentucky HBPA / YouTube

Owner-trainer Juan
Muñoz Canó was suspended indefinitely by Kentucky racing authorities after
federal regulators said a horse who suffered a fatal breakdown in an October race
at Churchill Downs failed a drug test.

“The owner-trainer
license issued to Juan Muñoz Canó is hereby suspended pending his appearance
before the board of stewards for his alleged conduct against the best interest
of horse racing,” Kentucky stewards said Thursday in their written ruling. “During
his suspension, Juan Muñoz Canó is denied the
privileges of all facilities under the jurisdiction of the Kentucky Horse
Racing and Gaming Corporation. Entry of all horses owned or trained by Mr. Cano
is denied pending transfer to persons acceptable to the stewards.”

The case
against Muñoz Canó was opened Oct. 31 after La Bukana, whom he owned and
trained, suffered a leg injury that led to her being euthanized. Testing
revealed the banned medication clenbuterol was in the 2-year-old filly’s system
at the time of her death, according to the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare
Unit. Muñoz Canó was cited by HIWU on Dec. 20.

KHRGC did not
wait for federal wheels to turn. They voted 3-0 to suspend Muñoz Canó and
supersede federal rules that entitle Muñoz Canó to call for a second split
sample to be tested.

Muñoz Canó’s entry
Friday night at Turfway Park has been scratched, and the same is expected for
his three horses who were entered there for Saturday races. If Louisiana
stewards decide not to recognize the Kentucky penalties, he still would have
one horse on each of the programs Sunday and Thursday at Fair Grounds and two
more next Friday at Delta Downs.

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Kentucky

Here Comes the Boom: Predicting Where Kentucky's Top 2026 Targets Will Land

Published

13 hours ago

January 3, 2025

Press Room

Here Comes the Boom: Predicting Where Kentucky's Top 2026 Targets Will Land

Kentucky basketball has narrowed in on five-star Caleb Wilson (someone frequently mentioned on Here Comes the Boom) as its No. 1 priority left on the board in 2025. However, the 2026 class is expected to be a deep one and UK has already extended several offers.

Here Comes the Boom is back to predict where Kentucky’s top 2026 targets will land. Jacob Polacheck of KSR+ goes through each of Kentucky’s offers in the class and predicts where each player will commit.

Take a Look:

More Kentucky News and Views on the KSR YouTube Channel

Kentucky Sports Radio has expanded its coverage of the Wildcats in the most ridiculous manner possible on our YouTube Channel. Here you will be able to find interviews with coaches and players, as well as commentary from the KSR crew. From Rapid Reactions following big events to our lengthy lineup of live shows, subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel to stay up to date on everything happening around the Big Blue Nation.

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Kentucky

The University of Kentucky Signs Kelsey Stuck For Fall 2025

Published

21 hours ago

January 3, 2025

Press Room

The University of Kentucky Signs Kelsey Stuck For Fall 2025

Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.

Kelsey Stuck will head to Lexington, KY, for her collegiate career after signing with the University of Kentucky. The backstroke/sprint freestyler will arrive on campus from Wilmington, NC, in the fall of 2025 as part of the Wildcats’ class of 2029.

Stuck competes for the Waves of Wilmington Swim Team and Hoggard High School. During her junior season for Hoggard, Stuck was a two-time finalist at the NCHSAA 4A State Championship, notching seventh-place finishes in the 100 backstroke and 50 freestyle. A week earlier, at the NCHSAA 4A Eastern Regionals, she won the 100 backstroke and was the runner-up in the 50 freestyle. She won both at the 2024 3A/4A MEC Conference Championship in January, helping Hoggard claim the overall title.

She most recently competed for the Waves of Wilmington at the 2024 Winter Junior Championships – East, where she logged season-best times in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, and 200 backstroke. Her best finish was in the 200 backstroke, where her time of 2:00.50 earned 48th place.

Stuck swum all her lifetime bests in her primary events in 2023, though she’s been close to them on multiple occasions in 2024.

Best Times (SCY):

50 freestyle: 23.55
100 freestyle: 52.13
200 freestyle:1:54.35
100 backstroke: 54.87
200 backstroke: 2:00.01

The Kentucky Wildcats are in a rebuilding phase and are looking to rebound from a ninth-place finish at the 2024 SEC Championships. None of Stuck’s lifetime bests would have scored at the 2024 SEC Championships, a conference that’s only gotten more competitive with the Texas Longhorns arriving this season.

However, Stuck will be a strong addition to the Wildcats’ backstroke and sprint freestyle groups as the team looks to add depth. Her lifetime bests would’ve landed her in a tie for fifth on Kentucky’s 2023-24 depth chart in the 50 freestyle, fifth in the 100 backstroke, eighth in the 200 freestyle and 200 backstroke, and ninth in the 100 freestyle.

The Wildcats have had a busy season recruiting in the high school class of 2025. Stuck joins Arianna Wertheim, Elizabeth Summa, Hadar Karp, Ava Fuller, Zalika Methula, Abby Dunford, Charlotte Driesse, and Sarah Shaffer in signing on with the Wildcats’ class of 2029.

If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].

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