Kentucky
Kentucky stuns Gonzaga in OT: 4 things to know and postgame cheers
The Kentucky Wildcats the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the Battle in Seattle on Saturday night by a score of 90-89.
Kentucky played horribly from the start. There was no offense. There was no defense. The Cats were sloppy and looked like a team completely outmatched. The Zags took a 50-34 lead into the half.
After the break, the Battle in Seattle truly ensued. The Zags extended their lead to 17 in the second half, but the Cats didn’t blink. A 16-2 run brought Kentucky within striking distance as the lead slowly shrunk down to two. It really looked like four different teams between the first and second half. Andrew Carr, specifically, was outstanding.
And at the end of the second half, we ended up tied and headed to overtime! Kentucky took a commanding 86-79 lead, but in the snap of a finger, it was a one-point game. And the Cats pulled out a massive victory!
Next up, the Cats will take on the Colgate Raiders on Wednesday night in Lexington.
Butler did not play
It’s amazing the difference one player can make. Of course, Butler’s absence wasn’t the sole reason for the outcome of this game, but he was definitely missed.
Kerr Kriisa started, but he shared lead guard duties, and the rotation expanded. Jaxson Robinson played someone, and Collin Chandler and Travis Perry both got minutes. Robinson was the difference maker.
The loss of Butler’s defense, ability to initiate the offense, and downhill driving was sorely missed. Kriisa wasn’t terrible offensively, but he was defensively. Kentucky simply didn’t have an answer for Butler’s absence, until Robison came to life.
Thankfully, it didn’t matter. If anything, Kentucky deserves extra credit for this win in the Selection Committee’s eyes come March Madness.
A tale of two halves
In the first half, I really wasn’t sure what was worse between the offense and defense of this team.
The pick-and-roll defense had become a nightmare reminiscent of “he who shall not be named.” No adjustments were made to try zone, or much of anything else. Kerr, Amari Williams, and Koby Brea were abused. The rebounding and toughness of this team was essentially nonexistent.
On the offensive side, the center-initiated stuff was brutal to watch. Williams and Brandon Garrison turned the ball over at an alarming rate, and handing the ball to Andrew Carr at the three-point line was like watching a baby deer try to stand.
The three-point shooting was abysmal. It felt like they could hardly get easy buckets and when they were wide open, it was brick after brick.
In the second half, this team looked completely different. They fought every possession, They defended and rebounded. They actually ran an offense, mainly through Carr, and the entire game flipped. What looked like a blowout and lost cause suddenly turned into the real Battle in Seattle.
Pope has to be given credit for his ability to adjust and change the whole game on a dime. The result wasn’t in Kentucky’s favor and it’d be nice to see some better starts, but you can’t ever count this team out.
Garrison is a monster
Brandon Garrison hasn’t been perfect this year, but he was a McDonald’s All American that put up decent numbers in his freshman season at Oklahoma State. The biggest thing is his motor that never stops.
He’s got a decent outside shot and he’s long as can be. He alters shots, rebounds, and scores at opportune times. He has a long way to go, but his ceiling is through the roof.
Jaxson Robinson saves the day
After a disastrous first half, Jaxson Robinson came alive for the Cats in the second half and OT, finishing with 18 points on 7/15 shooting after starting 1/8. He also chipped in five assists while getting extended minutes at the point guard.
It took a while, but we finally got the full Jaxson Robinson experience in what’s arguably Kentucky’s biggest win of the season in terms of analytics (Gonzaga is No. 2 in NET, and Duke is No. 4.
Now, let’s celebrate!
CATS!!
For most Kentucky Wildcats basketball fans, the 2025-26 season can’t get here fast enough. After making it to the Sweet 16 in his first year, expectations are high for Mark Pope and a new squad that is loaded with talent.
Pope has assembled a roster that many consider to be one of the nation’s best heading into the season. Jeff Borzello, an analyst for ESPN, considers them a top ten team right now, listing them at number ten in a recent top 25 article. He specifically mentioned the backcourt, saying, “Kentucky is absolutely loaded on the perimeter next season, with the arrivals of transfers Jaland Lowe (Pitt), Kam Williams (Tulane) and Denzel Aberdeen (Florida) as well as five-star prospect Jasper Johnson to go with the potential return of leading scorer Otega Oweh and reserve Collin Chandler.“
Borzell also predicted the starting lineup for the Cats. He has transfer Jaland Lowe and Freshman Jasper Johnson as the guards, Otega Oweh on the wing, and Mouhamed Dioubate and Jaydan Quaintance as the starters inside. Obviously, that’s dependent on Quaintance being 100% after a knee injury in February.
This is an early prediction, and one of several different possible lineups. It’s fun to look ahead, but we’ll have a much clearer picture later in the summer.
What is a Triple Crown in horse racing?
Sports Seriously’s Mackenzie Salmon breaks down what a Triple Crown is in horse racing ahead of the 2024 Kentucky Derby.
Sports Seriously
The Kentucky Derby is nearly here, with the 151st edition of one of the great horse races once again set for Churchill Downs in Louisville.
The race, which functions as the first leg of the Triple Crown, is a cultural phenomenon in the “River City.” The Kentucky Derby has been remarkably resilient, with the event being held every single year since 1875, even during world-historic events like the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year’s edition may have an unusual feel, as Louisville is still recovering after a series of powerful storms caused catastrophic flooding earlier in April. However, the Derby itself is still set to proceed, and a full day of racing may well be an important step back to normalcy.
Here is what to know about the upcoming Kentucky Derby, including the date, post time and how to watch information for one of the biggest events in horse racing:
What time is the Kentucky Derby?
The 151st running of the Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday, May 3, capping off a full day of races. The official post time for the main event is 6:57 p.m. ET. Coverage on NBC, USA Network, and Peacock is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Kentucky Derby 2025: TV, streaming and where to watch
- When: Saturday, May 3
- Coverage starts: 2:30 p.m. ET
- Post time: 6:57 p.m. ET
- Where: Churchill Downs (Louisville, Kentucky)
- Cable TV: NBC, USA Network
- Streaming: Fubo, Peacock
Watch the Kentucky Derby on Fubo
Green Bay area gets dressed up for the 2025 NFL Draft
The Green Bay area is preparing for the 2025 NFL Draft on April 24-26, and there have been preparations throughout the community to welcome visitors.
- Deone Walker, a former Kentucky football defensive tackle, was drafted by the Buffalo Bills.
- Walker was selected in the fourth round, 109th overall, a significant drop from the first-round projections he regularly received last year.
- He joins fellow Kentucky Wildcat Maxwell Hairston, who was drafted by the Bills in the first round.
LEXINGTON — Deone Walker’s NFL career will begin in Buffalo, New York.
The Buffalo Bills selected Walker in the fourth round of this year’s draft Saturday with the 109th overall pick. The 6-foot-7, 331-pound Walker was a star defensive tackle for Kentucky football the past three seasons.
Even so, it marked a precipitous drop for Walker, who was expected to be a first-round pick at the outset of the 2024 season — and in some circles, was projected to be the first player off the board at his position, squarely among the top 10 picks.
Instead, he went off the board three rounds later, with 108 players picked ahead of him.
Walker is the second UK player Buffalo has selected in the 2025 draft. The Bills picked defensive back Maxwell Hairston in the first round Thursday night.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
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