Kentucky
Monday Headlines: John Wall’s all-time starting 5 for Kentucky Basketball
The Kentucky Wildcats have had quite the pool of talent over the last 15 years. Now-former head coach John Calipari was quite the recruiter and never failed to have talent in Lexington.
John Wall was Calipari’s first big-time recruit at Kentucky and was immediately beloved by the Big Blue Nation. He brought excitement and a thrill to Kentucky basketball that had been missing for a while.
Wall went on to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft and played 11 seasons in the NBA.
He’s also kept in touch with the Kentucky basketball program and their fans during that span.
Recently, Wall gave his all-time starting five for UK and his list was rather interesting.
In addition to himself, he listed Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo, Devin Booker and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Of course, it’s not surprising that Wall would include himself in his all-time starting five. He did spark the Calipari era and was electric doing so, averaging over 16 points and six assists per game as a freshman.
If we were to put together a UK starting five from the Calipari era based on success while wearing the UK jersey, it should probably go: Wall, Jamaal Murray, Antonio Reeves, Oscar Tshiebwe, and Davis.
There are several names that could be interchanged on that list and that’s okay — it all speaks to the success fans got to enjoy during the Calipari era.
However, if we were to put together a UK starting five from the Calipari era based on success while in the NBA (which is what Wall’s list seems to be relative to), it should probably go Adebayo, Booker, Davis, Gilgeous-Alexander and Murray.
Four of the five have played in the NBA Finals, and two have a championship ring. They’ve all been recognized in multiple all-star games, and four of the five have also received All-NBA honors.
Do you have a different starting five in mind? Let us know in the comment section below.
Tweet of the Day
Pretty awesome stuff.
Headlines
Ryan Waldschmidt Selected by Arizona in First Round of MLB Draft – UK Athletics
Waldschmidt becomes Kentucky’s seventh first round pick in program history and the Wildcats’ sixth-highest selection overall.
Emilien Pitre Selected in Second Round of MLB Draft – UK Athletics
Pitre was selected 58th overall in the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays.
Cole Cubelic Believes UK Will Have a Solid Offensive Line – Vaught’s Views
Lots of good experience up front.
Tiger Woods preps for Open with 18-hole practice round – ESPN
Will he make the cut?
Aaron Harrison Still Remembers the Love he got at UK – Vaught’s Views
He hit so many big shots.
Spain coach hails historymakers, warns of more to come – ESPN
Incredible match.
Reed Sheppard Continues Hot Start in NBA Summer League – KSR
Absolutely killing it.
Vikings receiver Jordan Addison arrested on suspicion of DUI – ESPN
More trouble for NFL wide receivers.
Kalen Edwards will fill specific need for Kentucky – KSR
Indeed he will.
Jacoby Jones dies at 40 – ESPN
Just awful.
Kentucky football coach Will Stein reflects on new position
Will Stein was officially introduced to fans and media as the head coach for the Kentucky Wildcats, replacing Mark Stoops.
LEXINGTON — Kentucky football had its first spring game under new coach Will Stein at Kroger Field on Saturday.
The offense, in blue jerseys, had its moments. So too the defense, donning white uniforms.
Ultimately, the blue squad earned a 23-18 victory in a game called just after noon because of inclement weather.
Stein admitted he “got emotional” as he charged onto the field prior to kickoff.
“I know it wasn’t a real game, but when I ran on the field, I definitely — man, I felt it,” he said. “It was like a wave running over me. And very, very, just cool.”
While it doesn’t count in the standings, Stein walked away pleased.
“I think we got a lot of really good work,” he said. “That’s the goal of spring is to improve with fundamentals and technique, learn how to practice, learn what winning edges that we need throughout spring to go into summer and fall and prepare the team for play. And we came out of the scrimmage clean. There (were) no injuries, which to me, that’s the biggest win of the day. I could (not) care less about the score.
“If we come out clean, that’s good. The Wildcats won.”
New starting QB Kenny Minchey looked about as expected, with sharp passes evened out by moments of inconsistency. Martels Carter Jr., a defensive back who is lining up at running back this spring, scored a touchdown and had several nice runs.
And the defense forced multiple three-and-outs and also picked off one Minchey pass on a two-point conversion.
This story will be updated.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
Time is of the essence if you’re Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats right now. With the transfer portal set to close in just a few days, chaos reigns as programs and players scramble to secure their next opportunities. Among the fray is Kentucky, which finds itself navigating a tumultuous landscape in search of elite talent. With many of the Top 25 players already committed, the urgency for the Wildcats to land a game-changing recruit has never been more at the forefront following this season.
One of Pope’s primary targets is Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman. The 6-foot-9 rising junior made waves during his time at Syracuse, averaging 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while shooting an impressive 47.4 percent from the field last season. His potential is undeniable; many experts predict Freeman will be a future first-round NBA draft pick, making him a coveted asset for any program.
Freeman’s recent visit to Kentucky has sparked much-needed hope. However, despite positive feedback from his trip, he left without making a commitment to join one of college basketball’s blue bloods. The competition is fierce. The question looms: Can Kentucky outmaneuver these schools and secure his commitment?
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Well, Friday morning, the Cats were able to outlast one of their deepest competitions for now in Connecticut. Freeman was set to make his way to see the Huskies, but he has since cancelled his Friday visit, per UConn Report (subscription required). Now it appears the Huskies officially have bowed out of the race. That’s one down, and just the Alabama Crimson Tide, it appears, stands in the way for Mark Pope and Kentucky.
Mark Pope faces additional pressure following the return of Rob Wright to BYU, leaving the Wildcats in a precarious position when it comes to key portal targets. They need to act swiftly to avoid being left without significant talent as the portal closes. Freeman’s skill set would not only bolster their roster but would also complement rising star Malachi Moreno, as Freeman would be the ideal fit for the power forward.
As the clock ticks down, all eyes are on Mark Pope and his ability to close this deal. The stakes are high, and for Kentucky, landing Donnie Freeman could be the key to turning chaos into triumph, but will they be able to close perhaps the deal amidst the age of transfer portal madness? Well, they are one step closer now, it appears.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky basketball closing in on a Donnie Freeman commitment?
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