Kentucky
Monday Headlines: Kentucky Basketball vs. Wright State Gameday
Good morning, BBN!
It is finally time to tip off the regular college basketball season for the Kentucky Wildcats as they welcome the Wright State Raiders to Lexington.
The fanbase has been itching for the real basketball games to start after two impressive performances against Kentucky Wesleyan and Minnesota State in their exhibition games.
Now, the games will count towards their record and start the countdown to the big first matchup against Duke in the Champions Classic next Tuesday.
The Raiders head to Rupp Arena after posting an 18-14 record last season, which included a close loss to Indiana. Also arriving in Lexington is the Raiders, Brandon Noel, who was voted as the Horizon League Player of the Year. Can the Cats slow down the talented forward? That will likely be the difference between this game being close late.
For Kentucky, the fanbase will be watching to see how this team plays when the real horn sounds at the start of the season. Will they continue their offensive dominance? Can they continue to defend at a high level? We will find out tonight.
Go Cats!
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Headlines
Big Blue Preview: Kentucky vs. Wright State – UK Athletics
The preseason is over and, beginning on Monday, the Cats embark on a new regular season with a new head coach and an entirely new team.
Know your opponent: Wright State Raiders- Cats Pause
Take a deep dive into the Wright State Raiders.
DeLeye’s 16 Terminations Hand No. 14 Kentucky 3-0 Sweep of UGA – UK Athletics
Sophomore outside hitter Brooklyn DeLeye had 16 kills as No. 14 Kentucky completed its season-long five-match road trip 5-0 thanks to a 3-0 win over Georgia and held its position in the three-way tie atop the SEC with the win.
Kentucky left points on the field multiple times deep in Tennessee territory- KSR
Are we really surprised?
Q&A with Mark Stoops following loss to Tennessee- Cats Pause
Take a look at what Coach Stoops had to say following the loss to the Vols.
Acaden Lewis and Jasper Johnson to from all-lefty backcourt- KSR
Will be fun to watch next season.
Cowboys lose Prescott to hamstring injury- ESPN
A tough blow to Dallas.
Oregon voted unanimous No. 1- ESPN
The Ducks are legit.
Lamar Jackson breaks record for most career games with perfect passer rating- CBS
Lamar and the Ravens are legit.
Steelers still in trade market for Wide receiver- CBS
Will Russell Wilson get a new receiver to throw to?
Oregon remains atop AP Top 25 ahead of first CFP rankings – ESPN
Oregon is No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the third straight week, and unanimous for the first time, following its 21-point road win against Michigan.
Kentucky
Kentucky is poised to land either Donnie Freeman or Sebastian Rancik this weekend, per report
Jones posted on Twitter that “Kentucky will have (absent a major change) either Freeman or Rancik by tomorrow,” while also noting the Wildcats still need to add another shooter and another big to round out the roster.
One of the top targets is Donnie Freeman, a 6-foot-9, 205-pound sophomore forward transferring from Syracuse. Freeman arrived in Lexington on Tuesday night and began his visit on Wednesday before leaving without a commitment. While there was concern he could land at UConn, that visit has since been canceled, leaving Kentucky and St. John’s as the top teams.
Freeman averaged 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game last season, while adding nearly a block and a steal per contest. He shot 47.4% from the field but 30.2% from 3-point range across 23 games.
The other option is Sebastian Rancik, a 6-foot-11, 220-pound sophomore forward transferring from Colorado. Rancik visited Kentucky starting Wednesday through Thursday and brings a versatile skill set, averaging 12.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game while shooting 33.1% from 3.
Either Freeman or Rancik would provide a significant boost at the power forward position for head coach Mark Pope. Kentucky has already added guards Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins in the portal.
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.
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