Kentucky
Muhammad Ali’s Childhood Home Is Up for Grabs
The pink house where Muhammad Ali grew up dreaming of boxing fame—and where hundreds of fans gathered for an emotional send-off as his funeral procession passed by decades later—is for sale. The two-bedroom, one-bathroom house in Louisville was converted into a museum that offered a glimpse into the formative years of the boxing champion known worldwide as “The Greatest.” The house went on the market Tuesday, along with two neighboring homes: One was turned into a welcome center and gift shop, while the other was meant to become a short-term rental. The owners are asking $1.5 million for the three properties, per the AP. Finding a buyer willing to maintain Ali’s childhood home as a museum would be “the best possible result,” co-owner George Bochetto said.
“This is a part of Americana,” said Bochetto, a former Pennsylvania state boxing commissioner. “And it needs to be treated and respected as such.” The museum opened shortly before Ali’s 2016 death. Bochetto and his business partner renovated the house to how it looked when Ali—then Cassius Clay—lived there with his parents and younger brother. “You walk into this house … you’re going back to 1955, and you’re going to be in the middle of the Clay family home,” Bochetto told the AP in 2016. Using old photos, the developers replicated the home’s furnishings, appliances, artwork, and even its pink exterior from Ali’s days there.
Las Vegas real estate investor Jared Weiss bought the Ali childhood house—then rundown and vacant—in 2012 for $70,000, with plans to restore it. Three years later, Weiss formed a partnership with Bochetto, who acquired a half-interest in the project. Both were avid fans of Ali, and they spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the restoration project. Despite its high-profile debut, the museum ran into financial troubles and closed after less than two years. As efforts to reopen the childhood museum languished, offers to move the 1,200-square-foot house to Las Vegas, Philadelphia, and even Saudi Arabia were turned down, Bochetto said. Now, Bochetto said he’s hoping they’ll find a buyer with the “marketing and operational know-how” to make the museum a success. More here.
(More Muhammad Ali stories.)
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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