Kentucky
No. 25 Kentucky Returns to Historic Memorial Coliseum to Host No. 7 Missouri
LEXINGTON, Ky. – After breaking 197 and earning its first win of the season last Friday, Kentucky (1-6, 1-2 SEC) returns to Lexington to host No. 7 Missouri (5-3, 1-3 SEC) in a 7 p.m. contest on Friday, February 13. The meet from Historic Memorial Coliseum will be televised on SEC Network with Jason Ross, Jr. and Kennedy Baker on the call.
Friday will serve as I Ticketmaster.
The meet will also serve as Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night, with all University of Kentucky Faculty and Staff receiving two free tickets to the meet when they present their university ID at the ticket window.
The Wildcats enter Friday after a 197.325-196.275 win at No. 12 Auburn. Kentucky posted the highest score of the meet on all four events and took home all five individual event titles. Delaynee Rodriguez put together another career night, setting or matching career highs on vault, bars, and in the all-around—taking home the title on all three events. Rodriguez has now won eight event titles in 2026—including the all-around crown in four out of five meets. Freshman Gabby Van Frayen won the first event title of her career, tying for first on the balance beam. Creslyn Brose continued her excellence on floor, winning her second consecutive title on the event and eighth of her career.
The Wildcats scored 49.2 or higher on all four events to break the 197 barrier for the first time in 2026 and set a new season best team score—besting the mark set the week prior by nearly a point. The victory also marked Kentucky first road victory in Southeastern Conference action since February 2, 2024 at Alabama.
Rodriguez continued her stellar start to her junior season, scoring a career best 39.650 in the all-around. The Las Vegas native’s previous career best of 39.550 lasted only a week, with tonight’s score etching Rodriguez as the fourth-highest scoring all-around in Kentucky history. Rodriguez currently ranks No. 5 in the NCAA in the all-around with a 39.485 average.
Brose currently ranks No. 3 in the country on the floor exercise, holding a 9.933 average with two scores of 9.950 in her last two appearances. Freshman Sabrina Nemcek enters the meet ranked No. 5 on the uneven bars after a stellar 9.900 routine in her collegiate debut last week.
The Cats will hit the road next weekend, traveling to Fayetteville for a showdown against No. 8 Arkansas. The meet from Bud Walton Arena will begin at 8:15 p.m. ET on Friday, February 20 and will be streamed on SEC Network +.
The Vault – Kentucky Gymnastics Booster Club
The Vault is the Official Booster Club of Kentucky Gymnastics. Joining The Vault means investing directly in our program. Your contributions help us provide top-notch training facilities, essential equipment, and opportunities for our athletes to excel in this challenging environment. Every dollar counts, and every Vault member makes a difference. Our various membership club levels offer fantastic benefits with each contribution strengthening our program and empowering our athletes as they compete at the highest levels.
You can join The Vault by clicking this link or you can donate directly by visiting this link. For questions or any other information, please contact Amy Coyle (amy.coyle@uky.edu)
For the latest on the Kentucky gymnastics team, follow @UKGymnastics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, as well as on the web at UKAthletics.com.
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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