Kentucky
SEC softball power rankings: Missouri, Kentucky put everyone on notice with early upsets
The SEC showed its dominance in softball to start the season, only logging five losses as a conference in the first week of games.
Only three teams played ranked competition, though, and those three teams are sitting at the top the rankings this week. Some SEC teams challenge themselves early in the season, like the four heading to Clearwater, Florida, this week for a gauntlet of an invitational. Others prefer to get their battle testing in conference play. To each their own.
Here’s how SEC softball teams stack up in our power rankings after the first week of action:
1. Tennessee
Destiny Rodriguez only got one at bat Friday, but it was all she needed to become the hero in Tennessee’s 3-2 win over No. 22 Baylor. Rodriguez pinch hit with two outs and sent a two-run homer over the centerfield wall – talk about guts. The Lady Vols have her to thank for their undefeated start.
Last week: 1
Record: 3-0
RECORD CHASING: Kiki Milloy ties Tennessee softball career home run record with No. 57
2. Missouri
This is my mea culpa to the Tigers – I wasn’t familiar with your game. Missouri put the country on notice in its season-opening win over No. 13 Utah, and it closed out the week in Clearwater with an upset over No. 5 Clemson. The Tigers do not care about your preseason rankings.
Last week: 12
Record: 5-0
3. Kentucky
Kentucky would have been No. 2 if not for a narrow loss to No. 24 San Diego State. The Wildcats handed No. 3 Stanford two losses to lead the SEC’s efforts to end Pac-12 softball a few months early. Rutgers transfer Jaden Vickers is the real deal in the circle and Stephanie Schoonover looks ready for a comeback season after an injury derailed her junior campaign.
Last week: 9
Record: 4-1
4. Georgia
The Bulldogs are off to an undefeated start, but they also beat up on unranked teams at home. Hopefully the cupcake opening weekend prepared Georgia for the real competition in Clearwater coming up next.
Last week: 2
Record: 5-0
5. LSU
LSU’s pitching staff didn’t give up a single run in its opening week. It’s an impressive feat, but I’m not going to pretend to be impressed by the competition. Luckily, the Tigers are also going to Clearwater to face some real competition so we can see what these pitchers are made of.
Last week: 3
Record: 5-0
6. Alabama
Kayla Beaver stole the show in her debut for the Crimson Tide, throwing a no-hitter against Villanova. The transfer pitcher from Central Arkansas threw 21 strikeouts over 14 innings the opening week, but we’ll see how she holds up against tougher competition. Luckily for Alabama, that won’t happen until SEC play starts with the abysmal nonconference slate it has before then.
Last week: 4
Record: 5-0
7. South Carolina
The Gamecocks have the pitching, but boy do they need to figure out their hitting. Of the seven batters who saw 10 or more at bats last week, only two hit above .275. South Carolina needs its lineup to get deeper if it wants to compete in the SEC.
Last week: 8
Record: 5-0
8. Florida
The Gators’ freshmen pitchers impressed in their first week with three one-hitters and Olivia Miller tossing the first perfect game by a freshman in program history. Florida dropped one, but it just might have the pitching to terrorize the SEC.
Last week: 5
Record: 4-1
9. Arkansas
Arkansas barely escaped with one win against its two Power Five opponents. The Razorbacks went 1-1 against unranked Big Ten teams, so they’re not exactly inspiring confidence right now.
Last week: 7
Record: 4-1
10. Texas A&M
Four of the Aggies’ opening week wins were run-rule wins, but you can probably guess why. We’ll see what Texas A&M is really made of when it leaves home and plays some real west coast competition this week.
Last week: 10
Record: 4-0
11. Auburn
Auburn’s opening week was a strange one. It was ended two games early by weather conditions, but not before the Tigers’ second game against Virginia Tech ended in a 5-5 tie as the Hokies’ offense started heating up. Auburn is probably just grateful it didn’t add a second early loss to the record.
Last week: 6
Record: 1-1-1
12. Mississippi State
With the tough nonconference schedule ahead of them, this might be the only time the Bulldogs rise in the power rankings. Enjoy this one, Starkville.
Last week: 13
Record: 4-0
13. Ole Miss
The Rebels were welcomed to paradise by BYU, which took advantage of their errors to log a five-run first inning en route to a 7-4 win. Ole Miss recovered with four wins in Hawaii, but it started off the season on the wrong foot.
Last week: 11
Record: 4-1
J Batt excited about Will Stein’s coaching debut for Kentucky football
Kentucky athletics director J Batt praises football coach Will Stein’s energy and recruiting efforts as he settles into the job.
Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, once labeled by ESPN as the No. 1 sports bar in America, is coming to Lexington, Kentucky.
The new dining establishment will be located at 1030 S. Broadway, in the former Tilted Kilt space, and will use the next-door site of KSBar & Grille, which closed in June, as a game-day location with a Kentucky Sports Radio presence.
The first Walk-On’s location in Kentucky — although its Clarksville, Indiana, location is just minutes from downtown Louisville — will feature at least 50 TVs for fans to watch UK games and other sporting events.
Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux will open ahead of the 2026 football season. The new restaurant will be led by business partners Jamie Daniel and KSR founder Matt Jones.
“As a Kentucky native and die-hard Kentucky fan, opening a Walk-On’s here was a long time coming,” Daniel said in a news release. “By partnering with Matt and the KSR community, we’re serving a fan base that lives and breathes Kentucky sports. We believe this creates a destination unlike anything else in the market.”
KSBar opened in Lexington in 2018 and has been a staple for Kentucky sports fans. Jones wants to keep the space alive by opening it for game days and other special events while allowing fans to order from the Walk-On’s scratch-made menu.
“KSBar has always been about bringing Kentucky fans together,” Jones said in the release. “This partnership allows us to preserve that spirit while giving fans access to a bigger experience, a larger menu and the resources of one of the most successful sports bar brands in the country. We’ll still be here on game days, broadcasting KSR live and celebrating Kentucky sports, but now with Walk-On’s helping take the experience to the next level.”
Walk-On’s was founded in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 2003 by former LSU basketball walk-ons Brandon Landry and Jack Warner. Since then, the restaurant has opened over 80 locations across the United States with partners like Dak Prescott, Dabo Swinney and co-owner Drew Brees.
Reach sports trending writer Alaina Morris at amorris@gannett.com and follow her on X at @alainammorris.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander calls season a ‘failure’ after Thunder’s playoff loss to Spurs
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won his second straight MVP award this season, but he said Sunday that he “didn’t achieve what I wanted to achieve” after falling short of the NBA Finals.
Kentucky basketball is notorious for producing NBA talent. The Wildcats currently have the most active players in the league, with 30 players in 20 different franchises playing a variety of roles.
Karl-Anthony Towns ended the 2025-26 season with an NBA championship, starting at center and helping guide the New York Knicks to their first title in 53 years.
Towns averaged a double-double this season with 20.1 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. In the playoffs, the former Wildcat averaged 15.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per contest. Towns played a big role in the five-game NBA Finals against the Spurs, most notably tallying 21 points, 13 rebounds and four assists in the Knicks’ Game 2 win on the road.
The Knicks center wasn’t the only former Kentucky standout to have a big season. Here is a look at how some of Kentucky’s best did in the NBA in 2025-26:
De’Aaron Fox and Keldon Johnson helped the San Antonio Spurs win the Western Conference Finals against the Thunder and reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014.
Fox was in his first full season with the Spurs after being drafted by Sacramento and spending time with the Kings from 2017-25. He averaged 18.6 points, 6.2 assists and 3.8 rebounds in the regular season. Fox averaged 15.6 points in the playoffs as he dealt with a lingering ankle injury that cause him to miss games against the Thunder. He was also criticized for a disappointing NBA Finals performance against the Knicks.
Johnson etched himself in the record books by winning the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award. Coming off the bench, he averaged 13.2 points and 5.4 rebounds during the regular season. Johnson had four games in double-figures in the Western Conference Finals, but didn’t score more than seven in any game against the Knicks when competing for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Before the 2025 NBA champion Thunder saw their bid for a repeat title shut down by the Spurs in Game 7, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander enjoyed another dominant regular season and captured his second straight MVP award.
Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.1 points per game, second in the league behind only Luka Dončić. The former Wildcat also averaged 6.6 assists (14th-best in the NBA) and 4.3 rebounds.
Cason Wallace, meanwhile, recorded 8.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. Wallace was also named to the 2026 All-Defensive Second Team after leading the league with 150 steals (1.9 per game).
Other stars across the NBA
Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers: Maxey averaged 28.3 points per game, which was fifth-best across the NBA. He dished out 6.6 assists to go with 4.1 rebounds per contest. Maxey led the 76ers to a playoff series win over the Boston Celtics before they were swept by the Knicks in the second round. He was named an NBA All-Star during the regular season and ultimately landed on the All-NBA Third Team.
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns: Booker put up 26.1 points, 6.0 assists and 3.9 rebounds on average this season. He helped lead the Suns back to the playoffs despite the offseason departure of Kevin Durant via trade. Booker was named an NBA All-Star for a fifth time in his career.
Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets: Murray averaged 25.4 points and 7.1 assists to help take the Nuggets back to the playoffs, where they fell in the first round to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Due to an outburst in scoring, the former Wildcat guard was named an NBA All-Star for the very first time in his career.
Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat: Adebayo’s 2025-26 season will be best remembered for his 83 points in one game against the Washington Wizards on March 10. That’s the second-highest single-game total in NBA history, surpassing Kobe Bryant’s 81 in 2006 and sitting only behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 in 1962. Adebayo averaged 20.1 points and 10 rebounds for Miami, which finished 10th in the Eastern Conference.
Julius Randle, Minnesota Timberwolves: Randle averaged 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists for the Timberwolves, whose impressive postseason run ended with a Game 6 loss to the Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals. He set a new career high with 41 points against the Portland Trail Blazers on Feb. 11.
Around the league
Shaedon Sharpe, Portland Trail Blazers: Sharpe appeared in just 50 games, dealing with a stress fracture in his left fibula. He averaged 20.8 points per game when he was healthy.
Tyler Herro, Miami Heat: Herro dealt with a variety of injuries, including to his ribs and ankles. The Heat guard only appeared in 33 games, but he averaged 20.5 points when healthy.
Reed Sheppard, Houston Rockets: Following an injury to teammate Fred VanVleet, Sheppard was given a much bigger role in his second season. He ended up averaging 13.5 points, 3.5 assists and 2.9 rebounds, highlighted by a career-high 31 points in a win over the Golden State Warriors.
Anthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks/Washington Wizards: Davis is another former Wildcat who was riddled with a finger injury this year. He appeared in just 20 games with the Mavericks, where he averaged 20.4 points before being traded to the Wizards.
Immanuel Quickly, Toronto Raptors: Quickly averaged 16.4 points in 70 games and helped the Raptors finish fifth in the East before losing to the Cavaliers in the playoffs.
PJ Washington, Dallas Mavericks: Washington averaged 14.2 points and 7.0 rebounds on a Mavericks team currently looking to rebuild. He played in 56 games.
Malik Monk, Sacramento Kings: Monk found himself on a Kings team that only won 22 games. He averaged 12.9 points and 3.0 assists in 62 contests.
Oscar Tshiebwe, Utah Jazz: Tshiebwe also found himself on a squad that collected 22 wins. The former Kentucky forward averaged 7.8 points and 6.6 rebounds in 27 games.
Isaiah Jackson, Indiana Pacers/Los Angeles Clippers: Jackson played a role off the bench before and after being moved in a midseason trade to the Clippers. He averaged 6.7 points and 5.3 rebounds in 55 games.
Rob Dillingham, Minnesota Timberwolves/Chicago Bulls: Dillingham was traded from Minnesota to Chicago in a February swap that sent Ayo Dosunmu to the Timberwolves. The second-year guard averaged 6.3 points and 2.2 assists in 65 games.
Justin Edwards, Philadelphia 76ers: Edwards emerged as a key bench player for the Sixers, averaging 6.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in 64 games.
Jarred Vanderbilt, Los Angeles Lakers: Vanderbilt came off the bench and appeared in 65 games for the Lakers, averaging 4.4 points and 4.5 rebounds.
Nick Richards, Chicago Bulls: Richards played in just above half of the season, checking into 48 games. He averaged 5.8 points and 5.1 rebounds.
Amari Williams, Boston Celtics: Williams appeared in 22 games, averaging 1.4 points and 1.8 rebounds per outing.
TyTy Washington Jr., Los Angeles Clippers: Washington played in 16 games, in which he averaged 1.3 points and 1.1 assists.
Koby Brea, Phoenix Suns: Brea saw action in 12 games and averaged 3.8 points per contest.
Antonio Reeves, Charlotte Hornets: Reeves saw the floor in 10 games and averaged 2.7 points.
Olivier Sarr, Cleveland Cavaliers: Sarr played in only four contests, averaging 3.5 points and 2.8 rebounds, before he suffered a ruptured left Achilles’ tendon.
Jacob Toppin, Atlanta Hawks: Toppin checked into five games and averaged 1.6 points.
Reach sports trending writer Alaina Morris at amorris@gannett.com and follow her on X at @alainammorris.
Yesterday, Kentucky announced a few more of its non-conference games, and some folks are not happy about the quality of opponents that will come to Rupp Arena. The seven teams added to the schedule were Manhattan (November 3rd), James Madison (November 6th), Northern Arizona (November 13th), Grambling State (November 16th), Bryant (December 8th), Sacred Heart (December 22nd), and Gardner-Webb (December 28th).
One of those who voiced his displeasure was Dick Vitale. The college basketball legend took to X to say, “The Kentucky basketball schedule has many cupcakes on their pre-conference schedule & 5 legit challenges – BBN -Cats fans & players deserve a more challenging schedule in getting ready for the SEC – especially having a TEAM with over 21 MILLION in NIL dollars.”
I see where Dickie V is coming from here, but the reality is that every college basketball team is going to play these cupcake games. If Vitale is frustrated with the NET Rankings of these teams, I understand, but all of college basketball plays games like this.
I can see the frustration for BBN knowing the only really exciting home game coming to Rupp Arena this non-conference season is the matchup with rival Louisville. I have a feeling another big-time game could be coming to the schedule, knowing the Gonzaga matchup is no more. Hopefully, if a new marquee game is scheduled, it will be in Rupp Arena, but this is still to be seen.
The reality is the Wildcats have a top ten strength of schedule right now, and they do have games against Kansas, Indiana, Louisville, North Carolina, and Virginia scheduled in non-conference play. During Mark Pope’s tenure, the Wildcats have played a very tough schedule each season, and that is not going to change this year.
Fans would like to see some more exciting games come to Rupp Arena, but the SEC will once again be very good, which will bring a lot of top 25 matchups to Lexington this year. I believe the five marquee games scheduled for non-conference play will have the Wildcats ready for SEC play, especially knowing they will play a true road game against Virginia.
If the Wildcats do add one more marquee game to the non-conference schedule, this should have Vitale bought into the schedule and how it will get Pope’s team ready for the gauntlet that is SEC play.
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