Kentucky
Sunday Headlines: Big Win against Gonzaga Edition
Good morning, BBN!
Everybody’s probably still sleepy after last night, but what a night it was!
Kentucky looked dead in the water in the first half, trailing by 16 at halftime with Gonzaga poised to run away with the win, but Kentucky battled back and forced overtime, surviving a late Bulldog comeback in the final minutes of overtime, and hung on for a 90-89 win.
It was the first time in 175 games Gonzaga lost when leading by double-digits at halftime, and also tied the Kentucky record for largest halftime deficit that resulted in a Kentucky victory. According to Corey Price, Kentucky has only come back from down 16 at half to win two other times in program history.
Largest halftime deficits in a win for @KentuckyMBB in school history:
– 16 points vs. Gonzaga (December 7th, 2024)
– 16 points at Louisville (December 18th, 2004)
– 16 points at LSU (February 15th, 1994)
— Corey Price (@coreyp08) December 8, 2024
The win over Gonzaga certainly softens the blow from the loss to Clemson and also gives Kentucky another big win for its tournament resume when March rolls around. Those wins over Duke and Gonzaga will look really good come tournament time.
It also showed the fight this team possesses and also was a testament to Mark Pope, as the Cats looked like a totally different team in the second half.
We also saw Jaxson Robinson thrive after being thrust into a point guard role with Lamont Butler out and Kerr Krissa going out with an injury during the game.
A lot to take away from last night’s game, and you can certainly find plenty of it right here at Sea of Blue. As for now, let’s spend today getting rested up and celebrating another Kentucky victory!
Tweet of the Day
With all due respect to Patrick Sparks, I have a new favorite “Kentucky was down 16 points at halftime in a hostile environment and won” game. No shame in being #2, 2004-05 Wildcats. #BBN pic.twitter.com/f955COmWTU
— Terry Brown™️ (@TBrown_80) December 8, 2024
Coming back from down 16 is always memorable.
Headlines
Takeaways from Kentucky’s win over Gonzaga – Herald Leader
Is this a new edition of the Comeback Cats?
Pope’s defensive adjustments key to Kentucky win – Cats Pause
Throwing zone into the mix rattled the Gonzaga offense.
Jaxson Robinson stepped up as Kentucky’s PG – KSR
A big night for Jaxson.
Records Fall as Kentucky Track & Field Concludes Season Opener – UK Athletics
Multiple records broken in opener.
Biggest questions heading into playoff selection – Bleacher Report
SMU and Alabama is an interesting topic.
Scott Frost is back at UCF – ESPN
UCF is looking to recreate the magic.
Juan Soto likely to receive more than $700 million – Yahoo
Soto is about to be a very rich man.
Pitino honors Carnesecca with sweater – CBS Sports
What a nice tribute.
Gundy, OK State agree to new deal – NBC Sports
Looks like Gundy isn’t leaving Oklahoma State after all.
App State hires Loggains from South Carolina – Yahoo
Neal Brown was reportedly in consideration for the job.
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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