Kentucky

Three Wildcats who stepped up and shined in Kentucky's first exhibition game

Published

2 months ago

October 24, 2024

Three Wildcats who stepped up and shined in Kentucky's first exhibition game

Kentucky‘s first exhibition game in Rupp Arena went even better than the most optimistic Mark Pope fans could imagine. The Wildcats scored 123 points and won by 71 against Kentucky Wesleyan College, which returned most of its roster from the team that upset Louisville in Louisville in this spot one year ago. Kentucky shot 50 percent from 3 against the Panthers, tying the school record for 3s in a single game with 21 makes.

The final score and 3-point barrage were a sight to see, especially in the debut of Pope’s brand of ball at UK. Within the hot night, nearly everyone on the roster was outstanding. However, some of the stars of the night came as a surprise, based on summer speculation and expectations of how the team will look. It’s way too early to form any solid opinions without overreacting to one outing. Still, we can brag on some of the players who weren’t talked about as much in the weeks leading up to their Kentucky debut. The guys not named Jaxson Robinson, Andrew Carr, or Lamont Butler.

You already know we’re starting with the pride of the 13th Region, who caught fire when his number was called in the second half.

Trent Noah

Trent Noah hits a 3-pointer in Kentucky’s exhibition win against KWC – Photo via Dr. Michael Huang

Harlan County’s Trent Noah wasn’t even supposed to be a Wildcat. He initially committed to South Carolina, then found his way home when Pope inherited an empty locker room in Lexington. Ranked 159th in the 2024 recruiting class, Noah came in with low expectations, considering all of the experience around him, with plenty of time to grow and develop. As Jack Givens noted on the KSR Pregame Show, Noah is doing all of the right things and outworking many of his teammates, but he has some guys in front of him in the rotation that will make it hard to play significant minutes in Year 1.

Against Kentucky Wesleyan, Noah got his first opportunity to play at game speed at the college level. He waited his turn and checked in for the first time with 11 minutes to go in the game. He quickly got a steal, which I didn’t see in the box score, but I saw it with my eyes. Then, he ignited his home state crowd by hitting four 3-pointers in less than four minutes. The homegrown freshman finished with 12 points, two assists, and a rebound in nine minutes. I don’t know how much he’ll play when the season officially starts, but Noah made the most of his first college minutes. Mark Pope said afterward, “Trent is not shy.”

Ansley Almonor

Like Noah, Ansley Almonor brought a hot hand off the bench for a surprise performance against Kentucky Wesleyan. The Fairleigh Dickinson transfer hit five 3-pointers on Wednesday night, going five of seven from beyond the arc for 15 points in the game, the third-highest output on the team.

At 6-foot-7, 244 pounds, Almonor will likely see most of his minutes behind Andrew Carr at forward. Time will tell how many minutes he will get against D1 opponents. But he will certainly see the floor plenty if he shoots the ball anything like he did in the exhibition game. I doubt many people, if any, predicted he’d hit five from long range. Although, Otega Oweh saw it coming. Oweh said of Almonor after the game, “Everyone knows he’s capable of hitting from three.”

Otega Oweh

Otega Oweh cracked Mark Pope’s first starting lineup for Kentucky, taking the open two-guard spot next to point guard Lamont Butler. We quickly saw why.

Right away, the Oklahoma transfer cleaned up Lamont Butler’s long miss with an offensive rebound and a second-chance layup for Oweh’s first Kentucky bucket. A minute and a half later, he sank his first 3-point attempt as a Wildcat, followed by another second-chance layup for seven points in the opening minutes. By halftime, Oweh had 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting, four rebounds, and two assists before finishing the game with 18 points, second to Jaxson Robinson’s team-high 19. Oweh played only 18 minutes in the win.

Coming from the Big 12, we knew Oweh could play. He averaged 11.4 points in 24.8 minutes as a sophomore, starting in 28 of 32 games for the Sooners in 2023-24. Still, he looked really good in his first exhibition game at his new home. Pope said the starting lineup is subject to change, but it may not need any changes based on the team’s first exhibition. Otega brings a little bit of everything, from athleticism to more 3-point shooting, to a team that may break 3-point shooting records.

Mark Pope loved Oweh’s decision-making against KWC. Pope said in his postgame comments, “I was so proud of Otega tonight. You know, I actually wondered if this was going to be a little bit of a complicated game for him. Because it is such a heavy gap team. His decision-making about when he attacked all the way to the rim and when he came to two feet was brilliant and actually incredible all night long.”

I’ll add that Kentucky looked incredible all night long. Let’s do it again next Tuesday for fun. Who will step up next?

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Kentucky

Muñoz Canó gets Kentucky suspension for clenbuterol positive

Published

7 hours ago

January 3, 2025

Press Room

Muñoz Canó gets Kentucky suspension for clenbuterol positive

Photo:

Kentucky HBPA / YouTube

Owner-trainer Juan
Muñoz Canó was suspended indefinitely by Kentucky racing authorities after
federal regulators said a horse who suffered a fatal breakdown in an October race
at Churchill Downs failed a drug test.

“The owner-trainer
license issued to Juan Muñoz Canó is hereby suspended pending his appearance
before the board of stewards for his alleged conduct against the best interest
of horse racing,” Kentucky stewards said Thursday in their written ruling. “During
his suspension, Juan Muñoz Canó is denied the
privileges of all facilities under the jurisdiction of the Kentucky Horse
Racing and Gaming Corporation. Entry of all horses owned or trained by Mr. Cano
is denied pending transfer to persons acceptable to the stewards.”

The case
against Muñoz Canó was opened Oct. 31 after La Bukana, whom he owned and
trained, suffered a leg injury that led to her being euthanized. Testing
revealed the banned medication clenbuterol was in the 2-year-old filly’s system
at the time of her death, according to the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare
Unit. Muñoz Canó was cited by HIWU on Dec. 20.

KHRGC did not
wait for federal wheels to turn. They voted 3-0 to suspend Muñoz Canó and
supersede federal rules that entitle Muñoz Canó to call for a second split
sample to be tested.

Muñoz Canó’s entry
Friday night at Turfway Park has been scratched, and the same is expected for
his three horses who were entered there for Saturday races. If Louisiana
stewards decide not to recognize the Kentucky penalties, he still would have
one horse on each of the programs Sunday and Thursday at Fair Grounds and two
more next Friday at Delta Downs.

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Kentucky

Here Comes the Boom: Predicting Where Kentucky's Top 2026 Targets Will Land

Published

17 hours ago

January 3, 2025

Press Room

Here Comes the Boom: Predicting Where Kentucky's Top 2026 Targets Will Land

Kentucky basketball has narrowed in on five-star Caleb Wilson (someone frequently mentioned on Here Comes the Boom) as its No. 1 priority left on the board in 2025. However, the 2026 class is expected to be a deep one and UK has already extended several offers.

Here Comes the Boom is back to predict where Kentucky’s top 2026 targets will land. Jacob Polacheck of KSR+ goes through each of Kentucky’s offers in the class and predicts where each player will commit.

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More Kentucky News and Views on the KSR YouTube Channel

Kentucky Sports Radio has expanded its coverage of the Wildcats in the most ridiculous manner possible on our YouTube Channel. Here you will be able to find interviews with coaches and players, as well as commentary from the KSR crew. From Rapid Reactions following big events to our lengthy lineup of live shows, subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel to stay up to date on everything happening around the Big Blue Nation.

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Kentucky

The University of Kentucky Signs Kelsey Stuck For Fall 2025

Published

1 day ago

January 3, 2025

Press Room

The University of Kentucky Signs Kelsey Stuck For Fall 2025

Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.

Kelsey Stuck will head to Lexington, KY, for her collegiate career after signing with the University of Kentucky. The backstroke/sprint freestyler will arrive on campus from Wilmington, NC, in the fall of 2025 as part of the Wildcats’ class of 2029.

Stuck competes for the Waves of Wilmington Swim Team and Hoggard High School. During her junior season for Hoggard, Stuck was a two-time finalist at the NCHSAA 4A State Championship, notching seventh-place finishes in the 100 backstroke and 50 freestyle. A week earlier, at the NCHSAA 4A Eastern Regionals, she won the 100 backstroke and was the runner-up in the 50 freestyle. She won both at the 2024 3A/4A MEC Conference Championship in January, helping Hoggard claim the overall title.

She most recently competed for the Waves of Wilmington at the 2024 Winter Junior Championships – East, where she logged season-best times in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, and 200 backstroke. Her best finish was in the 200 backstroke, where her time of 2:00.50 earned 48th place.

Stuck swum all her lifetime bests in her primary events in 2023, though she’s been close to them on multiple occasions in 2024.

Best Times (SCY):

50 freestyle: 23.55
100 freestyle: 52.13
200 freestyle:1:54.35
100 backstroke: 54.87
200 backstroke: 2:00.01

The Kentucky Wildcats are in a rebuilding phase and are looking to rebound from a ninth-place finish at the 2024 SEC Championships. None of Stuck’s lifetime bests would have scored at the 2024 SEC Championships, a conference that’s only gotten more competitive with the Texas Longhorns arriving this season.

However, Stuck will be a strong addition to the Wildcats’ backstroke and sprint freestyle groups as the team looks to add depth. Her lifetime bests would’ve landed her in a tie for fifth on Kentucky’s 2023-24 depth chart in the 50 freestyle, fifth in the 100 backstroke, eighth in the 200 freestyle and 200 backstroke, and ninth in the 100 freestyle.

The Wildcats have had a busy season recruiting in the high school class of 2025. Stuck joins Arianna Wertheim, Elizabeth Summa, Hadar Karp, Ava Fuller, Zalika Methula, Abby Dunford, Charlotte Driesse, and Sarah Shaffer in signing on with the Wildcats’ class of 2029.

If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].

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