Kentucky
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
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?
13 things more likely to happen than winning the Powerball jackpot
Hoping to win the Powerball jackpot? Here are 13 things more likely to happen than becoming an instant millionaire.
The Kentucky Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Wednesday, June 3, 2026 winning numbers for each game.
Cash Ball
06-07-14-21, Cash Ball: 11
Check Cash Ball payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 3
Evening: 7-0-9
Midday: 8-9-3
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
Evening: 2-2-9-3
Midday: 7-8-6-6
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Powerball
14-16-38-55-64, Powerball: 12, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Powerball Double Play
26-28-31-56-64, Powerball: 13
Millionaire for Life
04-13-32-51-55, Bonus: 04
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Courier Journal digital producer. You can send feedback using this form.
Kentucky
Fayette County school board chair, KEA sue to block Kentucky law that would oust current members
LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — Fayette County Board of Education Chair Tyler Murphy and the Kentucky Education Association have filed a lawsuit challenging a newly enacted Kentucky law that would overhaul the governance structure of Fayette County Public Schools and force all current board members out of office at the end of 2026.
The lawsuit names the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Fayette County Board of Elections and Fayette County election officials as defendants.
At the center of the legal challenge is Senate Bill 4, which lawmakers passed over Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto earlier this year.
Under the law, the seven-member Fayette County Board of Education would be reduced to five district-based seats, the lawsuit reads. The terms of all current board members would end Dec. 31, 2026, and new elections would be held for the restructured board.
The lawsuit argues the law is unconstitutional and asks the court to block its implementation, including any election-related actions tied to the measure.
Court filings contend the legislation unlawfully targets a single school district and interferes with the terms of duly elected local officials. Plaintiffs also argue the law violates provisions of the Kentucky Constitution governing local elections and public officeholders.
Attorneys included exhibits detailing criticism of Murphy and Fayette County Public Schools leadership from state lawmakers, including a petition seeking Murphy’s removal and a letter from state Sen. Chris McDaniel calling for the resignations of Murphy and Superintendent Demetrus Liggins.
The lawsuit seeks a declaration that the law is invalid and requests expedited review from the court due to upcoming election deadlines.
No hearing date had been announced as of Wednesday.
The lawsuit comes as Fayette County Public Schools continues to face scrutiny over budgeting decisions, district spending and governance issues that have drawn attention from state lawmakers over the past year.
In a statement, Representative Matt Lockett criticized Murphy as he highlighted what he stated are district failures under Murphy.
“This lawsuit is nothing more than an attempt to distract from the disaster that Fayette County Public Schools is under Tyler Murphy’s leadership as board chair. Under his watch, the district has spiraled into a financial crisis so severe that it is now seeking to borrow up to $110 million simply to keep the lights on and make it through the school year. Students have been failed. Families have been failed. Teachers and staff have been failed. Taxpayers have been failed. And the Lexington community has been left paying the price for years of mismanagement and poor oversight.
Rather than taking responsibility for the district’s financial failures and focusing on what is best for students, he has chosen to file a lawsuit challenging a law that was duly passed by the General Assembly and enacted through the constitutional process. He may be emboldened by recent rulings by activist judges, but there are no legitimate grounds for overturning a duly enacted statute simply because you can’t do the right thing by this community. The General Assembly has both the authority and the responsibility to establish standards for public offices and governance structures across the Commonwealth.
At a time when Fayette County schools are facing unprecedented financial turmoil, the focus should be on accountability, transparency, and fixing the problems that have brought the district to this point. The only filing Fayette County taxpayers should be expecting from Mr. Murphy is his resignation.”
LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda has been causing fear around the world, and a Lexington doctor is preparing in the event a case is found in Kentucky.
According to the CDC, there have been 49 deaths and over 300 confirmed cases across the two countries, with more suspected cases still being investigated.
UK Healthcare is working to become a Level 2 Special Pathogen Treatment Center through the National Special Pathogen System, which would allow the facility to treat Ebola patients in-house.
Dr. Nicholas Van Sickels, an infectious disease physician at UK Healthcare, said the current outbreak is serious, but Kentucky residents are not at significant risk.
“Ebola scares people just because of the mortality, the death rate, associated with it and some of the long term consequences when you do survive. Fortunately, the strain that we’re seeing in Eastern (Democratic Republic of Congo) is thought to be not as deadly, but either way it’s a very serious disease. It carries a lot of stigma and fear,” Van Sickels said.
Here in Kentucky, however, is a very safe environment, Dr. Van Sickels said.
Currently, Dr. Van Sickels says UK Healthcare operates as an assessment hospital, meaning it can evaluate patients with symptoms who have traveled to regions with active outbreaks, coordinate testing with the state, and transfer patients to higher-level care centers if needed.
Once the Level 2 designation is complete, UK Healthcare will be the only facility in Kentucky with that capability.
“We’re the only facility in Kentucky that is able to have a level 2 designation once we finish this grant award and get approved,” Dr. Van Sickels said.
In January 2026, UK Healthcare received a grant from the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC), the governing body of the National Special Pathogen System.
“It’s approximately half a million dollars to transform our institution,” Van Sickels said.
The funding has been used to run simulation drills in coordination with Lexington Fire, EMS, and the state health department. The grant also enabled UK Healthcare to upgrade its protective outerwear, with all seam points covered to provide additional protection. Ebola is transmitted through bodily fluids.
During a recent site visit and simulation, evaluators identified vulnerabilities in the facility’s previous protective suits.
“When we had our site visit and had our stimulation, for example, they said that the seams that we had on our old suits, you could pull and stretch, and that they were rather porous,” Van Sickels said.
Van Sickels had been working on the preparedness project since the beginning of the year.
Citing lessons learned from the 2014 West Africa Ebola epidemic, which spread to the U.S. and resulted in 4 cases and 1 death.
“Ebola 2014 taught a lot of hospitals in the US about high consequence infections, established what is now NETEC, the educating body for our country, uh, about high consequence pathogens,” Van Sickels said.
“We’re constantly wanting to push preparedness, uh, because that is the key to success in evading further outbreaks,” Van Sickels said.
UK Healthcare expects to complete its Level 2 Special Pathogen Treatment Center designation by the end of summer.
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