Kentucky
Which recruits are visiting Kentucky for Big Blue Madness?
Kentucky fans have high hopes for Big Blue Madness this year as we get set for year two of the Mark Pope and Kenny Brooks eras. Last year, fans witnessed a new era begin and with all of the new, Kentucky not only welcomed the debut of the ASB Glassfloor, which was really cool with its special effects, but welcomed back Rick Pitino and absolutely roaring with cheers when Pope introduced him. Of course, Mark Pope coming out from the upper section of the arena revealing his #41 Kentucky jersey very Superman-esque.
What does Mark Pope and the Wildcats have in store in terms of surprises in year two? Pope said on Monday that he is working on it, whatever the surprise is. What we do now is Kentucky will have a number of visitors in attendance, from top recruits to in-state stars.
Here is the full list of visitors for this year’s event:
2026 Josh Irving (official visit) – #51 overall, C
2026 Jordan Smith Jr. (official visit) – #2 overall, G
2026 Caleb Holt (unofficial visit) – #3 overall, SG
2027 Reese Alston (unofficial visit) – #25 overall, PG
2027 Dawson Battie (unofficial visit) – #11 overall, PF
2028 PF Boogie Cook (unofficial visit)
Speaking of recruits, one Kentucky target in particular could be making his decision soon. The top overall prospect in 2026, Tyran Stokes, could be on his way to a decision soon, as many in the recruiting circles have thrown around the possibility of an announcement from Stokes this weekend. Although that’s just speculation, and nothing has been publicly confirmed, that has Kentucky fans on edge waiting for an announcement. Stokes is down to Kentucky, Oregon, Kansas, USC, and Louisville. Heading down the homestretch, Kentucky is seen as the frontrunner, but Oregon, given his newly-signed deal with Nike, is a close second.
Stokes would be a massive recruiting win for Pope. and more so a statement that the head coach can make, given what others think about his recruiting abilities. Mark Pope has casted a wide net in the 2026 class, and that could end up paying off. If Stokes just end up announcing this weekend, what could make it an unforgettable for Kentucky fans? Announcing it at Big Blue Madness. It seems like a dream for Kentucky fans to make something like that happen, but it would definitely set the recruiting world into a frenzy.
Whatever surprises do happen, Kentucky will have a good number of visitors on hand to witness them, as well as BBN’s energy as we head into the second year of a new era in electric fashion.
GRAYSON, Ky. (WSAZ) – New information has been released in the search for a missing woman at Grayson Lake.
According to game wardens with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Marly Kinney, 19, of Ashland, was last seen at Grayson Lake on Wednesday afternoon.
They say search efforts are focused on the water at this time and include Kentucky State Police aerial support, drones, boats, and K9 assistance.
Crews suspend search for missing teen for the night
The search is now into its third day, with officials saying on and off rain has hindered their search and that a group of 50 volunteers are walking the banks of the lake to help in the search.
Search and rescue boats have been seen at the lake as well.
Officials say there are still many questions, including if Kinney is still alive and where exactly she went missing.
They also say they’ve been using a variety of equipment, including sonar and thermal detectors, as well as helicopters and underwater drones.
WSAZ received a statement from Kinney’s family Friday afternoon:
“We are very appreciative of the absolute surplus of support from law enforcement, search and rescue, 1st responders, and all of the community and its volunteers that are here with us and for us searching for Marly. We do not even know how to express our absolute gratitude to you all. We continue to have faith she will be found and brought back to us. We know we have the very best people doing all they can to bring her home.”
Anyone with information is asked to call 911.
We are still working to get more information.
Previous coverage can be found here.
Copyright 2026 WSAZ. All rights reserved.
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 Thursday, June 25, 2026 winning numbers for each game.
Cash Ball
02-08-24-32, Cash Ball: 09
Check Cash Ball payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 3
Evening: 6-3-0
Midday: 9-6-0
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
Evening: 5-7-6-0
Midday: 5-2-6-6
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Millionaire for Life
03-13-14-34-45, Bonus: 01
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.
On Thursday, Kentucky’s home and away SEC opponents for the 2026-27 season were revealed and on top of learning the three opponents who they will play twice, there are some very intriguing matchups. In conference play, Kentucky will face six teams who are among the top 25 in many preseason rankings.
In SEC play, Kentucky will play Tennessee, Vandy and Ole Miss all both home and away. The home matchups include Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Vandy. As for the road tilts, the Wildcats will face Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee and Vandy. Let’s take a look at some interesting developments from the schedule release.
John Calipari returns to Rupp Arena (again)
In Calipari’s first year with Arkansas, he got the best of Kentucky when he came into Rupp Arena and left with a 10-point victory, a game where you could really feel the tension all game long in the building from Kentucky fans, which translated onto the court with the players. Last season, it was Kentucky who shocked everyone when they stole one on the road against a top 20 Arkansas team after a rough up-and-down season up to that point. Now, the two will face off again as Kentucky will look to get the win in Rupp and make sure Calipari doesn’t get two in a row in the building. It’ll be another highly-anticipated showdown.
Kentucky hits the road at Texas
This is shaping up to be a major challenge for Kentucky next season and may even end up being one of the biggest games of the season. Texas is seen by many as a clear top 10 team, with some even having them within the top five and when you combine that with the fact that the game is on the road, the Wildcats will have their hands full. The Wildcats fell to the longhorns in the 2024-25 season, and it’ll be a much stiffer challenge this time.
Which game could be a trap?
We don’t have the game-by-game dates yet, so it’s hard to say with a lot of confidence, but opponent-wise, Georgia could really give Kentucky fits. In Pope’s first year, his team struggled handling the physicality of the Bulldogs and now, they’ve retained one of their best guards for another year and have added physicality through the portal. Mike White’s teams love to make opponents uncomfortable and they could do that once again down in Athens. Another sneaky team to watch is Oklahoma, who will have very good guard play. Kentucky will face both teams on the road.
Overall, it’s a pretty fair SEC schedule for a Kentucky team who has the capability of a return to being atop the conference once again. Mark Pope has such a system-fit squad and he can do some damage in the SEC.
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