@UKsoftball
In what was a wild and bizarre game in Eugene, Rachel Lawson and her Wildcats looked to carry the momentum from last weekend’s regional into this weekend to knock off the number one seed Ducks.
To keep the momentum going, they had to look no further than the top of the order, especially from home run leader Abbey Cheek. Tonight, Cheek had two home runs tallying in five RBIs to help push the Cats ahead of the mighty Oregon Ducks 9-6.
Alex Martens got things going for the Cats tonight with a three-run blast in the first inning, ending Oregon’s streak of 30 straight scoreless innings, from then Kentucky didn’t let up. In the 2nd Katie Reed, who went 3-4 on the day, had an RBI single to bring home Erin Rethlake for a 4-0 lead.
? HOME RUN ALERT ? Alex Martens slams a 3-run dinger to give Kentucky a 3-0 lead over Oregon! #NCAASoftball pic.twitter.com/7giDWEcv1H
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) May 25, 2018
The Ducks would soon strike back in the bottom half, and it seemed like the Ducks just wouldn’t go away, cutting the lead to one. Abbey Cheek was right there to answer, though, as she “just got under the ball” and lifted it to center field for a three-run blast to give Kentucky a four-run cushion.
Another one for @UKsoftball! Abbey Cheek earns her 17th home run of the season to extend Kentucky’s lead 7-3! #NCAASoftball pic.twitter.com/b5UX3QMD1X
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) May 25, 2018
HECK YEAH ABBEY!!! @AbbeyCheek https://t.co/kSTKZPmUtb
— Maci Morris (@Maci4Mo) May 25, 2018
Once again the Ducks would rally across two more runs, cutting the lead to two, and it seemed like things were falling apart a bit for Kentucky. But, Abbey Cheek was prominent once again as she clobbered a ball to left center field for her second home run of the night to give the Cats a comfortable 9-5 lead going into the later innings.
Abbey Cheek is ? Her SECOND home run pushes @UKsoftball to 9-5 at the sixth ? #NCAASoftball pic.twitter.com/6e8Hs6NQgW
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) May 25, 2018
. @AbbeyCheek is our HERO!!!
Let’s go, @UKsoftball!
— Kentucky WBB (@KentuckyWBB) May 25, 2018
Abbey Cheek is UNREAL!
— Tera Ashley Blanco (@tera_blanco) May 25, 2018
Abbey Cheek right now… pic.twitter.com/ysFqgukfwN
— Keith Gambrell (@CoachKeith5) May 25, 2018
Oregon would end up scoring one more, but that run would be moot as the Cats beat the Ducks 9-6 to take game one of the Super Regionals and only one more game stands between them and Oklahoma City.
Kentucky will play Oregon again tomorrow night at 11 pm ET on ESPN 2 for a chance to go to the College World Series.
Please excuse the fact that Patterson’s article is from March, but if I missed it maybe others did, too.
Midway through March Madness former UK-great Patrick Patterson took to The Players’ Tribune to discuss his thoughts on Black Panther. However, this wasn’t your typical movie review. Patterson pulls back the curtain on his upbringing and shares personal details of never having African American role models to look up to as a child. Whether it was characters, actors, directors or writers, Patterson spent years watching movies before realizing none of these movies were telling his story.
Then he saw Black Panther.
“The movies are supposed to be this place where you can shake free of your history, and really become anything you want to be. And for too long, for black kids growing up, that hasn’t been the case. For too long, young black boys and young black girls have had to go to the movies — and live out someone else’s dream.”
I’ll let Patrick tell the rest but it’s definitely worth the read, even if it is two months late to this website. It serves as a reminder how different movies, songs, speeches or even athletic performances can mean such different things to different people.
Patrick Patterson should write more often.
2019 UK commit Tyrese Maxey has had an impressive spring and folks are noticing. With just four regular season games remaining he is a candidate to win the MVP of the Nike EYBL regular season.
The 6-foot-3, 185-pound score-first point guard has done it all for Houston Hoops. Maxey is averaging 23.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists and Nike EYBL leading 2.9 steals per game. He has led his team to an impressive 9-3 record.
Maxey is shooting 50 percent from the field and UK fans will love to read he’s been an electric 83.3 percent from the charity stripe. I still have nightmares of missed free throws from the NCAA Tournament.
Only one other candidate has a better team record than Maxey, but Isaac Okoro’s numbers pale in comparison to Maxey. If Maxey’s team continues to win while he puts up ridiculous numbers than Maxey may be the leader to bring home MVP honors.
But Maxey isn’t the only UK target to make the list.
UK hasn’t offered Cole Anthony but the point guard leads the EYBL in scoring averaging 25.6 points per game. His 7.2 rebounds and 3.6 assist likely makes him Maxey’s biggest competition. Anthony shoots over 90 percent from the free throw line.
Keion Brooks is the biggest UK target in 2019 that isn’t talked about. The Cats desperately want Brooks to come in and take Keldon Johnson’s wing position in 2019-2020. The Indy Heat star is averaging 23.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-8 and 200-pound wing is the versatile player Calipari loves to have on his roster.
The MVP winner will be announced next week after the final regular season session this weekend.
@UKsoftball/@UKphotogs
The Softball Cats will be in their lucky all blacks as they take on the No. 1 Oregon Ducks in the Super Regional at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN 2.
It’s a best-of-three series and while UK won’t have the home support it had last week at John Cropp Stadium the Cats are playing as well as any team in the country. Kentucky outscored its opponents 28-1 last week in the Lexington Regional
But the Ducks are the No. 1 overall seed for a reason. Oregon didn’t give up a run last weekend when it defeated Albany and Drake (twice). However, while the Cats put up 28 runs in three games Oregon mustered just 12 and didn’t run rule any of its opponents.
Oregon ended Kentucky’s season in the Super Regional last season but the vindictive Cats are out for revenge and the game starts now.
KSR will have all the details once the game ends and that goes for tomorrow and potentially Saturday, too. Let’s just hope the Cats sweep the Ducks.
Ready for some good news and bad news? Let’s start with the good- Kentucky has opened as a one-point favorite in its November 10th game at Tennessee according to Covers.com.
UK defeated Tennessee last season but it wasn’t an upset. The Cats opened as a four-point favorite over the Vols last year before defeating Tennessee in dramatic fashion. Obviously much will change between now and kickoff between the Cats and Vols, which is just within six months, but it’s not a bad thing to be favored against your rival.
Which brings me to the bad news.
Covers.com says Louisville is a nine-point favorite over Kentucky. The Cats and Cards will end the 2018 regular season on November 24th, but hey, maybe it’s not all bad news. The last time UK went to Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium the Cats were a 27.5 point underdog. Then Lamar fumbled and then Kentucky pulled off an amazing upset.
I wouldn’t get too worked up over football lines. Spring football just ended and it’s technically not even summer, but that’s also why it’s a perfect time to make a post about spreads six month out. Hurry up football. We miss you. We need you.
Mark Stoops joined Matt Jones, who’s hosting The Paul Finebaum Show, on Thursday to talk a variety of topics.
With an SEC audience and not the usual UK specific crowd Matt didn’t get into the weeds of UK football position-by-position, but instead gave Stoops an opportunity to give a broad outlook of the program and the upcoming season. Matt also asked the UK head coach about the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn PASPA, which will allow states to legalize sports gambling.
Stoops said he hadn’t thought much about it.
“That’s a difficult question,” Stoops said. “I haven’t really put much thought into that. I haven’t prepared myself for an answer here. I don’t want to be a target on that. Generally speaking I control the things I can control. I go try to play the very best we can. There’s no way if gambling is legal or illegal can I worry about covering, not covering… you know what I mean?
“We go out there to play the very best we can each and every week. I’m not stupid. I know that factors into people’s reactions to wins and losses because they may be betting on it illegally or legally in certain places. I don’t know. I can’t control that. That’s something I have to put some thought into and see, but that’s above my pay grade.”
Stoops seemed somewhat unprepared to answer that question, but that wasn’t the case when talking about the support he’s received from UK fans over the years.
Stoops wasn’t shy to say the success of the program is dependent upon fans, but it was his job to make sure fans were watching winning football. He said if he does his job fans should show up to Kroger Field.
“Without a doubt (UK fans) stack up (to other programs),” Stoops said. “Our fans are passionate, loyal, hungry fans. Just like any other place I’ve been, and like you said, I’ve been at the top of the food chain. Our fans stack up with the very, very best. They’re very passionate. They care.
“It’s our job. I’ve never shied away from that. I’ve said that from day one. I understood the job I took. I understood the history. I understood where we’ve been. We have to overcome a lot, but that’s my job, that’s our job to put a product on the field, to build an exciting team, to win football games so they come and support. But, like I’ve also said Matt, both here at home and I’ll say it nationally- it takes that. The SEC, those schools have been good because they’ve been supporting them for 100 years through thick and thin. We need the same kind of support and we’ve gotten that. So, it’s mutual. Myself, the staff and the players, we need to play very good football, exciting brand of football where people come to support us and the fans need to be there because without that it’s very hard to build an SEC team. Everywhere we go those stadiums are loud and they’re rocking and certainly our place is as well.”
Stoops also talked about UK’s roster. He admitted that UK’s defense hasn’t been up to his standards but there have been flashes and he hopes this season is more consistent.
Matt asked Stoops about the QB and kicker positions and while Stoops didn’t go into great detail he did say he felt good about his options.
You can listen to the interview here. It was the start of Hour Four on The Paul Finebaum Show.
Earlier this week, I shared my picks for the best of the KSR Food Bracket and asked the KSR readers to do the same. Here are the results of each poll for you to bicker over in the comments (keep in mind, I only included restaurants in the bracket):
Best Fries
1. McDonald’s 35%
2. Rally’s 22%
3. Five Guys 16%
Best Burger
1. Five Guys 42%
2. Wendy’s 18%
3. Steak n Shake 12%
Best Sub
1. Penn Station 39%
2. Firehouse Subs 27%
3. Jimmy John’s 15%
Best Chicken Sandwich
1. Chik-Fil-A 67%
2. Wendy’s 11%
3. Zaxby’s 6%
Best Wings
1. Buffalo Wild Wings 41%
2. Rooster’s 28%
3. Hooters 22%
Best Sit-Down Breakfast
1. Cracker Barrel 60%
2. Waffle House 26%
3. Bob Evans 11%
Best Fast Food Mexican
1. Taco Bell 34%
2. Qdoba 26.3%
3. Chipotle 25.8%
Best Pizza
1. Papa John’s 23%
2. Pizza Hut 22%
3. Domino’s 21%
Best Sit-Down Dinner
1. Texas Roadhouse 23%
2. Cheddar’s 16%
3. Outback 12%
Clearly, I am missing out on Penn Station.
Brad Calipari is gearing up for another European vacation. After taking his talents to Croatia last summer, Brad is about to embark on an eight-day tour with Global Sports Academy through Belgium, Germany and Holland.
Brad’s squad includes ten college players from eight different schools and will be coached by Bucknell assistant Joe Meehan. The Global Sports Academy team will play five games against professional teams from the region, including Cologne and Leverkusen in Germany and Leuven. The first game is tomorrow.
During last year’s tour in Croatia, Brad averaged 14.3 points, 6.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game. Over his two years at Kentucky, he’s appeared in 26 games, scored 11 points, including three threes. Like last year, I’m sure he’ll enjoy playing in front of a crowd that doesn’t yell “SHOOT” at him every time he touches the ball.
IG: zaaay_
Congratulations are in order for Isaiah Briscoe, whose BC Kalev/Cramo squad just won their tenth Estonian championship, beating Tartu 99-83.
I don’t speak Estonian, so the game recap is a bit difficult to understand, but this video of the team singing “We Are The Champions” is priceless:
As is this picture of Briscoe posing with the trophy and what appears to be some kind of individual award:
Google Translate suggests Briscoe scored 20 points and the victory party will be held at Mack’s BBQ in Tartu. The final line of the game recap is something:
“WE ARE THERMAL ESTONIAN MASTERS! WAITING FOR ALL FATHERS AND SUPERIORS ONLY AROUND THE TARTU MAANTEE MACK BAR-B-QUES!”
Congrats, Zay. Mack’s BBQ about to be lit!
If you’ve followed my work here at KSR or other places over the last year, you know that there might not be a bigger SEC basketball honk than I am. Now to be clear, I never intended it to be this way. But it all started at this time last year, when I made a seemingly harmless comment about how I thought the SEC would be vastly improved in basketball in 2018, and how I believed that half the league (at least seven teams) would make the 2018 NCAA Tournament. It was an opinion that was largely laughed out of the room by virtually every prominent national media member (seriously, you can read their responses here).
Of course, like most things related to college basketball I was once again right. The SEC had what was unquestionably the best basketball season in recent conference history, with a record eight teams making the NCAA Tournament and six winning at least one NCAA Tournament game. Add in the fact that even the “bad” teams picked up marquee out of conference wins (LSU beat eventual Final Four club Michigan, last-place Vanderbilt beat tourney team TCU) and it’s clear that basketball in this conference has never been as healthy as it was last year. And the good news is, it shouldn’t slow down heading into next season either. While some teams will fall, the league as a whole will be strong at the top. Virtually every preseason poll has at least five SEC teams (Kentucky, Tennessee, Auburn, LSU and Mississippi State) somewhere in their Top 25. Things might not quite hit their 2018 levels a season from now. But it will be pretty darn close.
You know what you need? Four more hours of Kentucky Sports Radio in your ears. Day two of KSR’s takeover of The Paul Finebaum Show is about to begin over on ESPN Radio, so fire up that computer and let’s get going.
Listen online via ESPN, Sirius Channel 81, or the ESPN app. Normally, you can watch Finebaum on the SEC Network, but they’re showing the SEC Baseball Tournament this week instead.
Another day, another accolade for Anthony Davis, who was just named to the All-NBA First Team, along with Damian Lillard, James Harden, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant. Fellow former Cat Karl Towns made the Third Team along with Steph Curry, Victor Oladipo, Jimmy Butler, and Paul George.
Davis finished third in the voting behind Harden and James. Yesterday, he was named All-Defensive First Team for the first time and is still in the running for MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. This season, Davis led the NBA in blocks average, ranked second in scoring average and finished fifth in rebounding average. He also became the first player to have at least 2,000 points, 800 rebounds, 150 blocks and 100 steals in a season since David Robinson in 1995-96.
Meanwhile, in his third season, Karl Towns led the NBA in double-doubles with 68, ranked fourth in rebounding average and finished in the top 15 in blocks average, field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage (42.1). All of that and still, the Timberwolves couldn’t get him the ball enough in the playoffs. Hmm.
In honor of Throwback Thursday, here’s a snap of the two All-Stars in a simpler time:
For a complete listing of the All-NBA First, Second, and Third Teams, click through the jump.
This morning, we shared the news that Kentucky backup safety Marcus Walker was arrested on drug trafficking charges. Details of that arrest continue to trickle out.
According to Tanner Hesterberg of WKYT, police were called to a residence on Unity Drive for reports of disorderly conduct. Through the course of their investigation, they obtained a search warrant which led to Walker’s arrest. Photos from the scene, which include a broken window:
This is the home on Unity Drive where Lexington Police say they arrested UK football player Marcus Walker on drug charges. Broken window, glass on ground. @WKYT https://t.co/nGKmhJM3aw pic.twitter.com/GgmNQPODiR
— Tanner Hesterberg (@TannerWKYT) May 24, 2018
According to Walker’s arrest citation, he was in possession of over five pounds of marijuana, four or more grams of cocaine, and drug paraphernalia. Police also found a large amount of cash and a cash counter during their search. He pleaded not guilty in Fayette District Court this afternoon and is being held at the Fayette County Detention Center on a $1,000 surety bond.
Walker’s attorney, Abe Mashni, had this to say to KSR: “Marcus Walker is presumed innocent. What we saw today was the court acknowledging that fact and setting an appropriate bond. Marcus will be home soon and ready to aggressively fight these charges.”
[WKYT]
This morning, Kentucky announced it will play Kansas in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge at Rupp Arena on January 26, 2019, giving us a clearer picture of what is shaping up to be an absolutely loaded 2018-19 schedule.
Here’s the schedule as we know it:
|
Bahamas National Team (Foreign Exhibition) Paradise Island, Bahamas | The Atlantis Wednesday, August 8 |
|
San Lorenzo de Almagra (Foreign Exhibition) Paradise Island, Bahamas | The Atlantis Thursday, August 9 |
|
Mega Bemax (Foreign Exhibition) Paradise Island, Bahamas | The Atlantis Saturday, August 11 |
|
Team Toronto (Foreign Exhibition) Paradise Island, Bahamas | The Atlantis Sunday, August 12 |
|
Big Blue Madness Lexington, KY | Rupp Arena TBD |
|
Blue-White Game Lexington, KY | Rupp Arena TBD |
|
Kentucky vs. Duke Indianapolis, IN | Bankers Life Fieldhouse Champions Clasic Tuesday, November 6 |
|
Monmouth Lexington, KY | Rupp Arena Wednesday, November 28 |
|
UNC Greensboro Lexington, KY | Rupp Arena Saturday, December 1 |
|
Kentucky vs. Seton Hall New York, NY | Madison Square Garden Citi Hoops Classic Saturday, December 8 |
|
Utah Lexington, KY | Rupp Arena Saturday, December 15 |
|
Kentucky vs. North Carolina Chicago, IL | United Center CBS Sports Classic Saturday, December 22 |
|
Kentucky @ Louisville Louisville, KY | KFC Yum! Center TBD |
|
Kentucky vs. Kansas Lexington, KY | Rupp Arena SEC/Big 12 Challenge Saturday, January 26 |
We’ll bring you more games as we know them.
When will we know whether PJ Washington is staying in the draft or returning to Kentucky? His father just confirmed to Jon Rothstein that PJ will announce his decision on May 30, the NCAA’s eligibility deadline. Players have until 11:59 p.m. that night to make their intentions known. Finally, something more concrete than the comments section of an Instagram post.
At the NBA Draft Combine last week, PJ told reporters that unless he’s given a first-round guarantee (a tricky concept), he will return to college. Right now, he’s only listed in one major mock draft, and that’s in the second round. The latest Sports Illustrated mock draft has him going to Minnesota with the 48th pick. So far, he’s met with or worked out for the Utah Jazz (picks 21 and 52), the Los Angeles Clippers (picks 12, 13), Brooklyn Nets (picks 29, 40, 45), and Boston Celtics (pick 27). Tomorrow, he’ll work out for the Timberwolves (picks 20 and 48).
For more on PJ’s dilemma, read Aaron Torres’ post from earlier this week. And no, there’s still no word on when Jarred Vanderbilt and Weynen Gabriel, who are also testing the waters, will announce their decisions.
The One Thing No One is Talking About with P.J. Washington’s Draft Decision