To say Kentucky fans have mixed emotions about former head coach Rick Pitino would be an understatement.
On the one hand, Pitino took over a program in the midst of a crushing probation and brought them back to glory, winning a national title in 1996.
On the other, he went on to coach at Louisville, Kentucky’s most bitter rival. It was hero turned villain.
This weekend, Pitino’s 1993 squad came back to Lexington to celebrate the 25-year anniversary of their historic run to the Final Four. The vast majority of the team was in attendance, but the former head coach was notably and unsurprisingly absent.
He did tweet about the reunion, telling his players he was proud and “loved the hell out of them.” He also added that John Calipari reached out to him, sparking controversy within the fanbase:
Congrats 93 UK team! Proud of you guys and love the hell out of you. Thx Cal for reaching out. Much appreciated.
— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) December 15, 2018
After Kentucky’s victory over Utah on Saturday night, Calipari addressed the comment, saying he absolutely reached out to Pitino and hopes he makes his way back to Lexington sooner rather than later.
“So what?” he said of Pitino’s tenure at Louisville. Calipari wants you to appreciate him for what he did in Lexington.
“He was with family and he had things going on but I said, ‘Look, you need to get up here. This will be respectful here,’” he said. “What that program did to change this back, we should recognize it. You may be mad he went to coach Louisville. So what? When he was here and we needed this program on a different track, he put it and that group, and I thanked that group last night. ‘You guys got this thing back going. You guys did.’”
He likened the situation to Joe B. Hall’s in Lexington. He had his ups and downs, but fans only remember him for the good now. In his mind, Pitino deserves that same respect.
“I just — like I said, I’d like him to come back and let him — one of the happiest things for me is when I see how Coach [Joe B.] Hall is treated here,” he said. “He’s treated like royalty. I love it when he goes out on the court. I love to see him in practice and I love how our fans treat him. My guess is back in the day they probably weren’t as friendly. But now they look at it and say, you know what? Who would have followed Adolph Rupp? Who was stupid enough to do that? He was. Won Final Fours, won national titles. Think about it.
“And now, what Rick did? Like I said, he deserves to be able to get the respect from what he did here. And I think our fans would be great. I think they’re by all that. He may not think that, but I’m convinced that if he came back, the fans would be great to him.”
When asked about Pitino’s time at Kentucky, former Wildcat point guard Dale Brown said he had nothing but love for his former head coach.
“Nothing negative to say about Coach,” Brown said. “I love that guy. He prepared me for life… Great guy, man. He did great things for us. He’ll always have a special place in our hearts.”
Brown added that under Pitino, players believed in one another and accepted their roles on the team. That cohesiveness led to their Final Four run.
“We just believed in Coach Pitino’s system, we knew he was going to put us in the best situation possible,” Brown said. “We just fulfilled our role night in and night out, and we eventually made it to the Final Four. It was a dream come true.”
Former Kentucky forward Gimel Martinez said Pitino’s presence, combined with the tradition, was enough to seal the deal on his recruitment.
“When coach Pitino was recruiting me, we were obviously on probation, and I knew we would be on probation one more year,” he said. “Just to be able to play for someone like coach, and when I came here on my recruiting visit, just the atmosphere and the tradition, it was something you couldn’t get anywhere else. It was definitely something I wanted to be a part of.”
Martinez said his former head coach made all of his players the best version of themselves, and that’s what he appreciates most.
”Pitino got the best out of all of us, made us all better players,” he said.
Former Wildcat forward Jared Prickett said his head coach would never allow anything of that nature in his time at Kentucky. That’s why his situation in Louisville was so unfortunate.
“Everyone has their ups and downs in life,” he said. “But I look at that (Louisville) situation, and the way Coach communicated with us, how he was strict with us… not allowing anything of that nature at our program. It’s an unfortunate situation”
Beyond the controversy surrounding Pitino and his career trajectory, Prickett wanted to get something else off his chest about his time in Lexington.
The former Kentucky big man said if Brown hadn’t gone down with a shoulder injury and Jamal Mashburn never fouled out in crunch time, the Wildcats were moving on to the national title game. They wouldn’t have lost to Michigan’s Fab Five in the Final Four.
“We should’ve won that game,” he said. “We could’ve won it, we should’ve won it.”
@perezejames99
The results of an incredibly successful recruiting weekend are already starting to show for Kentucky football.
Elijah James, a 6-foot-4, 300-pound defensive tackle out of Iowa Western Community College, has committed to KENTUCKY!
He announced the news this afternoon on Twitter:
Excited to announce that I will be committing The University of Kentucky ??? #BBN pic.twitter.com/LbuUxuLVTj
— Eli james (@perezejames99) December 16, 2018
With his only other offers being Chattanooga and Southern Miss, James flew under the radar enough for the Kentucky coaching staff to swoop in and seal the deal on a commitment.
In 11 games this past season at Iowa Western CC, James finished with 57 tackles, 8.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles.
He is also teammates with Kentucky wide receiver commitment JaVonte Richardson.
Out of high school, James was listed as a 6-foot-4, 263-pound defensive end. As a two-star prospect, the newest wildcat was signed on to play at Central Michigan before making the move to JUCO.
Here are his sophomore highlights:
Welcome home!
Hopefully there’s more where that came from…
After battling through a knee injury his first 45 games in a Kentucky uniform, redshirt freshman Jemarl Baker finally made his college debut last Saturday against Seton Hall. He played all of one minute and accumulated zero stats, but it was a start.
This evening, John Calipari called him off the bench at the end of the game and Baker made sure to make the most of his first real opportunity as a Wildcat.
Two minutes, two shots, six points. And boy were those six points pretty.
On his first attempt, Baker came off a screen, caught the ball at the wing, and went up with zero hesitation. Quick release, beautiful follow-through, bucket. The net barely moved.
On the second, Baker caught the ball at the same spot on the wing in transition. The Utah defender closed out, Baker gave a quick jab to get him off-balanced, and lifted for the shot again. Cash.
After the game, Kentucky freshman forward Keldon Johnson said that’s exactly what the team is looking for off the bench. And he’ll be getting more minutes as a result.
“He’s a great shooter, another great shooter,” Johnson said. “We’re looking for him to score the ball, I think he’ll be getting a lot more minutes. He came in and hits shots. That’s Jemarl, he just scores the ball. Pull ups, driving to the holes, different ways.”
Was there any doubt he was going to come in and look for his shot?
“No, no doubt at all,” Johnson said. “We all knew he was going to shoot it, that’s what he does. He’s been producing in practice lately, and you all saw what he did in the game when he came in.”
Freshman point guard Immanuel Quickley said as soon as Baker came in the game, he knew he needed to get the ball in his hands. After sitting out for so long, he knew his teammate needed to knock some rust off.
“I was trying to find him, I’m looking for him wherever he is, trying to get him the ball,” Quickley said. “Whenever somebody has the hot hand, you’ve got to feed them.”
After a 12-make night from the three-point line, Quickley said it was fitting Baker could come in and make a dent in the scoring column his first time taking shots.
“Absolutely. Jemarl is my guy, I hope he can keep it going throughout the season.”
But it’s not just current teammates excited for Baker’s future. Former Wildcats Jarred Vanderbilt and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were also pretty impressed with the Kentucky sharpshooter’s performance off the bench:
Yeaaa mally Mal!!! @jemarlbakerjr https://t.co/WyGuOqKxT8
— Jarred Vanderbilt (@JVando) December 16, 2018
My G bout to shock the world?? @jemarlbakerjr https://t.co/gl68cNL6ck
— Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (@shaiglalex) December 16, 2018
“Shock the world,” eh? Sounds like both former Wildcats know something we don’t…
If Baker had such an impressive few weeks in practice, why did it take so long for Coach Cal to call his number?
“I kind of forgot those last four or five minutes that I had Jemarl because I was trying a rotation,” Calipari said after the game. “I would have put him in earlier except I forgot he was on the bench. I did.”
Fans are obviously going to be excited for Baker to get more minutes and opportunities to make shots, but Calipari wants everyone to know it’ll be a process. That being said, the Kentucky head coach is happy his redshirt freshman sharpshooter made the most of his first opportunity.
“Again you have to understand, Jemarl has practiced about two, two and a half weeks with us, in the last two years,” he said. “But, he’s practiced really well the last couple weeks, and what I’ve told him is: You’re in the game to score baskets, how about that, and he went in the game and he scored baskets and our fans went crazy and I’m happy for him.”
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Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
Tonight, Kentucky recognized the 1993 Final Four team, which was coached by Rick Pitino. Pitino didn’t attend, but tweeted his thanks to John Calipari this morning for the invitation.
Congrats 93 UK team! Proud of you guys and love the hell out of you. Thx Cal for reaching out. Much appreciated.
— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) December 15, 2018
After the game, Calipari said he hopes Kentucky fans can put their animosity for Pitino aside because what he did for the program was so important.
“He was with family and he had things going on but I said, ‘Look, you need to get up here. This will be respectful here.’ What that program did to change this back, we should recognize it. You may be mad he went to coach Louisville. So what? When he was here and we needed this program on a different track, he put it and that group, and I thanked that group last night. ‘You guys got this thing back going. You guys did.’
“I just — like I said, I’d like him to come back and let him — one of the happiest things for me is when I see how Coach [Joe B.] Hall is treated here. He’s treated like royalty. I love it when he goes out on the court. I love to see him in practice and I love how our fans treat him. My guess is back in the day they probably weren’t as friendly. But now they look at it and say, you know what? Who would have followed Adolph Rupp? Who was stupid enough to do that? He was. Won Final Fours, won national titles. Think about it.
“And now, what Rick did? Like I said, he deserves to be able to get the respect from what he did here. And I think our fans would be great. I think they’re by all that. He may not think that, but I’m convinced that if he came back, the fans would be great to him.”
If you missed it, here’s the 1993 team being recognized:
Welcome back, Wildcats, and thank you for the memories. #93reunion #WeAreUK pic.twitter.com/q3KJsXUsuJ
— Kentucky Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) December 15, 2018
And the film that played on the jumbotrons at Rupp:
The 1993 Final Four team is being honored on the @Rupp_Arena floor right now. We love these guys. They were a special group. pic.twitter.com/YUoIdzo6BP
— Kentucky Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) December 15, 2018
Big Blue Nation needed an uplifting win after the heartbreak of a week ago, and the Cats delivered with a convincing win over visiting Utah in the return to Rupp Arena.
Keldon Johnson led all scorers with 24 points on a super-efficient night from the field. UK’s prized freshman missed only one of his nine shot attempts, while going 6-of-7 from beyond the arc. He hit his first five threes.
Tyler Herro also provided plenty of scoring. Herro finished with 17 points, followed by Reid Travis with 16 and Immanuel Quickley with 12 to make four Cats in double digits.
Defensively, things looked much, much better.
Plenty more to come. Until then, digest the numbers:
Ted S. Warren/AP Photo
After the ugly and heartbreaking loss to Seton Hall last weekend at Madison Square Garden, UK returns to the hardwood at Rupp Arena for another non-conference home game. This time they will be taking on a power conference team for the first time not on a neutral floor.
ESPN2 will be in the house for the 5:00pm tip today with friend of KSR Tom Hart and the legend Jimmy Dykes on the call. There are seats available for purchase with the Wildcats facing off against Utah for the first time since the Sweet 16 in 2005. After the brutal loss, today is good time to get healthy for John Calipari’s squad before huge games against North Carolina to end the month of December.
Nuts and Bolts
A very long time ago, Utah established itself as a force on the hardwood. The Utes won their only national championship in 1944 and were led by two head coaches that won over 300 games from 1927-71. This was a program that was one of the best on the west coast and they had a established a true winning tradition. After a few up and down years, Rick Majerus took over in 1990-91 and gave the Utes their third coach to reach 300-plus wins.
The sweater wearing head coach known for his funny jokes won 323 games at Utah and over 500 in his career. He was considered one of the best strategists in all of college basketball. Under his watch, Utah went to four Sweet 16s and were one win away from the national title in 1998, but you know what happened on that night in San Antonio.
After a bit of a rough run without Majerus, Utah tuned to New Jersey Nets assistant Larry Krystkowiak. The former NBA power forward and Montana head coach quickly brought the Utes to prominence in the Pac-12. The former head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks had two losing seasons to start off in Salt Lake City, but it’s been very strong since. The Utes have made either the NIT or NCAA Tournament each of the last five seasons highlighted by a Sweet 16 appearance in 2015.
Today will be the 12th meeting between the two programs with Kentucky owning a 9-2 series lead. UK has won seven in a row in the series including six games in the NCAA Tournament from 1993-2005. The Utes just could not avoid the Big Blue for about a decade. Rick Majerus, Keith Van Horn, Michael Doleac, Andre Miller, and Andrew Bogut all could never beat the Wildcats.
Out in the desert, Kentucky is currently a 14.5 point favorite with a total of 146.5. That’s a projected final score of 80.5-66. On the season, UK is 3-6 against the spread while Utah is 2-6. The Utes are 0-3 against the spread as an underdog this season.
Backcourt Breakdown
The leading scorer for the Utes is found in the backcourt in senior Sedrick Barefield. The Corona, California native started his career at SMU before making to the move to Salt Lake City and this season he’s putting up 14 points per outing. The point guard is heavily involved in the team’s offense and is a very effective three-point shooter.
The Utes are very thin in the backcourt after Barefield and it’s not hard to tell. The only other guard to receive at least 20 minutes per game is Parker Van Dyke. The Utah native is a very good three-point threat, but he’s eighth on the team in scoring. There’s not much there on the perimeter.
On the wing, freshman Both Gach is fourth on the team in minutes and has been an effective floor spacer. Larry Krystkowiak has been fishing for answers this season with nine different players receiving starts in eight games.
Frontcourt Breakdown
After impressing as a true freshman, Donnie Tillman has emerged into a primary playmaker for the Utes. The 6-foot-7 and 225-pound big is the only other player outside of Sedrick Barefield to average double-digits this season. He leads the squad in rebounding and is a really solid overall player.
The Utes play a handful of bigs, but freshman Riley Battin may be the most dangerous. The stretch four from California is knocking in treys at a .400 clip and provides the offense some much needed spacing.
Overall, the Utes are fishing for answers in the paint. There is not a rim protector on the roster and offensively Utah has a lot of different pieces to use.
Keys to Victory
- On the defensive end of the floor, Utah has really struggled all season long. This should be a get right game for UK’s offense. Look for the Wildcats to get Reid Travis and P.J. Washington going early in the paint. After that, Ashton Hagans must be aggressive on offense to create some open looks for UK’s shooters from three.
- The Utes have been a good three-point shooting team to start the season and the only way they stay in this game is if they get hot from deep. We all know the Wildcats have struggled to defend on the perimeter and that three-point defense will be challenged once again.
- The Utes rank 349th in the country in steal percentage and they’ve been one of the worst defenses in Division I in forcing turnovers. Due to this, Kentucky should be getting some extra possessions and scoring should come much easier. Keep an eye on whether UK is being sloppy with the ball or not. If they turn it over at a high rate its likely going to be due to self-inflicted wounds.
It’s been a rough week for the Kentucky basketball team.
Last Saturday the Wildcats lost an up-and-down overtime thriller to Seton Hall at Madison Square Garden. The problems magnified in that performance seemed minuscule when point guard Quade Green announced on Wednesday that he’s leaving the team. Now the backcourt is missing its most-experienced player and top three-point shooter.
Adversity is striking this team much quicker than anticipated. Today we’ll find out if it forces them to rise to the occasion, or will they resort back to bad habits against an average PAC-12 foe?
John Calipari has talked about tweaking UK’s offense multiple times this week. Along with a new backcourt rotation, today could be the beginning of UK’s turnaround, or another early-season slog at Rupp Arena. The action begins at 5:00 on ESPN2.
Vegas Line
Despite last Saturday’s loss, the Wildcats are 14.5-point favorites over the 4-4 Utes.
Prepare on the KSR Pregame Show
Before the Cats tip-off at Rupp Arena, listen to the KSR crew preview the matchup between the Cats and the Utes. All of the action begins on 630 WLAP or online at 2:30.
$15 Student Tickets Available
Don’t have tickets to this afternoon’s game? No problem. Beginning at 3:30, the Rupp Arena box office will be selling unclaimed student tickets for only $15. Bring cash and watch from Rupp’s lower level. It doesn’t get much easier than that.
How to Watch and Listen
Friend of the program, Tom Hart, will be on the call for ESPN2 with Jimmy Dykes. If you’re stuck on the road and can’t watch, there are multiple ways to listen to The Voice of the Wildcats.
- AM: 840 WHAS, 630 WLAP
- FM: 98.1 WBUL
- Satellite: XM-190 and Sirius-94
- Online: iHeart Radio
1993 Final Four Reunion
This weekend is the 25th anniversary celebration of the 1993 Final Four team. During halftime members of Pitino’s first Final Four team will be honored at half-court. It’s a wonderful time to take a trip down memory lane. Even if you weren’t around to remember, the Maui Invitational created an excellent KSR inside joke.
Win $5,000 in The KSBar Hammer Bowl Challenge
The beginning of bowl season this afternoon also marks your first chance to enter KSBar’s $5,000 Hammer Bowl Challenge. Arrive at the bar before kickoff, predict the game and the person closest to the final score will be a finalist for the grand prize. It’s that simple. Here’s who’s on tap today:
- 1:30: Tulane vs. Louisiana-Lafayette in the Cure Bowl on CBSSN
- 2:00: Utah State vs. North Texas in the New Mexico Bowl on ESPN
- 3:30: Arizona State vs. #21 Fresno State in the Vegas Bowl on ABC
- 5:30: Georgia Southern vs. Eastern Michigan in the Camellia Bowl on ESPN
- 9:00: Middle Tennessee vs. App. State in the New Orleans Bowl on ESPN
On top of the bowl games, we also have our first Saturday of NFL football. The Jets host the Texans at 4:30, followed by the Browns at the Broncos at 8:20. Each game will be on the NFL Network.
UK Hoops Returns to Memorial
The Kentucky women’s basketball team is back in action to start a five-game home stand at Memorial Coliseum. If you want to watch the Cats take on the Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee State, admission is free for every fan who brings a toy to donate. Tip-off is set for 1:00 pm.
Benny to the NFL
As expected, Benny Snell’s time at the University of Kentucky is coming to an end. The running back announced yesterday he will play one more game as a Kentucky Wildcat. “I want to go out like I came in, with my brothers,” Snell said.
Official Visitors
Kentucky is hosting about ten official visitors on campus for the final big football recruiting weekend before signing day. Four-star cornerback Jammie Robinson’s mother appears to be enjoying her time with Matt House.
@JammieRobinson6
Another uncommitted four-star recruit, wide receiver Devonta Lee (pictured right), is much bigger than I thought. He’s only a high school senior, yet he’s built like an SEC linebacker. Sheesh.
@Iam_maniiii
College Basketball on TV
Kentucky does not interfere with a pair of marquee matchups that bookend the Saturday slate.
- Noon: #17 Villanova at #1 Kansas on ESPN
- Noon: #3 Tennessee at Memphis on ESPN2
- 1:30: Notre Dame vs. Purdue on CBS
- 3:45: Butler vs. #25 Indiana on CBS
- 6:00: #20 Arizona State at Georgia on the SEC Network
- 7:00: #4 Gonzaga at #12 North Carolina on ESPN2
- 8:30: Cincinnati at #18 Miss. State on SEC Network
Cage Match!
Tony Vanetti’s rivalry with Shannon the Dude made its way into an OVW cage. Before the 49-year old’s match, the live TV feed was disrupted. The only available evidence shows Vanetti absolutely taking it to Adam Revolver. The old man’s still got it. If I were Shannon, I’d be worried.
Look at @tonyvanetti out there Doing Work @ovwrestling Love It! @RingsidePodcast pic.twitter.com/IdBUSMO56D
— Daniel Spencer (@DanielSpencer) December 15, 2018
Congrats Graduates!
Today Rupp will be packed with thousands of basketball fans. Yesterday it was packed with hundreds of graduates. Completing that journey is not easy. To all those who finally made that walk, Congrats! You made it. You’re in good company.
UK will have 13 graduates on its Citrus Bowl roster (@UKFootball).
I’ll never forget hearing a story back in the summer of 2016 about an incoming freshman that must have had a few screws loose. It was the only explanation for his actions on the practice field, in the weight room, and while studying film.
“There’s one new running back on the team, this kid is crazy,” one individual within the Kentucky football program told me at the time. “We tease him for it, but something feels off. He’s just different.”
He’d break tackles and yell at the upperclassmen for not being able to take him down. He’d sprint an additional thirty yards after the play had been blown dead. Even with multiple defenders snagging and yanking at him, he’d keep trekking.
He took practice “too seriously.”
All young players want to make a name for themselves, make a dent in the rotation from the minute they first put on a uniform. No one wants to sit the bench, and they especially don’t want to hear the phrases “it’s a process” or “your time will come.” Whether they actually admit it or not, they want that time to be right now.
Snell didn’t accept the waiting game, even with a talented stable of running backs ahead of him on the depth chart in Boom Williams, Jojo Kemp, Mikel Horton, and Sihiem King. He understood they all wanted (and deserved) touches, he just set out to prove he wanted it more.
During post-practice media sessions, Benny Snell was always one of the first names brought up when the inevitable “instant-impact freshmen” question would arise. Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops, offensive coordinator Eddie Gran, and various players mentioned him by name on numerous occasions.
“He’s really trying to make a move (up the depth chart),” Gran said in August of 2016, praising Snell’s work ethic not only on the field, but while studying the playbook and watching film.
Just three games into his college football career, the legend of Benny Snell Jr. was born.
On just 17 touches, the Kentucky freshman accumulated 136 yards and four touchdowns to help give Kentucky their first victory of the season. He became just the fifth player in program history to finish with four scores in a single game, tying the all-time record.
“I was finally glad I got my opportunity, so I just made the most of it. It was amazing. Amazing,” Snell said after his record-setting performance. “As soon as I got my chance, you know I just tried to go as hard as I could.”
It was just the first of many records we’d see Snell shatter over the course of his three-year career at Kentucky.
He’d go on to break the all-time touchdown record at Kentucky with 46 total scores, single-season scoring record with 116 points (2017), and single-season touchdown record with 19 (2017). He has also added 18 career 100-yard games, which is tied for school record.
This season, the Kentucky star running back became just the second player in SEC history to rush for at least 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns in his first three season. Only Herschel Walker has accomplished that feat. He is also tied for third in SEC history in career rushing touchdowns, behind just Tim Tebow (57) and Walker (49).
With 3,729 career yards, Snell needs just 107 in the Citrus Bowl to break Sonny Collins’ all-time rushing record at Kentucky. He’s had that record circled since he first arrived on campus.
Today, that “crazy” freshman announced he would be suiting up in a Kentucky uniform one last time, making the decision to put his name in the NFL Draft. It was expected (and encouraged), as we’ve been preparing for this moment since he started shattering records his freshman season.
But I’ll be damned if my heart didn’t sink watching his announcement video.
Remember me 4 what I am…#SnellYeah pic.twitter.com/716p4aN0jX
— Mr SNELL YA LATER?? (@benny_snell) December 14, 2018
Numbers and records aside, Snell brought something else to the table in his time at Kentucky that couldn’t be counted in any boxscore.
When Mark Stoops first signed on to coach at Kentucky back in 2012, he promised to bring a winning culture to Lexington. He had coaches, players, recruits, and fans shouting “Why not Kentucky?” at the top of their lungs.
Stoops laid the winning foundation down with superb coaching, recruiting, and developing, and Snell took it a step further by breaking the national barrier. As a no-name three-star prospect with a chip on his shoulder the size of a mountain, Snell was a product of the “us against the world” mentality. The national media took it and ran with it, using the Wildcat junior in countless features aired and published week after week.
For the average college football viewer, Kentucky quickly became a fan-favorite, and Snell was the anchor of it all. He had all the entertaining interviews, head-turning quotes, and that contagious smile fans couldn’t help but fall for.
Benny Snell was the final product of that “Why not Kentucky?” mindset. He helped make Kentucky football “cool” again, all while watching the wins stack higher and higher.
With Snell in the backfield, the Wildcats managed to win 23 of 36 games and reach bowl eligibility in three consecutive seasons. He could help make it 24 on January 1 with Kentucky’s first bowl victory since 2009.
In each of those 36 games, it didn’t matter if everyone in the stadium knew Benny was going to get the ball, fans just knew he could make something happen with it. He could have three defenders make contact with him at the line of scrimmage, you just knew he was going to find a way to get the first down. At the goal line, you just knew he would find his way into the end zone, regardless of the scenario.
With the ball in Benny’s hands, the Big Blue Nation felt Kentucky had a chance to win the game, no matter the opponent. That’s a mindset we haven’t seen in decades.
And as heartbreaking as it may be, that journey is coming to a close here in a little over two weeks.
Kentucky fans have one more opportunity to watch Benny Snell in a Kentucky uniform. One more time to see the hurdles, the stiff arms, and the touchdowns. One more time to see him (somehow) find the television cameras in the middle of a game.
You’ll likely even witness one final broken record, and it’ll be the biggest of all. Already considered the greatest running back in Kentucky football history, he’ll have the official rushing record in his back pocket to erase any doubt.
We already knew it would be the last time we’d see Josh Allen, Mike Edwards, CJ Conrad, Bunchy Stallings, and the rest of the Kentucky seniors in blue and white. That in itself is tough.
Now that we know we only have one more opportunity to see Benny Snell suit up as a Kentucky Wildcat? The pressure is on for the Big Blue Nation to return the favor.
For all the blood, sweat, and tears we’ve seen this special group of football players put in over the last three to four years, the favor must be returned by painting Camping World Stadium Kentucky blue on New Year’s Day.
If anyone deserves to go out with a bang, it’s Benny and his Cats.
The weekend before signing day has traditionally been the Kentucky football program’s marquee recruiting event. As the rules changed, so has the event, but there are still plenty of talented recruits in Lexington for official visits.
This weekend KSR expects about ten 2019 recruits to be on campus. Before the early signing period was adopted in 2017, at least ten commitments would wait to take their official visit on the final weekend of the recruiting calendar year. Since signing day has moved up, the official visits have as well.
“We have more kids on campus for in-season games and that’s always good and bad,” Mark Stoops said last week. “It’s nice to be able to fly parents in and the prospects in and spend time with them and see the game day atmosphere and be around here. That’s good, but it’s tough on us coaches also because our attention is on winning that game until the game is over.”
Even though the majority of the 2019 class already elected to officially visit for a game day, Stoops will still see quite a few commitments this weekend.
Three committed players from the state of Florida will be in Lexington for official visits — offensive tackle Jake Pope, wide receiver DeMarcus Harris and quarterback Nik Scalzo. Before hopping on a flight to Lexington, the rehabbing quarterback hosted his coaches for an in-home visit earlier this week.
Great home visit on Tuesday! OV this weekend! Look out for a couple key commits this weekend??????? #BBN pic.twitter.com/kmy4EnbC67
— Nik Scalzo (@NikScalzo) December 14, 2018
Scalzo will not be the only quarterback in town. Fresh off a six-touchdown state championship performance, Amani Gilmore will officially visit UK with his four-star teammate, Devonta Lee. A Top 100 wide receiver, Kentucky will use an early playing time pitch to try to persuade him from leaving his home state. LSU is the perceived favorite for Lee. He’ll officially visit Baton Rouge in January before signing in February.
Lee is one of three uncommitted prospects expected to officially visit this weekend. The other two are cornerbacks, Jammie Robinson and Taj Dodson. Dodson is a three-star prospect from Georgia with offers from Baylor, Iowa State, Ole Miss and others. Robinson is the four-star target who wore UK gloves during his state championship victory at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. South Carolina is UK’s top competition; Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee and Michigan are also in the mix.
Vince Marrow’s top task at hand is keeping Cavon Butler in the fold. The Toledo defensive tackle has been committed to Kentucky since August, but Ohio State has tried to change that. Butler visited Columbus a few times, including an official visit for the blowout of Michigan. However, the talented interior defensive lineman has remained loyal. Kentucky can seal the deal this weekend before he puts pen to paper in a signing ceremony on Wednesday.
Two other UK commits from Georgia, Travis Tisdale and KD McDaniel, could also make the trip for an official visit. As of now that remains unclear. It is clear that this weekend could take Kentucky’s class to another level. We’ll find out shortly if Stoops, Marrow and Co. can create last-minute momentum before December 19.
As expected, Quade Green was a big topic of today’s media opportunity. John Calipari said he met with Quade and his family early this week and encouraged the sophomore to stay two more games to make sure he wanted to follow through with his decision to transfer, but Quade felt his time at Kentucky was over.
“He just felt that he was in a situation he didn’t see that he could come back from. I met with the kid, he’s a great kid. I met with mom and dad and mom was crying. It is disappointing for me when young people want to leave but he’ll be treated the same way [as others who have left].”
“It was a talk. We were in there for a little while. He hugged me and said, ‘I love you, Coach.’ I said, ‘I love you, too.’ It’s just different here. I even told him, ‘Why don’t you stay two weeks and play two games and if you want to leave, leave. Why would you do this right now?’ He said, Coach, I’m just — I just feel…I said, ‘Okay.’ I told the team, this isn’t, I’m not [saying], ‘You’re leaving?! Get out of here!’ It’s not how we do it here. This is about them. It’s not about me and the program that way. This is about each individual guy when it comes time for a decision like that.”
“I would tell our fans, be positive, be upbeat with him,” Cal added. “You think of all the kids that have left here that we’ve stayed in touch with. I told he and his family, ‘I’m going to be here for you, but this next choice you make is probably bigger than the last choice. You’ve gotta think it through and how you want to play.'”
@iam_maniiii
With the loss of Danny Clark to a transfer, Kentucky currently has just three scholarship quarterbacks entering the Citrus Bowl. This position was essential to address in the class of 2019. Mark Stoops and his offensive staff casted a wide net and entered the state of Louisiana to scoop an under the radar prospect.
The slender 6-foot-2 and 200-pound lefty committed to UK shortly after the program’s upset win over Mississippi State and had a very successful senior season. After a high school trans for sidelined him during his junior season, the dual-threat quarterback led Amite High to a 14-1 record and a state championship. In the final game, Amani Gilmore stole the show with six total touchdowns.
He’s not just a football player, though. The Louisiana native is considered a legit MLB prospect and he plans on pitching for Nick Mingione’s squad while he is on campus.
On the football field, Gilmore is a very raw prospect but he fits the mold of UK’s last two starting quarterbacks. He has established a winning pedigree, can make plays with his legs, and throws a very good deep ball. It’s not crazy to think that he could become the program’s next QB1 after a couple years in the UK program.
Film Breakdown
We should start off with the obvious and that is the athleticism that Amani Gilmore brings to the table. The multi-sport star is a longstrider who can quickly pick up yards in a short amount of steps. Even in sloppy conditions he can be a threat in the quarterback run game.
Here Gilmore is used on a read option played similar to what UK has used in the past. The athletic quarterback makes the correct read and quickly gets north/south to big up a chunk play. He breaks a tackle in the middle of the field and then gets outside for the big gain. He doesn’t have that straight line speed that UK currently has with Terry Wilson, but he can still be a productive runner at the FBS level when used correctly.
Now let’s get to some throws. In any offense in the SEC, at times you’re going to ask your quarterback to make some throws in some tight windows. The middle of the field can be dark and full of terror, but sometimes you just have to trust your arm and pull the pin.
In the state title game, Amani Gilmore hits his target behind the linebackers dropping in coverage and just between the safeties. You must have courage to be a quarterback and that just doesn’t mean being able to stand in and take in a hit. A good quarterback must be able to trust your talent to make a precise throw to beat solid defenses.
Oh, yeah. He can throw it deep.
Player Expectations
Amani Gilmore only has one other Power Five offer other than Kentucky, but it’s important to remember that this is a special circumstance. The two-sport star did not fully participate in the camp circuit due to playing baseball and he sat out his junior season due to transferring high schools.
He is definitely a raw quarterback prospect and needs a couple years of seasoning, but it’s clear he has some very intriguing tools. The lefty is an above average athlete for the position who can spray the ball all over the field. He’s an effective thrower when on the move and he led his high school to its first state championship since 2004.
When you look at UK’s last two starting quarterbacks, they share some of the same attributes that Amani Gilmore brings to the table. They were all true dual-threats, had potential as a vertical passer, and a competitive nature. Except with Gilmore Kentucky’s staff will have him under their roof for a couple seasons instead of a junior college.
The Louisiana native needs to put on some strength and weight in addition to proving that he can withstand pressure in his face. There’s also the baseball aspect that could take away from his development during spring ball. Either way, he’s a long-term project who could easily be starting games as soon as his redshirt sophomore season.
It’s official, folks. Josh Allen is a consensus All-American.
Kentucky just announced that Allen is one of eight players who were unanimous choices at their specific positions by the five organizations used in the consensus chart — American Football Coaches Association, Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News and Walter Camp Foundation. He was also named a First Team All-American by Sports Illustrated, TheAthletic.com, ESPN, College Football News, USA Today, CBS, and Athlon.
Allen is Kentucky’s first consensus All-American since wide receiver/kick returner Derek Abney in 2002 and the first unanimous selection since defensive lineman Art Still in 1977.
Kentucky’s Consensus All-Americans
- 1950 Bob Gain, T
- Babe Parilli, QB
- 1951 Babe Parilli, QB
- 1956 Lou Michaels, T
- 1957 Lou Michaels, T
- 1965 Sam Ball, T
- 1977 * Art Still, DE
- 1998 Tim Couch, QB
- 1999 James Whalen, TE
- 2002 Derek Abney, AP/KR
- 2018 * Josh Allen, LB
Beginning in 1924, unanimous selections are indicated by (*).
In addition to his All-American honors, Allen won three national defensive player of the year awards: the Bronko Nagurski Award, the Chuck Bednarik Award, and the Ronnie Lott IMPACT Trophy. He was also named Birmingham Monday Morning Quarterback Club SEC Lineman of the Year and SEC Defensive Player of the Year (AP, Coaches, Athlon, ESPN).
Allen holds the Kentucky record for career sacks (28.5) and single-season sacks (14) and tied Danny Trevathan’s record for forced fumbles (11). He also leads the SEC in sacks, tackles for loss (18.5) and forced fumbles (5) and has a team-high 84 tackles.
I can’t wait for you to tell your grandkids about him someday.