kentuckybasketball
Who will play point guard for Kentucky in Mark Pope’s first season in Lexington? He’s got two solid options: Lamont Butler, one of the best perimeter defenders in college basketball with a game-winner in the Final Four under his belt, and Kerr Kriisa, who knocked down 42.9 percent of his threes on 6.3 attempts per game in 2023-24 while averaging 4.7 assists per contest. It just depends on what you’re looking for, maybe who else you have out on the floor at any given time to load up on defense, shooting or playmaking. Reading between the lines, though, it appears the nod may go to the San Diego...
On3
I’m sure you know this by now, but it’s blistering hot outside. Scorching. Brutal. Where I sit currently in beautiful Shelbyville, KY, it’s 80 degrees with a high of 93 peaking in the early afternoon. And it’s like that just about everywhere, coming off the official first day of summer on Thursday, June 20 — the longest day of the year. We’re entering the dog days of summer, folks, where recruiting and offseason practices take over with Kentucky football and basketball seasons three and four months away, baseball sadly in the rearview mirror. Today is a good example of that, a mixed bag of wha...
On3
Mark Pope has done his best to bridge the gap between generations of Kentucky basketball history since taking over as head coach, most notably by bringing back dozens of legends across every era from Adolph Rupp to John Calipari for his introductory press conference. The 1996 national championship squad has been all in from day one, obviously, as have the likes of Jack “Goose” Givens, Rex Chapman and Richie Farmer, among a long list of others. Shoot, Pope single-handedly brought Rick Pitino back from villain territory, Big Blue Nation ready to welcome back the Hall of Fame coach with open arms...
On3
John Wall has made it clear he won’t be picking sides between John Calipari and Kentucky following their offseason breakup, staying loyal to both. He’s driven that point time and time again, now bringing Mark Pope on as a guest on his podcast to talk about his start in Lexington and the start of practice at the Joe Craft Center. Part of the conversation? Wall telling Pope he would be an ally moving forward, hanging around the program and helping out when needed, making it clear he was always a phone call away. “I’m definitely going to come to games, for sure. You know that,” the Kentucky legen...
On3
It’s hard to come up with a better list of finalists than what Koby Brea put together out of the transfer portal — an all-blue-blood group of Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and UConn. That caliber of interest tends to flock when you’re the best 3-point shooter in college basketball, knocking down 49.8 percent of his threes on 6.1 attempts per game. With the best of the best calling, it was Mark Pope and the Wildcats ultimately pulling off the win, giving Kentucky its marksman for 2024-25. And his new head coach was over the moon once pen hit paper. “By the numbers, Koby Brea is the mos...
On3
If my head is spinning after a single day in Lexington on Saturday, I can’t imagine how Mark Pope, his staff and the players are feeling going into the week — certainly with practice starting Monday. Kentucky‘s Father/Son Camp got rolling on Friday before wrapping up on Saturday at the Joe Craft Center. From there, the Wildcats made their way to Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park for Club Blue‘s NEW ERA event, the first meet-and-greet with the team exclusive to subscribers. Then they all woke up Sunday and returned to the Craft Center for the Father/Daughter Camp, that starting in the mo...
On3
There was a love-hate relationship between Kentucky fans and the NBA under John Calipari, certainly by the end of his 15-year run in Lexington. When things were rolling, Big Blue Nation loved watching Wildcat stars ‘succeed and proceed’ to the league, turning those brilliant one-and-done memories into career-long support. Things got tricky, though, when the NBA factory kept churning forward as postseason success stalled. Was it more important to count draft picks and pro salaries or hang banners? It’s fun to do both, not so much when there’s a heavy emphasis on the former and none on the latte...
On3
Goose Givens, Kyle Macy and Rick Robey know a thing or two about Kentucky basketball and what it takes to win a national championship. They came together in 1978 to do just that — and they’ve got a limited edition bottle of bourbon to honor that special run, releasing the 78 Legends blend of 5-year and 50-year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Only 1978 bottles have been produced and are on sale now, each dipped in Kentucky blue wax and signed by the legendary trio. With KSR at J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery in Frankfort on Tuesday, Givens, Macy and Robey stopped by to talk about their limited ...
On3
Mark Pope is Big Blue Nation and Big Blue Nation is Mark Pope. Not in the sense that his voice matters more than the average fan or that he gets to speak on their behalf, obviously. What Kentucky‘s new head coach wants to make clear, though, is how you feel about the Wildcats and the day-to-day operation in Lexington is how he feels. This stuff eats him up just like it does for you — recruiting, transfers, coaching decisions, wins and losses, all of it. Everything that is important to you as a diehard fan is important to him. “I am BBN — well, that may sound wrong. When I said that, I was like...
On3
They’re here and they’re beautiful, your first Kentucky basketball practice highlights of the summer — and of the Mark Pope era in general. Monday marked day one of on-court instruction allowed by the NCAA, a period that includes four hours per week for eight weeks ahead of the fall semester and regular season. All 12 Wildcats were in attendance, the latest being Drexel transfer Amari Williams, who arrived on Saturday morning to round out the group. Now, it’s about putting the pieces together and seeing just how special this team can be in Pope’s debut season with the Wildcats. “I want to see ...
On3
閲覧を続けるには、ノアドット株式会社が「プライバシーポリシー」に定める「アクセスデータ」を取得することを含む「nor.利用規約」に同意する必要があります。
「これは何?」という方はこちら