KSR GAMEDAY: Kentucky hosts Oklahoma in late-night SEC matchup

Good morning, folks! It’s Gameday once again for Mark Pope‘s Kentucky Wildcats. Tonight’s opponent? The Oklahoma Sooners (9:00 p.m. ET | ESPN2).

Kentucky is coming off an emotional road win against John Calipari and Arkansas. That game was preceded by a 25-point blowout loss to Vanderbilt in Nashville, which was preceded by a five-game SEC winning streak. At this point, it’s anyone’s guess as to which Kentucky team will show up this evening in Rupp Arena, but we’ll be hoping the corner has finally been turned (for good). Especially with this game being the lone Quad 3 opportunity remaining on the schedule, this is one the ‘Cats can’t afford to lose.

They’ll be highly favored to win, though. Kentucky is a 9.5-point favorite as of this morning, per BetMGM, with the point total set at 153.5. Both KenPom (81-71 UK) and BartTorvik (80-72 UK) predict a comfortable victory for the ‘Cats. Oklahoma has dropped eight straight games after opening conference play with a win over Ole Miss. Head coach Porter Moser, on the hot seat once again, desperately needs a win.

For Otega Oweh, who spent his first two college seasons at Oklahoma under Moser, this matchup is a bit more personal. Remember when he hit not one, but two game-winners against the Sooners a season ago? While we’ll be hoping Kentucky doesn’t need another heroic moment from Oweh tonight, we will also hope he continues his scoring trend. He’s scored 20 or more points in seven of nine SEC games this season, averaging 20.2 points per contest during that stretch.

This will mark just the sixth-ever showdown between the Wildcats and Sooners. Kentucky is a perfect 5-0 so far. A win tonight sets up a huge matchup on Saturday between UK and Tennessee, which has not dropped a game since losing to the ‘Cats back on Jan. 17.

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Baseball/Softball Media Day in the books

Tuesday was Media Day for the Kentucky baseball and softball programs. Baseball coach Nick Mingione is entering year 10 in charge and is coming off its third straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Meanwhile, softball coach Rachel Lawson is coming into year 19, having made the tournament in 16 of those seasons. She’ll look to lead Kentucky to its first NCAA Super Regional since 2021 this spring.

But expectations are especially high for the Bat Cats going into 2026, led by sophomore preseason All-American Tyler Bell at shortstop. Mingione should have an experienced pitching staff, along with plenty of talented newcomers on this year’s roster. Some national polls even have UK ranked among the top 25.

Softball will start its season with a trip to California this weekend for the San Diego State Season Kickoff, where the ‘Cats will play five games in three days between Friday and Sunday. The Bat Cats will begin their season the following Friday (Feb. 13) on the road for a three-game series against UNC Greensboro. If you can’t wait until then to get your fix, check out KSR’s new baseball podcast, Pump It Up, featuring Adam Luckett and Derek Terry.

Some football updates to chew on

These aren’t anything major, but we have a couple of minor football recruiting updates to discuss on what is technically National Signing Day.

For starters, Will Stein and Co. were able to flip 2026 running back Isaiah Jackson from Louisville. The Rockcastle County product will join Kentucky as a walk-on, reports Jacob Polacheck of KSR+. Since Jackson spent seven years as a foster child, he receives free in-state tuition from the state, which is why he will have walk-on status at Kentucky despite being a three-star prospect. Welcome to the good side, Isaiah.

Elsewhere, a former Alabama commit plans to officially visit Kentucky in April. 2027 four-star interior offensive lineman Jatori Williams (6-5, 320) will also visit Georgia in May and Miami (FL) in June. He backed off his commitment to the Crimson Tide in December and is now being hunted by top programs. Williams cut down his list of top schools to nine on Tuesday, seven of them being from the SEC, including UK.

Jason Hart went to watch Tyran Stokes last night

Kentucky is still pushing for top-ranked 2026 recruit Tyran Stokes. Assistant coach Jason Hart was in Seattle last night to watch Stokes drop 63 points on Senior Night. UK is looking to regain the ground it previously lost after being the perceived leader for Stokes, who has officially visited USC, Oregon, Kentucky, Kansas, and Louisville. The Jayhawks have been trending as the frontrunner as of late, but Hart is looking to keep the ‘Cats in the mix.

Top WBB recruit visiting on Thursday

Sara Okeke, the top uncommitted prospect in the 2026 recruiting class, will be visiting Kentucky for the Vanderbilt game on Thursday, according to KSR’s Phoenix Stevens. While not currently ranked as an international prospect, Okeke is hearing from the likes of UConn, South Carolina, LSU, Tennessee, and more. She was named MVP of the 2025 FIBA U18 EuroBasket Championship, averaging 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game for Spain. Oh, and she can dunk, too.

She’d make for a nice addition to Kenny Brooks‘ 2026 class, which already features a trio of McDonald’s All-Americans.

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