I’m currently 35,000 feet in the air flying back from San Diego to Cincinnati with a 1.5-hour drive back to Shelbyville waiting for me when I land – something like a midnight home arrival. I’ve got a few more hours to kill, so I’m doing this now to hate myself a little less in the morning when I’m usually scheduled to write the Friday AM post. Call it a Thursday evening post you won’t be reading until Friday morning. I’ll be honest, I couldn’t be more disconnected with the latest happenings around UK Athletics LLC or whatever it’s called now, staying off the website, message boards and social media as much as possible over the last eight days while I took my wife and 18-month-old across the country. Thank goodness, too, because postseason transitioning to portal season left me needing a cigarette and I don’t even smoke. My tank was past empty, left pushing the vehicle down the shoulder desperate for a gas station, the next one seemingly miles away. I could’ve chosen something more relaxing than a pair of four-hour flights with a toddler and (very) pregnant wife with 50.6 miles of walking for a daily average of 6.32 miles – thanks, Apple Fitness – but I balanced the San Diego Zoo, Safari Park, SeaWorld and Knott’s Berry Farm marathons with plenty of tacos and margaritas to eat and drink like one should on vacation. As hectic as it was, we got the much-needed mental reset we were looking for going in (even if I now need to pick up a few DoorDash shifts to cover life as a California tourist for the week).
As for what really matters, I counted three strong “Go Cats” comments from fellow Big Blue Nation members at various spots. When I wasn’t celebrating with my people, I made sure to spread the good word by rocking Kentucky blue every day and at every stop. You would be very proud.
Back to the grind we go, though, so let this morning post serve as a catch-up opportunity to share a few thoughts on the things I missed while I was gone.
Travis Perry out, Reece Potter in
I left when the Lyon King was scheduling visits and meeting with coaches as a new portal free agent, Ole Miss quickly emerging as the heavy favorite to land his commitment. Others pushed, namely Maryland, Vanderbilt and Missouri, just to name a few, but Chris Beard — who openly praised Perry all season long as a ‘baller’ and ‘a guy I will always cheer for’ — was rewarded with his signature on May 4.
Just a day later, Mark Pope replaced him with a fellow Kentuckian, but of the 7-foot-1 variety. Reece Potter, a finalist for Mr. Kentucky Basketball and the 11th Region Player of the Year in 2023, became scholarship piece No. 13 on May 5 before putting pen to paper with the Cats on Thursday.
“Reece Potter is a Lexington Catholic legend,” Pope said. “He is a lengthy big who has a unique combination of mobility and skill. Reece can really pass, shoot and protect the rim and fits into what we do exceptionally well. Most importantly, he truly understands what it means to wear the Kentucky jersey.”
Pope said he was ‘scouring the planet’ for options to close out the roster, making it clear he needed to add ‘a couple more pieces.’ There is one — and he didn’t have to go far to find him as a native of Lexington. He checks some boxes, too, shooting 39.8 percent from three over two seasons while adding length and depth with two years of eligibility left. It’s a kid you won’t have to worry about as a locker room distraction, growing up as a diehard Kentucky fan and getting the opportunity to live out his dream of being a Wildcat on his own timeline. It’ll be easy to root for a group that includes Potter, Trent Noah, Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno.
No-risk signing for the Cats with plenty of long-term upside. Exactly what the doctor ordered.
Purdue, St. John’s and Louisville officially scheduled
What a run it was for scheduling news while I was out. Good grief, could it have been more hectic? We first learned Kentucky would host Purdue in an exhibition matchup inside Rupp Arena to tip off the season, setting up a battle of top-10 programs and potential title contenders for fun. No pretending to care about a 70-point blowout against NAIA competition, but some real meat to chew on as we figure out just how good the Cats can be in Pope’s second year. There were several big-time preseason exhibitions last year (and all of the stupid ‘secret scrimmages’ before that), but now, UK is joining the fun and I’m over the moon about it.
Then came the next mic drop, Kentucky finally getting that 30th anniversary game scheduled vs. Rick Pitino — just a little different than we all expected. The thought was that UK would host St. John’s in Lexington as part of a home-and-home, allowing for the ’96 championship team to come to town for an alumni weekend of sorts. Instead, the Johnnies replaced UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic, matching up with the Cats in their event debut in Atlanta on December 20.
“I think we should give the Johnnies and all of BBN the greatest Christmas gift ever, on Dec. 20 in Catlanta. What do you say?” Pope told Pitino in a social media teaser.
A very Merry Christmas, indeed.
How will it work when Pitino retires and St. John’s slips back into irrelevance? I’m not sure, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. For now, we celebrate what all of us have wanted since Pope first took the job. The next task: bring those denim uniforms.
And then to wrap up the chaos, an update on the Louisville matchup — one that fans hated, including me. What are we doing? November 11? On a Tuesday? It’s the earliest the game will ever be played, and during the week, no less. There is no rivalry more passionate in college sports (don’t get me started on the we-play-twelve-times-a-year-and-think-people-care nonsense with Duke vs. UNC) and it’s being treated as a season appetizer during football season not the freaking holiday entree it deserves to be. Especially after seeing the juice last year’s game brought to both fanbases with Pope vs. Kelsey Vol. 1 and the offseason portal awards Cards fans have been giving themselves (they can put them right next to that ‘higher than Kentucky in the AP Poll entering March Madness’ banner they’ll hang at the Chum bucket).
We’ll make the most of it and it’s a part of an awesome non-conference schedule, but frustration there is totally fair.
Time to take over Freedom Hall again
Speaking of those offseason wins for Louisville, they got another one they’ll gloat about until the end of time — this time in The Basketball Tournament.
No, not for the game itself (we all remember how that went last year). They did, however, sell 4K tickets more quickly than Big Blue Nation to win Home Court Advantage this summer, ensuring The Ville will host La Familia once again in the quarterfinals, just as they did when the former Cats kicked their ass in front of 14,506 fans at Freedom Hall last July.
It’s disappointing we won’t see that rivalry battle take place inside Historic Memorial Coliseum, but then again, there’s nothing like beating your enemy on their home floor. We’ll give them the win this time (it only makes sense when their presale started several days before BBN could buy tickets) only to make the win down I-64W that much sweeter.
What the hell, Celtics?
Now for one final rant before calling it a day. I’d typically tweet through my emotions or complain on KSBoard, but like I said, I tried going for an online detox while I was out. That led to me watching my Celtics choke away not one, but two overwhelming second-half leads in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Knicks in silence (well, other than my wife and toddler hearing it all in person). What an absolute disgrace it is to watch a team with so much talent expect an opponent in the freaking playoffs to just roll over and die, firing away bricks at a historic rate while letting an overwhelming lead slip away NOT SCORING A SINGLE BUCKET IN THE FINAL EIGHT MINUTES. Pathetic. Embarrassing. Horrific.
It’s the most expensive roster in the history of basketball and they’re playing like a bunch of losers. Figure it out.
An American Pope!
For the first time in history, an American has been elected as pope, Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago taking over as Pope Leo XIV to replace the late Pope Francis. Pretty cool, right? I watched Conclave on the plane so now consider myself an expert on the process and how it all works. He’s a Wildcat, too — he went to Villanova — so I suppose we can be fans. Apparently he likes the Bears and White Sox while also being a fan of tennis. The last guy was a BBN member thanks to our friend Father Jim Sichko, so maybe we can get Pope Leo a Mark Pope jersey?
Get your flight booked, Father Jim.
Well, that’s all for now. Hopefully the next week gives us just as much to talk and write about now that I’ve got two feet down in the Bluegrass State. Happy Friday, folks, and enjoy the start of your weekend. Go Cats.
The post KSR Today: Catching up after a week in San Diego appeared first on On3.