Saturday Headlines: Assignment No. 9 for Kentucky Basketball

This will fire you up on a Saturday morning.

Good morning, BBN!

The Kentucky Wildcats’ summer practice highlights are here, and while the on-court action is electric, the real story is what’s hanging above it.

The championship banners inside the Joe Craft Center have been replaced with fresh ones showing all eight titles: ’48, ’49, ’51, ’58, ’78, ’96, ’98, and ’12. But right beside 2012 is a new one: “#9. The Assignment.”

Mark Pope hasn’t shied away from expectations. “We failed at our job last year,” he admitted of a season that still included a Sweet 16 and eight top-15 wins. His message? Kentucky’s standard hasn’t changed.

“I’m not going to be the guy who comes to Kentucky and somehow lowers the expectations,” Pope told KSR. “We’re trying to win this whole thing.”

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There’s also a noticeable change in color — the court now features a more denim-toned blue. Gritty and symbolic of the hard work ahead.

The highlights feature Denzel Aberdeen diving for loose balls, sharp shooting from Williams, Hawthorne, and Chandler, and powerful dunks from Oweh, Noah, Garrison, and Dioubate.

The huddle breaks on one word: “Family.”

One week down, seven to go. The pursuit of banner No. 9 is officially underway.

Can we go ahead and fast-forward to basketball season?