KSR Gameday: Kentucky Basketball Finale at Florida after Upset Friday for UK Athletics

Wow, what a big weekend around the Big Blue Nation. John Calipari’s Kentucky basketball team will wrap up the regular season this afternoon at Florida. A win in Gainesville could cap off an incredible weekend for UK Athletics, highlighted by enormous Friday night of upsets over Top 25 teams across UK Athletics.

Kentucky Regular Season Finale at Florida

It’s been a wonderful ride for the Wildcats this year. Today the BBN gets to enjoy John Calipari’s team one more time prior to what will hopefully be an entertaining and eventful postseason run. Kentucky could certainly use some late-season momentum, but a win will not come easily.

Florida is playing desperate this afternoon at the O’Dome. Sitting firmly on the bubble, Joe Lunardi has the Gators among his next four out. A win today would go a long way to securing an NCAA Tournament bid on Selection Sunday. A desperate team is a dangerous team. Will the Wildcats be ready? We’ll find out in a few hours.

TV, Radio Info

Kentucky will close out the regular season on CBS with Brad Nessler and Clark Kellogg on the call. Tip-off is set for 2 pm ET. If you can’t watch it, you can listen in a variety of ways:

• AM: 840 WHAS, 630 WLAP
• FM: 98.1 WBUL
• Satellite: XM 84, Sirius 84, SXM App: 84
• Online: iHeart Radio

The KSR Pregame Show with Matt, Ryan and Drew will begin at 11:30 am ET on 630 WLAP and iHeart Radio. Can’t wait around any longer? You can also hear some basketball chatter with Jack Pilgrim on Sources Say.

Vegas, KenPom Prediction

Kentucky is a 5-point favorite over Florida with a total of 142.5. The Wildcats covered a 10-point spread in the previous matchup with the Gators at Rupp Arena. Florida has covered the spread in three of its last four games. KenPom predicts a 75-69 Kentucky victory, while ESPN’s BPI gives the Cats a 71% chance to win.

Kyra Elzy’s Cats Keep Winning

The Kentucky women’s basketball team is ON FIRE. The Wildcats blitzed No. 6 LSU from start to finish, routing the Tigers 78-63 in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals. All-American Rhyne Howard brought her A-game, knocking down 6-of-8 threes to score 32 points and propel Kentucky to its eighth straight victory. Dre’Unna Edwards had a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double while Treasure Hunt chipped in 13 points. The Wildcats celebrated with one big griddy, but they don’t have too much time to enjoy the win. They’ll face Tennessee tonight at 7:30 pm ET in the SEC Tournament semifinal on ESPNU.

Kim Mulkey Lost Her Mind

Unhinged much? Even though she’s at a new school, nothing has changed for the animated head coach with an effusive personality. That’s the most polite way I can describe Ms. Mulkey.

LSU’s Kim Mulkey just went full blown rage on that official.

I’d take the side exit if I was that referee pic.twitter.com/6BhURGOwb0

— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) March 5, 2022

ANOTHER Upset of LSU

If you thought Mulkey was mad in Nashville, you should’ve seen the fans in Baton Rouge at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. The fifth-ranked LSU gymnastics team was narrowly upset 197.500-197.450 by No. 10 Kentucky, who posted the fourth-highest score in UK history. The key to victory was on the uneven bars, where the Wildcats posted a 49.500, a new program record.

Big Win for the Bat Cats

Hosting the No. 8 team in the country, Nick Mingione’s Wildcats delivered, defeating TCU 13-11 Friday night at Kentucky Proud Park. Kentucky made all of the right moves in crunch time. Tied with a full count in the eighth, the Cats’ Alonzo Rubalcaba hit a dribbler to second. Daniel Harris IV made an excellent break from third base, sliding into home to beat the throw and give UK the lead for good. Now 9-1, the Wildcats will try to continue their best start in a decade when the first pitch of game two is thrown today at 1 pm ET.

Top 25 Kentucky Softball Win

The tenth-ranked Kentucky softball team went 2-0 Friday. Kennedy Sullivan’s three-run home run powered the Wildcats past Drake for a 10-5 victory. In the nightcap of the John Cropp Classic, Miranda Stoddard blasted a grand slam to overwhelm No. 19 Michigan, giving Kentucky a 9-2 win. They’ll wrap up the tournament in Lexington today at 3 pm ET against Kent State.

Kentucky Schools in the OVC Championship

The first team to punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament will be from the state of Kentucky. Johni Broom’s double-double lifted three-seed Morehead State to a 53-51 upset victory over Belmont to advance to the OVC Tournament Championship. No. 22 Murray State has spent most of the 2022 calendar year in the top 25. A dominant mid-major, they can eliminate the Selection Committee from their postseason equation with a win tonight in the Racers’ final game in the Ohio Valley Conference. Tip-off is at 7:30 pm ET on ESPN2.

NFL Combine Continues

Wan’Dale Robinson set the tone Thursday night and the Wildcats just keep crushing it in Indianapolis. Saturday evening Marquan McCall and Josh Paschal will take their turn in drills at Lucas Oil Stadium. It’s a moment Paschal has been preparing for since he was 5-years-old.

Josh Paschal has been preparing to hear his name called in the NFL Draft since he was 5-years-old. pic.twitter.com/OdcVgwFMyq

— Nick Roush (@RoushKSR) March 4, 2022

DJ Wagner is a Baller

Don’t believe me? Just watch.

DJ Wagner dropped 33 tonight in Camden’s 50 point playoff win 😳🔥 pic.twitter.com/W7JPBPMd5i

— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) March 5, 2022