KSR Today: Basketball visitors, another chance for the Bat 'Cats
Good morning, folks! The Kentucky Bat ‘Cats squandered a chance to take down Indiana and move on in the Lexington Regional on Saturday, and instead, Nick Mingione’s squad will hit the Kentucky Proud Park field again this afternoon in hopes of staving off elimination.
In front of a record crowd of 6,094 fans last night, Kentucky took a 3-1 advantage into the seventh inning, but four unanswered runs from the Hoosiers ultimately spelled doom for the Wildcats. Peter Serruto blasted the go-ahead, three-run homer for Indiana that knocked UK out of the winner’s bracket and into a win-or-stay-home setting that will begin in just a couple of hours.
Kentucky will take on the West Virginia Mountaineers at noon EST on ESPNU. If the ‘Cats win, they’ll take on Indiana again this afternoon in a rematch at 6:00 p.m. on ESPN+. If Kentucky can win again, they’ll have a chance to win the Regional in the final on Monday. A shot at the Super Regionals is on the line.
KSR baseball beat writer Daniel Hager has a full preview of the matchup against WVU that you can read here. While we wait, make sure to watch last night’s Rapid Reaction to the heart-breaking loss against Indiana.
A pair of basketball visitors
At this stage in the offseason, John Calipari’s group for the 2023-24 season could desperately use some additional bodies, especially with a trip to Canada scheduled for mid-July where the ‘Cats will represent Team USA. Help could be on the way as a pair of three-star high school prospects will visit UK this coming week.
Linton (IN) Stockton guard Joey Hart was the first name to surface on Saturday night. Stadium’s Jeff Goodman is reporting that the three-point specialist will be in Lexington next week for a visit. A former Central Florida commit, Hart signed with the Knights in November but was given a release in May. He has good size at 6-foot-5 and can light up the basket. Kentucky should be considered a frontrunner. That being said, Hart is ranked as the No. 268 overall prospect from the class of 2023 by the On3 Industry Ranking.
Shortly after Hart’s name was brought up, Travis Branham of 247 Sports reported that former Ole Miss signee Jordan Burks, who was released from his NLI following a coaching change, will join Hart in Lexington sometime this week. Burks, a 6-foot-9 small forward from Hillcrest Prep (AL), had offers from DePaul, Mississippi State, and Xavier before committing to Ole Miss. He’s ranked No. 172 overall in the ’23 class per the On3 Industry Ranking.
Admittedly, adding a pair of three-star freshmen (which would make up a seven-man incoming freshman class) isn’t going to bolster Kentucky into title contention, but Calipari still might have a trick or two up his sleeve. The hope will remain to keep Antonio Reeves in Lexington while also adding a veteran transfer piece or two. The Big Blue Nation has no other choice but to hope that’s the case.
Devin Leary tosses first pitch to Vince Marrow
At Saturday’s Milwaukee Brewers vs. Cincinnati Reds game at Great American Park, two Wildcats made the drive up I-75 to participate in some pregame activities. Kentucky quarterback Devin Leary delivered the first pitch to Kentucky tight ends coach Vince Marrow.
The Big Dog even took a big bow after reeling in the pitch.
Sticking with the football program, today marks the beginning of Kentucky’s June camp opportunities, which run through June 14. This afternoon is the “Sunday Showcase Camp” where plenty of high school prospects will come to Lexington in hopes of standing out amongst the rest. There are usually some ranked recruits that make these trips, too. With that in mind, keep an eye on the site and KSBoard to stay up to date on the latest camp happenings.
Game 2 of the NBA Finals is tonight
After Game 1 of the NBA Finals saw Jamal Murray explode for 18 points in the first half and cruise past the Miami Heat 104-93, Game 2 on Sunday night will hope for a more competitive outcome.
Murray and two-time MVP Nikola Jokic were terrific for the top-seeded Nuggets on Thursday, with the latter posting his ninth triple-double of the postseason thus far. Murray was his usual acrobatic-scoring self, finishing with 26 points, six rebounds, and 10 assists as Denver trailed for just 34 seconds all game and led by as many as 24. Bam Adebayo was much improved from his Eastern Conference Finals battle against the Boston Celtics, adding 26 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists for Miami, but he did need 25 shots to reach that number. He’ll need more help from Jimmy Butler and Co. moving forward to have a chance in this series.
Reinforcements could be right around the corner for the Heat though, as shooting guard Tyler Herro could return to action for Game 2. He’s been sidelined since mid-April after suffering a broken shooting hand but is trending toward a potential comeback as soon as Sunday night. Miami sure could use the added scoring.
Game 2 is set for an 8:00 p.m. EST tip-time tonight on ABC.
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