KSR Today: The Big Blue Bahamas Tour is in full swing

Good morning, folks! It feels odd waking up on a random day in the middle of August talking about Kentucky basketball, but we certainly aren’t upset about it. The Wildcats obliterated the Dominican Republic National Select Team on Wednesday night down in the Bahamas, securing a dominating 108-56 victory in what was UK’s preseason debut — a couple of months ahead of Big Blue Madness.

The matchup marked the first of four contests for Kentucky this week at the Big Blue Bahamas Tour. Next up is Tec de Monterrey (Mexico) later tonight followed by two more games on Saturday and Sunday to close out the event. The scuttlebutt is the Dominican Republic squad might have been the biggest challenge for the ‘Cats this week. If that’s the case, fans could be in for an exciting stretch of hoops.

Now let’s dive right into a recap of last night’s dub, along with everything else you need to know to start your day off on the right foot.

Kentucky shines in preseason debut

Even though the game won’t count in the official record books, Kentucky sure did give the Big Blue Nation plenty to look forward to this upcoming season. A 52-point win will always have a fan base buzzing, no matter who the competition is.

Associate head coach Orlando Antigua took over head coaching responsibilities in place of John Calipari for the preseason opener. Of the 10 players who played significant minutes under Antigua, nine of them finished with at least six points while six of them registered double-figures.

Antigua rolled out a lineup that not many might have expected, but it’s something fans should get used to over the coming days. Calipari plans to shake up the starting lineup beginning with every half in order to do some experimenting. Kentucky went with Sahvir Wheeler, Antonio Reeves, Daimion Collins, Jacob Toppin, and Oscar Tshiebwe to begin the game against the Dominican Republic.

Who do we think gets the starting call on Thursday night?

As for the actual game, it was an all-around effort for Kentucky, with several players taking control of the spotlight throughout the night. After a (brief) rough opening stretch, freshmen Chris Livingston and Cason Wallace began to light it up. Livingston went for 11 points, eight rebounds, and three assists on 4-7 shooting (3-4 from distance) while Wallace added 15 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two blocks on 6-13 shooting.

Tshiebwe, the reigning National Player of the Year, finished with 17 points and six rebounds on 8-11 shooting in his 22 minutes of action. Collins and Toppin also stuffed the stat sheet, but it was their highlight plays that stole the entire show.

Put on a dunk show then @CollinsDaimion 💥#BigBlueBahamas pic.twitter.com/A3Uy9XPVrL

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) August 11, 2022

JACOB. TOPPIN.

that's the tweet. pic.twitter.com/zKuY3Ypohi

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) August 11, 2022

Only CJ Fredrick, who is on a minutes restriction and ramping back up to full strength, failed to score. Wheeler contributed six points and four assists. He was forced to the locker room in the first half after bumping knees with an opponent but would return after halftime.

As a team, Kentucky shot 57 percent from the field and an efficient 11-26 from deep (42 percent) while turning the ball over just five times. The offense was grooving all night, but it was the defense that shined. UK forced the Dominican Republic into 18 turnovers (resulting in 30 fastbreak points) and a 33 percent overall mark from the field.

Next up for the ‘Cats will be a matchup against Tec de Monterrey (Mexico) on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. EST on the SEC Network. Kentucky will also play on Saturday (Carleton University) and Sunday (Bahamas National Select Team) before heading back home to Lexington.

While you wait for tonight’s game, make sure to stay up-to-date on everything that went down on Wednesday. We’ve also got postgame interviews below from the KSR YouTube page for your viewing pleasure.

• Dunks and blocks lead Kentucky to big exhibition win
• That guy sitting next to John Calipari had a midgame wardrobe change
• Antonio Reeves Immediately Shows Off Range in Bahamas Win
• Postgame notes and stats from Kentucky’s exhibition win over Dominican Republic
• Daimion Collins looking comfortable as sophomore season begins
• Takeaways from Kentucky’s Game 1 in the Bahamas vs. Dominican Republic Select
• An inside look at a John Calipari-coached practice at Kentucky

Highlights! Come get your highlights!

Postgame interviews with Coach O and players

Orlando Antigua

Daimion Collins

Chris Livingston

Adou Thiero

Kentucky football practice recap

Ahead of the basketball ‘Cats taking the floor on Wednesday night, the football ‘Cats held another offseason practice that same morning before speaking with the media. We heard from defensive coordinator Brad White in addition to a trio of players in Tre’Vonn Rybka, Jordan Wright, and Kahlil Saunders.

Check those out below.

DC Brad White

Tre’Vonn Rybka

Jordan Wright

Kahlil Saunders

North Laurel one win from LLWS

A school from Kentucky is on the brink of representing the Great Lakes Region at the 2022 Little League World Series. London’s North Laurel All-Stars narrowly escaped West Side (OH) on Wednesday by a final score of 1-0, putting them just one win away from advancing out of the region tournament and into the LLWS.

Incredible. The North Laurel All-Stars from London beat Ohio 1-0 to stay alive. They will face Indiana in the Great Lakes title game tomorrow night.

— Alex Walker (@AlexWalkerTV) August 10, 2022

North Laurel will take on Hagerstown (IN) in the Great Lakes Championship on Thursday at 4 p.m. on ESPN2. Hagerstown previously beat North Laurel 3-1 on Tuesday, but the Bluegrass State representatives will have a shot at revenge this afternoon.

If North Laurel wins, we’re sending Ryan Lemond back to Williamsport.

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That’s all the news and notes I have for you this morning. We’ve got Matt Jones and the crew hitting the radio waves in an hour. See you then!