KSR Today: Can Kentucky Fans Catch Their Breath?
Phew. That was something else. Did you catch everything that happened on Wednesday? I’m worn out from all of the Kentucky basketball and football news.
Ever had one of those days where you forget to eat? That was one of those crazy days at the KSR compound with multiple commitments flying off the shelves. By the day’s end, Mark Pope had nine players on next year’s Kentucky basketball roster, while Mark Stoops and Vince Marrow celebrated one of its most significant additions to date. Let’s dive in.
Kentucky Basketball Adds Two from the Transfer Portal
The Big Blue Nation was ready for one piece of news. Little did we know there would be two Kentucky basketball booms on Wednesday.
Dayton transfer Koby Brea got the party started when the sharpshooter announced his commitment to the Cats following an official visit. One of the best three-point shooters in college basketball, a year ago he made 100 of 201 attempts to earn Sixth Man of the Year honors in the Atlantic-10.
Many may have counted their Brea ducks before they hatched. Very few people knew who Kerr Kriisa was until he announced his commitment to Kentucky. The Estonian sensation started his career at Arizona. He transferred to West Virginia last offseason and shot a career-best 42.4% from three on 6.3 attempts per game.
Kriisa is injecting some experience, and plenty of character, into this Kentucky basketball team. How many other college basketball players have picked a fight with Luka Doncic? Exactly.
A Look at Pope’s Roster as of Today
Want to know more about the new additions? We got a breakdown of Brea and Kriisa in the KSR Film Room and Jack shares what the two new additions mean for the Wildcats’ roster in the 4-Point Play.
Kentucky Football Receives Surprise Commitment
Michigan was the overwhelming favorite to land Marquise Davis, and the Wolverine buzz was growing even louder over the last few weeks. The top 200 tailback pulled an abrupt about-face and committed to Kentucky on Wednesday.
A recruiting coup for Vince Marrow, Davis is the highest-ranked running back to commit to Kentucky in the Mark Stoops era. It’s the latest big-time win over Michigan in the two schools’ ongoing recruiting battle and it may be a springboard for a HUGE summer. Predictions are rolling in for the Cats to stay hot. We talked about all the developments during a new edition of 11 Personnel.
Transfer Portal Closes
The chaos appears to have come to a close. The deadline for grad transfers to enter the portal was midnight, May 1. It’s now closed to new entries, but both football and basketball programs can still pursue new players until the summer semester begins. A few late, noteworthy developments.
— The biggest fish in college basketball’s transfer portal is going to Arkansas. Johnell Davis will team up with John Calipari in Fayetteville.
— Veteran Illinois big man Coleman Hawkins is leaving Champaign with a Do Not Contact tag.
— Kentucky missed out on UCLA QB Collin Schlee, but they recruited Gavin Wimsatt in high school. The Owensboro native entered the transfer portal and he may want to move closer to home after he was beat out for the starting position at Rutgers. Just some food for thought.
— Academic issues were a snag in the recruitment of Peny Boone. He was able to find a landing spot in a talented UCF backfield.
Happy Thurby!
For many, Kentucky Derby weekend starts today. As prices for the weekend slate rise, Thurby provides a more palatable experience for locals to enjoy the finer side of the track while staying on a budget. Horse racing fans will be treated to sunny skies and temps nearly touching the 90s. Thurby’s 12-race card features three stakes races and begins at 12:45 pm EST.
Derby coverage ramps up this afternoon with a few new video features rolling out that I think you’ll enjoy. I’ll be sharing a few of my best bets tomorrow morning and my entire two-day tip sheet on KSR+. Happy Derby!
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