KSR Today: Dontaie Allen transfers, NCAA Tournament chaos

March Madness continues with or without Kentucky, with an impressive slate of games taking over Thursday evening, followed by four more strong matchups on Friday night. As for the Wildcats, they’ve already begun juggling roster news preparing for next season, with a fan-favorite being the first to depart.

Let’s jump into today’s headlines, shall we?

Dontaie Allen enters transfer portal

Pendleton County’s finest Dontaie Allen will explore his transfer options, officially putting his name in the portal Thursday morning.

It was a decision many expected, with the redshirt sophomore saying goodbye and expressing gratitude for the opportunity to play for his dream school.

“Wow. This journey has been like no other,” Allen said. “I can’t thank Big Blue Nation enough for embracing me unconditionally through the highs and lows. A kid from Kentucky given an unbelievable opportunity to play for his dream school. This wouldn’t feel right without thanking all of my coaches, brothers, the trainers, the staff, Big Blue Nation, and everyone who made my last three years so special. Lexington, Kentucky will forever be home.

“After much thought and consideration, I have decided to put my name into the transfer portal.”

Allen ends his career averaging 3.9 points and 1.4 rebounds per contest in two seasons in Lexington. This season, the 6-foot-6 guard averaged just 2.2 points and 1.2 rebounds per game, shooting 29.4% from the field and 18.9% from three in 19 games played.

Who could land the in-state product? Sources tell KSR that Louisville, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, Virginia, Cincinnati, Xavier, NKU and Western Kentucky are among the early schools to express interest in Allen. Over 30 schools in total, ranging from Power 5 programs to mid-majors have all reached out.

“Calls haven’t stopped coming in,” one source told KSR.

Allen is the second roster domino to fall this offseason, with the first being Daimion Collins’ reported return to Kentucky for a sophomore campaign.

Here are some dates to keep track of as Kentucky builds its roster for the 2022-23 season:

• April 24: NBA Early Entry Deadline
• May 1: Transfer Portal deadline (Date by which players must tell their school they’re leaving)
• May 16-22: NBA Draft Combine
• June 1: NCAA “Stay or Go” Deadline
• June 23: 2022 NBA Draft

Keep up with KSR’s 2022-23 Roster Tracker to find out who’s staying and who’s going.

Gonzaga, Arizona fall in Sweet 16

It was a night of upsets in the NCAA Tournament, with both participating No. 1 seeds falling in the Sweet 16. No. 4 Arkansas got things rolling by taking down No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga, giving the SEC one team in the Elite Eight. From there, No. 5 Houston took down No. 1 Arizona.

No. 3 Texas Tech gave No. 2 Duke its best shot, leading the Blue Devils by two with just 3:15 to go. Clutch buckets and free-throws, though, pushed Mike Krzyzewski’s squad through to the Elite Eight down the stretch.

The complete results for night one of the Sweet 16:

• No. 2 Villanova def. No. 11 Michigan 63-55
• No. 4 Arkansas def. No. 1 Gonzaga 74-68
• No. 2 Duke def. No. 3 Texas Tech 78-73
• No. 5 Houston def. No. 1 Arizona 72-60

Tonight’s schedule:

• No. 3 Purdue vs. No. 15 Saint Peter’s – 7:09 p.m. ET (CBS)
• No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 4 Providence – 7:29 p.m. ET (TBS)
• No. 4 UCLA vs. No. 8 North Carolina – 9:39 p.m. ET (CBS)
• No. 10 Miami (Fla.) vs. No. 11 Iowa State – 9:59 p.m. ET (TBS)

An updated look at the bracket following last night’s results:

Eli Manning is enemy No. 1

What does a two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback do in his free time during retirement? Become an internet troll, of course.

With No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s upsetting Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and later advancing to the Sweet 16, Manning made it clear he’s a longtime fan of the Peacocks. Definitely didn’t just hear of the team’s existence on Selection Sunday two weeks ago.

“What? I have been cheering for Saint Peter’s for years,” he wrote. “They are my local New Jersey basketball team. Go Peacocks!!”

What? I have been cheering for Saint Peter’s for years. They are my local New Jersey basketball team. Go Peacocks!! pic.twitter.com/lHrGPgW9NL

— Eli Manning (@EliManning) March 24, 2022

Ugh.

Spring Practice rolls on for UK Football

Basketball season may be over for the Wildcats, but Spring Football continues through April 14, with Kentucky hitting the practice field on Thursday.

Mark Stoops got things rolling by confirming Vito Tisdale’s season-ending knee injury, followed by Brad White, Jacquez Jones, Justin Rogers and Tyrell Ajian all taking the podium.

In case you missed yesterday’s interviews, you can find those below:

Kentucky is off Friday before returning to practice on Saturday, where Stoops and select players will speak to the media in the early afternoon. After typical Tuesday and Thursday practices, the program will then host its annual Pro Day at 9 a.m. ET on Friday, April 1.

Need some in-person football action in your life? Look no further than Kentucky’s Blue/White Spring Game, which will take place Saturday, April 9 at 1 p.m. ET at Kroger Field. The scrimmage will also be televised on SEC Network +.

UK Athletics’ Friday schedule

• Women’s tennis vs. No. 47 Vanderbilt – 12 p.m. ET (UK Athletics)
• Men’s tennis vs. No. 41 Vanderbilt – 6 p.m. ET (UK Athletics)
• Softball vs. No. 18 Auburn – 6 p.m. ET (SEC Network +)
• Baseball vs. Georgia – 6:30 p.m. ET (SEC Network +, UK Sports Network)

KSR in an hour

Matt Jones and the gang will be back from 10 a.m. to noon ET to break down all things Kentucky (along with other craziness, most likely). Be sure to tune in.