KSR Today: Kellan Grady joins the show

Good morning, folks! Today is Kellan Grady Day on the radio, as the Kentucky sharpshooter will hit the airwaves during this morning’s edition of KSR to talk shop with the guys. Grady is actually holding an autograph signing set for Friday from 6:00-7:30 p.m. EST at a fine local establishment by the name of KSBar and Grille. In case you missed it, Grady made an appearance on Kentucky Roll Call Wednesday morning.

After you listen to Grady talk again today, make sure to pop into KSBar for some wings. Now without further ado, let’s dive into the news and notes you need to get your Thursday started.

Dontaie Allen to WKU

Dontaie Allen is going from Wildcats to Hilltoppers.

After entering the transfer portal on March 24, the Kentucky redshirt sophomore announced on Wednesday that he will be committing to Western Kentucky. Allen ends his Kentucky 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.

Your playing small does not serve the World ‼️ #committed pic.twitter.com/yxA1SC8ZS1

— Dontaie A11en (@dontaieallen11) April 13, 2022

LOTS of basketball recruiting news

Not one, but two high-profile targets will make a trip to Lexington this weekend for a visit to check out Kentucky: five-star class of 2022 wing Leonard Miller and Illinois State wing transfer Antonio Reeves.

Starting with Leonard, the No. 11 prospect in the latest On3 Player Rankings will take an official visit to UK this weekend, he tells Rivals’ Travis Graf. The visit comes after meeting with the G League Ignite on Wednesday. The Ontario native exploded onto the scene as a senior, averaging 32 points per game at Fort Erie International Academy to lead the Grind Session and Canada in scoring. The lefty wing was then invited to the Nike Hoop Summit last weekend, finishing with 11 points on 4-9 shooting and 2-4 from three to go with five rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and one steal in 18 minutes for Team World.

As for Reeves, Kentucky first made contact with the 6-foot-6 rising senior back in March, joining the likes of Texas Tech, Ohio State, UNC, Alabama, Wisconsin, Xavier, LSU, BYU, Memphis, Missouri, Georgetown, and UConn to reach out. He then took an official visit to Nebraska earlier this month. Chin Coleman’s connection to Chicago is one to keep an eye on, as the UK assistant was the head coach for the Mac Irvin Fire (Nike EYBL) from 2005-11. Reeves played at Chicago’s Simeon High School as a three-star recruit before spending his first three college seasons with the Redbirds.

But the recruiting news doesn’t stop there. Five-star class of 2023 forward Ron Holland has finally begun to hear from Kentucky, he told On3 on Wednesday. Members of the UK coaching staff, including head coach John Calipari, sat in to watch Holland perform over the weekend for Drive Nation (EYBL) down in Orlando. Holland dropped 22 points on 10-13 shooting to go along with eight rebounds, two assists, and four steals on Friday in front of UK assistants. He put up averages of 14.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.2 steals over the four-game event.

It would also appear that Calipari has extended an offer to a high school sophomore, which is unusual for the Hall of Fame coach. Amier Ali, the No. 23 overall player in the class of 2024, reportedly picked up a scholarship opportunity from the ‘Cats following an impressive early stretch of AAU ball. Playing up a year for the U17 squad, Ali helped lead Houston Hoops (EYBL) to a 2-2 record this past weekend in Orlando. He averaged 15.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per contest while shooting over 41 percent from distance across those four outings. Additionally, Ali was a participant in the 2021 USA Men’s U16 National Team training camp.

But wait! There’s more!

According to Travis Branham of 247 Sports, Kentucky is once again reaching out to class of 2023 five-star point guard Robert Dillingham. UK was once considered one of the favorites to land the 6-foot-1 lead guard before he went with N.C. State back in December. But he has since reopened his recruitment and Kentucky, along with Arkansas and Southern California, have made recent contact.

PJ Washington, Keldon Johnson knocked out of Play-In

Two former Kentucky Wildcats saw their postseasons come to an end before they could truly begin on Wednesday night. PJ Washington’s Charlotte Hornets were decimated by the Atlanta Hawks while Keldon Johnson’s San Antonio Spurs couldn’t muster up enough offense down the stretch against the New Orleans Pelicans. As a result, both Washington and Johnson will begin their summers early.

Washington finished with 17 points, six rebounds, and two blocks on 7-10 (3-5 3PT) shooting for Charlotte in a 132-103 loss to Atlanta. The Hawks will now advance to play the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday for the final Eastern Conference Playoff spot. Out west, Johnson posted 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists for San Antonio, but did so on 6-20 shooting, including an 0-5 mark from distance. New Orleans cruised to a 113-103 victory and will now take on the Los Angeles Clippers this Friday for the final Western Conference Playoff seed.

Bat ‘Cats kick off series against Mizzou

Kentucky Baseball (20-13; 4-8) hits the road this weekend for an important series against the Missouri Tigers (19-11; 3-9). If the Wildcats want to stay alive in the SEC East, taking at least two of these three games against a lesser opponent will be critical. There’s a bit of a clog in the middle of the standings right now, with UK just one game back of Florida and Vanderbilt.

Taking on Mizzou is a perfect opportunity to gain some ground. Game one is one ESPNU, as well, so make sure to tune in later tonight.

WEEKEND DETAILS
Thursday, April 14 at Missouri
     8 p.m. ET; Taylor Stadium (Columbia, Mo.)
     TV: ESPNU; Radio: UK Sports Network
 
Thursday, April 15 at Missouri
     7 p.m. ET; Taylor Stadium (Columbia, Mo.)
     TV: SECN+; Radio: UK Sports Network
 
Saturday, April 16 at Missouri
     2 p.m. ET; Taylor Stadium (Columbia, Mo.)
     TV: SEC Network; Radio: UK Sports Network

Make sure you’re following KSR’s Eric Decker (@Edecker17) for updates throughout the season.

North Carolina will be good again in 2022-23

Hubert Davis’ Tar Heels shouldn’t see much of a dropoff following a surprise run to the NCAA Tournament title game earlier this month. 6-foot-10 big man Armando Bacot announced on Wednesday that he’s returning to North Carolina for a senior season where he will surely garner plenty of preseason award attention. Throughout the 2021-22 season, he averaged 16.1 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per outing while shooting 56.9 percent from the floor. Bacot was the engine behind UNC’s spectacular postseason stretch.

Neal Brown has his QB

One-time Kentucky offensive coordinator Neal Brown went out and snagged a former Georgia Bulldog to run the show this season. JT Daniels, one of the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal, announced on Wednesday that he would leave Athens and transfer to West Virginia. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound gunslinger went 7-0 during his career at Georgia after spending the 2018 and 2019 seasons at Southern California. Injuries marred his 2021 campaign before superstar walk-on Stetson Bennett IV came in and took control, eventually leading Georgia to a national championship.

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That’s all the news and notes I’ve got for you this morning. Remember to tune into the radio show in an hour to hear from Matt Jones and Kellan Grady.