KSR Today: Mark Pope, Hardley Gilmore, and Kentucky WBB

Good morning, folks! The new year is off and rolling, which means SEC basketball is right around the corner. Conference play actually begins tonight for the Kentucky women’s basketball team while the men will have to wait until Saturday. But head coach Mark Pope will first talk with the media later today to preview what’s in store this weekend in Lexington.

And what would that be, you might ask? A top 10 showdown inside Rupp Arena against an undefeated Florida team ranked No. 6 in the country. The Pope era is off to a better-than-expected start with an 11-2 record and a couple of marquee wins. UK cruised past Brown earlier this week in the final tune-up ahead of what is expected to be a hellacious and loaded SEC. We’ll be learning a lot about this team’s NCAA Tournament potential in the coming weeks, starting with the Gators.

Tipoff against Florida on Saturday has an unusually early 11:00 a.m. EST start time on ESPN. I’m very excited (and equally nervous) to see what this group can do. Now, let’s dive into the rest of this morning’s news and notes.

Hardley Gilmore off to Lincoln

Talented true freshman wide receiver Hardley Gilmore surprisingly entered his name into the transfer portal less than a week ago. There appeared to be a true divide on whether or not we would pull his name from the portal and return to UK or continue to look elsewhere. Until it was revealed last night that he was following in the footsteps of another Kentucky pass-catcher and transferring to Nebraska.

Gilmore will join Dane Key in Lincoln under wide receivers coach Daikiel Shorts, who we know was working in the same position at UK this past season before taking the job at Nebraska after the 4-8 finish. Gilmore only appeared in five games after suffering a broken collarbone in the preseason, managing six receptions, 153 yards, and one touchdown when on the field. But his potential (he came to UK as a 17-year-old freshman) is what hurts the most to lose.

Kentucky WBB hosts Mississippi State in SEC opener

The first SEC game of the Kenny Brooks era is set for tonight. No. 16 Kentucky women’s basketball (11-1) will play host to the Mississippi State Bulldogs (13-1) inside Memorial Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. EST on the SEC Network+. Kentucky has yet to lose a home game this season (8-0), but MSU will be a threat to end that streak.

Kentucky has won four straight since losing on the road to North Carolina by 19 points nearly a month ago. Most recently, UK took down Western Kentucky behind 21 points and 12 rebounds from Clara Strack and 21 points and nine assists from Georgia Amoore. Mississippi State will trot out a familiar face as former Kentucky guard Eniya Russell transferred to Starkville during the offseason. She’s the Bulldogs’ second-leading scorer at 13.4 points per game.

We’ll have a full preview of this matchup on the website later this morning. While you wait, check out KSR’s takeaways from Kentucky’s 11-1 non-conference stretch. We’ve also got a fresh episode of Memorial Memo in your podcast feed that is a must-listen going into SEC play.

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Kentucky showing interest in international pro

Pope has mentioned in the past that Kentucky could get involved with international prospects if they were the right fit. One of those potential prospects popped on the radar yesterday.

According to On3’s Joe Tipton, the Wildcats are one of over a dozen schools that have expressed interest in three-year professional guard Or Ashkenazi out of Israel. The 6-foot-5, 21-year-old, who currently plays in the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is reportedly considering a move to the college ranks. Auburn, Kansas State, Ohio State, Rutgers, and others have also reached out.

Ashkenazi’s stats from his three years as a professional don’t jump off the page, but he was at least semi-productive in 2023-24 with 4.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 steals in 24.1 minutes per outing. Will Kentucky end up making a serious push?

Will the Sugar Bowl happen today?

A deadly attack in New Orleans earlier this week has left over a dozen people dead and plenty more injured. The College Football Playoff’s Sugar Bowl between No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 2 Georgia was originally scheduled for last night, but the tragedy forced game officials to push the game back at least for a day.

As of right now, the Sugar Bowl is still on track for a 4:00 p.m. EST kickoff on ESPN in the Caesars Superdome. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill told Lester Holt of NBC News yesterday that she would like to see the game moved back one more day to Friday. But she ultimately does not have the final say. Barring a last-minute change, the Fighting Irish and Bulldogs will fight for a spot in the CFP semifinals this evening. The winner faces Penn State in the Orange Bowl next week.

Wednesday’s CFP results

• No. 8 Ohio State 41, No. 1 Oregon 21 | Rose Bowl
• No. 5 Texas 39, No. 4 Arizona State 31 (OT) | Peach Bowl

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