KSR Today: Mark Stoops, Kentucky Baseball's home opener, Oklahoma preview

Tuesdays are usually busy around these parts as we prepare for a Kentucky Basketball game. This week, the Cats are playing on Wednesday again, so we’ve got an extra day to get ready for the clash with Oklahoma.

That doesn’t mean it will be a slow day; quite the contrary. While the basketball team heads to Norman, the baseball team will host its home opener at Kentucky Proud Park. There’s even football news to discuss, with Mark Stoops holding his first local media opportunity since National Signing Day on December 4. That’s where we’ll start today’s rundown.

Mark Stoops, Mid-Year Enrollees talk to the media

Outside of a five-minute segment on SportsCenter a few weeks ago, Kentucky fans have not heard from Mark Stoops since early December, when he ended his National Signing Day press conference with “Nobody panic.” This morning, Stoops will hold a press conference at Kroger Field to discuss Kentucky’s 31 mid-year enrollees (20 transfers, 11 high school additions) and more. Afterward, reporters will get to talk to the new guys for an hour at the Nutter Indoor Practice Facility.

Stoops is scheduled to speak from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. There’s a lot of ground to cover. Not only does the roster look significantly different, but Kentucky added a new wide receivers coach (L’Damian Washington) and some support staff members (Mike Hartline, Nate Fuqua), the NFL Scouting Combine is this week, and there’s a fresh crop of CFP expansion and scheduling talks to discuss. KSR’s football guys and Steven Peake will be there to capture it all, so check the site and YouTube Channel later this morning for a recap and replays.

Collin Chandler, Otega Oweh preview Oklahoma

We’ll also hear from two members of the men’s basketball team before they leave for Norman. Junior guard Otega Oweh and freshman guard Collin Chandler will preview tomorrow’s game vs. Oklahoma with reporters around lunch.

It will be a homecoming for Oweh, who spent his first two seasons with the Sooners before transferring to Kentucky. Hopefully, it will also be a bounce-back game following a rough outing at Alabama, in which he scored only two points on 1-9 from the field, ending his run of scoring in double figures in every game this season. Chandler had five points in the loss to the Crimson Tide, the second game in a row he’s played double-digit minutes as the Cats continue to be without Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson.

We’ll bring you those conversations after lunch. Until then, check out a new Sources Say featuring Jack Pilgrim and J. Kyle Mann of The Ringer, one of our favorites.

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ICYMI, good news on Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson

Of course, the biggest question surrounding the basketball team is when Lamont Butler (shoulder) and Jaxson Robinson (wrist) will return to the court. Mark Pope opened last night’s call-in show with positive news on both. Butler and Robinson both participated in a modified version of Monday’s practice, a big step in the right direction. Butler has been a limited participant in practice since late last week, but Robinson had only been able to do skill work. Pope said how both feel this morning will be a true indicator of their progress.

“It’s about how they respond the next day and they were actually pretty functional in the limited work that they did today. Certainly, they’re both on the uptick,” Pope said. “We’re hopeful about both of them. I don’t know if either of them are going to be able to get to 100% health before the end of the season, but they’re making progress, so we’re really hopeful.”

We’ll get an official update on Butler and Robinson when the initial SEC Availability Report drops tonight around 8 p.m. ET. On yesterday’s radio show, Matt Jones shared that he heard the staff was targeting the Auburn game for Butler’s return, the LSU game at the latest, with Robinson hoping to be back for the LSU game (Senior Night) or ultimately, the SEC Tournament.

No. 23 Kentucky Baseball hosts Evansville in KPP home opener

The Kentucky Baseball team was supposed to hold its home opener last week vs. Morehead State, but Mother Nature had other plans. Thankfully, the weather has made quite a turnaround. Temperatures are supposed to be in the mid-50s with partly sunny skies for the first pitch of Kentucky vs. Evansville at 4 p.m. ET. If you’re unable to make it to Kentucky Proud Park, you can watch on SEC Network+.

Today’s game vs. Evansville is the first of FIVE this week for the Bat Cats, who are 4-1 following the weekend sweep of Belmont in Nashville. Here’s the schedule, with all games taking place at Kentucky Proud Park and airing on SEC Network+.

• Tue., Feb. 25 | 4:00 PM: Evansville
• Wed., Feb. 26 | 4:00 PM: Morehead State
• Fri., Feb. 28 | 4:00 PM: Hofstra
• Sat., Mar. 1 | 1:00 PM: Hofstra
• Sun., Mar. 2 | 12:00 PM: Hofstra

Kentucky Men’s Soccer opens spring season vs. Lexington SC

Even Kentucky Men’s Soccer is getting in on the fun today, opening their spring season against Lexington Sporting Club tonight. The match will take place at Lexington SC’s stadium on Doe Run Trail at 7:30 p.m., a cool moment for both squads.

College Basketball on TV today

Plenty of good basketball to keep us entertained tonight. No. 24 Mississippi State at No. 6 Alabama is probably the game of the night. From an SEC Tournament seeding perspective, you’ll want to root for the Crimson Tide to give Kentucky a chance to pass the Bulldogs in the standings.

TIME (ET)	GAME	TV/STREAMING
7:00 PM	#2 Duke vs. Miami	ESPN
7:00 PM	#3 Florida vs. Georgia	SEC Network
7:00 PM	Providence vs. #21 Marquette	FS1
7:00 PM	Northwestern vs. Minnesota	Peacock
7:00 PM	Baylor vs. Cincinnati	ESPN2
8:00 PM	#9 Iowa State vs. Oklahoma State	ESPN+
9:00 PM	#5 Tennessee vs. LSU	SEC Network
9:00 PM	#24 Mississippi State vs. #6 Alabama	ESPN2
9:00 PM	Washington vs. #11 Wisconsin	Peacock
9:00 PM	South Carolina vs. #14 Missouri	ESPNU
9:00 PM	#19 Louisville vs. Virginia Tech	ACC Network
9:00 PM	Iowa vs. Illinois	FS1
9:00 PM	TCU vs. West Virginia	CBSSN

SEC Standings – Feb. 25

TEAM	CONF	GB	OVR
Auburn	13-1	–	25-2
Florida	11-3	2	24-3
Alabama	11-3	2	22-5
Tennessee	9-5	4	22-5
Texas A&M	9-5	4	20-7
Missouri	9-5	4	20-7
Ole Miss	8-6	5	19-8
Kentucky	7-7	6	18-9
Mississippi State	7-7	6	19-8
Vanderbilt	6-8	7	18-9
Arkansas	5-9	8	16-11
Texas	5-9	8	16-11
Georgia	4-10	9	16-11
Oklahoma	4-10	9	17-10
LSU	3-11	10	14-13
South Carolina	1-13	12	11-16

Full Swing Season Three premieres

If you need a break from basketball, the third season of Full Swing drops on Netflix today. It includes an inside look at Schottie Scheffler’s arrest at the PGA Championship at Valhalla in May 2024. Based on this clip, it’s must-see TV.

Get a new look at the infamous Scottie Scheffler arrest ahead of the 2024 PGA Championship.

Full Swing Season 3 premieres tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/XsmKiDeQRw

— Netflix (@netflix) February 24, 2025