KSR Today: Unpacking a wild weekend, looking ahead to Kentucky vs. Miami

Good morning, BBN. It was quite the weekend, wasn’t it? From Kentucky Basketball breaking a Rupp Arena scoring record with 118 points in the win over Marshall to Kentucky Football’s upset over Louisville in the Governor’s Cup and the few hours on Saturday night in which we thought we’d lost Mark Stoops to Texas A&M, you’re forgiven if you needed to exhale on Sunday. I know I did.

That’s why part of today will still be unpacking Saturday — one of the wildest 24 hours in Kentucky Football history. How the drama unfolded will be a focal topic of today’s radio show, and tonight, we’ll hear from both Mark Stoops and John Calipari on their call-in shows. While football has dominated the headlines, Kentucky Basketball plays a VERY big game tomorrow night, hosting No. 10 Miami in the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge.

In fact, let’s make this rundown simpler and go through things chronologically (all times Eastern).

10:00 AM: KSR discusses the Governor’s Cup, Mark Stoops drama

There is so much to discuss on today’s radio show that Matt Jones probably won’t have time to take calls. Matt broke the news that Mark Stoops is staying at Kentucky instead of going to Texas A&M, and he will break down exactly what happened Saturday night starting at 10 a.m. on 630 WLAP and affiliates across the state. In case you missed it, Texas A&M ended up hiring Duke head coach Mike Elko, which could put a little extra spice in a potential Kentucky vs. Duke matchup in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte on Dec. 27.

12:00 PM: Chuck Martin previews Miami

Kentucky looked amazing on Friday night vs. Marshall, cruising to a 118-82 win over Marshall and making some history in the process. Tomorrow night, the competition steps up considerably. No. 10 Miami comes to Rupp Arena for the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge, a 7:30 p.m. ET tipoff on ESPN. Today at noon, Kentucky assistant Chuck Martin will preview the game with reporters at the Joe Craft Center. The odds should also drop at some point on FanDuel. Check the site earlier this afternoon for all the updates on the Cats vs. the Canes.

1:00 PM: New AP Poll for Basketball

Kentucky only rose one spot to No. 16 in the AP Poll following an encouraging performance vs. Kansas in the Champions Classic. After an overtime thriller vs. Saint Joseph’s and a romp over Marshall, how high will the Cats climb, if at all? We’ll find out after lunch.

6:00 PM: Mark Stoops Call-In Show

As the rumors swirled about his future on Saturday night, Mark Stoops issued a statement on Twitter, acknowledging that he considered a potential job opening but had a last-minute change of heart following the win over Louisville.

I know there’s been much speculation about me and my job situation the last couple of days. It’s true I was contacted about a potential opportunity this weekend, but after celebrating a big win against our rivals with players I love like family, I knew in my heart I couldn’t…

— Mark Stoops (@UKCoachStoops) November 26, 2023

I expect Stoops will have more to say about that tonight on his final call-in show of the season at 6 p.m. on 630 WLAP. If you’re unable to listen, we’ll be doing it for you, so check the site for a recap.

7:00 PM: John Calipari Call-In Show

Attention will slowly turn back to basketball as we approach tomorrow night’s 7:30 p.m. tipoff vs. No. 10 Miami. John Calipari will join Tom Leach after Stoops is finished to discuss his team’s game vs. the Canes, who are 5-0 so far this season, coming off wins vs. Georgia and Kansas State.

Last night on social media, Aaron Bradshaw said he is “like a week” from returning to the court for game action, furthering the buzz that his debut will come on Dec. 9 vs. Penn, a homecoming of sorts for the Camden alum. We’ll see if Chuck Martin or Calipari provides an update on the status of Bradshaw or Zvonimir Ivisic today.

8:00 PM: KSR Football Podcast

Need more football talk? Tonight at 8 p.m., the KSR Football Podcast crew will convene to discuss a wild Saturday. Subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel to receive a notification when they’re live. There’s a LOT to talk about.

ICYMI, Kentucky Volleyball draws No. 2 seed in NCAA Tourney

Kentucky Volleyball’s postseason path is set. Last night, the Cats drew a No. 2 seed (No. 8 overall seed) in the NCAA Tournament. They will take on Wofford on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. at Rupp Arena. If Kentucky wins, the Cats will host the winner of No. 7 James Madison vs. Baylor at 7:00 p.m. Friday night at Rupp.

Hunter Mitchell and Leah Edmond broke down the NCAA Tournament bracket on a special episode of “Point Kentucky” last night, with assistant coach Merideth Jewell joining the show to discuss the Cats’ path.

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It’s Cyber Monday, which means we’re slashing prices on KSR gear at Kentucky Branded. Take care of your Christmas shopping in one fell swoop with up to 50% off KSR and UK Merchandise, today only.

The KSR+ Silly Season Sale has begun

KSBoard was hopping as the drama unfolded on Saturday night, with Adam Luckett and Nick Roush providing additional updates and insight into the Mark Stoops and Texas A&M situation. If you’ve been curious about KSBoard/KSR+, now is the perfect time to try. Today through Tuesday, we’re holding a Silly Season Sale, which will maximize information on exactly what the name implies, the craziness after the season as the coaching carousel turns, the transfer portal warms up, and National Signing Day inches closer.

This week, Adam Luckett and Jacob Polacheck will provide in-depth looks at Kentucky’s targets in the transfer portal and high school ranks, while the rest of us will keep the conversation on KSBoard flowing and share whatever scoop we get on the happenings in the football and basketball programs. The board is also home to our conversations during games as the platform that hosted the live blog was discontinued. Come join the movement for just $1 for 1 month or 50% off the annual price.