KSR Today: A New Kentucky State Champion as Roster-Building Season Begins

Turning the page from one season to the next is a challenge. Most coaches have a 24-hour rule after games. You cannot let that winning or losing feeling linger. That applies to Mark Pope’s Kentucky basketball program.

Saturday was a day of mourning for Big Blue Nation. Most are surely still in mourning from the season-ending loss to Tennessee and are hoping that Houston can provide some Sunday salvation. While the fans and players may still be feeling the sting, Mark Pope’s staff is busy assembling next year’s team.

By the end of the day, we should have a clearer picture of who is atop Kentucky’s transfer portal big board. The initial contacts have been made. Zoom meetings are ongoing. We’ve already seen the Cats reel in one commitment, Kam Williams, and conduct an in-home meeting with another target. Jacob Polacheck reported on KSR+ that the Cats met in-person with 6-foot-5 former Georgia point guard Silas Demary.

Things are moving quickly. The future is bright and it’s taking shape right now. Make sure you stay up-to-date with all of the moving parts by subscribing to KSR+.

Future Cat Wins a Kentucky State Title

For the second straight year, a future Kentucky Wildcat cut down the nets in his final high school game at Rupp Arena. Malachi Moreno was a force during the KHSAA Sweet 16. The 7-foot center had 24 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks in the championship game, propelling Great Crossing to a 71-61 victory over Bowling Green, securing the school’s first-ever state title.

“It’s definitely a surreal moment,” Moreno said postgame. “I wanted to end my high school career on this floor, holding a big ole trophy. I know it wasn’t my last time on the floor, but it was my last time in a Great Crossing uniform. It’s honestly surreal. Coach is gonna have a tough time taking this jersey away from me.”

Recap Pope’s First Kentucky Basketball Season with Sources Say

As I said earlier, it takes some time to move on from a Kentucky basketball NCAA Tournament loss. That’s why Jack Pilgrim and Steven Peake spent most of their drive back from Indianapolis venting in the car. The camera was rolling for a new edition of Sources Say.

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Kevin Williard Leaves Maryland

It was an awkward final week in the DMV for Kevin Willard. The Terps advanced to the Sweet 16 for the just the second time since 2003 on Derik Queen’s buzzer-beater, but all anyone wanted to talk about was the head coach. Willard used his podium to publicly plea for more resources at Maryland, all while negotiating with Villanova to fill their head coaching vacancy.

A little more than 48 hours after Maryland’s season ended, Willard accepted the job at Nova. There are surely some frustrated fans in College Park. Closer to home, this could impact the SEC. Buzz Williams’ name as already been floated out for the Maryland job. The Texas A&M coach may be itching to get out of town following a mass exodus of talent.

Two Final Four Tickets Punched

Texas Tech had an 11-point lead with 2:51 remaining. The Red Raiders’ season is over. Walter Clayton Jr. had a major onions moment, draining a fadeaway three to give the Gators the lead in a 16-2 run that’s sending them back to the Final Four for the first time since 2014. It was the 20th victory by an SEC team, breaking the NCAA Tournament record set by the ACC in 2016.

Duke came out of the gates hot, sinking their first three three-point shots to set the tone. Alabama went down swinging, but never could add up enough stops to break through the buffer zone. The Crimson Tide only scored 65 points in a 20-point loss.

The Final Four field will be set when the day concludes. Tennessee is a 2.5-point underdog against Houston. The action tips off in Indianapolis at 2:20 p.m. EST on CBS. Auburn and Michigan State will follow at 5:05 p.m. EST. The top-seeded Tigers are 5.5-point favorites.

Two Horses Earn Spots in the Kentucky Derby

When the Wildcats’ season ends, it’s officially Derby SZN. On Saturday, a couple of horses punched their tickets to the run for the roses by winning prolific prep races. Brad Cox’s Tappan Street glided to a Florida Derby win, improving to 2-1-0 in three career starts. Sandman was a bridesmaid, but never a bride until the horse rallied, then got a little sideways down the stretch to a victory at Oaklawn Park.

Bat Cats Looking For Series Win

The SEC got off to a rocky start for the Bat Cats. They have a chance to bounce back in a big way with a series win over a team that was in last year’s College World Series. After dropping Friday night’s opener to Texas A&M, Kentucky blasted four home runs in a 14-11 victory. The Bat Cats did most of their damage by erasing a deficit with six runs in the sixth inning. Kentucky will go for its first SEC series victory today at 2 p.m. EST on SECN+.

Mic’d Up at Kentucky Spring Practice

Kentucky wrapped up week two of spring practice on Saturday with a couple of intense fourth down drills in full pads. Mark Stoops loved the energy the Cats brought to the practice fields.

“It’s been great competition. It’s been fun. It feels good to get out there and work on some of the areas where we fell short a year ago,” the Kentucky head coach said Saturday afternoon.

KSR will join other members of the media to take a look at Wednesday’s practice. Until then, UK gave Big Blue Nation a closer look at Friday’s practice by throwing a mic on Ja’Mori Maclin. Watch the explosive wide receiver go to work at Nutter Field House.

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