KSR Today: One week until Big Blue Madness

By the time you wake up exactly one week from today, it will be the official start of Kentucky basketball season. Friday, October 11 marks the return of Big Blue Madness at Rupp Arena to begin new eras under Mark Pope and Kenny Brooks. It’s a fresh start for everyone in Lexington with excitement indescribably high surrounding both programs.

And you won’t even have to wait a week to get your men’s basketball appetite taken care of with UK Pro Day scheduled for Monday, Oct. 7 in Historic Memorial Coliseum, live on SEC Network+ from 6-7:30 PM ET with all 30 NBA teams in attendance.

Factor in UK Media Day on Tuesday, Oct. 8 for the men’s and women’s programs and the endless stream of content set to come from that in the ensuing days and the wait for Friday will feel like there isn’t a wait at all. The hard stuff comes this weekend with no football game due to the bye week and a weak CFB schedule not doing us many favors — College GameDay is in attendance for Miami (FL) at Cal-Berkeley, for crying out loud.

It’s a good thing Mrs. Tyler Thompson came up with 10 things you can do this weekend to pass the time during Kentucky’s bye, headlined by opening weekend at Keeneland.

Point being, your patience will be rewarded in the form of a hectic week to get Kentucky basketball season rolling — one of the most anticipated in recent memory. Minor setback for a major comeback.

Mark Pope joins Sources Say

Speaking of minor setbacks for major comebacks, Coach Pope was forced to postpone his Thursday appearance to Friday. Our basketball program’s fearless leader got caught up in a staff meeting — suppose big-time recruiting calls deserve to be prioritized over podcasts. We’ll give him a pass this time around.

The interview will be recorded in person with Pope this afternoon and released later this evening. We’ll be asking about the team, the start of the season and recruiting, among other topics. That’ll be posted over on the KSR YouTube page, so make sure you’re subscribed and keep your eyes peeled.

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The best seven minutes of your life

Until Pope’s appearance on Sources Say and a week of basketball starting Monday, we got our first taste to hold us over on Thursday. It was a behind-the-scenes look at Banner Camp, Kentucky’s stretch of two-a-days to get ready for the season.

And it just might be the best seven minutes of your life.

“The magic we’re looking for, this thing that will bring you to tears one day if you do it, is gonna be in the work we’re avoiding. We’re not avoiding this work,” Pope told the team. “We’re going to jump in wanting to become great and tied together. That’s why when you get on the court at Rupp with 22,000 fans going crazy, we’re going to be a problem because we’re so connected. There’s only one way to get there.”

Goosebumps. See it for yourself, then watch it a couple dozen more times like I did.

Mark Stoops talks bye week

It’s a quick break for the football team, but Coach Stoops is still making his rounds talking about his Wildcats coming off their historic upset at Ole Miss. How are things going during the bye? Is the team healthy going into October — specifically with Maxwell Hairston and Chip Trayanum?

He shared a few updates earlier this week. Take a look:

NBA preseason begins tonight

If you’re really desperate for live basketball action — me, proudly — we’ve also got NBA preseason action starting on Friday, headlined by the World Champion Boston Celtics out in Abu Dhabi.

Check out today’s schedule:

• Boston Celtics vs. Denver Nuggets – 12:00 p.m. ET
• Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers – 10:30 p.m. ET

Speaking of preseason hoops, Reed Sheppard is ready to make his debut with the Rockets. Torching the competition on his own team, he’ll be facing off against Oscar Tshiebwe and the Utah Jazz on Monday, Oct. 7 at 9 p.m. ET.

.@reed_sheppard is all OVER 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/MtRfoPd43H

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) October 3, 2024

KSR’s Zack Geoghegan shared his top storylines entering preseason action on Thursday, highlighted by Kentucky’s quartet of rookies set to make their pro debuts. Read that here.

Reds hire Terry Francona

A tough week for Reds fans got a little better on Thursday. Just days after losing MLB hit king Pete Rose, Cincinnati made a move that cheered up the entire fanbase, hiring two-time World Series champion Terry Francona as team manager.

The hire comes just weeks after firing manager David Bell after six seasons with the club.

Previously stepping away from baseball as Cleveland’s manager due to health concerns, Francona has decided to return with Cincinnati, bringing his 1,948 career wins and three Manager of the Year awards over 23 years with him.

Quite the pull for the Reds.