KSR Today: SEC Basketball Media Days come to an end

For a bye-week hump day, Wednesday sure turned out to be a busy one. We heard from both John Calipari and Mark Stoops yesterday, creating a content overload in the KSR offices. In addition to getting you ready for what appears to be a slow Thursday, we’re going to review some of the biggest headlines from Wednesday too in case you were doing something better than scrolling through the website (how dare you!).

SEC Basketball Media Days wraps up

Today, the women take center stage at SEC Basketball Media Days in Birmingham. Kyra Elzy speaks on the main stage at 4:00 p.m. ET, after which senior forward Ajae Petty and senior guard Maddie Scherr make the rounds to speak with the media. We’ll have all of that coverage for you this evening.

Yesterday was John Calipari, Antonio Reeves, and Tre Mitchell‘s turn in the spotlight. Calipari made the most of it, discussing recovery timelines for Aaron Bradshaw and Ugonna Onyenso, where Zvonimir Ivisic stands with the NCAA, the addition of Mitchell, Reeves‘ improvement, NIL, how SEC Basketball has grown during his tenure, and more. I especially appreciated the line, “The last couple of years, we’ve been good but just not Kentucky good.” A little honesty and self-reflection go a long way.

Here’s all of our coverage, with more on the way:

• Calipari admits recent teams haven’t been “Kentucky good”
• Calipari will monitor Aaron Bradshaw, Ugonna Onyenso’s recoveries on weekly basis
• Calipari pushes for NIL guardrails, transparency
• Zvonimir Ivisic is done with academic hurdles; Calipari confident he will be cleared
• Calipari on recruiting: “’24 is looking good, ’25 is looking even better.”
• Tre Mitchell praises versatility of Zvonimir Ivisic, eager to play alongside the 7-2 freshman
• Transcript

Subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel for press conferences, interviews, original shows, fan features, and exclusive content.

Mark Stoops gives a bye-week update

Over at the football facility, Mark Stoops broke his bye-week silence twice on Wednesday. First, he chatted with reporters on the SEC Teleconference. A few hours later, he did the same with the local media after practice, talking for just under 15 minutes about how Kentucky is using the week off to regroup.

“I like our team’s mentality. And I think, you know, we’re not perfect but it’s a good group and they’re working really hard and they want to be better. I want them hungry, looking to improve.”

Saturday’s loss to Missouri was riddled with mistakes and undisciplined play. The Cats had more penalty yards than passing yards. Stoops knows that must change for the season to get back on track.

“I don’t believe our team is as selfish as it appears, I really don’t. I believe in this team. I really like coaching this team, and I told you that before and I believe they love each other and care. I think, part of it is frustration and part of it is, they could be pressing. We certainly got to look at all areas, and some of it is just flat-out inexcusable. I’m not making excuses for anybody. But we do have to look at a lot of things.”

Hear all of Stoops’ comments from Wednesday below.

Got thoughts? Continue the conversation on KSBoard, the KSR Message Board. New members can try 1 month for $1.

No. 23 Women’s Soccer plays Georgia

The Kentucky Women’s Soccer team is 8-1-5 this season, coming off an 0-2 loss vs. Mississippi State on Sunday. Today, the No. 23-ranked Cats look to get back on track at Georgia. The match is set for 6 p.m. ET in Athens. You can stream it live on SEC Network+/ESPN+.

Speaking of soccer, over at The Bell, the men’s team tied with Georgia State 2-2. The Cats are 3-6-4 this season and winless in Sun Belt play. They face No. 1 Marshall in Huntington, WV on Sunday.

New episode of “Point Kentucky”

Did you know KSR does a live volleyball show each week? KSR volleyball beat writer Hunter Mitchell and former Wildcat great Leah Edmond discuss Craig Skinner’s Cats every Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET on Point Kentucky on the KSR YouTube Channel. Tonight, the duo will break down Kentucky’s big win over No. 10 Tennessee on Sunday and look ahead to this weekend’s matches vs. Mississippi State and Arkansas at Rupp. Join them if you’re so inclined.

Thoughts on new jersey concepts?

Kentucky’s new basketball jerseys are a big step forward, in my opinion. That hasn’t stopped the internet from dreaming up more looks for the Wildcats. Check out these concepts from Jersey Junkie. I’d take that first one in a heartbeat.

With basketball season looming, and football season being just absolutely disappointing, here is 2 @KentuckyMBB concepts with some old school feel. Really wish we would implement a script uniform set… just one please? pic.twitter.com/SIV8hURLJ7

— Jersey Junkie (@DaJerseyJunkie) October 18, 2023

Enjoy Thursday Night Football at KSBar

The weekend is almost here. What better way to celebrate than watching sports, eating delicious food, and winning money? You can do all three tonight at KSBar and Grille. Every week we’re giving away $500 to a customer at halftime during Thursday Night Football. This week’s game features several former Kentucky Wildcats. Josh Allen’s Jacksonville Jaguars travel to New Orleans to face the Saints, whose roster includes Landon Young and Lynn Bowden. The Saints are currently a 1-point favorite. The fun starts just after 8 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime.

That’s not all! We’ve also got two college football games tonight. Rice faces Tulsa at 7 p.m. on ESPN2, while James Madison takes on Marshall at the same time on ESPN. On the diamond, the Phillies try to take a 3-0 lead on the Diamondbacks in the NLCS starting at 5 p.m. on TBS. At 8 p.m. on FS1, the Rangers try to improve their 2-1 edge on the Astros in the ALCS.

Download the new KSR/On3 Fan Site App

It’s now easier than ever to follow KSR on your phone. The technology team at On3, our parent company, created a state-of-the-art app featuring breaking news alerts, push notifications, quick access to KSR and KSBoard, the On3 database, schedules, and scores. The existing KSR app is being discontinued so download the On3 fan site app now for the best way to consume all the content we’re churning out. It’s free in your App Store.