KSR Today: It's time to meet Mark Pope at Rupp Arena

Good morning folks! A big day for the Kentucky men’s basketball program awaits us. I hope you don’t have plans. The Wildcats’ new head coach, Mark Pope, is set to be officially introduced to the Big Blue Nation this afternoon in front of what will hopefully be a massive crowd at Rupp Arena.

Pope’s introductory press conference will begin at 4:30 p.m. EST later today. Admission is free and all fans are welcome to come hear from Pope as he takes over as the man in charge. Doors will open around 3:30. Tom Leach, the voice of the Wildcats, will moderate the press conference.

You can watch on the SEC Network+ or UKAthletics.com or listen on KSR affiliates, including 630 WLAP. KSR’s Matt Jones will also do a “postgame” call-in show from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The Pope family actually arrived in Lexington on Saturday, too. Mark was joined by his wife Lee Ann and daughters Ella, Avery, Layla, and Shay. Yes, he’s a girl dad (as KSR’s Tyler Thompson highlighted here, along with other fun Mark Pope facts). He didn’t waste any time getting to work once he touched down either, sending out a pre-recorded message to every UK student.

Back in our old Kentucky home.@CoachMarkPope 🛬 pic.twitter.com/XNwSKImNOf

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) April 13, 2024

I have a good feeling that Rupp Arena is going to get a good crowd today. Pope deserves a fair shake, and fan support from the jump is the easiest way to help make that happen.

Football Spring Game recap

After a hiatus in 2023, Kentucky football’s (normally) annual Spring Game took place on Saturday afternoon at Kroger Field. You couldn’t have asked for a better day weather-wise, although the spring “game” looked more like a spring “practice”. It was essentially an open practice for the fans.

But it was still a good first look at the upcoming season’s group of Wildcats. A full hour of the 90-minute exhibition featured an 11-on-11 scrimmage with light tackling. Georgia transfer QB Brock Vandagriff passed the eye test, also sharing snaps with backup QBs Cutter Boley and Beau Allen.

One of the main things that stood out? Tempo. Plays were being run every 20 seconds or so. Unfortunately, there were plenty of pre-existing injuries that limited several players — which played a role in changing the Spring Game format.

KSR’s Nick Roush and Adam Luckett were there to soak in all of the sunshine and football. Get yourself up-to-date below on the current state of Mark Stoops’ program.

• BBN Treated to Uptempo Exhibition at Kentucky Football Spring Game
• Notable Absences at the Kentucky Football Spring Game
• Kentucky’s 2024 recruiting class is pushing for snaps
• Brock Vandagriff looks the part in Kentucky Blue-White Spring Game

Spring Game highlights

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KSR’s Rapid Reaction

ANOTHER series sweep for the Bat Cats

Kentucky baseball just keeps on winning. Now ranked No. 8 in the country, expect the Bat Cats to move up even higher once Monday’s updated rankings drop. Why? Kentucky (30-5; 14-1 SEC) swept the Auburn Tigers on the road over the last several days.

Thursday’s opener was the tightest of the series as Kentucky snuck past Auburn 6-5 thanks to some terrific pitching from Johnny Hummel down the stretch. The Bat Cats then dominated Friday’s outing 9-1 before capping off the sweep on Saturday with a 13-8 victory. UK actually trailed by seven runs on Sunday before ripping off 13 unanswered.

Kentucky has now won three straight SEC series and a school-record 10 straight SEC games. This group of Wildcats is the fastest in program history to reach 30 wins, as well.

Up next: Kentucky heads to Louisville on Tuesday night for a rivalry showdown with the Cardinals. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST and will be on the ACC Network.

Big Z enters the portal

Once Sunday’s intro presser wraps up, Mark Pope will have to get working on putting together his first Kentucky roster. At least one player from last season’s roster we won’t expect back in Lexington is 7-foot-2 freshman Zvonomir Ivisic. The Croatian big man entered his name into the transfer portal on Saturday.

Ivisic is the fourth Kentucky player to enter the portal this offseason, joining sophomore Adou Thiero, freshman Aaron Bradshaw, and freshman Joey Hart. Big Z appeared in 15 games for the ‘Cat this past season, averaging 5.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 11.7 minutes per game. He saw the court sparingly, but Ivisic was arguably one of the most exciting players to ever suit up in Lexington.

I mean, his debut performance against Georgia was something we might never see again. For that, we can thank him. But if he follows John Calipari to Arkansas, we can also respectfully root against him.

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Softball looks to take series vs. No. 7 Georgia

Sunday’s softball rubber match between Kentucky and No. 7 Georgia is a big one for the Wildcats.

UK is 25-15 on the season with just a 4-10 mark in the SEC and only one series win against a conference foe (Alabama). After taking Game 1 against the Bulldogs on Friday (7-5) and dropping Game 2 on Saturday (6-4), Sunday’s finale at John Cropp Stadium will be a huge opportunity for Rachel Lawson’s group to gain some momentum.

Despite the record, Kentucky does already hold three wins against teams ranked among the top 10 this season. Could the ‘Cats make it four by the end of the afternoon? First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m. EST on ESPN2.