KSR Today: Great Osobor and Koby Brea Watch
Good morning, friends. It’s another busy day at the Kentucky Basketball and KSR offices as two very important visitors check things out and consider futures as Wildcats.
Utah State forward Great Osobor arrived on campus Sunday night with his family for an official visit. Last night, Dayton sharpshooter Koby Brea joined him. Osobor has been on Kentucky’s radar the longest. The 6’8″ 250 lbs. big from Great Britain is considered the fifth-best available player in the transfer portal by On3 and earned All-American Honorable Mention from the Associated Press after averaging 17.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game this past season. Osobor, who happens to be a former teammate of current Kentucky signee Amari Williams, also has visits scheduled to Louisville, Texas Tech, and Washington. It sure would be nice to give him a reason to cancel them.
It would also be nice to seal the deal with Brea, the top shooter in the portal. After securing a commitment from Aidan Mahaney on Monday, UConn pulled out of the running for Brea, which puts Kentucky in the driver’s seat. Last season, Brea averaged 49.8% from three-point range (No. 3 nationally per KenPom), making 3.0 treys per game. Mark Pope has already added some defensive specialists to the roster; getting some offensive firepower in the former of a top-three shooter would be huge.
So, two big visits make for a huge day for Mark Pope and his staff. The BBN paparazzi are already out in force, snapping these pics of Osobor and his family at Malone’s and Brea at the airport with the assistant coaches. Does Cody Fueger have some “Boom” GIFs picked out to alert fans that good news is on the way?
Late-night scoop from Matt Jones on KSBoard
Late last night, Matt Jones shared what he’s hearing about Osobor and Brea’s visits; where Kentucky stands with BYU star Jaxson Robinson, who officially entered the transfer portal on Monday; and other roster-building nuggets on KSBoard, our message board. Take advantage of our $1 for 1-month deal for new subscribers to stay up on the latest and chat with fellow Cats/KSR fans in the fastest-growing online BBN community.
Will I get to update this graphic later today? Fingers crossed.
If you haven’t yet, check out Mark Pope’s appearance on KSR
The highlight of a busy Monday was Mark Pope’s first interview on Kentucky Sports Radio. After just two weeks on the job and amid Osobor’s visit, Pope called in to chat with the KSR crew, our first interview with the head coach of the men’s basketball program in several years. For over 20 minutes, Pope talked about his new staff, the roster-building process, his approach to recruiting, NIL, and more. To say it was refreshing is an understatement.
We’ve had a ton of coverage from the interview on the site, so instead of regurgitating it, I’ll share the links and the replay so you can dig in. Hopefully, it’s the first of many interviews Pope KSR appearances. Make sure to check out the part where he announces Club Blue’s Meet the Team NIL event on June 15.
- 5 Takeaways from Pope’s Interview
- The importance of NIL, Club Blue’s Meet the Team event
- 29 targets on Kentucky’s Big Board (which needs a new wheel)
- Elite high school recruits “100%” still a priority
- Pope “digs the vibe” with his new staff
Catch up on KSR’s “Meet the Cats” Film Series
By now, you’ve hopefully read up on the newest Cats. If you need visuals that go deeper than a highlight reel, I’ll direct you to the KSR YouTube Channel, where Steven Peake and Brandon Ramsey have been breaking down the games of each new player. Hit play below to learn about Amari Williams, Travis Perry, Lamont Butler, Otega Oweh, and Andrew Carr.
No Midweek Baseball
Tuesdays usually mean Kentucky Baseball games, but with finals underway, the No. 8 Bat Cats have the work week off. That’s probably a good thing. Not only are they coming off a series loss at No. 15 South Carolina — their second series loss in a row — but they need the rest to prepare for this weekend’s monster series vs. No. 2 Arkansas at Kentucky Proud Park, arguably the biggest of the season.
The Cats and Razorbacks are tied atop the SEC standings at 16-5, with Texas A&M and Tennessee just a half-game back. Win the series and Kentucky can also stay in the hunt for a top-eight national seed. Reserved seating is sold out, but general admission tickets are still available.
Men’s Tennis to host NCAA Tournament First and Second Rounds
Congrats to the Kentucky men’s tennis team, which earned the No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will host the first and second rounds of the event this weekend at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Center. Toledo faces Illinois on Friday at 1 p.m. with Kentucky taking on DePaul at 4 p.m. The winning teams will play each other Saturday at 4 p.m., with the winner advancing to next weekend’s Super Regional. Tickets are available here and through the UK Ticket Office.
Friday, May 3
Match 1: 1 p.m. ET – Toledo vs. Illinois
Match 2: 4 p.m. ET – DePaul vs. (5) Kentucky
Saturday, May 4
4 p.m. ET – Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2
Derby Week rolls on
The weeklong celebration for Kentucky Derby 150 rolls on in Louisville. Today is 502’s Day, which celebrates Louisville businesses. General admission tickets are just $5. Now that the rain is exiting the region, get on out there to get a head start on the fun. It sounds way better than work.
Last night, KSR’s Derby expert Nick Roush and Pete Fornatale from In the Money Media went live on YouTube to preview the race and give you their expert picks.
Jamal Murray hits another game-winner to move the Nuggets to Round 2
One week ago, I wrote about Jamal Murray’s game-winner in Game 2 of the Nuggets vs. Lakers. Last night, he did it again. Murray overcame a calf strain to score 32 points, including the game-winner with 3.6 seconds left, to send the Nuggets to Round 2 of the NBA Playoffs, where they’ll face Karl-Anthony Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The game featured 16 lead changes and 10 ties. LeBron James had 30 points and 11 assists and Anthony Davis had 17 points and 15 rebounds for the Lakers, but it wasn’t enough. The Lakers are headed home after Round 1, making this James’ earliest playoff exit ever.
Elsewhere in the NBA, the Celtics beat the Heat 102-88 to take a 3-1 lead in that series, and the Thunder beat the Pelicans 97-89 to sweep the series and advance to Round 2. Tonight, both the Knicks and the Pacers could advance as well. Here’s the schedule:
Round 1 | Game 5 | NY leads 3-1
7:00 PM (TNT): 76ers (Tyrese Maxey) vs. Knicks (Julius Randle)
Round 1 | Game 5 | Series tied 2-2
8:00 PM (NBATV): Magic vs. Cavaliers
Round 1 | Game 5 | IND leads 3-1
9:30 PM (TNT): Pacers (Isaiah Jackson, Oscar Tshiebwe) vs. Bucks (TyTy Washington)
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