UK Fans of the Day Want Friday Afternoon Notes
Good afternoon, friends, and happy Friday. It’s shaping up to be a gorgeous weekend in the Bluegrass and down here in Middle Tennessee, although I’m currently trapped inside my house as painters transform it from khaki green to a deep, beautiful Kentucky Blue. Yes, I am now that Kentucky fan who painted her house blue and white. I’m sure my Tennessee Volunteer neighbors are thrilled.
The painters’ happy chatter and music put me in the mood for some old-fashioned afternoon notes. Let’s start with basketball, which still is at the center of conversation after a wild month.
The first month of the Mark Pope Era has been a fun one
Tomorrow marks one month since Mark Pope took the job at Kentucky. And what a month it’s been. Earlier this week, I made a list of what happened each day since word broke that John Calipari was leaving Kentucky for Arkansas. The first seven days were still the craziest, but the roller coaster didn’t slow down too much. Each week included big moments, or rather, booms. Trent Noah‘s, as teased by a GIF of an AI Joker dancing, is the latest, another feel-good moment for a fanbase eager to get back to its roots.
Noah will team up with Travis Perry, giving fans who have clamored for more Kentucky boys on the roster a dream duo. Two stars from opposite sides of the state, both in the top five of the Kentucky high school basketball all-time scoring list. Only Reed Sheppard returning for a sophomore season could have made it better, but it should be very fun to follow Noah and Perry as Wildcats.
Noah knocked it out of the park in his interview on KSR yesterday, and today, Mark Pope told Alan Cutler he believes Noah’s passion for the program and state could make him a core member of the squad for years to come.
“I think he’s got a chance to be the heart and soul of this team over the next several years. He’s going to raise up at some point and he is going to win us massively huge games. It might take a while to get there, we don’t know. But he’s gonna win us some massively huge games. I’m telling you. I think about this kid, I think about the great Kentucky players that have come before and won huge games for us. I think he’s gonna be one of those guys.”
Love it. Pope had a ton of great stuff to say about the rest of the roster in his interviews with Cutler, Jeff Goodman, and Andy Katz. We’ll continue to roll the content out all afternoon.
Big Friday night in Lexington
Rupp Arena is the place to be tonight as two big shows are happening at the same time under the same roof. Comedian Nate Bargatze is doing his “Be Funny” set in Rupp while John Legend is holding a private concert for the 500 Club, the VIP membership program of the 15 Club collective, in one of the ballrooms at the Central Bank Center.
How many people can say they’ve seen both Bargatze and Legend in one night? By the end of the night, Drew Franklin and his wife Abby can (happy birthday, Abby!). Suddenly, my Friday night plans (more episodes of “Vanderpump Rules”) look especially boring. I bet the people watching at Jeff Ruby’s will be spectacular.
Kentucky Baseball is now appointment viewing
I am not a baseball fan; yet, here I am, anxiously waiting for the weather delay to end so I can watch Kentucky play Florida. Obviously, I have a rooting interest since I cover the Cats, but I became a huge fan of the program during last year’s postseason run. This team, projected to be the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, has the potential to be even more fun. Mustaches, pink fuzzy hats, bizarre celebrations, a commitment to being “weird.” What else do you need?
So yes, I will be watching the Cats in their penultimate SEC series this weekend. Today’s game will stream on SEC Network+ whenever the rain stops in Gainesville, while Saturday and Sunday’s games are both on SEC Network starting at noon. Next weekend’s series vs. Vanderbilt at Kentucky Proud Park, the final of the regular season, could be incredible. If I weren’t in Italy (more on this in a minute), I’d buy a pink hat and drive up to Lexington to join the fun.
Men’s Tennis hosts Harvard in the Super Regional tomorrow
Kentucky Baseball isn’t the only program in action this weekend. The Men’s Track and Field team is also in Gainesville for the SEC Outdoor Championships and in Lexington, the No. 5 Men’s Tennis team hosts No. 12 Harvard tomorrow afternoon in the NCAA Tournament Super Regional.
The Cats advanced to the round of 16 with wins over DePaul and Illinois. It’s their third straight Super Regional appearance and the second time they have faced the Crimson this season. Kentucky beat Harvard on February 5-2. The matches begin at 2 p.m. at the Boone Tennis Complex. Tickets are still available. The winner will advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals in Stillwater, Oklahoma May 16-25.
Who up, Tuscany?
Another reason I tasked myself with afternoon notes is to keep my mind off a very big trip coming up. On Tuesday, my husband and I leave for Italy for ten days. This isn’t our first trip there but if you have any recs for Florence or Tuscany, send them my way. I can taste the Bistecca alla Fiorentina already.
The last time we went, I spent the entire car ride to Cinque Terra refreshing KSR to see if Hamidou Diallo was pulling his name out of the NBA Draft. I’ll be back before the NCAA’s withdrawal deadline (May 29) this time, but I wouldn’t mind being surprised by a Cody Fueger Boom GIF or KSR app alert telling me that Jaxson Robinson, Chaz Lanier, and/or Wooga Poplar are Wildcats while I eat gelato and drink wine.
Speaking of vacations…
Send us your UK Fans of the Day photos
Afternoon Notes brings with it a call for new UK Fans of the Day photos. You know, the ones of you doing three goggles atop a mountain, or wearing Kentucky gear inside the Dean Dome. We will feature the best ones in our notes each week. To submit them, simply tag “KSR_IG” on Instagram or “KSRonX” (lovingly nicknamed Ron) on Twitter.
Discuss This Article
Comments have moved.
Join the conversation and talk about this article and all things Kentucky Sports in the new KSR Message Board.
KSBoard