KSR Today: Bat Cats looking to make a postseason run

Good morning, folks! I’m sure we’ve said it 100 times on this website already, but we’re in the thick of the offseason right now. However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to talk about. It’s been quite the opposite the last couple of days, actually.

Today will be another important day on both the diamond and the tennis court for the ‘Cats. Let’s dive right in.

Bat Cats live to see another day

Following a series of lengthy weather delays that pushed the game 16 hours past its expected start time, Kentucky Baseball found a way to win its SEC Tournament opener against the Auburn Tigers, securing a 3-1 win on Wednesday. Sean Harney was especially great on the mound for the Bat Cats, tossing seven innings of scoreless ball, surrendering only four hits while fanning five in the process.

Auburn managed to tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the eighth off a solo home run from Sonny Dichiara after Harney was pulled. However, in the top of the ninth, back-to-back bombs from Oraj Anu and Adam Fogel gave Kentucky a decisive 3-1 lead. The ‘Cats would hold on in the bottom of the ninth and helped out their NCAA Tournament hopes as a result — entering the postseason, they were just on the outside of the bubble

UK will be back in action today for a matchup against four-seeded LSU in the third round (double-elimination). First pitch has already been bumped back due to more bad weather. The tentative start time is set for 2:00 p.m. EST on the SEC Network, but I wouldn’t write it down in pen.

Gabriel Diallo advances to Elite 8

In the team event, Kentucky Men’s Tennis came up just short of winning the program’s first-ever national championship. But in the singles tournament, Gabriel Diallo (38-7) is trying to make up for that shortcoming.

On Wednesday, he extended his postseason win streak with a defeat of Ohio State’s Matej Vocel, a 9-16 seed in the field. Diallo eliminated Vocel 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 to reach the individual Elite Eight round.

Awaiting Diallo in the Elite Eight is Adam Walton from the University of Tennessee, a familiar opponent at this stage of the bracket. Last year, Kentucky’s Liam Draxl ran into Walton in this same spot in the 2021 Elite Eight, where Draxl ended Walton’s season to advance to Draxl’s first singles Final Four.

You can watch today’s match live on the TennisONE app. It will begin at noon EST.

Key recruiting predictions

Behind the scenes, a pair of Kentucky Men’s Basketball backcourt targets received some important Crystal Ball predictions on Wednesday.

DJ Wagner, arguably the top overall player from the class of 2023 and long presumed to be a Kentucky lock, has picked up another prediction that favors Louisville and first-year head coach Kenny Payne. Travis Graf of Rivals became the fourth insider on that platform to pick Wagner to Louisville. The Cardinals have been trending to land the 6-foot-3 combo guard since April. On3’s recruiting expert, Jamie Shaw, also logged a pick favoring Wagner to UL with 75 percent confidence.

But some good news also came with that. Over at 247Sports, Travis Branham logged a pick for five-star ’23 point guard Robert Dillingham to land with Kentucky. It’s the first new pick for Dillingham since right before he committed to NC State in early December 2021. The 6-foot-2 lead guard was once viewed as a UK lock before he later surprisingly committed to the Wolfpack. Could a marriage between Dillingham and Kentucky finally come to fruition?

Both Wagner and Dillingham will play in the Nike EYBL’s third session this weekend, which will be held in Louisville.

UK vs UL on the hardwood is BACK

According to FanDuel’s Jon Rothstein, Kentucky will host Louisville on Saturday, December 31 at Rupp Arena. Not only will this mark the first time the two teams have played since 2020, but it’s also the first head-to-head meeting between John Calipari and his former right-hand man Kenny Payne. A tip time is still to be determined.

This is the second year in a row Kentucky will play a game on New Year’s Eve. Last season, the ‘Cats beat High Point in Tubby Smith’s homecoming on the final day of 2021. It’s worth noting that the College Football Playoff semifinals and the Sugar Bowl are also on New Year’s Eve, setting up a big day of sports and, if all goes well, a Kentucky basketball/football conflict.

Mike Woodson wants the smoke

It was around this time last year that Indiana’s first-year head coach Mike Woodson sparked the idea of renewing the Hoosiers’ annual basketball series against Kentucky. Now entering his second season as the lead man for IU, Woodson is still hoping to make it happen.

During a media opportunity on Wednesday night, Woodson told reporters that he’s been in contact with Kentucky head coach John Calipari about renewing the UK-IU rivalry. The two programs have not played each other since the 2016 NCAA Tournament with the last regular-season matchup happening back in Dec. 2011. Woodson says he’s not opposed to playing on a neutral court.

“I’m gonna stay on (Calipari’s) heels about trying to get the Kentucky-Indiana series back on the table,” Woodson said, according to the IndyStar. “Over the years that was a helluva game. It might not be Bloomington-Lexington. However we’ve got to get it done, I’ll take it.”

Heat drop Game 5 without Herro

Tyler Herro was ruled out of Game 5 action in the Eastern Conference Finals roughly 90 minutes prior to Wednesday night’s tip. The NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year suffered a groin strain during the fourth quarter of Game 3 that kept him out of Game 4 as well. It’s been a tough postseason shooting-wise for the third-year pro, and a nagging groin injury surely isn’t helping.

His Miami Heat squad sure could have used him at home in Game 5, too. After a close first half, the Boston Celtics blew the doors wide open in the third quarter, winning the frame 32-16 before sealing the win down the stretch by a final score of 93-80. Miami shot just 31.9 percent from the floor and was an abysmal 7-45 (15.6 percent!!!) from beyond the arc. Bam Adebayo added 18 points and 10 rebounds but was hardly a constant threat on the offensive end for a hobbled Heat team.

Game 6 heads back to Boston on Friday where the Celtics can lock up an NBA Finals spot. Herro’s status will likely remain up in the air until a couple of hours before tipoff.

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That’s all the news and notes I’ve got for you this morning. We’ve got Matt Jones and the crew coming to your radio airwaves in an hour. See you then!