Skip to main content

KSR Today: Preparing for Duke

On3 imageby:Tyler Thompson•11/08/21•

MrsTylerKSR

There are Mondays and then there are Mondays like this. We are squarely in the middle of the basketball and football overlap and it feels like there’s a lot at stake for both squads. Following the heartbreaking loss to Tennessee, the football Cats can (hopefully) regroup with a trip to Vanderbilt. We’ll get to that as the week goes on, but first, the basketball team faces Duke under the bright lights in New York City.

For normal teams, the first game of the season doesn’t matter much; however, when it comes to Kentucky vs. Duke, the stakes are higher. We came into the preseason thinking the Cats were a step ahead, a veteran-led squad with a solid backcourt and enough depth to cover any holes. After two exhibition games, flaws have been exposed.

Kentucky’s interior defense was put on blast by Kentucky Wesleyan, specifically forward Jomel Boyd, who scored 29 points. The Cats’ perimeter defense was exposed by Miles College, which hit 15 threes, 11 in the first half. While Kentucky’s backcourt shows immense promise, the interior is a big question mark. Again, for a normal team, this is expected. For Kentucky coming off a 9-16 season teeing off against Duke in Game 1 of Coach K’s farewell tour, there is anxiety. Add in Saturday’s heartbreak and it feels like we’re bracing ourselves for another bad stretch.

Or maybe I’ve just got a case of the Mondays; hopefully, it’s that. I’m going to do my best to be positive as we move through today’s agenda.

We’ll hear from John Calipari this morning

At 10:30 a.m. John Calipari and a player will hop on Zoom to preview tomorrow night’s game. We’ll be on to bring you all of their comments as they happen.

After the 80-71 win over Miles College on Friday, Calipari was asked if the Duke game will serve as a barometer for this squad and season. He said no, reminding reporters of Duke’s 118-84 beatdown in the 2018 Champions Classic and how that Kentucky team bounced back to come within a few shots of making the Final Four.

“No, because I can remember we got beat bad in that game and came back and were an Elite Eight team. We made free throws. Would have been in the Final Four and could have won a national title.”

Hopefully, tomorrow night’s game goes much differently than that one.

Last night, the team went to Madison Square Garden to watch Immanuel Quickley, Julius Randle, Nerlens Noel, Kevin Knox, and the New York Knicks. Unfortunately, the Knicks lost to the Cavaliers 126-109, but the Cats seemed to have fun, posing with Quickley’s mother Nitrease afterward.

Cal being Cal, he found his way onto the broadcast, telling MSG he wants to see a starting five of Derrick Rose, Quickley, Knox, Noel, and Randle with Jacob’s brother Obi coming off the bench.

We’ll hear from Mark Stoops

Stoops will hold his weekly press conference at noon and his call-in show tonight at 6 p.m. The Cats are unranked in both polls following the 45-42 loss to Tennessee and in desperate need of a win to get things back on track. Check the site at noon for a live stream and shortly after for a full recap.

We’ll find out the New Mexico State game time

Game times for November 20 will be released around lunch. Kentucky has owned the evening slot this season, but I think we could all use a nice SEC Network nooner, don’t you?

ICYMI, Cason Wallace is a Cat

Kentucky’s 2022 class got even more impressive last night. As expected, five-star guard Cason Wallace pledged to be a Wildcat, joining Shaedon Sharpe, Chris Livingston, and Skyy Clark as Kentucky’s fourth top-15 commitment. The Cats’ 2022 class is now No. 1 in the rankings.

If you missed any of our coverage, catch up with this link dump:

Get to know the 2021-22 Cats

Still struggling to learn this year’s roster? Dr. Mike has you covered with this Twitter thread of pictures from Friday night’s game.

Chris Rodriguez and Kavosiey Smoke on the “Pin It Deep” podcast

Yesterday, Max Duffy and Miles Butler took “Pin It Deep” to Tin Roof for a live show and were joined by Chris Rodriguez and Kavosiey Smoke. We’ll have the episode for you later today, but judging by social media, it was a heck of a time. Josh Ali and Wan’Dale Robinson came by to show their support.

Josh Allen had a big Sunday

When you google “Josh Allen,” the Buffalo Bills quarterback pops up as the first result. Maybe not for much longer. Yesterday, Kentucky’s Josh Allen showed Buffalo’s Josh Allen what’s what in the Jags’ stunning 9-6 upset.

While we’re talking NFL, how ’bout them Titans! Even without Derrick Henry, the Titans pulled off a huge win over the LA Rams, the sole bit of good football news in an otherwise depressing weekend.

Big day, so make sure your radio is tuned to 630 WLAP starting now for the KSR Preshow and KSR at 10 a.m.

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

2024-06-06