KSR Today: Final Four Saturday, where the end of the road begins

This was the weekend when my two worlds were to collide. As a Phoenix resident, the most exciting and talented Kentucky team in a half-decade seemed destined to be the catalyst for bringing all of Big Blue Nation to the desert for an epic celebration. Visions of toasting strangers in ‘Cats gear at State Farm Stadium danced in my head every time Reed Sheppard hit a 3 or Rob Dillingham got shifty this season. Of course, Jack Gohlke shot those dreams down with 10 daggers a few weeks ago.

The stab wounds remained fresh as I was in attendance for the 3-point and Slam Dunk contest on Thursday, a competition that reunited the aforementioned Kentucky villain turned March Madness darling and Wildcat shooting extraordinaire, Antonio Reeves.

In an event that featured mostly no high-profile names at the nice but small Grand Canyon University arena comprised largely of wonky students, Gohlke was the clear star. It wasn’t surprising he had a poor performance (he finished next to last) because he was intensely wrapped up in the spotlight. He looked up and smiled during his Kentucky game highlight reel that played on the jumbotron, the hot wing-eating bit he did for a chicken restaurant, and at the hoard of people who did not know he existed four weeks ago but still mobbed him for photos.

No joke, Gohlke spent close to an hour greeting and taking selfies with fans in attendance while every other player, including Antonio Reeves who is the objectively bigger star and the only guy in the gym who will likely play in the NBA, stood 20 feet away with little-to-no fanfare.

The scene hammered home a cruel but weirdly refreshing reality that Kentucky is still Kentucky in the minds of the average college basketball viewer. If Oakland had upset a 3-seed like Creighton, the selfie line for Golhke would have been far shorter, if present at all. That does not mend the feeling of emptiness that still resonates from another unjustifiable early NCAA exit, but Kentucky has not become Indiana…yet.

How to Watch the Final Four

Final Four basketball kicked off when Caitlin Clark led the Iowa Hawkeyes past UConn last night in an incredible game of basketball. For the record, it was a foul but they shouldn’t have called it. Let’s see if they can upend South Carolina, which looks unbeatable.

Also, kudos to UConn and NC State for making the Final Four in both the men’s and women’s tournaments. Regardless of how bitter I am, that is impressive. Hopefully, Coach Brooks and Coach Cal can achieve that feat soon.

As for the men’s side of things, who plans on watching the Final Four tonight? Has the sourness of the Kentucky loss dissipated enough for you to enjoy what has been, by all accounts, a tremendously entertaining tournament? Personally, I can’t get up for it, but I will be going to the free Mumford and Sons concert on Sunday. If you do choose to watch, this is how you do it:

(11) NC State vs. (1) Purdue
6:09 p.m. EST | TBS
Purdue is favored by 8.5 | Total points: 146.5

(4) Alabama vs. (1) UConn
8:49 p.m. EST | TBS
UConn is favored by 11.5 | Total Points: 160.5

Kentucky Mangers nearly wipe the floor in the Mangers’ Games

The Kentucky men’s basketball team might not be playing in Phoenix this weekend, but their managers represented the university well. The Wildcat squad finished as national runners-up in the Managers Tournament, after knocking off Michigan State in the Elite Eight and Iowa State in the Final Four on Friday.

Unfortunately, they ultimately lost to the Razorbacks from Arkansas by a single point 38-37 in the title game. The ‘Cats had the ball with 9.8 seconds left on the clock but failed to convert, and the Hogs took down the title.

Led by 6-foot-10 Ray Surratt, son of former Wildcat, Marvin Stone, the guys responsible for cleaning the literal floor, wiped the proverbial hardwood of the competition all year, earning the most entertaining NIL deal ever seen along the way. Great season; I just wish some of that success would have rubbed off on the official team.

Props to the Wildcat Waterboys.

Lexi Blue fulfills the destiny of her name, commits to Kentucky

While some basketball players are mulling whether or not to leave (Ramiya White reopened her recruitment), top-quality stars are choosing to come.

Most of us know a Kentucky fan who named their pet Lexi after Lexington or Blue in honor of the Wildcats. If you don’t know one personally, you’ve probably heard of Jay Z, who named his daughter Blue just two years after releasing a song that contained the lyric, “Yeah, you know I bleed blue,” in reference to his affinity for Kentucky basketball.

Now, a player whose name preordained her to be a star Kentucky basketball player, Lexi Blue, is fulfilling that destiny. After originally committing to Virginia Tech to play for Coach Kenny Brooks, Blue will follow him to the Bluegrass and has officially flipped her commitment to the Wildcats.

Alexandria “Lexi” Blue is a 6-foot-2-inch, four-star wing, and ESPN ranks her as the No. 38th overall player from the class of 2024. The previous Kentucky staff recruited Blue, and now she has become the first high school commitment for Coach Brooks since he was officially introduced as Kentucky WBB head coach on March 28.

Welcome aboard, Lexi Blue. It will be an honor to write your name for the next four years.

Kentucky Football holds an open practice today (for the media, anyway)

Get ready for an avalanche of Kentucky Football content. Mark Stoops is opening the gates of the practice facility to the media for an open practice today. KSR will have an army of folks there to capture the action starting around noon. We’re only allowed to film/photograph/discuss certain segments of practice, but I guarantee what we do see, we will share in detail as we get our first look at the 2024 Wildcats with Brock Vandagriff under center.

Check the site and YouTube Channel in the afternoon for a content overload.

Kentucky baseball beats Alabama 6-2 in Game 1 of weekend series

Behind a stellar outing from starter Trey Pooser, No. 17 Kentucky downed No. 13 Alabama 6-2 Friday night to open the weekend series with a win.

The Cats have now won 13 of their last 14 games dating back to March 10.

With Friday night’s victory, Kentucky improves to 25-4 (9-1) on the season. Their 9-1 start in SEC play matches the best start to conference play in the Nick Mingione era (2023).

The first pitch of Game 2 will take place today at 2:00 p.m. Catch it on the SEC+ Network.

Kentucky Gymnastics set to compete in the NCAA Regional Finals

On Thursday, 10-seed Kentucky’s gymnastics team, alongside 7-seed Arkansas, knocked out Arizona and Nebraska in the Session I semifinal at Bud Walton Arena. The ‘Cats and the Razorbacks will face the top two teams in Session II, No. 2 seed LSU and No. 15 seed Minnesota today at 6 p.m. ET. The two teams with the highest scores will advance to the NCAA National Semifinals and Championship April 18-20 in Fort Worth, Texas.

You can watch the ‘Cats attempt to flip into the next round today on ESPN+. Live stats will be available here and we’ll also bring you the results on Kentucky Sports Radio dot com.

Yes, Livvy Dunne will compete for LSU. Don’t be weird.

Chris Beard and Jerome Tang shun Arkansas and will remain at their schools

With all the players entering and exiting the portal, it is sometimes easy to forget coaches started this off-season carousel long before the portal was a thing. The Razorbacks were left hunting for a few head coach after Eric Musselman bolted for USC earlier this week. Reports surfaced that they may have found their man in Chris Beard, but news surfaced Friday that Beard has rejected that offer and will stay at Ole Miss.

Once one of the hottest coaching names in the industry, Texas fired Chris Beard after some damning off-the-court police filings. That’s when Ole Miss swooped in and signed the man who took Texas Tech to the Final Four. After one year in Oxford, it doesn’t look like Beard is ready to move on quite yet, at least not to Arkansas, anyway.

Shortly afterward, Kentucky foe, Jerome Tang of Kansas State emerged as the leader for the Arkansas job, however, he, too, turned the Hogs down. Apparently, having managers who are good at hoops does not make a job attractive.

Former ‘Cat, Lance Ware, leaves Villanova for the transfer portal

As we await more Kentucky player stay-or-go decisions, another former ‘Cat announced he will be seeking a third school in as many years. Lance Ware announced he will enter the transfer portal after just one season at Villanova. Ware served the role of likable enforcer at Kentucky but sought more playing time elsewhere and was part of last offseason’s max exodus from the program.

At Villanova, Ware averaged 1.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in just 10.5 minutes of action per game in 33 appearances.

Ware will have one more year of eligibility before his college career comes to a close. If a roster spot is available, would Kentucky fans like to see Ware come back and finish out as a Wildcat?

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