KSR Today: Keep on moving, Tiger (among other notes)

Just 14 months after a brutal car accident nearly cost him his leg, Tiger Woods is fighting through the pain to compete in the 2022 Masters. He’s not just participating, either. The 46-year-old golfer remains in the hunt after day one, tied for tenth overall (-1) thru 18 holes.

It was just one day and there is still a lot of golf left to play — especially on a mangled leg held together with a rod, plates and screws — but it was a heck of a start, one Woods is proud of.

“I am as sore as I expected to feel, but it was amazing,” Woods said. “Like I was telling the team all week, come game time, it will be a different deal. My adrenaline will kick in. I’ll get into my own little world, and I’ll get after it. It’s about the training that we’ve done to have the stamina to go.”

Check out the updated Masters leaderboard:

• 1 Sungjae Im -5 (F)
• 2 Cameron Smith -4 (F)
• T3 Danny Willett -3 (F)
• T3 Joaquin Niemann -3 (F)
• T3 Scottie Scheffler -3 (F)
• T3 Dustin Johnson -3 (F)
• T7 Corey Conners -2 (F)
• T7 Patrick Cantlay -2 (F)
• T7 Jason Kokrak -2 (F)
• T10 Tiger Woods -1 (F)
• T10 Webb Simpson -1 (F)
• T10 Harold Varner III -1 (F)
• T10 Will Zalatoris -1 (F)
• T10 Matt Fitzpatrick -1 (F)
• T10 Harry Higgs -1 (F)
• T10 Kevin Na -1 (F)
• T10 Daniel Berger -1 (F)
• T10 Tony Finau -1 (F)

Round two begins this morning and lasts throughout the day, wrapping up again in the late afternoon. Woods is set to tee off starting at 1:41 p.m. ET.

Bryce Hopkins enters the portal

The Kentucky basketball program saw another departure on Thursday, as freshman forward Bryce Hopkins announced he would be exploring his options in the transfer portal.

“This journey has been a dream come true,” Hopkins announced. “I’ve always wanted to play for Kentucky growing up and it came true. I can’t thank the Big Blue Nation enough for embracing me like you did. There are so many memories that I will keep with me forever. I want to thank my brothers that I’ve grinded with all season. I have built a bond with all of you that nobody can break, and I love you all.

“I want to thank Coach Calipari, Coach Bru(iser Flint), Coach Jai (Lucas), Coach Chin (Coleman) and Coach Orlando (Antigua) for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to play here.

“But with that being said my parents and I have put a lot of thought into it and feel that it’s best for me to enter the transfer portal.”

Hopkins averaged 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds in just 6.4 minutes per contest as a freshman. With a minimal role playing inconsistent minutes, the 6-foot-7 forward has been a rumored transfer since the start of the spring semester. That expectation became a reality Thursday morning when he officially hit the portal.

Who could land the former four-star recruit? Sources tell KSR that Illinois, Providence and DePaul are among the top schools to keep an eye on, with the Fighting Illini seen as the early favorite.

Skyy Clark commits to Illinois

Speaking of the Fighting Illini — and maybe not coincidentally — former Kentucky pledge Skyy Clark has found a new home, committing to Illinois over Louisville, Tennessee, USC, Maryland and Washington. The four-star point guard announced his committment on ESPN on Thursday just one month after parting ways with the Wildcats.

Clark decommitted from Kentucky after struggling to see a roster fit with the program as a freshman. He first committed to UK back in October 2020.

Clark joins top-100 prospects Ty Rodgers, Jayden Epps and Sencire Harris in Illinois’ 2022 recruiting class. He immediately becomes the top-ranked pledge of the group.

2022 Nike Hoop Summit tips off

Need some basketball in your life this weekend? The 2022 Nike Hoop Summit is set to tip off late Friday evening, a matchup of the top American high school senior boys facing off against international players 19 and younger.

Among the participants? Kentucky target Leonard Miller, a five-star wing out of Canada who is set to compete for the World Team. Miller is rated as the No. 11 recruit in the latest On3 Player Rankings and recently cut his list to ten options, including eight schools and two pro routes. Kentucky joins Oklahoma State, Gonzaga, Auburn, Alabama, Kansas, TCU and Providence among colleges, with the G League Ignite and Overtime Elite also in the running.

UK targets MacKenzie Mgbako, Matas Buzelis and Omaha Biliew will also compete for the World Team, with Mgbako announcing his commitment shortly before the game tips off at 10 p.m. ET. The five-star wing is widely expected to choose Duke late Friday evening.

Elsewhere, the USA Nike Hoop Summit Team is loaded with former Kentucky targets, highlighted by Dereck Lively (Duke), Kyle Filipowski (Duke), Keyonte George (Baylor) and Nick Smith Jr. (Arkansas).

The game will be live-streamed for free. You can find the game on usabasketball.com and USA Basketball Twitter, as well as nba.com, the NBA App, and the NBA’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Spring Game is set for Saturday

The wait is over, Big Blue Nation. After three long months without Kentucky football, the Wildcats are set to take the field Saturday afternoon for the program’s annual Blue/White Spring Game.

To get you ready for the scrimmage, Brad White, Anwar Stewart and Jalen Geiger spoke to the media Thursday, with the full video replays found below:

No promises, but a surprise guest appearance from Mark Stoops could also be in the works this morning on Kentucky Sports Radio.

Saturday’s Spring Game is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. EST kickoff at Kroger Field and will be broadcast live on the SEC Network+. We’ll see you there, BBN.