KSR Today: Kentucky baseball continues, EYBL begins in Louisville

Kentucky baseball’s NCAA Tournament dreams remain alive following another significant win on Friday. Following a dominant 10-2 victory in a win-or-go-home situation over the Vanderbilt Commodores, the Bat Cats (32-25; 12-18 SEC) have advanced to the fourth round of the SEC Tournament on Saturday.

UK is set to take on No. 4 seed LSU on Saturday, the second time the Wildcats have faced the Tigers in Hoover. Kentucky previously fell to LSU by a final score of 11-6 on Thursday, a game that didn’t finish until the early hours of Friday morning. With a dominant win over Vanderbilt, a rematch in the double-elimination bracket is set for this afternoon at approximately 2 p.m. ET. UK’s game will take place following the conclusion of No. 7 Florida’s game against No. 11 Alabama, which starts at 10:30 a.m. ET.

Should Kentucky beat LSU this afternoon, it will advance to the SEC Tournament semifinals later in the evening. A loss would knock the Wildcats out of the event and leave their NCAA Tournament hopes in the hands of the selection committee.

UK opened the SEC Tournament with a 3-1 win over No. 5 Auburn, followed by Friday’s 10-2 win over Vanderbilt to give the program its first multi-win result in the event since 2014. UK has posted six wins against the RPI Top 6 over its last 13 outings.

EYBL starts in Louisville

The best high school basketball talent will take the floor in Kentucky this weekend, as Nike EYBL is set to take place at the Expo Center in Louisville. It’s not a Live Period, meaning no college coaches will be allowed in the building, though it’s still an opportunity for local fans to get a look at UK’s biggest recruiting targets in the class of 2023 and beyond.

Who can fans keep an eye on? DJ Wagner is the biggest name, along with five-star targets Rob Dillingham, Ron Holland, Matas Buzelis, Aaron Bradshaw, KJ Evans, Justin Edwards, among others.

Games started this morning and will continue through Monday, an all-day affair all three days. Fans are allowed to attend the event all weekend, with tickets available at the door.

KSR will have boots on the ground throughout the event, with interviews of all of Kentucky’s top recruiting targets to follow.

Miami Heat extend the ECF to Game 7

Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and the Miami Heat live to see another day. With their season on the line, the Heat managed to take down the Boston Celtics by a final score of 111-103.

Herro was out with a groin injury, leaving Miami down its Kia Sixth Man of the Year and 20-point-per-game scorer. Adebayo played, but his production was rather limited, finishing with six points on 3-6 shooting to go with nine rebounds, two assists and one steal.

It was the Jimmy Butler show, with the standout guard finishing with a team-high 47 points on 16-29 shooting and 4-8 from three. He added an impressive nine rebounds, eight assists, four steals and one block in the do-or-die matchup.

Miami now gets the chance to close things out at home in Game 7, which is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday. That game will be broadcast live on ESPN.

Chris Rodriguez’s availability in question

Could UK be without its star running back in 2022? It’s a possibility.

KSR’s Matt Jones reported Friday morning that Chris Rodriguez’s availability this season is in doubt for reasons beyond his recent DUI arrest.

“I would say it’s up in the air what the future of Chris Rodriguez will be at Kentucky,” Jones said on KSR to open the show Friday morning. “I don’t think it’s decided, and to be honest with you, I’m not sure what this is, but something has occurred that is not related to the DUI that could end up making it to where he is not on the team.”

Should he stay on the team, a suspension would be almost certain, says Jones. And it’d likely keep him out of Kentucky’s crucial matchup against the Florida Gators in week two.

“Even if he is on the team, I think it is almost certain he will not be playing in the first few games,” he added. “He may not play all year, but would almost certainly not be playing in the first four or five games, which would include the Florida game.”