KSR Today: Hot Seat Talk, One Day Closer to Kentucky Basketball

Hello, friends. Happy Hump Day. How are you? I hope well. Am I struggling to figure out what to write about to talk to you before this week’s latest news about the Kentucky Wildcats? Of course I am, and for good reason.

First and foremost, there’s a lot going on around Big Blue Nation. Finding one specific thing to narrow the focus can be difficult. It also creates a second problem.

This weekend will be the one weekend a year I’m not at a Kentucky football game. I’m attending a family wedding in Austin instead. That means packing, organizing childcare, and also ensuring there are plenty of words put on the metaphorical paper before departing. But you don’t really care, so let me stop this rambling and get into the meat and potatoes of what’s going on, starting with the hottest thing on everyone’s mind.

Mark Stoops Hot Seat Talk

We’re currently in the middle of this weird time period where it is my job to go to practices, interview players, and talk about the upcoming Kentucky football game against Auburn, all the while the only thing anyone wants to talk about is Mark Stoops’ future in Lexington.

Plenty of people are talking about it on the national scene. Following the firing of Brian Kelly, analysts are trying to answer the question, “Who’s next?” Greg McElroy included Mark Stoops in his latest discussion on Always College Football. Andy and Ari shared their Hot Seat Rankings and Mark Stoops was at the top of the list, even though if Huge Freeze loses the “Hot Seat Bowl,” the Auburn coach may very well be the next to go.

Actual Kentucky Football Talk

Outside of the big-picture talk, the team is talking about this week’s trip to Auburn. For the first time in what feels like a very long time, the Kentucky offense has some momentum. Cutter Boley is getting better with each start and the Wildcats finally put some points on the scoreboard against Tennessee.

“There’s a deeper meaning in all of this. When you’ve battled with a guy like Cutter for 16 months and poured in a lot to pursue his growth, for him to go out there and play older than his age, it feels good,” offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan said on Tuesday.

“There are small wins and we just gotta keep building on that. He’s done some things that probably haven’t been done in 20 years. He’s steady, going right back to work, and continuing to improve. I think the message to him is there will be a time when you look back on this experience and understand the struggle you went through, you’ll look back on this experience and know this is where it started.”

We also chatted with Shiyazh Pete and Jason Patterson ahead of Saturday’s road trip. Tune in.

More Kentucky Football Talk

Brad White will try to answer questions about the Kentucky defensive struggles after practice, but you are probably looking forward to more big-picture talk. Adam Luckett and I will provide you with some during tonight’s edition of 11 Personnel.

Hopefully, Mr. Luckett doesn’t show up on the availability report. As Stoops might say, he’s a little banged up, thanks to a case of adult strep throat. We’ll see how he fights through the adversity tonight after the SEC Availability Report goes live around 8:15 PM ET. Hopefully, Seth McGowan‘s status is better than it was when he missed last week’s game against Tennessee.

Kentucky Basketball in Action

Before the Wildcats return to the hardwood for an exhibition against Georgetown, Mark Pope will spend some time talking about his team with the media. That’s a part of the normal routine. There’s a new wrinkle after the press conference. Pope has invited the media members and their families to attend practice. It’s a nice gesture that could produce some entertaining content. We had plenty of that Tuesday night on a new edition of Sources Say.

Tyrese Maxey Continues to Ball Out

The former Kentucky Wildcat’s first three games of the season were among the best in the history of the Philadelphia 76ers. He continued his scoring tear on Tuesday night. Tyrese Maxey had 39 points and 10 assists in a 139-134 overtime win over Washington to help the Sixers improve to 4-0.

Dodgers World Series Rally Stoped Short

After an epic 18-inning marathon on Monday night, the Dodgers had a chance to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the World Series. The Blue Jays had other plans. Vlad Guerrero Jr. blasted a two-run bomb to give the Jays a lead in the third, then Toronto scored four insurance runs in the seventh. The Dodgers had a last gasp in the ninth, but could only muster up one run in the rally, giving Toronto a 6-2 win and tying the World Series at two games apiece. Game 5 is tonight at 8 PM ET on FOX.

Sovereignty Watch!

There was also a big story outside of Tuesday’s Sports Equinox. Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic is one of the most anticipated horse races in years. It features a field of accomplished 4-year-olds, including the defending champ, and the stars of this year’s Triple Crown. Sovereignty and Journalism have a chance to produce an epic third chapter to their rivalry, but the former may be sidelined.

The Kentucky Derby winner spiked a fever shortly after post positions were drawn. A night of fever typically means a week in the shed. However, he quickly bounced back and trainer Bill Mott wasn’t willing to scratch Sovereignty right away. They’re monitoring the situation closely in the hopes that the horse will be able to race on Saturday.

Losing Sovereignty would certainly take a little shine off this race, but it’s still an absolutely loaded field. Pete Fornatale joined me to break down all of the contenders, and he handed out a few winners in other races to help you cash in this weekend at Del Mar.