KSR Today: From Stoops Rumors to Basketball Bliss, Kentucky's Waiting Game Continues

Good morning, BBN. It’s a chilly one down here in Nashville, but we’re one step closer to Thursday’s basketball exhibition vs. Georgetown and Saturday’s football game at Auburn — and whatever consequences the latter may bring. From one end of the emotional spectrum to the other, it’s certainly not a boring time to be a Kentucky fan.

We’ll start today’s rundown by quickly recapping a busy Monday on the football front. When that gets too depressing, we’ll move on to basketball, don’t worry.

Quick-Hitters from Monday

“85-90% chance” Stoops is out: Matt Jones got the day off to a rollicking start when he said he now believes there’s an 85-90% chance Mark Stoops will not be the coach next season. The next two games, at Auburn and vs. Florida at home, are critical. Jones said Stoops is likely gone unless Kentucky goes 6-6, but if the Cats lose embarrassingly over the next two weeks, Mitch Barnhart may have to pull the trigger sooner rather than later.

No real update on Seth McGowan: Kentucky’s top RB missed the Tennessee game due to a shoulder injury. The location of the injury makes it difficult for McGowan to secure the football, so he will likely be a game-time call vs. Auburn.

Stoops on roster construction: “We did as good as we could”: We got the 2025 college football equivalent of “Mama Tried” when Stoops was asked about NIL and revenue-sharing. Kentucky revamped the roster with 50+ new players this offseason. Stoops said he had more resources this year than last, but it’s still a multi-year process.

Auburn staying mum on QB situation: Kentucky will have to prepare for two quarterbacks this week. On Monday, Hugh Freeze said there’s an open competition at QB between Jackson Arnold and Ashton Daniels. Daniels came in for Arnold after a pick-six vs. Arkansas on Saturday and led the Tigers to the 33-24 come-from-behind win, their first in SEC play.

Another night game for Florida: Game times for Nov. 8 dropped on Monday, and Kentucky vs. Florida will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network, aka Kentucky’s new home this season. It will be Kentucky’s fourth straight night game. At least we’ve got Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers, and Cole Cubelic to entertain us, right?

Shortly after, Nick Roush, Adam Luckett, Drew Franklin, and Van Hiles met up on YouTube to talk about the loss and what lies ahead. It’s a depressing time in BBN, but the boys are trying their hardest to laugh through the pain.

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Bush Hamdan, Offense Day at practice

Despite the gloom surrounding the program, Kentucky’s offense has made impressive strides in recent weeks. Cutter Boley set a freshman school record with five touchdown throws vs. Tennessee. After today’s practice, Bush Hamdan and members of the offense will talk to reporters about the unit’s progress. Stoops told reporters on Monday that he doesn’t think his team is letting go of the rope, so it will be good to hear from the players themselves to gauge the vibe in the locker room.

Check the site, KSBoard, and YouTube Channel tonight for updates.

Warm up with a new Journey video

In one week, we’ll be preparing for Kentucky’s season-opener vs. Nicholls. Before that, we’ve got another exhibition game, this one against Ed Cooley’s Georgetown Hoyas. It can’t come soon enough for a fanbase thirsty for more hoops after Friday’s thrilling win over No. 1 Purdue. ICYMI, The Athletic’s CJ Moore moved Kentucky from No. 9 to No. 2 in his rankings on Monday. Even though it was just an exhibition, college basketball is taking notice of the Cats.

If you’re already jonesing for a fix, the UK Sports Video staff released its recap on Monday. It’s a great way to start your morning.

🗣️ The beauty of what we are doing is that we are doing it together. pic.twitter.com/tVQ79dIleF

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) October 27, 2025

Speaking of basketball videos, Jack Pilgrim and Shawn Smith will go live tonight for a new episode of “Sources Say” (8 p.m. ET, KSR YouTube Channel). I’m sure they’ll have plenty to say about the Purdue win and what it means for the season.

An 18-inning World Series Game

Those of you who stayed up for Game Three of the World Series are probably extra sleepy this morning. Last night’s game went to 18 innings, lasting almost seven hours, before Freddie Freeman finally got a walk-off home run to give the Los Angeles Dodgers the 6-5 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. The matchup featured 609 pitches, 37 runners left on base, 25 position players used, and 19 pitchers over 399 minutes. The Dodgers now lead the series 2-1.

College Hoops Exhibitions on TV

Game Four of the World Series is tonight, but if you’d rather watch hoops, there are some good exhibition games featuring some future Kentucky foes. UConn hosts Michigan State at 7:30 p.m. (UConn+). Kentucky plays the Spartans in the Champions Classic three weeks from today. At 8 p.m., Louisville hosts Bucknell (ACCExtra). I’m sure I don’t have to remind you that the Cards lost to Kansas on Friday night. Believe it or not, Kentucky vs. Louisville in the Yum Center is just two weeks away.

Last night, John Calipari made his return to Memphis for Arkansas’ exhibition vs. the Tigers. Despite being down 15 points early on, the Razorbacks rolled to a 99-75 win, with freshmen Meleek Thomas scoring 23 points and Darius Acuff 17.

Get your day going with some Mo-tivation

Mo Dioubate is well on his way to being a fan favorite. Let the poetic Queens native get you in the right mind frame this morning with his latest Mo-tivational quote.

.@MoDioubate is BACK with another edition of Mondays with Mo. pic.twitter.com/l84h52xWZq

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) October 27, 2025