KSR Today: Official visits highlight summer weekend
We are 12 weeks away from toe meeting leather at Kroger Field. Kentucky basketball still has two months before their trip to the Bahamas. Both seasons seem a long way away. With no action in the immediate future, we have officially entered a dead zone on the sports calendar.
Luckily, recruiting never stops.
Both John Calipari and Mark Stoops are hosting premium recruiting targets this weekend as both football and men’s basketball are looking to score some big recruiting wins. KSR Today is here to set the table for what could end up being a very important time on campus for each program.
Kentucky football’s huge weekend is underway
Kentucky football currently has six verbal commitments for the class of 2023. The Wildcats are looking to add to that this weekend with numerous key uncommitted targets on campus for their first official visit of this recruiting cycle.
Let’s take a look at the prospects currently on campus.
- Phenix City (Ala.) Central wide receiver Karmello English (No. 130 in On3 Consensus)
- Florence (Ala.) Mars Hill Bible School offensive lineman Koby Keenum (No. 666 in On3 Consensus)
- Birmingham (Ala.) Parker running back Khalifa Keith (unranked in On3 Consensus)
- Philadelphia Roman Catholic offensive lineman Austin Ramsey (No. 669 in On3 Consensus)
- Melbourne (Fla.) Eau Gallie cornerback Robert Stafford (No. 157 in On3 Consensus)
- Montgomery (Ala.) Alabama Christian School defensive back Avery Stuart (No. 220 in On3 Consensus)
That might not be it. Philadelphia Northeast offensive lineman Naquil Betrand (No. 825 in On3 Consensus) and Suwanee (Ga.) North Gwinnett linebacker Grant Godfrey (No. 194 in On3 Consensus) are also reported visitors.
To end the work week, we got some surprising news as the program hosted Sam Houston State transfer Ramon Jefferson for a visit last week. The former Colorado commit played for Liam Coen at Maine back in 2017 and would seem to make a lot of sense for Kentucky if Chris Rodriguez Jr.’s status does not get figured out. Jefferson has rushed for 3,997 yards and 41 touchdowns in four combined seasons in the FCS and junior college.
KSR will be making the trip to campus on Sunday for another football camp and will dig in to find some buzz as some recruiting momentum could be building. Stay tuned as things are happening at a rapid rate on the recruiting trail.
John Calipari, Kentucky are pushing for Aaron Bradshaw
Kentucky basketball also is hosting a big-time recruit. Top-20 prospect Aaron Bradshaw is currently in Lexington for his official visit as the Wildcats look to record a significant 2023 recruiting win.
The seven-foot center from New Jersey has looked very good on the grassroots circuit and is a fast-rising prospect. Bradshaw was a defensive MVP at a recent Nike EYBL event and goes to the same high school as five-star point guard D.J. Wagner.
For more reasons than one, Bradshaw is a key target, and Kentucky is looking to make a splash this weekend.
CJ Fredrick, Lance Ware speak with media
Kentucky basketball had a rare media opportunity on Friday, and KSR was in attendance to speak with both guard CJ Fredrick and forward Lance Ware. Fredrick is working on returning from injury and is planning to be on the court when the Wildcats head to the Bahamas in August. Meanwhile, Ware is excited about the chance to play with Oscar Tshiebwe again.
Check out the full videos and make sure you are subscribed to our KSR YouTube channel.
Steph Curry carries Warriors to win in Boston
The Celtics entered Game 4 with a great chance to take a commanding lead in the NBA Finals. However, Steph Curry just would not be denied. The two-time MVP went off for 43 points on 26 field goal attempts with seven makes from downtown. Curry also grabbed 10 rebounds as he put together one of the best individual performances in NBA Finals history.
Now the series will move back to San Francisco deadlocked 2-2 with Game 5 set for Monday night.
All eyes in horse racing are on Belmont
Believe it or not, the Belmont Stakes will take place this evening as Rich Strike returns to the track. After sitting out the Preakness, the long shot won’t even be the favorite for the third leg of the Triple Crown.
- We The People (2-1)
- Skippylongstocking (20-1)
- Nest (8-1)
- Rich Strike (7-2)
- Creative Minister (6-1)
- Mo Donegal (5-2)
- Golden Glider (20-1)
- Barber Road (10-1)
The Belmont Stakes are set for 6:49 pm ET on NBC. Make sure you get your bets in early for the last huge horse racing event before the Breeders’ Cup returns to Keeneland in November.
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