KSR Today: One Basketball has my head spinning

You don’t see him a ton because he’s usually behind the lens. Every once in a while KSR’s resident video expert Steven Peake steps in front of the camera to deliver an expansive profile. This one about the basketball used in the NCAA Tournament still has my brain in a pretzel almost 24 hours later.

To make matters even worse, I knew this was coming. Steven has been talking about this basketball for weeks. I knew the Wilson Evo NXT — the official ball of the NCAA Tournament over the past two seasons — was causing a problem for college basketball’s best shooters. I did not know how badly it was hurting Kentucky from three-point land.

• Kentucky 3-Point Shooting with Wilson Evo NXT: 26%
• Kentucky 3-Point with Every Other Ball: 38%

Somehow, in the NCAA’s most profitable sport, the four-letter rule-making organization has failed to do its most basic task: mandate uniform equipment for the sport. It created a disaster in the opening weeks of postseason play. There’s only one logical solution: the NCAA must call a mulligan and replay the games. It’s only fair.

Do yourself a favor and spend eight minutes getting your mind opened by Steven Peake and the Wilson Evo NXT.

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Antonio Reeves Announces Future Plans

Another day, another Kentucky basketball player has announced his next move. First it was Sahvir Wheeler, followed by Jacob Toppin and Cason Wallace. On Tuesday Antonio Reeves became the first to say that he’s leaving the door open for a possible return, while testing the NBA Draft waters.

“I’ve spent time thinking about what’s best for me and my future. I’ve determined that testing the waters and getting information back from the NBA is the best thing for me at this time,” Reeves said on social media. “I’ve always dreamt of becoming a professional basketball player, and I am focused on fulfilling that dream but I’m keeping my options open.”

Despite a 1-of-15 performance in the season-ending loss to Kansas State, the BBN would happily welcome him back with open arms. The Wildcats’ leading three-point shooter shot just shy of 40% from long-range and scored 20+ points in 10 games, highlighted by a 37-point performance in the regular season finale at Arkansas.

Kentucky Baseball Take Care of Business

It was a marathon Tuesday night at Kentucky Proud Park. It took an hour to complete the first two innings thanks to four pitching changes. Fortunately for the Bat Cats, the bats did not get stale during the grind. Hunter Gilliam extended his hit streak to 22, an RBI double from Nolan McCarthy in the sixth sent home two runs, and the Cats juiced the bases in the seventh to put the game out of reach.

A season-high 3,274 Kentucky baseball fans were treated to a 13-6 victory by the No. 10 Wildcats. Nick Mingione’s squad improves to 26-3 ahead of a weekend road trip to Georgia.

Kentucky Spring Football Begins to Wind Down

The end is near for Kentucky football spring practice. The team will meet a few more times this week before putting a bow on the 15-practice season next week. Approaching the final sessions on the practice field, Liam Coen spent time on Tuesday breaking down the play of the offensive line and much more. Hear from UK’s offensive coordinator and the leader of the Big Blue Wall, Zach Yenser.

Former Kentucky Football Player Climbs Coaching Ranks

Earven Flowers, a defensive back at Kentucky in the early 00s, is moving on up in the world of Texas High School Football. After serving as the school’s defensive coordinator for two seasons, Flowers was promoted to athletic director and head football coach at Taylor High School just outside of Austin. “We are going to bring the juice,” Flowers told Texas Football.

The Masters Par Three Contest Tees Off

After a one-day break from major sports, we’re already back with a little bit of fun to get the ball rolling at Augusta National. The Masters Par Three contest tees off today at Noon on Masters.com and The Masters app. ESPN will cover the event from 3-5 pm. Today is the day to make your picks from your pools and Adam Luckett has all of The Masters insight to make sure you’re prepared for the first major of the season.

More “Best Of” KSR

Drew Franklin is on the road at Augusta, while Matt Jones and Ryan Lemond continue a one-week reset. You can still hear an oldie but a goodie this morning from 10-Noon.