KSR Today: Oscar Tshiebwe, Kroger Field, and Jamal Murray

Good morning, folks! For some (Snoop Dogg, Willie Nelson, Bob Marley, Shannon The Dude, etc.), today, April 20th, is a holiday. At KSR headquarters, it’s business as usual, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy our own vice: endlessly debating whether or not Kentucky men’s basketball would be better suited with Oscar Tshiebwe or Hunter Dickinson for next season’s team. During this morning’s radio show, we’ll be doing a little bit of that as Matt Jones has some news to share regarding the whole situation.

We’ll also get a full recap of Wednesday’s GOP debate during this morning’s show, which included four of the top Republican candidates running for governor. Everyone is surely clamoring to hear just how nervous Ryan Lemond was whenever he had to cut someone off with the word “time”. Plus, Shannon The Dude has his own personal “scorecard” from the debate.

It’s gonna be a good one, so make sure to tune in at 10:00 a.m.

Tomorrow on KSR by the way, some news on the Oscar-Dickinson situation…

And @ShannonTheDude scorecards from the Debate

— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) April 20, 2023

Now let’s dive into the rest of this morning’s news and notes.

Take advantage of our KSR+ Launch Special and join the conversation on KSBoard, the KSR+ Message Board.

Check out Kroger Field’s makeover

Kroger Field’s new turf for the 2023 season sure does look pretty.

Only a few subtle changes were made to the new turf, the second artificial playing surface UK has used since abandoning Commonwealth Stadium’s natural grass. Kentucky will continue to play on green turf that alternates shades every five yards. The UK logo remains at midfield, but the checkerboard background has been removed from the end zones and sidelines.

The changes to the artificial turf are among many coming to the Kentucky football program this offseason. Nutter Field House is receiving upgrades as the track and field team moves into its own facility near the old Cliff Hagan baseball stadium. The old turf at the indoor has been ripped out as they replace it with a complete 120-yard field. In addition to cosmetic changes, garage doors are being added to improve ventilation.

Jamal Murray dropped 40 on KAT and the Wolves

Jamal Murray has played the majority of the 2022-23 season for the Denver Nuggets after sitting out 18 months to recover from a torn ACL. But on Wednesday night, he was officially back.

The former Wildcat exploded for 40 points in the Nuggets’ 122-113 Game 2 victory over Karl-Anthony Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves. The win gives Denver a 2-0 series lead in the first-round matchup as the home venue shifts to Minnesota for Games 3 and 4.

Despite leading by as many as 21 points, the Nuggets nearly blew the game down the stretch, but Murray hit several tough shots to push his team through. He went 13-22 from the floor (6-10 from deep) while adding three rebounds and five assists in 39 minutes played. It was just the second time this season that Murray has hit the 40-point threshold and his first time doing so in the postseason since playing in the “Bubble”.

Murray’s big night was perfect timing, too. Prior to his impressive playoff performance, the NBA released a 30-minute video documenting Murray’s recovery from injury that you can watch here.

EYBL session I starts Friday

The start of the Nike EYBL circuit is almost here, and plenty of Kentucky targets will be in action.

Session 1 starts in Atlanta, Georgia this weekend, a live period for coaches to gather courtside to watch the next generation of college and professional stars create names for themselves. It’s the best opportunity for schools to figure out who to recruit and/or back away from, all of the nation’s top talent competing under the same roof with one goal in mind: winning a Peach Jam title, the most prestigious honor in travel basketball.

So what should we expect as Session 1 takes place in Atlanta from April 21-23, followed by stops in Phoenix from April 28-30, Dallas from May 12-14, Memphis from May 26-29, and Peach Jam in North Augusta from July 3-9? Who will John Calipari and the Kentucky coaching staff be courtside for throughout the weekend, starting up top with rising seniors in the class of 2024, all the way down to rising sophomores in 2026? And just how interested is the program in each player?

Check out Jack Pilgrim’s full preview of this weekend’s grassroots event here.

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The football staff is out recruiting

After spending six weeks hosting recruits, Kentucky football coaches are on the road recruiting. Several scholarship offers are being handed out every single day by members of the staff, with some of those recruits locking in dates to make a trip to Lexington. We’ve got a full rundown of all the official visitors over at KSBoard that you’ll want to check out.

But if you haven’t signed up for KSR+ yet (and what’s stopping you?), you can still stay up to date on the happenings of Kentucky football recruiting with Nick Roush’s recruiting notebook from Wednesday. UK coaches will continue to travel throughout the rest of the week as they make moves all over the eastern portion of the United States in search of future Wildcats.