KSR Today: Recruiting, NBA Combine and D-Book Dingers

It feels like just yesterday we were in Memphis at the first Nike EYBL session of the AAU season, lost with no clue how to navigate those uncharted waters. Mark Pope had just been hired two weeks before and was still filling out his coaching staff while starting the process of building out his debut roster. He was still a step away from being a step away in terms of high school recruiting, looking ahead to the 2025 class and beyond. You were left asking kids their thoughts on Kentucky with Coach Cal out and Pope in — “a completely different program,” as some described it at the time, the old coach “just moving headquarters” to Arkansas. Had any of them heard from the new staff in Lexington? Not really, maybe an introductory text message or FaceTime, at best. It was finding a needle in a haystack, certainly not our most productive work trip. As the staff was laying the foundation with new targets, so were we.

Fast forward a year and change later and the KSR crew is headed back to Memphis for yet another EYBL session — this time being the first live period, making it one of the most important recruiting weekends of the spring and summer. It’ll be the last time coaches get to see these kids in person until June — three weekends to evaluate at the NBPA Top 100 Camp (June 11-12) and various high school events (June 20-22, 27-29) — followed by back-to-back live periods in mid-July. The good news for us (and Big Blue Nation)? We have multiple classes of real targets to work with now after following the staff’s moves over the last 12 months. After being severely unprepared last go-round, we’re over-prepared in our trip back to the Home of the Blues.

KSR will be watching and interviewing all of Kentucky’s top EYBL recruits throughout the weekend in Memphis — Christian Collins, Jordan Smith Jr., Jason Crowe Jr., Tajh Ariza and Ikenna Alozie among the names to keep an eye on — while also following the staff around to see if any new names pop up, along with their other potential visits to watch the Adidas 3SSB and Puma Pro 16/NXTPRO kids.

In short, be prepared for content overload.

A heartbreaker for Kentucky baseball

Down to its last series of the regular season, Kentucky baseball lost in the heartbreaker of all heartbreakers down in Nashville. With the Bat Cats up 5-0 and 7-2 at various points, they were not only an inning away or even an out away, but a single strike away from pulling off the win over No. 9 Vanderbilt. They controlled the game from the start to essentially the finish, right up until the final at bat.

Then the Commodores drilled a three-run home run to left-center field on the final pitch, hit by Braden Holcomb. Up 7-5, lose 8-7 on one swing. It moved Kentucky to 3-9 in SEC games decided by one or two runs, continuing a streak of brutal finishes for this group.

That single moment took away a ton of good for the Cats with seven of nine starters earning a hit, James McCoy and Carson Hansen hitting home runs to help Nick Mingione’s squad dominate most of the way — all the way until they didn’t.

The good news? They’ll get a shot at redemption today with first pitch of game two in Nashville coming at 7 PM ET, live on SEC Network+. The regular season will then come to a close on Saturday at 3 PM ET, that one also live on SEC Network+.

Otega vs. Koby at the Combine

5-on-5 scrimmages came to a close at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago on Thursday, day two of live game action that also featured a head-to-head battle of Kentucky Wildcats. Otega Oweh‘s Team Lazare took on Koby Brea‘s Team Mueller to wrap things up with both players standing out for their teams — and scouts in attendance.

Oweh finished with 14 points on 4-8 shooting, 1-1 from three and 5-6 from the line with five rebounds, one assist, two steals, and one turnover in 26 minutes. As for Brea, he added 16 points on 6-12 overall and 4-8 from deep while adding five rebounds, one assist, and two turnovers in 30 minutes.

Highlights courtesy of KSR’s Zack Geoghegan:

Here are all the highlights from Oweh and Brea that I was able to grab. https://t.co/RNYGHmdwlc pic.twitter.com/rY3Wec1gG0

— Zack Geoghegan (@ZGeogheganKSR) May 15, 2025

With scrimmage action complete in Chicago, we now turn to interviews and workouts until the event wraps up on Sunday, May 18. From there, Oweh has until May 28 to make a final decision on his future, either keeping his name in the draft or returning for one final season in Lexington.

Devin Booker hits dingers in jorts

Phoenix may be out of the NBA Playoffs, but Suns superstar Devin Booker is still getting in work — but not the work you may expect.

He’s traded out a basketball for a baseball bat, but you’d have no idea it isn’t his natural sport as he smacks homers out of the park wearing ridiculously long jorts. And he called his shot beforehand, too.

“It’s left field, for sure,” Booker said, right before going yard right where he said he would.

Someone get Devin Booker an MLB contract ASAP 😮‍💨

(via dbook/IG) pic.twitter.com/Qk8A9Ftthn

— Booker Muse (@DevinBookerMuse) May 15, 2025

Not too shabby, D-Book.

Game 7 it is!

Julius Randle and the Minnesota Timberwolves advanced to the Western Conference Finals with a Game 5 win over Golden State on Wednesday. On Thursday, it was Jamal Murray and the Denver Nuggets holding off Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder from doing the same, winning in Game 6 to force a Game 7 in OKC.

Murray flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in the win-or-go-home performance. For the Thunder, it was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander doing what he does best, leading the way with 32 points while adding six assists and three rebounds. Cason Wallace also added 10 points, four rebounds and three steals off the bench.

The Boston Celtics hope to do what the Nuggets did last night, forcing a Game 7 themselves against Karl-Anthony Towns and the New York Knicks inside Madison Square Garden at 8 PM ET, live on ESPN.

Catch up with Reece Potter

Let’s wrap up with one last catch-up, Kentucky’s newest pledge Reece Potter joining Sources Say this week to talk about his commitment and what it’s like to return home to Lexington.

The Miami (OH) was awesome, answering questions from BBN and sharing his excitement as he gets ready to wear the blue and white. It’s an interview you don’t want to miss. Tune in below:

That’s all for now, folks. Time to get to Memphis as recruiting season ramps back up for the Cats (and the KSR crew).

Go Cats.