KSR Today: SEC Media Days begin, Summer League continues, La Familia interviews, and Rhoback deals

It may be mid-July, but these are busy times around KSR headquarters and Big Blue Nation. This week alone, we’re following the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, SEC Media Days in Atlanta, the Peach Jam in South Carolina, and The Basketball Tournament in Lexington. All of those events are going on now or starting soon, in addition to The Open Championship in golf, the Major League Baseball Draft, the MLB All-Star Game, and more.

Keep up with all of the Kentucky news and views here on KentuckySportsRadio.com. The staff here is working around the clock and away from home to keep KSR as the #1 spot for UK fans online. Let’s get today started with a Monday morning rundown. First, a message from today’s presenting sponsor of KSR Today.

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Former Cats shining in the NBA Summer League

Fourteen former Kentucky Wildcats participated in 17 NBA Summer League games across the first three days in Las Vegas. The Summer League began last Friday, headlined by Reed Sheppard’s 28-point game, and continues through next Sunday, July 20, in the desert. Yesterday, Sheppard didn’t play as well in his second game with Houston, but Koby Brea, Jacob Toppin, and Chris Livington stood out for their respective teams in Vegas:

• Koby Brea, Suns: 15 pts (6-14 FG, 2-5 3PT), 6 rebs, 2 asts, 1 stl (28:42)
• Jacob Toppin, Hawks: 15 pts (6-10 FG, 2-4 3PT), 8 rebs, 1 stl (27:28)
• Reed Sheppard, Rockets: 18 pts (6-19 FG, 1-7 3PT), 4 stls, 3 rebs, 1 ast, 6 TOs (28:14)
• Amari Williams, Celtics: 2 pts (0-2 FG), 3 rebs, 2 asts (16:01)
• Skal Labissiere, Magic: 0 pts (0-4 FG), 2 rebs, 3 asts, 1 blk (15:58)
• Chris Livingston, Bucks: 21 pts (8-14 FG, 1-5 3PT), 4 rebs, 2 stls, 1 ast (28:47)
• Jaxson Robinson, Cavs: DNP
• Lamont Butler, Hawks: DNP

Overall, Sheppard ranks fourth in points through two games (23.0 ppg), behind only Kyle Filipowski (26.5), Drew Timme (26.0), and Quenton Jackson (24.0). Sheppard’s old teammate, Rob Dillingham, who did not have a Sunday game, ranks third in assists (7.5 apg).

More NBA Summer League action tonight

There are seven games on today’s NBA Summer League schedule, three of which feature five former Wildcats. The action begins with Sheppard and Toppin in the Hawks-Rockets game at 4:30 p.m. Maybe Lamont Butler will surprise us and play for the Hawk after sitting out the first two.

TIME (ET)	HOME	AWAY	TV/STREAMING
4:30 PM	Atlanta Hawks (Lamont Butler, Jacob Toppin)	Houston Rockets (Reed Sheppard)	NBATV, ESPN+
8:00 PM	Boston Celtics (Amari Williams)	Miami Heat	ESPNU, ESPN+
10:00 PM	Phoenix Suns (Koby Brea)	Sacramento Kings	ESPNU, ESPN+

Conversations with La Familia before TBT begins later this week

Later today, members of the entire La Familia alumni squad will meet with the media to preview the upcoming The Basketball Tournament. KSR will be there to ask some of the questions, so stick around these parts to hear from the Harrison twins, Willie Cauley-Stein, Doron Lamb, DeAndre Liggins, Archie Goodwin, Kahlil Whitney, and Ansley Almonor. We’ll share their comments and clips from their Monday afternoon practice later on.

La Familia’s first TBT game is this coming Friday, July 18, at 9:00 p.m. ET at Memorial Coliseum. It will be broadcast nationally on FS1. If La Familia advances, they will face the winner of War Ready (Auburn Alumni) and X-Rayted on Sunday, July 20, at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports. The Lexington Regional championship game is Tuesday, July 22, at 6 p.m. ET on FS2.

Tickets for the Lexington Regional are on sale at TBTHoops.com/tickets.

SEC Football Media Days in Atlanta start today

Today begins SEC Media Days in Atlanta, Georgia, where KSR’s own Nick Roush and Adam Luckett are at the Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park to cover all four days of interviews. KSR’s coverage of SEC Media Days is presented by Friends of Coal, beginning with Day 1 press conferences with SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and coaches Brian Kelly, Lane Kiffin, Shane Beamer, and Clark Lea.

Kentucky fans will have to wait until the last day, Thursday, to hear from Mark Stoops and the three players accompanying him: Alex Afari, Jordan Lovett, and Josh Kattus. Still, KSR will have plenty of college football content throughout the week to come from Atlanta.

MONDAY, July 14
9:05 a.m. – Greg Sankey, SEC
10:25 a.m. – Brian Kelly, LSU (WR Chris Hilton JR., QB Garrett Nussmeier, LB Whit Weeks)
11:45 a.m. – Shane Beamer, South Carolina (QB LaNorris Sellers, DB DQ Smith, DT Nick Barrett)
1:30 p.m. – Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss (LB TJ Dottery, WR Cayden Lee, QB Austin Simmons)
3:20 p.m. – Clark Lea, Vanderbilt (ATH Randon Fontenette, DB Martel Hight, QB Diego Pavia)

TUESDAY, July 15
10:25 a.m. – Kirby Smart, Georgia (LB CJ Allen, DB Daylen Everette, QB Gunner Stockton)
12:15 p.m. – Hugh Freeze, Auburn (QB Jackson Arnold, DL Keldric Faulk, OL Connor Lew)
1:30 p.m. – Josh Heupel, Tennessee (LB Arion Carter, TE Miles Kitselman, DT Bryson Eason)
3:15 p.m. – Steve Sarkisian, Texas (LB Anthony Hill Jr., QB Arch Manning, DB Michael Taaffe)

WEDNESDAY, July 16
9:05 a.m. – Kalen DeBoer, Alabama (DL Tim Keenan III, LB Deontae Lawson, OL Kadyn Proctor)
10:50 a.m. – Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State (QB Blake Shapen, DB Isaac Smith, WR Brenen Thompson)
1:00 p.m. – Billy Napier, Florida (DL Caleb Banks, OL Jake Slaughter, QB DJ Lagway)
2:45 p.m. – Brent Venables, Oklahoma (QB John Mateer, DB Robert Spears-Jennings, DL R Mason Thomas)

THURSDAY, July 17
9:05 a.m. – Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri (DB Daylan Carnell, OL Connor Tollison, DL Zion Young)
10:50 a.m. – Mark Stoops, Kentucky (LB Alex Afari Jr., DB Jordan Lovett, TE Josh Kattus)
1:00 p.m. – Sam Pittman, Arkansas (DL Cam Ball, QB Taylen Green, LB Xavian Sorey Jr.)
2:45 p.m. – Mike Elko, Texas A&M (DB Will Lee III, OL Ar’maj Reed-Adams, LB Taurean York)

You can watch from home on SEC Network, too.

Join KSR’s Happy Hour presented by Country Boy Brewing at 4 p.m.

It’s a Monday, which means we’re meeting over on KSR’s YouTube channel around 4:00 p.m. for a new Happy Hour presented by Country Boy Brewing. Today, the panel of guests to be named later will discuss the first part of SEC Media Days, including Monday’s interviews with La Familia, the latest news around BBN, and more. Be part of KSR’s Monday tradition by watching the live stream as you wind down at work.

KSR’s morning show is without Matt Jones this week

Matt Jones is on vacation again, so Ryan Lemond and I will carry the show with producer Shannon The Dude until Matt’s return. Today, Ryan and I are at Jacob Tamme’s Swing For Soldiers charity golf scramble in Lexington. Tune in at 10 a.m. to hear the show, and then, later in the week, the entire La Familia roster will rotate through KSR interviews on the show. We’re looking forward to those conversations. Until then, go Cats and have a great Monday.