KSR's 2021 Summer Calendar

@MrsTylerKSR

The offseason is officially upon us, but with the country opening up and things getting back to “normal,” that means more work than ever for the Kentucky Basketball and Football coaching staffs. Between camps, recruiting visits, evaluation periods, the NBA Draft, and the lead-up to football season, there’s a ton of stuff happening over the next three months. As we kick off Summer 2021, here’s a quick look:

JUNE

All month: John Calipari’s Summer Camps

Throughout the month of June, Kentucky’s new team and coaching staff will travel the state and welcome children and their parents to the Joe Craft Center for John Calipari’s annual summer camp series. This year, the satellite camps will go to ten towns across the Bluegrass. At the beginning of each camp session, a different player or coach will speak with reporters. KSR will have boots on the ground in each spot. Here’s the schedule as we know it so far.

June 1 (Thomas Nelson High School, Bardstown) – Jacob Toppin
June 2 (Ryle High School, Union) – Dontaie Allen
June 3 (Boyd County Middle School, Ashland) – Jai Lucas
June 4 (Elizabethtown High School, Elizabethtown) – Keion Brooks
June 5 (Covington Catholic High School, Park Hills) – CJ Fredrick
June 7 (West Carter High School, Olive Hill) – TBD
June 9 (North Laurel High School, London) – TBD
June 10 (South Oldham High School, Crestwood) – TBD
June 17 (The CROSS Center at Forks of Elkhorn, Midway) – TBD
June 24 (Henry County High School, New Castle) – TBD

June 1: NCAA recruiting dead period ends

Starting in June, recruits can finally start taking official visits again. After a year of Zoom calls, hosting prospects on campus will be HUGE for Kentucky’s coaches, who will be able to show off the facilities and take their top targets to Jeff Ruby’s for a steak and big slice of Wildcat Cake.

June 6 – 8: Pangos All-American Camp

The top 120 high school basketball players in the country (regardless of class) will head to Las Vegas June 6-8 for the Pangos All-American Camp. KSR’s Jack Pilgrim and Zack Geoghegan are making the trip to Sin City to bring you all the action (we really had to twist their arms).

June 6 & 13: Sunday Showcase Camps

Similarly, Mark Stoops and his staff will get their first chance in over a year to evaluate prospects in person at the program’s summer camp series. Camps run throughout the month of June, but the Sunday Showcase Camps on June 6 and June 13 will draw the biggest talents. As Nick Roush wrote last week, June 11-13 is already shaping up to be Kentucky Football’s biggest recruiting weekend of the year. We’ll have more details on who’s expected to be on campus in the coming days.

TBD: Kentucky Association of Health Plans Shots Across the Bluegrass KSR Tour

The radio show is hitting the road for the first time since the pandemic to encourage Kentuckians to get vaccinated. The dates and locations are still being finalized, but we hope to have a complete schedule for you soon.

June 18: Lexington KSR Golf Scramble

This year’s Lexington Golf Scramble will be played at Boone’s Trace National Golf Club (which is actually in Richmond). It’s sold out, but you can catch some of the fun on the radio show from 10 a.m. to noon. Ryan Lemond teased he might play this year, which should provide plenty of entertainment.

June 19-21: G-League Elite Camp

This event precedes the NBA Draft Combine at the same location. Details (such as the location) are still TBD due to evolving public health conditions, but typically, the top 60 draft prospects (as voted on by NBA teams) will be invited to the Combine and the next 40 prospects will be invited to the G-League Elite Camp. This could be a good bellwether for those testing the draft waters, like Davion Mintz.

June 21-27: NBA Draft Combine

As mentioned, details are still TBD, but participants will go through the usual strength and agility testing and five-on-five games. It will be televised on ESPN’s family of networks. Expect Isaiah Jackson and his freak athleticism to turn many heads.

June 22: NBA Draft Lottery

The full draft order will officially be set on June 22, giving the top players — like Jackson, a projected lottery pick — a clearer picture on where they may go.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

JULY

July 1: Deadline to enter the transfer portal

This year, players who wish to transfer have until July 1 to notify their current schools they are entering the portal

July 7: NCAA’s “Stay or Go” Deadline

Ten days after the Combine, players who wish to return to school must take their names out of the draft. For Kentucky, this applies to Davion Mintz.

July 13-25: Peach Jam

The Peach Jam is typically the biggest basketball recruiting event of the year, and this summer, it’s super-sized, taking place over two weeks in mid-July. All of the Nike EYBL teams are expected to gather in North Augusta for the event, which will draw coaching staffs from across the country. Jack Pilgrim had more on this over the weekend, but here’s an updated look at the live periods for all of the shoe circuits this summer:

Peach Jam – July 13-25
UAA (Session 1, Cartersville, GA) – July 8-11
UAA (Session 2, Frisco, TX) – July 16-18
UAA Finals (Westfield, IN) – July 23-25
Adidas 3SSB (Live 1, Birmingham, AL) – July 8-11
Adidas 3SSB (Live 2, Omaha, NE) – July 16-18

July 19-22: SEC Media Days

The pinnacle of Talking Season is BACK! Last year’s event was canceled due to the pandemic, but in July, all 14 coaches and a horde of media will converge upon Hoover, Alabama for SEC Media Days 2021. Mark Stoops is scheduled to talk on July 20, along with Kirby Smart, Lane Kiffin, and Josh Heupel. KSR hopes to have our entire football staff in attendance, so get ready for updates from Nick Roush, Freddie Maggard, and Adam Luckett. Finally, we’ll get to see what the lamp’s been up to the past two years.

Making a return appearance in July 2021. https://t.co/GmCCEgIGAk

— Freddie Maggard (@FredMaggard606) April 28, 2021

July 29: NBA Draft

Details are still TBD for this year’s draft, but no matter what form it takes, you know John Calipari will be front and center for “graduation night.”

AUGUST

Late July/Early August: Media Day

Talking season culminates with the football team’s annual Media Day, the date and details of which are still TBD. Will we finally get to ditch Zoom and return to in-person interviews? Fingers crossed.