KSR Today: Queen Howard, DeMarcus Cousins, Road To Rupp, and lots more
Today marks the final day of February on your calendars and the beginning of the final week of college basketball’s regular season. Tomorrow, we March.
But before the Madness begins, we have a lot of Monday, February 28th left to accomplish and we’re starting it here today at Kentucky-Sports-Radio-dot-com with a collection of the latest news and what’s ahead.
We begin with a celebration of Her Highness…
Rhyne Howard Day
Rhyne Howard couldn’t leave Memorial Coliseum without one last record-setting performance to wrap up her career in Lexington. Playing on Rhyne Howard Day, our queen made a school-record eight 3-pointers in her final home game to lead Kentucky past Auburn, 90-62. Howard’s 32 points set a new season-high for the All-American. She had 16 in the first 10-minute quarter, 24 by halftime.
Before the game, Howard was honored as Kentucky’s only outgoing senior.
Want more Rhyne Howard? Watch her record day in UK Athletics’ highlight package of Kentucky’s win. She wore Blair Green’s No. 5 jersey to honor Green, who missed the season with an injury, and former Kentucky Men’s Basketball player Terrence Clarke, who tragically passed away in April of last year.
Kentucky Basketball previews Tuesday’s home finale
Coming up later this morning, assistant coach Chin Coleman will address the media in Kentucky Basketball’s pre-Ole Miss press conference from the Joe Craft Center. Coleman will reflect on Saturday’s loss at Arkansas and preview the challenge ahead in the Rebels coming to town for Kentucky’s last home game.
Joining Coleman, Davion Mintz will be available for more of the same and to talk about his last game in Rupp Arena on Senior Night. Mintz and Kellan Grady are the two seniors on this year’s team and Big Blue Nation will celebrate their time as Wildcats before Tuesday night’s game.
Then later today, John Calipari will sit down with Tom Leach for his weekly call-in radio show on the UK Sports Network. Tune in to Calipari at 6 p.m.
The new AP poll will be interesting
There was chaos at the top of the college basketball rankings as the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth, and ninth-ranked teams lost last week. Seven of the top nine teams lost on Saturday, including the top six, and all projected No. 1 seeds. It was the losingest day in the 74-year history of the AP poll.
1. Gonzaga (at Saint Mary’s, 57-67)
2. Arizona (at Colorado, 63-79)
3. Auburn (at Tennessee, 62-67)
4. Purdue (at Michigan State, 65-68)
5. Kansas (at Baylor, 70-80)
6. Kentucky (at Arkansas, 73-75)
7. Duke
8. Villanova (at UConn, 69-71, last Tues.)
9. Texas Tech (at TCU, 66-69)
10. Baylor
We’ll find out at noon how AP voters reordered the rankings after such a wacky weekend. If Duke moves to No. 1 the week before Coach K’s last March Madness, we start the ESPN conspiracy theories.
For what it’s worth, Kentucky is No. 2 in KenPom, No. 3 in the NET, No. 3 in the BPI, and No. 5 in Sagarin.
A look at the current SEC standings
The SEC Tournament starts next week (!!!!!) and Saturday’s loss has Kentucky headed toward the No. 3 seed down in Tampa; although, plenty can change. For the latest on the league’s standing and seeding, visit KSR’s look at Kentucky’s SEC Tournament scenarios heading into the last week of the regular season.
UK really got hosed on the schedule this year.
KHSAA Regional Tournament action begins today
The Road To Rupp gets shorter this week as high school boys’ regional tournaments begin around the Bluegrass. Not all regions tip off championship week on Monday, but they’re playing postseason basketball in the far western part of the state in Region 1 with Mayfield (16-7) verus Calloway County (17-13) and McCracken County (24-3) versus Fulton County (12-12) at Murray State’s CFSB Center. It’s a special week for those communities coming together after all they’ve been through.
Then tomorrow, regions 2, 4, 6, 7 and 11 tip off their tournaments. Best of luck to the Madisonville Maroons out in the second region.
Boogie!!!!!!
Let’s go to the National Basketball Assocation where last night DeMarcus Cousins shined for his new team, the Denver Nuggets. Cousins came off the bench for 19 points, eight rebounds, and six assists in only 18 minutes played. It’s the first time someone has done that in 35 years.
The Nuggets are 10-0 since Cousins signed with the team.
Kentucky Baseball got the brooms out again
Kentucky Baseball kept the scorekeepers busy during a weekend sweep of Western Michigan at Kentucky Proud Park. Kentucky scored 14, 13, and 16 runs in three consecutive games from Friday through Sunday’s series finale, a 16-5 win for the home team.
The weekend sweep was Kentucky’s second sweep this season after beginning the year with three victories at Jacksonville State. Throw in the win over Bellarmine in the KPP home opener and the Wildcats are 7-0 to start 2022, the best start in 10 seasons. Nick Mingione hit the 150-win mark with Sunday’s win, too.
Kentucky returns to the diamond tomorrow afternoon against our friends from Western Kentucky. The first pitch is at 4 p.m. which should allow enough time to get down to Rupp Arena for Senior Night.
Read more about the winning weekend: Big bats carry Kentucky in sweep over Western Michigan
Abby Steiner broke the American indoor 200-meter record
The best athlete on Kentucky’s campus made history over the weekend while winning gold at the SEC Championships. Steiner’s 22.09 in the 200-meter is the second-fastest time ever recorded, the fastest by an American.
Football Recruit To Watch: Will Stoops, Class of 2025
No longer the little kid on the field before Kentucky Football games, Mark Stoops’ oldest boy is as tall as Stoops and winning 7-on-7 football tournaments in Texas. Stoops was there to support his son, and maybe to recruit him.
Louisa, Kentucky’s Noah Thompson won hearts on “American Idol”
Noah Thompson and his best friend Arthur put Louisa, Kentucky on American Idol’s map last night. Tune in below to learn their story and to hear Noah sing for Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan.
Happy Birthday: Tayshaun Prince, Marquis Teague, and Nancy Franklin
If you see Tayshaun Prince, Marquis Teague, or my mother today, be sure to wish them a Happy Birthday.
Y’all have a good Monday. Go Cats.
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