Today on KSR: Evaluation period begins, Daimion Collins speaks

by:Jack Pilgrim06/18/21

College coaches will be evaluating talent in person for the first time since the tail end of the 2019-20 high school basketball season starting today, as the NCAA’s first official evaluation period of the year will run from Friday to Sunday (June 18-20), with high-profile events taking place throughout the country.

Among them? The Titans Rockets Summer Shootout, a 64-team event in Shelbyville, KY featuring some of the state’s top players such as Reed Sheppard, Kaleb Glenn, George Washington III, John McCrear, Maker Bar and Gabe Sisk, among others. The event, which will be held at Martha Layne Collins High School, Shelby Christian Church, Shelby County Middle School, Marnel C Moorman and First Baptist Church throughout the weekend, will be open to the public with admission set at $10 per day. Fans, media and Division I college coaches will all be in attendance watching the area’s top prospects.

Beyond the local event in Shelbyville, the majority of Kentucky’s other top targets in 2022 and 2023 will be playing in various high-profile events throughout the country, with the UK coaching staff expected to rack up their SkyMiles to see them all up close and in person.

Needless to say, expect recruiting information and updates to ramp up in the coming days, weeks and months.

John Calipari’s Father-Son Camp is back

After spending the day in Midway for another Satellite Camp on Thursday, the Kentucky basketball team is back in Lexington for camp on Friday, this time for John Calipari’s Father-Son Camp.

The second session of the camp – the first was held from June 11-12 – father and son participants will be treated to instruction from the Kentucky coaches and staff, along with current available Wildcat players through detailed skill work and competitions in the Joe Craft Center, Memorial Coliseum and the Seaton Center. Father and son teams will compete with fellow campers of appropriate age groups (based on son’s age/grade level) in competitions that incorporate skills learned throughout the camp. The skill work is designed to give both father and son drills and techniques to take home and continue working on together.

Camp is open to all fathers and sons ages 7-17, with the cost of each camp being $320 for a father-son duo ($160 per camper) and includes:

  • Three meals (including dinner on Friday during registration, breakfast snack and sandwiches after dismissal)
  • Camp T-shirt
  • Two sessions of instruction and competition
  • Photo and autograph opportunities with UK staff and players

Camp activities will begin at 5:30 p.m. this afternoon and will end at 9 p.m. before returning at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday and concluding at 1 p.m.

Daimion Collins speaks with the media

At the conclusion of today’s camp, Kentucky freshman forward Daimion Collins will speak to the media to discuss his decision to sign with Kentucky, adjusting to life as a freshman, thoughts on the roster and expectations for the season, among other topics.

Collins’ conversation with the media comes after TyTy Washington’s sit-down with reporters on Thursday, where the freshman point guard discussed his first month in Lexington, the start of practice and just how good he believes the 2021-22 Wildcats can be. In case you missed that interview, you can find the full video replay below:

Immanuel Quickley named to 2020-21 NBA All-Rookie Second Team

Former Kentucky star Immanuel Quickley received an incredible birthday present on Thursday, as the New York Knicks guard was named to the 2020-21 NBA All-Rookie Second Team, joining the likes of Desmond Bane (Grizzlies), Isaac Okoro (Cavaliers), Isaiah Stewart (Pistons), and Patrick Williams (Bulls) on the list. LaMelo Ball (Hornets; ROY), Anthony Edwards (Grizzlies), Tyrese Haliburton (Kings), Saddiq Bey (Pistons), and Jae’Sean Tate (Rockets) made up the First Team.

The prestigious honor comes after Quickley averaged 11.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 19.4 minutes per outing as a rookie, also shooting 38.9% from three and 89.1% from the line.

Not too shabby for the 25th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, who was given a “D+” rating by draft “experts” the night he was selected.

Keep it up, IQ.

Max Duffy waived by Denver Broncos

Shifting over to the gridiron, former Wildcat Max Duffy was relieved of his duties on Thursday, with the standout punter being waived alongside former Georgia linebacker Natrez Patrick so the franchise could sign wide receivers Amara Darboh and De’Mornay Pierson-El to its 90-man roster.

The move comes just one day after Broncos special teams coordinator Tom McMahon said Duffy “blew us out of the water” during minicamp, adding that the former Kentucky star was “knocking the heck out of the ball.”

“He’s done a good job,” McMahon said of Duffy, via Sports Illustrated. “He just continued off that tryout day that we had. He’s done a good job hitting the edges. He needs to improve on—I think every single punter would tell you that they just need to improve on consistency. He hits an edge and hits an edge and then misses an edge. He’s very, very consistent. Both of our punters—Sam is knocking the heck out of the ball and Max is knocking the heck out of the ball. It’s a great competition. They are making each other better and they are good players.”

So much for that.

Best of luck to Duffy as he finds his next NFL home and worst of luck to the Broncos for making a garbage decision.


Happy Friday, BBN. Time to close out this week with a bang.

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