Today on KSR, presented by Racing Louisville FC: Grant Bingham, coaching carousel, draft updates and more

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Starting next weekend, the world’s best professional women’s soccer players will open play in our state as Racing Louisville FC kicks off its NWSL era. Racing hosts the Orlando Pride at 7 p.m. Saturday April 10^th as part of the NWSL’s Challenge Cup, a tournament leading up to the regular season starting in mid-May. As with the pro men’s club, Louisville City FC, Racing calls home the sparkling new Lynn Family Stadium just east of downtown, and the NWSL is regarded as the world’s best women’s soccer league. Household names such as Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and Carli Lloyd will appear in Louisville this year pending international calendars, while Racing’s roster boasts a World Cup winner of its own, forward Yuki Nagasato. KSR readers can visit this link for discounted Challenge Cup tickets, but act fast. This game is expected to sell out.

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What. A. Whirlwind.

After a few days of relatively minor news updates, the world of sports finally let the cannons loose on Thursday, with major coaching changes and retirements nationally, along with commitments, draft decision updates, state tournament games, and recruiting updates locally.

We’re going to start the day by recapping the hectic Thursday, along with looking ahead at what’s to come on Friday and heading into the weekend.

Grant Bingham commits to Kentucky

Kentucky fans were treated to a massive commitment (both figuratively and literally) to begin the day on Thursday, as Johnson Central offensive lineman Grant Bingham announced on Kentucky Sports Radio that he will be a Kentucky Wildcat. Six days after Corbin’s Treyveon Longmire pledged his allegiance to the Cats, Bingham chose UK over offers from Notre Dame, Arkansas, Miami, West Virginia, Michigan, Nebraska and more.

“I’m from Kentucky, it’s my home,” Bingham said on KSR. “The great people of Kentucky, I would love to play in front of them with the crazy crowd in Lexington and just be home. Be home.”

A 6-foot-6 302-pound athlete out of Eastern Kentucky, 247Sports ranks Bingham as the No. 30 offensive tackle in America. A consensus four-star prospect, he’s in the Rivals250 as the No. 246 player in the 2022 recruiting class.

“The coaching staff feels like family almost. Playing in your home state and representing the great people of Kentucky, you can’t beat it,” Bingham added. “I wanted to stay home and we got something special coming.”

Kentucky’s fourth commitment in the 2022 class, three of the players are four-star prospects and two are from Kentucky. Bingham joins Longmire, Jeremiah Caldwell and Andre Stewart as early commitments for the Wildcats in the junior class.

Positive news regarding draft decisions

Shifting over to the hardwood, some positive news regarding Kentucky’s remaining draft decisions over at The Athletic.

Kyle Tucker interviewed the fathers of Isaiah Jackson, Davi0n Mintz and Keion Brooks Jr., who all confirmed that a return to UK in 2021-22 is on the table.

For Jackson, they are looking for a lottery guarantee during the draft process. If that doesn’t come to fruition this offseason, the family is comfortable waiting another year before going pro next summer.

“It’s not about income,” Wesley Jackson told The Athletic. “Me and his mom have been working for years, and if I have to work another year or two, it’s no skin off my bones. And we had to let him know that, to take the pressure off him. I can wait.”

Mintz’s father, Sean, said if it were up to the graduate transfer guard’s family, they’d push for a return after having a “heck of a time” in Lexington this past season.

“Me and the family here, we’re selfishly hoping he comes back, because we had a heck of a time there,” Sean Mintz said. “… This thing is a journey and these guys play to one day earn a living at it, and we don’t want to keep him from that, but we want him to go at the right time.”

As for Brooks, the sophomore forward’s father says his son is expected to put his name in the draft without an agent, with his two options being a return to Kentucky or the NBA. No transfer is on the table. And with minimal draft stock at this point in time, one would think a return to UK is in the cards after exploring the process.

“He’s going to put his name in the draft, see what that does and then go from there,” Keion Brooks Sr. told The Athletic. “(If he returns to college) it wouldn’t be nowhere else but Kentucky, unless he throws me a curveball.”

Pretty substantial news on all three fronts.

Roy Williams retires, Chris Beard to Texas

Speaking of substantial news, the college basketball world was thrown a curveball of its own when legendary coach Roy Williams retired after 18 seasons at North Carolina and 33 seasons as a head coach.

After raking in 903 career wins – good for 11th all-time – and winning three national championships, Williams has called it a career.

“It has been a thrill. It has been unbelievable. I’ve loved it,” Williams said Thursday. “It’s coaching. And that’s all I’ve ever wanted to do since the summer after my ninth-grade year of high school. No one has ever enjoyed coaching like I have for 48 years.”

Who could replace Williams at UNC? Vegas already has odds out highlighting the favorites, with current assistant Hubert Davis leading the way at 1-1.

Hubert Davis 1/1
Wes Miller 11/4
Jerry Stackhouse 6/1
Mark Turgeon 9/1
Mark Few 10/1
Scott Drew 12/1
Steve Robinson 12/1
Jay Wright 14/1
Jerod Haase 14/1
Mike White 14/1
Tony Bennett 14/1
Rick Pitino 18/1
Nate Oats 20/1
Bill Self 25/1
Brad Stevens 33/1
Buzz Peterson 33/1
Kenny Smith 33/1
Michael Jordan 500/1
Vince Carter 500/1

Williams’ retirement wasn’t the only major coaching change that rocked the college basketball world on Thursday, as Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard also took the vacant Texas coaching job, replacing Shaka Smart in Austin.

“I’m thrilled and excited to be coming back to Austin and back to the Longhorn family,” Beard said. “I can’t express how excited I am for this opportunity and the journey that lies ahead. I want to thank President Hartzell and Athletics Director Chris Del Conte for their trust. It’s time to get to work. Our top priority will be embracing our players as soon as we get to campus, and I look forward to starting this journey together towards our championship goals.”

Beard leaves Texas Tech after five years with the program, leading the Red Raiders to the national title game in 2019. The move comes less than a year after Beard signed a six-year extension worth more than $4.5 million a season to become the third-highest-paid college basketball coach in the country.

Sweet 16 quarterfinals begin today

Thursday’s final scores:

— Boyle County def. Paintsville 70-56

— Ashland Blazer def. Knox Central 56-38

— McCracken County def. Bullitt East 68-56

— Highlands def. Muhlenberg County 88-60

Today’s schedule:

— Elizabethtown vs. George Rogers Clark (11 a.m. ET)

— Ballard vs. Bowling Green (2 p.m. ET)

— Boyle County vs. Ashland Blazer (5 p.m. ET)

— McCracken County vs. Highlands (8 p.m. ET)

Looking for something to eat before, during or after the games? Head on over to KSBar and Grille, where they will be showing every Sweet 16 game LIVE on TV.

And if you have a ticket to a game, you’ll even get a free basket of fried pickles.

In town for the KHSAA Sweet 16? Pop down the street a bit, bring your ticket and we'll hook up your table with a free basket of fried pickles. pic.twitter.com/pvK2GV7Ogh

— KSBar & Grille (@KSBarAndGrille) March 31, 2021

What more could you ever need?

KSR in an hour

Matt Jones and the crew will be live from 10 a.m. to noon to get you ready for the weekend.

Go Cats.