Today on KSR: Savoring the win over Tennessee

by:Mrs. Tyler Thompson02/18/19

@MrsTylerKSR

Does the weekend have to be over? I don’t know about you guys, but I reveled in the win over No. 1 Tennessee all day yesterday, pretty much making up excuses to get out of the house so I could sport my Kentucky blue all over Nashville. It was one of those games I just couldn’t get enough of, eating up each moment through highlights, recaps, and social media like a starving man at a buffet.

For the first time in a while, it felt like Kentucky Basketball was BACK. The Cats didn’t just beat the number one team in the country, they ran them off the court, making even the most casual basketball fan sit up and take notice. For one blissful night, Duke and Zion Williamson were shoved to the side and Kentucky was the show again, a much-needed shot in the arm as we barrel towards March.

In fact, as Mitch Barnhart pointed out, it was a pretty incredible weekend for UK Athletics all around:

At some point today, we’ll move on and focus on Missouri but for now, I’m going to savor the win a little longer, sharing my favorite photos by Dr. Mike of a fantastic day in Lexington throughout the morning post (you can see them all on our Facebook page). Let’s go over today’s agenda.

Where will Kentucky land in the polls?

If Kentucky hadn’t lost to LSU, I think they’d crack the top three, but on the flip side, I don’t think they would pummeled Tennessee like they did had they beaten the Tigers. (Anger is a great motivator.) I predict this week’s top five will be 1) Duke, 2) Gonzaga, 3) Virginia, 4) Kentucky, 5) Tennessee. I have a sinking feeling the AP voters will still keep the Vols ahead of the Cats despite Saturday’s win, but if so, even more reason to beat them in Knoxville, right?

More important than the AP and Coaches Polls are the NET rankings, which will also be updated today. The Cats are currently No. 6 behind Gonzaga, Duke, Virginia, Tennessee, and Houston. I’ll bring you the new rankings when they drop and also update Kentucky’s team sheet. Less than a month until Selection Sunday! Speaking of, Seth Davis currently has Kentucky as a No. 1 seed:

I’m sure Joe Lunardi and the Bracketheads will release new projections today too, so stay tuned.

Who will win SEC Player/Freshman of the Week?

Earlier this month, PJ Washington shared SEC Player of the Week honors with Tennessee’s Jordan Bone. After a dominant performance vs. the Vols, will PJ bring it home again? He definitely deserves it. We’ll find out in a few hours.

John Calipari in the morning

How is Cal feeling about his squad’s big win after a day of reflection? He’ll tell us on this morning’s SEC Teleconference, a call I’m sure he’ll take while walking into Dunkin’ Donuts, on the elliptical for his morning sweat, or any situation in which there’s a lot of background noise.

Kenny Payne in the afternoon

With Cal doing media in the morning, Kenny Payne will handle this afternoon’s media opportunity. Check the site around 2 p.m. for a live stream and recap of his comments, which are usually more insightful and interesting than Cal-speak.

Recruiting updates, including the latest on Keion Brooks

If you were too busy celebrating the Tennessee win to check the site yesterday, you missed some scoop from young Jack Pilgrim. Sources tell KSR that five-star forward Keion Brooks canceled his visit to Michigan State and is closing in on a decision, possibly in the next week. The timing of this news is particularly interesting because Brooks was in Rupp Saturday night on an unofficial visit. Will a perfect night in Rupp make Brooks a Cat? Check the site later today for the latest from Jack.

A new episode of “The Journey”

First we win, then we wait for a new episode of “The Journey,” KyWildcatsTV’s excellent behind-the-scenes YouTube series. We won’t get the Tennessee episode until tonight, but last night, UK dropped a sneak peek on Twitter:

All-Star Game results

Team LeBron beat Team Giannis in the All-Star Game, which included two former Cats. Anthony Davis only played five minutes in the game due to a shoulder injury, but put up five points, including a three. Karl Towns was 5-7 from the floor for 11 points, 3 rebounds and an assist. This dunk was a nice highlight:

New OTT Podcast is here

Big wins call for emergency podcasts. Fake Barney took time out of his Sunday evening to chat with me about Kentucky’s thumping of the Vols. The episode is already available on The OTT Podcast feed on iTunes, and will drop on the KSR feed in just a bit. Speaking of podcasts, it’s Oscars Week, and the gang at 2 Guys, 1 Girl, Santa invited me on to pick winners. You can find that on iTunes or Soundcloud.

Happy birthday, Erin Calipari

The eldest Calipari daughter celebrates another trip around the sun today, hopefully by slaying some more trolls on Twitter. Don’t worry; her dad remembered.

ANYWAYS…radio in an hour. Go seize that Monday morning.

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