Today on KSR: Sydney wins gold, One month 'til kickoff

by:Mrs. Tyler Thompson•08/04/21•

@MrsTylerKSR

Sydney-McLaughlin-Gold-Medal-Olympics

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Good morning, friends, and welcome to Wednesday, a day made much better by the fact that we’re one month from kickoff of Kentucky football and one day from the end of my five-day fast/cleanse. We’re so close I can smell the hot dogs in the Blue Lot. I can’t wait to eat one.

Before we get to football…

Sydney McLaughlin won gold, set another World Record

In case you missed the huge news last night, Sydney McLaughlin brought home gold in the 400m hurdles in thrilling fashion. The former Kentucky Wildcat chased down her rival Dalilah Muhammad in the final stretch to clinch the win, smashing her old world record in the process. Syd finished in 51.46 seconds, besting her last WR of 51.90 by almost half a second.

Afterwards, Syd and Muhammad were quick to embrace. The two women have battled in the event over the years, swapping first-place finishes and world records. Muhammad’s time of 51.58 also beat McLaughlin’s previous world record, set in the Olympic Trials in June. As Syd has said throughout her training, “Iron sharpens iron.”

Congrats, Syd! Take a rest; you deserve it.

(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

(Photo by Andrej Isakovic-Pool/Getty Images)

Sydney’s run had Twitter buzzing, even drawing praise from Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers. After receiving an invitation to a meet from the Kentucky Track and Field account, Rodgers said he’d only come if he could bring his bestie, former Wildcat Randall Cobb.

Let’s make it happen.

One month until kickoff

In one month, we’ll be listening to the KSR Pregame Show (featuring Matt Jones, Ryan Lemond, Drew Franklin, Freddie Maggard, and Kash Daniel) as we get ready for the season-opener vs. Louisiana-Monroe. Fall camp begins tomorrow, with Media Day taking place Friday and Fan Day Saturday. ICYMI, Fan Day will be a little different this year. To protect the health and safety of the players and staff, there won’t be an autograph or picture session, BUT there will be an open practice and prizes for fans throughout. For more details, check out Nick’s post from yesterday.

KSR will be five deep at Kroger Field Friday morning to bring you Mark Stoops, Liam Coen, Brad White, and the players’ remarks, along with videos and pictures galore. We’ll also have boots on the ground Saturday to capture our first look at the Cats in action. It’s almost here…

Team USA plays Australia in the Semifinals late tonight

If you’re a night owl, stay up to see if Team USA can beat Australia in the men’s basketball semifinals. The game tips at 12:15 AM ET (Live Stream), with the winner advancing to the gold medal game and the loser heading to the bronze medal game. France and Slovenia play in the other semifinal, which begins at 7 a.m. ET Thursday morning.

Team USA lost to Australia 91-83 in an exhibition in Las Vegas back on July 12, but the Americans were without Devin Booker, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday as they finished up the NBA finals. After losing their first Olympic game vs. France on July 25, Team USA has slowly come together, winning three straight. Here’s hoping that momentum continues.

One day closer to Jalen Duren’s announcement

Friday night, we’ll finally know Jalen Duren’s next move. The five-star center will announce his decision live from the Team Final headquarters in Delaware at 6 p.m. with Kentucky, Memphis, Miami (FL), the NBA G League and the Australian NBL listed as the finalists. Buzz in the recruiting world the last few weeks is that Miami and Memphis were leading for Duren, but as we get closer to his announcement, it sounds like no one really knows for certain.

Yesterday, ESPN’s Adam Finkelstein went on Jason & John on 92.9 FM ESPN out of Memphis to preview the decision and said outside of the NBL not being an option, he’s not sure what Duren will do. He noted that Kentucky’s staff “decided to really go all in on Jalen” after the Kofi Cockburn ordeal, and pointed to John Calipari’s success in getting players to reclassify. On our own radio show, Matt Jones shared some scoop, citing a source around Kentucky’s program that said it’s down to Kentucky and Memphis.

“I was told the G League is out. Out. Miami maybe a sliver of a chance, but the G League’s out,” Jones said on KSR. “I’m not saying Miami is out, but I’ve heard the G League is out. My source thought Kentucky and Memphis are the top two.”

We’ll find out for certain on Friday.

Cats in action in the NBA Summer League

Believe it or not, the NBA Summer League tipped off yesterday, with eight teams in action across the California Classic and Salt Lake City Summer Leagues. Last night, Kahlil Whitney made his debut for the Golden State Warriors, scoring eight points (including two threes) and grabbing three rebounds in just under 15 minutes. Over in Salt Lake City, Nate Sestina pulled down seven rebounds in his first game for the Utah Jazz Blue squad. Skal Labissiere had six points, seven rebounds, two blocks, one assist, and one steal for the Spurs, making the Twitter highlight reel.

Here’s the BBNBA schedule for tonight if you’re looking to scratch that basketball itch:

— 7:00 p.m. (NBATV): San Antonio Spurs (Skal Labissiere) vs. Utah Jazz Blue (Nate Sestina)
— 8:00 p.m. (ESPNU): Miami Heat vs. Golden State Warriors (Kahlil Whitney, Mychal Mulder)
— 9:00 p.m. (NBATV): Memphis Grizzlies (Olivier Sarr) vs. Utah Jazz White

The Summer League really gets rolling this weekend in Vegas. For more on which Cats are participating, check out our primer from earlier this week.

Radio in an hour.

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