It may technically be the offseason for Kentucky basketball, but you wouldn’t know it by watching the program’s ongoing day-to-day operations — especially this week. Back in Lexington, the entire lineup meets the media for the first time, starting with DJ Wagner, Reed Sheppard and Adou Thiero on Wednesday, followed by Ugonna Onyenso, Jordan Burks and Justin Edwards on Thursday. And then on Friday, fellow Wildcats Antonio Reaves, Joey Hart, Rob Dillingham and Tre Mitchell will hold their sit-ins.
This is as we juggle training and practice schedules before the team travels to Toronto next week for the 2023 GLOBL JAM. The players will pack their bags and fly out on Sunday, with games played Wednesday through Sunday in the international basketball showcase.
Meanwhile, John Calipari and his entire coaching staff — including new assistant Chuck Martin — are about to evaluate the next generation of elite basketball talent during the busiest recruiting week of the year. Calipari, Orlando Antigua and Chinn Coleman were in North Augusta at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam, bouncing from court to court to open the evaluation period, which began Thursday at 8 a.m. ET and runs through Sunday. Elsewhere, Martin is in Rock Hill to check out some of the top talent in the 3SSB Finals, wearing Kentucky blue for the first time on Calipari’s staff.
Let’s go over everything, shall we?
What do the current Wildcats have to say about the team and how are things going in practice leading up to the GLOBL JAM?
Shepard talked about his drive to win and his decision to wear No. 15 as his senior year, while Thiero discussed his physical growth. Wagner shared his thoughts on Aaron Bradshaw’s return and the potential impact, while also discussing his personal expectations as a Wildcat.
As for Burks, he talked about his transition to life as a Kentucky basketball player, while Onienso discussed his two-year return and the leadership he hopes to bring. And like Wagner, Edwards also talked about his expectations in Lexington and the impact he plans to make as a Wildcat.
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What will Antonio Reaves, Tre Mitchell, Rob Dillingham and Joey Hart say? That media session is scheduled to begin this morning at 10:30 a.m. ET. KSR will have you covered on site throughout the afternoon.
Coach Cal (and staff) is hitting the recruiting trail
Who did John Calipari and his staff check on the first day of the evaluation period? It sure was busy, arriving at the gym in the morning and leaving when things wind down in the evening.
Here’s the full list of who Coach Cal, Orlando Antigua, Chin Coleman and Chuck Martin sat on the court for Thursday:
KSR will be back in the gym the Friday after, with dozens of interviews and content pieces to come. Stay on the line.
Chuck Martin was assigned to Kentucky
Speaking of Martin, the former Oregon assistant was officially announced as a new addition to Calipari’s staff on Thursday, shortly after he was spotted in Kentucky gear at the 3SSB Championship.
The 20-year coaching veteran was given the assistant title while also being named recruiting coordinator. According to the release, Martin will be tasked with providing strategies to help the program move forward while offering additional advice on all aspects of the program, including recruiting, scouting, player development and special projects assigned by the head coach. As the Recruiting Coordinator, he will independently manage official and unofficial visits and be responsible for the entire recruiting strategy for the program.
“Chuck is a veteran in this profession who will be a great asset to our team and staff,” Calipari said. “He has relationships not only with me when we were together in Memphis, but with several other members of our team. Chuck is an established coach who will be our assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, looking to open new doors to make our successful recruiting even stronger.”
“I am extremely excited to be reunited with Coach Cal,” Martin added. “I look forward to joining his tremendous team and being part of something bigger than myself.”
Somto Kiril will play in the Basketball Tournament
Future Kentucky great Somto Cyril will make history by becoming the first amateur to play in the Overtime Basketball Tournament.
Cyril, who committed to Kentucky in June, plays with former college standouts and OTE rising stars in the 64-team field. Team Overtime will begin their TBT competition on Wednesday, July 26th in Dayton, Ohio against Carmen’s Crew (Ohio State alumni) at 6:00 PM EST.
The event will begin on July 19 and run through early August in the nationally televised single-elimination tournament.
Sydney McLaughlin starts running at the USATF Outdoor Championships
Sydney McLaughlin does Sydney McLaughlin, this time dominating her first heat of the 400 meters to advance to Friday’s semifinals at the Toyota USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships in Eugene.
McLaughlin-Levron, the world record holder and reigning gold medalist in the 400m hurdles, runs the 400m. She set a personal best (PR) of 49.51 at the NYC Grand Prix in June, and then on Thursday night, she finished in 49.79 seconds to advance to the next round.
The semifinals are set to begin at 10pm ET on CNBC and Peacock on Friday. Make sure you tune in to see (Go) Syd Go.