As I begin this missive on this glorious Friday morning, my ultimate goal is to touch on several topics without droning on too long. That may prove to be a rather daunting task, simply because so much is occurring in the world of sports that it’ll make your head spin.
I hate to leave out what has been a thrilling postseason in Major League Baseball, but we’ll have to get caught up on that in the near future due to space limitations.
Loyal readers – all five or six of you – already realize brevity is not my strong suit. With that said, we better get this show on the road.
*****
COLLEGE HOOPS SET TO BEGIN – As this is being banged out on the keyboard, the new-look Kentucky Wildcats are preparing for their annual Blue-White game. The game was played Friday evening at Memorial Coliseum, after this was written on Friday morning. Coach Mark Pope stressed that the game will be ultra-competitive, with possible starting spots on the line.
There has been a recent consensus on who may get the nod when the season officially gets underway against Wright State on November 4 at Rupp Arena. It is at best an educated guess at this point, with the Cats featuring an all-new roster and coaching staff. The starters — according to some observers — will be 6-11 Wake Forest transfer Andrew Carr, 7-foot Drexel transfer Amari Williams, 6-7 Dayton transfer Koby Brea, 6-6 Brigham Young transfer Jaxson Williams, and 6-2 San Diego State transfer Lamont Butler.
Others expected in the rotation include 6-10 Oklahoma State transfer Brandon Garrison, 6-3 West Virginia transfer Kerr Kriisa, 6-4 Oklahoma transfer Otega Oweh, and 6-7 Ansley Almonor, a transfer from Fairleigh Dickinson. It will also be interesting to see how many minutes several freshmen will play, including 6-1 Travis Perry, 6-5 Collin Chandler, and 6-5 Trent Noah.
Pope and his staff certainly have their work cut out as they do their best to create chemistry among the group, and experimenting with different lineups will be an ongoing process early in the season. Patience, usually not an attribute associated with UK basketball fans, will be essential.
Kentucky will also face numerous challenges in the formidable Southeastern Conference, which has eight teams among the top 25. Alabama is favored by many observers to win not only the SEC, but is also one of the top contenders for a national championship.
Preseason polls can be found in multiple places, and to some, they’re meaningless, but they do give us an idea of who is expected to make a deep run come March. The polls are always a source of creating interest and they also give fans something to argue about.
The Associated Press poll lists Kansas as the top team in the country, followed by Alabama, UConn, Houston, Iowa State, Gonzaga, Duke, Baylor and North Carolina in the top 10. SEC teams listed in the top 25 include Auburn at No. 11, Tennessee (12th), Texas A&M (13th), Arkansas (16th), Florida (21st), Kentucky (23rd), and Ole Miss, which comes in at No. 24.
Other teams in the area getting some preseason mention include Cincinnati (20th) and Xavier, which is listed just outside the top 25 at 28th. An unfortunate coincidence for the two Queen City schools in the preseason has been the loss of a big man expected to play a significant role in the teams’ fortunes. UC will be without 6-8 freshman Tyler McKinley, while XU will be without 6-10 Lassina Traore, who averaged 11.9 points and 10.3 rebounds at Long Beach State last year. Both suffered season-ending knee injuries, and Traore in particular is a major loss. He was expected to provide much-needed defense and rebounding for the Muskies, who are looking to rebound from last season’s 16-18 record.
Cincinnati was 20-14 a year ago, and coach Wes Miller has a deep and talented roster returning in Clifton. The Bearcats appear ready to compete in the Big 12, which is again poised to be one of the strongest leagues in the country.
Summing all of this up in a nutshell, the upcoming college basketball season looks to be another highly entertaining campaign, with added interest for fans of local teams, including those already mentioned, along with Ohio State, Indiana and Purdue.
*****
CATS’ PAUSE OUTDOES ITSELF AGAIN – The 2024-25 edition of the Cats’ Pause Kentucky Basketball Yearbook has hit the stands, and as usual, General Manager Darrell Bird and his staff have produced another tremendous publication. Not only does the yearbook contain tons of information about the upcoming college hoops season (with an emphasis on the Cats), but it also
takes a peek at high school basketball throughout the commonwealth.
All 16 regions are featured, with outlooks on both girls’ and boys’ teams.
*****
TRADITIONAL NAMES ATOP 10TH, 16TH GIRLS RANKINGS — In the 10th Region, George Rogers Clark is expected to repeat as the girls’ champions, and claim their eight title in the last nine years. The Lady Cards are followed in the top 10 by Montgomery County, Campbell County, Bishop Brossart, Scott, Bracken County, Mason County, Nicholas County, Bourbon County and Pendleton County.
The top-rated player in the 10th Region comes as no surprise. Ciara Byers, a 6-2 senior, is returning from an ACL injury, and the D-I recruit will be the focal point of a talented GRC squad.
In the 39th District, Bracken County senior guard Nicole Archibald is listed as the fifth best player in the region. She averaged 15.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game and connected on 55 threes as well. Laci Tackett, a 5-7 junior at Augusta, was also named a top 10 region performer after averaging 14.5 ppg last season.
The 16th Region has a familiar name mentioned as the team to beat, according to former Ledger Independent sports editor (and friend) Zack Klemme, who previewed the 16th for the Cats’ Pause yearbook.
That would be the Ashland Kittens, who are led by the top ranked player, 5-6 point guard Kenleigh Woods, who averaged 22.1 points per game last year during a 26-7 campaign.
Top contenders to the throne include Russell, Rowan County, Morgan County, Raceland and Boyd County.
Fleming County, under new coach Morgan Jett, is listed as the No. 8 team in the region, with 5-10 forward Ariana Adams coming in fifth among the top 10 players. Adams averaged 14.2 ppg for the 22-11 Lady Panthers last year.
Lewis County, which competes in the always tough 63rd District, will be led by new head coach Bret Wampler, who takes over for longtime Lady Lions mentor Jay Fite, who moved to Mason County. The Lady Lions will be led by Carrian Highfield, who averaged 11.8 ppg and 8.9 rpg last year.
*****
SAME NAMES LEAD THE WAY IN BOYS RANKINGS — Hal Morris, who penned the previews for the 10th Region, says the George Rogers Clark Cardinals are still the team to beat. Morris adds though that it won’t be a cakewalk in what is shaping up to be a competitive region.
Following Clark in the top 10 are Montgomery County, Campbell County, Mason County, Bourbon County, Pendleton County, Nicholas County, Scott, Harrison County, and Augusta.
GRC is seeking its fifth regional title in six years, and the Cards will be led by the top-rated player in the 10th, 5-9 junior point guard Malachi Ashford.
Morris notes that Mason County has limited varsity experience, but they’re still talented, led by sophomore Braedon Myrick, who averaged 9 ppg and drained 65 threes as a freshman. Seniors Teegin Routt, Garryon McClain, Cole Horch and Nazir Metts are also mentioned in the preview.
A pair of 39th District players, Bracken County senior Chase Archibald and Augusta senior Keeton Bach, are among the top 10 region players. Archibald dropped in 18.6 ppg and made 102 threes last year, and Bach averaged 13.6 ppg and sank 73 threes for the Panthers.
As usual, Ashland is ranked at the top of the 16th Region. The Tomcats are looking to make history by winning an unprecedented seventh consecutive region championship. The region’s top player, Liberty commit Zander Carter, a 6-6 guard, leads Ashland after scoring 22.7 points and grabbing 6.5 boards per game a year ago.
Ashland is followed in the rankings by Boyd County, Fleming County, Russell, Rowan County and Lewis County.
The Panthers return two of the top players in the region after a 24-10 season last year. Coach Buddy Biggs will welcome back 6-4 senior Seth Hickerson (18.3 ppg) and 6-1 senior point guard Lucas Jolly (16.1 ppg).
Lewis County hopes to make some noise in the balanced 63rd District, with Drew Noble (13.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and Julian Puente (12.9 ppg) leading the way for coach Scott Tackett.
*****
WILL CATS WIN IN THE SWAMP AGAIN? – On paper, tonight’s SEC clash between a pair of 3-3 teams in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium looks to be a close one.
Both visiting Kentucky and homestanding Florida are desperate for a league win to keep hopes alive for a bowl appearance, and both also feature embattled head coaches. The Gators’ Billy Napier may even be fighting for his job, while UK head man
Mark Stoops is much more secure, despite many in the fanbase being less than pleased.
Both teams are 3-3 as well, and the oddsmakers have apparently flipflopped, making UK a slight favorite after listing Florida as the favorite earlier in the week. That may have something to do with the Gators having several key players sidelined due to injury. Recent history also favors the Cats, who have won three straight games in the series, and two of the last three played in Gainesville.
It’s impossible to predict which version of the Wildcats we’re going to see in this one, the undisciplined bunch that gets whistled for numerous penalties, or the solid group that upended Ole Miss in Oxford. If it’s the latter, UK may just sneak out of the swamp with a close victory, provided the offense comes alive. If not, get ready to hear the fanbase scream for Stoops’ head again.
*****
BENGALS LOOK TO BREAK CLEVELAND CURSE – Can the Cincinnati Bengals overcome their dreaded annual visit to the mistake on the lake? Says here they can, and they will on Sunday afternoon. But if you’ve read any of my drivel in the past, you know not to bet on my prognostications.
The last time the Men in Stripes returned to Cincy with a win over the Brownies was after an October 1st visit in 2017, a 31-7 win. Cleveland has also come out on top in seven of the last 10 meetings between the AFC North rivals, and Bengals QB Joe Burrow is a woeful 1-5 against them.
If the Cincinnati defense comes to play like they did against the New York Giants on Sunday night and the offensive line can block Miles Garrett most of the time, look for a 24-10 win as the Bengals improve to 3-4 and send the Browns tumbling, bumbling and stumbling to a 1-6 record