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on &July 29th, 2016 @ 9:30pm
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Yesterday, UK sent out the prospectus for the
season, which included the bios for each player on the squad, specifically the newcomers. Included in those bios were some fun facts to help us get to know the new guys, and I must say, some of them were pretty entertaining.
For instance, did you know that…
— Bam Adebayo — the 6 255 lbs. monster — loves Katy Perry?
— De’Aaron Fox chose the number zero because he feels like you should fear no one (also because Malik Monk claimed number five, which Fox wore in high school)
— Wenyen Gabriel chose number 32 to honor of a cousin who passed away when he was younger
— Sacha Killeya-Jones is the youngest player on this year’s roster (He’s 12 days shy of his 18th birthday)
— Malik Monk chose the number five because “on the fifth day of the Creation, God made the animals” and he loves learning about animals.
— Monk also loves fishing and riding on four wheelers.
Maybe Landon Young and Kash Daniel can show Monk the beautiful Kentucky countryside?
on &July 29th, 2016 @ 9:00pm
The official U.S. Olympic Team was released last Friday. After doing some research, I found three athletes with Kentucky connections other than DeMarcus Cousins.
Andrew Evans, Track and Field
The University of Kentucky graduate qualified for his first Olympics in the discus throw. Evans placed third to earn his spot on Team USA. The Portage, Michigan native graduated from Kentucky in 2014 with a degree in Kinesiology.
Tyson Gay, Track and Field
Gay is a Lexington native and graduated from Lafayette High School in 2001. Gay attended University of Arkansas and graduated with a degree in marketing in 2005.
This will be Gay’s third Olympics, where he specializes in the 4×100-meter. Gay ranks as on of the top-five fastest runners of all time in both the 100 and 200 meter events.
Getty Images
Lee Kiefer, Fencing
Kiefer is a native of Lexington, who graduated Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School in 2012. She currently attends the University of Notre Dame, studying pre-med.
Kiefer won the gold in both the 2011 and 2015 Pan American Games. Kiefer is the only athlete in the world to have earned individual podium finishes at the senior, junior and cadet world championships (2011). This will be Kiefer’s second Olympics. She finished 5th (individual and 6th (team) in the 2012 London Olympics.
@USAFencing
Good luck and make Kentucky proud!!
There are 36 days until the season opener against Southern Miss, which means there’s plenty of time to break down UK’s schedule, so that’s what we’re going to do this evening. Below you’ll find my ranking of UK’s most difficult games, and below that, you’ll have a chance to rank all 12 on your own, from most difficult to least difficult. I think we’ll all agree on #1…
1. at Alabama, October 1
Defending national champions in Tuscaloosa. Come on.
2. at Tennessee, November 12
Tennessee straight up scares me this season. The Vols return 18 starters and between Joshua Dobbs and Jalen Hurd, I fear this could be a very rough trip to Rocky Top in November.
3. at Florida, September 10
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me 29 times in a row, stop getting your hopes up and go in with low expectations, especially at the Swamp.
4. Georgia, November 5
“But Georgia’s got a new coach–”
“It’s at home–”
5. at Louisville, November 26
After the past two years, there’s nothing I’d love more than to end a season with a win over Louisville. After the past two years, I know better than to count on anything in this series, even a 21-point lead at home.
6. Vanderbilt, October 8
Kentucky beat itself in Nashville last year, but if you listen to Freddie Maggard, you know Vandy has one of the best defenses in the SEC, and they return seven starters. Don’t get me wrong, this game is at home and is definitely winnable, but it comes one week after a road trip to Alabama. Plus, Ralph Webb is really good.
7. Mississippi State, October 22
Dak Prescott is gone and the Bulldogs were voted to finish 7th in the SEC West. Even though Mississippi State has won the past seven matchups, I feel optimistic about this game simply because it’s at home after a bye week.
8. at Missouri, October 29
This could be the pivotal game on Kentucky’s schedule. Mizzou’s defense is good, but their offense is not. If Kentucky can put up enough points to win, it will go a long way to helping them get to a bowl.
9. Southern Miss, September 3
I’ve been drinking Freddie’s Kool-Aid when it comes to this game. Freddie says that on paper, Southern Miss is better than South Carolina and Vandy. If we lose this game…
…I can’t go there yet. I just can’t.
10. South Carolina, September 24
I still don’t understand why the Gamecocks hired Will Muschamp, but hey, I’m not complaining. Combine that with the game being at home and UK winning the past two years and I feel pretty confident about the Cats’ chances.
11. New Mexico State, September 17
New Mexico State ranks 121st out of the 128 teams in ESPN’s 2016 football power rankings. There’s not enough bourbon in the Bluegrass if Kentucky loses this one.
12. Austin Peay, November 19
Austin Peay didn’t win a single game last season and lost to Vanderbilt 47-7. See above.
Your turn:
Many of you gave me grief for reporting Eddie Gran’s period joke at the UK Women’s Football Clinic last Saturday, but man, Gran looks like Rosie the Riveter when compared to the staff at Texas A&M. Yesterday, Texas A&M held “Chalk Talk For Women,” their equivalent of a women’s football clinic, and included was a reimagining of the “Aggie War Hymn,” which essentially told the attendees to get back in the kitchen and make them a sandwich (no, really, I’m shocked those weren’t actual lyrics):
We are Aggie women
We are filled with estrogen
Hullabaloo, canek, canek, and back again
Maroon & white are the colors we love
We are putting down our dish towels
And taking off our gloves
No more lysol or cascade
We want to score Touchdowns
And walk in the parade
We are Aggie women & this is our song
Come on… bring it on… no more thong
Hullabaloo, caneck, caneck., and so on…
If that wasn’t bad enough, check out these slides from the blocking drill demo, via @AnwarRichardson:
Be better, college football.
UPDATE: ESPN is reporting .
Jim Dedmon | USA Today
The 2016 UK Pro Day was pretty fun to cover and watch some former Wildcats fight for professional jobs in front of scouts, but it was apparent there wasn’t much elite NFL potential out of any of the guys competing in the event.
With Stoops’ first Kentucky recruiting class now heading into fall as seniors, we’re going to start seeing the high-three and four star prospects UK has been raking in hearing their name called in the NFL Draft to play on Sundays.
Here are my top five guys with potential to make a name for themselves in the NFL:
Chris Westry
For a true freshman last season, Chris Westry did things that we haven’t seen at UK in a LONG time. He locked down opposing #1 receiving options, and only progressed throughout the season. During the Spring Game, Westry only built upon that success by dominating everyone in his path, not allowing a single completion in his time on the field. At 6’4, he has the length to go heads up with nearly any receiving target you put in his way, and he’s only getting better. This kid is a future first round draft pick, and I challenge anyone to give me a reasonable argument otherwise.
Dorian Baker
Yeah, I know this one will rub most of you the wrong way. “How can a guy that can’t even catch the ball be considered a top NFL prospect?” I understand it, but hear me out. Dorian Baker is a freak-of-nature athlete that has shown bursts of absolute brilliance in his short time here at Kentucky. With stability at quarterback with the guy he came to UK to play with in the first place, Baker’s confidence will skyrocket, and he has the ability to have a breakout season and separate himself as the #1 receiver on the Kentucky roster. Baker consistently dominates throughout practices, and has even shown dominance during games, but the 6’4 receiver has to maintain some level of consistency on the big stage if he wants to start turning heads the way he has the potential to. If he can make that happen, NFL scouts will be flocking to watch Baker as a senior.
C.J. Conrad
This one is an easy one if you just take a look at today’s NFL style of play with guys like Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham, Greg Olsen, and Delanie Walker dominating the game. They’re essentially power forwards going out for passes and even the strongest, most athletic guys in the world struggle bringing them down. Conrad fits the mold of an elite NFL caliber tight end, standing 6&#0 lbs., he just needs the ball in his hands to prove his ability. As , Chiefs tight end Travis Kelcie’s statistics more than tripled in every major category when Eddie Gran got a hold of him in Cincinnati. If Gran can incorporate Conrad as a staple of the offensive attack this season similar to Kelcie, there’s no way Conrad doesn’t rank amongst the top tight ends in the Draft when his time comes.
Like Baker, this one will also probably rub some of you the wrong way. At 6&#0 lbs., Elam has the physical gifts to not only make it in the NFL, but thrive if he can get in shape and cut some major weight. As a nose guard, Elam statistically held his own in his time on the field by clogging the gaps and slowing down the rushers. Nonetheless, Elam only had the ability to stay on the field for two snaps at a time, which is inexcusable for a guy of his caliber. He’s going to be a junior this season with a ton of weight (no pun intended) on his shoulders to anchor the defensive line, and I believe he takes a huge step up this season and becomes a huge contributor on defense. With a successful season at Kentucky, NFL scouts will have their eyes peeled on Elam heading into his senior season.
Stanley “Boom” Williams
Boom already has NFL-caliber speed and elusiveness, he just has to work on his decision making and field vision to lift himself into the top tier of elite SEC running backs as a junior this season. Williams found himself far too often running right into the backs of the offensive line, falling two yards short of the line of scrimmage, or running backwards in an attempt to outrun the opposing defense. Obviously trouble on the offensive line was a huge contributing factor in Boom getting suffocated in the backfield, but there is certainly work to be done on his end. If Boom can convert on a likely-improved offensive line, look for him to start making national headlines and find himself on the draft boards. As scary as it is, a huge season out of Boom could end his Kentucky career.
At Pro Day this year, the only real big name NFL guy in attendance was Cincinnati’s Marvin Lewis. With some of these prospects competing in the next few offseasons, look for some major star power flooding the event to see this elite Wildcat talent in person.
on &July 29th, 2016 @ 6:00pm
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You’re looking at a tweet from the official Indiana Basketball Twitter account, which claims Indiana leads college basketball in national titles, Big 10 titles, NCAA Tournament wins, and NBA Draft picks. Well, I know we say that facts are optional here at KSR, but at the IU Basketball office, they must be totally out the window.
While the Hoosiers are tied for the most regular season Big 10 titles with Purdue, they are far from first in the other three categories. Of course, UCLA has the most national titles with eleven, followed by UK with eight, and Indiana, North Carolina, and Duke all with five. If you’re a good UK fan, you know Kentucky has the most NCAA Tournament wins in the sport with 123, followed by North Carolina, Duke, UCLA, Kansas, Louisville and Indiana, which is all the way down in seventh place with 66. And NBA Draft picks? Ha! Of course Kentucky has the most of any school, with 119. Next best is UCLA. Indiana is third.
Bruins Nation called the IU Twitter account out for the errors earlier today, and the IU Athletic Department responded by saying they meant for the “Best in the B1G” banner in the middle of the picture to extend to the tweet as well, which, yes, would make all of their clai however, in true IU form, they couldn’t just be clear about that and include the hashtag #BestintheB1G in their tweet like normal people.
Freaking Indiana, man.
Former Kentucky Defensive Tackle Melvin Lewis was waived by the New York Giants today.
After being picked up by the Giants in the offseason as an undrafted free agent, Lewis participated in all spring activities in New York. He faced an uphill battle all summer with a crowd at the defensive tackle position. The Giants return one DT starter in Jonathan Hankins and spent top-dollar on one of the league’s leading run stoppers, Damon Harrison, this offseason.
Hopefully Lewis can find a spot on a 53-man roster outside of the Big Apple. If not, look for the ex-Cat to impress on a practice squad.
on &July 29th, 2016 @ 5:00pm
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After a rough year at Kentucky and a disappointing slide in the last month’s NBA Draft, Skal Labissiere seemed to find his footing in the Las Vegas Summer League. Skal averaged 11 points and 5.8 rebounds in 24 minutes per game for the Sacramento Kings, and recently, spoke with Vice Sports’ Seerat Sohi about his journey from Haiti to Memphis to Kentucky to California. Skal admitted his time at UK wasn’t easy, and at one point, he turned to his faith to get him through. Skal went to a Christian Student Fellowship meeting with teammate Dillon Pulliam one night, which is where he met former Cat Jarrod Polson, who works with the CSF development team.
“He would come in and say, ‘Faith is really why I’m sticking to this,'” Polson says. “In one of the later Bible studies, he kinda got vulnerable and was talking about how, during the season, he was thinking, ‘Did I make the right decision by coming to Kentucky?'”
“It is what it is,” Labissiere says when I ask him whether he regrets enrolling at Kentucky. “I’m not going to say I regret it. I’m just glad to be here. That was always my dream, to be here. I’m glad I made it.”
Now in the league, Skal seems to be back on the right track. Sohi describes watching Skal during a game in Vegas and seeing his potential shine through:
His seven-foot frame slinks across the court with grace and sneaky speed, and when he finds some cushion on the right wing, he corrals a pass, hesitates with a ball-fake to the corner, and unleashes a three-pointer. He hovers, and balance and posture and inborn intuition do not betray him. The ball is in the bottom of the net, and visions of LaMarcus Aldridge and Anthony Davis follow him back up the floor.
On KSR today, Tyler Ulis said he knew Skal would do better at the pro level because the spacing of the game favors his style of play.
“I thought the NBA would be a lot better for Skal because of spacing,” Ulis said. “Him being able to shoot the ball, he’s going to be being a stretch four, being able to isolate a little because guys can’t help as much down there when you play bully ball, I thought the spacing of the court really helped.”
Of course Coach Ulis nails it. Be sure to check out the rest of Vice Sports’ feature on Skal. There have been plenty of profiles on him in the past few months, but this is one of the best.
on &July 29th, 2016 @ 4:30pm
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Welcome BBN, it’s the KSR After Show for Friday, July 29. Today, Drew hopped on a plane out of Philly and left Matt and Ryan in their apartment to treat us with the final show of two weeks at the political conventions. Matt chose to make today another Ask Anything Friday. They also spoke about Oscar Combs retiring, lost their minds when the most recent UofL board news broke, and interviewed Tyler Ulis.
Discuss these things and more here on the KSR After Show, or you can:
Call or Text the KSR After Show at: (980)-50-KSRAS (980-505-7727) all messages will be posted to the following After Show.
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Today on Kentucky Sports Radio (if you listen on podcast, beware, spoilers ahead!):
Oscar Combs is retiring as the voice of the Wildcats on the JMI Sports pregame show.
It’s hard to know what to say here, as nothing I can say would truly honor Oscar in an appropriate manner. Just like everyone has said, growing up listening to Oscar on the radio is a fond memory from my childhood, not to mention trolling CatPause before anyone knew what trolling was. As someone who is working to break into the industry and hopes to be half as successful as Oscar Combs one day, he really is a hero to me. That’s all that can really be said. Oscar Combs is a legend, hero, and will be missed for a long, long time. No one will ever truly be able to replace him.
Another writer in South Florida said there is no truth to the Orlando Antigua buyout rumors.
Obviously great news for Orlando if the new reports are accurate. Great news for Coach Cal, too, although the haters will still say it’s true and swear that Calipari helped him cheat.
Is Malik Monk shrinking?
This is a joke to be clear, no one really thinks Malik is shrinking. Before coming to Kentucky, Monk was listed as 6&#/2″ and is now listed as 6+. Matt and Ryan explain that the half inch differential is most likely the cause of Monk’s high school coach trying to boost his height as much as possible.
Bam is now listed at 6 255 lbs.
Man, we continue to say it, but Bam is going to be an absolute beast next year. I can’t wait to see him running the floor and crushing the rims with lobs from the other guys. It’s going to be incredible and so much fun to watch.
Why doesn’t Coach Cal take the team to play in the Maui Invitational?
Matt explains that Cal doesn’t want to play in the Maui because he doesn’t believe that playing three games in three days helps the team at all.
Are you a “left laner”?
She’ll be mad at me for saying so, especially on here, but my girlfriend is a bit of a left laner. She thinks it’s silly to pass someone then get back in the right lane, then have to change lanes to the left again to pass someone else. She doesn’t like switching lanes back and forth, but I get onto her when she doesn’t.
Indiana actually just passed a left laner law recently where the police will pull you over now if you are holding up traffic in the left lane on a two-lane highway.
Matt turned into a traffic cop one night in traffic at the convention.
Do you believe Chester is a fake caller and has been pulling off the greatest scheme of all-time for many years?
Since Jay in Lyndon brought it up on judgement free day, it has been fun to encourage the fake Chester controversy. Although I do actually believe Chester is just a passionate fan and completely real, not just a character he’s playing.
Jay in Lyndon, while this is how I feel, I did put out a nice message to Chester a few months ago asking him if he would be interested in doing a “BBN Profile” piece with me on the KSR After Show to get his story out because people love him. Yet, I have not gotten any sort of a reply. So it seems he may be interested in keeping the mystery of Chester intact… Hmm, we may never really know.
Tyler Ulis joins the show.
He wanted to beat Jamal
Tyler was upset about sliding in the draft but got over it and loves where he ended up.
He doesn’t know what the hip issue is all about.
Ulis feels comfortable with all of the guys in Phoenix. Especially the UK guys.
He and Devin have always clicked on and off the court. They play as one together, and have picked up right where they left off.
After playing well in the Summer Leagues he feels a lot more respected, but has a lot more to do to prove himself.
He believes the spacing of the NBA will really help Skal.
Here’s where you can see Tyler this week:
on &July 29th, 2016 @ 4:00pm
Looking to restock your closet for football season? Then we’ve got great news for you. Short-sleeve tees are 25% off
right now. Check out their wide selection of UK, KSR, and state pride tees, now available in super-soft heather cotton.
This deal won’t last long, so get on over
to snag some new gear!
on &July 29th, 2016 @ 3:00pm
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Each week KSR’s
collects the best of pop culture. The Entertation Index collects the best of the week for your consumption.
——————
3D –– A team of researchers at MIT have allegedly devised a new technology for a completely glasses-free 3D experience in theaters. There’s no name for it so far, but the current working title for it is “a play.”
Girls, Gilmore — It’s not my bag but I’d be remiss if I didn’t toss this out there for those of you who enjoyed it, so here’s the trailer for the new Gilmore Girls-on-Netflix trailer. Don’t ask me anything about it, though, because I got nothing. I think one of these ladies was in Bad Santa and the other has some traveling pants of some sort. Anyway, from what I gather this is a big deal.
Heart Risks, Astronaut — A NASA-affiliated team of physicians and scientists has opened a study to investigate whether our nation’s astronauts who have gone to the moon are at a greater risk for heart and cardiovascular disease. Inside sources say there is a connection, as exposure to that amount of cheese can wreak havoc on the arteries.
Showdown, Caraoke — Clearly combining elements from James Corden’s immensely likable “Carpool Karaoke” segments with Cash Cab, Spike TV has announced the mobile game show Caraoke Showdown, where host Craig Robinson will pick people up and then force them to sing, finish song lyrics or act out songs in his back seat. Or, if you just want an obnoxious driver to awkwardly attempt to insert himself into your life, you could just do what everyone else does and call an Uber.
Street, Sesame — According to comments made by one of the actors at a recent press outing and an official statement from Sesame Workshop, the actors who portrayed longtime Sesame Street residents Bob, Gordon and Luis have been fired from the current Sesame Street cast. Even worse, whenever Big Bird wants to talk to one of them now he’ll have to instead dial a number for an overseas call center, which will really cut into the show’s running time.
Proposed Olympian Opening Ceremony Uniform.
Uniforms, Olympic Opening Ceremony — Fashion juggernaut Ralph Lauren unveiled the American athletes’ uniforms for the Rio Opening Ceremonies next Friday, which will consist of white denim jeans tapered at the ankles, navy blazers and red, white and blue boat shoes. Designers felt that it was important to both tap into a relaxed look which incorporated our nation’s colors and styles and also to look like a bunch of douchebags.
Up, Buckle — If you have plans to Cincinnati’s Buckle Up Country Music Festival next weekend, start figuring out something else to do because the even has abruptly been canceled less than two weeks before it takes the stage. Tickets are being fully refunded by festival organizers and jilted would-be attendees who hoped to hear music from Brad Paisley, Tyler Farr, Maddie & Tae, Chase Rice and others are advised to just go literally anywhere else in the entire region at any time.
on &July 29th, 2016 @ 2:15pm
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@FCBayernEN
It’s starting to feel like DeMarcus Cousins Friday around here, but I’m just fine with that. Last night, Cousins and Team USA teammate Harrison Barnes let loose by playing a little hotel ballroom soccer with Bayern Munich’s Xabi Alonso, Franck Ribery and Javi Martinez:
After that save, DeMarcus found a way to combine soccer and basketball in what could be the world’s next greatest sport:
Yeah, DeMarcus should probably stick to that basketball thing. Speaking of, you can see Cousins, Barnes, and Team USA take on Venezuela tonight at 9 p.m. ET on NBATV.
Even though he finished his coaching career at South Carolina, when I think of Steve Spurrier, I will always picture him at Florida, pacing the sidelines and tossing his visor to the ground. That’s why it’s so appropriate that Spurrier is headed back to Gainesville to be the Ambassador and Consultant for the Florida Athletic Department. Florida Athletic Director Jeremy Foley announced the news via press release this morning.
“It’s a great day for the Gator Nation to be able to welcome Coach Spurrier back home,” Foley said. “He has served as a tremendous ambassador to the University and the athletic department for 50-plus years and it’s only fitting that at this point in his career, he is back in Gainesville. Being a Gator has always meant so much to Coach Spurrier, but it means just as much to us have him come home.”
Spurrier won a Heisman Trophy at Florida as a player in 1966 and took the Gators to a National Title thirty years later as a coach. Gainesville is also where he met his wife, Jerri, fifty years ago.
Even though he used to run the score up on UK back in the day, I can’t help but like Spurrier now. Do we think part of his new role will be teaching athletes the merits of “Suns out, guns out”?
on &July 29th, 2016 @ 12:43pm
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Tyler Ulis came on KSR this morning to discuss his summer with the Phoenix Suns, his friendship with teammate Devin Booker and his upcoming Signing Tour across the Bluegrass. Matt and Ulis covered a lot of topics, including Ulis’ impressive performance in the NBA Summer League, in which he averaged 14.5 points and 6.3 assists. Ulis was named one of the league’s top performers and told Matt he feels like he gained some respect from those who doubted he could make it on the next level.
“Yeah, I felt the difference, a little more respect growing because guys didn’t think I would be able to perform at that level,” Ulis said. “I feel like for my first test, I did pretty good.”
(True to form, that is a definite understatement.)
Ulis is over the moon to be back with Booker in Phoenix, but yesterday, he spent time in his old haunts at the Joe Craft Center. Ulis said met with the current UK team, and was impressed after talking to Isaiah Briscoe and Malik Monk about their goals for the upcoming season.
“I was hanging out with them yesterday and I feel like they’re really confident in winning #9, but they have their minds set and they’re working really hard. I feel like they have a lot of talent and a lot of great players. I was just sitting down with Isaiah [Briscoe] and Malik [Monk] yesterday talking about the team and I feel like they’re really good.”
You know, the pictures and clips we’ve seen of the team this summer have been nice, but nothing is more encouraging to me than hearing praise for them from Ulis, one of the best floor generals the program’s ever seen.
Listen to Tyler’s complete interview below, and go see him for yourself at one of his autograph signings over the next week.
on &July 29th, 2016 @ 11:53am
@M_E_Mahone
Just when you thought the dust had settled on Floyd Street, Franklin Circuit Court Judge Phillip Shepherd kicked it back up this morning when he granted Attorney General Andy Beshear’s request to block Governor Matt Bevin’s order abolishing the UofL Board of Trustees. The move comes less than two days after the new Board of Trustees accepted UofL President James Ramsey’s resignation, which, , is still valid “until anyone challenges” it. That said, it’s not clear whether the current Board of Trustees is still in power, or what the heck is going on.
Judge Shepherd argued Governor Bevin issued the executive order to dissolve the previous board without merit, so, using that logic, he could issue all sorts of executive orders, even one to merge the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville. Quelle horreur!
is correct, he could, by executive order, &merge the University of Kentucky with the University of Louisville&
& Jason Riley (@JasonRileyWDRB)
Don’t freak out, that’s just an example, but man, it’s terrifying:
COULD A COMBINED UOFL AND UK FOOTBALL TEAM WIN THE SEC?!?
& Jason Riley (@JasonRileyWDRB)
WHO STARTS ON THE COMBINED BASKETBALL TEAM?
& Jason Riley (@JasonRileyWDRB)
The Kentucky guys.
This is the saga that never ends! And it goes on and on, my friends!
Before the BCS and College Football Playoff, mythical college football national champions were decided by
Most, if not all media types are flooding storylines with projections, keys to the season,