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Men's Basketball

Karl-Anthony Towns Rediscovering Joy After Mother’s Passing

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Karl- Anthony Towns/Instagram

Speaking to USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt, former Wildcat Karl Anthony recalled one particular morning, very early this season.

“There was this one morning I walked into the practice facility. I’m usually one of the first ones there before trainers and anyone gets there. I walked in and found myself smiling in the weight room, happy to be here, happy to be in the gym this early, happy to see everybody come to work and get to practice.”

“That’s a different feeling than I’ve had in a long time,” Towns said.

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This newfound happiness is important as Towns has endured a lot in the past two years, losing his mother and six other family members to COVID-19 in 2020.

From the loss and grieving, Towns suffered a “disconnect in the relationship” between himself and basketball. Through the maturity of his hardships and the support of his family and teammates, Towns acknowledged, “This season brought me closer to basketball.”

His play on the court has shown it, averaging 24.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists en route to what will be the second All-NBA selection of his career.

Since being drafted by Minnesota in 2016, the Timberwolves have only made one playoff appearance.

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This season, in large part to Towns and his play the Timberwolves won their play-in game against the Los Angeles Clippers and will look to make a deep playoff run.

With a rediscovered joy and the “best guardian angel and family support anybody could ask for,” as Karl Towns Sr. puts it, Towns and Timberwolves will tip-off against the 2-seed Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday at 3:30 PM ET on ESPN.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky’s Kam Williams and Franck Kepnang Sidelined For Summer as Precaution

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Photo via UK Athletics

Since players have arrived on campus and began facing off against each other, we’ve seen multiple pictures and videos of the team surface across social media. 

From Milan Momcilovic sparking threes from deep, to Braydon Hawthorne showing us his playmaking abilities, members of the Big Blue Nation have been watching, reposting and expressing their animosity for the upcoming season. 

However, the same questions have circled throughout the comments. Where is Kam Williams? Where is Franck Kepnang? 

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In the most calming way possible, KY Insider can confirm that Williams and Kepnang will both be out during summer workouts as a precautionary measure for previous injuries. KSR’s Jack Pilgrim had the news first, with Williams confirmed to be back in his boot.

Williams, who broke his foot in February, is eyeing an 100% recovery before he begins scrimmaging. His summer training has been minimal and the team is taking the most kindest form of rest so re-injury becomes less likely during the 2026-27 season. 

Kepnang has had a long list of leg and knee injuries throughout his collegiate career thus far, causing him to miss the half of four seasons from 2020-21 through 2024-25. Hoping for a productive seventh year of college basketball and with a severe past, load management is the common and smart move given his situation. 

Again, both are precautious actions and no new injuries have occurred. 

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Mark Pope and the rest of the team are having fun, the vibes are good and they will get Williams and Kepnang up to speed when the time is right. 

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Men's Basketball

Jersey Numbers Revealed for 2026-27 Kentucky Basketball Team

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Kentucky basketball's new-look roster has its numbers. See every player's jersey assignment for the 2026-27 season and what it means for the Wildcats.

It’s been an exciting weekend for Kentucky basketball. In addition to Mark Pope getting a commitment from his highest-ranked prospect in his career, 2027 top-10-ranked wing Ryan Hampton, this coming season’s roster arrived on campus this weekend.

As they prepare to get their first workouts in the Joe Craft practice facility, with practice set to start later this month, player lockers are ready for them. In a social media video posted by assistant coach Mo Williams, player numbers were revealed for this upcoming season.

Of the returnees, Braydon Hawthorne is the sole player to make a change in number, choosing #2, the number he wore in high school and was taken by Jasper Johnson last season.

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As for the incoming players, the majority of them are wearing numbers that have been worn in recent seasons. However, Ousmane N’Diaye is choosing #19 and will be the first player since Willie Rouse in 1954 to sport the number.

Player numbers listed below:

  • Zyon Hawthorne #0
  • Jerone Morton #1
  • Braydon Hawthorne #2
  • Kam Williams #3
  • Mason Williams #4
  • Zoom Diallo #5
  • Trent Noah #9
  • Alex Wilkins #10
  • Franck Kepnang #11
  • Ousmane N’Diaye #19
  • Justin McBride #21
  • Milan Momcilovic #22
  • Malachi Moreno #24
  • Reece Potter #33

Also posted on A Sea of Blue.

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BB Recruiting

Kentucky Earns Commitment From No. 6 Prospect in 2027 Class Ryan Hampton

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Photo via UK Athletics


How about a Sunday boom in the recruiting world for you BBN? 

Ryan Hampton, the No. 6 overall prospect in the 2027 class, has officially committed to the University of Kentucky! This is Mark Pope’s first top-10 prospect that he’s earned a commitment from.

Hailing from Rockwall, Texas, Hampton recently took an official visit to campus with his family, which began on Friday, June 5 and spilled into Sunday, June 7, his commitment day. 

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The five-star wing averaged 21.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game during the most recent EYBL Circuit, playing for LivOn and Nightrydas.

Hampton was the first recruit in the 2027 to officially visit with the Wildcats, and now he’s the first to call their shot early and choose the blue and white. 

Pope has signed Milan Momcilovic, the No. 2 ranked transfer, and Hampton, his first top-10 high school prospect just in the past week.

It’s been a crazy week for recruiting, with the narrative around Pope’s ability slowing fading as the top guys continue to be attracted to the Kentucky brand. 

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