Just over a week ago, the Wildcats were a presumed “lock” for the NCAA Tournament, gearing up to be one of the top seeds. Now, Nick Mingione and the Cats are sitting on the bubble after four consecutive losses.

Western Kentucky took down the Bat Cats 6-4 on April 29, a respectable loss, but Big Blue Nation did not expect a Mississippi State Bulldogs team, who had only seven conference wins and had just fired their head coach, to sweep the Wildcats.

On May 3, the Bulldogs blitzed the Cats, outscoring them 20-9 between both games of Saturday’s doubleheader. The next day, the Wildcats only tallied one run and were swept for the first time since 2023 in a SEC series.

Now, Kentucky looks ahead to its weekend matchup with the No. 16 Oklahoma Sooners, who are facing off for the first time ever against the Wildcats.

To say this series is season-defining is an understatement, considering the Wildcats only have seven more games on the schedule including Oklahoma.

The Sooners are having a very successful first season in the SEC, hanging around the top 15 rankings all season and winning five of their eight conference series thus far.

Having this past week off, and sinking down in multiple hitting and pitching categories for the conference, the Wildcats will have to get at least one win against the Sooners to keep their hopes alive.

With 10 conference wins, Kentucky will need to win at least three of their remaining SEC games to be put in the conversation for a tournament bid.

The remaining schedule:

May 9-11 vs. No. 16 Oklahoma (32-14, 13-11 SEC)

May 13 vs. Northern Kentucky (26-20)

May 15-17 @ No. 11 Vanderbilt (34-14, 14-10 SEC)

All rankings are provided from Baseball America.

Two more former Kentucky stars are set to join La Familia, as twin brothers Andrew and Aaron Harrison have committed to return for the Wildcats alumni team in this year’s edition of The Basketball Tournament (TBT).

The Harrison twins, who helped lead Kentucky to back-to-back Final Four appearances in 2014 and 2015, bring veteran experience and elite pedigree to an already talent-heavy roster filled with former NBA players.

In early April, Doron Lamb and DeAndre Liggins became the first players to commit to La Familia’s typically star-studded roster, which this season will also feature TBT’s 2024 Defensive Player of the Year, Willie Cauley-Stein.

For those unfamiliar, TBT is a high-stakes, nationally televised, single-elimination tournament featuring a $1 million, winner-take-all prize. Alumni teams from schools such as Louisville, Kansas, Indiana and other major programs across the country compete each summer.

With TBT season on the horizon, the Harrison twins will look to tap into their former selves in hopes of helping the squad of former Cats claim a share of the $1 million prize.

The team will once again be led by former Kentucky guard Tyler Ulis, who returns as head coach following La Familia’s Final Four run last season.

La Familia will host the tournament’s opening rounds for the Lexington Regional at Memorial Coliseum from July 18–22.

Lexington is also set to host the quarterfinals, semifinals and championship game—if La Familia advances and secures home-court advantage. That advantage is awarded to the team whose fans purchase the most pre-sale tickets, giving Big Blue Nation a direct role in bringing the final rounds home.

The Kentucky Wildcats will have a plethora of stars from last year’s team representing the blue and white in the 2025 NBA Draft Combine.

Otega Oweh and Koby Brea have both been officially invited to Chicago, from May 11-18, to perform in front of NBA coaches, general managers and scouts, looking to prove that they have what it takes to make it to the next level.

Amari Williams, alongside one of Mark Pope’s offseason acquisitions with Jaland Lowe, will both compete in the 2025 G League Elite Combine, taking place in Chicago from May 9-11.

Notable names such as Jaxson Robinson, Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr and Ansley Almonor, all playing major roles in Pope’s introductory season at Kentucky, did not receive invitations.

Same Story, Different Path

Out of all of these names, Brea is the outlier that’s been mentioned in numerous mock drafts, especially in the latter half of the second round. Williams will likely go undrafted and may receive a deal after the event has concluded.

Although Brea and Williams have ended their collegiate chapters, Oweh and Lowe have made it public that they are just testing the draft process and have maintained their NCAA eligibility, which arises a crucial discussion.

While Oweh’s return to Kentucky is not set in stone, Big Blue Nation can assume that without a stellar performance in the combine that they wont hear his name called on draft night. Currently, he is ranking just outside the top 90 mark on the list of prospects according to several publications’ lists.

A key note to make is that Robinson went through this same exact process coming out of BYU, eventually spending his senior year at Kentucky.

Lowe’s father, in an interview with KSR, reassured that his son’s goal is to still to play for the Wildcats, quoted saying “The expectation and goals are for him to be a part of Kentucky basketball and for him to win the No. 9 championship.”

During his interview with CBS’ Jon Rothstein, Pope spoke on Lowe and his ability to step in be the leader for next year’s team, sounding hopeful Lowe will be a Wildcat.

“I’m excited to get him here and hyper-speed his game,” Pope said. “I think he’s going to be an elite level leader. He’s got a huge future in this game, and he’s going to come do it in a Kentucky jersey, and join this legacy of incredible point guards that have played here.”

Regardless of what may happen, BBN will be patiently awaiting for Oweh to add to his legacy as a Wildcat and for Lowe to write a new chapter, hoping they can do it on the same court.