Kentucky athletics is in the prime of the offseason, with the Bat Cats wrapping their season up and the countdown to college football underway. Luckily for members of the Big Blue Nation, three former Wildcats will be playing in the 2026 NBA Finals, beginning tonight on ABC.

Karl-Anthony Towns

How can we not start with the most loved big man in the league, Karl-Anthony Towns. From his funny character on the court to his big moments in the blue and white, Towns has made a name for himself in this playoff run as one of the most consistent bigs in the league.

He basically records a double-double every single game, and has set multiple records for the New York Knicks this year, notably becoming the first Knicks center to record a triple-double in the playoffs and moving up to the third all-time for the most 20-10 games in Knicks postseason history.

However, while he’s battled and bruised his way through the eastern conference, “Big Purr” will be tasked with taking on superstar Victor Wembanyama, who’s quickly took the league by storm. It’ll be interesting to see how KAT, the former cat, performs against the 7-foot-4 big.

De’Aaron Fox

Switching teams, we have to talk about the speedy De’Aaron Fox. While he’s dealt with a right ankle injury and fought through adversity this postseason, he’s still produced a handful of impactful games for the San Antonio Spurs.

Fox is good for six or more assists a night with a couple of steals, and if his shot is falling, he becomes extremely dangerous on the court. While he struggled against the Oklahoma City Thunder from the field, he’s still managed to tally double-digit performances in most of the playoffs games so far.

His shiftiness and agility opens up the Spurs offense in a multitude of ways, and when he’s on the court, any game turns into must-see television. Fox will earn the starting spot tonight at point guard, making his first NBA Finals appearance.

Keldon Johnson

Last, but certainly not least, is one of my personal favorite Wildcats ever with forward Keldon Johnson. Serving a pivotal role off of the bench, Johnson makes the right plays at the right time.

He silently will get a big rebound or make a huge play on the defensive side of the ball, but more occasionally, he’s hitting a shoot from deep, just like he used to do at Rupp Arena.

Making two huge 3-pointers in the fourth quarter in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, Johnson will look to spark some momentum for the Spurs on the biggest stage of them all.

Get Your Popcorn

Well Wildcats fans, get your popcorn ready and find a comfy seat. Towns will face Fox and Johnson tonight in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, airing live on ABC at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Can the Knicks break the drought that has casted a shadow on New York for some time, or will the Spurs add another championship to their collection and etch the beginning of a new dynasty?

In the final bracket reveal on the ESPN selection show, Kentucky baseball was named as the No. 3 seed in the Morgantown Regional. This is the fourth year in a row that the Bat Cats have been selected to the NCAA tournament, extending the school record.

West Virginia is the No. 16 overall seed in the tournament and the one-seeded host of the regional. Also in the bracket is No. 2 Wake Forest, Kentucky’s first-round opponent, and No. 4 Binghamton.

On Friday, May 29, Kentucky (31-21, 13-17 SEC) will take on Wake Forest (38-19, 16-14 ACC) at 12:00 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed live on ESPN2.

The similarities that led both teams to the tournament will likely lead to an entertaining first game of the double-elimination format. Both schools went one and done in their respective conference tournaments, as well as facing multiple ranked opponents during the season.

The difference in the schools’ season is Wake Forest was swept twice while Kentucky avoided being swept all season, but on the flip side, the Cats lost all but two of its conference series while the Demon Deacons only lost four.

A schedule only means so much when two teams from different conferences meet. Wake Forest has a high-powered offense, putting up nine games with 14 or more runs and scoring 22 or more runs on two separate occasions.

That can prove problematic for a Kentucky team that has made 55 errors this season. The Demon Deacons lack of depth in the bullpen could benefit the Wildcats. This is an area that Kentucky has had some problems with this season as well, but with 12 of their 22 listed pitchers having a sub 6.00 ERA, they certainly have the edge.

UK is a team that pressures the infield with stolen bases, which will due part put much pressure on Wake Forest – they’ve made 59 errors on the season.

Overall, getting past round one is just the first step to getting out of Morgantown and driving the rest of the long road to Omaha.

Morgantown Regional (Morgantown, West Virginia)

Friday:

Game 1: Kentucky vs. Wake Forest; 12:00 p.m ET on ESPN2
Game 2: No. 16 West Virginia vs. Binghampton; 5 p.m. ET on ESPN+

Saturday:

Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2

Sunday:

Game 5: Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3
Game 6: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5

Monday:

Game 7 (if necessary): Rematch Game 6

The bracket is set. Kentucky Baseball, earning the No. 13 overall seed, will face No. 12 Vanderbilt (32-24, 14-16 SEC) in the first round of the SEC Tournament on Tuesday, May 19.

Nick Mingione’s squad finished the regular season with a 31-20 overall record and a 13-17 conference record, going 1-2 in the final series against the Arkansas Razorbacks, who ultimately earned the No. 7 overall seed in the tourney.

These two teams clashed back on April 17-19, where Vanderbilt came into Kentucky Proud Park and stole both game two and three from the Wildcats. Kentucky scored a total of 18 runs in the series, but it let up 23 runs of its own.

In the series-opening win, pitcher Jaxon Jelkin tossed 105 total pitches through eight innings, only allowing two runs and six hits between the 31 batters he faced.

A time is yet to be announced, but it is confirmed that the Bat Cats and the Commodores will play in game two, taking place after game one between No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 16 Missouri at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Kentucky is currently on the “safe” part of the NCAA Tournament bubble, but a win in Hoover, Alabama would have the Wildcats as locks to make yet another appearance in the big dance.