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The Day After: Kentucky vs. Tennessee

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As much as I would like to be watching this SEC Championship game with Kentucky in it, I am instead writing a very depressing post looking back at the loss the Cats suffered against the Vols yesterday. Yes I still take losses like a 5 year old.

The game was maybe one of the best of the year but it was kind of ruined after the SEC refs took control of the game late, making it very hard to watch.  But, the Cats were up 8 with 3 minutes to go and failed to finish the game off.  So, what went wrong?

Kentucky’s defense for the entire game wasn’t great. Tennessee hit 10 three pointers, including three where they were wide open in the final minutes, which can’t happen.

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P.J. Washington was in foul trouble the whole first half, which may have prevented Kentucky from taking a big lead. But, in the second half he was huge, then Reid Travis fouled out (wasn’t a foul), which resulted in Grant Williams getting two huge rebounds in the final minutes.  It also prevented Washington from having room on the final possession where he missed two layups.

Kentucky also struggled in-bounding the ball, which resulted in a Tyler Herro turnover that turned into a 3-point play by Grant Williams.  Herro also helped on a driving Grant Williams, leaving his man wide open, and giving up the winning three.

In the end, as much as I don’t want to say it, Kentucky failed to finish off the game.  They were up 8 with 3 minutes to play and failed to win the game, which is inexcusable.  You can blame out-of-bounds plays, turnovers, and bad defense.  Those three things ultimately defeated the Cats in the end.

Don’t get me wrong though, Tennessee played a great game, shot lights out, fought until the final buzzer, and won a huge game.

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Where do we go from here?

The SEC Championship today.  I would think if Tennessee wins they get a 1-seed, but who knows.  Kentucky’s fate is now in the hands of the selection committee, which is kind of scary if you think about it.

Kentucky is almost guaranteed a 2-seed, but who’s their 1-seed?  I would think Kentucky gets put with either Virginia, Gonzaga, or North Carolina.  Those are potential 1-seeds and it just depends on which of those teams get one. I would think two of them get one. We’ll just have to wait and see.

I like Kentucky’s chances this year.  In 2012, Kentucky got beat by Vanderbilt in the SEC Championship game and went on to win it.  This team has a legit shot at winning it all. It should be a fun couple of weeks.

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Men's Basketball

Otega Oweh Declares for NBA Draft, Maintains College Eligibility

Arguably the centerpiece of last year’s team, Otega Oweh has declared for the NBA Draft… but that doesn’t mean he’s officially gone.

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Otega Oweh declares for the NBA Draft whilst maintaining his college eligibility.
Chet White | UK Athletics

Few players have taken the Big Blue Nation by storm like Otega Oweh did with his arrival this past season. A lot was new in Lexington last year, but #00 stuck out for a number of reasons; namely, his infectious energy on the court and the high odds that he was going to put an opponent on a poster on any given night.

Now, Oweh has declared for the NBA Draft. He made the announcement on social media, calling Kentucky fans the “best fans in the world.”

While this may seem dire for folks keeping tabs on next year’s roster, that last line in Oweh’s announcement is crucial: “…while maintaining my NCAA eligibility.” Essentially, Otega’s time in Lexington is far from over, at least for the time being.

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Whether or not “Tegatron” returns to Rupp will likely depend on what he hears during the draft process, and where exactly he wants to land. In the modern college basketball landscape, it’s become common practice for players to “test the waters” in the draft, just to get an idea as to where they stand with the league, before returning to college for another year of development.

Take, for example, Jaxson Robinson just last season. Before his eventual transfer to Kentucky, Robinson declared for the draft out of BYU, maintaining his eligibility, before pulling from the process in order to spend his senior year at Kentucky. It happens all the time.

While that doesn’t necessarily set Oweh’s return in stone, it at least gives the Big Blue Nation to take a breather and keep calm, as his departure is far from official. Either way, #00 is a Lexington legend whose first go-around in Kentucky blue was as memorable as anyone’s could be. The “Oweh, Oweh, Oweh” chants will go on regardless.

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Men's Basketball

Four Star Forward Visiting Kentucky Amidst Recruitment Rumors

Mark Pope is looking to close out a strong sophomore effort in the transfer portal, and this freshman guard may be the final piece.

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Four star guard Braydon Hawthorne is on a visit to Kentucky.
Braydon Hawthorne | WVU Athletics

As the transfer portal trucks on (and the NCAA races to find ways to regulate it), Mark Pope is looking to tie a bow on his already highly-ranked 2025-26′ roster. The latest potential addition becomes in the form of a freshman who, after pulling his commitment from West Virginia, will be on an official visit to Kentucky today, Wednesday, April 16.

Braydon Hawthorne, the 6’8″ forward at hand, is a lengthy, scoring wing with high upside on the offensive end. His 7’3″ wingspan opens opportunities for development on the defensive end, too – he’s an investment opportunity of the highest order. On3 currently has him at 48th on their ranking of 2025 recruits.

In addition to Kentucky and West Virginia (where Hawthorne is from), schools such as Virginia Tech, Arizona State, Marquette, Dayton, Old Dominion, Mount St. Mary’s, and more have thrown their hats into the ring, although the general consensus seems to be that Kentucky has the strongest pull/interest in the prospect for the time being.

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Whether or not that actually means he’ll be in blue and white is unfortunately unsure – as that’s how the transfer portal operates – but an in-person visit is a good indicator of mutual interest. Plus, with Kentucky “losing out” on Lamar Wilkerson, who committed to Indiana, a scoring spot in the back court remains open… and Hawthorne is a compelling candidate to fill it.

While Wildcats fans wait patiently for a potential commitment, all eyes are on Coach Cody Fueger’s X account for a trademark “boom” post.

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Men's Basketball

Brandon Garrison Announces Return To Kentucky For The 2025-26 Season

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Chet White | UK Athletics

Brandon Garrison isn’t going anywhere. 

The 6-foot-10 forward will be returning to the Kentucky Wildcats for his junior season in the 2025-26 campaign. 

Garrison took to social media first, posting a story on his personal Instagram that showed a simple graphic reading the words “I’m back.”

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Speculation and rumors have swirled around the Oklahoma native all offseason, and with the addition of Andrija Jelavic, Big Blue Nation worried that Garrison would be hitting the portal sooner than later. 

Now, with his returning announcement public, Garrison will look to assert himself in the offseason as a dominant force that deserves the starting role.

Last season, he backed up Amari Williams, coming off of the bench and averaging 5.9 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game in just 17.3 minutes a night. 

It’s unclear if he’s guaranteed anything in regards to a starting spot. However, having played a year already in Mark Pope’s system, Garrison may get a nod for the role over one of the transfer pickups. 

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Pope and the coaching staff have been publicly confident in the development of “BG” and see him as a vocal leader on and off the court. 

With a full offseason ahead where he’ll be harnessing his skill set and bettering his game in any way possible, Kentucky fans will be glad that Garrison chose to stick around another year. 

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