Between basketball coaching rumors, more SEC scheduling-linked news, and the start of fall camp there was plenty that came out of the sports world for Kentucky fans on Tuesday.

Here are five thoughts tied into the stories everyone's talking about.

1. We're waiting on Jai Lucas — again

Darius Rice. Patrick Patterson. Jai Lucas. Just some of the basketball recruits whose prospect days were tracked closely by Kentucky fans long ago, though it might have seemed like yesterday.

Lucas did not land with Kentucky as a player but the Texas assistant coach is now rumored to be a strong candidate to join forces with John Calipari in Lexington.

There is not an obvious staff opening for Lucas but rumors have it — and Cats Illustrated's Travis Graf has been all over it — that he would have an important recruiting role in Lexington, if he does indeed leave Austin.

Cats Illustrated spoke with a source in Austin who seemed surprised that Lucas was in the running for the position at Kentucky since he had been recruiting for the Longhorns even very recently.

Dustin McComas of Orangebloods.com has reported that he is still on the Texas staff and that an official offer had not been made as of Tuesday afternoon. But as Kyle Tucker of The Athletic noted, Kenny Payne's $900,000 could be used not only for Bruiser Flint, but to add Lucas and potentially with a nice salary in what would be a "new off-court position Kentucky is recruiting."

Lucas is as tied in with recruiting in the state of Texas as anyone and he has been linked to the recruitments of players like near five-star forward Daimion Collins and also five-star small forward Harrison Ingram.

Replacing Payne will not be easy but Lucas could give the Cats' recruiting efforts a major jolt moving forward. This could be a creative blockbuster move for Kentucky and it would really put Texas in a pinch because the Longhorns already have a staff opening.

2. SEC over/under win totals

Vegas is responding quickly to the SEC's schedule release. On Tuesday, some of the first over/under win totals were released.

Kentucky's O/U set at five should not be a huge surprise. While many who follow the program closely will be hoping for 6-4 or even 7-3 the above numbers paint a sobering picture. Georgia, which has won three straight East division titles, is set at seven. So is Florida, a contender with an easier schedule.

Expectations for a final record should be significantly altered on the basis of the new schedule and the all-SEC format.

3. COVID-19, colleges, and football — update

North Carolina has been one of the big problem campuses since students have returned to dorms, classrooms, and parties. UNC has since gone virtual.

Notre Dame was the campus hit most recently with cases almost tripling in a day of testing. Reports say just about all of the cases may be traced back to a single party and senior male students at the school were mentioned as being among those who attended.

Notre Dame will begin remote learning and if the problem is not brought under control in the next couple of weeks then students will be dismissed to their homes.

These aren't the only schools facing issues related to COVID-19 as students return.

Late Tuesday, NC State confirmed two COVID-19 clusters within its student population.

How schools respond in the next week or two will determine a lot as it relates to college football. Is it feasible for a season to go on even if campuses go virtual? Many will argue that more sparsely populated campuses make a football season even safer than it would be than if students are on campuses. It's tough to argue against that point.

On the other hand, the chorus of critics who believe "amateurs" and non-employees of the school should not (1) receive preferential treatment and access, i.e. the ability to play, or (2) be subject to what some still might argue could be dangerous circumstances in a contact sport.

All that said, the SEC appears to be pressing forward with an intent to play unless a crisis really cripples schools and programs across the conference.

4. A sobering reminder

When Mark Stoops was asked about the health status of Kentucky linebacker Chris Oats, who would have been a junior on this year's football team if not for an unexpected health issue that put sports in perspective, his answer was a sobering reminder of the situation's severity — and of how fragile it all can be.

Stoops' tone and words were a reminder that football isn't a part of the conversation right now. He even spoke about eventually honoring and recognizing Oats. It's been great to see the universal outpouring of support from people throughout the Kentucky program and beyond for Oats, and it's refreshing that we haven't even really been talking about the impact on the roster. This is about a young man's life and well-being. Everything else pales in comparison.

5. Bryce Oliver's strong Day One performance

Mark Stoops and Eddie Gran both went on the record praising rising redshirt sophomore Bryce Oliver's performance in his first day of fall camp and that was a welcome development for Jovon Bouknight's group.

The staff feels like they can count on Josh Ali and there's good reason to believe Clevan Thomas can be a capable slot receiver given his experience and grit. Allen Dailey proved himself a physical blocker last year.

But all those guys will need help and Oliver has the athleticism, pass-catching skills, and time in the program to step up. Consistency was the buzzword and that's the challenge for Oliver, who performed very well in Kentucky's last spring game.