The CatsIllustrated.com Newsstand returns with a bang. There are plenty of basketball and football stories featuring Cats and former UK players to keep you satisfied this morning.

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Kentucky cannot hide from how poorly it played at Mississippi State, Mark Stoops said Monday at his weekly press luncheon, but the Wildcats are looking to move on from the humbling loss as quickly as possible.

That means shifting focus to Tennessee, which visits Kroger Field on Saturday for a matchup of teams coming off identical 45-7 beatings. While UK was being humbled amid a sea of rattling cowbells in Starkville, Miss., the Volunteers took it on the chin at No. 1 Alabama.

For the first time in recent memory, Kentucky (5-2, 2-2 SEC) enters the matchup as the favorite. Tennessee (3-4, 0-4 SEC) has not scored an offensive touchdown since Sept. 23 against UMass, leading to speculation about head coach Butch Jones' job security on Rocky Top.

LINK: Football notebook as UK begins preparing for UT

Kentucky's improved recruiting under Mark Stoops has put the Wildcats in play for more players that SEC recruiting powerhouses have wanted than ever.

While Tennessee still wins more than its fair share against Kentucky in the recruiting game, the Volunteers did recruit several current Wildcats.

LINK: Kentucky players that Tennessee recruited out of high school

Each week Cats Illustrated looks at Kentucky's next opponent and singles out a few players who had been targeted by the Wildcats as high school recruits.

Here are a few Volunteers that were in the sights of Tennessee's coaching staff years ago.

LINK: You might remember these Tennessee players as UK recruiting targets

Tennessee has had a nightmarish season in 2017 but the Volunteers aren't lacking for raw talent. Here's how UT's current starters ranked as high school recruits.

LINK: How Tennessee's starters ranked as recruits

Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe has likely played his final game for the team, general manager Ryan McDonough told reporters Monday.

McDonough said he, interim coach Jay Triano and Bledsoe met Monday morning and that Bledsoe was sent home at the end of the discussion. He will not play in Monday's home game against the Sacramento Kings.

Bledsoe "won't be with us going forward," McDonough said.

LINK: Eric Bledsoe sent home, unlikely to play for Suns again

The New York Knicks are among several teams reaching out to Phoenix, league sources told ESPN. It is unclear how far along teams have gotten on any trade discussions, but people in touch with Phoenix say the franchise is looking for young players in a Bledsoe swap.

LINK: Does New York have the pieces to pull off a Bledsoe deal?

Bledsoe is still really valuable. Even in a league where nearly every team has a franchise point guard, Bledsoe's combination of skill and athleticism is rare. Bledsoe has shot over 47 percent the past four seasons and topped 20 points and six assists per game the past two seasons. Also, when his entire team isn't playing like they're undergoing a massive existential crisis, he's a good-to-great defender. He's still extremely athletic even after major knee surgeries and is one of the fastest players end to end.

That said, the injuries are a major concern; he's only played more than 70 games three times in seven years. Also, he bears as much responsibility as any player for the Suns' woes as he's been the best player on the team for years during their myriad failures.

Overall, however, he's a top-15 point guard if he's on a team with talent and good culture. Here's a look at some options for a deal.

LINK: 10 Eric Bledsoe trade ideas the Suns should consider now

In absorbing a 45-7 pasting at Mississippi State, it’s possible the Kentucky Wildcats were exposed as a poor football team whose good record (now 5-2, 2-2 SEC) has been inflated against subpar competition.

It’s also possible Mark Stoops’ Wildcats just had an off day in a tough road venue.

How the 2017 UK season will ultimately be viewed will be far more determined by what happens this week against Tennessee in Kroger Field than the debacle last week in Starkville.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky baseball coach Nick Mingione received the prestigious Kentucky Colonel honor in a surprise ceremony on Monday. The commission of Kentucky Colonel is the highest title of honor bestowed by the Governor of Kentucky.

Mingione, UK’s second-year head coach, and his father-in-law, Randy Reeves, were presented with the recognition byBrigadier General Les E. Beavers. Reeves is a retired Commander and Surface Warfare Officer in the United States Navy and currently serves as Executive Director of the Mississippi Veterans Affairs Board and President of the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs. Beavers has an extensive record of serving the needs of veterans in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

The honor of Kentucky Colonel is a recognition of an individual’s noteworthy accomplishments and outstanding service to our community, state and nation. The Kentucky Colonels is a voluntary philanthropic organization and Kentucky Colonels are unwavering in devotion to faith, family, commonwealth and country. Passionate about being compassionate. Proud leaders who are gentle but strong in will and commitment.

“What an honor,” Mingione said after being commissioned. “The fact that people notice, I’m just really proud of our student-athletes because they’re the ones serving our community. The most important thing I’ve done since I got here was hire good men. Without the players and coaches, obviously, I’d never be able to receive this award.”

A sitting Kentucky governor noted in a letter to the Kentucky Colonels that he commissioned individuals as Kentucky Colonels “as a Governor’s way of recognizing individuals for their service and accomplishments on behalf of others.”

The 2017 SEC Coach of the Year and Perfect Game/Rawlings National Coach of the Year, Mingione completed his first year as UK head coach in June, leading the Wildcats to their first-ever trip to Super Regionals. UK won 43 games overall in 2017 and 19 in SEC play – the second most in school history – after being picked in the bottom half of the league in the preseason. Those 43 wins are also the most for a first-year UK head coach.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – For the fifth consecutive week, the Kentucky volleyball team brought home at least one Southeastern Conference honor. Freshman Madison Lilley won SEC Player and Setter of the Week, sophomore Leah Edmond was named Offensive Player of the Week and senior Kaz Brown claimed Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Lilley has won SEC Setter of the Week six times this season and five straight, dating back to Sept. 25. Lilley now has two Player of the Week awards this season. The Overland Park, Kansas, native averaged a stellar 16.00 assists per set in the sweep of Tennessee on Sunday. She had 48 total assists and helped the Cats tie a three-set school record with 55 kills while UK hit .308 as a team. Lilley added six digs and two blocks on defense, and was a threat on offense with two kills and an ace.

Lilley is averaging 12.10 assists per set and is currently No. 4 in the country. She’s helped the Wildcats hit .326 this season, which is the third-highest hitting percentage in the nation.

Edmond won the Offensive Player of the Week award for the third consecutive week. Edmond had 19 kills in the three sets on Sunday and tied the 25-point rally scoring era record that she held for most kills in a three-set match. The Lexington, Kentucky, native is now averaging 4.39 kills per set and hitting .319 this season. Edmond committed just three errors on 43 swings and hit .372. She also added the second-highest dig total on the team with eight. The sophomore also produced one block, one assist and one ace.

Edmond is averaging 4.40 kills per set, which is second in the SEC and 17th in the nation.

Brown brought home her first SEC league award this season. She was solid on offense and defense during the sweep of the Lady Vols on Sunday. Brown had six blocks in the three sets, including two solo stuffs. Brown now owns the 25-point rally scoring career record in solo blocks at 56. The Waterloo, Iowa, native also had double-digit kills with 13, and hit .370 in the match.

Kentucky will be back in action on Friday when it travels to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to take on LSU. First serve is set for 8 p.m. ET.

First there was Monday's whole Eric Bledsoe "hair salon" saga with the Phoenix Suns, and now there's a brewing beef between Wizards center Marcin Gortat and the Los Angeles Lakers' most famous dad, LaVar Ball.

What? LaVar Ball in a public feud? Hard to believe, I know.

It all started with LaVar's comments following the Lakers' 119-112 loss to the Pelicanson Sunday. After discussing Lonzo's performance, he pretty much guaranteed that the Lakers will win Wednesday's game against the Wizards.

LINK: Wizards' Gortat says John Wall will 'torture' Lonzo in response to LaVar's guarantee