The CatsIllustrated.com Newsstand has everything you need to read and hear following Kentucky's scrimmage on Saturday.
Also, plenty of NBA news featuring former Cats.
BRIGHT SPOT
A position change in the early stages of fall camp at Kentucky has served as a hint that the staff is very pleased with its outside linebackers.
UK head coach Mark Stoops confirmed after Saturday's scrimmage that redshirt freshman Jaylin Bannerman is getting a look at tight end now after initially playing the "Jack" hybrid linebacker/end position.
As it turns out, that had less to do with how Bannerman was performing than what his peers were showing.
NOT QUITE READY
Every college football coach in America likely feels as if his team's season opener is speeding toward him like a runaway train.
For Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops, he's just thankful there's a significant amount of track remaining before the Wildcats head to Southern Miss.
"I feel like we've got a lot of work to do," Stoops said after Saturday's first major scrimmage of fall camp, a workout that he deemed "Just OK."
OFFICIAL PLANS
Joseph Wilkins Jr., is one of the more coveted athletes still on the board in Florida, and he told CatsIllustrated.com recently that he's planning to take an official visit to Kentucky.
What else is happening in his recruitment?
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound three-star prospect is listed as a wide receiver but Kentucky is recruiting Wilkins as a defensive back.
LINK: Sought-after Florida athlete eyes official visit to Kentucky
PLAYING GREAT
Kentuckian J.B. Holmes had a 4-under par 67 — the low round of the day — at the PGA Championship to move up to 18th place at 1-over par after three rounds.
SO CLOSE
Kentucky alumna Kendra Harrison missed out on a medal by .02 seconds, placing fourth in 12.74 (+0.1) IAAF World Championships final in the 100-meter hurdles at London Stadium on Friday.
“Sometimes at these Championships it’s not about going out there and running fast it’s about just executing your race and I didn’t do that,” Harrison said. “I had a few nicks (of hurdles) and I tried to get back into it.
LINK: UKTF Alumna Kendra Harrison Fourth in World 100H Final
EXPECT EMOTIONS
If such a manual existed, the first line in “How To Be A College Football Coach” would be “Never look ahead.”
Yet no one would blame new University of Kentucky outside linebackers and special teams coach Dean Hood if he took at least a small peek past UK’s 2017 season opener at Southern Mississippi on Sept. 2 to the Wildcats’ home debut a week later against Eastern Kentucky University.
AHEAD OF SCHEDULE
A Kentucky defensive line frequently singled out for needing improvement has received a boost during the second week of preseason camp.
Junior-college transfer Phil Hoskins, who was limited early in camp as he continued his rehab from two shoulder surgeries this spring, has joined the rotation at defensive end.
LINK: JUCO transfer Phil Hoskins 'ahead of schedule' on his rehab for UK
ULTIMATE GOAL
Remember when John Wall complained about having no billboards in Washington?
The Wizards’ best season (49-33, reaching Game 7 of the second round) in nearly four decades plus a super-max contract extension projected to be worth $169 million over four years have Wall singing a different tune.
LINK: John Wall says spending entire career with Wizards is his ultimate goal
ALABAMA CHARITY
There will be plenty of star power at the third annual Eric Bledsoe Foundation Celebrity Basketball Game.
The event - scheduled to begin Sunday at 3 p.m. at Lawson State Community College in Birmingham - features a star-studded lineup that includes Bledsoe, a guard for the Phoenix Suns who prepped at Parker High in Birmingham; New Orleans Pelicans star DeMarcus Cousins, who grew up in Birmingham and graduated from LeFlore in Mobile; and Central Park Christian product K.J. Daniels, who plays for the Brooklyn Nets.
LINK: Eric Bledsoe, Demarcus Cousins playing hoops for a good cause
OUT OF THE SPOTLIGHT?
A lot has happened surrounding the Timberwolves this off-season, but let’s be sure to not forget about one Karl-Anthony Towns.
To say that the Minnesota Timberwolves have had an active off-season would be an understatement. With the addition of players via free agency, trades, and the draft, coach and front office boss Tom Thibodeau has given this squad a face lift.
It started with the blockbuster trade on draft night that sent two-time dunk champ Zach LaVine, underwhelming rookie Kris Dunn, and the seventh-overall pick to Chicago in exchange for a top-15 player in the NBA in Jimmy Butler as well as the 16th pick, which the Wolves used on Creighton big man Justin Patton.
BREAKOUT SEASON
Los Angeles Lakers power forward Julius Randle is something of an enigma. At 6’9” and weighing 250 pounds, he possesses a unique combination of strength and skill that may be just as much of a blessing as it is a curse.
During his college days, Randle could rely on being bigger, stronger, and more athletic than his opponents, allowing him to bully his way to the rim whenever he wanted. There was simply no need to shoot jump shots when the basket was just a lightning-quick spin move away.
LINK: Julius Randle is poised for a breakout season for the Lakers
DISABLED LIST
The Seattle Mariners have placed ace James Paxton on the 10-day disabled list with a strained pectoral muscle, the team announced on Friday. USA Today's Bob Nightengale is reporting that Paxton will be out until September.
Paxton, who was named AL Pitcher of the Month for July, left Thursday's 6-3 loss to the Angles in the seventh inning. He apparently didn't seem to think the injury was too serious initially.
LINK: Mariners ace and former Cat pitcher James Paxton to the DL
