John Calipari reunites with former Wildcats, Kentucky football deals with another tough injury, catching up on camp and much more.
FOUR DOWNS
In this edition of "Four Downs," we take a closer look at what we've learned about the Cats as they inch closer to their season opener.
Here you'll read about the running back competition behind Benny Snell, UK's punting woes, freshmen pushing for playing time and a 'Next Man Up' theme.
LINK: What we've learned through three weeks of UK fall camp
BAKER OUT
Kentucky senior wide receiver Dorian Baker suffered a fracture-dislocation in his left ankle during Saturday's scrimmage and will miss significant time and possibly the entire 2017 season, head coach Mark Stoops announced today. Baker is scheduled for surgery Tuesday, Aug. 22 to be performed by Dr. Darren Johnson at the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center.
LINK: Baker could miss entire 2017 season
News that Dorian Baker could well miss the entire 2017 football season following a camp injury might leave some Kentucky fans wondering, already, whether this year's team is snakebitten.
After all, not long ago we were processing the significance of Cole Mosier's season-ending injury.
LINK: What does Dorian Baker's injury mean for Kentucky in 2017?
INSIDER NOTES
As the recruiting season continues and AAU ball turns into the high school season, the Cats stand with zero 2018 commitments.
Some experts and analysts have Kentucky leading for just one five-star player, which would be concerning as many 2o18 recruits have been recruiting by the Cats for months or even years. But is it accurate that UK leads for just one five-star recruit at this point?
Cats Illustrated explores.
KNOX PREVIEW
Cats Illustrated is previewing every scholarship player on Kentucky's 2017-2018 basketball roster.
Part 11 of the series is on wing Kevin Knox. The 6-foot-8, 205-pound Florida native surprised many when committing to Kentucky in the spring. Can he be John Calipari's next great scorer?
STARTING AN EMPIRE
Darian Kinnard has the look of a big-time offensive tackle prospect. He’s got the size, athleticism and, apparently, the raw potential to be as good as he wants to be in the SEC.
Players with his combination of physical attributes, skills and work ethic are in short supply, so there are other programs that would love to convince him to change his mind. But the big offensive tackle from Ohio is rock solid with Kentucky, and for a number of reasons.
LINK: OT Darian Kinnard wants to start an empire at Kentucky
VERSATILE SQUARE
Among words used frequently in recruiting parlance, versatility is among the most common. It's also, as you would then expect, extremely cliché.
But in certain cases the word really applies.
LINK: Versatility is often an overused cliché but not in DeAndre Square’s case
SHOWING OUT
This is the year of John Wall. He’s been going at the best players in the league this summer in casual runs, and now he can add James Harden and Chris Paul to that list.
Wall took a quick trip down to Houston to play in Harden’s local charity game over the weekend. Clint Capela, DeMar DeRozan, Marcus Morris and Paul also made appearances. The Rockets’ new backcourt was supposed to be the highlight, but Wall took his time picking on both of them.
LINK: John Wall shows out in charity game against Chris Paul and James Harden
CALIPARI REUNITES
The New Orleans Pelicans are forming quite a contingent of former Kentucky Wildcats. Apart from their two superstars, Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, they’ve also added a couple more former Wildcats in swingman Darius Miller and veteran point guard Rajon Rondo during the NBA offseason.
Kentucky head coach John Calipari was the big reason why elite recruits like Davis and Cousins came over to Lexington over the past few years, and he got a chance to meet up with all of the Pelicans’ Wildcat alums.
LINK: John Calipari reunites with DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis, Darius Miller, and Rajon Rondo
DEFENSIVE IDENTITY
It should come as no surprise to college basketball fans that freshmen have come to possess a significant portion of the star power in the sport. Just look at this year’s NBA draft, where the first upperclassman was not selected until Duke sophomore Luke Kennard with 12th pick. So while some returning players will undoubtedly have a major impact in 2017–18 season, it’s important to get to know the new faces who may come to occupy the spotlight.
With that in mind, SI.com will be introducing you to the top 25 incoming freshmen in college basketball and breaking down the impact those players could have this season. We move to the No. 17 overall recruit, Kentucky's Nick Richards.
LINK: Nick Richards could make his mark at Kentucky on defense
UNLUCKY?
The offseason has not been kind to Kentucky’s football Wildcats.
Since the final second ticked off in UK’s 33-18 TaxSlayer Bowl loss to Georgia Tech last New Year’s Eve, Kentucky has lost its 1.) leading rusher; 2.) its “stretch-the-field” wide receiver; 3.) its starting left offensive tackle; and 4.) an improving interior defensive lineman who had become a late-season starter.
LINK: If it weren’t for bad luck, it seems UK football would have no luck at all
