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Kentucky Wildcats Quickies: 143rd Run for the Roses Edition

It's Derby Day!, Kevin Knox decides on twitter, Bat Cats fall to Georgia, Hamidou Diallo is projected in the first round, Donovan Mitchell hires an agent, Loretta Lynn is hospitalized, and more in a jam packed Quickies.

By James Streble
Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning Big Blue Nation. Today, Our Old Kentucky Home takes center stage as the 143rd Kentucky Derby is set to run this evening. Though the weather outlook isn't pretty, there is still plenty of excitement around Churchill Downs as there isn't a clear-cut favorite this year.

The experts over at the New York Times weighed in and give us a blow-by-blow analysis of each horse in the race.

Tweets of the Day

Congrats to Derek Willis, Dominique Hawkins, and all of the 2017 UK graduates. Now get a job! Kidding. Kind of.

Your Quickies

NBA’s official Combine list includes four Kentucky players | Lexington Herald Leader

Four Kentucky players are among the 67 invitees to next week’s NBA Combine in Chicago. The four are Bam Adebayo, Isaiah Briscoe, Hamidou Diallo and De’Aaron Fox. Two other ex-Cats, Isaac Humphries and Malik Monk, were either not invited or chose not to participate.

Breaking down tomorrow’s Kevin Knox college decision | Kentucky Sports Radio
With zero buzz surrounding Kentucky either way… it makes you wonder how tonight's decision will turn out.

No. 4 UK baseball falls to Georgia 5-3 | UK Athletics- In a stunner, the Wildcats dropped the opening game of the series to one of the worst teams in the SEC thanks to four unearned runs in the ninth. Hopefully the 'Cats will bounce back and win the series. A sweep would have been nice though.

Jaren Williams holds 2018 football recruiting in limbo | SEC Country- Mark Stoops and the Wildcats were the first big school to offer the talented three star QB. Williams committed, but as offers from Alabama, LSU, and Georgia started to roll in, he de-committed. But Darin Hinshaw and Vince Marrow trekked down to Georgia, where he's from, and made one final plea. Experts say that a re-commit is in the cards.

Top 2018 point guard loves John Wall and Coach Cal | SEC Country- Remember the name Jevonte Smart because you're going to be hearing it a lot in the coming months.

Bol Bol and his team are tearing up AAU | SB Nation- John Calipari has already offered the five star son of Manute Bol, which is a good thing because he is turning out to be elite. While his father was more of a curiosity in the NBA than a star, the 7'2 Bol Bol has a chance to be much more and the big name schools are taking notice.

Where will UNC, Duke recruiting target Kevin Knox go? | News & Observer
Reporter Jonathan M. Alexander answers readers’ recruiting questions about Duke, North Carolina and NC State. Most pressing question: Where will Kevin Knox go?

Louisville Cardinal Donovan Mitchell to hire an agent and remain in the NBA Draft | Yahoo!- This is a smart move for Mitchell. The talented guard is guaranteed a spot in the first round and with all of the mystery surrounding the NCAA sanctions, it's a good time to get out of dodge. It's funny because Rick Pitino told a couple of now defunct UofL radio flunkies that he advised Mitchell to not attend the combine and to come back to UofL in order to play point guard. Rick is always about Rick.

SEC to adopt NCAA practice recommendations for football - SEC Sports
The recommendations set forth by the NCAA Sports Science Institute established parameters for planning year-round football practice sessions, including the reduction of live-contact practices during the preseason and regular season.

UKTF to Conclude Regular Season with Kentucky Relays | UK Wildcats
The Kentucky track and field program will conclude the 2017 outdoor regular season by welcoming a field of mostly local universities to the annual Kentucky Relays on Saturday at the UK Outdoor Track & Field Complex.

Bob Baffert wins Kentucky Oaks with Abel Tasman | Lexington Herald Leader
Trainer Bob Baffert wins his third Kentucky Oaks. Crazy circumstances led to his getting filly Abel Tasman, who came home a winner on Friday at Churchill Downs.

How did the horses in the Kentucky Derby get their names? | Lexington Herald Leader- Did you know the horse Patch only has one eye? I'm sure you did, but did you know that the name was given to the horse before his eye was lost to infection?

LeBron James, Kyle Korver lead Cleveland Cavaliers' surge - ESPN
The Cavaliers had only a two-point lead entering the fourth quarter in Toronto, but a 26-7 run to start the final period led to another rout.

Tony Parker-less Spurs take 2-1 lead over Rockets | ESPN- Thanks to a bounce back performance from LaMarcus Aldridge, the Spurs defeated the Rockets in Houston 103-92. This was danger time for San Antonio as Tony Park was ruled out for the rest of the playoffs with a quad injury. Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard both scored 26 for the Spur and Pau Gasol pitched in 12.

Kristaps Porzingis on the move? | CBS Sports- The Knicks star reportedly missed several meetings and is unhappy with the situation in New York. Several teams have inquired about a trade.

Kentucky Derby predictions: What the experts are saying | Lexington Herald Leader
Kentucky Derby predictions from several horse racing experts. Classic Empire, Irish War Cry, McCraken and Always Dreaming are the favorites.

NBA Mock draft has Hamidou Diallo to the Jazz | CBS Sports- Malik Monk #5 to the Magic, De'Aaron Fox #7 to the Knicks, Hamidou Diallo #24 to the Jazz, and Bam Adebayo out of the first round according to Gary Parrish. Prepare for a very real chance that Diallo doesn't return.

LaVar Ball defends price of Lonzo Ball's shoes | ESPN- Yesterday Big Baller Brands announced that the Lonzo Ones (or whatever they're called) would cost $495. After being mocked mercilessly on the internet, ringmaster LaVar Ball defended the price of the shoes saying "When you are your own owner you can come up with any price you want." People ain't buying them or your BS, LaVar.

Loretta Lynn suffers stroke, cancels tour | Rolling Stone- Butcher Holler Kentucky's own Loretta Lynn has suffered a stroke but she is expected to make a full recovery. The stroke occurred in her home in Nashville. Lynn is a living legend and was played by Sissy Spacek in one of my wife's favorite movies, Coal Miner's Daughter. Get well soon, Loretta.

What you need to know about The Dark Tower | The New York Times- Stephen King's epic seven novel series The Dark Tower is coming to the big screen. I've read every book and I'm a huge fan of all of them. I like the casting of Idris Elba as Roland Deschain, aka The Gunslinger. But there will be major changes as the task to translate all seven books, almost all of which are massive tomes, to the screen is of monumental difficulty. Will it be one movie or will there be multiple? That is yet to be seen. Here is the trailer to peak your interest.

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