What we'll see

Sunday

Sunday marks the 56th running of the Daytona 500, but NASCAR won't be dusting off the same old story lines for this year's Great American Race. Danica Patrick will make history by becoming the first woman to start from the pole position, and the new (and, so far, unpredictable) Gen 6 cars make their Sprint Cup debut. Crowd safety also will be a major talking point in the wake of Saturday's Nationwide wreck that injured several spectators at Daytona. (1 p.m., Fox-56)

Sunday, Thursday

The eighth-ranked University of Kentucky women's basketball team has two goals in play this week. First is to keep pace with league leader Tennessee ahead of next Sunday's showdown with the Volunteers, possibly with the Southeastern Conference title at stake in Memorial Coliseum. Second is to make Matthew Mitchell the winningest women's coach in UK history. Mitchell can tie the record Sunday at Louisiana State (3 p.m., WLAP-AM 630) and make it his own Thursday at Mississippi (8 p.m., WLAP-AM 630).

Monday

The whittling of the field continues this week on the road to the Sweet Sixteen, as the 128 boys' and 128 girls' high school basketball teams still alive begin regional competition. Pick up Monday's Herald-Leader to see how the contenders line up in the brackets.

Tuesday

The eighth-ranked UK baseball team hosts Murray State for its home opener, looking to build on its fast start to the 2013 season. Tuesday's game kicks off a 12-game home stand for the Wildcats. (4 p.m.)

Wednesday, Saturday

The UK men's basketball team continues to try to beef up its post-season résumé with a pair of games this week. The SEC's last-place team, Mississippi State, limps into Rupp Arena on Wednesday night (8 p.m., WKYT-27). On Saturday, the Wildcats face a challenging road trip to Arkansas (4 p.m., CBS-27).

Saturday

No. 10 Louisville and No. 8 Syracuse, both in the hunt for the Big East championship, collide in the Carrier Dome. The Orange won the teams' first meeting this season, 70-68, at the KFC Yum Center. (Noon, CBS-27)

Mathew Graf