Five things: Basketball grad transfers and baseball’s opening day
Five things of interest for this Thursday:
1. A Kellan Grady introduction
Kentucky basketball’s newest member met the media on Wednesday. The 6-foot-5 grad transfer from Davidson averaged 17.1 points and shot 38.2 percent from three-point range last season. Ben Roberts has a Grady player page on his Next Cats blog. Jerry Tipton wrote about Grady the person and the basketball player this week.
Asked Wednesday why he chose UK, Grady said, “Well, multiple factors, but most notably its competitive environment. Coach (John) Calipari’s track record of really developing players and giving them a really, really good shot at them becoming NBA players. Putting his players in positions to be put in next-level type scenarios on the court. It’s a very contemporary, pro-style offense. From what I’ve heard and from what I’ve gathered from other people who have gone through the Kentucky experience, Coach Cal really fights for you and advocates for you for those at the next level.”
2. Louisville adds a grad transfer
The Cardinals also picked up a grad transfer commitment this week in Jarrod West, a 5-foot-11 point guard from Marshall. A Clarksburg, W.Va., native, West averaged 12.5 points and 6.0 assists last season for the Thundering Herd. West would appear to be the replacement for Carlik Jones, though that grad transfer is leaving some big shoes to fill.
“I think the fit, the opportunity, how much they’ve shown that they want me, and the stage that they’re on is all a part of the reason I chose Louisville,” West told Stockrisers. “Coach (Chris) Mack believes that they have the pieces to compete for championships and that’s something that excites me.”
3. Kentucky football’s Pro Day
NFL scouts were in town Wednesday to check out UK’s prospects for the draft, which begins April 29. On a rocket ride up the draft boards, linebacker Jamin Davis received the most attention. But others made a strong showing, including offensive tackle Landon Young, who did 34 bench press reps.
“Some of the numbers put up are kind of amazing to me,” said UK Coach Mark Stoops, who talked to the media near the end of the event.
Josh Moore has all the measurements, times and words from every Wildcat at the 2021 UK NFL Pro Day.
This is a program that had one player drafted from 2016 through 2018. Josh Forrest, a sixth-round pick in 2016, was the lone draftee. Over the last two drafts, however, Kentucky has had seven players picked, including five in 2019.
- 2020 - Lynn Bowden, 3rd round to Las Vegas
- 2020 - Logan Stenberg, 4th round to Detroit
- 2019 - Josh Allen, 1st round (7th overall) to Jacksonville
- 2019 - Lonnie Johnson, 2nd round to Houston
- 2019 - Mike Edwards, 3rd round to Tampa Bay
- 2019 - Benny Snell, 4th round to Pittsburgh
- 2019 - George Asafo-Adjei, 7th round to NY Giants.
4. The Boys’ Sweet 16
After last year’s absence, it was good to see the annual KHSAA Boys’ State Basketball Tournament back in Rupp Arena, if in front of a limited audience thanks to COVID-19 restrictions.
As the tourney’s second day starts Thursday, our Jared Peck is posting live updates throughout the day. Mark Story wrote about a Billy Gillispie-era UK basketball player who is making a triumphant trip to Rupp Arena. And it’s not too late to check out my podcast with Jared previewing the tournament.
5. Baseball’s Opening Day
It’s Major League Baseball’s Opening Day with all 30 teams in action on Thursday. For my print column, I posed five questions with a prediction about the 2021 edition of the Cincinnati Reds, who open at home (of course) against the St. Louis Cardinals at 4:10 p.m. on Bally Sports Ohio, the new name for Fox Sports Ohio thanks to a partnership between Bally casinos and the Sinclair Broadcast Group.
It will also be the official debut of John Sadak as the Reds’ new television play-by-play man and Reds’ Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin as an analyst. Sadak, Larkin and returning Reds analyst Chris Welsh will be part of a three-man booth for the opener.
Mark Sheldon and Zachary Silver of MLB com have detailed breakdown of the Reds-Cardinals opener. Paul Daugherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer opines on Opening Day. It’s showtime for the Cardinals, says Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
This story was originally published April 1, 2021 at 7:09 AM.
