KSR Today: All eyes on the NBA Draft Combine
Good morning, friends, and happy Tuesday. It’s a big one for the 73 basketball players participating in the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, three of whom are Kentucky Wildcats.
Otega Oweh and Jayden Quaintance will not be back at Kentucky next fall, but Malachi Moreno is expected to be a cornerstone of the 2026-27 roster. Moreno is currently testing the draft waters, a decision that is hanging over the Big Blue Nation. We’re also keeping an eye on Milan Momcilovic, the Iowa State sharpshooter who is also mulling whether to stay in the draft or return to college, potentially, Kentucky.
There are other things happening today in the wide world of Kentucky sports, but the combine is the focal point. That’s where we’ll start today’s rundown.
The NBA Draft Combine is underway
Monday was measurements day at the combine. Malachi Moreno’s measurements were no surprise compared to the ones at UK’s Pro Day last fall. Yesterday, he came in at 6’11 ¼” barefoot, 242.8 pounds with a 7’1 ½” wingspan and a 9’3 ½” standing reach. Momcilovic measured at 6’8″ barefoot, 218.2 pounds with a 6’9 ¼” wingspan and an 8’6 ½” standing reach.
Some of the combine participants started on the strength, agility, and shooting drills on Monday, including Momcilovic. His athletic testing wasn’t great (nor was it expected to be), but he made up for it during shooting drills, finishing first in free throws (10/10), fifth in spot-up shooting (17/25) and shooting off the dribble (22/30), and sixth in side-mid-side (16/28), per Tyler Metcalf. Momcilovic is looking for a first-round guarantee to stay in the draft.
Moreno takes the stage today, and we may see some of the action during ESPN2’s broadcast, which starts at 2 p.m. ET. ICYMI, on Monday, we learned that Moreno chose not to do five-on-five scrimmages despite being listed on the initial rosters. As Jack Pilgrim outlined on KSR+, Moreno’s stock is rising, making his decision to chase his dream of playing professionally vs. return to Kentucky for another season a very real and complicated one. He has until May 27 at 11:59 p.m. ET to make it. What happens this week in Chicago could have a huge impact.
ICYMI, Mark Pope released a new Q&A on Monday
On Monday, we got another Q&A video from Mark Pope. The biggest “news” was Pope saying that he ended a visit with a portal recruit after just three hours because he knew it wasn’t going to be a good fit. He also fielded a question about his front office approach, saying that his assistant coaches speak to agents every single day as part of the NIL negotiation process. Also, he does not support pineapple on pizza, a stance I wholeheartedly agree with.
NEW Sources Say tonight
Jack Pilgrim is back from vacation and already hard at work. As mentioned, on Monday, he dug into Malachi Moreno’s draft decision and the addition of Frank Kepnang to the roster, stories you can read on KSR+. Tonight, Jack and Shawn Smith will go live for a new episode of Sources Say. I’m sure they’ll cover Shawn’s new role as head coach of the boys’ basketball team at Frederick Douglass High School, a promotion a long time in the making.
The show starts at 8 p.m. ET. Make sure you’re subscribed to the KSR YouTube Channel with notifications on to get an alert the minute they go live. If you know us, you know we can sometimes run a few minutes late.
Today’s Kentucky Baseball game was canceled
It’s a very big week for the Kentucky Baseball program, which is fighting for an NCAA Tournament bid. The Bat Cats were set to play Northern Kentucky tonight, but on Monday, the game was called off. In a statement, Kentucky said it was a mutual decision to cancel the game, and its full focus is on this weekend’s series vs. Arkansas, the regular-season finale.
- 1Breaking
Holiday Hoops?
UK in talks for new, high-profile MTE
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UK-Gonzaga series
is over
- 3Hot
Miles Brown
4-star CB picks UK
- 4
Early Exit
at SECT for Bat Cats
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Savo Drezgić
UK in contact with former UGA guard
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“Our team faced multiple extended delays over the weekend, extensive travel days and challenging rest and recovery periods. We play a critically important conference series beginning Thursday that demands putting our student-athletes in the best position possible for success.”
As Adam Luckett outlined, the game vs. NKU was in Quad 4 on Kentucky’s team sheet. A win wouldn’t help Kentucky’s tourney resume, but a loss would do a lot of damage. The Bat Cats are No. 30 in RPI after going 1-2 against Florida. On Monday, the NCAA sent out a letter saying that teams that cancel games for non-weather reasons may be penalized during the tournament selection process. Hopefully, that doesn’t come back to bite Nick Mingione and his squad.
NBA Playoffs Update
On Saturday night, Charles Barkley broke out the broom after the Oklahoma City Thunder took a 3-0 lead on the Los Angeles Lakers. Sir Charles was proven right last night when the Thunder completed the sweep with a 115-110 win to move on to the Western Conference Finals. They’ll meet the winner of the Timberwolves vs. Spurs series, which is tied at 2-2. Game 5 is tonight at 8 p.m. on NBC and Peacock.
The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Detroit Pistons 112-103 in the other game last to even that series at two games all. The winner will face the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks swept the 76ers on Sunday with a dominant 144-114 win.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a series-high 35 points in the Thunder’s win over the Lakers. LeBron James finished with 24 points and 14 rebounds. Was it the final game of his now 23-year professional career? The 41-year-old declined to say afterward.
Two cool Frank Kepnang videos
By now, you’ve heard us talk a lot about Franck Kepnang. The 6’11”, 253 lbs. Washington transfer brings size and experience to the middle, where he will back up Malachi Moreno, should Moreno remove his name from the draft. On Monday, we found out he received his medical hardship waiver, clearing the way for his seventh season of college basketball.
With six years of college basketball under his belt, Kepnang has a wealth of knowledge. He also sounds like a really awesome human being. Take eight minutes today and learn about him off the court, from his upbringing in Cameroon, to the moment he was discovered in a grocery store, his journey to America, and the ways he continues to give back, wherever he goes.
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